Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach

2006-12-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

K-12 Online Conferencing: Personal Professional Development
"Toward a System of Online Curriculum Development"

"Teachers are busy people," a quote from Robert Lucas and Kevin Driscal's podcast. The podcast I listened to basically summed up the generalization I have learned in my second semester of the School of Education. Even though I do not spend all my time in the classroom yet, I have already spent many hours planning lessons and preparing materials for my fifth grade class. Robert and Kevin's approach to sharing lessons online may become my new best friend as I transition to student teaching in the spring.

I also liked the quote that "it takes longer to find a quality lesson online than to plan one yourself." I couldn't agree more. I know I have it better than the teachers of the past because of my access to Google and all the education websites geared to help teachers. However, it is difficult to filter through what lessons are applicable in the classroom and which are less useful.

Giving teachers the opportunity to collaborate with a creative common license really captures the essence of what teaching is all about. Sharing ideas, tweaking them to your preference, and becoming reflective practicioners are key to creating good teachers. In the world of education, teaching is not a competition; it is a combined effort to prepare the youth of our society for the real world. Teachers main objective is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to accomplish their goals and dreams, and teacher collaboration facilitates this unifed goal.

I plan to visit this site in the future and bookmark it as I prepare for the many upcoming lessons that I must plan and teach. Robert Lucas and Kevin Driscal have created an innovative approach to teaching that will help make the lives of teachers better throughout the world!

2006-11-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

Implementation Project

Today I conducted my implementation project with my fifth grade students for my teaching with technology course. My lesson was designed to revisit concepts of absolute location using longitude and latitude. I used Hurricane Katrina data for my students to plot coordinates on a PowerPoint template I created.

I can begin by saying that my directions were clear and the lesson started out great! I reviewed concepts of longitude and latitude, and I even made my students perform a longitude and latitude dance to help them remember the direction of the lines. The students were engaged and excited. I had strategically planned partners for the students to minimize problems in the classroom, and I even had a few colleagues observe and help with my lesson.

Using the laptops was exciting for students, and they enthusiastically tackled the task. However, nothing can prepare a student teacher for the laptops that shut down in the lesson, the students who won't share the computers, and the overwhelming noise of the classroom. I am still an advocate for technology in the classroom, but I feel that individual use of technology must begin only when clear behavioral control have been established and asserted by the teacher in charge. I did everything I could to constantly redirect student attention to me, but the laptops were very distracting for the students.

Even though the lesson did not produce beautiful products for me to present, I can without a doubt, say that students were "learning." The most successful aspect of my unit was the review of longitude and latitude before the plotting of data points. One of my colleagues told me that she saw one of the students doing the longitude and latitude dance quietly to himself during the lesson, to help remind him the distinction between both lines. And, although technical difficulties impeded the progress, I saw engaged students who were working collaboratively.

My perfectionist tendencies will continue to be my best and worst enemy, especially as I prepare for next semester. It's disappointing when I teach a lesson that doesn't meet my expectations, but our mistakes and imperfections can provide a valuable learning experience for the future. I now know my students respond positively to technology, but I have to establish behavioral control in the classroom before I can implement some of the activities I have in store.

2006-11-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

Science experiments + Blogging = Formula for Success

I stumbled across a blog the other day by Joseph Hartman about a neat science experiment that uses a blog to record student progress. Unfortunately I couldn't comment on his blog because it's restricted to team members, but I still thought it was worthwhile to share his work.

The assignment invovled students picking a experiment topic and then blogging daily to record progress and observations. So often as teachers we want to create and plan elaborate projects for our students, but we have a difficult time checking student progress and ensuring that they are not throwing the project together at last minute. If students had the opportunity and obligation to blog about their science experiment, they would be excited to see their progress and that of their classmates. I think Hartman really captured the essenence of using a blog when he wrote: "The unique properties of blogs is thus taken advantage of by allowing the outside world to see exactly what steps each student has taken in their experiment recreation (not to mention the students themselves having access to this information) which enables the audience to then judge the validity of the recreation almost immediately after each step has been taken (rather than after the entire experiment has been concluded)."

