Monday, April 29, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Blog Post #14
A Teacher Knows if You've Done the E-Reading
The article Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading by David Streifeld addresses the concept of teachers tracking student usage of digital textbooks. This service is being used by many colleges such as Texas A&M San Antonio, Clemson, Central Carolina Technical College, and Stony Brook University. Professors receive an engagement index that gives a score that shows a correlation between a student's success and how often the student uses his or her textbook. Steifeld states how critics question the reliability of this service while also stating that publishers are hoping to give professors more feedback on student digital textbook usage.
As a teacher, I could see how this could be helpful. In many cases, students who do poorly are the ones who are too lazy to do the work assigned to them and study. I could see how this information could be documentation that those doing poorly are not opening their textbook at all. However, laziness is not always the issue when it comes to low success rates. Sometimes the student is spending hours with his or her head in the book yet still struggling on the tests. This program could help teachers see that the student really is trying, but maybe falling behind because of learning disabilities or bad study habits. Though I see how beneficial receiving this information could be, the real question that comes to mind is what are teachers supposed to do with it? Is it used as a participation grade? Is it used to help teachers grasp what content needs clarifying? Or is it simply just information they have that they do not do anything with? I also wonder if teachers take this information to heart. After all, students can find ways to manipulate the program like leaving the book open for a long time just so the teacher will think they have been reading the text like the article states. Students will especially do this if they believe using the textbook factors into their grade but don't want to read it.
If I were to talk with the teacher of the class, I would ask:
1. What do you do with the information?
2. Do you think it is accurate?
As a student, I can view this program positively and negatively. There have been many times in my college career that I have studied my tail off, yet still done poorly on a test. Because I did bad, my professor assumed I did not study because if I would have studied I would have made an A. This service would have proved that I have spent time in my textbook, and that I am putting forth the effort. However, I'm the type that takes a lot of notes in class. For quite a few of my classes I've taken, my notes have been so thorough that I did not need to open my book. Would I be penalized for that? Why should I need to open my book if I took good enough notes to make an A on the test? Sometimes, I only needed to open my book for clarify a single piece of information, and once I read the section and understood the material, I didn't open my book anymore. If I am successful in the course, why does it matter how much I have used my book?
If I were to interview a student, I would ask:
1. Do you feel pressured to use your book?
2. Do you manipulate the program by simply leaving the book open?
3. Does this data help or hurt you?
If I left a comment on the article, I would probably say that I can see how it can back up students who study and struggle, yet do poorly and are accused of not studying. However, since students can manipulate the system, how does a teacher know if the student is being honest or not? With that being said, I really don't see how this program could help the education system in any way. Personally, I don't see why it matters if a student reads his or her textbooks. The ones who want to learn and want to succeed will. They will make good grades, and if they struggle, they will set up appointments with their professors to talk about ways they can study better or what assignments they can do for extra credit. The ones who don't care to succeed will not. They won't take any initiative to better their grades. I believe teachers know the students who are doing their part and trying, and I believe they know the ones who don't give a rip.
The article Teacher Knows if You Have Done the E-Reading by David Streifeld addresses the concept of teachers tracking student usage of digital textbooks. This service is being used by many colleges such as Texas A&M San Antonio, Clemson, Central Carolina Technical College, and Stony Brook University. Professors receive an engagement index that gives a score that shows a correlation between a student's success and how often the student uses his or her textbook. Steifeld states how critics question the reliability of this service while also stating that publishers are hoping to give professors more feedback on student digital textbook usage.
As a teacher, I could see how this could be helpful. In many cases, students who do poorly are the ones who are too lazy to do the work assigned to them and study. I could see how this information could be documentation that those doing poorly are not opening their textbook at all. However, laziness is not always the issue when it comes to low success rates. Sometimes the student is spending hours with his or her head in the book yet still struggling on the tests. This program could help teachers see that the student really is trying, but maybe falling behind because of learning disabilities or bad study habits. Though I see how beneficial receiving this information could be, the real question that comes to mind is what are teachers supposed to do with it? Is it used as a participation grade? Is it used to help teachers grasp what content needs clarifying? Or is it simply just information they have that they do not do anything with? I also wonder if teachers take this information to heart. After all, students can find ways to manipulate the program like leaving the book open for a long time just so the teacher will think they have been reading the text like the article states. Students will especially do this if they believe using the textbook factors into their grade but don't want to read it.
