525 Week 1

I found both of the articles/web resources to be both interesting and practical. I have to be honest and say that I was not terribly excited about having a textbook for this class. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book is not only easy to read but has already given me so many useful ideas that I can implement in my classroom day 1 this year. Some of the highlights for me included the organizing and brainstorming software. I don't have access to computers in my classroom or a functional computer lab in my school so I really have to get creative sometimes. I have used Inspiration before for curriculum planning with my colleagues but after our reading I thought that I could use this with my class to do small or large group brainstorming using my laptop and LCD projector. This year I am also in charge of the middle school world language PLC. I plan to test and use one of the four different data collection tools presented. I have used Survey Monkey before but the other tools sound like they may fit some of my needs better. Another highlight for me was the information about rubric creators. I use a lot of performance based assessments in my classroom and I grade those using self made rubrics. Some of the rubric creation websites mentioned will really make my life easier. I also liked the ideas presented with the Classroom Response Systems. I used a CPS system with my high school students and they loved having a personal input and tool in class but more importantly I saw how much they appreciated instant feedback. Unfortunately my current school only has enough CPS systems for core teachers but if I get the opportunity to use this in my class again, I definitely will. Finally, I really liked the idea of a web showcase to provide recognition for students. In the past I have always had a bulletin board in my classroom reserved for recognition, but I like the idea of having one online as well, this way the web showcase can be linked to our weekly district newsletter that is sent electronically.