Capstone Critique through the lens of a critical friend
Saelee:
This was the very first capstone I was intreigued to check out. The logo was very simple to read and the tagline captured me right away. Personalized learning Your learning. Your pace.
As I read her introduction, I could definetely relate and understand her. I especially loved how certain words in her capstone were printed in blue. These words printed in blue were words closely related to her driving question. The short video is directed to teachers like me, that work so hard, and feel like we are alway behind only to find that our students are still falling behind. The video was very clear in delivering the message and I stayed engaged the whole time. The infographics in her capstone were very simple looking yet full of great information. As a busy teacher, you don’t want to be stuck reading lots of words, we like simple and effective. There was one infographic that was a little hard to read, the colors she chose did not come out too clear for my eyes, but I loved the rest and will like to print them for my class. I loved her reference page because it was neatly categorized. Saelee used pictures, sites links and references to vary it up a bit. Again, a busy teacher can easily access her site, find and take what they need quickly.
Gottfried:
First of all, I loved the logo, the colors are soft the wording is just right. Lisa’s capstone video was very beautifully put together. Right away I could see who her audience was. Her audience were high school teachers that are tired of seeing senior portfolios fail and want to give blogging a try. This capstone is also for teachers who want to better prepare their students for the real world demands. Gottfried’s capstone is full of really good sources. I wish I could have seen some of these sources and “how to’s” early on in my masters journey; especially the one on the Weebly Website.l Her reference page is not as filled with resources as the others I have seen. On the other hand, she gives examples of student blogs. These blogs could serve as references for other students to have as a model. I don’t know if this is a big deal, but the font in the reference page is not always consistent? Some fonts are really big, while others are small. On the assessment page she has a rubric teachers could use and some “I can “ sentence starters or statements. I can see these being useful for the teacher to use on assessing students work and also for students to use and monitor their own progress.
Ellison:
The logo Game On quickly caught my attention and interest. I think we all get excited when we see that triangle that stands fro the “play” button. The short video also starts with very catchy music, but later on leaves me a bit confused with all the talking and not a lot of visuals. As an english language learner I need pauses or pictures to make connections and sense of what I am hearing. Learn more has a good introduction and as a teacher I could connect with her situation. Lessons were very limmited with examples of videos, but I don’t think the lessons or videos were enough to get a teacher started or gamify a classroom. The “How To’s” had some good elements to gamification, but only a brief discription. Perhaps links to videos would have been great for visual learners? References were there with a brief discription, and I loved that she used pictures of the actual games or sites as the links.
This was the very first capstone I was intreigued to check out. The logo was very simple to read and the tagline captured me right away. Personalized learning Your learning. Your pace.
As I read her introduction, I could definetely relate and understand her. I especially loved how certain words in her capstone were printed in blue. These words printed in blue were words closely related to her driving question. The short video is directed to teachers like me, that work so hard, and feel like we are alway behind only to find that our students are still falling behind. The video was very clear in delivering the message and I stayed engaged the whole time. The infographics in her capstone were very simple looking yet full of great information. As a busy teacher, you don’t want to be stuck reading lots of words, we like simple and effective. There was one infographic that was a little hard to read, the colors she chose did not come out too clear for my eyes, but I loved the rest and will like to print them for my class. I loved her reference page because it was neatly categorized. Saelee used pictures, sites links and references to vary it up a bit. Again, a busy teacher can easily access her site, find and take what they need quickly.
Gottfried:
First of all, I loved the logo, the colors are soft the wording is just right. Lisa’s capstone video was very beautifully put together. Right away I could see who her audience was. Her audience were high school teachers that are tired of seeing senior portfolios fail and want to give blogging a try. This capstone is also for teachers who want to better prepare their students for the real world demands. Gottfried’s capstone is full of really good sources. I wish I could have seen some of these sources and “how to’s” early on in my masters journey; especially the one on the Weebly Website.l Her reference page is not as filled with resources as the others I have seen. On the other hand, she gives examples of student blogs. These blogs could serve as references for other students to have as a model. I don’t know if this is a big deal, but the font in the reference page is not always consistent? Some fonts are really big, while others are small. On the assessment page she has a rubric teachers could use and some “I can “ sentence starters or statements. I can see these being useful for the teacher to use on assessing students work and also for students to use and monitor their own progress.