I also think this would be a neat addition to a science fair. Students could read up on their classmates blogs before attending the fair, and maybe even be required to prepare a few questions for certain students about their project.

Next semester when I teach a unit about the scientific method, my students are responsible for creating their own experiment. Maybe I will incorporate the blogging component to my project!

2006-11-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

Student Produced Webpages

One of my assignments this semester is to spend at least 10 hours observing or teaching with technology. I have worked with Mr. Morse, the technology teacher at DJ Montague, and he has introduced a project with the fifth graders that I am really excited about. I wanted to directly quote his lesson plan to preserve the key elements:

"Each fifth grade class will be assigned a habitat--Ocean, Rainforest, Desrt, Arctic/Antarctic, Freshwater, Plains, and Mountain. Students from each class will pick animals from a 'Mystery Box' which will contain animals form their assigned habitat. Using online resources, students will collect information on a worksheet. Using Google 'image search' they will collect images for their report. The reports will be created using SchoolCenter web authoring tools, allowing students to create their own individualized pages, and previewing pages of other students in the class and grade."

Although not mentioned in the lesson plan, the really neat element of this lesson is that the students never specifically say what anima their page is about. They write clues about the animal, like what it eats, distinguishing features, where it lives within that habitat, etc. The goal for the website viewer is to use the clues and online resources available to figure out what animal is being descibed. Mr. Morse told the fifth graders that a younger grade would be using this project, so they should carefully plan and create their page.

I just think this is an excellent way to have students learn how to create a webpage and investigate the animal kingdom. I watched the students today shout interesting facts about their animal across the room, reiterating the idea that learning should be FUN, INTERACTIVE, and PURPOSEFUL.

Even thought this project was conducted in a technology classroom, there is no reason why it can't be done in the general education classroom. I also really like that this page may be used within another grade level because it shows a school wide initiative towards fostering good thinkers and creative minds.

I will try to post a link to the website when it is finished.

2006-11-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

It's parent-teacher conference week at my school, and as always, I am looking for interesting ways for parents/teachers/students to stay connected when I begin teaching.

I came across a blog by Anne Davis, suggesting that parents really get involved in commenting on their children's blogs. Anne Davis showed an example of a blog where a parent had wrote on her son's blog, and her comments were very positive and thoughtful. In a world where papers don't always make it home and progress reports get lost in the bottomless pit of student bookbags, I think having student work online and parent posting is a great way to encourage invovlement from the home.

In addition, in my special populations class, we were learning a lot about grading, and this blog triggered my thinking about the importance of parent as well as teacher observation of student progress. To me, grading is a grey area that I still feel like I don't know enough about. However, I do know that nothing causes more of an uproar then a parent who finds out that their child made a bad grade on his or her report card. I can almost hear the phone ringing, "Why didn't you tell me my child was failing? I never saw any of his bad grades?!" With a blog that showcases student work and parents having the opportunity to observe it, comment on it, or praise it, this problem is eliminated. Once again, three cheers for blogging!

Are parents afraid to step into the blogosphere? Maybe yes, maybe not. However, if I were a parent, I would find it refreshing to have a way to see what my child is doing everyday and have a way to be a part of it.

2006-10-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Extra Extra, read all about it!

As I was studying last night for a quiz, my mind began to stray off to think about units I would like to teach next semester when I am student teaching full-time. My cooperating teacher said that he always welcomes enthusiastic student teachers who like to think of creative lessons, so I went ahead and e-mailed him with what I had in mind.

I was a yearbook editor in high school for a nationally renown yearbook staff, so I figured, hey, why not pursue this interest in the classroom? I thought it would be neat to modify what I learned in high school journalism to my fifth grade class and develop a mini staff to create a fifth grade paper.

Because of the variety of learning styles, I thought it would be interesting to assign students different tasks, based on their strengths and interests. For instance, I could have some students take pictures, others write sports stories, others do special features, cartoons, etc. I want to create an editing table, so whenever there is free time, students are working on editing the work of their peers by providing positive feedback.

