Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Class Interview










Today we did a mock interview with our classmates, and one of the hardest questions I always struggle to answer is "Why do you want to be a teacher". I feel like it is so repetative, and what response will truly stand out more than others. Everyone wants to be a teacher because they love kids, or they want to change the wold, but do administrators get sick of those responses?

Another question I thought was challenging, yet so fun was "If you could be a toy, what would you be and why". Such a simple question, but yet required much thought.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The End Is Near

Image result for the end is near




As we reach the end of the semester, I have started to reflect back on all the task that were set fourth for us. Teaching at Bishop Dun was by far the best experience of the semester. Working in our groups, and teaching in front of an entire class was challenging yet so rewarding. Here are some of my top takeaways:
1. Include technology in the classroom as much as possible!
2. Do not wait until the last minute to get tasks done.
3. Social Studies can be fun!
4. Follow with what the students like in order to really engage them!
5. Do not raise your voice when trying to get the classes attention.

My Fieldwork Experience



What the experience taught me:
-This experience was amazing. Field work this semester was by far the most stressful, yet beneficial task I have taken part of thus far. This was my second time ever teaching in front of an entire class and peers. It was extremely nerve wracking getting up in front of the class and teaching, not just because of the students, but because our peers were watching us. After about 5 minutes of teaching, it just felt so natural. The class was highly engaged, and energetic. I remember being so sad when it was over because I felt as if we put SO much work into just a couple hours, and it was already over! Having our peers watch us is rather intriguing because I loved hearing their comments at the end. When I was the peer, I remember taking notes of things I could do in the future. Then before we left, Dr. Smirnova would give us some pointers on what we could have done better. Some things I need to work on is saying "guys" and speaking with a proper tone and not raising my voice. When we raise our voice, the class just gets louder, but when we speak softly, they quiet down. I also learned the importance of knowing what you are talking about before you present in front of a room full of people. Field work was just such a great experience, and I can't wait to do it again next semester!
Planning

Implementing planning
 - Getting to know the class helped extremely well in implementing what we wanted to be taught.

New Technology In the Classroom

15 Examples Of New Technology In Education
Remember the days of doodling on the side of your spiral notebook while you tried to take copious notes from your boring biology teacher? Would you be more motivated if you knew that your notes would not only give you an edge on the exam, but could also earn you a bit of cash?
Flashnotes allows students to upload their lecture notes and sell them to other students who need more help or resources. The rating system allows the best note takers to get more business and the general pool of knowledge expands as students continue to share their work with one another.
2. Lore
The new startup is using a Facebook type platform- riding the wave of what works- and tailoring it for education. This social network allows professors and students to communicate, follow one another, and discuss class work and lectures.
In addition to the social aspect, it allows for document uploads, calendar sharing, and a grade book option. So why is this better than Facebook? Simply put, social networks aren’t always the best place to develop academic networks. Students can follow their professors and interact with them without worrying about that compromising photo from a crazy weekend party.
Imagine your smartphone as your primary source for study materials. This company has created an app that allows students to organize their coursework, store notes and flashcards, and share their materials with other students.
Study Blue’s main attraction is that it is mobile. Whether standing in line for coffee, riding the train, or waiting at the dentist, a student can easily access their class work and prepare for an exam. The social aspect also helps students find other people studying similar subjects, capitalizing on a different set of notes and study guides.
Imagine the ability to sign your name on a digital document using only your finger and the air. That is technology behind LEAP Motion, a company intent on giving people a more natural way to interact with the computer.
LEAP has developed a piece of hardware that allows anyone to write, draw, zoom, play, and interact with their computer screen using a finger, fingers, or entire hand. By moving your hand over the device, the mouse follows your movements.
This is a huge improvement from the days of the stylus and pad- even with the fine motor control- it was difficult to make drawings look authentic. LEAP is set to do that.
Papertab won’t be ready to use in 2013, but I think it’s interesting enough to include it in this list. Paper, afterall, is HUGE part of the school life.
Despite the rising popularity of tablets, Google’s Chromebook may snatch the competition in the lower grade school classrooms. The laptops have a few distinct advantages over the apple iPad:
-They are less expensive
-One-button-push easy setup
-Easy to control settings and restrictions
-Offers the traditional keyboard for fast typing and note taking
-Hardware fixes are easier and less costly
7. Celly
Teachers are continually fighting against the ever-growing list of distractions that a smart phone offers to bored or shy students in the back of the room. But Celly is a text-messaging network that allows anyone to create a network anywhere- at a rally, event, in the classroom, or on a field trip using smartphones.
Teachers that have used this in their classrooms have noted that those who normally never speak up…do. It forces students to write their thoughts clearly and concisely. Rather than fighting the tide against texting, instructors are using it for academic purposes.
While not a technology per se, this teaching model is using technology to change the way instructors teach. Rather than spending the class time lecturing the students, the lectures are delivered to the student’s in video format for them to watch at home (or in study hall).
Then, the classroom time is set aside for 1 on 1 help, discussion, and interaction based on the lecture homework. With nearly every student carrying a mobile device or laptop, this model may give students and teachers more time to work on areas of difficulty rather than simple straight lecture. For too long, instructors have seen that precious class time go to waste while a teacher scribbles on a blackboard and has their back to the students.
These screen capture video software programs are making it easy for instructors to give online tutorials. TechSmith offers a host of different products from a free screen capture to professional quality videos.
Imagine a tech-ed teacher trying to explain how to download an app. He/she can record narration while capturing the screen shots as he/she demonstrates the action. This feature can also be used for teachers who are correcting a paper or demonstrating a math problem.
Teachers need help and support with their lesson plans just as much as students need help with studying for exams. LessonCast allows teachers to submit a 2-minute lesson plan strategy, idea, or resource using video, documents, Powerpoint, etc. and share it with other instructors.
The free-based software is just another way to offer networking opportunities and a general pool of knowledge that globally impacts education in a positive way. Teachers Paying Teachers is a similar network that allows educators to sell their lesson plans to other instructors.
11. Kid Blog
Designed specifically for younger students; Kid Blog provides a safe opportunity for children to start up their own blog connected to the classroom.
Teachers can help students design a blog around a science project, a history lesson, or an entire year’s worth of school progress. The students get the benefit of other students and parents commenting on their work- a great motivation for hesitant writers. Kid Blog makes it easy to keep the child and content secure from the dangers of the Internet.
Gone are the days of laboring over a diorama made from a shoebox or wrestling with markers on a poster board. When it is report time, students can use Glogster to creatively display their research.
Glogster allows students to collage pictures, text, video, and custom graphics to create a visually appealing presentation for their latest project. The Glogs are easy to make and share!
Funding websites are popping up all over the Internet. People who are frustrated with the bureaucracy of grant writing decide to strike out on their own and build a project from the ground up. With Donors Choose, you can pitch your idea for your classroom.
Teachers create projects they hope to accomplish with their students. Much like Kickstarter, individuals can fund or back any project they choose. Then they share it across social media and if a teacher has created the project pitch well, it gets the attention and money it needs.
Those handy three ring binders are now digital. Using the same idea as pinning and bookmarking, the binder allows educators to collect and organize resources for lesson plans.
The Live Binder can also work for students who are amassing resources for a big project. You can also browse other binders and share your own.
15. Knewton
This new technology company aims at personalizing content for optimal learning. The platform monitors the student’s activity and uses the information to give the student the best personalized resources based on their level of performance.
The technology also boasts integration among different disciplines creating a more comprehensive set of resources that interact with one another. Knewton grows more intuitive the more the student uses the software. It can follow a student through their entire education career.

