Jen's Reflection

I think that our presentation went well.  Even though there were a few technical difficulties with the iPads and the apps, I think that it is a great way to get students interested and engaged in a topic.  I especially liked the apps that we found relating to the Government and I think that it showed the class how many useful government apps are out there.  I think that our presentation could have been more directly focused on the Government Shutdown as opposed to just the government in general however.  I personally think a presentation will always will always fall into place, but I think that this presentation could have been better organized and timed better.  I think Jocelyn and I worked well together and I think that we both put in a lot of time and effort into the whole current events project.  I am pleased with how the whole project turned out, considering our countless struggles with the blog in the beginning!  I think that the class learned a lot about technology, iPads, the apps, and the government but I think that we could have been more specific to the Government Shutdown during our presentation.  I think that our blogs had a lot of information about the Government Shutdown but we should have talked more specifically of it during the presentation.  I do think the class enjoyed working in small groups with the technology and were all very engaged and enthusiastic.

The current event project as a whole was very interesting and informative.  I learned a lot of specific, important information about a number of different current event projects that I originally had known nothing about.  I think it is important for people to be up to date with current events and I wish that I was.  I liked how each group had a different event to teach us all about and I think that everyone did a great job.  Each group got really excited and into their event and did a lot of research and explaining.  The blog was a unique way of portraying current events but I think it worked great and was an easy way to spread the information amongst the class.

I personally know vastly more information about my specific current event and also learned a lot of information about the other events as well.  I am particularly more interested in the news and the things that are happening around me and I think the current event project made this happen.  I think that current events are an important aspect of social studies and I will make sure to make it a part of my classroom one day.  I feel as though I know more about what is going on in the world and am more confident in talking about issues that are currently going on.