Blog Prompt 3

The ELA technology standard that I feel most prepared to teach with my existing knowledge is probably RHST.7, 6-12. Because of high school and some of the things we had to learn, I am very familiar with using charts, graphs, photographs, videos, maps, and research data on technology. Also I am very good at knowing when to include these things in a document. From my schooling, using visual interparetions helped me a lot with understanding certain skills. The standard I feel less prepared to use and wish for more preparation would be L.5-  determining the meaning of unknown and multi-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful work parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. I have always had a difficult time including context clues in my writing. I also have a difficult time analyzing things. In other words, it's hard for me to go in depth and explain something.

Based on chapter 9, some software and applications I would like to use with my students are email, discussion groups and graphics. I like email because it's a way to connect to your students and your teachers when they are not in the classroom and if you need to get a hold of them. Discussion groups are great because it is a way for all students to read each other's work and comment on it. Lastly, I personally think graphics are a great way for visual learners to understand things. I would definitely use these in my classroom. If I were to be teaching a class of first graders, there are obviously some technology that I would not use because they would not know how to work it. A teacher must use technology in a way for the student to understand. For example, I would use graphics for younger children, because all they have to do is look at it. Another example is I would use email and discussion groups for older grades, like 7th or 8th grade.

After creating the newsletter, I have realized that I actually know a lot more than I thought I did. I knew how to insert the border, how to use word art, how to insert bullets and numbering and how to insert pictures into the document. On the other hand, I learned how to add a hyperlink and how to properly form a newsletter that made sense and was clear to the readers. I really like my border and the way I created the visual part of my newsletter. I have always been creative and designing this newsletter was actually really fun. The only part I do not like that much are the articles themselves. I was not quite sure what to write about. I even googled examples of newsletters but I still feel like the topics are just strange. How to improve it next time is possibly looking more into what teachers write about in their newsletters, or even asking a teacher some topics I could write about. After creating this newsletter, I have learned that writing to parents at home really help the communication between the teacher and the parent. Some parents simply send their children to school and hear nothing about what actually is going on. In my future career, I will definitely be communicating with parents because I think it is important for parents to know what children are learning and participating in everyday.

**have not finished newsletter, will insert picture of it when it is completed.