Affinity Group
After looking through the various affinity group links, I chose 2 different networks that appealed to me. One in English and one in Spanish. These affinity groups are quite different from one another. The one in English, Classroom 2.0, appeals to my technological side and its integration into the classroom. I hope to learn various techniques used by other teachers in the classroom in regard to technology and gain a better sense of support from them. The same goes for the Spanish affinity group, Internet en el Aula. However, as I explored this site, I felt overwhelmed, almost like the first day I walked into my bilingual classroom and felt like i was playing 'catch up' with the academic Spanish I was not used to. I have not practiced my Spanish as much since I last did my bilingual clinical practice in Fall 2012, therefore, I also hope to learn new academic Spanish vocabulary and at the same time learn what the Spanish community is doing in the educational field.
Digg Stream
My Digg RSS stream proved to be very useful. It gave me various articles and posts to read in one place! After I added many of the suggestions given in class, I tried adding a few more that interested me, such as Education Week and Projecto de Educacion Infantil Bilingue. It was great being able to get a stream of various sites that interest me in one. Some sites gave me the complete preview without going to the site itself, while others gave me a glimpse and I had to go the site to finish reading (which only detoured me into other articles of interest). One of the streams I read was 7 Ways to Make Teachers, Students Happier in School. A few of the suggestions I liked included taking the students outside during silent reading so that they can enjoy nature, relax, and read a god book at the same time. Listening to music and smiling were the other other two suggestions I might be able to incorporate in my classroom because it would expose students to various music genres that they might not otherwise get at home. Smiling is also very important because it makes you feel good and it gives students a sense of belonging.
Question 1: Can a Digg Stream be incorporated in the classroom?
A Digg Stream would be a great way to help students stay updated on current events and write a journal about it afterwards. It enables teachers to give students various resources from which to read and complete a journal. I remember reading newspapers in 5th grade and writing about it afterwards. We had to cut the journal and attach it to our paper. Online articles, however, is more 'green' and students are able to practice doing a Works Cited Page earlier (I remember starting in my 4th grade GATE class). It is also convenient because it gives students access to an article at home or on the go. It would also would great for older students in history, science, government courses.
Question 2: Are affinity groups helpful to a teacher?
Affinity groups are a very helpful resource for teachers...and parents. They are a way of communicating with other educators nationwide. This allows teachers to share experiences, lesson plans, management skills, opinions and ideas that have and have not worked for them. It enables us to gain a sense of support among the educational community as one tries to fit into what works best for them. It is also helpful for parents who are trying to find new ways of keeping their children engaged in class or behavior management that others may have tried. It is a 'salad bowl' of ideas from which you get to pick and choose what you like and try it out!
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