Nesmith

Learning Styles Visual/Nonverbal 31 Visual/Verbal 26 Auditory 26 Kinesthetic 26

I knew that I learn best when instruction is presented visually. When I was reading the tips provided by the website I realized already utilize most of them while studying. In the past I have taken these quizzes and I get the same range of scores every time. I have a learning disability and slight ADHD, when I was diagnosed the doctor told me there were a few things I should do to help myself stay on track and better understand the material. Try to draw pictures of what is being taught in class, make word associations, ad if I find myself off track while doing one of these, switch to another to keep my brain engaged. I think the Cast website is a good place for teachers to go to gain insight in how to insure all of their students are getting the knowledge. However, I would probably not use it directly in my classroom. I am hoping to teacher 3rd of 4th grade, at this level I think the ideas portrayed are helpful but having the children go on this site might not be beneficial. Teaching Every Student In The Digital Age was very informative and interesting. I already knew that as a teacher you should incorporate many different types of instruction in your classroom and that utilizing technologies is very helpful. The diagrams were particularly useful to me. Having something to “see” as I am reading helps me to better understand the information. The charts of learning processes and concept maps helped me to connect what I was reading and made me think about how in the future I can use those techniques in my classroom. In the first activity, I found that I remembered the picture fairly well, and what was most prominent to me were things that were a lighter or darker shade and the location in the picture, middle, back, left side, ect. The second activity helped me better understand the different networks. Having to fill in the charts and think about what skills I have that would relate to the story gave me insight in activities that I could use in my future classroom. I think the CAST materials are very helpful and beneficial. Teachers can use this website to help them find ways to make sure they are teaching in many different ways to accommodate the different learning styles that are in their classroom. It might also help them realize why they teach the way they do. If they are an auditory learner, most of their lessons will be delivered through speech or recording. I personally would like to hear stories from teacher who have used CAST and read about their experiences. I would also like to see how the CAST system works together with other assistive technologies to create an almost perfect learning setting for students


 * Questions for reaction/reflection**:
 * 1) I learned that some everyday products could be used to assist those with disabilities. I also learned that there are a lot of things that I would never even think would need to be altered in able for a disabled person to use them.
 * 2) I really enjoyed the information provided on the university of buffalo site. I think they provide many resources that would be useful in the classroom. Kathy Schrock’s tools for teacher section and lesson plan ideas are something I would want to remember and use. I am hoping to teach students with hearing disabilities and some of these lesson plans and ideas can be modified or used directly in a classroom where the students have hearing problems.
 * 3) Using technology in the classroom you can teach a wide variety of needs, such as kinesthetic learners, visual learners, etc. Also, some students in your classroom may not have access to technology at home so using it in the classroom may enhance the knowledge passed on to the student and open their eyes to a more information.
 * No, however I think that in the future working in a hearing disabled classroom I will have students who use them. Also, I think that people who use these technologies in everyday life are incredibly strong and unique.
 * 1) I will remember these sites ad try and find more like it in the future when I am in the classroom. Even if I have non-disabled students, these technologies can be helpful for all students. They are useful to teach students who learn in different ways, and provide teachers with creative ideas in the classroom.

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The settlers made oil form whale blubber and used it as fuel for the town. This industry brought wealth and jobs to the new England colonies. 2. Describe 2 problems of the whaling industry. Whales were over fished and therefore became endangered, which forced settlers to find other ways of finding oil. Whaling was a very dangerous job, the seas could be rough and whales are very large animals that could easily harm a human.
 * 1) Describe 2 important benefits of the whaling industry to America.

Whaling questions:

a. How did the early settlers find out about whales? What was the name of the tribe of Indians that inhabited the New Bedford area in colonial times? What was the religious group that settled in New Bedford and later controlled the whaling industry?

