Google for Educators

Google for Educators is a brilliant tool that has opened many doors for communication, knowledge, and wisdom through technology. It has opened many avenues in learning and teaching our world today. Many of the resources would be genius, however, as a physical education teacher I will bring Google calendar, Google notebook, and blogger in my classroom this year.

Google calendar will be a great way for each students, teachers, and parents to organize schedules of games, practices, and workouts. You can share a calendar with a specific group that is working on the same goal, or deadlines for a test. You can set up meeting with administration, teachers, and/or other students. You can also keep your personal calendar set up so you do not overlap on meetings, practices, appointments. It is quite nice being able to keep all available time in one arena and not having to write everything down or possibly even lose track of where you wrote it.

Google notebook is a great place to put all the info that you need when you are trying to create lesson plans or research topics. It is the place that you can place all the info that you find and then build from there. I also like that idea that you can track interests of groups that you participate in so you can refer to the again. Google notebook is a great user-friendly tool can be used regardless where you are.

I really like the idea of using blogger for my students. I feel it takes them on their own personal journey for what is going on in their life. I feel they can express how things are going personally, use it as a way to connect to other teammates, friends, parents, and teachers. You can watch their progress, goals, or struggles being expressed through blogging. I feel blogger can be a place for team and community building with keeping people updated on upcoming games or events. Blogger can be used as a journal, a good place to put down thoughts or channel energy and possibly open the doors for teachers, parents and students to correspond.

Google docs is a great multi-use tool for parents, students and parents. Google docs is a fabulous tool that requires no software; work is stored safely and can be utilized on any computer. It opens the doors to word processing, creating presentations and spreadsheets that you can share and communicate at real time with other students. The idea of real time, allows students and teachers to give feedback to each other and help process each other’s work in a fashionable time.

As an upcoming teacher in the time of technology, I am exciting learning how to incorporate the technology in the physical education arena. It is helping me fine-tune the balance for physical activity and collaborate the benefits of our digital world. I feel Google for Educators is a brilliant tool for learning.

Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,

My name is Tanya Rush and I will be your child’s teacher for the upcoming year. I’m not only excited about teaching your child but I also look forward working with the parents. Together, I want to create a learning environment and with collaborating our efforts in making the child learn in today’s world and build self confident. There are three acts involving education and children with disabilities that I want to share with you. I’m hoping that expanding this knowledge across the board will give you a better understanding. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions. I truly encourage us learning and teaching together.

Here are the three acts:

1. The Assistant Technology Act (ATA) was established to provide access to technology for people with disabilities. In our world today, technology is a large part of the functioning world. This act enables people with disabilities to go to school, work and live independently. Each state receives funding through grants to provide these assisted technologies. This act also provides protection and advocacy services for people with disabilities. For more information please see following link.

http://www.section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html

2. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provide special services for children nationwide. This act enables children with disabilities to receive an adequate education. The IDEA has a few tests that qualify a child. Once identified then the applications of knowing how to proceed with allowing a children to grow and advance in today’s world is presented. The IDEA using programs like this to make a Free and Appropriate Public Education available for every student. For more information please see following link. http://www.specialed.about.com/od/idea/a/ideadefined.htm

3. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) main purpose is prevent discrimination of a person based on disability. This act ensures equal opportunity and the basic rights to each peer group based on disability or not. For more information please see the following link. http://www.eeoc..gov/policy/ada.html

After touching on each act a bit, my goal is to incorporate these acts with the highest respect in my classroom. With this implementation into our classroom, I hope together we will create, learn, adapt and proceed with the common goal and that is to educate our children. I look forward to the upcoming year.

In best regards,

Tanya Rush

Blogs from our group members:

http://jiamarieacree.blogspot.com

http://ryleemcclellan.blogspot.com

http://jocelynstearnes.blogspot.com

http://timyoungblood.blogspot.com

http://trush-trush.blogspot.com

http://heatherdavis202edtech.blogspot.com

ATA Act

The ATA-The Assistive Technology Act of 1998(commonly known as the “Tech Act”) served in implementing an act to provide financial assistance for maintaining and strengthening technology use to those with disabilities. This act increases the overall knowledge and advances in technology and helps enable people with disabilities to advance in the technical world.

Three general acts are supported but also vary from state to state.

1. State grants are allocated to provide demonstration of the technology, technical support and referral services.
2. Protection and Advocacy provided for people with disabilities. This leads to the legal sides of the act.
3. Financial assistance for disabilities.

The 2004 Amendment adhered to the 1998 but increased its knowledge base by expanding technology by allocating funding for the AT as a reliable source and increasing the minimum grant funding. This 2004 Amendment allows grant amount for the next two fiscal years and extends AT appropriations through 2010.

Ideally these acts help embrace people with disabilities and to encourage independent living, self confidence, educational advancements with technology, pursue careers in the technical world and to enjoy a fully integrated life in the United States.

Sources Cited:
http://www.section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html
http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/CECPolicyResources/CEC_AT_Update.pdf
http://www.afb.org/section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=135&DocumentID=2478

"About Me"

Hello, my name is Tanya Rush . I am an Idaho native and love every aspect of growing up in Idaho and the outdoors. My first attempt of college was over 20 years ago. I was awarded a full ride scholarship for athletics but was more wrapped up in being away from my parents, playing sports was deemed less important than socializing; that generated me walking away from college. I then worked at Micron for 18 years and was laid off 2 years ago thus allowing me to create who and what I am truly passionate about. My passions of creating, exercise, eating healthy and helping people has led me into teaching. Being an athlete my whole life and journeying what works and what doesn’t as an active person, I would like to share my wisdom and hope that I can make a difference through what I am creating and how I can impact today’s children in a matter of self confidence and self love no matter what angle or direction is needed for each child.
Growing up in Idaho and the outdoors, I was very blessed. Then having such a loving mother that taught me to love and treat all people with equality no matter what has inspired my journey so far. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many different countries and engage in a broad range of cultures that opened my heart even more. When I was let go at Micron, it took away my income but it gave me more spirit than I ever knew of. I came out running wild and scared at first but whatever message was being sent through via universe allowed me to blossom as a person. I have desires of educating people on the environment and our impact on it, the benefits of supporting our local community and role-modeling bringing diversity appreciation. I have been following my dreams and listening to my heart this go around. Corporate America was truly not who I am. It was a paycheck and served a purpose at that time in my life.
Now I am a full time student following my passions and that’s to teach and educate our children. I do not only want to educate our children, I want to educate the parents, too. It would expand into a collaborative teaching and learning all together. I created a mountain bike camp for refugee children last year and it was an incredible experience. I’m in the midst of organizing this year’s camp, along with going to school full time this summer. Here is a little short clip that expands upon more of who I am.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DjLRiwazyrJ4&h=77e9a94e523a86c6d0c4f174c0a8b2d7