What? This week we did not have class but Erica, Kiyna and I finished working on our Digital Story. We were able to work out problems and fix things that we had been wondering how we were going to work it out.
So What? Now that my teammates and I have finished our Digital Story I've realized more how a Digital Story could apply to education and other classes that I am in right now. I would like use Digital Stories when I need to present a boring topic in class. I could insert a short Digital Story to switch it up so the presentation isn't so boring.
I also learned a lot about teamwork. Kiyna, Erica and I had a lot of different ideas about how we wanted the Digital Story to turn out. Even though we all agreed on the general idea, we disagreed on a lot of small details. Although we disagreed we were able to work out our differences and come up with compromises that we all agreed on. It helped to make our Digital Story better than it would have been if we had done it separately.
Now What? Digital Stories will really be helpful when I am teacher. I could use Digital Stories to teach almost any topic. I could also use a Digital Story if I was asked to present something to my fellow teachers or to parents. It would be fun to make a Digital Story about my students for the parents. I could insert pictures of each student and some of their artwork or school work and have the students talk about themselves and the school year while it's showing their picture. This would be a fun way to show the parents at midterm or at the end of the school year what their children have been learning in class.
I really enjoyed this assignment, I thought it was the most fun assignment we've done this semester. I really enjoyed learning how to use Windows Movie Maker and Photo Story and how it can be used to edit pictures and songs to make it match up the way you want it to. I will use both in my classroom to create videos that can inserted into boring presentations to help motivate students to want to learn about the topic I am introducing in class. I really think the students would enjoy them if they aren't too long and if they are not overused. It would be a different way for them to learn so they would be more likely to remember the information.
Video: I think it's good to use young people as much as possible to try to motivate kids to want an education. Kids don't want to listen to adults but they look up to teenagers and other people they think are "cool". Part of a teachers job is to motivate children to want to learn. A teacher needs to know how to get children to realize that getting an education is a privilege and not simply a right. People have worked very hard over the years in America to give children an equal right to be educated and most kids now days take that for granted.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Digital Story
What? In class we learned how to create digital stories using Photo Story. We learned how to create music for the story or insert a song from somewhere else. We also learned how to edit the pictures we insert.
So What? I thought it was really fun learning how to make Digital Stories. I think this project will be really fun and helpful to me. I think it would be fun to create Digital Stories when doing a presentation instead of just going through a Power Point. With the Digital Story I can create it how I want it and only share photos and images that I want to share. If I just show a YouTube video, I could spend a long time looking for videos that match up to what I would like to share and still not find a video exactly the way I want it. If I create my own Digital Story, I can make it exactly how I want it.
I think it would be very helpful to use during Field Experience. It would be an interesting and different way to change up how I am teaching the students and get them excited about a topic. For example, if I was going to teach the Civil War, I could create a Digital Story with pictures and interesting facts and stories from the war and that time period. This would help get the kids interested emotionally and take interest in the Civil War before I even start teaching about it. I could also use it after I've taught them the unit just as an overview and refresher on all that they have learned.
Now What? I could use Digital Stories when I am a teacher in a lot of the same ways as I would use them in field. I could create a Digital Story about a topic I will be teaching as a way to get them interested in what they will be learning. I could get the students thinking about the topic and thinking about higher level thinking questions rather than just about the facts. I could have them write a journal entry about their feelings and questions and their responses to questions that were asked in the Digital Story.
Digital Stories are a good way to make a topic that may seem boring to a child become interesting and more real. Using pictures and music together is a powerful way to invoke emotions in the viewer and help them to make real world connections to the information instead of just reading random facts from a text book. By using lots of pictures in the Digital Stories I create students will be able to easier visual things that they might not have had experience with. For example, if I was teaching about the Civil War, showing pictures would help them visualize that time period, the way people dressed, weapons and uniforms, what homes looked like, etc. If children haven't had any experience with those things, it's hard for them to visualize another place or time.
Video: I thought the NASA digital story was interesting to me, but I think students would find it kind of boring and I don't think they would pay attention. I think it would be better than just lecturing to them because they have the visual images to go with what they are hearing, but I don't think they would find the information interesting because of the way it was presented. I think by using more interesting music and a better narration would make students more interested in learning about outer space.
So What? I thought it was really fun learning how to make Digital Stories. I think this project will be really fun and helpful to me. I think it would be fun to create Digital Stories when doing a presentation instead of just going through a Power Point. With the Digital Story I can create it how I want it and only share photos and images that I want to share. If I just show a YouTube video, I could spend a long time looking for videos that match up to what I would like to share and still not find a video exactly the way I want it. If I create my own Digital Story, I can make it exactly how I want it.
I think it would be very helpful to use during Field Experience. It would be an interesting and different way to change up how I am teaching the students and get them excited about a topic. For example, if I was going to teach the Civil War, I could create a Digital Story with pictures and interesting facts and stories from the war and that time period. This would help get the kids interested emotionally and take interest in the Civil War before I even start teaching about it. I could also use it after I've taught them the unit just as an overview and refresher on all that they have learned.
Now What? I could use Digital Stories when I am a teacher in a lot of the same ways as I would use them in field. I could create a Digital Story about a topic I will be teaching as a way to get them interested in what they will be learning. I could get the students thinking about the topic and thinking about higher level thinking questions rather than just about the facts. I could have them write a journal entry about their feelings and questions and their responses to questions that were asked in the Digital Story.
Digital Stories are a good way to make a topic that may seem boring to a child become interesting and more real. Using pictures and music together is a powerful way to invoke emotions in the viewer and help them to make real world connections to the information instead of just reading random facts from a text book. By using lots of pictures in the Digital Stories I create students will be able to easier visual things that they might not have had experience with. For example, if I was teaching about the Civil War, showing pictures would help them visualize that time period, the way people dressed, weapons and uniforms, what homes looked like, etc. If children haven't had any experience with those things, it's hard for them to visualize another place or time.
Video: I thought the NASA digital story was interesting to me, but I think students would find it kind of boring and I don't think they would pay attention. I think it would be better than just lecturing to them because they have the visual images to go with what they are hearing, but I don't think they would find the information interesting because of the way it was presented. I think by using more interesting music and a better narration would make students more interested in learning about outer space.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Field Experience-Week 3
What? This week was our last week of field working with the 6th graders. Erica and I were able to teach more lessons on Ancient Greece and help the students more with math and other subjects.
