Bonnie's bPortfolio

TPACK

Bonnie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:33:25 +0000

This was very overwhelming to read. It sure overlapped a lot of information with technology. I found it difficult to understand. It put into mind a general education teacher or a person off the street trying to read something about special education with all the acronyms! I can see both sides of using technology with curriculum use. I am hoping to be able to use it more with my higher level students in the upcoming school year but for the lower level students I don’t see that possible unless the district is willing to give me a touch screen and appropriate software for the students–ohhh to be in the perfect world!

I-Safe

Bonnie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:58:12 +0000

I was so impressed with this curriculum! I think there are too many children/teenagers that do get into the world wide web and think that no matter what is said or written in a chat room or a profile that they are still safe. This curriculum really shows how little things can lead to horrible consequences and it is all real in this day and age. I so hope my district is willing to get the subscription for the curriculum and allow me to take it to a level that would be a benefit to MANY students at every grade level.

SuperGoo to Scratch

Bonnie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:55:49 +0000

I thought the idea of the Computer Clubhouse was an awesome example of an after school activity and students are learning a skill that can lead them into the field of technology. There are so many students who go home to play video games or chatting I think that the Computer Clubhouse gives students a goal to get to rather than just sitting there playing the game. Our future is constantly changing in the field of technology and I think it is important that students have the opportunity to gain the knowledge they need for the future and possible careers in technology.

Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs

Bonnie — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:18:25 +0000

This article made me look back into my own pedogogy and think about how technology fit into it. Well many years ago it was no where to be seen. Now when I think about technology my classroom practices revolve around it. Being a special education teacher my IEP’s are done online and that is what I base all of my curriculum on for each of my students. The IEP’s are done on the computer and are updated there as well, but as for the curriculum my students have a very difficult time remembering from day to day basic skills. A few of my students are able to match words or shapes with a program but are not able to match coins or anything of that sort. I am hoping to develop some type of programs that work for severe/profound handicapped students besides just matching pictures. I figure if I am going to think in regards of teaching these students I am going to shoot for the stars with them and the families and I know those stars will be shining bright at the end.

Wiki way of learning

Bonnie — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:55:03 +0000

This article really opened my eyes about how others can take credit for work that someone else has done. Sometimes it is hard to trust people that you don’t know or can’t see. I think this could be a good type of opportunity for parents of handicapped students to support one another and post questions that others may be able to answer for each other. Sorry it is the special ed teacher in me that thinks of ways to support students and their families.

3 day walk

Bonnie — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:25:59 +0000

Hi everyone,

I just wanted you to know that I am doing the 3 day Breast Cancer Walk in 7 weeks. We walk 60 miles in 3 days. I am so close to my fundraising goal and would love to go above and beyond it. If anyone out there is able to donate some money I would greatly appreciate it. Let me know and I will tell you how to get to the site. BTW it is a tax write off too

Thanks a bunch

Bridging the Divide

Bonnie — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:16:40 +0000

This was an important article in the world of getting assistance with technology in our classrooms. If we do not get training for a type of program we have on our computer we just don’t use it. If we do get training on the program but still do not understand it we still don’t use it. Then there are the programs that we do use and I don’t think we use it to its full benefits. A question that Mike Bogle put into his paper was restated perfectly- “How CAN I use it effectively?” We often don’t think about using it effectively we just focus on how to use it and use the bare minimums. I admit I know how to use PowerPoint but do I get the full benefits of it-NO! How do I go about getting more information, well let’s see I can take a class or use it more and more to get the full benefits. In order for me to use it more effectively sooner I think that taking a class and continually using it would be in my best interest.

WEB 2.0

Bonnie — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:28:16 +0000

I love this article considering how many classes I have taken online. I really like the fact that cyber-classrooms are more readily available for students. It was a strong possibility that I was going to be moving out of state this summer-unfortunately the economy put a stop to it. If I did move I would have been able to continue the Masters program I was currently in because I am able to do all of the classes on line. It helps with saving money on gas too! There are some classes that I found out do not work very well trying to learn on my own (Statistics!). I think that on-line schools can really benefit the alternative learning style of some students who do not fit into the “regular standardized” classroom. It is also an awesome benefit for those students who are unable to attend school due to physical difficulties/injuries/disabilities. I tutored a young lady years ago who had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I do believe that now she would not need a tutor to complete her work she would be able to get it all completed on line as she felt well enough to work. She would be able to contact instructors with questions or even other students.

Teachers, Not Technicians….

Bonnie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:06:18 +0000

I found this article very interesting. I remember when owning a computer made people think you were rich, now if you don’t at least access to the internet, you are completly out of the loop. Technology has come so far since I graduated from high school in 1990. One of the things in the article that I found very interesting was the need for collaboration between the different academics. Being in special education field and also being a a very specialized type of program (severe/profoundly handicapped students) it is difficult for me to collaborate with other teachers in my school since they do not deal with the same type of students I do. Therefore, the type of computer programs that we use are lower level than an average high schooler would be working on. We tend to use touch screens for students who are non-verbal. We also have machines that can communicate with others. One student had a talking machine for himself and was able to ask a girl to the homecoming dance in which he was the homecoming king!! Collaborating with other staff from other schools that teach the same type of program is beneficial when we are able to find curriculum that benefits our students needs and how they can benefit the staff as well.

Welcome to my bPortfolio

Bonnie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:12:22 +0000

This is my new bPortfolio that I am making to reflect on my learning at SPU in my quest to earn my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.