Alice 2.3

I recently had to use Alice 2.3 for an assignment in my computer class.  It was my first time using Alice 2.3.  It took me a long time to be able to even move around effectively in Alice.  It would take much more than a couple of hours to learn all the features in Alice. 

My experiences with Alice were mixed.  I did like being able to explore and learn by doing which is a strength of mine.  I did not like how long it takes to get a very basic knowledge of how to interact with the software.  It is very time consuming which can make it ineffective.

I would probably not use Alice in my classroom because of the time that it would take to make something in it.  I'm sure that there are practical ways to incorporate Alice into a classroom but I probably wouldn't want to mess with it.  I would though not hesitate using an Alice game if it was already made and developed.

All in all, my experiences with Alice were very mixed.

CEC

The CEC is the Council for Exceptional Children.  It is the largest international professional organization that is geared towards improving education for exceptional children or individuals with disabilities.  This organization sets professional standards for Special Education.
The CEC has its own code of ethics which Special Education teachers are expected to follow.
Join the CEC gives an educator many different opportunities and opens so many different doorways. Since is it an international organization, it is a great way to connect with special educators all over the world.  It is a great resource also.  I am currently a member of the CEC and also a member of the local chapter her at Midwestern State University.

Council for Exceptional Children

Feedback In General

I have now experienced the ladder of feedback in two different aspects.  Ladder of feedback is a tool used to give helpful feedback to another person.  Typing the ladder of feedback has benefits.  These benefits are that the person can keep the feedback and reference it if they want.  This is good for people especially if you don't have time to truly consider what the person said in the feedback.  Face to face feedback is beneficial because if I have questions on why they thought this was good or bad, I could easily ask them and they could elaborate on why they liked or did not like something. 

Personally, I really like the face to face feedback.  I like having the interaction with someone else and being able to talk about the positives and the negatives.  I can then proceed to see if the changes I have in mind fix their concerns.  If time permits, I can ask them if they would like to look over it again after I have made said changes.  

Multiple Intelligences

In class today, we took a Multiple Intelligences quiz to see how best we learn.  I was not surprised that my top intelligence was logic/mathematical.  I have always been good with numbers.  This exercise showed me new ways of getting kids involved.  The way that the whole class was able to come together in a collaborative document and work with the same numbers was really cool to watch.  The challenging part was to not mess up other peoples work.  This activity could be a good way to help teacher students how to have respect for their peer's work.

Children always want to know what they do good and have a sense that they are like everyone else.  This is a good way to educate them that it is good to be different.  Because we all learn in different ways, it could be a good learning opportunity for the students.  It would show the students that they are all smart but all learn in different ways.  It can also help students know how best they study.  Multiple Intelligences have a big place in the classroom.

Experiences

By using blogs in the Special Education classroom, it allows students to express themselves in a new way.  With exceptional children, we need to keep in mind they all have voices and they need to be heard.  It allows parents to be able to see the work that the children do.  Maybe children with SLD would be able to accomplish tasks on a blog.  Allowing them to do simple tasks, some may need assistance but none the less, it is a good experience for them.

I would help my students log in and explore blogging.  This would be more of an opportunity for something new than a graded assignment.  I would be there for support when they needed me.  It also gives them key computers skills needed when they move on to upper grades. 

Technology with Special Ed

First off, creating a blog is different.  I did not experience blogs in high school so this is all new to me.  It was quite confusing at first but that could just be because my internet would cut out on me and I would lose where I was.  After figuring out what some of the buttons are and what they do, creating my blog was very easy. 

Blogging can be useful in the classroom if it is used effectively.  It can be a good way for chilfren to communicate and perform discussions.  It needs to be monitored though so cyber bullying does not occur.  Also, I need to make sure that this does not take away from the social skills that children learn during school.

Im going into Special Education.  I think that blogs can be useful in certain aspects of Special Education.  It can be useful for children with OHI and HI.  Depending on the severity, they will be able to use a computer and blog.  It makes for an easy way for them to be able to interact and let themselves be heard.  Its also a good way bring a whole classroom together. 

My learning goals for this activity may to just let them experience something new.  I never had a teacher let me experience blogging in K-12.  It is also an easy way to allow their parents to be able to see what their children have to say.