Almost Done...

Checklist Due By Tomorrow:
*Complete Instructional Frameworks: I will neither confirm nor deny where I am in that paper...=)
*Complete Last Technology Project:

2 Things to do, not too bad. I will be rejoicing come Thursday!

Happy Picture Day!

Happy Picture Day Everyone! Hope Everyone is getting every last minute thing done for classes this week! Think of it this way, this weekend is a holiday and we have a day off....YEA! So a Happy Early 4th to everyone! 2 more days and the weekend is ours! Updates: I have not finished some last minute homework activities. No big deal. My goal is to put the hammer down today and barricade myself in a room and get EVERYTHING DONE. Wish me luck everyone. Don't worry, I know I am not the only one done with my work! =) Enjoy the day! I'm off to get stuff accomplished!

It's Thursday....BOO YAH!

Thursday is officially the new Friday!! Finally turned in my Lit. Review and I plan on not worrying about until Monday!! However, with good news, come bad news. Got word that we start our research class on Monday...can we say "BOO to that!" My no life will continue next week...love my life =).
Happy Friday to me! First "Cadre-itas" after Technology and I'm still singing Tom Petty in my head after the concert last night! Have a good weekend everyone!!

Home Stretch!

On the home stretch for this Lit. Review! It's already Wednesday, so I am really looking forward to handing in my paper tomorrow. It will definitely feel like a weight is being lifted off my shoulders. Then I work on other assignments that are due soon. I am not really getting a break, but I will feel relief when I turn this in. I feel more comfortable about turning it in now, because I know it will get feedback, that I know will make my writing better. I feel proud at the fact that this will actually be a paper that I will use in my future classroom. Looking forward to the results. One more day and "HELLO!" weekend!

Opening the Doors to Learning: Technology Research for Students with Learning Disabilities (Reading Skills)

Description: The other article I read and reflected on today is also about using technology in those primary classrooms. These years, I believe, are crucial because children are learn motor skills they use in the classroom, as well as other effective instructional procedures. The article briefly discusses an effective starter program for beginning readers called Wiggleworks. In this program offer repeated reading practices to use with the students, along with them taking part in the activity by reading along and flipping the page with just a click of a button. It helps set that balance between fluency and comprehension with the reader. It really focuses on leveled books for the readers and sets the stage for finding that meaning, vocabulary, and understanding in the text, by making it fun and educational at the same time.
Analysis/Reflection: I would recommend the program for many users. the article also addresses the problems with the classroom situation and amount of students for a certain number of computers they have in the room. It reminds us to set limits to the students to show everyone a piece of the program and get a chance to experience it for what it's worth. It recommended 20 minutes, depending on the class of students and grade level you are dealing with at the time. That can easily be adjusted.

This article is just another example of how every day, our technology increases and changes up to higher standards. One of these days, everything will be on computers, it is only a matter of time of when this will happen. Until then, this program gives many students a chance to see what today's technology is offering to our learning environment.

To view this article, pleast go to the following:

http://www.ldonline.org/article/6344?theme=print

Critical Issue: Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction

Description: So I have been doing some reflecting today on how my Choice Projects will contribute to me as a teacher using some of these ideas in my classroom. So today, I reflected on two articles that I believe have helped me broadened my horizons on using technology in the primary classroom: the positive, the negative, the possible outcomes, adn products that could be used in my future teaching instruction.
This article focused on specifically using technology in my classroom to enhance literacy development. Since my area of focus is literacy, I read this article and learned many new terms and strategies on how it is viewed so far in the learning environment. Literacy helps us read,write, think, speak, and learn. Incorporate that with technology, and you are learning even more to communicate, investigate, assess and expand in the learning atmosphere. The article is broken down into 7 types of literacy to use in technology: information, digital,new, computer, computer-technology, critical, and media. The article also discusses common electronic books and other online texts that allow students to experience when first being introduced into literacy methods.

Analysis/Reflection: Overall, I enjoyed reading this article as it offered collaboration tips for other readers, goals for administrators, media specialists, and the community on many different levels. I would use this information from anywhere to guided reading, reading workshops/stations, or assessing on leveled book activities. It was a great introduction into what exactly you experience your child to when technology sources are used in the classroom atmosphere.

To view this article, please visit the following:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm

Terrible Tuesday

So I got abslutely NO SLEEP last night...so this definitely feels like a Terrible Tuesday! If you couldn't tell, I am bugged, yes bugged about my classes. I am already waiting for Thursday, you know, the new Friday to come...right now! Almost done with my Lit. Rev. but I need more people to read it. I hope this workshop is helpful today because this is the final stretch to get this paper done. I will feel more relief when Thursday comes, that way I can focus on other important things due coming up. Technology allows me to take a break from my strategies class, but it also makes me think about all the stuff I have due in here as well...shoot! I got to get going.
*Highlight of my day~ I'm getting new glasses today!! =)