When I began this class I was annoyed that so much of it was done on Twitter and through blogs.  I sometimes get impatient when collaboration is required.  I want to put my head down and muscle through projects.  I don’t like to slow down and see what others are doing.  Somehow, “putting my shoulder to the wheel” and pushing along all by myself seems like the most efficient option.
            After six weeks of Tweeting and blogging, I’m converted.  I have loved the things I’ve learned from everyone else.  It’s been helpful to me to be a contributor as well. 
            My data collecting seems a little slow.  I’m getting more and more entries that are just alike.  This week I started my interviews with kids.  That will be fun and will give me a new kind of data.  One more week and I will do my post-testing. 
            The Daily Five is proving to be a super effective way to manage the class during reading groups.  I was at an in-service meeting this week and one of my fellow teachers was near tears with frustration over the behavior in her class during reading groups.  I was able to share the program with her.  I may even buy her the book for Christmas!

What I learned from my peers this week:
  • Lenore did a Wordle that really impressed me.  I’m excited to experiment with that tool.  I happened to see one that a colleague did at school as well.  Wordle is a hot item right now!
  • I also found Lenore’s APA Do’s and Don’ts helpful.  
  • I got a great tip from Tiffany about the app Too Noisy.  I’m going to try that out for sure.  
  • Tiffany has a nice mind map on her blog this week too.  I’m interested in finding out how she made hers.
  • I’m interested in Leslie’s work on Spelling City.  I have seen that used by older students but I am wondering if it would be effective with first graders.  Leslie, with all her experience, is a great person to give me tips.

What I was able to share this week:

  • I was able to share the website Bubble.us.
  •  I also found some other great websites that I shared on my blog post from Friday.  I especially enjoyed the article from the BYU website.  It had tons of great tips.
  • I was able to share some information about a new website that my school is using to assess the library content and match it to new standards.  Our school librarian is using it to make sure that we buy books that will support the standards.  She recently found me a perfect non-fiction book that was age-appropriate for my first graders.  I used it as a read aloud and the kids were completely engrossed.  When I complimented her on it, she told me about the new program and said that she had been “tipped-off” that we needed more. 
Carrollea Hubbard
10/25/2013 01:53:04 am

Lisa,
I enjoyed reading your week six blog. I appreciated your candid approach to writing down how you felt about learning with technology, collaborating, blogging, and twittering in the beginning, then how you changed your mind as the process continued. I am certain you are not alone in your innermost thoughts on this subject. I was not familiar with using twitter prior to taking this course. I thought twitter, like Trix cereal, was for kids. I was astounded once I had logged in and began tweeting. Twitter is a worldly communication medium. I had no idea. I guess that makes me the silly rabbit.
You mentioned that your data results were just alike. I experienced this also. The difference was that the results were from one technician and one instructor. They each gave the exact response to an interview question I asked. I was not surprised to hear the answer from the instructor but I was surprised to hear the answer from the technician. The response was that computer based instruction produced an environment that was too easy for the test takers to cheat the test. I learned a quick method from my peer, Jeff how to resolve this problem, randomize the test questions.
It sounds like you have learned valuable information from your peers this week also. I enjoyed Lenore’s piece of wordle artwork in Twitter this week too. The finished product was impressive. I plan to consult her apa do’s and don’ts (bad one there) list this week. Thank you for tip on Tiffany’s concept map. She did do a good job creating the map. It will be good to connect with her for tips. Leslie’s work with spelling city sounds interesting.
Thank you for the tip about Bubble.us. I bookmarked it to favorites. I will log in and check it out. I am happy to hear that the school librarian is helping you to find non-fiction reading material that you are able to use to engage your readers. I imagine the nonfiction reading material promotion will bring new authors to the stage.
I scrolled down your week six blog page just now and noticed your first mind map! This is an excellent example of a mind map. You produced this in Bubble.us. I like it.
We are leaving for cranberry picking shortly or I would log in now and try it.
Thank you for your ideas and the great work you have presented. It sounds like you are a better teacher already. I read the survey question you wrote.
Great job,
Carrollea

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