I am a person that is constantly asking questions. When I was in high school I was on the newspaper staff, I never had a problem finding questions to ask during interviews. I love the fact that inquiry is about asking questions and researching to find the answers. I love that Science and Social Studies are both looking at inquiry as a way to learn. I have always had the desire to learn and to keep learning by looking deeper at things. Sometimes I could sit for hours researching a subject and not just using technology. I am a library person, I love looking through the stacks and search for different subjects and paging through the books. I do love the technology side of research and answering the questions I seek answers to. I hope that I can bring that love for inquiry to my students.
In class, I had so much fun putting together our tutorial video for glogster. It was easier than I thought. I am unsure though how all this technology fits into the grade levels I am hoping to teach. It seems like Glogster, Prezi and even the Project Based Learning seems geared to grades 5th grade up. I can see using some of these for a presentation for students but I am not sure if I can see it actually being used by the students. I love the thought of Project Based Learning. It seems like a huge undertaking but I think that it gives students an amazing way to learn. I did watch some videos where the students were of lower grades. It seems that the teacher needs to collaborate with many others to make the learning work. Just watching some of the videos of the teachers planning this takes immense amount of time. Add in that teachers are now going to have to make sure that they are meeting the standards.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Week 3
In our last class, I again realized how hard it is to narrow down a subject or a standard in order to make a lesson that will not be overwhelming to students. When we finally settled on the big idea, I felt that the lesson started to come together. I can only hope that it ends up working like we intended.
After reading chapter 2, I realized that I often reflect on my teaching. I complain about having to write reflections to the point of saying that I am not good at reflecting. I know that I do reflect, how I could improve lesson after I have taught it. I find that I reflect quite often when I have been subbing in a classroom many time. I try to figure out how I could have possibly explained subject better or taught a lesson differently. When subbing it is hard to know what the students prior knowledge is on any given subject, sometimes you are unable to assess students prior knowledge. I also find it hard when I sub that I know what has been previously taught or how it has been taught. There are so many different strategies that can be possibly taught.
I also reflect on my classroom management styles. Being a substitute, is not easy. Each class has different rules, schedules, and dynamics. It aways amazes me how students crave their rules, schedules, and routines when their teacher is absent. I reflect on how I handle many different situations that I encounter as I teach. I am not always privileged to know all the dynamics and rules of each classroom I enter. Teachers are do not always have the ability to leave detailed notes regarding their classroom. Sometimes when I discover things that may pertain to how I would have handed a situations, I reflect on how I could have been more intuitive to the situation.
I tend to reflect even to the point of over analyzing situations. Sometimes I think of many different outcomes. I do discuss some of my situations with other teachers. I love getting other ideas.
I believe that as a teacher it is essential to reflect but it is also important to teach students to be reflective. I love making students to reflect on what they have learned. Sometimes while students are reflecting students can see that they actually understood what has been taught. I enjoy seeing that they had an A-HA moment. To me seeing the A-HA moment is one of the best things about being a teacher. During reflection however students and teachers can assess that they need more explanation or need for the teacher to re-teach or revise the lesson.
Reflection maybe not be my favorite thing to write about, but I know that it is vitality important to learning and growing.
"There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination. "
Denis Diderot
After reading chapter 2, I realized that I often reflect on my teaching. I complain about having to write reflections to the point of saying that I am not good at reflecting. I know that I do reflect, how I could improve lesson after I have taught it. I find that I reflect quite often when I have been subbing in a classroom many time. I try to figure out how I could have possibly explained subject better or taught a lesson differently. When subbing it is hard to know what the students prior knowledge is on any given subject, sometimes you are unable to assess students prior knowledge. I also find it hard when I sub that I know what has been previously taught or how it has been taught. There are so many different strategies that can be possibly taught.
I also reflect on my classroom management styles. Being a substitute, is not easy. Each class has different rules, schedules, and dynamics. It aways amazes me how students crave their rules, schedules, and routines when their teacher is absent. I reflect on how I handle many different situations that I encounter as I teach. I am not always privileged to know all the dynamics and rules of each classroom I enter. Teachers are do not always have the ability to leave detailed notes regarding their classroom. Sometimes when I discover things that may pertain to how I would have handed a situations, I reflect on how I could have been more intuitive to the situation.
