Finals!

I never realized until this week, how wonderful it is that the classes I'm taking for the College of Education do not have final exams. Why do teachers feel that a test on every detail that you learned during the entire semester can dictate what you learned in the class. I truly think there are so many types of other assessments which we learned in our classes that show the level of understanding, besides a multiple choice test. As future teachers, we should think about what a "final" exam means, and is it really beneficial to our students?

Sadness in the World

This week awful things occurred at the Indiana University Campus in Bloomington. Rocks were thrown at windows at Chabad and Hillel, (both Jewish organizations on campus) Ignorance is not going away- it is becoming more prominent and closer to home. Should we just stand by and watch these hate crimes? It saddens me to feel the realness of these attacks.

As future educators we are told to explore and enjoy diversity in our classroom and embrace different cultures. But as educators how do we explain to our students why this is happening? It happens every day but no one seems to care. We need to take a stand. We need to show our students that ignorance is going to hurt this world. We need to accept all, people who believe in different religions, people who have abilities, and people who have difference in opinions.

Be proud of who you are, and celebrate who you are. Do not let ignorance shatter who you are.

Teaching

These past two weeks I started teaching in my field placement. Man, was I nervous. Luckily my first lesson was co-taught. It went really well, and I'm so excited that I was able to teach  my 3rd graders about the elections and why it is so important to vote. This week I'm teaching my Science lesson on Light and Shadows. The first part went really well, all of the students were highly engaged and were enthusiastic about the lesson. Tomorrow I'm wrapping up  my lesson with shadows. Part of my Science lesson is that I have to create two different types of assessments. One Formative and one summative. I think assessing students is extremely difficult, which is why I'm glad that for my summative assessment I am asking the students to draw and/or write the answers to three questions to help them express what they learned in more than one way. :) I'm looking forward to teaching my Science lesson tomorrow!

Teaching is scary but every time I walk into the classroom, I know why I'm going into teaching! :D

Who Knew School was so busy!

Wow! I can't believe how crazy I've been the last month with my Senior Year! It's FLYING by... It's already November. I just taught my first lesson as a teacher! It went really well! Thank goodness! I learned a lot and can't wait to teach my next lesson.

In my Special Education class focusing on Technology, we are learning about Google Docs and how helpful they can be in any type of setting, school or business. It really is a great tool for everyone to use! Google has a lot of tools that are helpful for everyone! Play around and try it out! I think you'll like what you'll find out! :)

Click on this link to see how Google Docs can be used! :) 
Google Docs in Education

Happy Learning!

What's the best way to teach?

I am currently enrolled in multiple classes all teaching me how to teach. My Special Education classes are teaching me one thing and my Regular Education classes vary in teaching other methods and most of the time do not even touch upon Special Education in the classroom.

The article Question Everything,  questions many aspects of the "regular" education classroom and finding the reason for it. In the article it discusses the importance or lack of importance of the "Math Minute" when I was in third grade every day in math we had to do all of these math facts in under a minute- did it help me learn my math facts? Not quite sure but I do know that it created a lot of additional stress for me. Does it matter if student A got all 50 problems right in 30 seconds or in 120 seconds?

There is a great push for Inclusion in the classroom, although many people believe that total Inclusion will take away from other students learning. In the classroom that I am student teaching in, there is a bin for "Fidget toys" that are accessible to everyone if they need to help them pay attention- it is not only for the students with IEPs but for anyone who feels that they need something to help them learn. In Successful Inclusion Program Blog, talks about many critical points "rules" that help in every classroom regardless if it is a full inclusion classroom or not.

As educators it is important to remember that every learner learns differently, regardless if the student has a learning disability, is gifted or is an ELL (English Language Learner), we need to create a learning environment that is suitable for all learners!

Digital or Old Fashion

Are Audio Books and Digital text the new printed books? There is a huge debate if the art of printed text on paper be obsolete sooner than expected? Hard Cover, paperback, magazines and newspapers might not be around much longer- now that we are in the digital era. Is this a move for the better to help students and others or is this a push backwards? What is the benefit of both? Is there a benefit to one verse the other? 

In the Scottish Government’s publication “Books For All: Accessible Curriculum Materials For Pupils with Additional Support Needs” discussed the benefits and drawbacks from having Audio books, “Within Scottish education, national plans require pupils to spend time on personal reading. For a pupil with a reading difficulty he (they are mostly male) is expected to sit and read a book for forty minutes at a time. Many absolutely hate doing this, so what is to be done? Staff find audio versions of the text to be extremely practical and beneficial: the media are cheap to copy; players are small, inexpensive and easy to use; and children listening while following the text at the same time can access the material at the same speed as the rest of the class”. This is great for children who have a reading comprehension issue or dyslexia, or other types of reading and decoding skills- but what about the students who have auditory issues? This is not the answer and will only hold them back in school. Shouldn’t we allow everyone the option to choose what suits them best and helps them learn? I think that having the concept of a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in every classroom is beneficial on this aspect of audio or visual texts. Allowing a student to choose which medium is best for them will only enhance learning. The content and meaning behind both mediums are exactly the same- just the method of delivery is different.

                

 When a computer crashes- it is ciaos- what will happen when all of your text books are deleted accidently because of a bug in your digital medium? Is there a way to recover them?  However there is a good thing for students when it comes to digital books- you can carry all of your text books in something that weighs less than the 50+ pounds the books weighed before.  “New technologies - both in hardware appliances and in software for general purpose computers - are developing to facilitate the use of digital books. These technologies emphasize support of books that are translated, rather than reconceptualized, for the digital medium. These new technologies should make many digital books more convenient, more readable, and more useable” Lynch wrote about in his Battle to Define the Future of the Book in the Digital World.

                Is there a right answer? Is there a better alternative to physical books?

That’s for you to decide!

Welcome!

Welcome to my Blog!
I hope throughout the time that I am in classes and learning about different and new ways to teach students, you too will be able to learn also! I will be adding links to projects I have done or am currently working on and also links that I find inspirational and motivating in life and in teaching!

It's important to remember that teaching and learning is everywhere, in every shape, form and size!