If I were to talk with the teacher of the class, I would ask:
1. What do you do with the information?
2. Do you think it is accurate?
As a student, I can view this program positively and negatively. There have been many times in my college career that I have studied my tail off, yet still done poorly on a test. Because I did bad, my professor assumed I did not study because if I would have studied I would have made an A. This service would have proved that I have spent time in my textbook, and that I am putting forth the effort. However, I'm the type that takes a lot of notes in class. For quite a few of my classes I've taken, my notes have been so thorough that I did not need to open my book. Would I be penalized for that? Why should I need to open my book if I took good enough notes to make an A on the test? Sometimes, I only needed to open my book for clarify a single piece of information, and once I read the section and understood the material, I didn't open my book anymore. If I am successful in the course, why does it matter how much I have used my book?
If I were to interview a student, I would ask:
1. Do you feel pressured to use your book?
2. Do you manipulate the program by simply leaving the book open?
3. Does this data help or hurt you?
If I left a comment on the article, I would probably say that I can see how it can back up students who study and struggle, yet do poorly and are accused of not studying. However, since students can manipulate the system, how does a teacher know if the student is being honest or not? With that being said, I really don't see how this program could help the education system in any way. Personally, I don't see why it matters if a student reads his or her textbooks. The ones who want to learn and want to succeed will. They will make good grades, and if they struggle, they will set up appointments with their professors to talk about ways they can study better or what assignments they can do for extra credit. The ones who don't care to succeed will not. They won't take any initiative to better their grades. I believe teachers know the students who are doing their part and trying, and I believe they know the ones who don't give a rip.Friday, April 26, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Final Report on PLN
I also love my PLE, symbaloo. I have found that it makes things way easier to find. I like how everything is in one spot and just a click away instead of having to go through numerous steps to find what I am looking for.
I'm very happy with my PLN and can't wait for it to grow more!
C4T Comments for Teachers #4
Summary of Post #1
For my C4T assignment, I was assigned to comment on John Spencer's blog. I decided to comment on the post Please Become A Teacher. In this post, Mr. Spencer talks about how he reached a point in his teaching career when he wanted to quit. However, this year was different for him. He found himself thinking of some of his favorite bands and how their songs have meaning behind their lyrics. He realized that's the type of teacher he wants to be. He wants to bring depth and culture to his students that live in an auto tone society. At the end of his posts he states that if you feel the same way, you should become a teacher as well. Yes, you will have a low salary and crazy hours. But at the end of the day, you will be impacting someone's life.
Summary of comment #1
In my comment, I stated how I have days where I want to quit my preschool job. Some days I feel like I'm not good at teaching, and the kids might be better off learning from someone else. Yet at the end of the day, I know that while I might not be teaching them school related things, I am being a good influence of them. I am showing them love. I am showing them that someone cares for them and believes in them. So, in the end the job is worth it.
Summary of Post #2
For my second C4T post, I decided to comment on John Spencer's blog post What Can We Do When We Finish the Test? This post was very comical to me. It was a conversation between him and his students about what they could do after they finish their standardized test. They asked if they could read. He replied, "They won't let you do that." They asked if they could talk quietly. He replied, "They won't let you do that." After some more questions, they asked, "Can we think?" Without even thinking about it, Mr. Spencer replied, "They won't let you do that." Even though he didn't mean to say it, it was the truth.
Summary of comment #2
I commented that I remember testing days during school. I always hated them because once I was finished, I had to just sit there for hours and do nothing but stare at the wall. They really wouldn't let you do anything except sit there like a statue. I told him I couldn't help but grin at the truth behind this post.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Progress Report on Final Project
My group has finally decided on the project we want to do. We decided to do the video, and we have been thinking of ideas for our movie. We are going to meet Tuesday to talk about our ideas and brainstorm about the layout of the project. We have decided to record our movie Friday, and edit it together. It should be done by the middle of next week.