So What? For one lesson this week we taught the students about Aesop's Fables and then divided them into groups and had them act out a fable. We took them outside to do this and they got a little bit wild some of the time but for the most part they all did really well and their skits turned out very cute. They all seemed to enjoy it and the groups worked together well. For another lesson we had taught the kids about myths and then had them work in groups to create their own myth. This was the day that our supervisor came and observed. The class had a substitute that day and they were really crazy for the substitute but then when we taught they were super good for us. Our supervisor told us we did really well considering the substitute.
I learned that you can set expectations for the students and change their behavior, regardless of how they are behaving for others. I think it was very helpful to have a partner while teaching because while I was talking, Erica would help keep the class under control and while she was talking, I could help keep the class under control. It's a really good way to learn to work well with my fellow students and to learn to take advise from them. What I might think is the best way does not always work the best, and I've learned, working with Erica, that it's important to listen to the advise of others as well.
Now What? Learning to work with others will be really helpful as a teacher because I will be able to work with and take advise from other teachers and from the principal instead of just assuming my way is the best. Some things that I don't think will work actually turn out better than I expected. Others have ideas that I wouldn't have thought of considered doing on my own so working with a partner and with the cooperating teacher has really helped me to listen to the opinions of others.
Working with 6th graders was very helpful to me. I have only worked with younger students and working with older kids is very different. This experience will help me in the future to decide whether I want to work with younger kids still or if I want to try working with older students some more. It has helped me to see that it is fun working with older students and that I am capable of doing it, but I still think I would do better working with the younger grades. This field experience has helped me to actually start considering more what age group I really want to work with in the future.
Video: I think that it is really good that they are teaching teachers how to integrate technology effectively into the classroom. Kids need to be exposed to new technologies because many of them will go into careers working with technology and if they don't have the basics down it will be harder for them to learn the new stuff. I think it would be good if they start teaching future teachers how to use the new technologies as well. This way, they will be prepared and need less training when they actually get into the classroom to teach.
So What? For one lesson this week we taught the students about Aesop's Fables and then divided them into groups and had them act out a fable. We took them outside to do this and they got a little bit wild some of the time but for the most part they all did really well and their skits turned out very cute. They all seemed to enjoy it and the groups worked together well. For another lesson we had taught the kids about myths and then had them work in groups to create their own myth. This was the day that our supervisor came and observed. The class had a substitute that day and they were really crazy for the substitute but then when we taught they were super good for us. Our supervisor told us we did really well considering the substitute.
I learned that you can set expectations for the students and change their behavior, regardless of how they are behaving for others. I think it was very helpful to have a partner while teaching because while I was talking, Erica would help keep the class under control and while she was talking, I could help keep the class under control. It's a really good way to learn to work well with my fellow students and to learn to take advise from them. What I might think is the best way does not always work the best, and I've learned, working with Erica, that it's important to listen to the advise of others as well.
Now What? Learning to work with others will be really helpful as a teacher because I will be able to work with and take advise from other teachers and from the principal instead of just assuming my way is the best. Some things that I don't think will work actually turn out better than I expected. Others have ideas that I wouldn't have thought of considered doing on my own so working with a partner and with the cooperating teacher has really helped me to listen to the opinions of others.
Working with 6th graders was very helpful to me. I have only worked with younger students and working with older kids is very different. This experience will help me in the future to decide whether I want to work with younger kids still or if I want to try working with older students some more. It has helped me to see that it is fun working with older students and that I am capable of doing it, but I still think I would do better working with the younger grades. This field experience has helped me to actually start considering more what age group I really want to work with in the future.
Video: I think that it is really good that they are teaching teachers how to integrate technology effectively into the classroom. Kids need to be exposed to new technologies because many of them will go into careers working with technology and if they don't have the basics down it will be harder for them to learn the new stuff. I think it would be good if they start teaching future teachers how to use the new technologies as well. This way, they will be prepared and need less training when they actually get into the classroom to teach.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Field Experience-Week 2
What? This week was the second week of field experience. We had the opportunity to teach and help out more and also to teach 2 social studies lessons.
So What? For the first social studies lesson we taught we created a power point but we weren't able to hook up the computer at the school so were weren't able to use it. Erica and I have learned a lot about accommodating when things don't work out exactly the way we planned. The second time we taught created the power point in Google Presentations so we were able to use the teachers computer to do the power point. Google Presentations is very helpful because so long as you have the internet you have access to your presentation.
I have actually enjoyed working with and teaching the 6th graders more than I thought I would. I was so scared to teach them because I want to teach 2nd or 3rd grade. I never thought I would do well working with the older kids but I have actually enjoyed it. This field experience has helped me to realize that I can do things that I originally thought I could not do. It is good to be able to try new things and gain different experiences and a new perspective on my abilities.
Now What? I learned a lot from having to adjust the lessons unexpectedly. For the first lesson we couldn't use our power point and during the second lesson the direct instruction part went way more quickly then we had thought it would. The kids already knew everything that we were teaching them. We knew they had some background in it, but we didn't think they would know it all, so it went really quickly. We had to learn how to adjust and extend our lesson to take up the entire time. Learning how to adjust and adapt will be really helpful when I am a teacher. Things don't always go as planned and this field experience is helping me to realize that you actually can adapt and still have things go well.
I have learned a lot from watching my cooperating teacher teach the students. There are a lot of things that I would do similar to what she does and other things that I would do completely different. It is fun to get ideas from her and see different approaches to teaching so I can find out better what way I would like to teach and to see first hand how these things apply in the real classroom and how students respond to these teaching methods. I know that in my future classroom I will teach math different than she does. The kids do not seem to understand the math very well at all. There are a lot of things I would try differently.
Video: I thought it was really interesting that they are using the Wii in classrooms to do physical training and to help the brain. I know that exercise has been shown to help kids think better and do better in school and I think using the Wii is a really good idea because it's fun for the kids and it's something they would want to do and it would be beneficial to them at the same time. I like that the kids are able to check out a laptop from their school if they don't have a computer to use at home. That is really beneficial because not all kids have access to a decent computer at home. This way they can still do assignments and homework at home that requires access to the computer.
So What? For the first social studies lesson we taught we created a power point but we weren't able to hook up the computer at the school so were weren't able to use it. Erica and I have learned a lot about accommodating when things don't work out exactly the way we planned. The second time we taught created the power point in Google Presentations so we were able to use the teachers computer to do the power point. Google Presentations is very helpful because so long as you have the internet you have access to your presentation.
I have actually enjoyed working with and teaching the 6th graders more than I thought I would. I was so scared to teach them because I want to teach 2nd or 3rd grade. I never thought I would do well working with the older kids but I have actually enjoyed it. This field experience has helped me to realize that I can do things that I originally thought I could not do. It is good to be able to try new things and gain different experiences and a new perspective on my abilities.
