Thursday, March 28, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Blog Post #9
Mr. McClung's World: What I Learned This Year Volume 4 (2011-12)
"You Gotta Dance With Who You Came To The Dance With"
Mr. McClung begins his fourth year blog post by stating that he has always cared about what his students and superiors thought about his teaching, but never his peers; until this year. McClung says that beginning to worry about the opinions of his peers took a toll on his mood and his anxiety. He comes to realization that making sure his students are having fun and learning the proper material has gotten him through four years already, so why should he begin worrying about his peers opinions now?
I believe that he should not begin worrying about what his peers think about him or his teaching methods because his superiors have obviously allowed him to keep a job this far. Also, being a teacher is not about pleasing other teachers; it's about your students one hundred percent. Your students are your biggest judges when it comes to being a teacher because of coarse, they always want to have fun and because their grades reflect your teaching overall. I do believe that teachers should always keep a friendly attitude and relationship with other teachers though. You can't have teachers getting in arguments or being ugly to one another when you are trying to teach children the opposite.
"Challenge Yourself"
After being at the same school in Arkansas for three years straight, teaching Social Studies and Arkansas History, Mr. McClung caught himself in routine with old lesson plans and no new creativity. He had gotten too comfortable and was not teaching well his in opinion. Mr. McClung then had the opportunity to teach a different subject and grade level next year. He took up on this offer, even though it was very challenging to learn the material and create lesson plans. McClung says that he learned a very valuable lesson: don't get too comfortable as a teacher because then you get bored with what you are teaching and that can begin to cause students to lose interest, which can lead to not enjoying school at all for some students. We have all known our share of friends that did not enjoy school at all growing up....Was this because of the teachers they had in elementary school?
This is so true! I find myself all the time getting comfortable with something and before long it's just flat out boring. As a teacher, I am going to have to realize that it will be my responsibility to challenge myself every year in a different way. Teachers can not allow themselves to be bored with what they are teaching because attitudes are contagious sometimes and no one wants that attitude to rub off on their students. Opportunities like Mr. McClung had may not come around every 3-4 years, so I am going to have to create ways of my own to keep teaching interesting and exciting for both me and my future students.
At The Teacher's Desk: What I Learned This Year (2008-09)
"How To Read The Crowd"
Student comprehension is the most important thing when delivering a lesson in the classroom. Most teachers worry about how they are going to deliver it because they want it to seem like a good lesson, but it is not a good lesson unless your students comprehend it and get something out of it. The students have to drive the instructions. The way a teacher should teach is by learning how their students comprehend the best and the easiest.
"Be Flexible"
Have you ever had to tell someone something very important but didn't know how to, and when you finally put all the words together and rehearsed it, plans didn't fall through because that person said something different in the middle of it or did something else to change your mind? Annoying, right? Well, as a teacher this kind of situation is going to happen an awful lot. Teachers may create this long wonderful lesson plan and when they begin to present it to their students, it may all fall apart. This is perfectly normal. McClung states, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT." I am going to try to make sure I always know the lessons material front and back because I won't ever know when my students will flip and my whole lesson plan will change. Mr. McClung suggest to always do it with a smile on your face!
"Communicate"
No matter where you work or what you do at your job, there is always going to be a little drama between the employees. Mr. McClung says that communication is the best way to resolve any issue in the workplace. Just talk it out!
"Be Reasonable"
Mr. McClung explains that teachers should never build their expectations for their students so high that when they do not reach them, the teacher is dissapointed. I agree with this because everyone is human and humans make mistakes. I believe that it is okay for students to have leisure goals throughout the year, but teachers can't set them up to get dissapointed all the time. I like what Mr.McClung said when he stated, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." That is a very true statement.
"Don't Be Afraid Of Technology"
Mr. McClung reassures that technology is not horrible; it is like everything else, practice practice practice! I believe that technology can be scary at times because it is complicated and hard to figure out at first. Practicing on a computer can really build skill and before long you know more than you realize.
"Listen To Your Students"
In some situations a student may not have anyone in their life that listens to them except their teacher. As a future teacher, I want to give my students "all ears" when it comes to their opinions and questions. I believe it's true, in order for teachers to truly have a connection and relationship with their students they need to know a little about their lives. I believe showing your students trust will allow them to open up to you in situations that they wouldn't with anyone else. Show your students that you are ALWAYS their to listen...they will take advantage of that.
"Lastly...Never Stop Learning"
Teachers expect and force their students to learn new information everyday, but are educators doing the same thing? Are they taking time out to learn new things and expand their knowledge? Mr. McClung states, "We owe it to our students." I believe this section was very helpful for me. I have never thought of it that way...if teachers require students to learn everyday, then why aren't the teachers striving to learn something new everyday? As a future teacher, I will strive to learn something new everyday. I know some things come naturally and students teach their teachers something all the time, but I will work hard, even when there is a struggle.
"You Gotta Dance With Who You Came To The Dance With"
Mr. McClung begins his fourth year blog post by stating that he has always cared about what his students and superiors thought about his teaching, but never his peers; until this year. McClung says that beginning to worry about the opinions of his peers took a toll on his mood and his anxiety. He comes to realization that making sure his students are having fun and learning the proper material has gotten him through four years already, so why should he begin worrying about his peers opinions now?
I believe that he should not begin worrying about what his peers think about him or his teaching methods because his superiors have obviously allowed him to keep a job this far. Also, being a teacher is not about pleasing other teachers; it's about your students one hundred percent. Your students are your biggest judges when it comes to being a teacher because of coarse, they always want to have fun and because their grades reflect your teaching overall. I do believe that teachers should always keep a friendly attitude and relationship with other teachers though. You can't have teachers getting in arguments or being ugly to one another when you are trying to teach children the opposite.
"Challenge Yourself"
After being at the same school in Arkansas for three years straight, teaching Social Studies and Arkansas History, Mr. McClung caught himself in routine with old lesson plans and no new creativity. He had gotten too comfortable and was not teaching well his in opinion. Mr. McClung then had the opportunity to teach a different subject and grade level next year. He took up on this offer, even though it was very challenging to learn the material and create lesson plans. McClung says that he learned a very valuable lesson: don't get too comfortable as a teacher because then you get bored with what you are teaching and that can begin to cause students to lose interest, which can lead to not enjoying school at all for some students. We have all known our share of friends that did not enjoy school at all growing up....Was this because of the teachers they had in elementary school?
