Nik's Learning Technology

Nik Peachey showed many websites that can be used in writing skills, speaking skills, 3D and other topics for all students especially English Language Learners. He illustrated examples on how to create and published some examples. He noted answers to the following questions:
 How can this website be used in teaching students?
 What he likes about this site?
 What he is not sure about?
He also posted related links and posts that can help students to create their own writings and blogs.

Ferlazzo's Web Games

Larry Ferlazzo is so kind to list the free websites where teachers and ELLs can create educational learning games. His blog “The Best Websites for Creating Online Learning Game” posted the following mind-blowing websites: Class Tools, Philologus, Purpose Games, What 2 Learn, Sploder, Kickplay, GameBrix, and Whose Game. I am so excited to use the musical timer to my class that I spotted from the ‘class tool’.
His blog labeled “The Best Fun Sites You Can Use for Learning, too” listed the websites that will help students learn language in a fantastic way. He mentioned the following: Family Friendly Simon Sez Santa, Subservient Chicken, I Do Dog Tricks, Phantasy Quest, Sound Factory, Willing To Try, Color In Motion, Pictaps, Viscosity and many more.

Ferlazzo's Web 2.0

I was wowed with all the websites Mr. Ferlazzo has listed from oSkope, sketchcast, Clear, Voicethread, to tumblr , which was introduced by Dr. Burgos in our class. I do not know that there are lots of inspiring and exhilarating websites that can be used in my class. How I wish that I have my class set of computers in my classroom so I can effectively utilize these websites to my students.
Ferlazzo’s blog entitled “The best web 2.0 applications for ESL/EFL” added more websites like Blabberize Show Beyond, Scribd, Daft Doggy and Dvolver MovieMaker, which I like most because video making is finger tip away. The greatest thing to know is that all these websites are free to access.

Ferlazzo's classroom management

I am using the ten actions Larry mentioned in his blog entitled “When a good class goes bad”. The most effective to my classes is when I call parents if my students have done well. The parents are very happy about the news and my students are striving to do good for me to call their own parents. The next best is starting an “A” grade and letting the students know that it is hard to keep an “A” grade.
I have attended trainings for classroom management. But when I read Ferlazzo’s classroom management “why do you let others control you”, his strategies are new to me. All the misbehavior or problems he encountered from his students are similar to what I am experiencing from my students. I will try these to my classes.

Reaction on Wikis Article

As a teacher, I do accept the challenge of incorporating technology in my classroom. Students are more exposed to the use of technology. Using computers and technology is the present trend. I do email my family, friends, colleagues, parents and students. I search videos and lessons from the web. Whether I like it or not, I am using technology everyday, so why not use technology as a tool in teaching.

You want to Write for Free

The post about WEB 2.0 tells readers how websites emerges from simple to complex.
I am also a beginner in using blog. This post helps me realize the importance of blogging. But still I am hesitant to post my own idea or react on others posting because I have not gain my comfort using computer.

The Great Impact of Blogging

I agree to all the reasons that the post "20 Reasons Why Students Should Blog" have enumarated. We are in the computer era. The use of blogs is very practical and faster.
My only concern is: how will the students without computer keep up with these inevitable changes that are happening.

I will follow the same way as what Black's have done in his post entitled "Thinking about Teaching Blogging to your Kids?". My students are used to blackboard in our county so I will be alright to use blogging in class because I teach high school students.

Shift Happens

Learning process is so complex for these coming years. Young thinkers are exposed to technology more than the time they are to use paper and pencil. Most communications, mails and writings among the youth are through the use of blogs, wiki and other websites connecting them to other people around the world.

Video

"Seismic Shifts Occurring"

The video showed me the reality about learning and teaching. Being a teacher, I feel guilty that I am one among the “76% teachers who never used wikis, blogs”. Dr. Burgos, my professor, has introduced the blog and delicious websites. I agree that teachers (including me) need to continuously learn and shift the teaching strategies to what these “digital -21^st century learners “demanding to be able to think and engage technology in order for them to graduate and land to better jobs.

I have realized that students spend more time watching television, playing games, listening to their iPods than reading books. They are very much comfortable using technology and the “www – whatever, whenever, wherever” websites. I conclude that being a teacher is a challenging profession but rewarding if we update ourselves.

Access to Computer

Technologies like computers are very helpful to the teaching and the learning field. The request of any teacher is: “Can I have a set of computers in the classroom?”
I do have one desktop and a laptop for a teacher use in my classroom. I do not have a set of computers. If I need technology in my lesson, I use the LCD to project what my students should learn using the technology. I seldom go to reserve a spot to use the computer laboratory or the media center for my students to use because of the availability and accessibility. The school has only two computer labs and the media center has 10-15 functioning computers. Most of the time, I give an activity using a computer as homework by providing my students the website and the directions on how to use the computer in order to complete the task.