I tend to reflect even to the point of over analyzing situations. Sometimes I think of many different outcomes. I do discuss some of my situations with other teachers. I love getting other ideas.
I believe that as a teacher it is essential to reflect but it is also important to teach students to be reflective. I love making students to reflect on what they have learned. Sometimes while students are reflecting students can see that they actually understood what has been taught. I enjoy seeing that they had an A-HA moment. To me seeing the A-HA moment is one of the best things about being a teacher. During reflection however students and teachers can assess that they need more explanation or need for the teacher to re-teach or revise the lesson.
Reflection maybe not be my favorite thing to write about, but I know that it is vitality important to learning and growing.
"There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination. "
Denis Diderot
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Week 2
I can say that I feel like I am on information overload. There is so much technology that has been introduce to me through the readings, the videos, and my classmates blogs. I feel like I have been missing out on something. There are days that I feel like I am teaching some of the teachers I work with and then there are days were I feel overwhelmed by all the technology out there that I don't even know about. I realize that I need to take it one day at a time and one app or technology at a time. After reading one of my blogs I was excited to add and app to my ipad (Google Drive) but then was even more excited to find that they is an app for Blogger too! I LOVE my ipad! I like being able to take it anywhere and now I feel like I will be able to do my school work anywhere I can go.
I enjoyed the videos on Glogster and the Project Gutenberg. I had heard of Glogster from Sandy but I never actually seen it. I think that it would be fun to have students create one for many different subjects. One that popped into mind was a project that my oldest son did in fourth grade. He had to research a Wisconsin County and then create a PowerPoint presentation about that county. A fourth grader could do the same research and create a Glogster instead.
I am such a book lover and so I could have downloaded a ton of books after looking at Project Gutenberg. I am always telling my boys that they need to read all sorts of books especially the classics, now we have access to books that otherwise we might have overlooked.
I enjoyed the videos on Glogster and the Project Gutenberg. I had heard of Glogster from Sandy but I never actually seen it. I think that it would be fun to have students create one for many different subjects. One that popped into mind was a project that my oldest son did in fourth grade. He had to research a Wisconsin County and then create a PowerPoint presentation about that county. A fourth grader could do the same research and create a Glogster instead.
I am such a book lover and so I could have downloaded a ton of books after looking at Project Gutenberg. I am always telling my boys that they need to read all sorts of books especially the classics, now we have access to books that otherwise we might have overlooked.
The problem with technology is that I tend to get so wrapped up in it that I loss myself in it. In chapter 14, I like that it reminded me that we should not use technology for the sake of using technology. It is important that we know why we are using it. There are many teachers out there that do not wish to use the technology that is available. Many teachers I talk to say they don't have time to learn the technology they have in their classrooms, some have learned the basics of the technology. Technology keeps advancing and I think it is hard for many teachers to keep up with it all.
As I read about the Flipped Classroom, I kept trying to figure away that this would work in a class in lower elementary grades. I think that it sounds wonderful for students in high school and possibility middle school. Another concern I have about the Flipped Classroom is that students need to have technology to make it work, what happens if the students do not have access to the technology. I know as an adult with a job and family, I think that a flipped classroom would benefit me. Being able to watch lectures on my time and then be able to jump right into a class. I am intrigued with the Flipped Classroom. I am interested in learning more.
As I read about the Flipped Classroom, I kept trying to figure away that this would work in a class in lower elementary grades. I think that it sounds wonderful for students in high school and possibility middle school. Another concern I have about the Flipped Classroom is that students need to have technology to make it work, what happens if the students do not have access to the technology. I know as an adult with a job and family, I think that a flipped classroom would benefit me. Being able to watch lectures on my time and then be able to jump right into a class. I am intrigued with the Flipped Classroom. I am interested in learning more.
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