This is so true! I find myself all the time getting comfortable with something and before long it's just flat out boring. As a teacher, I am going to have to realize that it will be my responsibility to challenge myself every year in a different way. Teachers can not allow themselves to be bored with what they are teaching because attitudes are contagious sometimes and no one wants that attitude to rub off on their students. Opportunities like Mr. McClung had may not come around every 3-4 years, so I am going to have to create ways of my own to keep teaching interesting and exciting for both me and my future students.
At The Teacher's Desk: What I Learned This Year (2008-09)
"How To Read The Crowd"
Student comprehension is the most important thing when delivering a lesson in the classroom. Most teachers worry about how they are going to deliver it because they want it to seem like a good lesson, but it is not a good lesson unless your students comprehend it and get something out of it. The students have to drive the instructions. The way a teacher should teach is by learning how their students comprehend the best and the easiest.
"Be Flexible"
Have you ever had to tell someone something very important but didn't know how to, and when you finally put all the words together and rehearsed it, plans didn't fall through because that person said something different in the middle of it or did something else to change your mind? Annoying, right? Well, as a teacher this kind of situation is going to happen an awful lot. Teachers may create this long wonderful lesson plan and when they begin to present it to their students, it may all fall apart. This is perfectly normal. McClung states, "NO LESSON IS EVER PERFECT. THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT." I am going to try to make sure I always know the lessons material front and back because I won't ever know when my students will flip and my whole lesson plan will change. Mr. McClung suggest to always do it with a smile on your face!
"Communicate"
No matter where you work or what you do at your job, there is always going to be a little drama between the employees. Mr. McClung says that communication is the best way to resolve any issue in the workplace. Just talk it out!
"Be Reasonable"
Mr. McClung explains that teachers should never build their expectations for their students so high that when they do not reach them, the teacher is dissapointed. I agree with this because everyone is human and humans make mistakes. I believe that it is okay for students to have leisure goals throughout the year, but teachers can't set them up to get dissapointed all the time. I like what Mr.McClung said when he stated, "Our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again." That is a very true statement.
"Don't Be Afraid Of Technology"
Mr. McClung reassures that technology is not horrible; it is like everything else, practice practice practice! I believe that technology can be scary at times because it is complicated and hard to figure out at first. Practicing on a computer can really build skill and before long you know more than you realize.
"Listen To Your Students"
In some situations a student may not have anyone in their life that listens to them except their teacher. As a future teacher, I want to give my students "all ears" when it comes to their opinions and questions. I believe it's true, in order for teachers to truly have a connection and relationship with their students they need to know a little about their lives. I believe showing your students trust will allow them to open up to you in situations that they wouldn't with anyone else. Show your students that you are ALWAYS their to listen...they will take advantage of that.
"Lastly...Never Stop Learning"
Teachers expect and force their students to learn new information everyday, but are educators doing the same thing? Are they taking time out to learn new things and expand their knowledge? Mr. McClung states, "We owe it to our students." I believe this section was very helpful for me. I have never thought of it that way...if teachers require students to learn everyday, then why aren't the teachers striving to learn something new everyday? As a future teacher, I will strive to learn something new everyday. I know some things come naturally and students teach their teachers something all the time, but I will work hard, even when there is a struggle.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
C4T #2
#1: "Kids Don't Care About School"
John Spencer explains how kids do not care about school anymore in the 21st century. His reason for believing kids don't care anymore is because they aren't being challenged enough. They are bored with the easy work that they have already learned. In my opinion, in this day and time, children are able to learn much quicker and more advanced than ever; pen and paper just aren't going to cut it anymore. We have to move with the times and engage the children more and challenge their brains.
#2: "School Makes Me? School Allows Me?"
In this post, John Spencer compares the things that schools allow and the things that schools make. His post shows a picture of a google search that says "school allows me to" and below it, the suggestions read, "to do, to accel, to grow, and to express myself." This is true...school does allow students to do these things and to have the opportunity to excel in more. What about the "school makes me" part? Spencer explains that some students would say that school makes them sad or angry. Well, I believe Spencer is right when he says "that is just because of the broken and beautiful world we live in." The students are in a public environment so they are going to feel things that don't always make them happy and excited. That's just the world we live in. I do believe trying to make school fun and interesting for younger students can take away some of the sadness or boredom they may face. Also, handling certain situations in the right manner can prepare students for the beautiful, yet broken world we live in.
John Spencer explains how kids do not care about school anymore in the 21st century. His reason for believing kids don't care anymore is because they aren't being challenged enough. They are bored with the easy work that they have already learned. In my opinion, in this day and time, children are able to learn much quicker and more advanced than ever; pen and paper just aren't going to cut it anymore. We have to move with the times and engage the children more and challenge their brains.
#2: "School Makes Me? School Allows Me?"
In this post, John Spencer compares the things that schools allow and the things that schools make. His post shows a picture of a google search that says "school allows me to" and below it, the suggestions read, "to do, to accel, to grow, and to express myself." This is true...school does allow students to do these things and to have the opportunity to excel in more. What about the "school makes me" part? Spencer explains that some students would say that school makes them sad or angry. Well, I believe Spencer is right when he says "that is just because of the broken and beautiful world we live in." The students are in a public environment so they are going to feel things that don't always make them happy and excited. That's just the world we live in. I do believe trying to make school fun and interesting for younger students can take away some of the sadness or boredom they may face. Also, handling certain situations in the right manner can prepare students for the beautiful, yet broken world we live in.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Blog Post #6
The Networked Student
By Wendy Drexler
Wendy Drexler's video, The Networked Student, was very informative and interesting. She told a story about a teacher that taught her students through connectivism. Wendy Drexler states, "Connectivism is a theory that presumes that learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties." This network is made possible through various tools of technology but the tools are not as important as the connections made possible by them. The teacher in the video believes that getting connected with other students that are trying to learn the same things will increase the strength of the learning process. The student must first create his Personal Learning Network, or PLN. With this, the student gets connected with other students that are researching the same topic; in this case American Psyche. He locates websites that other students have posted URL's of edited papers and articles about the topic. Another important tool that other students have used to post opinions, rather than facts, is blogs. Using blogs can now allow students to comment on blog post and state their own opinions on what they have learned on the subject.