Because this is a SOL year in the state of Virginia, it is imperative that this incorporates SOL's...editing is the primary skill I want students to develop throughout this unit, because by the time they begin, they will already have a solid understanding of what makes a good paper.

I am still in the process of conceptualizing this unit; I think the best thing for me to do is to begin to outline tasks for each student and assign students to these tasks based on ability. For instance, high ability students can be given the role of editors, since they may finish their work more quickly. Students who have difficulty with writing may work with a co-author, or have the opportunity to take pictures or express themselves using an alternative means.

I will have students type all their work, and I will copy/paste all their items into a newspaper template in Publisher. I think this will be a great thing to send home toparents and to have as an artifact when I apply for jobs.

2006-10-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

A Webquest about Blogging? http://anne.teachesme.com/2006/09/19/webquest-on-blogging/

In my educ 401 class, we are currently working on webquests, and I happened to stumble upon a great webquest about blogging...This webquest is designed for students to understand the essential elements of blogging and how to maximize its potential.

I agree that technology should not be taught in isolation, but in this instance, this webquest is a great tool for providing background information about blogging, which will become a springboard for future application to core subjects. For students who have never been exposed to blogs, this is a fun way to introduce them to the topic. In the elementary grades, modeling of work is essential, and what better way to show students your expectations for them by providing a webquest?

I was really pleased that the webquest included steps for safe blogging. How imperative it is in this generation to teach proper internet etiquette. It would be a shame to completely isolate children from the vast amount of information on the internet; instead, we should empower them by providing them with the tools to protect themselves. I was also interested to read about the think-pair-share. This tactic has been used in multiple education classes, and I am always interested to see real-life application of concepts taught in class.

Also, I might add, that I think this webquest would be great to show to parents! Parents can be reluctant sometimes to have their children exposed to the web, but it will provide them with a better knowledge and understanding of the uses of blogging in education.

2006-09-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Reflection on 2nd Grade Lesson Plan: http://www.edsupport.cc/mguhlin/blog/archives/2005/11/entry_668.htm

There's nothing more rewarding to a student than to be praised by others when you have worked hard on an assignment. Adding students work online is a great way to maximize student feedback and exposure. Even though it is password protected, the students have the opportunity to collaborate. The internet broadens our connections and our resources, so I guess it makes sense to ask, why not take advantage of it?

Although password protection is most likely a necessity in this day and time, I wonder if Miguel might find a way to share the password with parents. Parents too would love to see their students work, and it's a great way to share with families, without sending home papers that seem to get lost in the bottomless pit of backpack.

Here's another thought: although this was one unit, I think it might be neat to post multiple examples of student work throughout the year. This way, students have a way to review their work and the progress they've made. Maybe you could even make it a schoolwide initiative to show progress across grades!

2006-09-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Technology Inventory

The Technology Inventory was a great tool for learning about the resources that are available to me in my practicum. I cannot imagine how terrible it would be to plan an excellent lesson in the classroom, only to realize that you lack the means to implement it.

I'm glad to see that our school has access to digital video cameras. These will be extremely useful as student teachers. It will be a great way to showcase our work, and possibly add as artifacts in our electronic portfolios. I am also pleased to know that LCD projectors are available to us as student teachers. Because there are a limited number of classroom computers (2 in my classroom to be exact) there will have to be more whole group activities, and LCD projectors are a useful tool for incorporating the entire class.

Being in a school with good technology is great for teachers and students alike. Teachers can use it to engage students of all backgrounds, and the students who do not have it in the home can have exposure to it.

My main question/concern is that suppose I teach in a school one day that lacks the technology I hope to incorporate into my curriculum. What can I do to help improve the technology in this type of setting? How do I convince parents and administrators that it is essential to the curriculum, and what individual initiatives could be taken to improve the technology in the school?

2006-09-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Planning for the unexpected?

I'm beginning to notice that despite the countless hours put into planning lessons, there will always be things that arise that were not planned. For instance, the fire drill midday, the child who gets sick, or even unforseen behavioral problems.