Now What? I learned a lot from having to adjust the lessons unexpectedly. For the first lesson we couldn't use our power point and during the second lesson the direct instruction part went way more quickly then we had thought it would. The kids already knew everything that we were teaching them. We knew they had some background in it, but we didn't think they would know it all, so it went really quickly. We had to learn how to adjust and extend our lesson to take up the entire time. Learning how to adjust and adapt will be really helpful when I am a teacher. Things don't always go as planned and this field experience is helping me to realize that you actually can adapt and still have things go well.
I have learned a lot from watching my cooperating teacher teach the students. There are a lot of things that I would do similar to what she does and other things that I would do completely different. It is fun to get ideas from her and see different approaches to teaching so I can find out better what way I would like to teach and to see first hand how these things apply in the real classroom and how students respond to these teaching methods. I know that in my future classroom I will teach math different than she does. The kids do not seem to understand the math very well at all. There are a lot of things I would try differently.
Video: I thought it was really interesting that they are using the Wii in classrooms to do physical training and to help the brain. I know that exercise has been shown to help kids think better and do better in school and I think using the Wii is a really good idea because it's fun for the kids and it's something they would want to do and it would be beneficial to them at the same time. I like that the kids are able to check out a laptop from their school if they don't have a computer to use at home. That is really beneficial because not all kids have access to a decent computer at home. This way they can still do assignments and homework at home that requires access to the computer.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Field Experience-Week 1
What? This week we started our 3 week field experience. Erica and I are in a 6th grade class at Edgemont Elementary in Provo.
So What? We haven't had the opportunity to teach yet, but we've observed a lot and we've been helping the kids out, especially with math. I've realized I've forgotten all the 6th grade math I know and I've been relearning it as I help the students with their questions. This has been helpful to me because I realize that just because I've learned something in school, doesn't mean I will remember it when it comes time to actually teach it.
The teacher does not use a lot of technology in her lessons. She has played a couple of videos, but other than that she mostly uses the white board when she teaches. The classroom does have a few computers for students to use to type up papers. And they have computers twice a week.
Now What? I think that having computers in the classroom would be very helpful to me as a teacher because I could have my students use the computers to look things up on the internet or to type up assignments. The teacher says that she also uses them as a reward for if students finish work early sometimes. I think if I have computers in my future classroom, I would use them as a reward also.
I think that observing the teacher and helping the students with their questions will be really helpful to me as a future teacher. I've learned so much about how the classroom works and what things work for the students and what doesn't. A lot of the kids in the class really don't understand the math. It is helpful to see what the teacher does to try to help them understand. When I have my own classroom, I will have to use different techniques to help my students understand topics when the way I thought would work, doesn't work. I could teach a whole lesson and they might not get it and I'll have to find a new way to teach it.
So What? We haven't had the opportunity to teach yet, but we've observed a lot and we've been helping the kids out, especially with math. I've realized I've forgotten all the 6th grade math I know and I've been relearning it as I help the students with their questions. This has been helpful to me because I realize that just because I've learned something in school, doesn't mean I will remember it when it comes time to actually teach it.
The teacher does not use a lot of technology in her lessons. She has played a couple of videos, but other than that she mostly uses the white board when she teaches. The classroom does have a few computers for students to use to type up papers. And they have computers twice a week.
Now What? I think that having computers in the classroom would be very helpful to me as a teacher because I could have my students use the computers to look things up on the internet or to type up assignments. The teacher says that she also uses them as a reward for if students finish work early sometimes. I think if I have computers in my future classroom, I would use them as a reward also.
I think that observing the teacher and helping the students with their questions will be really helpful to me as a future teacher. I've learned so much about how the classroom works and what things work for the students and what doesn't. A lot of the kids in the class really don't understand the math. It is helpful to see what the teacher does to try to help them understand. When I have my own classroom, I will have to use different techniques to help my students understand topics when the way I thought would work, doesn't work. I could teach a whole lesson and they might not get it and I'll have to find a new way to teach it.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Podcasts, Vidcasts, and Digital Story 1
What? Today in class we learned about how to make podcasts and vidcasts and how they can be used in the classroom. We also started learning about digital stories and the different ways we can create them.
So What? I think knowing how to create podcasts and vidcasts is a very good thing to know how to do. When I am creating assignments for other classes, they would be helpful to add into a powerpoint if I was doing a presentation about something. It would help the presentation no be so boring for those listening. They could actually hear and see something other than just the words on the powerpoint. The vidcast would be an easy way to show a step by step process that I might not be able to show in the classroom (for example, something that is done outdoors).
Digital stories are also a good thing to do how to create for a lot of the same reasons as the podcasts and vidcasts. I could use them in a powerpoint to give a presentation in one of my classes to add variety. Having classmates to work on the project with is very helpful because if I get stuck and don't know how to do something they might know the answer or I might know the answer to a question they have. This makes it so we don't have to ask the teacher for help as often.
Now What? I think I will use digital stories in my classroom when I'm a teacher to engage my students in the topic we are covering and get them interested and wanting to know more about it. If we are going to be talking about ancient Greece I could create a digital story using pictures and music that would interest the students. I could show pictures of modern architecture from local buildings that they would recognize and compare it to ancient architecture so they could see how much influence ancient Greece still has on their lives today. I could use a vidcast in the classroom to show the students how to do a process. I could post podcasts of class lectures on the classroom google site so that students who were absent that day could listen to it so they wouldn't get behind in class.
Video I thought the NASA digital story was interesting to me, but I think students would find it kind of boring and I don't think they would pay attention. I think it would be better than just lecturing to them because they have the visual images to go with what they are hearing, but I don't think they would find the information interesting because of the way it was presented. I think by using more interesting music and a better narration would make students more interested in learning about outer space.
So What? I think knowing how to create podcasts and vidcasts is a very good thing to know how to do. When I am creating assignments for other classes, they would be helpful to add into a powerpoint if I was doing a presentation about something. It would help the presentation no be so boring for those listening. They could actually hear and see something other than just the words on the powerpoint. The vidcast would be an easy way to show a step by step process that I might not be able to show in the classroom (for example, something that is done outdoors).
Digital stories are also a good thing to do how to create for a lot of the same reasons as the podcasts and vidcasts. I could use them in a powerpoint to give a presentation in one of my classes to add variety. Having classmates to work on the project with is very helpful because if I get stuck and don't know how to do something they might know the answer or I might know the answer to a question they have. This makes it so we don't have to ask the teacher for help as often.
