Journal 1

Shifflet, R, & Toledo, Cheri (2008). Extreme Makeover: Updating Class. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://jheil65.googlepages.com/Journal1.pdf.

This article was about using technology in the classroom to revamp your lesson plans. It gave an over view of different online tools that can be very useful. These include collaborative writing tools, blogs, social bookmarking, photo sharing and building reference resources. While I feel this technology is amazing and very useful for students to use, I’m not sure how much of it I will really use in my classroom as I intend to teach special education students. However, I will most likely continue using the bog and social bookmaking to collaborate with my future colleagues.
How much of this could I use with special education students?
Well, it depends on what population I work with. I would like to teach a preschool SDC class, but I could very well end up with older students. I know that no matter what grade I have my students will be using the class computers frequently. Using the collaborative writing tools and blogs would be a great way to keep older students engaged and interested in writing assignments. It would also help them to feel connected to each other and hopefully foster friendships out side of the classroom.


Mader, J, & Smith, B (2008). Blogging right along. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://jheil65.googlepages.com/Journal1.pdf.

Blogging right along focuses on having students use a class blog to keep up on class events and topics. Some of the advantages to this are that students can access important information easily and it chronicles class events. It also allows student s to collaborate and share ideas. Homework assignments, directions and examples can be posted on a class blog and students can work together on the assignment. Again, I feel this really has a place with older students maybe middle school and up. I would really love to try a class blog for my students though, one that parents would access too! How great would it be to start an online community for parents to network and share resources. Maybe there could be class volunteer sign up sheet online and the parents could organize class events!
How could I get my room parents involved in something like this?
I would introduce the blog and how to use it during back to school night. I think this would be a great way to get the parents involved in the class and school! There could be some difficulties though. Some of my families might not have computers at home, speak different languages or be busy single parents. That would be one great thing about having it online though. There are several different translation databases where parents or myself could translate posts and having it online would mean it was always accessible to busy parents. I could also make sure to inform parents with out computers at home where to find public access, maybe there would be one in the parent volunteer center?