I'm realizing that lesson plans often must be taken as a suggestion or as a possibility. Allowing oneself to stray from the planned activities creates flexibility and allows for new opportunities...Sure this will be hard to deal with, especially during the lessons that took hours to prepare, but part of being a teacher is learning how to handle anything.

I'm not suggesting that teachers throw away the planner, but I think my cooperating teacher presented me with good advice. He told me that I should always be ready for the unexpected and always have an emergency back-up activity. There will always be new things that we, as teachers, will face daily in the classroom, many of which could not have been taught in a textbook due to the overwhelming wealth of contingencies.

2006-09-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Another year has begun, and I am already in my second week of my practicum. Once again, I'm in a fifth grade class with the same cooperating teacher.

Last year I began my observation during the spring semester. This year, I begin my practicum with a new group of students. I get to see firsthand the importance of a structured classroom in the development of routines and procedures as well as the prevention of discipline problems. I have noticed that students are trying to find their place in the classroom, but they are constantly testing the limits, so consistency is a MUST!

This semester my practicum hours are in social studies, technology, and reading/language arts. Although much of my work is centered around the 5th grade curriculum, I take the time to visit a first grade classroom for language arts and a third grade classroom for social studies. I think it will prove beneficial to gain experience with a variety of age groups. Afterall, the challenges faced in a fifth grade class are entirely different from a first grade classroom.

So much to learn in a year... I will continue to blog about my experiences, concerns, hopes, fears, and random reflections from the perspective of a student teacher @ the College of William and Mary

2006-04-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a neat way that my cooperating teacher, Mr. Spence is using music and techology to teach poetry in a March 13th post, but I had no idea how truly comprehensive this project would actually be. Because it has taken a considerable amount of time during my practicum, I wanted to take the time to write about all the hardwork that Mr. Spence and his students put into it.

The finished products are in, and now that I've been able to see the entire unit, I am truly AMAZED at the finished product. As a refresher, Mr. Spence is currently working on a project with his students that involves each of them writing their own song. Never in my life have I seen such an incredible lesson that covers such an expansive array of different learning styles. The theme that sparked this unit is poetry; my teacher puts emphasis on understanding rhyme, rhythm, etc.

The assignment basically states that children can work in groups or individually, pick a popular song or write their own, and create a song that rhymes or follows the rhyme scheme that they already have. Mr. Spence works with the students on the lyric and the tune, they sing and record the song, and he records ALL the instruments. The students then call a Class of 2006 NOW CD that combines all their classmates songs. The students then use Powerpoint to create a music video, incorporating pictures they take with a digital camera, images they googled, custom animation, and so many other neat graphics. It's a great way for students to learn a program like Powerpoint while enabling them to add a personal touch to an assignment.

The coolest thing of the whole project is the JAMMY music awards that concludes the unit. Parents are invited as students dress up like their favorite rock stars. Mr. Spence gets a video camera and prepares questions for the students prior to the meeting. Parents attend the event, and kids play their song, show their music videos, and vote for their favorite video. Many of these songs are played at their fifth grade classroom. Unfortunately, I had class during the awards, but I'm sure it will turn out great.

The reason I love this unit is because it enables students with a variety of different learning styles to use their talents. I also love it because it shows what great things technology can do; who would have thought music videos could have been possible in the classroom before Powerpoint? And the music equipment Mr. Spence has to record all the songs is truly amazing. The neatest thing of all is that the kids have the CD in which to remember the class for years to come. This is truly an INCREDIBLE assignment that is very work intensive for the teacher, but it shows in the end how much that hard work truly pays off!

Jeopardy!!!

2006-04-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

My technology teacher, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach directed me to the following webpage that has great Jeopardy Templates.

Today was the first day that I used one of these games in my class, and the kids LOVED it. We played boys against girls and used a LCD projector so everyone in the class could see.