Now What? I think I will use digital stories in my classroom when I'm a teacher to engage my students in the topic we are covering and get them interested and wanting to know more about it. If we are going to be talking about ancient Greece I could create a digital story using pictures and music that would interest the students. I could show pictures of modern architecture from local buildings that they would recognize and compare it to ancient architecture so they could see how much influence ancient Greece still has on their lives today. I could use a vidcast in the classroom to show the students how to do a process. I could post podcasts of class lectures on the classroom google site so that students who were absent that day could listen to it so they wouldn't get behind in class.
Video I thought the NASA digital story was interesting to me, but I think students would find it kind of boring and I don't think they would pay attention. I think it would be better than just lecturing to them because they have the visual images to go with what they are hearing, but I don't think they would find the information interesting because of the way it was presented. I think by using more interesting music and a better narration would make students more interested in learning about outer space.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Podcasts and Vidcasts
What? Today we didn't have class so we didn't end up talking about Podcasts and Vidcasts. So, Erica, Chelsey, and I did some research on the brain for a project we have to do for another class.
So What? Technology and the internet are such a helpful thing in education today. We were able to quickly find information on how drugs effect the brain. We didn't have to spend hours reading through books and encyclopedias in the library to do our research. With technology and Google we are able to get the most current information simply by typing in a few key words.
This is very helpful as a student because it saves so much time on projects that could really be time consuming without technology. When I find information quickly I can actually spend more time and learn more about the topic instead of just getting the basics. I can learn more information and it is also more interesting online than the information is in encyclopedias. We found a website where you can interact with cartoon mice that are on different types of drugs. You click on the mouse and it drops it into a machine where you can look at it's brain and see what exactly the drug is doing inside his brain. I found the learning this way is so much more interesting than just reading the information.
Now What? I think my future students will also find learning with technology more interesting than if I simply had them read from a text book or an encyclopedia. As I was researching I started to realize more and more how I like to learn and to be taught and that my students will be much they same way. Fun, interactive websites that allow the students to have some type of control over what they are learning (such as the mice website Chelsey found and WebQuest's) will help my students become interested in what were learning.
Technology will also help me as a teacher because if a student asks me a question that I don't know the answer to I can quickly find it online, or I can encourage the student to look up the answer as well. As a teacher, using technology will be very helpful to quickly look up facts for lesson plans. I realize that not all information online is accurate, but there are different ways to find out how accurate and reliable a website is. Knowing these things will save me so much time as a teacher to not give out information to my students that is not correct or current.
Video: I think letting students blog about their learning is a good thing because it gives them a chance to reflect on what they are learning and it will stay with them longer and they will learn more. It also gives the teacher a way to gauge what the students are understand and what they are not quite getting. It gives students a chance to voice their opinions about the topic. Some students won't raise their how and say what they are thinking but blogging gives them the opportunity to do so. I think it would be a good idea to have a section in the blog where students can ask the teacher questions about something they might not understand from class or things they may need to talk to the teacher about. That way the teacher knows what each student is confused with and can work with them individually on that thing instead of trying to guess what they need help with.
So What? Technology and the internet are such a helpful thing in education today. We were able to quickly find information on how drugs effect the brain. We didn't have to spend hours reading through books and encyclopedias in the library to do our research. With technology and Google we are able to get the most current information simply by typing in a few key words.
This is very helpful as a student because it saves so much time on projects that could really be time consuming without technology. When I find information quickly I can actually spend more time and learn more about the topic instead of just getting the basics. I can learn more information and it is also more interesting online than the information is in encyclopedias. We found a website where you can interact with cartoon mice that are on different types of drugs. You click on the mouse and it drops it into a machine where you can look at it's brain and see what exactly the drug is doing inside his brain. I found the learning this way is so much more interesting than just reading the information.
Now What? I think my future students will also find learning with technology more interesting than if I simply had them read from a text book or an encyclopedia. As I was researching I started to realize more and more how I like to learn and to be taught and that my students will be much they same way. Fun, interactive websites that allow the students to have some type of control over what they are learning (such as the mice website Chelsey found and WebQuest's) will help my students become interested in what were learning.
Technology will also help me as a teacher because if a student asks me a question that I don't know the answer to I can quickly find it online, or I can encourage the student to look up the answer as well. As a teacher, using technology will be very helpful to quickly look up facts for lesson plans. I realize that not all information online is accurate, but there are different ways to find out how accurate and reliable a website is. Knowing these things will save me so much time as a teacher to not give out information to my students that is not correct or current.
Video: I think letting students blog about their learning is a good thing because it gives them a chance to reflect on what they are learning and it will stay with them longer and they will learn more. It also gives the teacher a way to gauge what the students are understand and what they are not quite getting. It gives students a chance to voice their opinions about the topic. Some students won't raise their how and say what they are thinking but blogging gives them the opportunity to do so. I think it would be a good idea to have a section in the blog where students can ask the teacher questions about something they might not understand from class or things they may need to talk to the teacher about. That way the teacher knows what each student is confused with and can work with them individually on that thing instead of trying to guess what they need help with.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
WebQuest Part 4
What? In class we worked more on our WebQuest's. We also learned about how we can use creativecommons.org to give permission for others to use or not use the work we create and put on the internet.
So What? I think the Creative Commons is a really good thing to know about because it protects us and those using our materials to not get sued. It lets people know whether or not they can use or change the information you put out on the internet. We can use Creative Commons licenses on all of the things we are creating right now while we still taking classes and learning about the new technologies and ways to teach using online resources.
While working on the WebQuest in class, it really started to come together more and it's really starting to turn into something that could actually be used in a classroom. I've learned a lot more about power point as I've watched and helped my teammates put together our presentation. I have not done much with power point presentations before. This is really helpful because I can use it in many other classes and not just this technology class. I can use it to create presentations for other classes or for when I'm doing field experience in March.
Now What? Using Creative Commons licenses in the future will be really helpful because I will probably create a lot of different things for students online throughout the years I'm teaching. I will also pull a lot of different activities from the internet that others have created and use them. If they have a Creative Commons license I will easily be able to tell if I'm allowed to use those activities and whether or not I can change them.
Knowing how to power point in my future classroom will be really helpful because I can create many different class presentations and games on power point to help engage my students visually. I can place links into the power point so I can show video and music clips in class and I can also use hyperlinks to create interactive games and activities for my students to participate in. I can also use power point to make WebQuest's and other interactive activities and assignments for my students to use and work on at home.
