Standards Paper

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Oh the tough subject of plagiarism!  This particular class period was interesting to me because, going into today's lesson I almost assumed I knew enough about the topic.  Little did I know there was still a lot to learn!  I have not used turnitin.com since high school, so it was interesting to see how it has changed and developed.  The last time I used it the students were not allowed to see their percentage scores after they submitted their papers.  In order to find out the percentage you turned in, you were required to walk up to the teacher’s desk and have him or her show you.  As a student I have never been a big fan of tunitin.com, only because you can create a sentence and it will take one little statement and add percentage to your score.  However; as I have gotten older and throughout my college career I have developed a positive attitude towards it and I truly think when it is used correctly it can be a tool for students.  I enjoyed how we used it in class and I think that younger students would benefit from a lesson such as that.  It was helpful to learn how plagiarism affects more than just the student, but how it affects us as future teachers.

When researching information on the standards to write a paper, it was interesting to see just how important it is to future teachers.  It is crucial that we as future educators understand the correct and incorrect use of standards in and outside of our classroom.  

To view my paper click the link below:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7C9j8ctiOfwa1ZWakN4S1I3N1E

Graphic Organizer

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I have to admit I am pretty familiar with graphic organizers.  When taking Dr. Boyce's courses throughout my college experience she taught us many things about them, needless to say she is a big fan of graphic organizers!  Obviously it benefited us to know them well because we have used them in many different subjects.  As well as using them throughout our career field in order to benefit our students.  Graphic organizers are an excellent learning tool for students.  They can do many things ranging from organizing students thoughts, literary concepts, and group assignments.  There is a range of opportunities to explore using graphic organizers. 

Unfortunately I had to miss this particular day in IT class due to a University event in Atlanta.  I was concerned about missing the instructions on how to develop a graphic organizer using the Inspiration program.  When beginning to work on my graphic organizer I started to struggle using the software, and my grade was affected.  Overall it was neat to use the Inspiration software and attempt to become familiar with it.  I was thankful Dr. Hartzell was lenient and let us revise them.  I believe this follows many of the Common Core standards.  It particularly covers the integration of knowledge and ideas using the graphic organizer.  Another important standard it covers is the production and distribution of writing.  These are both important standards to implement when teaching literacy instruction.  It is important that students become familiar with technology software and the Inspiration software does just that.  It is neat to work with something other than pen and paper.
To view my graphic organizer please click the link below:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7C9j8ctiOfwa1FnbktRVHRrTDA