I created a Jeopardy game that was a SOL science review, so I looked online at the Virginia Department of Education website and looked for some of the different objectives that could be used. It's great tool for reviewing information and it provides an interactive learning environment because it really increases students' enthusiasm for success.

My cooperating teacher and another student teacher both wanted links to this Jeopardy template so they could use it in the future. So maybe I'm no Alex Trebek, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

2006-04-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

Computer games as rewards?

As a kid, I remember zipping through an assignment to get to the end so I could play a computer game. How I loved Oregon trail and the classic number and word munchers. The race would begin from the second my teacher handed out papers. All of the students would scramble to finish so they could play on the computer as their envious classmates only watched.

Part of this problem could be due to computer availability. If there aren't enough computers, there will always be this little race because they are in low supply and high demand.

I think computer games can be great though, especially if you have a student who needs a different type of motivation to encourage them to work. In this respect, a computer game is great because it shows them that education can be fun. It also can reinforce principles you have in your classroom.

So what's the answer? I think 1) the best answer would be to have lots of computers in the classroom. However, I am also practical and realistic, and I recognize that sometimes you have to play the cards you're dealt. Other solutions could invovle 2) designated center times for the computers 3) rotation schedules and 4) partner games.

Obviously, there is a lot more to learning than just fun and games, but I also believe students should not be locked into the rigidty of the day so much that they do not enjoy school.

Who Pushed Humpty?

2006-03-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

humpty
Originally uploaded by crunchbot.

Digital books?

During my practicum, I encountered an awesome teaching tool while working with the technology instructor. He had a digital bok that he projected onto the smartboard screen in the lab. He read the book WHO PUSHED HUMPTY? to his class, and it was great because all the students were able to see the pictures because the illustrations contained clues in solving this mystery.

I asked the teacher following the lesson where he got this digitized book. He explained that he created it himself. He simply took digital pictures of each page of the book and put them on powerpoint and added voice recordings to narrate each page. Pretty cool use of technology, huh?

2006-03-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

Personal Response System

During my educational classes, specifically Educational Psychology, I have encountered a neat little technology that could prove beneficial in the classroom called the Personal Response System. This tool enables all the students to have their own handheld device, and they can choose a number choice on their keypad to answer multiple choice questions.

The neat thing about this is that the answers all appear on the board and are 100% anonymous. It's a great way to encourage classroom participation. It shows wrong answers as well as right answers, so it is great for getting feedback about the current level of comprehension in your class. It's also useful in the sense that it does not provide biased feedback. Often, the only students who raise their hands are the ones that know the answer, so teachers get a poor assessment of the actual comprehension of the class as a whole.

Click here to learn more about this useful tool in the classroom!

2006-03-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

I sympathized with Bud the Teacher who is trying to integrate technology into the classroom but is reaching nothing but dead ends. He ordered laptops for his classroom, but still have not received them.

Oh, the frustrations of teaching begin. And here is my concern as a beginning teacher: I love technology! I welcome it, embrace it, and encourage it...unfortunately the rest of the world is a little more reluctant. So many people in the world are still stuck in the "Oh, we didn't need that stuff when I was coming along, so why do you need it now?" mindset.

Face it people...TIMES ARE CHANGING, like it or not!!! Technology is new, it's different; it's the way of the future! This is what it boils down to: the students who have exposure to technology willl have that extra edge in the real world. They'll get the big breaks and be snatched up quickly out of high school and college.

Fortunately, I grew up in a school with good technology, and I have a lot of access to technology at the elementary school in which I student teach. I can only sympathize with the teachers who have to fight for every computer, piece of software, etc. Don't give in; your battle is worth the fight.

So for those of you reading this, you probably agree. Afterall, those of you who disagree are still probably clinging to your typewriters...

Brown Starfish

2006-03-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

Brown Starfish
Originally uploaded by simonyfrontsjones.