So, why does he even need a teacher? Teachers are there to teach the students how to build this network and take advantage of the learning opportunities it has to offer. Guidance, communication skills, how to differ from good information and bad information, and organization of information are some skills that teachers are there to help their students through this process. The teacher in the video hopes that what she has taught her student will go on with him forever to help solve the worlds problems. Teaching in the 21st century is going to require new techniques due to the advancement that technology has accomplished.
A 7th Grader's PLN
This video showed a great example of a 7th graders Personal Learning Network, or PLN. Since I have watched this video, I realized I have a lot of work to do for my PLN. It definitely helps students and teachers stay organized and neat. Everything you want to save can be kept safe in an organized folder, using Symbaloo, which is what this student used on her computer. This video was very helpful for me because my PLN is far from this. I have work to do.
By Wendy Drexler
Wendy Drexler's video, The Networked Student, was very informative and interesting. She told a story about a teacher that taught her students through connectivism. Wendy Drexler states, "Connectivism is a theory that presumes that learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties." This network is made possible through various tools of technology but the tools are not as important as the connections made possible by them. The teacher in the video believes that getting connected with other students that are trying to learn the same things will increase the strength of the learning process. The student must first create his Personal Learning Network, or PLN. With this, the student gets connected with other students that are researching the same topic; in this case American Psyche. He locates websites that other students have posted URL's of edited papers and articles about the topic. Another important tool that other students have used to post opinions, rather than facts, is blogs. Using blogs can now allow students to comment on blog post and state their own opinions on what they have learned on the subject.
So, why does he even need a teacher? Teachers are there to teach the students how to build this network and take advantage of the learning opportunities it has to offer. Guidance, communication skills, how to differ from good information and bad information, and organization of information are some skills that teachers are there to help their students through this process. The teacher in the video hopes that what she has taught her student will go on with him forever to help solve the worlds problems. Teaching in the 21st century is going to require new techniques due to the advancement that technology has accomplished.
A 7th Grader's PLN
This video showed a great example of a 7th graders Personal Learning Network, or PLN. Since I have watched this video, I realized I have a lot of work to do for my PLN. It definitely helps students and teachers stay organized and neat. Everything you want to save can be kept safe in an organized folder, using Symbaloo, which is what this student used on her computer. This video was very helpful for me because my PLN is far from this. I have work to do.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Blog Post #5
If I Built A School
In Krissy Venosdale's post "If I Built A School", she goes off into a wonderful fantasy of the perfect school in her dreams. She explains that there would be no quarterly exams or required classes. She would prefer her school be comfortable, vibrant, and different. I think her version of a school would be amazing for teachers and students both. She also said that students should move up in grade level according to their ability because it's true, some students move at a faster pace than others.
So what would a school be like if I built it with no limits or boundaries? First of all, I do agree with Mrs. Venosdale that students should be allowed to have devices such as tablets and computers to use at appropriate times only. Some students are much better on a computer than they are with paper and a pencil. My school would be very colorful and interesting also. My elementary school was not very colorful on the outside or in the hallways. Most of the students work was hung up in the classrooms only. I would want art work from students hung all over the hallways of my school. And what is with the neutral colors on the walls? I would prefer greens and blues throughout my hallways. Unlike Mrs. Vonosdale, I do believe that I would still require the quarterly test that students have to take as a "final" grade to pass a class. To me, these test prove that the students are ready to move ahead into the next grade. Even though some students are just not naturally good at test taking, it is still important for a child to challenge their brain in this way. Young students typically love to be involved with the way their school looks and works. I would want my school to be eye pleasing and interesting. I want the parents to be just as involved as the students are so I would have programs monthly to keep the kids involved in extra curricular things as well. Overall, I would aim for a school that made learning fun. Seems to me that too many students these days don't like school by the time they are in the 2nd or 3rd grade. We have to keep their attention!
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Wow! This was actually pretty cool. Seems as if they had people all over the world singing together over the internet, using Skype or something. In reality, they each individually recorded the song then posted it to YouTube. Eric had first recorded himself directing the music then posted a blog calling all singers to learn the music and record themselves. It's amazing that he could then piece all the voices together and create a virtual choir. I think this was very interesting because Eric made these people that have a similar love of singing feel connected in a way. Being a part of this choir made some people feel as if they were part of the choir's family, even though they have never met one another.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Kevin Roberts made some very interesting points here. In my opinion, he is trying to explain that educators have a different role in the 21st century than educators did 20 years ago. Educators must use more than just pencils and paper now because technology is opening up multiple different doors to learning. Podcasting, blogging, and researching are excellent tools for classrooms in the 21st century. I like how Kevin Roberts said educators do not need to entertain students, but engage them! That is so true! Learning is not about the entertainment, but the involvement the students have individually. Students learn a lot more when they have to engage an assignment on their own and actually work to make something happen. Memorization and repetition are not going to help students advance in the 21st century at all.
Flipping the Classroom
Flipping the Classroom seems like an excellent tool to use in all classrooms. This is providing extra teaching time that not all teachers have in their classrooms alone. Students now can review the lesson before class and already have an idea of what will be taught the next day. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom. I believe it will help students technically and with organization. Requiring the students to remember to watch the videos and take notes on what they learned will teach the students many skills at an early age.
In Krissy Venosdale's post "If I Built A School", she goes off into a wonderful fantasy of the perfect school in her dreams. She explains that there would be no quarterly exams or required classes. She would prefer her school be comfortable, vibrant, and different. I think her version of a school would be amazing for teachers and students both. She also said that students should move up in grade level according to their ability because it's true, some students move at a faster pace than others.
So what would a school be like if I built it with no limits or boundaries? First of all, I do agree with Mrs. Venosdale that students should be allowed to have devices such as tablets and computers to use at appropriate times only. Some students are much better on a computer than they are with paper and a pencil. My school would be very colorful and interesting also. My elementary school was not very colorful on the outside or in the hallways. Most of the students work was hung up in the classrooms only. I would want art work from students hung all over the hallways of my school. And what is with the neutral colors on the walls? I would prefer greens and blues throughout my hallways. Unlike Mrs. Vonosdale, I do believe that I would still require the quarterly test that students have to take as a "final" grade to pass a class. To me, these test prove that the students are ready to move ahead into the next grade. Even though some students are just not naturally good at test taking, it is still important for a child to challenge their brain in this way. Young students typically love to be involved with the way their school looks and works. I would want my school to be eye pleasing and interesting. I want the parents to be just as involved as the students are so I would have programs monthly to keep the kids involved in extra curricular things as well. Overall, I would aim for a school that made learning fun. Seems to me that too many students these days don't like school by the time they are in the 2nd or 3rd grade. We have to keep their attention!
Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir
Wow! This was actually pretty cool. Seems as if they had people all over the world singing together over the internet, using Skype or something. In reality, they each individually recorded the song then posted it to YouTube. Eric had first recorded himself directing the music then posted a blog calling all singers to learn the music and record themselves. It's amazing that he could then piece all the voices together and create a virtual choir. I think this was very interesting because Eric made these people that have a similar love of singing feel connected in a way. Being a part of this choir made some people feel as if they were part of the choir's family, even though they have never met one another.
Teaching in the 21st Century
Kevin Roberts made some very interesting points here. In my opinion, he is trying to explain that educators have a different role in the 21st century than educators did 20 years ago. Educators must use more than just pencils and paper now because technology is opening up multiple different doors to learning. Podcasting, blogging, and researching are excellent tools for classrooms in the 21st century. I like how Kevin Roberts said educators do not need to entertain students, but engage them! That is so true! Learning is not about the entertainment, but the involvement the students have individually. Students learn a lot more when they have to engage an assignment on their own and actually work to make something happen. Memorization and repetition are not going to help students advance in the 21st century at all.
Flipping the Classroom
Flipping the Classroom seems like an excellent tool to use in all classrooms. This is providing extra teaching time that not all teachers have in their classrooms alone. Students now can review the lesson before class and already have an idea of what will be taught the next day. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom. I believe it will help students technically and with organization. Requiring the students to remember to watch the videos and take notes on what they learned will teach the students many skills at an early age.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Blog Post #4
Langwitches
First Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobooks
I think this is a great idea for young students because it gets them involved with computers and helps them practice speaking skills. Young students tend to enjoy hands on activities more than just book work, so working with a computer and recording themselves really get the kids working hard. As Langwitches blog said, the students would want to immediately re-record what they said if it didn't sound perfect to them. They knew how they were suppose to project their voice and allowing them to hear their recording trained them to perfect their speech.
Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting
I found it interesting that Langwitches said in order to understand the pronunciation of a word, you must hear it at least 70 times. Also, you must understand the word in sentences to fully understand how to pronounce the word. Recording and listening to yourself say words can give you a better understanding of how to say the word, especially if it is a different language than your primary. In this blog, I liked how the second grade teachers purposely had their students record clips out of order then put them in the correct order of a story one by one, using a Smart Board. Langwitches said, "This lesson was not about the tool or the genre; it was about writing a script, listening, comprehension, collaboration, speaking skills, and fluency in the target language." I like that this project wasn't about the tools that technology had to offer, but about the skills the students had in them.
Podcasting With First Grade
I found it interesting that that first grade students were eager to get their recording onto eBooks and iPods so that worldwide people could hear it. They were actually interested in having an audience. The teacher that posted this blog said that she was very pleased to see the students that were waiting their turn to record have interest in the student that was recorded at the present time. They all wanted to be involved with the entire podcast. These students also gained a new level of confidence in themselves because they were challenged to repeat lines and speak out loud. This project built lots of new skills in the classroom.
First Graders Create Their Own Read-Along Audiobooks
I think this is a great idea for young students because it gets them involved with computers and helps them practice speaking skills. Young students tend to enjoy hands on activities more than just book work, so working with a computer and recording themselves really get the kids working hard. As Langwitches blog said, the students would want to immediately re-record what they said if it didn't sound perfect to them. They knew how they were suppose to project their voice and allowing them to hear their recording trained them to perfect their speech.
Listening-Comprehension-Podcasting
I found it interesting that Langwitches said in order to understand the pronunciation of a word, you must hear it at least 70 times. Also, you must understand the word in sentences to fully understand how to pronounce the word. Recording and listening to yourself say words can give you a better understanding of how to say the word, especially if it is a different language than your primary. In this blog, I liked how the second grade teachers purposely had their students record clips out of order then put them in the correct order of a story one by one, using a Smart Board. Langwitches said, "This lesson was not about the tool or the genre; it was about writing a script, listening, comprehension, collaboration, speaking skills, and fluency in the target language." I like that this project wasn't about the tools that technology had to offer, but about the skills the students had in them.
Podcasting With First Grade
I found it interesting that that first grade students were eager to get their recording onto eBooks and iPods so that worldwide people could hear it. They were actually interested in having an audience. The teacher that posted this blog said that she was very pleased to see the students that were waiting their turn to record have interest in the student that was recorded at the present time. They all wanted to be involved with the entire podcast. These students also gained a new level of confidence in themselves because they were challenged to repeat lines and speak out loud. This project built lots of new skills in the classroom.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Special Blog Post #1
WolframAlpha
When I searched for the comparison in populations between India, China, and the United States, I was pleased with the additional results WolframAlpha gave me. The populations are as follows: India has 1.21 billion people, China has 1.35 billion people, and the United States has 309 million people as of the year 2010. The growth in population is slowly but surely increasing in all the countries. India's population grew 1.44%, China grew 0.63%, and the United States grew 0.969% in the year 2008.
I also searched India, China, and the United States individually. Each search offered plenty of information on each country, including; a map, demographics, languages, religions, employment and education. The number of students in each country are as follows: India 251.3 million, China 233.3 million, and U.S. 67.62 million. That's a pretty large difference between India and the United States!
I found WolframAlpha to be an easy and excellent tool to use. I was surprisingly pleased to read some of the stats about the individual countries I searched. It was very interesting. I also love the way the site was laid out; easy search bar with examples and random searches and the information page is organized. There is a lot my future students and I could use this tool for. Upload cans also be made. It's an easy, interesting tool for any student.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow! The numbers on the social media count were flying by! The category "social now" was very eye-opening to me because it was all about Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and devices; which I'm not a big fan of any of those things. I don't have a Facebook or Instagram and I don't upload videos to YouTube, so seeing the numbers go up so fast makes me realize how much time people really spend on social networking sites and such. Before one second could pass, there were already over 29, 000 likes and comments on Facebook!
