Jesus Speaks
By Steven K. Scott

Reading scripture on a daily basis is always a blessing. In this book, each page is labeled by the month and day. The format includes a daily scripture verse(s) followed by a narrative that assumes the role of Jesus speaking to you. Personally, I found this approach somewhat uncomfortable because I didn’t like an author assuming the role of Jesus speaking. However, the narratives are well written and can provide thoughtful reflection of specific Bible verses.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Lights Out Book Review- Ted Koppel

     In the book Lights Out by Ted Koppel, information was given about a very real threat to our American security. The threat pertains to cyberattacks, specifically, to our power grids. It was very impressive the amount of investigative research Ted Koppel revealed into the subject matter. He provided information and quotes from people in our government, past and present, along with the private sector to add to the validity of a potential large scale attack on life as we know it.

     After reading Lights Out, I came away more informed about cybersecurity, along with taking time to thoughtfully reflect on what life would be like for me and my family and how people like myself would cope with a society that would go back to the days before there was electricity. 

In summary, this book is well-written and addresses a very real threat to our society. As a representative democracy, we would all do well to let our legislators know that there needs to be a plan in place to address a potential cyberattack that could affect our lives.

-M. Shafer

This honest review was provided in exchange for the book from bloggingforbooks.com

Healthy Fats, Low Cholesterol Cookbook Review

As a younger middle-aged woman who is in the normal weight and activity range, I have an above average cholesterol level. I was eager to delve into the recipes outlined in this cookbook in an effort to reduce cholesterol, enjoy good food, and provide my family with an interesting menu.

I selected an assortment of recipes for my first attempt, ranging from muffins to entrees. In a nutshell, here is what I liked; a medium level of difficulty in regard to ease of preparation, a majority of ingredients that could be purchased from the local grocery store, overall tasty dishes, and a nutrition breakdown.

Beginning with the creation of the chili recipe, my family discussed the excellent variety of flavors that I had not used in my 20 year old chili recipe. The cookbook's emphasis on adding spice to dishes instead of salt is a big plus. When I made the Oatmeal Fruit muffins, my family of five devoured them like there was no tomorrow! In fact, I made another batch the next day.  My only disappointment was when I made the Pineapple Carrot Muffins. They were too moist, practically falling apart when taking them out of the muffin cups.

Overall, this is a great book! I would highly recommend it for someone who wants to jazz up her weekly menu with healthy food options. Enjoy! (We are!)

I am not being paid to write this post; however, I was given a free copy of the cookbook by bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

Online Learning in the K-12 School/EDUC 6715I-2

Using the following link, you can view my PowerPoint presentation addressing the use on online learning mangament tools in the K-12 setting.

http://www.screencast.com/t/DBGhP8uHq

Final Reflection on EDUC 6714I-1

As I reflect on the learning from this course, two concepts especially stand out to me. They are the concepts of differentiated instruction and the universal design for learning. As the lens of learning has narrowed in on these two concepts with a focus on how they relate to technology implementation, I firmly believe that these concepts are pivotal in designing content, product, and process around the needs of the learner. Due to the fact that the needs, learning styles, and preferences of the learners vary, it is of paramount importance that I know, understand, and implement the principles of these two theories of learning.
The immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding the use of technology integration to customize instruction will fall along the lines of the assignments that I have explored in this class. In the past, I never used surveys to understand my student’s interests before beginning lessons. Now I realize that it is important to understand students’ preferences so that my students will be engaged in the lesson. Another part of differentiated instruction that I never fully addressed was in differing the product. As (Tomlinson, 2001) points out, differentiated instruction is important to ensure that student needs are being met. I have learned strategies to use with my students such as the tic-tac-toe board and others that will give my learners options when addressing the product portion of an assignment.
Having a degree specializing in interior/environmental design, I completely understand the idea of universal design as it relates to the architectural world. Learning about the universal design for learning and it relationship to learning became perfectly clear throughout this course. As defined by (Cast transforming education, 2011), the three brain networks involved in learning demonstrate the importance of making sure that the approach to learning is not cookie-cutter, but flexible in meeting the differences and unique characteristics of the learners. Technology allows me to differentiate in so many ways. I will be sure to include visuals using the Smart board, audio using podcasts, computer keyboards for writer’s who struggle with the legibility of handwriting, and so much more. By working collaboratively with the administration and the technology integration specialist at my school, I will advocate and gain the technology tools necessary to better support the needs of my learners.

References

Cast transforming education through universal design for learning. (2011). Retrieved from www.cast.org

Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Final Reflection on the GAME plan

Creating a GAME plan insured that a new technology tool was implemented into my classroom learning environment. The original technology tool I planned on using changed as I hit some snags in the implementation of the tool. As part of the learning of different ways to implement technology, I came across a new blog tool that I wanted to try out with my students. It was easy to implement and use. The blog allowed for individual students to use it throughout the day. The part I liked best was that the students could create their own posts. They were required to respond to mine, but they could also create their own. They were very engaged and eager to use the blog site.

As part of the learning from this course, I am, past, present, and future using new tools in learning. Currently, my students are creating digital stories. It is exciting to see the creativity the students are exhibiting. It has been eye-opening to see students cautious about being creative. When I encourage them to use their creativity, they showcase such beautiful concepts and unique qualities to their work. I will continue to implement technological tools that will embrace and support student creativity leading to greater learning.

Using the GAME plan with students

After reviewing the NETS-S for students and comparing them to NETS-T, there are many overlaps. They both support creativity, using technology to build 21st century skills, and awareness of ethics involved with technology usage. Providing the students with the tools and opportunities to use the NETS-S standards will allow for growth in this area. By using the GAME plan approach, I will give my students new tools and encourage them to use their creativity with the opportunities they have been given. I will provide them with direction to make a goal, have an action plan, monitor their progress, and evaluate. The students have data notebooks, this tool would be a great resource to add to their notebooks to track progress.