Child abuse and neglect is sadly something we as educators must one day witness in the lives of our students. However, debate exists about whose responsibility is it to help these children...is it the educators, social services, principals? I can only speak for myself when I say that I think that teachers should be the first to help a child. Afterall, teachers do spend more time with a child than almost anyone else. You have the opportunity to make a difference or an impact. Maybe you won't reach everyone; maybe you will only make a difference to one child, but to one child, this difference could mean the world. I always refer to this starfish story when I talk about reaching children. It reminds you that you need to take an individual approach when assessing the needs of other students. Maybe we can't change the world, but we can start one child at a time.

2006-03-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

I was reading on Elementary Education Majors and Interns' Blog about a poetry style known as Me poems to introduce poetry. I think I might have found what the author was looking at Education World. I think writing about yourself is a great way to begin poetry because poetry can be so insightful and spiritual for some students.

On the lines of poetry, I thought I would share a really creative way to teach poetry that I observed in my practicum today. My teacher is beginning a unit on poetry by using music. Today, he required all the students to write down four or five lines of their favorite song, and he then mapped the rhyme scheme of these songs on the board. He then introduced his newest assignment: the students will be responsible for either writing new words to an already exisiting song or writing their own song to get them into the swing of poetry. And wait, that's not all. The students are then responsible for recording their songs on a CD, creating a music video, and even having a "Jammy" music awards at the end of the semester. Who knew poetry could be this fun?

2006-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

I read a brief blog by D. Kuropatwa, and I found his entry Make'em Laugh! and insightful little reminder. He reminded teachers to not forget the importance of laughter in the classroom. I think teachers often get so swept into the fears of standardization and cramming information in that they forget to laugh every now and again with students.

Now I'm a silly person at heart, so laughter for me is not a problem. However, I do want my students to see me as a professional. I want to learn how to find a balance so I become a professional and a warm person.

I always think a great think to remember is to learn to laugh at yourself. Be prepared to make mistakes and embarass yourself, but learn to laugh it off!

2006-03-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

"Miss Previs, Miss Previs...." I don't see my Mom, oh wait, you mean me!

I have now made two visits to my practicum location. Working with fifth graders has been incredible, except that I seem to blend among the taller kids. I have seen lots of evidence of SOL review because it's beginning to be crunch time!!!

The students are so enthusiastic. One girl randomly asked me if I liked her orange and black socks. Although this kind of thing is trivial, it's nice knowing that the students see me as approachable.

My cooperating teacher told me that as I grow more comfortable in the classroom, he will begin to ask me to prepare a lesson, and give me only 10 minutes to get it together. He said he wants me to learn to handle things in an instant because not everything goes according to plan.

I'm going to try and spend a lot of time in the school over spring break. I want the kids to feel comfortable with my presence and ask me questions with ease. It's hard transitioning each day from being a student at college to a teacher in the school. I never thought I'd see the day when people call me Miss Previs!

2006-02-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

“Pursue Excellence but Remain Fluid” is great advice for any teacher, regardless of where they are in their career. The "pursuit of excellence", a topic discussed in the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, emphasizes some important points with regard to distinction in teaching. The author indicates the importance of remembering what makes an outstanding teacher so we do not lose sight of what is truly important in our pursuit for flawlessness. The author also emphasizes the use of the Socratic method to achieve excellence in the classroom by employing a teaching style that leads with questions.

I agree with the statements that describe excellence in teaching, and I feel the Socratic method will help achieve such excellence. I strongly feel using questions to guide student learning is a great way to encourage active participation from my students. It is also beneficial because students remember what they learn themselves, and they are expected to pay attention during class. As a student myself, I find it easy to drift off mid lecture if I know I’m not going to be called on.

However, part of me as a beginning teacher is reluctant to employ such a technique. What if my students do not respond to my questions? What if I run out of questions? What if my questions are too easy, or what if they embarrass my students who do not know the answers? I hope with experience I can become more accustomed to this method.

I still think teaching with questions is a great method, but it can also be employed on ourselves. By questioning our own abilities, assessing what went wrong and what worked, we can improve our own performance in the classroom and facilitate our students. We can ask ourselves a variety of questions. Which strategies did I employ that were most effective? What could I do to improve on the lesson? Have my students mastered the concepts?