What does this mean for my professional career as a teacher? Well, I believe this is only the beginning of the future. The internet and computers are getting smarter every day in this day and time. I must realize that the future is going to be all about computer use by the time I become a teacher. I understand that computers are an excellent source for education and I am eager to learn more about the things that EDM310 has to offer. I hope to use a lot of the tools I haven already learned when I become a teacher.
When I searched for the comparison in populations between India, China, and the United States, I was pleased with the additional results WolframAlpha gave me. The populations are as follows: India has 1.21 billion people, China has 1.35 billion people, and the United States has 309 million people as of the year 2010. The growth in population is slowly but surely increasing in all the countries. India's population grew 1.44%, China grew 0.63%, and the United States grew 0.969% in the year 2008.
I also searched India, China, and the United States individually. Each search offered plenty of information on each country, including; a map, demographics, languages, religions, employment and education. The number of students in each country are as follows: India 251.3 million, China 233.3 million, and U.S. 67.62 million. That's a pretty large difference between India and the United States!
I found WolframAlpha to be an easy and excellent tool to use. I was surprisingly pleased to read some of the stats about the individual countries I searched. It was very interesting. I also love the way the site was laid out; easy search bar with examples and random searches and the information page is organized. There is a lot my future students and I could use this tool for. Upload cans also be made. It's an easy, interesting tool for any student.
Gary Hayes Social Media Count
Wow! The numbers on the social media count were flying by! The category "social now" was very eye-opening to me because it was all about Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and devices; which I'm not a big fan of any of those things. I don't have a Facebook or Instagram and I don't upload videos to YouTube, so seeing the numbers go up so fast makes me realize how much time people really spend on social networking sites and such. Before one second could pass, there were already over 29, 000 likes and comments on Facebook!
What does this mean for my professional career as a teacher? Well, I believe this is only the beginning of the future. The internet and computers are getting smarter every day in this day and time. I must realize that the future is going to be all about computer use by the time I become a teacher. I understand that computers are an excellent source for education and I am eager to learn more about the things that EDM310 has to offer. I hope to use a lot of the tools I haven already learned when I become a teacher.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Blog Post #3
Peer Editing
According to Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, peer editing is working with someone your own age to help improve, revise, and edit his or her writing. The steps and rules this tutorial provided are great ways to peer edit papers and other writings. Having three rules and three easy steps is a great way to help elementary aged children learn how to peer edit. The first step is to compliment. I learned starting off with compliments about the writing will give the writing some confidence that they didn't do a terrible job, even though they may have a few errors. The second step is to suggest. Making suggestions on word choice or sentence structure could help the writer with decisions he or she weren't particularly sure with. Just saying "this is wrong" or "this was a bad word choice" isn't the way to go. Give the writing detailed suggestions on what they could change their errors to. The final step is to correct. Correcting grammar and spelling is a very important step to peer editing because some students might look past run-on sentences or misspelled words.
Peer editing is very important to me in schools. All students should be taught at a young age on how to peer edit papers correctly. Personally, I don't like when I work extremely hard on a paper and then my peer editor just writes "it was good" and "yes, you gave detail." That kind of editing isn't going to help me improve my paper at all. I believe students should give plenty of feedback when it comes to editing papers. The video "Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes" gave great examples on what not to do when peer editing papers. If students edit papers like that and are not corrected, they are going to need that much more help when they get in more advanced classes. Starting the peer editing techniques at a young age will help students tremendously.
Assistive Technologies
The Mountbatten
I think the Mountbatten is an excellent tool for all schools to have so that children that are hearing and vision impaired can have the same opportunity to do assignments and projects that the other children get to do. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom if I have the chance. It would make vision and hearing impaired students feel they have the same opportunity in learning as everyone else. I wouldn't want any of my students to be left behind.
Ipad for the Blind
In Wesley Majerus' "Ipad Usage for the Blind," he is giving a presentation on how to use the Apple Ipad for the blind. Wesley is blind himself. He explains how the ipad can read aloud everything you slide your finger across on the screen. He opened a book on the tablet and demonstrated how blind students could still read books using the ipad. This is a good tool for classrooms. Blind students need useful tools in this day and time to help them keep up in the classrooms so they can receive the same education as everyone else. In Denise Robinson's "Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child is Learning on the Ipad," is showing an adult what her children can learn using an ipad. I have heard people say a thousand times, "Children know more about those ipad's and ipod's than I could ever know," but it is very important for adults to learn how to use them also. This is important because I believe in today's times, the use of ipads is only going to increase in the school systems throughout the world. Vision impaired children could use this tool severely in schools. It would be such a great help.
Vicki Davis
Wow! My favorite quote of this video was when Vicki Davis said "I wasn't teaching them how to do terraform, they were teaching me. I didn't even know how to do it until today." This classroom reminded me a lot of Dr. Strange's classroom in edm310. The teacher was allowing the students to figure things out on their own, with her assistance. The students were using google, twitter, and posting on a blog weekly. Interviewed students were proud of their work and discoveries they made. Other teachers were proud of Vicki Davis' teaching methods because they were not only connected to the students in their class, they were connected to students and teachers across the world. Teaching this way is an excellent tool in the classroom. No one is doing the work for you, your doing it on your own. I want to teach this way. I don't want to produce a "burp-back" education as a teacher. I want my students to take what they learned with them and remember it forever.
According to Peer Edit With Perfection Tutorial, peer editing is working with someone your own age to help improve, revise, and edit his or her writing. The steps and rules this tutorial provided are great ways to peer edit papers and other writings. Having three rules and three easy steps is a great way to help elementary aged children learn how to peer edit. The first step is to compliment. I learned starting off with compliments about the writing will give the writing some confidence that they didn't do a terrible job, even though they may have a few errors. The second step is to suggest. Making suggestions on word choice or sentence structure could help the writer with decisions he or she weren't particularly sure with. Just saying "this is wrong" or "this was a bad word choice" isn't the way to go. Give the writing detailed suggestions on what they could change their errors to. The final step is to correct. Correcting grammar and spelling is a very important step to peer editing because some students might look past run-on sentences or misspelled words.
Peer editing is very important to me in schools. All students should be taught at a young age on how to peer edit papers correctly. Personally, I don't like when I work extremely hard on a paper and then my peer editor just writes "it was good" and "yes, you gave detail." That kind of editing isn't going to help me improve my paper at all. I believe students should give plenty of feedback when it comes to editing papers. The video "Writing Peer Review Top 10 Mistakes" gave great examples on what not to do when peer editing papers. If students edit papers like that and are not corrected, they are going to need that much more help when they get in more advanced classes. Starting the peer editing techniques at a young age will help students tremendously.
