I found Mr. Goerend's Language Arts and Social Studies classroom blog. They are from Waukee, Iowa.
One comment I left is located here. The class was learning about poetry.
You can also find Ms. Sarah D's poem called "Time" here, along with the comment I left for her. I am "traveler22."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Jan.27: Reflection on Luis' Video
I was really impressed with how Luis has become familiar with technology and used it to find a possible career path for himself, to help his community, and his family. He is proficient in emailing and social networking.
Luis learned about computers by simply taking them apart and looking inside, and also online how-to videos. He has used this knowledge to help his parents, who are immigrants from Mexico, pay their bills online, and his mom is able to watch Spanish soap operas on youtube. That made me laugh!!
Luis is involved in Tech Wizards, a program at his high school which targets underrepresented youth in introducing them to careers in math, science, and engineering. With this team, he was able to use technology such as video camers,and GIS to take inventory of trees in their city, and report it to the city government. Then, his group was invited to give a presentation in Chile! How awesome is that! He and his friends learned that they were competent in technology and learned what kind of oppurtunities are out there for them.
He also helps his community by tutoring elementary school children in technolgy. He teaches them how to build robots.
Luis is excited that he is the first person in his family to even think of going to college. I hope that works for him...I'm sure it will.
Luis learned about computers by simply taking them apart and looking inside, and also online how-to videos. He has used this knowledge to help his parents, who are immigrants from Mexico, pay their bills online, and his mom is able to watch Spanish soap operas on youtube. That made me laugh!!
Luis is involved in Tech Wizards, a program at his high school which targets underrepresented youth in introducing them to careers in math, science, and engineering. With this team, he was able to use technology such as video camers,and GIS to take inventory of trees in their city, and report it to the city government. Then, his group was invited to give a presentation in Chile! How awesome is that! He and his friends learned that they were competent in technology and learned what kind of oppurtunities are out there for them.
He also helps his community by tutoring elementary school children in technolgy. He teaches them how to build robots.
Luis is excited that he is the first person in his family to even think of going to college. I hope that works for him...I'm sure it will.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Jan.22: Reflection on Nafiza
Nafiza is like many other teenagers today. She uses her cell phone as an alarm clock, she always has her iPod in her pocket, and she is really into cyber learning.
The video explains how she is working on a Virtual Video Project, which helps youth become digitally literate, which can help them be more civilly engaged in their society, according to their teacher. I think it is important for youth to participate in such cyber learning because whether, as their parents or teachers, we like it or not, the future has not only arrived, but will continue to progress. Students need to be prepared for their future while they are in school. Hey, why not?!
I also think it is great that the group is using their tech saviness to address current events, to share their opinions, and even to make the world a better place by bringing awareness to global social conditions (ex. in the video they mentioned Darfur and Tibet, both hot topics).
I would like to implement the technology with which students are already familiar, and introduce them to new systems in the classroom that can prepare them for their future. If a student goes into business or medicine, those seem like two fields that could really benefit from an education in technology, I think it would be great to incorporate tech with current events (I will be teaching history, so that will be relevant). Students, teenagers in particular, want to be part of the solution, not the problem. I would love to see my students engage in sharing opinions on the world as a whole, whether it be in research, presentation, state/national competitions (are there any?), they can use technology in a myriad of ways to accomplish their goals.
The video explains how she is working on a Virtual Video Project, which helps youth become digitally literate, which can help them be more civilly engaged in their society, according to their teacher. I think it is important for youth to participate in such cyber learning because whether, as their parents or teachers, we like it or not, the future has not only arrived, but will continue to progress. Students need to be prepared for their future while they are in school. Hey, why not?!
I also think it is great that the group is using their tech saviness to address current events, to share their opinions, and even to make the world a better place by bringing awareness to global social conditions (ex. in the video they mentioned Darfur and Tibet, both hot topics).
I would like to implement the technology with which students are already familiar, and introduce them to new systems in the classroom that can prepare them for their future. If a student goes into business or medicine, those seem like two fields that could really benefit from an education in technology, I think it would be great to incorporate tech with current events (I will be teaching history, so that will be relevant). Students, teenagers in particular, want to be part of the solution, not the problem. I would love to see my students engage in sharing opinions on the world as a whole, whether it be in research, presentation, state/national competitions (are there any?), they can use technology in a myriad of ways to accomplish their goals.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Jan. 15: About Me
I am currently a senior at UCO. My major is history education and my minor is French.
I prefer to teach middle/high school students. I don't think I could handle elementary school kids. I love their enthusiasm for learning, but I would prefer to teach at the upper levels. They too can be enthusiastic if the classroom environment is structured in a way that allows teenagers to feel like they are part of something good. I once read somewhere that if you structure a learning environment where the students feel they are part of the solution, and not the problem, the teacher will be doing the student a great favor. Often people shy away from what may be more challenging and go straight to what is easy, but if the challenges are never confronted, neither the person nor situation can ever be improved.
My passions include traveling, cooking, studying languages and cultures (anything European, really), singing and dancing, and spending time with my little sister (she's my best friend...and when I say little, I mean she is only 3 years younger than me). I traveled to Italy, France, and Monaco about 6 years ago. I absolutely loved it!! I would love to return to Europe soon (my passport expires in 4 years!). I am interested in the study trip to southern Spain UCO is doing in May, but I don't know Spanish very well, and I would need to come up with some funds, but would love to go!
I attend Victory Christian Center in OKC. I have been going there for about 7 years. I love my church! My sister and I volunteer there in various capacities (music, children, greeting). I really enjoy talking to people about Jesus Christ and sharing my faith. I feel that it is God who has really directed me into the field of teaching.
