I would like to do something similar to one of my classmates and reminisce about the past few months. This semester has been a busy one, but if we just think about this spring - when we get to teach all day our wonderful kids, it is inspiring. The 9 other people in my education classes have been wonderful companions and I, like Tiffany, hope we stay in touch for a long time. We are all quite different from each other, yet we all want the same thing - to be teachers. I realize today, after eating lunch with my cooperating teacher and the other first grade teachers at my school, that I am almost one of them. I feel almost like I am accepted in their group. One step closer to my dream.
I had this longer narrative planned, but at this time, this will suffice.
I was looking for some childrens books to read for my language arts class, and I came across some books about sexuality. I was shocked! I had no idea that they made childrens books that deal with sexuality. Some of the titles of the books were: King and King, Molly's Family, My Two Uncles, and so forth. What with all the stipulations on schools, with religion or whatever, I don't think there is anyway one would be allowed to read these books in their class. But suppose you do have a student (or students) with 2 mommies or 2 daddies!? I mean, the other students will find out i'm sure. Do you just ignore this like you might religious questions? I have heard some schools that have issues with christmas books or so forth, even with other religion books read as well, how would they respond to sexuality books?
I was reading this blog earlier at work, and it was talking about how their district is teaching sexuality and diseases in kindergarten! I can't believe that. Those kids can't even read when they get there! True, these days, middle school maybe too late to have those presentations, but kindergarten. I think that is too young and just ludicris. I'd like to know others thoughts on this topic!
In mid November, I taught my technology Implementation lesson on Jamestown. Which, by the way, I spent a lot of time working on, so y'all should check it out! That was an experience! My school does not have a computer lab, so I did my webquest with 7 kids sharing 3 computers. Because I wanted all the kids to experience the webquest (and the other two projects I had), I did not pick a select few to do the assignment with. However, realistically trying to do the webquest with 3 computers touching side-by-side and 7 kids, almost sitting in each others lap, was not a good idea. To add to that dilemma, my kids weren't very computer literate because unlike many neighboring schools, they don't have computer as a resource, and they don't start work with computers that much in kindergarten.
This was about a month ago, but since then, my school had gotten a lot more technologically advanced. While they still don't have a computer lab or smart boards, they do have two laptop carts with about 30 computers and every classroom the teacher has a laptop that connects to the screen that comes down. They also now have video cameras, which they didn't have before, and some other things. The other day, I got to watch my class being introduced to the laptop. The technology person talked about the rules and such, and the students task for that 35 minute lesson was to turn the computer on and off twice, which some of them had trouble with. For some, i'm sure this was the first time they ever touched a laptop. Seeing them that day made me think about my technology observations at other schools.
Because many of the schools in the neighboring county have computer labs, the students can interact with computers on a weekly basis starting in kindergarten. When I observed some k, 1st and 2nd grade classes, they were drawing and doing things on the programs, that I had no idea how to do. I just think it is amazing how much technology does matter. These kids are way more advanced tehcnologically than my kids; while that doesn't mean they are more intelligent, they do have 1 up on them. Since much of the present (and future) is technology based, essentially, they are ahead.
I've heard some of the people in my classes talking about recent shootings and school, and while I think I have commented on this topic before, I felt like doing it again. I was browsing google and came across this listing that reported some shootings worldwide, though I'm sure it's not extensive in the least because I don't even believe I saw the Columbine shooting. Why years after years are shootings and violence still occurring in schools? Are teachers seen as the ones responsible for some of this violence by not preventing it? Is it further adding on to the bad rep teachers receive? In the past week, I believe there has been 3 or 4 US school shootings! What is going on? At this rate, schools won't have to worry the risk of Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act to close them down, but they'd close from lack of students or too much fear in families and them not allowing their children to go to school. The latest school shooting I had read about was one at an Amish school. People presume that city schools and schools in minority neighborhoods are probably most prone to violence, but an Amish school and several of the others don't fit that assumption; thus, this isn't just an urban problem but a world, practically American problem. It's like death, no one is immune to it. I'd been telling my mom ever since I entered the education school how I was dieing to be a teacher, but I don't want to die while teaching. How can such an inspiring profession have such dark and dangerous shadows. If anybody has any opinions on these recent shootings or on any sort of violence in school, such as how do you go about breaking up fights, or anything, I'd be interested to know what you think. I'm really looking forward to teaching, but I don't want to have to fear for my life at the same time.
