Student-Led Conferences and Digital Portfolios

     I am in love with the concept of student-led conferences! A student-led conference is basically just a parent conference that is led by the student. However, it is the teacher’s responsibility to guide the student through the conference. I believe parents love the idea of their child showing them their progress throughout the school year. A student-led conference gives students responsibility, promotes critical thinking, independence, and improves presentation skills. I can only imagine how much better my presentation skills would be today if I had the foundation that a student-led conference provides.  Another tool that I am in love with is a digital portfolio. A digital portfolio is a continuous collection of a student's performance on a digital device. Portfolios not only make learning more accessible, but they also show student growth over a long period of time. I plan to use both student-led conferences and digital portfolios in my classroom when hosting parent conferences. I believe parents will be impressed to watch their child present their growth over the school year themselves. Both student-led conferences and digital portfolios are a creative way to let students collaborate and communicate with their guardians. I cannot wait to jump on board and use these awesome ideas in my classroom!

Apps to Increase Reading Comprehension in Children with Autism

     Children with autism sometimes struggle comprehending meaning from text. However, reading comprehension is extremely important because it allows students to determine their own opinion and reasoning of the story. I recommend using engaging technology with children with autism because certain colors such as blue, dark yellow, and green can be used to enhance their memorization and attentions skills.  I believe technology can be used as a great tool to intrigue and improve reading comprehension for children with autism. For example, certain apps can hold children with autism attention longer. A great app I plan to use for children with autism in my classroom is Visual Reading. Although the cost is $16.99, it is worth every penny. I believe this app has the resources to improve reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Another great app I plan to use in my classroom to help children with autism is Reading Comprehension Grade 3. I love how this app guides and rewards students, which helps motivate them to learn more as well.  Additional apps for children with autism include: Inference Clues, Same Sound Spell Bound, Opposite Ocean, Picture the Sentence Lite, Noodle Words HD, and Smarty Ears. Elementary teachers can use these apps to motivate students to create, communicate, and collaborate with their peers. 

                Click For More Visual Reading Apps

SMORE Newsletter

Powerful Tool for the 21st Century Classroom

What is digital storytelling? It is a fun and creative way to tell a story by incorporating a variety of multimedia such as audio narration, video, still images, and music. Digital storytelling develops creativity and critical thinking. It also improves students communicative skills. For example, this would be great way for shy kids to speak their minds. Digital storytelling is being used in classrooms all over the country and students love creating a story of their own. Below are some great apps to help get you started on your digital storytelling adventure.  

APPS:

- My Story ($2.99)

- Toontastic (FREE)

- Pic Collage (FREE)

- Tellagami (FREE)

- Sock Puppets (FREE)

Sailing towards the future...

Hi, my name is Brooklyn Trotman and I am excited to start my new journey of becoming an elementary school teacher. I was inspired to become a teacher from my mom who is currently a Pre-K teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School. I have come to realize just how rewarding her job can be when working with children. My goal is to make a positive impact on children, just like my mom has made on her students. I truly believe that teaching is a calling from above and I feel fortunate enough to accept that calling for my life. My goal as a future educator is to inspire and guide students into the person they will someday aspire to be. I am looking forward to having a classroom of my own and allowing a safe haven for students to learn in a fun environment.