Blog Post #13
Brian Crosby
I really enjoyed Brian Crosby's Back to the Future video. He began his presentation with a survey he did with his class of 4th graders. In this survey, he asks questions that every 4th grader should know such as their address, the state they live in, and the country they live in. However, the majority of his class could not answer these simple questions. It was very shocking to me that only 3 students out of 24 knew the country they live in. However, I thought this was a great way to start his lecture because from there he went on to tell how his students grew in their learning and started achieving goals.
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing of all the experiments and activities he does with his students. I loved the idea of the balloon launching with a camera on it, and having the kids write a story about being the balloon. To me, that just helps promote creativity in the story. By letting his students see what was happening to the ballon, I feel it helped them to imagine themselves as the balloon. After seeing the clip, I want to write a story about being a balloon!
Another activity I really liked was how his students wrote stories collaboratively with students from other states. That's just awesome to me! I would love to do this with my future students, so it is definitely going on my "To Do" list! I also loved how Celeste was included in the classroom via skype. So many kids are in her shoes and are not able to participate in normal activities like going to school. I hope to one day be able to involve my sick students via technology like Mr. Crosby involved her. I would be willing to use my own Mac or iPad if the school did not have the means to let me use something of theirs. I really feel this sense of normalcy are what kids with illnesses like cancer need.
I'm adding Mr. Crosby to my list of teachers to learn from!
Paul Anderson
I loved Mr. Anderson's Blended Learning Cycle video! He explains how blended learning takes parts of mobile, online, and classroom learning and blends them together in the classroom. The learning cycle, which is the five "E's" (engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate), are also incorporated into blended learning, and you get the blended learning cycle. He refers to this blended learning cycle as QUIVERS. There are six components to QUIVERS that he uses in this class.
They are:
QU- QUestion
I- Investigation/Inquiry
V- Video
E- Elaboration
R- Review
S- Summary Quiz
Mr. Anderson begins every lesson with an engaging question. He then allows his students to experiment with the question to form their own questions. Next comes video. This component of QUIVERS is where students watch videos to learn more information about the question, and then they expand on the topic they are researching. In the review step, Mr. Anderson meets with the students in groups or individually and asks them questions to see how they are comprehending the material. When he feels they have learned the needed material, they are given a summary quiz that tests them on the other five components.
I have discovered this week that Mr. Anderson is 100% right when he says you need to start out with a good question to get the students engaged, and then let them investigate. This week in my preschool class, we did a science experiment to see what happens to water when you put it in the freezer. I filled gloves with water, tied them, then sat them aside while I talked to the kids. I asked them what they thought would happen if we took water and placed it in the freezer. Most of them said it would just turn cold, but none made the connection yet that it would turn into ice. I then gave each child a water filled glove and let them play with it for a while. We talked about how it felt and how it didn't really hurt when we slapped people with our glove in the face (that part was not something I had planned on talking about but it happened). We then walked down to the kitchen and put our gloves in the freezer. The next day, we went and got our gloves out of the freezer. They were in complete amazement that the water turned to ice. We then left our gloves in the sun to see what would happen if the ice got hot. Once we came back a couple hours later and saw it had melted, I began reviewing with them. I asked what happens when water gets really cold and then gets hot again. They could tell me everything I asked. They even told their parents about it when they got picked up! I could tell that they fully understood the basic concept I was trying to get across to them.
This experiment I did really reminded me of Mr. Anderson's QUIVERS method. While I did not have my students watch videos or take a quiz, I did start off with a question to get them thinking and then I let them investigate that question with hands on experience. It went better than any other activity I had tried to do with them. I could have told them what happens to water when it gets cold then hot again, but by letting them experiment with it themselves, they got to see for themselves what happens. In turn, they understood the lesson better and therefore actually learned the material. Mr. Anderson definitely has a good learning method to use because if it will work for two year olds, it will work for any age! I will definitely use the QUIVERS method with my future students!
