3 ways to utilize social networking in classroom My students are members of The Student American Dental Hygiene Association which funnels directly into The American Dental Hygiene Association once they've graduated and become licensed. Having a Facebook page set up for the class would allow them to post information from the national page to share. It would allow them to share photos and stories from different group activities ...yesterday they participated in the Clean UP campaign as a fundraiser for their group. I'd like to see those pics! Hashtags on twitter would allow the students to get instant tweets on any subject they've hashtagged. Twitter would allow them to follow each other and keep up with school/classroom activities...as we come to the end of this final semester, they are bombarded with activities, deadlines and due dates. As an instructor, I could send those tweets as 'friendly' reminders. Social networking could also connect class groups between schools, much like cities do when becoming 'sister cities'. It could become part of the learning experience to Skype (or some other link) with a school somewhere else in the nation. Sharing ideas and enhancing each class's learning experience.

Have you ever had a teacher who wasn't passionate about their chosen profession? This week's reading/discussions got me to thinking about one such teacher. She was my oldest's 2nd grade teacher. The class was a wreck. She'd sit at her desk drinking a coke and tell the kids they could not go to the water fountain. She didn't allow bathroom breaks. The little boy who lived down the street from us had several accidents in his desk due to her 'rules'. I had countless conferences with her over the school work. My daughter would bring home papers that were constantly graded incorrectly; stuff that was wrong was not marked so and items that were correct were marked wrong. I became the 'bad guy' with my daughter when I'd make her correct the items, wanting her to understand why it needed to be so. When I brought several papers in to the teacher to discuss the matter, her only comment was, 'That's the way I grade.' *insert shoulder shrug and/or rolling eyes* After several note exchanges and conferences, she went on to tell me that she did not want to teach 2nd grade but was stuck in there "so everyone is going to suffer if I have to!" I tried to involve the principal but she believed that the teacher had the right to run her class as she saw fit. Needless to say, it was not a very good year. The next year was a 180 degree change...new principal, new teacher, new way of thinking and new outlook!! Thank goodness! Her 3rd grade teacher had been 'at it' for many years but LOVED her work...and it showed. My daughter again wanted to go to school; wanted to do extra projects and blossomed! THANK GOODNESS!

2/27/13

Partnering: I've been using the techniques discussed in this week's reading unwittingly! Being shoved into the clinical education setting, I've been very hesitant to answer students' questions directly...for fear of 'stepping on the toes' of the other instructors, appearing 'unknowing' to the students, and from simply NOT knowing what they were told by the previous instructor! (The previous instructro quit w a few days notice and left everyone grappling for a hold on the situation.) I was not given ANY info, lesson plans, material covered, material needing covering, etc...SO, I send the student back to the source when asked such a question. "What does your syllabus tell you is needed?; Is that info in your clinic manual?; Better double check your deadline on that!"...etc etc etc. As I said, UNWITTINGLY, I've been guiding them vs leading them! FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT!! HAHAHAHA Ok, this is crazy...While posting the prezi, I just found this post 'hanging out' as a draft...AGAIN. I'm not sure what I'm doing that is causing my blogs NOT to post. ANY HELP??

3/2/13 Prezi Truths/Fiction