I am a little nervous about the class. Despite my age (22) I'm not really into the latest technology and gadgets that are out. But I'm willing to learn and I'm excited about the class.
I prefer to teach middle/high school students. I don't think I could handle elementary school kids. I love their enthusiasm for learning, but I would prefer to teach at the upper levels. They too can be enthusiastic if the classroom environment is structured in a way that allows teenagers to feel like they are part of something good. I once read somewhere that if you structure a learning environment where the students feel they are part of the solution, and not the problem, the teacher will be doing the student a great favor. Often people shy away from what may be more challenging and go straight to what is easy, but if the challenges are never confronted, neither the person nor situation can ever be improved.
My passions include traveling, cooking, studying languages and cultures (anything European, really), singing and dancing, and spending time with my little sister (she's my best friend...and when I say little, I mean she is only 3 years younger than me). I traveled to Italy, France, and Monaco about 6 years ago. I absolutely loved it!! I would love to return to Europe soon (my passport expires in 4 years!). I am interested in the study trip to southern Spain UCO is doing in May, but I don't know Spanish very well, and I would need to come up with some funds, but would love to go!
I attend Victory Christian Center in OKC. I have been going there for about 7 years. I love my church! My sister and I volunteer there in various capacities (music, children, greeting). I really enjoy talking to people about Jesus Christ and sharing my faith. I feel that it is God who has really directed me into the field of teaching.
I am a little nervous about the class. Despite my age (22) I'm not really into the latest technology and gadgets that are out. But I'm willing to learn and I'm excited about the class.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Reflection on "We Like Our Blogging Buddies"
In the video, "We Like Our Blogging Buddies: The Write Stuff with Blogging Mentors, " a university professional teaching professor and a first grade teacher paired up to answer their research question... can first graders improve their techincal understanding of writing and how to write for an audience if they blogged with college students. The answer was an overwhleming YES!
The first graders learned correct punctuation, spelling, capitalization, spacing, and how to sound out words when they posted a blog and a college student responded. The grade school children, according to their teacher, were so excited about the project and were motivated to write well because they had an audience, they knew someone, besides their teacher, would read their post and leave a comment.
One of the significant findings of the research is there is a positive correlation between attitude and achievement with the young students. Because the students had a positive attitude toward blogging, the quality of their writing improved.
This reminds me of a humanities class I took at Oklahoma City Community College a few years ago. It was an online class, so part of our weekly assignments were to, essentially, write a blog about that weeks' reading assignment. Other students and the teacher left comments and sometimes really long discussions on fine art and what kind of dome Brunaschelli used in the Florence Duomo ensued. It was a lot of fun!
The project discussed in the video inspires me to use a similar format in my high school history class. I think it would be beneficial to the students to make use of this technology most teenagers seem to know already...blogging. I could put chapter summaries online, and students could leave comments and/or questions of which some I could answer online and some that maybe require more depth we could discuss in class. That may save classroom time for other things. I don't know...just thoughts.
The first graders learned correct punctuation, spelling, capitalization, spacing, and how to sound out words when they posted a blog and a college student responded. The grade school children, according to their teacher, were so excited about the project and were motivated to write well because they had an audience, they knew someone, besides their teacher, would read their post and leave a comment.
One of the significant findings of the research is there is a positive correlation between attitude and achievement with the young students. Because the students had a positive attitude toward blogging, the quality of their writing improved.
This reminds me of a humanities class I took at Oklahoma City Community College a few years ago. It was an online class, so part of our weekly assignments were to, essentially, write a blog about that weeks' reading assignment. Other students and the teacher left comments and sometimes really long discussions on fine art and what kind of dome Brunaschelli used in the Florence Duomo ensued. It was a lot of fun!
The project discussed in the video inspires me to use a similar format in my high school history class. I think it would be beneficial to the students to make use of this technology most teenagers seem to know already...blogging. I could put chapter summaries online, and students could leave comments and/or questions of which some I could answer online and some that maybe require more depth we could discuss in class. That may save classroom time for other things. I don't know...just thoughts.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Jan.13: Reflection on Cameron's Video
The most suprising thing to me from Cameron's video was just how competent the eleven year old is in using technology. Like his dad said, it's great that he is because it helps his son learn problem-solving. Wow! He even wakes up at 5:30 in the morning. What eleven year old does that? I sure didn't!! I do not know anyone who has had a similar experinece to Cameron's. I like coming up with ideas, but mine are much more low-tech.
In my own classroom, I recognize it will be filled with teenagers from the next generation, which are much more tech-savy than my generation. So, this class will be very helpful in that respect. I also realize it would be wise if I incorporate more technology into my own classroom in order to further engage my students because those are the media they use. No longer is it just pen and paper and textbook... it's powerpoints, emails, TV, videos, etc...
Cameron's dad gave good advice- don't be afraid to allow students to teach us something, or to help present lessons. Don't be afraid to learn from the students too. It was so funny to see him in the Apple store demonstrating his knowledge to the sales rep...what a great kid!!
In my own classroom, I recognize it will be filled with teenagers from the next generation, which are much more tech-savy than my generation. So, this class will be very helpful in that respect. I also realize it would be wise if I incorporate more technology into my own classroom in order to further engage my students because those are the media they use. No longer is it just pen and paper and textbook... it's powerpoints, emails, TV, videos, etc...
Cameron's dad gave good advice- don't be afraid to allow students to teach us something, or to help present lessons. Don't be afraid to learn from the students too. It was so funny to see him in the Apple store demonstrating his knowledge to the sales rep...what a great kid!!
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