Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Activity - Entry #3

How could you use the jigsaw method in your classroom if you only had 5 computers?
Break all the students into five groups. Assign each group the topic and the five members a separate part of the overall topic. Each of the five computers would be used for one of the sub -topics and students would take turns finding research on their particular part. Students from other groups could also look on as a member from the other groups gathered their information for their part. Once completed each computer could then be assigned to a one group for use of compiling their information together or preparing a presentation.

What could be an advantage of this method?
The method promotes and encourages students to work efficiently together to complete a project or presentation. It may in the end also bring students together that would not have associated with one another because of stereotypes or social grouping.

What could be a disadvantage?
The main disadvantage that I see and have come upon in may school career, was that there is always one super over-achieving student (me) and one student that is uncaring about either the subject or his grade. This left the over-achieving student to either be lacking in that areas information or extra hours researching and preparing the final documentation for a grade. Usually this was still done even if the research was done acceptably (B ish grade) to get the superior grade (A).

Google for Educators - Entry #2

Name three Classroom Tools you might want to use with students.
Google Groups
Book search
Google News

How do you think you would use these tools?
Google Groups would be great for students to share information and collaborate on difficult assignments. I t would also be the perfect tool for the students to access information on a subject or assignment that the teacher posted (if they lost a handout). In all it would be a tool that would help the student become more socialized and create a more relaxed and fun classroom learning environment.
Google book search would be useful for projects need some research or to find general information. It might it be a good avenue for students to get or gather ideas for a certain project that has been assigned.
Google News would be useful to keep students up-to-date on current events. This could spark great classroom discussions or create the most current appearing project.

Name one advantage of using Google Docs with students.
That it enables the collaboration between peers and will help encourage students to work effectively together as partners or in a larger group. This will in addition create an overall cohesive virtual and real classroom setting.

Assistive Technology

In my research I came upon some assistive technology to help disabled individuals further their artistic desires. I started looking for devices that could help people that have multiple sclerosis, since one of my relatives had the disease and someone close to me has been recently diagnosed.
My relative had no motion below the neck. I wanted as a future teacher to find out what I could do if present with a student with no mobility below their neck and the desire to produce art. The item I found is called the Madentec’s Tracker 2000, which translates light reflected from a disc worn by the user (usually on the head or hat) into mouse movements on the computer. Individuals also use an item called the WISP 2000 for the right and left mouse button by blowing or sucking on an input straw. Another device/software that would be beneficial in this situation is speech recognition for use with keyboard commands.
With these examples of assistive technology, quadriplegic students and those that have difficulty in the use of their hands could discover their hidden artistic ability or continue to create art.