Letter to self as a new teacher

Dearest Self,

As you enter the world of touching children’s lives, I would like to offer a few words of advice. Some days are going to be harder than others. You will have students who struggle, parents who struggle, and colleagues who struggle. During these times remember to enjoy every second of a smile, a thank you, an I love you, and each time someone tells you that you are the best. For it is through these moments that you will persevere to be the best teacher you can be.

Sincerely.
Carolyn

Rewarding Day

The last time I left school refreshed and energized was during my elementary school teaching days. I headed a school wide Earth Day event for students in grades Pre-K to 5th. Every student was able to participant in hands-on science activities. We made water cycle braclets, ants on a log, learned water safety, and much more. The day concluded with solar car races. The cars had been made by students in the science club. While I was very tired, it was a tired from seeing students learn by doing. These activities did not involve technology it did show the need for more hands on activities and experiences. This stays in the forefront when I plan project=based learning assignments with students today.

Carolyn

Technology in the Social Studies Classroom

Sixth grade students were instructed to make a presentation in Google docs. Requirements included  minimum of five slides, time period appropriate (Ancient Southern Europe), and all four team members must  participate and collaborate together. Students were allowed to create within these parameters. Presentation replaced a traditional paper pencil test on our study of Southern Europe. 

Sites to visit:

http://tinyurl.com/7etvfvh

http://tinyurl.com/86qy24y

http://tinyurl.com/cw8dheg

http://tinyurl.com/cyppx4d

Teaching Teachers

One of the most important aspects of presenting to teachers is to remember the subject matter must be relevant to their jobs. The time spent in PD's should be of high quality and directly related to what is being taught in their classrooms. When developing the presentation we must learn the attributes of the audience? As with students, adults have different backgrounds, experiences, years of experience, and different learning styles to consider. As a presenter I must also be aware of the room environment when planning my sessions. This is a daunting task, but one I welcome with excitement.

Tale of Two Classrooms

After reading the articles I found that my classroom does exhibit several of the desired traits. My students are often engaged in authentic tasks, problem based learning, and use technology as available. Of course all students do not have laptops or many of the other latest tools. They do have a teacher who actively searches for the best way to teach each student and ways to provide the best opportunity for them to integrate technology into their work. I was taken by the fact that the students were not necessarily facing the Smart Board or whiteboard. I admit that I thought the students need to be facing the board. I am definitely going to make some improvements in my room design.

Reflection on Presentation

Reflecting on my presentation I realize that I need to show participates how to sign-up and how to create lessons using Wordle. It is also important to touch on the standards that the Wordle covers. I will need to remember to discuss how Wordle can satisfy the requirements of NCSCOS and NETS. Things I felt I did well were presenter voice and mannerisms, trying Wordle into all curriculum areas and grade levels.
Carolyn