College Week Seven

All done and looking out the window at
fresh snow~
See you in children’s literature!

College Week Seven

I am beginning week seven of technology... DO you all ever have so many passwords that they get criss-crossed? I am finding that to be true in this class with Wiki pages, blogs, webpages, college postings and workplace passwords as well... perhaps I need to find one password and stick with it when it comes to school~

This weekend has been very exciting and rewarding~ the school auction for the playground expansion was a time for some great fellowship; a Christmas parade filled with great conversations, many old and new faces, and a beautiful day filled with sunshine; Sunday has been centered around church, a going home service for a dear family friend which just touched my heart in so many ways and a wonderful conversation with old friends.

College

I am feeling good about week six and delighted to be learning so much about technology…it is exciting to have the chance to explore what so many others just instinctively know and understand. I’m curious, are there other technology classes to explore with tools for working for simple introduction to a classroom full of students?

I think I finished my Wiki :-) It was easy but yikes it took me some time because I kept exploring new options and thinking of other comments... on to week six~

Thanksgiving Reflection

An awesome Thanksgiving~ a day to reflect, give thanks, spend time with friends, family, relax, refresh, energize, strengthen, unwind, plan, focus, reconnect, & refuel~

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8

College Week Four

The busyness of the week, being a mom and having multiple after school activities has made it more than a challenge to do much more than the readings in week four. I am thankful I found the time to complete that~ finally finding time this Friday night, I hope to complete DQ’s and comment on the posting of others in my technology class.

I plan on taking a bit of personal time this weekend~ A big game between Texas Tech and rival team Oklahoma is Saturday night… so I have a date with ABC as many friends in Texas make the trip to Norman OK. GO RED RAIDERS!

I am truly enjoying the articles about technology and the window to learning I am experiencing… gosh it is an exciting time for students and the creative learning opportunities available to this generation~

For many years I have found great comfort in volunteering in a classroom.

I enjoy the energy of the students and understand the importance of extending a compassionate hand to others. I have had the opportunity to witness first hand the dedication of teachers who help guide the learning process for many of the children.

These simple observations have created a desire in me to listen and stay true to my inner voice—I desire to be an amazing teacher~

I believe that every child is a gift from God, and that the gifts a child brings to a classroom can be opened exposing often unknown talents. I desire to help students succeed from day one in the classroom with active presentations, student centered discussions and with creative activities. As the school year unfolds, I want to nurture learning, and activate material content for all individual learning styles.A classroom should provide a safe journey for each student to gain knowledge, set and reach goals and allow each student a chance to show their individuality. I strive to provide an environment for all students that feels safe, is caring, well-structured, and fair- an environment with clear expectations and free of unfairness or bullying

I want to continually provide activities that build social skills and learning opportunities so that students can link classroom learning to real life experiences.Although students come in different sizes and shapes, each is skilled with sensory abilities and capable of learning naturally through experiences. As a teacher, I need to remember that students enter the classroom with preconceived ideas, and sometimes with emotional baggage.

I want to provide a warm and inviting classroom environment offering an opportunity for each student to learn- this begins when they walk through the door. In the bible it says:

Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

I desire to be that extraordinary teacher with my words that celebrates learning and provides experiences that meet the needs of all students in a safe Christian environment.

I want to be able to say that I too learned from each group of students from what they shared and that the time spent with them was extraordinary because of what they taught me.

College

I am slowly completing the list of assignments for week three~ it is slow going but it appears in class that I am not the only one struggling... posting of DQ's by classmates are slowly appearing

I had my first real introduction to YouTube and Teacher Tube... that was a real journey and what an education~ I spent several hours just watching videos on a wide variety of topics

College Weekend

I was able to complete my Website!

I am elated that it is done and excited about using it as a tool in my classroom for parents and for family members who cannot make it in to the classroom.

Now, the only thing holding me back is my imagination~

College~ Week 2

Thankfully the week is coming to a close and trying to balance classes, job and being a mom& wife is going to get easier~ yesterday I thought I might drop from exhaustion but today is Friday, I am feeling more rested, less anxious and praying to turn my worries over the God.

I did not realize I was supposed to reflect on week one so I am going to combine the last seven days into one posting…

…I am thoroughly enjoying learning about technology. I am still amazed about the Marc Prensky math class- very cool! I know many of you might think this is crazy but I never even think to look at Wikipedia to expand my understanding and thinking. I was amazed at what I could discover, and how truly remarkable it is not having grown up with technology & the wonder of it.

Being from the generation of manual typewriters I wonder how did I get by- so much to learn and so overwhelming at the same time. I took a research class about 2-years ago online at Oregon State and none of the research information I was introduced to include the well-rounded credibility information for the internet that we have been exposed to during week two in EDU530W.

I am going to try creating my classroom website tonight~ I am keeping my fingers crossed.

College

Using Blogs in the Classroom

I really enjoyed the article titled Don’t Feed the Trolls (Richardson, 2008) because I have encountered and been the recipient of nasty emails while attending online classes about three-years ago. The emails were not directed just at me but the entire learning group in a business class; stressful, nerve-racking, and frustrating are just a few words that come to mind about the experience that could have made a passing grade a failing one. The impact that one individual had on people whom he had never met in a learning group at a university was and is still unsettling. It was a valuable lesson in what to say and when not to say or respond in any way.
Having been on the receiving side of unfriendly discourse, I believe that helping a student think, respond and take responsibility will impact how they address each other over the Internet. As an adult who uses the Internet, I can honestly say that there have been many times that I have written a response, walked away from it and come back to revise and reflect; making certain that it appropriately conveys the message I want to send.
In response to Sargent Park Math Zone, I really had to explore the site, trying to make mental notes about all that is available to the students. I can see kids (my own included) could really embracing the opportunity to express in another form that paper, pencil and circling the answer. How a math zone could expand learning for students at individual levels, how it could help those than do not grasp a problem the chance to work a problem from the answer backwards to self-teach. I want to learn math with You Tube! That is so cool!
An idea I now have about how to incorporate blogs into my classroom of the future is to first start out small, expose students to 21st century learning day one in the classroom. Gather parents and students for mini-lesson introduction with hands on exposure, and then in the classroom with your SMART board and in tech lab create, expand thinking. Introduction could take place mid-year too- as an extra credit assignment, for creative pop quizzes, a chance for a student to revisit concepts they are struggling with or contact for the student home sick. The possibilities are infinite.

Hi my name is Ann; I am a wife and mom of three. Life is busy; I work fulltime as a preschool teacher, and attend classes online hoping to receive my MAT. I hope that someday I will move from the preschool classroom to fourth grade and have the chance to expand what I am learning as a student and apply it in a real environment

My favorite animal is my dog~ a golden retriever who is strong willed, thinks he is a lap dog at 100 pounds and thinks mostly of his stomach. I grew up with dogs, and I love the companionship a dog offers. I also love that many dogs can offer protection and that mine is so willing to do so until his tail wagging and need for attention take over.