I really enjoyed Brian Crosby's Back to the Future video. He began his presentation with a survey he did with his class of 4th graders. In this survey, he asks questions that every 4th grader should know such as their address, the state they live in, and the country they live in. However, the majority of his class could not answer these simple questions. It was very shocking to me that only 3 students out of 24 knew the country they live in. However, I thought this was a great way to start his lecture because from there he went on to tell how his students grew in their learning and started achieving goals.
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing of all the experiments and activities he does with his students. I loved the idea of the balloon launching with a camera on it, and having the kids write a story about being the balloon. To me, that just helps promote creativity in the story. By letting his students see what was happening to the ballon, I feel it helped them to imagine themselves as the balloon. After seeing the clip, I want to write a story about being a balloon!
Another activity I really liked was how his students wrote stories collaboratively with students from other states. That's just awesome to me! I would love to do this with my future students, so it is definitely going on my "To Do" list! I also loved how Celeste was included in the classroom via skype. So many kids are in her shoes and are not able to participate in normal activities like going to school. I hope to one day be able to involve my sick students via technology like Mr. Crosby involved her. I would be willing to use my own Mac or iPad if the school did not have the means to let me use something of theirs. I really feel this sense of normalcy are what kids with illnesses like cancer need.
I'm adding Mr. Crosby to my list of teachers to learn from!
Paul Anderson
I loved Mr. Anderson's Blended Learning Cycle video! He explains how blended learning takes parts of mobile, online, and classroom learning and blends them together in the classroom. The learning cycle, which is the five "E's" (engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate), are also incorporated into blended learning, and you get the blended learning cycle. He refers to this blended learning cycle as QUIVERS. There are six components to QUIVERS that he uses in this class.
They are:
QU- QUestion
I- Investigation/Inquiry
V- Video
E- Elaboration
R- Review
S- Summary Quiz
Mr. Anderson begins every lesson with an engaging question. He then allows his students to experiment with the question to form their own questions. Next comes video. This component of QUIVERS is where students watch videos to learn more information about the question, and then they expand on the topic they are researching. In the review step, Mr. Anderson meets with the students in groups or individually and asks them questions to see how they are comprehending the material. When he feels they have learned the needed material, they are given a summary quiz that tests them on the other five components.
I have discovered this week that Mr. Anderson is 100% right when he says you need to start out with a good question to get the students engaged, and then let them investigate. This week in my preschool class, we did a science experiment to see what happens to water when you put it in the freezer. I filled gloves with water, tied them, then sat them aside while I talked to the kids. I asked them what they thought would happen if we took water and placed it in the freezer. Most of them said it would just turn cold, but none made the connection yet that it would turn into ice. I then gave each child a water filled glove and let them play with it for a while. We talked about how it felt and how it didn't really hurt when we slapped people with our glove in the face (that part was not something I had planned on talking about but it happened). We then walked down to the kitchen and put our gloves in the freezer. The next day, we went and got our gloves out of the freezer. They were in complete amazement that the water turned to ice. We then left our gloves in the sun to see what would happen if the ice got hot. Once we came back a couple hours later and saw it had melted, I began reviewing with them. I asked what happens when water gets really cold and then gets hot again. They could tell me everything I asked. They even told their parents about it when they got picked up! I could tell that they fully understood the basic concept I was trying to get across to them.
This experiment I did really reminded me of Mr. Anderson's QUIVERS method. While I did not have my students watch videos or take a quiz, I did start off with a question to get them thinking and then I let them investigate that question with hands on experience. It went better than any other activity I had tried to do with them. I could have told them what happens to water when it gets cold then hot again, but by letting them experiment with it themselves, they got to see for themselves what happens. In turn, they understood the lesson better and therefore actually learned the material. Mr. Anderson definitely has a good learning method to use because if it will work for two year olds, it will work for any age! I will definitely use the QUIVERS method with my future students!Sunday, April 14, 2013
Blog Post #12
Create Your Own Assignment
I thought long and hard about what I would like to do with this assignment. I considered what I would like to do personally, but I also put myself in an administrator's shoes and tried to think of what I would like to read about on my EDM 310 students' blogs. I kept coming back to something one of my C4T teachers did. Josh Stumpenhorst dedicated a blog post to the 5 things he knows as a teacher. I personally really loved this post and thought it would be a fun thing to do on my own.
