Sunday, February 17, 2008
Becoming a teacher. . .
This semester is going by so fast! I really feel like this semester is very challenging and busy. I am working for the School District and feel that I am getting a lot of good experience working there. I tutor students in 4th, 5th and 6th grades in reading, writing and math. I get a chance to see other teachers in action as well as doing the teaching myself. I feel that this is such a wonderful opportunity. I love working with children. Working for the School District has made me realize that teaching is really what I want to do in life. I feel rewarded when I go home each day. It's an amazing feeling.
I am eager to finish school so that I can teach in the classroom. Taking this Technology class has given me a lot of great ideas to try in the classrooms. I think in order to be a good teacher, you must be able to teach the students in a way that relates to them. For example, when I tutored at Nordale Elementary School, I had a lot of students who were into sports and especially hockey. I would relate a lot of examples for school work to hockey or the sport that they were involved in. When I connected these interests with their school work, it made sense to them and it created a long lasting memory. I think that it is important to be able to always look at things in a way that you can connect or relate too, because they are more likely to remember and understand it. I arranged for the UAF Hockey team to visit Nordale students and talk about their school experiences. They just loved that!
I think that in the future, students will use technology on a regular basis that it just comes natural for them to apply it into the classroom. I see that technology is a key that opens to unlimited resources all over the world, and I'm eager to see how I can apply it into my classroom. I grew up in Wainwright, and we had a computer room that had access to the internet. We got a chance to work in the computer lab a few times a week. It was mostly to type up reports, and do some research. The students today get a chance to go to the lab as well, but they are using it to help with their reports, play math games, and research. They are using the computers for so much more today than we used them back long ago.
I'm really excited about integrating the computers in the classrooms because I really believe that it will inspire students to do well, and also give them unlimited resources. I believe the more they use the computers, the better they will become with them. If shown properly, they will be able to use the computer for many different tasks that they need to accomplish in school. I don't think that computers will be everything in schools, but I do believe it will become an excellent resource to use for all subjects. With technology, we can reach the students that loose interest in school. Also, we will reach the students who may have disabilities, but with the computers they are able to overcome those obstacles.
There is so much that technology can do in the classroom. I for one would really like to open the doors to see the opportunities that are out there for me as a future teacher. Taking this class has really opened my eyes. This semester is going by so fast, and I hope that I can learn enough to get me headed in the right direction to learning more about how I can apply technology in the classrooms.
Photo attached is of the UAF Hockey players that came to visit Nordale students.
I am eager to finish school so that I can teach in the classroom. Taking this Technology class has given me a lot of great ideas to try in the classrooms. I think in order to be a good teacher, you must be able to teach the students in a way that relates to them. For example, when I tutored at Nordale Elementary School, I had a lot of students who were into sports and especially hockey. I would relate a lot of examples for school work to hockey or the sport that they were involved in. When I connected these interests with their school work, it made sense to them and it created a long lasting memory. I think that it is important to be able to always look at things in a way that you can connect or relate too, because they are more likely to remember and understand it. I arranged for the UAF Hockey team to visit Nordale students and talk about their school experiences. They just loved that!
I think that in the future, students will use technology on a regular basis that it just comes natural for them to apply it into the classroom. I see that technology is a key that opens to unlimited resources all over the world, and I'm eager to see how I can apply it into my classroom. I grew up in Wainwright, and we had a computer room that had access to the internet. We got a chance to work in the computer lab a few times a week. It was mostly to type up reports, and do some research. The students today get a chance to go to the lab as well, but they are using it to help with their reports, play math games, and research. They are using the computers for so much more today than we used them back long ago.
I'm really excited about integrating the computers in the classrooms because I really believe that it will inspire students to do well, and also give them unlimited resources. I believe the more they use the computers, the better they will become with them. If shown properly, they will be able to use the computer for many different tasks that they need to accomplish in school. I don't think that computers will be everything in schools, but I do believe it will become an excellent resource to use for all subjects. With technology, we can reach the students that loose interest in school. Also, we will reach the students who may have disabilities, but with the computers they are able to overcome those obstacles.
There is so much that technology can do in the classroom. I for one would really like to open the doors to see the opportunities that are out there for me as a future teacher. Taking this class has really opened my eyes. This semester is going by so fast, and I hope that I can learn enough to get me headed in the right direction to learning more about how I can apply technology in the classrooms.
Photo attached is of the UAF Hockey players that came to visit Nordale students.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Software Resources
Here are three sites that are excellent resource for students! Enjoy!
1. Software Title: Educational Resources for K-8 Students
Grade/Age Level: K-8th
Subject Area(s): Language Arts, Math, Science Social Studies
Platform: Both
Purpose: A resource to help k-8 students interact with fun games in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. This site allows students to play games while learning and becoming stronger in these subjects. It is a way to educate students while they have fun playing the different games.
