Internet accessibility

Over this semester so far in CEP 452 we have experienced with a lot of different online features that makes online collaborating more accessible. I have to say that the program Elluminate! Live was the most fascinating program we used. While sitting on my couch, I was able to see my teacher, who was in his house, talking and communicating. Also, people in the forum could chat, doodle, and share various items. Another program that I found to be similar, and also intriguing, was Google Docs. Multiple people could be collaborating on the same doc, at the same time, and also using a chat feature. It is amazing to me how much I have seen technology advance over my lifetime.

These programs are very useful in classroom settings involving student-to-student, student-to-parent, and even teacher-to-parent relationships. I witnessed in a classroom a EI student that when feeling an episode come, would call his parents to talk to them and it would calm him down. I think that Elluminate! Live would be a great program to also use for this student so he could see his parents and talk with them via webcam. Also, via webcam teachers can easily talk briefly to parents at the end of each day on how their students were in class or about anything. I see these forums and programs being very useful as a future

What Teachers Make

I recently watched a video on youtube that was very inspiring, considering I'm a future teacher. Taylor Mali is a poet and teacher who preformed a poetry slam about what teachers make. In the video, What Teachers Make, Taylor talks about his reaction to the question he receives from friends "what do you make?" Teachers make a very big impact in a childs life in various ways, in which Taylor talks about some. Teachers are very important people, and I think a lot of times they go unappreciated. I think that all people, future teachers or not, need to watch the video. It is very inspirational and makes me eager to go out and start making a difference in children's lives.