Blog Post #16 Part 1

    In preparation for this final blog post I went back and read the first blog post I wrote for this class. Everything I wrote in that post still stands true as to what I want my classroom to look like, what I want my students to learn, what methods I will use in my class, and the technology I will use. However, I now have a better understanding of myself and my ideals for my classroom and students.

My Classroom
     I want my classroom to be a place where students find a love for grammar and literature. In today's society most students dread their English class. I do not want my classroom to be that way. I want my class to be a place where my students learn the value of English in their everyday life and take their learning with them into the next phase of their lives.

Activities In My Classroom
    I have had the opportunity to learn numerous things through EDM310 about potential activities that could take place in my classroom. I would really love to have a SMARTboard in my classroom so that I could create activities based on grammar. I would have my students complete those activities on the SMARTboard and then get peer feedback. Active participation in a subject will promote understanding of important concepts. Another activity I would like for my students to participate in are having them create small YouTube videos in which they explain concepts of grammar. They could create their activity on the SMARTboard and then have a classmate video it. The reason I would like to do this activity in my classroom is because, if my students can explain the concept enough to create a video on it, then that means that they truly understand the concept.

Methods
    One method I know I will use in my classroom is blogging to improve writing skills. I had never blogged until I got into EDM310 and just going back and reading my first blog post I can see a dramatic difference in my writing. Blogging is a wonderful tool to help students with writing and even create a love for writing. My students will blog about concepts we are studying in class and they will also have creative writing assignments. My students will also learn the value of peer editing and commenting through blogging. I will also have my students focus on critical analysis of literary works. I will have my students read certain passages and then as a class we will discuss what could the writer have meant when he/she wrote this portion of the text.

Tools I Will Use In My Classroom
     The list of tools to use in the classroom are endless. There are so many wonderful tools and applications available to teachers and students. I know I will use blogging. Blogging has become one of my favorite things to do. I hope to instill that love in my students. I want to use Google Docs and Google Sites to have my students share their works with each other and to create viewable sites for their work or projects. I will have my students use Brainscape as a studying tool. On their iPads, they will use iMovie to create videos on concepts of grammar. In doing research I will have my students log onto iCurio so that they can access Common Core approved sites. These are just a few of the tools I will use in my classroom, but the possibilities are endless.