Assistive Technologies
The Mountbatten
I think the Mountbatten is an excellent tool for all schools to have so that children that are hearing and vision impaired can have the same opportunity to do assignments and projects that the other children get to do. I would definitely use this tool in my classroom if I have the chance. It would make vision and hearing impaired students feel they have the same opportunity in learning as everyone else. I wouldn't want any of my students to be left behind.
Ipad for the Blind
In Wesley Majerus' "Ipad Usage for the Blind," he is giving a presentation on how to use the Apple Ipad for the blind. Wesley is blind himself. He explains how the ipad can read aloud everything you slide your finger across on the screen. He opened a book on the tablet and demonstrated how blind students could still read books using the ipad. This is a good tool for classrooms. Blind students need useful tools in this day and time to help them keep up in the classrooms so they can receive the same education as everyone else. In Denise Robinson's "Teaching Mom What Her Deaf/Blind Child is Learning on the Ipad," is showing an adult what her children can learn using an ipad. I have heard people say a thousand times, "Children know more about those ipad's and ipod's than I could ever know," but it is very important for adults to learn how to use them also. This is important because I believe in today's times, the use of ipads is only going to increase in the school systems throughout the world. Vision impaired children could use this tool severely in schools. It would be such a great help.
Vicki Davis
Wow! My favorite quote of this video was when Vicki Davis said "I wasn't teaching them how to do terraform, they were teaching me. I didn't even know how to do it until today." This classroom reminded me a lot of Dr. Strange's classroom in edm310. The teacher was allowing the students to figure things out on their own, with her assistance. The students were using google, twitter, and posting on a blog weekly. Interviewed students were proud of their work and discoveries they made. Other teachers were proud of Vicki Davis' teaching methods because they were not only connected to the students in their class, they were connected to students and teachers across the world. Teaching this way is an excellent tool in the classroom. No one is doing the work for you, your doing it on your own. I want to teach this way. I don't want to produce a "burp-back" education as a teacher. I want my students to take what they learned with them and remember it forever.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Blog Post #2
Did You Know 3.0
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod's video "Did You Know 3.0" has very interesting facts that really shocked me. First of all, it made me realize how small America is. According to the video, India has more honors kids than America's total number of kids and China will soon be the number one English speaking country. Technology is advancing so quickly that we are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist. The number of text messages and tweets that are sent and posted daily are exceedingly high and mind blowing. Seriously, approximately six hundred tweets are posted on twitter every second. My little sister told me she posts a tweet about every three hours so there are about 6, 480, 000 tweets posted between every time she post. WOW!
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod say by this year, a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computational capabilities of the human brain. Predictions for the year 2049 say computers will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human species. Computers are already extremely smart and technical; I can't imagine one that can work as my brain does. Population is also growing rapidly across the world. During the four minute and fifty-eight second video, sixty-seven babies were born in the United States, two hundred and seventy-four babies were born in China, and three hundred and ninety-five babies were born in India. That is only three countries out of the entire world! So what does this mean to me? As a future educator, it is my responsibility to keep up with the times. Learning to be technically literate and understanding the futures inventions and discoveries is very important. Young students are learning in new ways and using tools that adults may be unfamiliar with. By the time I am a teacher, i Pads may be a requirement on the school supplies list.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Matthew Needleman's "Mr. Winkle Wakes" was about an old man that woke up from an one hundred year slumber and walked around his town. He first went into a building where he saw machines that instantly printed out copies of scanned documents. He also could see and talk to people half way across the world on the small screens of the computers. He was very confused and had to get out of there. Mr. Winkle didn't feel very well after seeing all the new technology so he went into a hospital. When he got in there he saw people being kept alive by machines. More computers were in there that were hooked up to the patients and could display their heart rate and such immediately. He then left the hospital and went into a school. Inside the school, Mr. Winkle was familiar with what was going on. Students were sitting in rows of desk, taking notes as their teacher lectured them on a specific subject. He did see a computer in the classroom, but it was dusty and unoccupied. This made Mr. Winkle happy to see that after one hundred years, some things still remain the same.
In my opinion, "Mr. Winkle Wakes" wasn't entirely true. If someone wakes up after one hundred years, not just some things will be different, all things will be different. Computers will be able to accomplish new task, hospitals will be able to find new cures, and schools will be learning in a different way. I do believe it is important to interact and talk with your students as a teacher, but computers are advancing and will be highly involved in the school systems before long. Some teachers aren't skilled on a computer or the internet but I believe it is very important to be skilled with technology to become an educator. Young students will be living in a completely different world within the next 10 years due to technologies advances.
The Importance of Creativity
In "The Importance of Creativity," Sir Ken Robinson explained how he thinks creativity is just as important as literacy in the school system. He said that everywhere on Earth is taught the same way; mathematics and languages are on the top of the requirement list and arts are on the bottom. Why is this? According to Robinson, creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. Education has taught children that being wrong is embarrassing, but if your not prepared to be wrong then you'll never come up with anything original. Dr. Strange stated, "We are being taught by burp-back education in today's time." If students are only "burping-back" what they have been told to memorize, then they will never have a personal opinion on any subject. Children are now scared to have an opinion because they don't want it to be "wrong." They are educated out of their own creativity.
All children are born with talents but we squash those talents due to the education process. When children are not sure about something they are suppose to do, they find a way to make sense about it. They will say anything if they are not sure. As children grow up they begin to think they aren't good at anything if they aren't interested in mathematics and language. Dance, art, and drama classes are not requirements in any school system, but why not? Robinson stated "When children can't be still or concentrate in class, it's because they have something called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD); or at least that's what society and doctors believe. But in reality, all they need is to be put in a dance or drama class because some students just need to move and exercise to think." Children don't need to be given a medicine and told to calm down. What they need is something to exercise not only their minds, but their bodies also. Creativity is important in the learning process and we need to begin including it in schools because as Robinson said, "We may not see the future, but children will, so our job is to make something of it."
Pinterest
Pinterest seems like it would be a very big help in my classroom. There are all kinds of ideas to decorate classrooms with, such as ways to make charts and monthly calenders. The organization category could help me out a lot by keeping all of my activity ideas in one folder online so I can go back and look at them as needed. I believe that students can also benefit from Pinterest because it would be a good tool to use for project or studying ideas.
