Chapter 2 - Videos in English Classrooms

I found this chapter to be particularly interesting. It describes the benefits of using videos in English classrooms, as well as the steps to take to allow for maximum creativity. I really like the idea of allowing the students to get into groups and figure out their ideas for themselves. By allowing the students to create different projects for the same concept, the students' creativity is sparked and brought to full capacity.

In addition, the students all learn vital skills about the roles involved with making a movie and the process that comes with it. For an English classroom, there is also a great opportunity for writing. Writing a script for a video not only is a great way to get experience writing, but it is also more fun for some students because it allows them to write something other than traditional prose. Without realizing it, students are getting even more experience than they realize. Using videos is a wonderful way to get students involved in the creative process and turn on thoughts about English that they would have never tried before.

Chapter 12

The idea of using technology in the Elementary classroom is great. Learning at a young age will help the students in the future. I had never thought about using blogs in the Elementary classroom, but it really does seem like a great idea. Everyone can get their ideas out, and it's a much better way to communicate outside of the classroom. Blogging is something that I never did before college, and I really think that I missed out by not using it before. It opens up so many different worlds that are not readily available.

Email is another valuable resource for the classroom. The statement about teachers being able to only send it to certain students really stuck out to me. We all know that students are at different levels in the classroom, and it would be nice to put students in different groups and have them working on different projects. The age of technology really helps to get each student involved and have his/her ideas heard.

Bookmarks are another very valuable resource. I never thought about the fact that each time you want to add a bookmark, it would take hours to add it to each individual computer. The websites that help organize these are a great idea. All of these websites are very helpful, and it's nice that they are available for everyone to use.