Kathy27

Portfolio Blog

2007-05-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

First off, I did the extra credit blog days ago and forgot to e-mail you to grade it...so don't forget it!! Anyways, this class was not what I was expecting....not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't vidoe projects, and reading 16 articles and making writing sequences. It was all a lot of fun and its things that I will use the rest of my life and the things I've learned have helped me shape my views on how to leach writing, the wrongs and right things to do. As a reader, I have learned that there is a lot of published work on how to teach people to write which is really funny! But I geuss it makes sense to read first about how to write. As a writer I have heard about ideas that I was taught when I was younger, things I wish I learned about when I was younger. I want to teach K-3 grade but I really want to find a way to teach them peer- review because I think it was a hurt instead of a help for me because I learned peer- review in 7th grade and I had no idea what to do. I will remeber the video project and I hope to make more of them, not for school but for my personal ideas or thoughts. It's a better alternative than doing a lame power point project or making a poster to help you through a speech. I will remember my writing sequence project because it was fun to listen to what everybody else was going to do, I wrote some down that I really liked because it's good to start piling up ideas that you've heard. Over all in my own class, I want to teach my kids that reading and writing is enjoyable and teach them how to read and how to get better at it. I think some kids are discouraged and would rather take a negative attitude about it. I want to let my young kids be creative and learn how to open their little minds to every thing. Kids are creative if they realize it or not. With some modified projects I want my students to express their ideas. Like I said I want to be K-3 grade so it's important to teach them the fundamentals and a few fun things along the way! Thank you for being a great flexable teacher this semester. I know I had a lot of fun witht he project I did and I hope that you keep the assignments similar for the classes to come!- Kathy

Memo Reflection

2007-04-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was way confused when I got this assignment because I had no idea what I was doing, where to start or anything about the project! It was easy once I put down on the computer my outline because it set my project up and then it set me at ease for continuing. I sort of felt like I was doing the annotation project all over again just adding a introduction and a conclusion. I am still not sure that I did the project correct but it met the length requirement and I added all the important articles. I just really hope that I did it right. I talked to other people in class and it made me feel better to hear that they too were confused and unsure where to start. I was really proud of my paper when it was finished because I wasn't confident in the process of the paper and it felt excellent when it was e-mailed to my teacher and off my hands!

Extra Credit Blog

2007-04-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

This is Kathy's mom. I was told to write what I thought about her digital video. I agree that she has no time to herself because she is never home for very long, when she is home it's usually late and she showers and then is gone early the next morning. I was impressed with her video because I would have no clue how to make a video about something. Her narration in the back ground was really fun and all of her pictures were fun too. Time maganment is definatly Kathy's biggest issue in life!

Writing about writing

2007-04-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

I like what I have learned so far in my articles. I have learned that children are media base before they enter school. That means that they have knowledge before they enter school and instead of forgetting that information the use that to help themselves associate the new information into their everyday life. Children watch an enormous amount of television and they learn a lot from it. They associate things the they watch on television into their school work. In the first article I read, the author was giving an example of two girls that had to write a story. They chose to write a scary story because they both like Goosebumps the books and movies. Another example the author gave was about two girls that could "rap" and make up complex song lyrics at recess or at home but when it came to writing sentences they couldn't writing more that three or four word sentences. It was interesting because they didn't know that song lyrics were really sentences that they were singing. I agree that kids know a lot of information before entering school. I think that it's important that teachers let kids use it as an outlet and let that help them to be creative or to associate and learn new things. The second article I read as actually a letter to a granddaughter who was only eightteen months old from her grandmother. It seemed like the grand mother was trying to remind the child how much she enjoyed reading and writing at such a young age and that she hoped she will like it when she gets older. I thought that the main point of the article was that people need to read and write for themselves and not so much to find emplopyment. The grandmother expressed how important it is that children read and write poetry because it is such an outlet and they it can be just as important as writing an essay.
I am not sure what my personal thoughts on how to teach writing are but I think that I am getting a good lesson. I think by the time this unit is over that I will have greater knowledge for writing. Hopefully I will have my own point of view on how to teach writing. It's very important that a student learns at a young age how to write and how not to write. I hope my students appreciate what I bring to them as far as knowledge about writing.