Link: Basic Skill Games
2. Software Title: Cool Math 4 Kids
Grade/Age Level: K- 12
Subject Area(s): Math
Platform: Both
Purpose: To allow students to see that math can be fun! This site was designed by a woman who struggled with math, and later realized that math can and is fun! She created this site to show students that learning math is fun. Instead of learning math through a textbook, you can play these games to learn different skills that are specified. She has games for grades K-8 and also has other good qualities like how to do strategies for different functions. There is also high school math games and activites to play on here. I think this is a very powerful site because the diversity of ages that can use it.
Link: Cool Math 4 Kids
3. Software Title: Fun Brain
Grade/Age Level: K-8
Subject Area(s):
Platform: both
Purpose: This site is for students to interact in language arts and math games. By playing the games on this site, students will understand math and language arts better than before. This site is nice because computer games from this site will keep students entertained while they are learning. It is also nice because you can search for games by the grades specified.
Link: Fun Brain
These three sites can be used in the classroom or at home. It allows the students to learn subjects they would normally learn in a text book. It is nice for the students to have these resources because it allows them to learn in another medium, creating students who love to learn. It also attracts the students who struggle in the classroom, or fail to be interested in those subjects. Students today love computers and games. A teacher can allow students to play on these sites if a student is finished with their work, reward, or those who are struggling to understand the subjects. I really enjoyed looking and interacting in these sites. Because of this activity, I have learned that internet sites such as these, can be beneficial in my future classroom.
Any questions, please feel free to respond to this blog. - Janet
1. Software Title: Educational Resources for K-8 Students
Grade/Age Level: K-8th
Subject Area(s): Language Arts, Math, Science Social Studies
Platform: Both
Purpose: A resource to help k-8 students interact with fun games in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. This site allows students to play games while learning and becoming stronger in these subjects. It is a way to educate students while they have fun playing the different games.
Link: Basic Skill Games
2. Software Title: Cool Math 4 Kids
Grade/Age Level: K- 12
Subject Area(s): Math
Platform: Both
Purpose: To allow students to see that math can be fun! This site was designed by a woman who struggled with math, and later realized that math can and is fun! She created this site to show students that learning math is fun. Instead of learning math through a textbook, you can play these games to learn different skills that are specified. She has games for grades K-8 and also has other good qualities like how to do strategies for different functions. There is also high school math games and activites to play on here. I think this is a very powerful site because the diversity of ages that can use it.
Link: Cool Math 4 Kids
3. Software Title: Fun Brain
Grade/Age Level: K-8
Subject Area(s):
Platform: both
Purpose: This site is for students to interact in language arts and math games. By playing the games on this site, students will understand math and language arts better than before. This site is nice because computer games from this site will keep students entertained while they are learning. It is also nice because you can search for games by the grades specified.
Link: Fun Brain
These three sites can be used in the classroom or at home. It allows the students to learn subjects they would normally learn in a text book. It is nice for the students to have these resources because it allows them to learn in another medium, creating students who love to learn. It also attracts the students who struggle in the classroom, or fail to be interested in those subjects. Students today love computers and games. A teacher can allow students to play on these sites if a student is finished with their work, reward, or those who are struggling to understand the subjects. I really enjoyed looking and interacting in these sites. Because of this activity, I have learned that internet sites such as these, can be beneficial in my future classroom.
Any questions, please feel free to respond to this blog. - Janet
Sunday, February 3, 2008
One-to_One Reflection
I really enjoyed watching the One-to-One Video that was shown in class. I was curious to see how this School reacted to the program being implemented in their School. All the teachers and the students really seemed to love the idea of having laptops for every student. I do not have an experience of being around students who have laptops assigned to them. However, I do work at Anne Wien Elementary School, and the teachers are able to borrow the laptops from time to time for projects. The students really like the idea of having their own laptop for their assignments, even if it is only for the short time. They do only borrow them from time to time, and it belongs to the entire school. Teachers have to request for the laptops, which can be frustrating at times. The students use different programs like Inspiration, Microsoft Works and Power Point. I think this is a really good idea to get the students more involved with using laptops at an early age. I didn’t see any problems when they did use the laptops. The students seemed to really click to the laptops, and pretty much all of them had prior experience to using them. One thing that bothered me was the need to “pretty up” their work. Some students worried too much about what font their work was in, or what color they used etc… They took too much time worrying about the appearance of their work, that they didn’t finish their work on time causing points to be taken away. For the most part, I really liked the idea of the students having the laptops. Before they had laptops, they used “Apple smart,” computers, and this is only good for writing papers. This is my experience of laptops being used in the schools.