The name of the Indian Tribe that lived at center Whaling industry was the Wampanoag. The Religious group affiliated with that area was Quakerism. Early settlers first encountered Native Americans in the new land. The settlers learned may uses for whales from the Native Americans, who had prior knowledge from ancestors about different ways to utilize the whole whale.

b. The whaling ship, Bartholomew Gosnold, made its first voyage in 1832. What material was this ship made from? How many whaling voyages, **total**, did this ship make?

The Bartholomew Gosnold made of ten voyages. The ship was made from bark to prevent it from getting damaged by strong winds and rough sea waves. Cutting rings for blubber and materials to control oil on the deck were store on the ship.

d. How long was a typical whale voyage? What was a sailor’s life like on a voyage? How would a sailor pass the time when he was waiting for a whale sighting? What is the name of the “art” that crew members practiced with whale teeth while they were at sea? What other items were whales’ teeth used for?

Typical voyages for larger ships were at least one year long, some even lasted about three years long. The life of a sailor was slow while waiting to spot whales. They would write songs and poetry, make tools and utensils from whalebones, and art called scrimshaw. The space that the sailors lived in while whaling was very cramped, they shared space with other sailors and slept on uncomfortable bunks.

e. What kind of food did a sailor eat on a voyage? What character traits do you think a sailor (man) might have to be a successful crew member on a whaling ship? Do you think you would have what it takes to be a whaling ship crew member?

Typically the sailors ate salted beef with bread. They were not allowed to eat vegetables, potatoes or milk. The sailors had a limited supply of food and to prepare the food they offen used flour. I think a sailor would need to have a strong stomach, personable, easy-going and patient. They need to have knowledge about the ocean and about boats. I know that I do not have what it takes to live in those situations. I do not like boats or open seas at all and I am very picky when it comes to food. I also like things very clean and living in cramped dirty quarters would not work out well for me.

f. Did women ever sail on a whaling ship? Explain.

Originally women were not allowed to sail, but eventually some captains allowed family on the ships. They were only allowed on the ship if they paid extra for the women and children. Sometimes the price was as high as $1000 for a three-year journey. Generally only the captains were allowed to bring their family on the voyages.

g. What types (species) of whales were hunted for their blubber? What is **//krill//**? Briefly describe the sounds whales make. How big is a blue whale? How much does a blue whale’s tongue weigh?

The Sperm Whale was originally hunted, but then the sailors started to hunt the Grey Whale as well. These two types of whales became endangered quickly and are highly protected now. Krill is a small protein critter that whales eat. Krill were used as bait in the whaling process. The Blue Whale is the largest whale in the ocean and its tongue can weigh up to 4 tons.

Here is a link to my digital story about Greece! @http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8ZzPO1tW7w

Final Project

I would start of by telling the principle that this generation strives of technology and if we don’t include it in our lessons the children might start to feel detached. Technology also ensures that teachers can accommodate most if not all learning styles. For example, if you are teaching a math lesson, the teacher could pass out a work sheet, put up an interactive website that shows you the website, then after the lesson students can use the computer to practice on their own in a fun way. One great piece of technology that I feel enriches the classroom is a SmartBoard. You can show a PowerPoint, you lesson plan, movies, and they are interactive. Students can come up to it and move things around, highlight, circle words and so forth. They also have “eggs” and students can play trivia from their seats and see the range of responses from classmates. Although they are expensive I feel they are very worth it. As schooling goes on these kids will need to be able to use computers and their programs. The window of opportunity is this age and if we don’t enhance their knowledge now they are likely to struggle in later years. There are many resources available to help teachers familiarize themselves with the technology and how to use them most effectively in the classroom. In college I took many courses that helped me and other aspiring teachers learn how to use technology efficiently, I feel that if you were to incorporate more technology I could be a great help to other teachers in showing them the best ways to use it and how to find informative website for themselves and their students.
 * My views stayed mostly similar to those from the beginning of the year, however I feel that now I have a better understand of the importance of having these technologies in the classroom and how it will help students and teachers in years to come. I have always been one that is pro technology use in schools. After taking this class my eye were opened at how many resources are out there that can enrich the classroom.**