My Beliefs

Even before this PDP, I strongly felt that technology in the classroom is a must. I feel that technology levels the playing field for our students—giving the ones that normally wouldn’t have a chance to become anything extraordinary, an opportunity to prove themselves and have as many opportunities anyone else. Watching these videos and reading these articles has only strengthened my resolve to integrate technology strongly into my classroom.

The articles “the New WWW” and “the Next Generation”, as well as the video “Millennial Generation” made it clear where today’s youth is going—straight for the newest and fastest technology. Teachers need to keep up with students’ interests, in order to keep their attention and affectively teach them as they deserve to be. I also felt the article “Teens See Disconnect between Personal and School Writing” interesting. I have to disagree with the teens on this one—I feel that personal and school writing are directly interconnected. If you write personal things, your school writing will reflect your “style” of writing. If you write badly on personal things, your school work will mirror that, and vice-versa.

I actually find myself appreciating the NETS paper, as well as the UNI questionnaire. It helped to section things off and isolate specific technological aspects so I could see where I was and was not lacking. I feel that using these will help me in the future with pinpointing where I need to work when it comes to Technology in my classroom. I fully intend on following my goals and using them to further my understanding.

Lessons Learned

Going through the PDP process, I found myself enjoying the videos I watched and the articles I read. Two of the videos do not work anymore, so I was unable to view them; this concerns me a bit only because I feel as if I am missing information Doc Waters wanted me to know. But I enjoyed the “Millennial Generation” and the “Did You Know” videos. The first was very informative as to the desires of today’s generation (although I couldn’t agree with them on some points), and the later held so much surprising information that I ended up gaping at a few points.

One of the articles refused to come up unless I sign up for a free online subscription to the New York Times, so I did! I’m actually grateful, because I realized after I read the article, how much of an asset it is to have that information on hand every day. I was a little confused by the High Tech Learning site—I looked through every page and while the information was helpful, it was a little too much to take in with everything else I was trying to process. It would make a great separate lesson, having us blog on that site alone, though.

Going back to the videos, I want to bring up how much the “Did You Know” video affected me. Much of that information I did not know. In fact, while I knew that China was expected to become the largest English-speaking country in the world, I did not know how technologically and socially stunted the USA is becoming in comparison to places like China and England. I was also unaware of how vast China is in comparison to us—realizing that all of us in the US pretty much equal their “high IQ” people there, is a humbling thought.

Strengths & Weaknesses

My greatest weakness was in software applications (UNI). Data bases, spreadsheets, graphic organizers and instructional software—I’ve heard of them and even used (or created) examples of each, but I have little experience using any of them in a classroom setting. I feel this might also stem from my ignorance when it comes to more complicated technological terminology. My greatest strengths were in using technologic tools such as Internet and E-mail, audio-visual tools, and using multi-media software (UNI & NETS). I am great at using technology to teach in the classroom, but when it comes down to computer software applications, I’m near helpless.

Noting this, I have come up with a few goals for myself. The first: become more familiar with software applications and using them in a classroom setting. Secondly, I need to become more knowledgeable in computer terminology. I feel that understanding more of the terminology would help me in supporting my first goal. My third goal is to use my first two goals to further my success in teaching about and through technology in my future classroom.

After doing a little digging I discovered that EducationOnlineForComputers.com provides free training and tutorials in several software applications for companies such as Microsoft and Adobe. Using this would help me understand how to create and use Spreadsheets and Graphic Organizers. And to help me with my technology terms, there is a handy little site called, The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary (http://www.techterms.com/), that has an encyclopedia of technical terms anyone might come across, with detailed examples and simple definitions to accompany each word. This is definitely something I will use in the future, for fun as much as its educational benefit.

Service Learning Project

I was able to show my Digital Story in Class. Miss D. liked it a lot and showed it again at a later time; however, she did not wish to be taught how to create Digital Stories. I approached her several times on the subject until she directly told me she wasn’t interested.

Student Teaching: the Finale

WHAT?

This week was our final two days of student teaching. I have to admit that I will miss it—my experience was wonderful and the students were amazing. It will definitely be an experience that I remember for the rest of my life.

SO WHAT?

These last two days we taught two small lessons—reading group lessons with four-five students at a time. We were each assigned a group of the most advanced readers last week, and asked to instruct them in a guided reading book. I had my group do a Literature Circle, where they each took a “job” such as summarizing the section they read or finding words they didn’t understand and listing them. We would then discuss them during the circles. I also gave them a further assignment, which was visualizing and drawing a scene from something that they read. Whether the reading incited a memory or a day-dream, I wanted them to draw it and then share it during our last meeting. They responded eagerly to this lesson and asked to do it several times over.

NOW WHAT?

I decided to make the class a present from the photographs that I took of the students over our time there. I am making a type of digital story for them, consisting of the photographs and a special song that I thought embodied all of the students within the class. I wasn’t able to finish it before our last day there, so our Cooperating Teacher gave me permission to bring it to her after school sometime within the next few weeks, and she will then show it to her class.

Student Teaching (Week 3)

What?

During our second full week of student teaching, we taught our last three lessons, plus some. We also got to assist with the school’s fourth-grade “Mountain Man Festival”, and had a blast doing it!

So What?

Our three official lessons this week were a lesson on verbs, a lesson in Math, and two individual book groups that we’re working with. I taught the lesson on Verbs, reading the students a book on verbs called “To Root, to Toot, to Parachute”, and then we played a game that integrated social studies with verb-words. In our Math lesson we taught the students how to do 3x1 multiplication, and the different ways to solve it. We passed out a worksheet that half the class worked on while the other half played a multiplication game with dice. Half way through the lesson, we switched and had each group do the other activity. It worked really well and the students responded eagerly to both ways of learning.

Now What?

The “Mountain Man” festival was a lot of fun, and yet another chance to bond with the students and learn about their individual personalities. It lasted all day so there were no lessons taught Friday. Unfortunately, my partner and I realized that we only have two more days of student teaching before it’s over, and that has been a real downer. This experience was invaluable, our class has been amazing, and I wish that I had more time with them.

Student Teaching (Week 2)

What?

This week we had five days of student teaching. My partner and I were asked to teach two lessons, one on Visualization and one on a book Genre. Ashley (my partner) did Visualization, while I took Genre, and taught about Fantasy.

So What?

I chose to do three activities—a question-session, a game, and an activity where the six tables each took an element of Fantasy, and made a picture about what they visualized when they thought about that element. The question session was a lot of fun, with the students answering all of my questions enthusiastically. They also liked the game—which was a relay between two teams to see who could come up with more “Fantasy” words. The poster part could have gone a little better—they didn’t want to stop once they’d finished.

At the end of my half-hour teaching session, I showed my digital story on the “Elements of Fantasy”. It was a huge hit with the class, and they left for their rotations still talking about it.

Now What?

Ashley and I will be teaching at least three more lessons, although our cooperating teacher has requested that we help her with more than that, as well as remain the whole day on Friday to help man booths for the schools’ Mountain Man Festival. The lessons we’ll be teaching will be Math (teaching 3x1 multiplication), English (teaching about Verbs) and Reading Comprehension in book groups.