Class 2: A little pressure never hurts!
- A. Ferguson
- May 9, 2017
- 4 min read
Class 2 was technically Class 1 for me as I had to miss the first week. I was excited and nervous about it. I was excited to get there without getting lost and settle in and meet everyone. I was nervous about my AppSmash project as I completed it on my own without any direct instruction the week before. My nervousness subsided quite quickly though when I started chatting with others and found out they were feeling similarly. It was a time consuming project, with a learning curve for many.
We had time to finish our projects and prepare to present them, which we were all thankful for. I am happy to say that I enjoyed every minute of the presentations! Each ebook brought a new element of surprise. New apps were presented that I had not explored for my book and some were used that I forgot I knew about, like iMovie. Although we were hearing the same 10 definitions presented in each book, the creativity everyone used in doing so made it not seem repetitive. This was a key take-away for me. Sometimes in class, when listening to the same presentation over and over again, I, just as much the students, get bored. I think even if the same topic is being assigned, assigning a different app or presentation style for each would make the presentations more engaging. I generally give choice in how students demonstrate their knowledge, but now that I know about all these apps, I have so much more choice for my students. And of course, they likely know about many more apps than I do that they can add to the mix!
As educators, we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to reach all of our students, and much pressure is also put on us by students, administration and parents to do the same. And the pressure is amplified in a M.Ed class. I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to create this ebook and while going through the process, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish, let alone meet all the assessment criteria. But I came out just fine, and after it was all over, I realized that I had it in me all along and all I needed was a bit of pressure to push me towards reaching this goal and leave my comfort zone. Sometimes we shy away from things we see as unattainable. Technology scares some, but without this project we would not be aware of as many assistive technology apps to help our students.
I am on a study leave this year, but I ran into the resource teacher from my school after church on Sunday and I filled her in on all that I was learning. She is very interested in learning from me and I am excited to pass along my knowledge. After all, we cannot let it stay with us. The more we can share, the more students that will benefit!
Here is a snippet from my ebook:
We also had time to learn about some of our professor's students and the A.T. they use to help them navigate their world. It was incredible to see what they could accomplish when given the proper supports. Who would have thought you could learn to play the drums with your tongue? It really does make me think of the following quote:
To round out a great day, we started to do what I thought would be a quick and easy task...boy was I wrong! We were asked to do an analysis reading where we had to write down everything we did while reading a passage. I started my list like this:
--read from left to right
--read the title first
--read top to bottom...
Well, little did I know I missed about 5 crucial steps needed before even looking at the title. I didn't even think about the emotional and physical components to reading. We had to finish this task at home. I am excited to see how my now-extended list will compare to the actual list next weekend. This was the perfect activity to have us understand how complex the reading process is and how it is taken for granted by many teachers and students who are skilled in this area. When broken down, it is easier to see why many of our students cannot read, or do not find it enjoyable. I would definitely like to share this activity with my staff as it seems like it would shed some light on the struggles of some of their students. And of course, I'd love to follow it up with some strategies for teachers to use in their classes to assist their students in the reading process.
Here is the passage if you'd like to give it a try!
Dracula
Bram Stoker
Chapter 1 Jonathan Harker's Journal
3 May. Bistritz. __Left Munich at 8:35 P. M, on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streets. I feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible. The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule. We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to Klausenburgh. Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale. I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Mem. get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter, and he said it was called "paprika hendl," and that, as it was a national dish, I should be able to get it anywhere along the Carpathians. I found my smattering of German very useful here, indeed, I don't know how I should be able to get on without it.
Until next time...
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