Module 2 Blog Post

Tools for Engagement and the Affective Network

• ·     Google Drive https://www.google.com/drive/  
• ·     MEGA https://mega.nz/  

Google Drive is extremely beneficial in classrooms because most schools are now requiring their students to have Google accounts. The students I am teaching at Oak Mountain and Helena High School use Google Docs, Drive, Mail, etc. for everything they do. The textbook states that Chrome’s files are “stored online, always backed up and accessible from any web browser or through dedicated apps on iOS and Android devices” (43). MEGA is great for schools that are not yet using Google efficiently. Students get 50GB free storage, and can share their files publicly with people who do not have a MEGA account.

Tools for Representation and the Recognition Network

• ·     Quillsoft Reader Q (Chrome extention) https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5863e044725e257cee210d45/t/5af388d3562fa7f1ebeaa653/1525909716166/ReaderQ+Press+Release+May+9+2018.pdf  
• ·     NVDA https://www.nvaccess.org/  

Reader Q by Quillsoft is a new Chrome extension that helps students paraphrase and cite quotes from sources in a way that avoids plagiarism. While the textbook recommended WordQ (46), ReaderQ is Quillsoft’s newest Chrome feature. In an ELA classroom, research papers are essential to the learning process; therefore, this extension would be very helpful. NVDA is a free screen-reader software for the blind and visually impaired, which is great for all classrooms.

Tools for Action, Expression and the Strategic Network

• ·     Flubaroo http://www.flubaroo.com/  
• ·     Gradecam https://gradecam.com/  

Flubaroo is a free add-on to Google Sheets that allows teachers to grade multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank tests. It shares grades with students, generates an average, and tells you which questions were missed most. Gradecam is a software that allows teachers to create tests that can be scanned by a Smartphone camera. The scores will be tallied instantly and sent to your computer. Both of these are great tools for multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank tests.

Pérez, L., & Grant, K. (2018). 30+ Tools for Diverse Learners. Edtech for the K-12 Classroom. Portland, OR: ISTE.

The Power of Literature

Hello! My name is Cassie Popwell, and I believe that education should be exciting while maintaining traditional material. I want my students to learn the classics, such as Shakespeare, Poe, Dickens, etc. while exploring fun and innovative ways to cover these authors. I also want my students to discover obscure authors from these periods that have been overlooked--such as Aphra Behn. My subject area is ELA, and I am currently teaching English 101 to high school seniors as a dual enrollment course for Jefferson State Community College. While it is not literature based, I am hoping to be hired to teach English 102 next semester, which will allow me to teach some of the works that I know and love. I want to teach because I think it is important that students are given a voice when it comes to writing skills and literary analysis. Students have so much to say, but many teachers do not give them the platform to use their voice. My goal is to prepare my students for writing assignments in higher education courses and teach them empathy and understanding through literature that spans the course of history.