All the profiles listed under "The 20 Best Pinterest Boards About Education Technology" seem very helpful to a teacher. I liked Vicki Davis because she has a lot of classroom decorating tips and activities for the students. Rachel Friedrich was one that caught my attention quickly because when I was in school, songs and rhymes always helped me with memorization. She has catchy songs and poems that could really help young students. Teacher Vision was another board I chose to follow because they had pins with tips for new teachers that were just beginning. They also included blog ideas for young students. Kathy Schrock was the last board I followed. I was immediately drawn to her board because it was so organized and neat.
I do believe that Pinterest would be very helpful for my future classroom. Pinterest would give me creative ideas for activities for my students. Hands-on activities are very important in my classroom. Also, decorating my classroom might be challenging at first, but Pinterest has ideas for all kinds of educational things to put on the walls of my classroom. The organized part of Pinterest would be a big help for teachers like me. Sometimes I tend to forget ideas I have for the future but Pinterest will hold all of my ideas in specific organized folders until I am ready to use them. My students could also use Pinterest as a helpful tool. They could search for project or studying ideas when they are having trouble doing it. Blogs could also be available for my students, especially since technology is advancing so quickly.
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod's video "Did You Know 3.0" has very interesting facts that really shocked me. First of all, it made me realize how small America is. According to the video, India has more honors kids than America's total number of kids and China will soon be the number one English speaking country. Technology is advancing so quickly that we are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist. The number of text messages and tweets that are sent and posted daily are exceedingly high and mind blowing. Seriously, approximately six hundred tweets are posted on twitter every second. My little sister told me she posts a tweet about every three hours so there are about 6, 480, 000 tweets posted between every time she post. WOW!
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod say by this year, a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computational capabilities of the human brain. Predictions for the year 2049 say computers will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human species. Computers are already extremely smart and technical; I can't imagine one that can work as my brain does. Population is also growing rapidly across the world. During the four minute and fifty-eight second video, sixty-seven babies were born in the United States, two hundred and seventy-four babies were born in China, and three hundred and ninety-five babies were born in India. That is only three countries out of the entire world! So what does this mean to me? As a future educator, it is my responsibility to keep up with the times. Learning to be technically literate and understanding the futures inventions and discoveries is very important. Young students are learning in new ways and using tools that adults may be unfamiliar with. By the time I am a teacher, i Pads may be a requirement on the school supplies list.
Mr. Winkle Wakes
Matthew Needleman's "Mr. Winkle Wakes" was about an old man that woke up from an one hundred year slumber and walked around his town. He first went into a building where he saw machines that instantly printed out copies of scanned documents. He also could see and talk to people half way across the world on the small screens of the computers. He was very confused and had to get out of there. Mr. Winkle didn't feel very well after seeing all the new technology so he went into a hospital. When he got in there he saw people being kept alive by machines. More computers were in there that were hooked up to the patients and could display their heart rate and such immediately. He then left the hospital and went into a school. Inside the school, Mr. Winkle was familiar with what was going on. Students were sitting in rows of desk, taking notes as their teacher lectured them on a specific subject. He did see a computer in the classroom, but it was dusty and unoccupied. This made Mr. Winkle happy to see that after one hundred years, some things still remain the same.
In my opinion, "Mr. Winkle Wakes" wasn't entirely true. If someone wakes up after one hundred years, not just some things will be different, all things will be different. Computers will be able to accomplish new task, hospitals will be able to find new cures, and schools will be learning in a different way. I do believe it is important to interact and talk with your students as a teacher, but computers are advancing and will be highly involved in the school systems before long. Some teachers aren't skilled on a computer or the internet but I believe it is very important to be skilled with technology to become an educator. Young students will be living in a completely different world within the next 10 years due to technologies advances.
The Importance of Creativity
In "The Importance of Creativity," Sir Ken Robinson explained how he thinks creativity is just as important as literacy in the school system. He said that everywhere on Earth is taught the same way; mathematics and languages are on the top of the requirement list and arts are on the bottom. Why is this? According to Robinson, creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. Education has taught children that being wrong is embarrassing, but if your not prepared to be wrong then you'll never come up with anything original. Dr. Strange stated, "We are being taught by burp-back education in today's time." If students are only "burping-back" what they have been told to memorize, then they will never have a personal opinion on any subject. Children are now scared to have an opinion because they don't want it to be "wrong." They are educated out of their own creativity.
All children are born with talents but we squash those talents due to the education process. When children are not sure about something they are suppose to do, they find a way to make sense about it. They will say anything if they are not sure. As children grow up they begin to think they aren't good at anything if they aren't interested in mathematics and language. Dance, art, and drama classes are not requirements in any school system, but why not? Robinson stated "When children can't be still or concentrate in class, it's because they have something called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD); or at least that's what society and doctors believe. But in reality, all they need is to be put in a dance or drama class because some students just need to move and exercise to think." Children don't need to be given a medicine and told to calm down. What they need is something to exercise not only their minds, but their bodies also. Creativity is important in the learning process and we need to begin including it in schools because as Robinson said, "We may not see the future, but children will, so our job is to make something of it."
Pinterest seems like it would be a very big help in my classroom. There are all kinds of ideas to decorate classrooms with, such as ways to make charts and monthly calenders. The organization category could help me out a lot by keeping all of my activity ideas in one folder online so I can go back and look at them as needed. I believe that students can also benefit from Pinterest because it would be a good tool to use for project or studying ideas.
All the profiles listed under "The 20 Best Pinterest Boards About Education Technology" seem very helpful to a teacher. I liked Vicki Davis because she has a lot of classroom decorating tips and activities for the students. Rachel Friedrich was one that caught my attention quickly because when I was in school, songs and rhymes always helped me with memorization. She has catchy songs and poems that could really help young students. Teacher Vision was another board I chose to follow because they had pins with tips for new teachers that were just beginning. They also included blog ideas for young students. Kathy Schrock was the last board I followed. I was immediately drawn to her board because it was so organized and neat.