Ellison:
The logo Game On quickly caught my attention and interest. I think we all get excited when we see that triangle that stands fro the “play” button. The short video also starts with very catchy music, but later on leaves me a bit confused with all the talking and not a lot of visuals. As an english language learner I need pauses or pictures to make connections and sense of what I am hearing. Learn more has a good introduction and as a teacher I could connect with her situation. Lessons were very limmited with examples of videos, but I don’t think the lessons or videos were enough to get a teacher started or gamify a classroom. The “How To’s” had some good elements to gamification, but only a brief discription. Perhaps links to videos would have been great for visual learners? References were there with a brief discription, and I loved that she used pictures of the actual games or sites as the links.
"About the Author"
I will never forget my 6th grade parent-teacher conference in which my teacher, Mrs. Methven, asked me in front of my mother what I wanted to be when I grew up? I remember telling her I wanted to be a karate teacher. My mother rolled her eyes and looked desolutioned. While my teacher, on the other hand, smiled and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I think you will be a great one”.
I think back to this moment and I realize how much impact a simple comment and teacher can have in the life of their students. Everyday I feel a great responsibility to offer my students the best education I can give them because they all deserve the best. The best education is one that gives them the opportunities to grow in the 6 C’s and gives them the necessary tools they will need to explore and conquer the ever-changing world we live in today. My name is Teresa Gonzalez Delgado and although I didn’t become a karate teacher, I did become a school teacher and I have been teaching for 14 years at that same school where Mrs. Methven asked me the question that would become a reality.
I have always believed that opportunities come for all of us, but sometimes we don’t take them because we are afraid of failure. The first time I heard about Touro University and the Masters program I let that uncertainty take over me and let the opportunity go. Not everybody gets a second chance, so I was fortunate to hear that Napa Learns and Touro University were working together in an effort to empower teachers offering the Masters program again. With no doubt in my mind this time, I stepped out of my comfort zone and jumped on the wagon to better myself and grow with my experience. Thanks to the program, I was able to innovate and update my pedagogical practices, become current and knowledgable with technology tools, and discover efficient ways to educate, equip and engage my diversified population of students. My responsibility to deliver state of the art education has gone beyond the 4 walls of my classroom. I feel the need to collaborate and share my new knowledge with my colleagues. Teaching is an endeavor, and I will never stop exploring for deeper and richer knowledge.
I think back to this moment and I realize how much impact a simple comment and teacher can have in the life of their students. Everyday I feel a great responsibility to offer my students the best education I can give them because they all deserve the best. The best education is one that gives them the opportunities to grow in the 6 C’s and gives them the necessary tools they will need to explore and conquer the ever-changing world we live in today. My name is Teresa Gonzalez Delgado and although I didn’t become a karate teacher, I did become a school teacher and I have been teaching for 14 years at that same school where Mrs. Methven asked me the question that would become a reality.
I have always believed that opportunities come for all of us, but sometimes we don’t take them because we are afraid of failure. The first time I heard about Touro University and the Masters program I let that uncertainty take over me and let the opportunity go. Not everybody gets a second chance, so I was fortunate to hear that Napa Learns and Touro University were working together in an effort to empower teachers offering the Masters program again. With no doubt in my mind this time, I stepped out of my comfort zone and jumped on the wagon to better myself and grow with my experience. Thanks to the program, I was able to innovate and update my pedagogical practices, become current and knowledgable with technology tools, and discover efficient ways to educate, equip and engage my diversified population of students. My responsibility to deliver state of the art education has gone beyond the 4 walls of my classroom. I feel the need to collaborate and share my new knowledge with my colleagues. Teaching is an endeavor, and I will never stop exploring for deeper and richer knowledge.