This blog presents some interesting ideas, and I might print out these bulleted points about excellence in teaching so I do not lose sight of what I am really striving for as an educator one day.

*This picture is of PUFF BALL, my sister's cat. It's in honor of the Cool Cat Teacher Blog.

2006-02-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

Classroom Control

Have you ever walked into that classroom in which you immediately knew if you misbehaved, you would be in BIG trouble? Maybe my biggest fear is not having this kind of control one day. Now, I don't want to be the "mean" teacher by far, but I think it might be difficult to become a disciplinarian. I have no problem putting students name on the board, taking away recess, etc., but will these things really work? I guess what I really need to assess is what age group I'm dealing with, the effectiveness of discipline in the past, and do the strategies coincide with my beliefs. I am really excited to go to my practicum and see how my teacher orchestrates his classroom. I'll keep you updated on any new tips and tidbits I unveil!

2006-02-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

Orientation at DJ Montague

Today I got to meet my mentor teacher and see my practicum site for the first time. The school was amazing; artwork was all over the walls, and kids and teachers were springing with life. The atmosphere was vibrant, contagious, and definitely conducive to learning. I met the librarian and she agreed to let me and the other William and Mary students have access to any of the school's materials, and they reinforced the collaborative nature of this experience. I met my mentor teacher, Mr. Spence, who has a fifth grade classroom. I look forward to working with him and all his students. I am especially excited because the teachers at DJ Montague teach all the subjects, so it will be nice to get exposure to more than one subject before I teach. I begin my first "real" day next Friday, so stay tuned for updates!

Image from: http://www.wjcc.k12.va.us/djm/

2006-02-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

Today I have my orientation at my practicum site. I was assigned to DJ Montague Elementary School. I have a fifth grade class with a male teacher named Mr. Spence. I'm so excited to meet the students and see the school system. I always remember my first day of a school as a student, and now I am beginning to see an entirely different perspective. I always thought teachers were so knowledgable and confident, and then I evaluate myself and realize that probably wasn't so. Regardless of my anxieties, I am so excited to begin getting some hands on experience...Wish me luck!

2006-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Tech Autobiography Post

I embrace and enthusiastically welcome technology. This doesn't mean I want human interactions to be replaced with robots or anything; I really just love how connected technology has made the world and I am amazed at the wealth of resources at my fingertips.

I have been a computer technician for the past four summers at my home high school (geeky, yes, I know). My boss actually calls me and my two co-workers the "geek squad." I think she got that title from a commercial or something, but I suppose it sometimes fits. But seriously, I don't see myself as a computer geek. I can do basic physical maintenance and repairs on computers (mostly Dell) and I'm pretty confident using Microsoft Office. I am currently working on a pilot program in King William County called Computers Available on Loan for Literacy in which the school provides out of service computers to children from lower socioeconomic status to facilitate learning.

I think I got my first computer in about fifth grade. It was a Tandy Sensation, and I basically used it to play a pretty primitive version of Oregon Trail. There was nothing like the thrill of hunting buffalo, forwarding the river, and stopping to trade from the comfort of my own home! My parents are not exactly computer saavy, so what I learned about computers has been at school, personal exploration, and at work.

I am your average college student, so of course I use my computer (faithfully). I guess I take day to day technologies for granted (like my alarm clock that forces me out of bed every morning). And, of course, I have a nano Ipod! I'm not real into the digital video games and all, but for the most part, I always welcome new technology!

I had different extremes in school with teachers who embraced technology and those that strayed from it. I had one teacher at Governor's School who did all his lessons on powerpoint, which was very engaging. Some of my teachers have used Smartboards, and I took an awesome Synergistics class in middle school where I did my own radio show, lauched a rocket, cooked solar power hot dogs, flew a simulated airplane, built a race car, and so many other cool things! However, I have also had the teachers who struggled with overhead projectors and writing e-mails. Although they too were great teachers, they did not work out of their comfort zone. I think that teachers from when I came through school could choose to either use technology or not, but I think when I beginning teaching, it will be essential to keep my students engaged.

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