So here it is!
Part 1: Assignment
Read Josh Stumpenhorst's blog post 5 Things on his blog Stump The Teacher. After reading his 5 things, think about your area of speciality and write about your 5 things. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
Part 2: Do It!
Josh Stumpenhorst wrote the 5 things while he was doing a project in NYC with the Pearson Foundation. He states the 5 things he knows as a teacher. After reading his five things, I have decided on the 5 things I know as an elementary education major. And here they are!
The 5 Things I Know about Elementary Kids
1. They are children... so let them be children.
In today's school system, kids are expected to sit quietly and still in their seats, listen to a teacher lecture, and comprehend everything all day. They are pretty much expected to just be little robots. Kids cannot be expected to perform this routine daily. I mean, they are children! They want to go out and play and have fun. I've been to a school in my hometown and recess there has been cut down to about 15 minutes a day. That is completely ridiculous! That's not enough time for kids to get energy out. Then the teachers wonder why they have such problems getting their students to be still and pay attention. We have to remember that these are elementary kids we are talking about- not adults. Don't try to pump them so full of knowledge that you take away the only time during school that they get to act like a child. I wholeheartedly believe that if we allowed our students more time to simply let them be children, it would help tremendously in their grades and attention spans.
2. Don't kill their imagination- encourage it!
One major thing I have noticed about teachers is a lot of them are so focused on getting their students to see things the "right" way. They don't let their students imagine things; instead, they tell the students how it is. Creativity is crucial for child growth and learning. Let them come up with stories and adventures and don't discourage them no matter how off the wall the story is. If they want to be a carrot when they grow up, let them believe they can be a carrot! I think the ability to imagine things is one of the greatest things a child can do. I mean, if you think about it, every great thing a person has accomplished had to start out as that person imagining it. People imagined going to the moon, and they did. There are many great singers would as a child always imagined being up on a stage one day, and it happened. Imagination and creativity easily leads into great potential. One day, maybe a student will take all the stories he or she has come up with in his/her head and become an award winning author! One thing I really want my students to remember about me is that I NEVER put a damper on their dreams. Instead, I constantly encouraged them to think outside the box, imagine the "impossible", and encouraged them to achieve it!
3. Don't try to conform them to what you think they should be.
I guess it's an age old tale- girls play with flowers, boys play with bugs. Girls are always to be clean; boys are nothing but walking dirt. This mindset can really hinder children. It's obvious that the majority of elementary teachers are women. While I see absolutely no problem with female teachers, I do see a problem with them labeling somethings as "nasty". There have been WAY TOO MANY situations that I have seen teachers discourage their students (girls and boys) from playing with bugs or getting dirty simply because they view it as gross. Teachers have a huge influence on their students. I mean, I remember being in elementary school and wanting to be just like my teacher. If kids are constantly told "that's gross", "that's what boys play with", "thats girly", or any of stereotypical comment, they are going to grow up with that mindset. What if one of those children has the potential to have a great career in a field that deals with insects or reptiles? What if a child who is very interested in others' cuts and scrapes has the potential to become a great surgeon? By telling them not to do something simply because it's nasty is going to make that child grow up with the mindset that what interests them is disgusting, and they won't pursue their interests anymore. Also, that simply just is making boys act girly. Boys (and some girls) are drawn to finding bugs and rolling around in the dirt. Let them! Don't push your views on things on them. They are their own person, and just because you don't like something, doesn't mean they shouldn't either.
4. Don't give up on them.
Children are naturally curious and eager to learn. I do not believe that any child is born dumb. However, I do believe that sometimes kids don't let on to how much they are comprehending. I've experienced times in my job as a preschool teacher when I thought I wasn't teaching well enough, and they weren't understanding anything. Just when I was about to throw my hands up and give up, they decided to show me just how much they understood the material. So just remember: just because they aren't spitting it back to you verbatim does not mean they aren't comprehending what you are teaching.
