C4T #3

Beth's Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom
Observations from a Waiting Room
September 15, 2012
Ms. Knittle is a K-12 Technology Integration Specialist in Cape Code, Massachusetts. In this post, Ms. Knittle talks about what she experienced while in the hospital waiting room. She noticed that all of the kids in the waiting room were doing homework and the parents were right over their shoulders. These students are ill and are pretty behind in the classes. Ms. Knittle expresses her concern that these students are being pressured too much into studying. There's no time for anything else because they're either in the hospital or they're doing homework. Her argument is that homework is not always necessary. It doesn't always help and some students don't need it. Some people would argue that it's not fair for only some students to receive homework and for others not to, but fairness doesn't mean that everyone has to be the same. Fairness is giving each individual student an equal opportunity to succeed. 

Note Taking A Personal Choice
October 29, 2012

In this post, Ms. Knittle talks about her experience with note taking. There are several ways of note taking, but some ways work better for some than others. The iPad has over 130 note taking apps for people to choose from. In some ways, this is far better than traditional pencil and paper note taking. The iPad offers guided notes and helpful techniques. Ms. Knittle and her fellow educators were discussing which app to tell their students to use in class. They decided to pick separate apps, learn how to use them, and present them to their classes. This way, the educator AND the student are learning new tools. 
I had (and still have) problems note taking. I never seem to write the correct things down and what I do write down is many times illegible. Having an app that teaches me about different techniques would help my greatly. Teachers can also teach the skills that the iPad gives to students who do not have the iPad. I like that Ms. Knittle is constantly trying to find new technology for her classes. It shows that she is a dedicated and creative teacher.