Video: I think the Schoolhouse Rock videos are a very good way to help kids understand and remember parts of speech. I think it's fun to use variety in teaching and I will use Schoolhouse Rock to help emphasize nouns, verbs, etc. Using a song and a video is a creative way to help students remember concepts learned in class because it's showing them in a different way then if you just read the definition or have the circle the nouns in a paragraph. When they have trouble remembering something the songs might help them to remember differences, for example the difference between a noun and a pronoun.
So What? I think the Creative Commons is a really good thing to know about because it protects us and those using our materials to not get sued. It lets people know whether or not they can use or change the information you put out on the internet. We can use Creative Commons licenses on all of the things we are creating right now while we still taking classes and learning about the new technologies and ways to teach using online resources.
While working on the WebQuest in class, it really started to come together more and it's really starting to turn into something that could actually be used in a classroom. I've learned a lot more about power point as I've watched and helped my teammates put together our presentation. I have not done much with power point presentations before. This is really helpful because I can use it in many other classes and not just this technology class. I can use it to create presentations for other classes or for when I'm doing field experience in March.
Now What? Using Creative Commons licenses in the future will be really helpful because I will probably create a lot of different things for students online throughout the years I'm teaching. I will also pull a lot of different activities from the internet that others have created and use them. If they have a Creative Commons license I will easily be able to tell if I'm allowed to use those activities and whether or not I can change them.
Knowing how to power point in my future classroom will be really helpful because I can create many different class presentations and games on power point to help engage my students visually. I can place links into the power point so I can show video and music clips in class and I can also use hyperlinks to create interactive games and activities for my students to participate in. I can also use power point to make WebQuest's and other interactive activities and assignments for my students to use and work on at home.
Video: I think the Schoolhouse Rock videos are a very good way to help kids understand and remember parts of speech. I think it's fun to use variety in teaching and I will use Schoolhouse Rock to help emphasize nouns, verbs, etc. Using a song and a video is a creative way to help students remember concepts learned in class because it's showing them in a different way then if you just read the definition or have the circle the nouns in a paragraph. When they have trouble remembering something the songs might help them to remember differences, for example the difference between a noun and a pronoun.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
WebQuest Part 3
What? We didn't have class on Friday but Kiyna, Erica and I met in the computer lab anyway to work on our WebQuest. We decided from the websites we'd found the week before which ones we would include in the WebQuest and in what order.
So What? I think the information we found on Friday could definitely apply when we do our field work in March. If the teacher has a teach anything about World War 2 to the students, we will be able to use information from the websites we found and hopefully even have the students do our whole WebQuest. I think they will have fun learning the information in a new way.
Even if we don't teach this exact topic during field, we will know how to develop WebQuest's if we choose to do something similar when we teach. We could adjust the information to it applies to what the teacher wants us to teach. I think that it also gives us a better idea of different activities and websites we could go to to find information and activities that will interest the students and not just give them worksheets to do.
Now What? While we were researching information about World War 2, we found some really interesting websites that I think students would find really interesting. I found an interactive house from that time period. The student can click on a room in the house and then different objects in the room and it tells about them. For example, there are heavy curtains called black out curtains in the rooms so that they can shield out all the light during night air raids so the enemy couldn't see light coming from their houses and find the target. I think it is an interesting way to get students interested and involved in learning about the topic. Once they are interested, it will be easier to get them to learn from the lesson and not be bored.
I could use a lot of the websites that we found on Friday in my future classroom to get students interested and engaged in the learning process. Most students now days are used to using technology, computers, and the internet on a daily basis and I could use internet websites to help get the students interested in school and the topics we are covering in class. I think reading some of the information online would be more interesting to them than just reading it all from a textbook.
Video: I liked the video and I thought it was very interesting. I think it's important that we remember that we are not preparing our students the same way that teachers have done in the past. We are trying to prepare them for today's world of advanced technology. We need to remember during all of our lessons as teachers what are goal is and what we want are students to be prepared for when they leave the classroom.
So What? I think the information we found on Friday could definitely apply when we do our field work in March. If the teacher has a teach anything about World War 2 to the students, we will be able to use information from the websites we found and hopefully even have the students do our whole WebQuest. I think they will have fun learning the information in a new way.
Even if we don't teach this exact topic during field, we will know how to develop WebQuest's if we choose to do something similar when we teach. We could adjust the information to it applies to what the teacher wants us to teach. I think that it also gives us a better idea of different activities and websites we could go to to find information and activities that will interest the students and not just give them worksheets to do.
Now What? While we were researching information about World War 2, we found some really interesting websites that I think students would find really interesting. I found an interactive house from that time period. The student can click on a room in the house and then different objects in the room and it tells about them. For example, there are heavy curtains called black out curtains in the rooms so that they can shield out all the light during night air raids so the enemy couldn't see light coming from their houses and find the target. I think it is an interesting way to get students interested and involved in learning about the topic. Once they are interested, it will be easier to get them to learn from the lesson and not be bored.
I could use a lot of the websites that we found on Friday in my future classroom to get students interested and engaged in the learning process. Most students now days are used to using technology, computers, and the internet on a daily basis and I could use internet websites to help get the students interested in school and the topics we are covering in class. I think reading some of the information online would be more interesting to them than just reading it all from a textbook.
Video: I liked the video and I thought it was very interesting. I think it's important that we remember that we are not preparing our students the same way that teachers have done in the past. We are trying to prepare them for today's world of advanced technology. We need to remember during all of our lessons as teachers what are goal is and what we want are students to be prepared for when they leave the classroom.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
WebQuest Part 2
What? Friday in class we started working on our WebQuest. Kiyna started putting together the Power Point while Erica and I researched information on World War 2 and found interesting things we could include in the WebQuest.
So What? I think that working in groups is a good way to help us learn how to work together to create something that can be used for teaching. When I work with my group it helps me get more ideas than just my own. If I get stuck usually someone in my group has an idea to keep us going or if I have an idea, they can help me build on that idea to make it better and/or more realistic. I like being able to bounce ideas off the people in my group instead of just trying to think up and figure out everything on my own.
Making the Webquest has went a lot quicker with the group than it would on my own because with two people looking up information, and one person putting it all together, it goes a lot faster than if I had to look up all the information and then try to fit it all into the WebQuest. Erica found websites that I wouldn't have found and Kiyna knows how to do power point better than I do so she was able to figure out color schemes and putting the links in more quickly than I would have been able to.
Now What? Working with my group will help me as a teacher because I will be better able to work with other teachers to come up with things to help the kids learn. I will be more willing to listen to the advice of others and go out of my comfort zone to try that advice to see what works best for my students. I think webquests are a good thing to learn to work together on because other teachers will know of good websites and activities to include in the webquest so I won't have to spend so much time searching the internet for appropriate sites. Also, I will be able to help the other teachers save time with the websites I already know about.