5. Have random dance parties!
I saved the best for last! Kids love to dance. The beautiful thing about being young is that for the most part you don't care how you look. Kids don't notice if they aren't good dancers; they just notice they are having fun. I love having random dance parties with my preschool and Sunday school class. Not only does it give them a chance to let some energy out, it also gives them a chance to see me dancing and having fun too. I think it is good for our students to see us acting silly with them. So take 30 seconds out of the day and just dance like no one is watching. It's good for the soul!
I thought long and hard about what I would like to do with this assignment. I considered what I would like to do personally, but I also put myself in an administrator's shoes and tried to think of what I would like to read about on my EDM 310 students' blogs. I kept coming back to something one of my C4T teachers did. Josh Stumpenhorst dedicated a blog post to the 5 things he knows as a teacher. I personally really loved this post and thought it would be a fun thing to do on my own.
So here it is!
Part 1: Assignment
Read Josh Stumpenhorst's blog post 5 Things on his blog Stump The Teacher. After reading his 5 things, think about your area of speciality and write about your 5 things. Follow the requirements in Writing A Quality Blog Post.
Part 2: Do It!
Josh Stumpenhorst wrote the 5 things while he was doing a project in NYC with the Pearson Foundation. He states the 5 things he knows as a teacher. After reading his five things, I have decided on the 5 things I know as an elementary education major. And here they are!
The 5 Things I Know about Elementary Kids
1. They are children... so let them be children.
In today's school system, kids are expected to sit quietly and still in their seats, listen to a teacher lecture, and comprehend everything all day. They are pretty much expected to just be little robots. Kids cannot be expected to perform this routine daily. I mean, they are children! They want to go out and play and have fun. I've been to a school in my hometown and recess there has been cut down to about 15 minutes a day. That is completely ridiculous! That's not enough time for kids to get energy out. Then the teachers wonder why they have such problems getting their students to be still and pay attention. We have to remember that these are elementary kids we are talking about- not adults. Don't try to pump them so full of knowledge that you take away the only time during school that they get to act like a child. I wholeheartedly believe that if we allowed our students more time to simply let them be children, it would help tremendously in their grades and attention spans.2. Don't kill their imagination- encourage it!
One major thing I have noticed about teachers is a lot of them are so focused on getting their students to see things the "right" way. They don't let their students imagine things; instead, they tell the students how it is. Creativity is crucial for child growth and learning. Let them come up with stories and adventures and don't discourage them no matter how off the wall the story is. If they want to be a carrot when they grow up, let them believe they can be a carrot! I think the ability to imagine things is one of the greatest things a child can do. I mean, if you think about it, every great thing a person has accomplished had to start out as that person imagining it. People imagined going to the moon, and they did. There are many great singers would as a child always imagined being up on a stage one day, and it happened. Imagination and creativity easily leads into great potential. One day, maybe a student will take all the stories he or she has come up with in his/her head and become an award winning author! One thing I really want my students to remember about me is that I NEVER put a damper on their dreams. Instead, I constantly encouraged them to think outside the box, imagine the "impossible", and encouraged them to achieve it!3. Don't try to conform them to what you think they should be.
I guess it's an age old tale- girls play with flowers, boys play with bugs. Girls are always to be clean; boys are nothing but walking dirt. This mindset can really hinder children. It's obvious that the majority of elementary teachers are women. While I see absolutely no problem with female teachers, I do see a problem with them labeling somethings as "nasty". There have been WAY TOO MANY situations that I have seen teachers discourage their students (girls and boys) from playing with bugs or getting dirty simply because they view it as gross. Teachers have a huge influence on their students. I mean, I remember being in elementary school and wanting to be just like my teacher. If kids are constantly told "that's gross", "that's what boys play with", "thats girly", or any of stereotypical comment, they are going to grow up with that mindset. What if one of those children has the potential to have a great career in a field that deals with insects or reptiles? What if a child who is very interested in others' cuts and scrapes has the potential to become a great surgeon? By telling them not to do something simply because it's nasty is going to make that child grow up with the mindset that what interests them is disgusting, and they won't pursue their interests anymore. Also, that simply just is making boys act girly. Boys (and some girls) are drawn to finding bugs and rolling around in the dirt. Let them! Don't push your views on things on them. They are their own person, and just because you don't like something, doesn't mean they shouldn't either.