Watching the One-to-One Video, I did see that there were both positive and negative sides to using laptops in the schools. I do think that the positive out weighs the negatives by far. If you have teachers willing to use laptops in the classrooms, and are open to the experience, I believe that the students would excited for their education. There are some students who are falling behind because they don’t like school, and I think having the laptops will spark an interest in their eyes. I love to use my laptop when it comes to research, writing and recording data. The Students that I work with at my job, feel a lot similar, and they are very excited to do their work when they know that they can use a computer to look up information or write papers. I think if we want our students to learn and do well in school, we should give them the tools that they need to help them do their best. Watching the One-to-One Video was good for me, because I wanted to see the effects of having laptops used in the schools and hear their opinions both good and bad. I also think that using laptops will allow students to go places that they have never gone before. Growing up in the village, where there are no road systems, I find that using laptops is very useful. I knew a girl who never saw a tree before. She had never traveled anywhere, but because we had the internet, she was introduced to many different ideas, places and her world opened up a little bit more. I think that having laptops in the classroom will allow students to tour places that the school would never have funding to offer. They would be able to research anything in the world that came to mind or at least get some insight to start a project. The world is at their fingertips!
In the video, I started to thinking of some negative sides to having laptops in the schools. I would think that some students will get off track by using the laptops for chatting, messaging, and perhaps looking at inappropriate sites. I do not know exactly how the laptops would be used for the math subjects. How would they use the laptops to do their work. Isn’t there calculators on the laptops, and most teachers don’t want their students to use them. How would teachers stop students from using calculators, and using them on tests? I think it would be hard to use laptops for math. Also, the tests that students are required to take, don’t allow them to use laptops, or at least I don’t think they can. What will the students do then? The students will be use to using the laptops to do their work, that when it is time to complete the required tests, they will be thinking and doing their work out of the comfortable working zone that they are used too. I am very curious to see if the One-to-One Video addresses this issue and whether using laptops has effected the testing progress. Using the laptops, students will be able to research the internet. They will have to be able to tell what is false and what is true. They also will be open to copying information that they see and not using their own words. This is going to cause some problems for our students and our teachers, and it is something that we as the teachers will have to address in the beginning.
Overall, I do think that I would like to use laptops in my classroom. I think that there are both positive and negative sides to using laptops, however there are more good than there is bad. In the end, our students who use laptops will become better students, and perhaps allow them to become more excited to learning than they were before and allowing them to be stronger than ever. I do think that as a teacher using laptops in the classrooms, I would have to change my approach to teaching and have a lot of planning beforehand. Also, I’d really like to check out how other schools have implemented this program, and their opinions from both sides. I would be so excited to use laptops in the class room!
Watching the One-to-One Video, I did see that there were both positive and negative sides to using laptops in the schools. I do think that the positive out weighs the negatives by far. If you have teachers willing to use laptops in the classrooms, and are open to the experience, I believe that the students would excited for their education. There are some students who are falling behind because they don’t like school, and I think having the laptops will spark an interest in their eyes. I love to use my laptop when it comes to research, writing and recording data. The Students that I work with at my job, feel a lot similar, and they are very excited to do their work when they know that they can use a computer to look up information or write papers. I think if we want our students to learn and do well in school, we should give them the tools that they need to help them do their best. Watching the One-to-One Video was good for me, because I wanted to see the effects of having laptops used in the schools and hear their opinions both good and bad. I also think that using laptops will allow students to go places that they have never gone before. Growing up in the village, where there are no road systems, I find that using laptops is very useful. I knew a girl who never saw a tree before. She had never traveled anywhere, but because we had the internet, she was introduced to many different ideas, places and her world opened up a little bit more. I think that having laptops in the classroom will allow students to tour places that the school would never have funding to offer. They would be able to research anything in the world that came to mind or at least get some insight to start a project. The world is at their fingertips!
In the video, I started to thinking of some negative sides to having laptops in the schools. I would think that some students will get off track by using the laptops for chatting, messaging, and perhaps looking at inappropriate sites. I do not know exactly how the laptops would be used for the math subjects. How would they use the laptops to do their work. Isn’t there calculators on the laptops, and most teachers don’t want their students to use them. How would teachers stop students from using calculators, and using them on tests? I think it would be hard to use laptops for math. Also, the tests that students are required to take, don’t allow them to use laptops, or at least I don’t think they can. What will the students do then? The students will be use to using the laptops to do their work, that when it is time to complete the required tests, they will be thinking and doing their work out of the comfortable working zone that they are used too. I am very curious to see if the One-to-One Video addresses this issue and whether using laptops has effected the testing progress. Using the laptops, students will be able to research the internet. They will have to be able to tell what is false and what is true. They also will be open to copying information that they see and not using their own words. This is going to cause some problems for our students and our teachers, and it is something that we as the teachers will have to address in the beginning.
Overall, I do think that I would like to use laptops in my classroom. I think that there are both positive and negative sides to using laptops, however there are more good than there is bad. In the end, our students who use laptops will become better students, and perhaps allow them to become more excited to learning than they were before and allowing them to be stronger than ever. I do think that as a teacher using laptops in the classrooms, I would have to change my approach to teaching and have a lot of planning beforehand. Also, I’d really like to check out how other schools have implemented this program, and their opinions from both sides. I would be so excited to use laptops in the class room!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)