Reification Blog

2007-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

I had a great time making my project, yes it was a pain in my butt but I really like how it turned out. I went with adding in personal pictures with pictures of others and symbols because it worked out better with adding my words with pictures rather than having words that didn't match my pictures. As far as taking my own pictures, I really had to write down the exact pose or situation that I needed. It was fun because some were older pictures that fit the part and some pictures were staged because they were actions or things that I just had to make up...sorry. It was a trial and error process for me because I felt like I would got out take pictures and then peice them into my project. Then I would have to search google for the other images that I would need to fill my words. Then again I would go out and take pictures and so on. It took me 6 and a hlaf hours one sunday to get all my narative on to Gabcast and to match the words and pictures together. I thought that it would be easier than it was but I got a lot out of the project. Gee was mentioned once in my project, I mentioned trying to make my affinity groups happy. I didn't know what to say because I wanted the project to be about me and my experiences with time management rather than me trying to write my narative around Gee. Yeah for the video project! Make grading the project flexible!!

My Mutlimedia Project

2007-02-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

I am having fun with my video project because I am creative! It took a little bit of thought before I knew what it was going to look like and how it was going to come together but it's been a learning experience. My topic is time management and it's easier than I thought. Right now, I am collecting the images that I already have to see which images I need to take and upload to make my picture package complete. Tonight I am going to start writing my script. I have come to the conclusion that once I do this last part, my project will start to take shape and I will be more excited to see it complete. I still have ideas in my head of things I want to add and what needs to be taken out or modified. It's fun and I am glad that we have a new "flexible" deadline!

Cultural Models- Under Ash

2007-02-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

This video game made my stomach turn. Let's teach ignorance by displaying ignorance. First of all, the american version of this game shouldn't have came out first... classless of course. It's like keeping your starting line-up in the game when you're already ahead 15-0, it's not "classy." Second, a rebuttle wasn't needed. I think that kids shouldn't be involved with committing terrorist attacks on TV like adults shouldn't in real life. Yes it's a game but everybody know why the americans are killing the arabs, why can't they kill animals, or "everybody" if they must kill people. Why must the Palestinian kill the Isralei soldiers? I don't understand violence as an answer and I don't like it in general. This is all I want to write because I think everybody knows by now THAT I HATE VIDEO GAMES!

Situated Learning

2007-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

After reading chapter 4 on situated learning, all I could think about was the game that Gee was talking about. It seemed like a pretty fun game because you got to choose how you did, what you learned, how you wan to applied what you have learned. It was great because children need structure and after they get structure, they need to know how to apply the information taught. I liked also in the game that you got choices in the situation that you were in, where you get to choose your weapons, the training you recieved because as the game went on, you noticed how handy the training was they you choose and also how handy the training you didn't recieve was. Again, I didn't grow up with video games but I think that games like these are good for children. . . the game I can relate to that it is most like the game that Gee talked about it the Oregon Trail. That game also let you choose what supplies you took, what you did along the way. I liked that it too had consequences throughout the game. Overall, games that are interactive and that give choices make learning fun and educational at the same time... GOOD STUFF!

Video Games good for learning

2007-01-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

I think that the idea of video games as a learning tool is totally correct. Back when I was growing up I was never allowed to have video games or anything like that. So, I don't know very much about them except KIDS LOVE THEM! I think it's leapster or some other kids learning tool that is actually making video games with mutiplication, divison, spelling games that you can buy. Even the commercial on TV about "you better stop doing the dishes and go play your video games." I think that there needs to be boundaries to that kids are not play video games from when they walk in from school to when they have to go to bed. I think it should be rewarded ( ie: if you keep your room clean, if you get your home work done, positive things). I totally agree that it is a social thing too because I never had video games but my cousins did and I found it hard to talk to them about something other then video games. I just wish that they would take all the violence out of the video games and bring back old school Mario Brothers and Pakman... those are games I can relate too!

I am learning...

2007-01-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

I am currently trying to teach myself time managment. Currently, I am NOT very good at it. I live a hectic life that invovles many things: 18 units at school, a shift supervising position in my job, I play softball for Chico State and I have a long term boyfriend..that I would like to keep around! So as you can see, there is really no "Kathy" time or much "study" time. I would like to change that for obvious reasons such as better grades when the semster ends, I won't drive myself crazy all semester, and that I would really like to spend some quality time with my boyfriend! Since it is early in the semester I thought that this would be the perfect time to try this time managment thing out. So far, I have only been able to control one thing: how much I work. I only work about 20 hours a week now and that will be cut soon when we start playing softball because it cuts into my availibility time.. BOO! I would really like to sit down and schedual out my time and see where I can make time for studying and my boyfriend because I can control those things. Softball and work I can't really control.
So please, every body who reads this...maybe only 5 or 6 of you wish me luck in my goal of reaching total time managment and a happier, stressless life! Have a good semester!