4. Don't give up on them.
Children are naturally curious and eager to learn. I do not believe that any child is born dumb. However, I do believe that sometimes kids don't let on to how much they are comprehending. I've experienced times in my job as a preschool teacher when I thought I wasn't teaching well enough, and they weren't understanding anything. Just when I was about to throw my hands up and give up, they decided to show me just how much they understood the material. So just remember: just because they aren't spitting it back to you verbatim does not mean they aren't comprehending what you are teaching.
5. Have random dance parties!
I saved the best for last! Kids love to dance. The beautiful thing about being young is that for the most part you don't care how you look. Kids don't notice if they aren't good dancers; they just notice they are having fun. I love having random dance parties with my preschool and Sunday school class. Not only does it give them a chance to let some energy out, it also gives them a chance to see me dancing and having fun too. I think it is good for our students to see us acting silly with them. So take 30 seconds out of the day and just dance like no one is watching. It's good for the soul! Sunday, April 7, 2013
Blog Post #11
Ms. Cassidy
Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher from Saskatchewan, Canada. In her video Little Kids.... Big Potential, she lets us have a look inside her classroom. I absolutely loved this video. When it begins, a student is at the door to welcome you into the room. On the door is a sign that reads "College Graduating Class of 2025". That really stood out to me because most teachers' doors read "Welcome to Ms. (Insert Name)'s Class!" Her sign gave me the impression that I was going to see a teacher that, although her students were only in 1st grade, prepared her pupils for the real world. And that's exactly what I saw. Throughout the video, students tell the audience the types of technological activities they partake in daily. They use everything from wikis to Nintendo DS. The one thing that really stood out and hit me in the face was THESE KIDS LOOK LIKE THEY ACTUALLY ENJOY GOING TO SCHOOL!!! Hearing them talk about how they love writing on their blogs and doing all the other activities Ms. Cassidy does with them, really made me envious of this school. I know many kids that age, and they don't enjoy school nearly as much as the kids in this video do. The kids I know view school as a place where they have to sit still and quiet at a table all day and listen to what the teacher says. I would gladly show the school officials in my hometown this video if it meant it would inspire them to change the way the school system does things in the US.
During the skype interview between Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange, she said two things that really caught my attention.
The first is how she goes about ensuring her students' safety while publishing their work on the internet. I would love to use blogs with my future classes, but I would be lying if I said exposing them to the internet didn't worry me. I've often wondered what measures I would take to keep my students safe because let's face it, there are some creeps out there. Technology is awesome, but there are people that use it to prey on innocent people. Ms. Cassidy gave the best answer to my dilemma: only post first names and don't post names with pictures. I don't really know why this didn't register with me sooner since for the past three months I've been commenting on student blogs, and none of them have their last name listed. Sometimes I need to be told things! I definitely feel more comfortable with trying to start a class blog knowing some of the measures another teacher takes to protect her students.
The second was her comment "you are handicapping the student and yourself by not taking advantage of the resources of technology." Before she said that particular statement, she spoke of how students and technology go hand in hand. Technology is apart of this generation's life- it is not foreign to them. I agree with her 100%. I mean, some kids show me how to do things on a computer or iPad! She also states that we cannot continue teaching kids the way we were taught simply because we are in a different world than we were in 20 years ago. While I don't believe we should rely solely on technology, I do believe it needs to be incorporated into this generation of students' learning. I fully believe that if I teach my students using the methods that were used on me, I'm doing nothing but hindering them. First of all, they are going to be bored and ultimately not listen to a word I say. Secondly, students will have to use technology in their future occupations. The way I see it is if I teach the way I was taught, once my students get to the point where they have to use certain technological tools, they are going to be as lost as a chicken with its head cut off. With the way the economy is now, finding a job is like fighting on a battlefield. My senior year I applied for a job and was asked how well my computer skills are and if I could use certain programs. My response: "I've never used that program before, but I'm a fast learner." Guess what. I didn't get the job. They wanted someone who already knew how to use those programs and how to perform certain tasks. With technology being such a huge part of everyday life, most employers don't want to take the time teaching employees how to use certain tools- they want people who already know how to. One of the reasons I decided to become a teacher is because I want to help kids succeed and accomplish their goals. If I want to do that, I HAVE to show them how to use technology. I don't want my students to be turned down when they apply for jobs because I didn't do my job and prepare them every way I knew how.