I do believe that Pinterest would be very helpful for my future classroom. Pinterest would give me creative ideas for activities for my students. Hands-on activities are very important in my classroom. Also, decorating my classroom might be challenging at first, but Pinterest has ideas for all kinds of educational things to put on the walls of my classroom. The organized part of Pinterest would be a big help for teachers like me. Sometimes I tend to forget ideas I have for the future but Pinterest will hold all of my ideas in specific organized folders until I am ready to use them. My students could also use Pinterest as a helpful tool. They could search for project or studying ideas when they are having trouble doing it. Blogs could also be available for my students, especially since technology is advancing so quickly.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Blog Post #1
About Me
My name is Ashley Mothershead. I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama and have never had a desire to move anywhere else. I have a big family, including four siblings, so growing up was always fun and there were always big vacations. Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia and Flint Creek in Wiggins, Mississippi were our favorite vacation spots. I attend church in Grand Bay, Alabama at More Life. I also enjoy camping, exercising, and scrap booking in my free time.
I graduated from Alma Bryant High School in 2009 with an advanced diploma. I was a cheerleader for my first three years and a member of the yearbook staff my senior year. The University of South Alabama was my first choice for college and I am now a first semester sophomore. I chose the University of South Alabama because it was convenient to home and was known for its excellence in education. After high school it took me a while to decide what I wanted to do for my career. I originally went to South in August of 2009 to become an x-ray technician but immediately wanted to change plans after I passed out while observing at a hospital for part of my application to get into the Radiology program. I then took two years off to gather thoughts and decide what I would really love to do. My family would always ask me "What do you love more than anything?" I would tell them that I love children and I love to help children learn new things. That's how I decided to go back to school at South for Elementary Education. The original grade that I wanted to teach was first grade, but I have talked to some girls that graduated recently and they leaned me towards third or fourth grade. In this day and time though, I will probably have to settle for whatever is available.
My Future Classroom
I have thought about my future classroom often and how I would like it to be. I want my students to have a fun learning experience so they enjoy school and learning. I want to teach my kids with a lot of hands on activities. I am a hands on person and to me, it always makes things a little more interesting than just watching a teacher show examples on a chalk board. I want to challenge my students everyday to strive for excellence in everything they do.
When teaching children I realize not everyone will move at the same pace. I understand that it will be my responsibility to complete goals weekly but also give extra attention to the child that may be struggling with certain assignments. I will strive to make sure every students understands my concepts before moving on to something else. I want to interact with students in a way that makes them feel comfortable with me and asking questions. I also want excitement and participation in my classroom so I can make a positive influence on my students about techniques to learning.
There are many tools that can be involved in the learning process. Posters and charts that can be hung on the walls of my classroom can help students refer back to something we have previously learned. Calenders can help students memorize the days of the week and the months of the year in the correct order. Workbooks for the students will allow them to have take home assignments and practice with their parents. I plan to send daily logs home everyday for the parents to be able to keep up with their child's progress and what they need a little extra help on. Having stations in a classroom is an excellent tool to use for the elementary level classes in my opinion. Stations allow students to be organized and have a schedule to follow. Labels also help students stay organized and remember that everything has a place.
When I become a teacher, I want my classroom to be colorful and bright. I want it to always stay organized and have rules for the students to memorize and follow. Having a set time schedule in my classroom will help students in many ways, such as time management and telling time. I will display the students work on my classroom walls so when we have parents visit, they will be excited to show their parents what they have learned. I want my students to be involved with helping me decorate and label my classroom so they will feel they had an input on their classroom. It is important to involve the students because it is their classroom as much as it is mine.
Randy Pausch "Time Management"
My name is Ashley Mothershead. I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama and have never had a desire to move anywhere else. I have a big family, including four siblings, so growing up was always fun and there were always big vacations. Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia and Flint Creek in Wiggins, Mississippi were our favorite vacation spots. I attend church in Grand Bay, Alabama at More Life. I also enjoy camping, exercising, and scrap booking in my free time.
I graduated from Alma Bryant High School in 2009 with an advanced diploma. I was a cheerleader for my first three years and a member of the yearbook staff my senior year. The University of South Alabama was my first choice for college and I am now a first semester sophomore. I chose the University of South Alabama because it was convenient to home and was known for its excellence in education. After high school it took me a while to decide what I wanted to do for my career. I originally went to South in August of 2009 to become an x-ray technician but immediately wanted to change plans after I passed out while observing at a hospital for part of my application to get into the Radiology program. I then took two years off to gather thoughts and decide what I would really love to do. My family would always ask me "What do you love more than anything?" I would tell them that I love children and I love to help children learn new things. That's how I decided to go back to school at South for Elementary Education. The original grade that I wanted to teach was first grade, but I have talked to some girls that graduated recently and they leaned me towards third or fourth grade. In this day and time though, I will probably have to settle for whatever is available.
My Future Classroom
I have thought about my future classroom often and how I would like it to be. I want my students to have a fun learning experience so they enjoy school and learning. I want to teach my kids with a lot of hands on activities. I am a hands on person and to me, it always makes things a little more interesting than just watching a teacher show examples on a chalk board. I want to challenge my students everyday to strive for excellence in everything they do.
When teaching children I realize not everyone will move at the same pace. I understand that it will be my responsibility to complete goals weekly but also give extra attention to the child that may be struggling with certain assignments. I will strive to make sure every students understands my concepts before moving on to something else. I want to interact with students in a way that makes them feel comfortable with me and asking questions. I also want excitement and participation in my classroom so I can make a positive influence on my students about techniques to learning.
There are many tools that can be involved in the learning process. Posters and charts that can be hung on the walls of my classroom can help students refer back to something we have previously learned. Calenders can help students memorize the days of the week and the months of the year in the correct order. Workbooks for the students will allow them to have take home assignments and practice with their parents. I plan to send daily logs home everyday for the parents to be able to keep up with their child's progress and what they need a little extra help on. Having stations in a classroom is an excellent tool to use for the elementary level classes in my opinion. Stations allow students to be organized and have a schedule to follow. Labels also help students stay organized and remember that everything has a place.
When I become a teacher, I want my classroom to be colorful and bright. I want it to always stay organized and have rules for the students to memorize and follow. Having a set time schedule in my classroom will help students in many ways, such as time management and telling time. I will display the students work on my classroom walls so when we have parents visit, they will be excited to show their parents what they have learned. I want my students to be involved with helping me decorate and label my classroom so they will feel they had an input on their classroom. It is important to involve the students because it is their classroom as much as it is mine.
Randy Pausch "Time Management"
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
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