I think my future students will really enjoy doing webquest's as something different from their regular assignments. It will also be more fun for them than just searching for the information on Google. It will be safer than Google because I've already researched the websites and made sure they are appropriate for kids and contain accurate and reliable information.
Video: I think it's interesting how much technology is starting to have an influence in the classroom. Most teachers wouldn't think websites like Facebook and Twitter would have place in the classroom and they would punish students for using those websites in the classroom. I think it's important to work with kids what they are already interested in instead of working against that. On the other hand, I also think that technology can be overused in the classroom. Students need to be able to work with their hands and create things and not just type things up all the time. Studies show that if you hand write something down, it's more likely to stay in your long term memory. I think there is a balance, that technology definitely should be available and used in the classroom, but hands on assignments should also be encouraged.
So What? I think that working in groups is a good way to help us learn how to work together to create something that can be used for teaching. When I work with my group it helps me get more ideas than just my own. If I get stuck usually someone in my group has an idea to keep us going or if I have an idea, they can help me build on that idea to make it better and/or more realistic. I like being able to bounce ideas off the people in my group instead of just trying to think up and figure out everything on my own.
Making the Webquest has went a lot quicker with the group than it would on my own because with two people looking up information, and one person putting it all together, it goes a lot faster than if I had to look up all the information and then try to fit it all into the WebQuest. Erica found websites that I wouldn't have found and Kiyna knows how to do power point better than I do so she was able to figure out color schemes and putting the links in more quickly than I would have been able to.
Now What? Working with my group will help me as a teacher because I will be better able to work with other teachers to come up with things to help the kids learn. I will be more willing to listen to the advice of others and go out of my comfort zone to try that advice to see what works best for my students. I think webquests are a good thing to learn to work together on because other teachers will know of good websites and activities to include in the webquest so I won't have to spend so much time searching the internet for appropriate sites. Also, I will be able to help the other teachers save time with the websites I already know about.
I think my future students will really enjoy doing webquest's as something different from their regular assignments. It will also be more fun for them than just searching for the information on Google. It will be safer than Google because I've already researched the websites and made sure they are appropriate for kids and contain accurate and reliable information.
Video: I think it's interesting how much technology is starting to have an influence in the classroom. Most teachers wouldn't think websites like Facebook and Twitter would have place in the classroom and they would punish students for using those websites in the classroom. I think it's important to work with kids what they are already interested in instead of working against that. On the other hand, I also think that technology can be overused in the classroom. Students need to be able to work with their hands and create things and not just type things up all the time. Studies show that if you hand write something down, it's more likely to stay in your long term memory. I think there is a balance, that technology definitely should be available and used in the classroom, but hands on assignments should also be encouraged.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
WebQuest Part 1
What? In class we learned about making WebQuest's. We watched videos and looked at examples. We divided into groups and began working on our WebQuest's.
So What? I think WebQuest's are a good thing to learn how to make and use. They are a good way to get students learning in a different way that is more fun than just reading a text book. My classmates and I could use
WebQuest's when we do our field work in March to help teach Social Studies in a way that would interest 4-6th graders.
Knowing how to find WebQuest's could also be very helpful. If I didn't want to make my own or wanted to get some good ideas for making one I could find a variety of WebQuest's online at all different grade levels to help me get ideas. I like that the WebQuest's are interactive and gets thinking and using more thought and not just reading the information. I could use my classmates to get ideas of activities and questions I could ask on the Webquest's so that my students are not just regurgitating information that they'll forget in 2 weeks. WebQuest's can help them remember the information longer because they learn it in a different way.
Now What? Using WebQuest's will give my students something fun and different to do so they will want to learn the information. I could design a WebQuest about any topic my students are learning about-history, current events, reading, etc. I could also create WebQuest's that they could work on with a partner or in groups. This way, they would learn to work together as a team to find out information.
Webquest's would also help limit where the students went on the internet to find their information and limit the chances of them coming across a website that might not be appropriate for them to see. With the Webquest I would have to check and make sure every website was appropriate. This way, the students would feel like they were finding things out from the internet on their own, but using guidelines to keep them safe while online.
I'm excited to get better at making WebQuest's because I feel that my students will really enjoy them if I make them fun and not too lengthy and difficult. I think they will feel like they are actually involved in the learning process and not just being told "read this", "remember that", "learn this and that". They will feel like they are actually finding some of the information on their own and have more control over their education.
Video: I think it's so interesting all of the things are they are coming up with in technology. There are so many new technologies coming out, it's hard to keep up. There would be so many possibilities as a teacher to have one of the interactive touch computers they had on the wall in the video. You could teach lessons, zooming in on maps, showing videos and pictures, etc. right from the screen, as if it were the white board. Or if students had one built into their desks they could easily have a more interactive classroom and learn from more than just the teacher.
So What? I think WebQuest's are a good thing to learn how to make and use. They are a good way to get students learning in a different way that is more fun than just reading a text book. My classmates and I could use
WebQuest's when we do our field work in March to help teach Social Studies in a way that would interest 4-6th graders.
Knowing how to find WebQuest's could also be very helpful. If I didn't want to make my own or wanted to get some good ideas for making one I could find a variety of WebQuest's online at all different grade levels to help me get ideas. I like that the WebQuest's are interactive and gets thinking and using more thought and not just reading the information. I could use my classmates to get ideas of activities and questions I could ask on the Webquest's so that my students are not just regurgitating information that they'll forget in 2 weeks. WebQuest's can help them remember the information longer because they learn it in a different way.
Now What? Using WebQuest's will give my students something fun and different to do so they will want to learn the information. I could design a WebQuest about any topic my students are learning about-history, current events, reading, etc. I could also create WebQuest's that they could work on with a partner or in groups. This way, they would learn to work together as a team to find out information.
Webquest's would also help limit where the students went on the internet to find their information and limit the chances of them coming across a website that might not be appropriate for them to see. With the Webquest I would have to check and make sure every website was appropriate. This way, the students would feel like they were finding things out from the internet on their own, but using guidelines to keep them safe while online.
I'm excited to get better at making WebQuest's because I feel that my students will really enjoy them if I make them fun and not too lengthy and difficult. I think they will feel like they are actually involved in the learning process and not just being told "read this", "remember that", "learn this and that". They will feel like they are actually finding some of the information on their own and have more control over their education.