Take aways from digital me





For my about me project, I chose to use Glogster. Glogster is a free educational tool used too fancy up your presentations. It looks just like a poster, but is on the web. You can design it any way you like, using all different themes and formats. Glogster also allows you to insert text boxes and pictures. Glogster's can be used for a number of reasons. I used it to describe who I am and some things about me. Teachers could use this tool to assign projects to the class. Teachers are also allowed to group their class before hand so it is ready to go! Glogster is a great educational tool, and a nice change to the typical PowerPoint.
Image result for glogster about me

Pedagogy

My teaching pedagogy has been developed from my learnings from theorists, mentors and my practicum experiences. However I believe in order to be the best teacher I can possibly be, my teaching pedagogy is constantly developing and restructuring. As a teacher, I should be constantly challenging myself to explore and find new and innovative teaching ideas for my students. It is through this that I feel I am able to be flexible within my teaching in order to cater for the fact that my classroom may not always be the same. A classroom can be completely different from the day before and its through this experience that I feel I need to constantly have a wide and flexible teaching pedagogy. 

Although I have ideas about my future classroom structure, it is of my understanding that students are the centre of the classroom structure. With saying this, is the belief that every student is an individual, a person and a unique learner and this means that every classroom environment will be different. I believe that all students deserve the right to have the same opportunities to learn. In a classroom this means creating learning experiences that cater to the needs of all learners. As a teacher, I believe that my students are here to learn educationally but also have physical, emotional and social needs that need to be catered for as well.Through catering for students in all aspects, you are creating the chance for students to develop as a person. 

In my opinion, a classroom environment should be an open environment. Students should be able to be confident active learners and participate in all aspects of classroom life. There are many aspects to creating a positive classroom. A few of these that I highly focus on are always being positive, reinforcing positive behaviour and making learning relevant for students. In making learning relevant for students, it creates the opportunity for students to make connections between their own world experiences and the knowledge they are learning. It is through connections that students can gain skills and experiences needed for everyday life situations. 

As I believe classrooms should be student-centred, I highly believe in using techniques such as whole class discussion, whole class questioning, peer discussion and questioning, small group work and learning centres. I believe students have a very strong influence on each other and have actively seen this in my prac experiences. Students working together is also creating communication and team skills which I deem as necessary for students to be able to use in all aspects of their life. 

It is my passion for students to leave my classroom with both a wealth of knowledge and highly memorable learning experiences. I wish for all my students to feel confident in their own abilities, their ability to learn and to take all opportunities given regardless of the outcome. As stated above, I feel my teaching pedagogy is constantly developing and this is what I have felt has been developed so far. I look forward to all my teaching experiences to provide me with more insight and more ideas about teaching!

Tukuafu, K. (n.d.). Teaching Pedagogy [Web log post]. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from https://acukayla.weebly.com/teaching-pedagogy.html

The 5 E's

The 5 E's of Inquiry 





Engaging is the first step to the 5 E's. This is when the teacher needs to capture the focus of the class and setting the
topic for the day. This would be a great time for students to ask questions about what it is, and how it might pertain
to them. 

The second step to the 5 E's. This is when the class can benefit from learning from one another. The lessons or ideas
being taught are student centered, not teacher centered. Exploring gives more freedom to the child to understand
and develop understanding for the task at hand.
This is a great time for a teacher to asses their students learnings. The student can verbalize or visually represent
their knowledge or new skill they have learned. By having the student communicate verbally, it will broaden their knowledge and outcomes. This is also a great time to introduce new terms.
The elaborate phase is just as it sounds. This phase provides opportunities for students to apply what they have learned to new situations and to develop a deeper understanding of the concept or greater use of the skill. It is important for students to discuss and compare their ideas with each other during this phase. 
The final phase provides an opportunity for students to review and reflect on their own learning and new understanding and skills. It is also when students provide evidence for changes to their understanding, beliefs and skills. This is another great opportunity for teachers to asses the class.