During the skype interview between Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange, she said two things that really caught my attention.
The first is how she goes about ensuring her students' safety while publishing their work on the internet. I would love to use blogs with my future classes, but I would be lying if I said exposing them to the internet didn't worry me. I've often wondered what measures I would take to keep my students safe because let's face it, there are some creeps out there. Technology is awesome, but there are people that use it to prey on innocent people. Ms. Cassidy gave the best answer to my dilemma: only post first names and don't post names with pictures. I don't really know why this didn't register with me sooner since for the past three months I've been commenting on student blogs, and none of them have their last name listed. Sometimes I need to be told things! I definitely feel more comfortable with trying to start a class blog knowing some of the measures another teacher takes to protect her students.
The second was her comment "you are handicapping the student and yourself by not taking advantage of the resources of technology." Before she said that particular statement, she spoke of how students and technology go hand in hand. Technology is apart of this generation's life- it is not foreign to them. I agree with her 100%. I mean, some kids show me how to do things on a computer or iPad! She also states that we cannot continue teaching kids the way we were taught simply because we are in a different world than we were in 20 years ago. While I don't believe we should rely solely on technology, I do believe it needs to be incorporated into this generation of students' learning. I fully believe that if I teach my students using the methods that were used on me, I'm doing nothing but hindering them. First of all, they are going to be bored and ultimately not listen to a word I say. Secondly, students will have to use technology in their future occupations. The way I see it is if I teach the way I was taught, once my students get to the point where they have to use certain technological tools, they are going to be as lost as a chicken with its head cut off. With the way the economy is now, finding a job is like fighting on a battlefield. My senior year I applied for a job and was asked how well my computer skills are and if I could use certain programs. My response: "I've never used that program before, but I'm a fast learner." Guess what. I didn't get the job. They wanted someone who already knew how to use those programs and how to perform certain tasks. With technology being such a huge part of everyday life, most employers don't want to take the time teaching employees how to use certain tools- they want people who already know how to. One of the reasons I decided to become a teacher is because I want to help kids succeed and accomplish their goals. If I want to do that, I HAVE to show them how to use technology. I don't want my students to be turned down when they apply for jobs because I didn't do my job and prepare them every way I knew how.Friday, April 5, 2013
C4T Comments for Teachers #3
C4T Post #1
For this C4T assignment, I commented on John Stumpenhorst's blog Stump the Teacher. I chose to comment on the post 5 Things. This blog was pretty much the 5 things he knows as a teacher. His 5 things were kids are humans and should be treated as such, creativity and curiosity are crucial in learning, we are all on a journey, change doesn't happen when we are comfortable, and growth happens through failure. Mr. Stumpenhorst went into detail about each of this 5 things in a paragraph or two for each.
C4T Comment #1
For my comment, I told Mr. Stumpenhorst that while I completely agreed with all of his 5 things, the one that really stuck out to me the most is growth happens through failure. I went on to state that I know so many parents that want to shield their child(ren) from failing. However, success can't happen without failure.
C4T Post #2
The second post I commented on was To Fix Public Education. In this post, Mr. Stumpenhorst addresses what he thinks will improve education; however, it is not what many might think. What he thinks will change public education is to start with the future teachers. He believes future teachers should intern for a year under a mentor. Too many first time teachers have the "deer caught in headlights" look about them during their first year. Also, that too many teachers are not cut out for the job and shouldn't be there.
C4T Comment #2
In my comment, I agreed with his many great points made in his post. I told him that I personally felt I would be more confident in teaching if I interned for a year and could learn all I could from a mentor. I feel this would help ease my nerves a lot. Also, I don't believe everyone is cut out for the job of being an educator. I see many students in my classes now who shouldn't be there. In the end, this is an injustice to those educators' future students.
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