Video: I think it's so interesting all of the things are they are coming up with in technology. There are so many new technologies coming out, it's hard to keep up. There would be so many possibilities as a teacher to have one of the interactive touch computers they had on the wall in the video. You could teach lessons, zooming in on maps, showing videos and pictures, etc. right from the screen, as if it were the white board. Or if students had one built into their desks they could easily have a more interactive classroom and learn from more than just the teacher.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
My Beliefs
I think that it is important to use technology in the classroom. It is a very useful tool and can open up so many more possibilities of ways to help students learn then by simply using traditional methods of text books, paper and pencil, etc. I think that we need to integrate technology into the classroom because our society is so focused on technology. If you can't use a computer, almost any job is going to be harder for you. The kids of today know about technology and we need to use what they know to teach them. I also think it's important to use other methods besides technology to teach. We can't focus so much on computers that we forget to use things that get the kids out of their seats and moving such as dance and art and drama. I think it's important to have kids work with there hands as much as possible and not assign things that will have them sitting at the computer all day.
Lessons Learned
As I was watching the videos and reading the articles I started to realize more and more how much of an influence technology has on our society and particularly how much kids use it. When I was young, we didn't have the technology that kids have today. I didn't have a cell phone or the internet. When I wrote a report I used an encyclopedia. Now days students have limitless access to information for reports and learning just by typing in a few words. They are coming out with so many new resources and technologies now days that it's important to keep up.
I thought that article about "Teens See Disconnect Between Personal and School Writing" was very interesting. It talked about how teens think of the writing they do for school and the writing they do for email, texting, etc. as being very different. In texting we use a lot of abbreviations and no one worries about punctuation or spelling. When we write emails we are probably a little more accurate. But when it comes to writing a paper, punctuation and spelling are suddenly important again. I personally think that the abbreviations and lack of punctuation is fine so long as the students actually do know how to write well for a paper.
I thought that article about "Teens See Disconnect Between Personal and School Writing" was very interesting. It talked about how teens think of the writing they do for school and the writing they do for email, texting, etc. as being very different. In texting we use a lot of abbreviations and no one worries about punctuation or spelling. When we write emails we are probably a little more accurate. But when it comes to writing a paper, punctuation and spelling are suddenly important again. I personally think that the abbreviations and lack of punctuation is fine so long as the students actually do know how to write well for a paper.
Strengths and Weaknesses
I noticed that I wasn't very strong in any of the areas according to the standards they set up. I never made it past the apprentice stage. Two of the things that I am a pre-novice on are video conferencing and spreadsheets. I realized I don't know hardly anything about either one. Some of my strengths were using the web for information, using audio/visual resources, using internet and email, and using a word processing application.
I would like to learn more about all of the tools that the uni surveys and net standards talked about. My goal is to pick one of the items that I was a pre-novice or novice at each month and research and learn more about it and attempt using it to create lesson plans, activities for my students, etc.
This website will help me to learn about video conferencing and how to use it: http://www.mvldesign.com/video_conference_tutorial.html
This is an online to tutorial to help me learn about spreadsheets: http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/excel/1.html
I would like to learn more about all of the tools that the uni surveys and net standards talked about. My goal is to pick one of the items that I was a pre-novice or novice at each month and research and learn more about it and attempt using it to create lesson plans, activities for my students, etc.
This website will help me to learn about video conferencing and how to use it: http://www.mvldesign.com/video_conference_tutorial.html
This is an online to tutorial to help me learn about spreadsheets: http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/excel/1.html
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Google Part 2
What? In class we learned about Google Sites and how we can create one for our classroom.
So What? I can use Google Sites as a student to start putting on information and building up tools and resources that I could use in my future classroom. If I find a good website, video, etc. that I might want to use in my classroom I can post in on the site so I can remember it and easily find it later when I need to use. Also, practicing with it now will help so I don't have to deal with the problems of learning how it works when I'm actually teaching. It will help save a lot of time.
Now What? I think Google Sites will be very helpful to me as a teacher. I can create a website where my students and their parents can go to quickly find out what is going on in class, what homework assignments are coming up and what school events are coming up. I think the feature where you can put your Google calender directly into the site is very helpful. If a student misses class the parent can look on the site and see what they missed and the assigned homework. Also, the site has all my contact information so they can email or call me with any questions they have.
I can also use Google sites to post announcements and post a letter updating the parents instead of sending out a letter to everyone's email or sending home a hard copy with the students. Kids tend to lose papers easily and if I use the site then it won't matter that they lose it because the parents can refer to my site for any important information.
Video: I think that is was interesting that he said "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Kids are born unafraid to make mistakes. As they grow older they learn to be cautious and they don't take as many chances. I think this guy made a lot of really good points about creativity and children. I think that it's important not get caught up in teaching all the required curriculum like math and history and forget about creativity. Ken Robinson says that many people who are brilliant and creative think they aren't because of the way that the education is set up. We need to remember to encourage creativity in our students and not just the more academic subjects.
So What? I can use Google Sites as a student to start putting on information and building up tools and resources that I could use in my future classroom. If I find a good website, video, etc. that I might want to use in my classroom I can post in on the site so I can remember it and easily find it later when I need to use. Also, practicing with it now will help so I don't have to deal with the problems of learning how it works when I'm actually teaching. It will help save a lot of time.
Now What? I think Google Sites will be very helpful to me as a teacher. I can create a website where my students and their parents can go to quickly find out what is going on in class, what homework assignments are coming up and what school events are coming up. I think the feature where you can put your Google calender directly into the site is very helpful. If a student misses class the parent can look on the site and see what they missed and the assigned homework. Also, the site has all my contact information so they can email or call me with any questions they have.
I can also use Google sites to post announcements and post a letter updating the parents instead of sending out a letter to everyone's email or sending home a hard copy with the students. Kids tend to lose papers easily and if I use the site then it won't matter that they lose it because the parents can refer to my site for any important information.
Video: I think that is was interesting that he said "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Kids are born unafraid to make mistakes. As they grow older they learn to be cautious and they don't take as many chances. I think this guy made a lot of really good points about creativity and children. I think that it's important not get caught up in teaching all the required curriculum like math and history and forget about creativity. Ken Robinson says that many people who are brilliant and creative think they aren't because of the way that the education is set up. We need to remember to encourage creativity in our students and not just the more academic subjects.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Google Part 1
What? In class we learned about Google documents and presentions and how we can use them to work collaboratively with other people. We also learned about Google calenders and iGoogle.
So What? Knowing this information is really helpful for me as a student right now. I have already started using Google documents in other classes to work on assignments with other classmates. It's a really helpful way to work on the same document without having to email it back and forth to each other. Using Google documents and presentations is also helpful to me because I can publish documents for others to see if I need to.
Using Google calenders is really helpful for me because it is a great way to keep track of my schedule. I think the feature where it will text you when an appointment is coming up is a very good idea and something I will use. iGoogle is also a very helpful tool to use to organize my homepage and organize it with websites that I go to often.
Now What? I think knowing about these Google features will help me a lot in the future when I am a teacher. I could use Google documents or presentations to collaborate and create things with other teachers or I could use it to create things to help teach my students. I could also use it to keep parents informed about how their student is doing by writing letters to email to parents. I could also use documents and presentations to have my students work together to create an assignment. If they had access to internet at home I could assign something to give them practice working with other students. They could create a presentation about something that we have been learning in class and send it to me to get feedback before they present it in class.
I could use Google calenders to keep track of events coming up in the school such and parent teacher conferences, assemblies, or birthdays. I could make a public calender for all my parents and students to view. I could let them know when assignments are due, when field trips are coming up, etc.
The world is becoming more technology oriented and I think a lot of parents would appreciate having a calender right online to look at to find out what is coming up and what their child is learning about in school.
Video: I think it's good that the President takes the time to specifically talk to the young people and to relate things to them. I think it is motivational to students to hear the President of the United States talk specifically to them and to try to motivate them to stay in school. I think that he gave a lot of good advice to students by telling them to stay in school and telling them to find the things there interested in and to do well in all of their classes. He made it seem like each student is important, not just the smartest of them. I could show this video to my students when teaching about Social Studies and when I'm teaching them about the President.
So What? Knowing this information is really helpful for me as a student right now. I have already started using Google documents in other classes to work on assignments with other classmates. It's a really helpful way to work on the same document without having to email it back and forth to each other. Using Google documents and presentations is also helpful to me because I can publish documents for others to see if I need to.
Using Google calenders is really helpful for me because it is a great way to keep track of my schedule. I think the feature where it will text you when an appointment is coming up is a very good idea and something I will use. iGoogle is also a very helpful tool to use to organize my homepage and organize it with websites that I go to often.
Now What? I think knowing about these Google features will help me a lot in the future when I am a teacher. I could use Google documents or presentations to collaborate and create things with other teachers or I could use it to create things to help teach my students. I could also use it to keep parents informed about how their student is doing by writing letters to email to parents. I could also use documents and presentations to have my students work together to create an assignment. If they had access to internet at home I could assign something to give them practice working with other students. They could create a presentation about something that we have been learning in class and send it to me to get feedback before they present it in class.
I could use Google calenders to keep track of events coming up in the school such and parent teacher conferences, assemblies, or birthdays. I could make a public calender for all my parents and students to view. I could let them know when assignments are due, when field trips are coming up, etc.
The world is becoming more technology oriented and I think a lot of parents would appreciate having a calender right online to look at to find out what is coming up and what their child is learning about in school.
Video: I think it's good that the President takes the time to specifically talk to the young people and to relate things to them. I think it is motivational to students to hear the President of the United States talk specifically to them and to try to motivate them to stay in school. I think that he gave a lot of good advice to students by telling them to stay in school and telling them to find the things there interested in and to do well in all of their classes. He made it seem like each student is important, not just the smartest of them. I could show this video to my students when teaching about Social Studies and when I'm teaching them about the President.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Ideal Classroom
My ideal school would be here in Utah County so I wouldn't have to move too far away. The class size would be smaller than the average class size, about 15 students. That way I could give them more one on one attention. They would be in 2nd grade and there would be an even number of boys and girls.
My classroom would have hundreds and hundreds of books for the students to chose from and read during their free time. I would rotate the books out so they would have new books to look at every week. There would be reading corners with bean bags and pillows to encourage reading and to teach them that reading can be fun and relaxing.
My classroom would have a lot of different art supplies so the students could build their creativity. There would be bulletin boards on every wall displaying the students' art work so they could feel like they were making something worthwhile. My students would be sitting at long tables so there was lots of space to spread out and make bigger art projects.
In my classroom there would be a science area where the students could experiment and learn about the world around them. There would be a microscope so they could examine different things they find and there would be computers where they could put on goggles and view simulators of things like being on the moon or traveling to the center of a volcano. The simulators would also be used for Social Studies. If we were learning about Columbus and the Indians, they could watch a simulated reenactment of that time period.
The other teachers would be helpful and supportive. I would collaborate with the other teachers to make learning more fun for the students. The parents would be involved and give their input and also they would be supportive. When the class had parties I would have parents come in and help so they could feel more involved with there child. My goal in the classroom would be to build a safe environment where students felt free to explore and learn and express their personalities in a place where they wouldn't be criticized. They would have a lot of time to learn to work with other students and to socialize. I would make sure that no one was excluded.
Video: I think that kid is really impressive and that he made some really good points. I think that we do need to be reminded not to give up on any student and not to give up on our colleagues as well. I think when we're teaching it will be really hard to continue to believe in our colleagues when we disagree with them. We can disagree and still believe in each other and help each other to do what is best for the students.
My classroom would have hundreds and hundreds of books for the students to chose from and read during their free time. I would rotate the books out so they would have new books to look at every week. There would be reading corners with bean bags and pillows to encourage reading and to teach them that reading can be fun and relaxing.
My classroom would have a lot of different art supplies so the students could build their creativity. There would be bulletin boards on every wall displaying the students' art work so they could feel like they were making something worthwhile. My students would be sitting at long tables so there was lots of space to spread out and make bigger art projects.
In my classroom there would be a science area where the students could experiment and learn about the world around them. There would be a microscope so they could examine different things they find and there would be computers where they could put on goggles and view simulators of things like being on the moon or traveling to the center of a volcano. The simulators would also be used for Social Studies. If we were learning about Columbus and the Indians, they could watch a simulated reenactment of that time period.
The other teachers would be helpful and supportive. I would collaborate with the other teachers to make learning more fun for the students. The parents would be involved and give their input and also they would be supportive. When the class had parties I would have parents come in and help so they could feel more involved with there child. My goal in the classroom would be to build a safe environment where students felt free to explore and learn and express their personalities in a place where they wouldn't be criticized. They would have a lot of time to learn to work with other students and to socialize. I would make sure that no one was excluded.
Video: I think that kid is really impressive and that he made some really good points. I think that we do need to be reminded not to give up on any student and not to give up on our colleagues as well. I think when we're teaching it will be really hard to continue to believe in our colleagues when we disagree with them. We can disagree and still believe in each other and help each other to do what is best for the students.
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