Today we learned about this cool, interesting blog site for teachers, students and their parents, and according to our professor, it is completely safe (imbee.com)! This is an aspect of technology that can be used anytime throughout the year and for various reasons. Not only that, but it will have a huge effect on students' interests. They will love knowing their stuff is published, and with the option of having some of their work printed for gifts to their parents is an added bonus. Not only can the classroom community members access the blog, other teachers can see the student's work if they are added, even if they are in another state! I can already envison my future students and myself working with another pre-service teacher's future class. It could open so many doors to education. I didn't come from a technological background, but the more I learn about technology, the more excited I am about learning more so that my future class can become technologically savvy!
OK, so yet another post, but I have been walking around with these posts mentally in my head, and it is time I wrote them down.
Technology at Magruder Elementary isn't that great right now, but all that is going to change really soon! Right now, they basically have 3 computers per room, with four extra ones in the library. There is no computer lab, and the computers that are in the room are mostly used for AR quizzes because Magruder pushes them a lot. The school does have a technology person, but she doesn't fix the computers, just instructs the students on how to use them basically. They have to call the York County help line for technology help or to get someone to come and fix the computers. They have basic things such as printers, digital cameras, 1 scanner and the internet, but that is about it. However, "hopefully in Novemeber", they say, they will be "infused". I am told that nobody can touch the new equipment until the teachers are all trained on it and so forth. They won't be getting a computer lab, but they will be getting laptop carts that classes can check out, and I believe the library is getting a few more computers. They will be getting I believe what is considered multimedia materials, such as a projector to use the screens in their classrooms to display what is on a computer for the whole class to see (kind of what we have in technology class). I'm not sure to what extent their new technology is, but my cooperating teacher said they were getting programs such as Claymation and so forth.
Well, that is about it for the technology in Magruder report; though, I would like to say that I found a cool technological toy in Wal-mart the other day. I found this 20 questions ball that will ask you 20 questions to try and guess what you think, and surprisingly, it is really good. Ten dollars well spent!
I think that Miguel has a good lesson plan incorporating technology. With kids being exposed to technology, most likely of the video game type, earlier on in life, it is important to show them how they can do something fun but learn as well. That way instead of running to the playstation, they may run to the computer to make a book. However, there are one or two things I would suggest to Miguel to possibly improve his lesson plan.
The first thing I would suggest is to possibly do a rhyming poem. Depending on when in the year this technology lesson is occuring, some students may have lost some of their reading ability over the summer or still be on a first grade level. Rhyming words help with their phonological skills, and depending on if they are sharing with other second grade classes or second and first, it would be easier for the students not as literate to follow some of the poem if there was a pattern or rhyming. They may also enjoy writing it more if they can make it rhyme.
Another suggestion I have is that the outline seems kind of complex. I'm in a first grade practicum, so I do not know the extent that one grade makes on webbing, but it might be easier for them to just have a sheet of paper with columns that have the senses and have them list words and worry about the sentences after. If not a paper, maybe they could be shown how to use kidspiration to make webs to make it easier.
My final suggestion is that I can see you care about how students feel by stating that if they don't have positive comments they shouldn't speak and they should wait their turn, but in this same respect, I don't think it is fair to have the students vote on the five best poems. They are young and they are all going to want theirs to be the one you pick. If you don't have time to put all the poems on the blog or if you do pick only five, maybe you could make a class book to send to the other classrooms so that the other students who wrote their poems can have them possibly read during the other classes free time. Maybe instead of a class book, you could have them make individual books so at least their parents can see their poem (unless the parents have access to the blog site or a class webpage site).
Overall, I liked the lesson and think you did a good job. I think the kids would enjoy it.
I wanted to comment on Meg's playground experience since Proffessor Nussbaum-Beach read it in class last week. I come from a relatively small, country town, so racial tension isn't a foreign thing there, nor is it the norm either. I'm not writing this entry to suggest ideas on how to handle situations like that, but I did want to write about it because a semi-racial incident is the reason I am here at William & Mary pursuing a teaching degree. My mom told me the other day that when I was in school, it was primarily white. I never paid much attention to race because I was young, and my friends were my friends. It wasn't until I got older that I even noticed race really or my parents explained some things to me about how some people might act to kindly towards me. While my mom remembered a time in my older brother's second grade class where one of his classmates said to her on a Parent-teacher evening, "You must be Jay's mom" (not a bad assumption seeing how my brother was the only black student in the class), she never remembered any racial comments or problems with my elementary career. Anyway, back to why I am a bit racial concious today. When I was in the 11th grade, it was time to take college prepartory courses - the typical courses an accelerated, college-bound student took in 11th grade. I had all intents of going to college until that year (obviously that changed of course), but because of this one teacher, who was seemingly racist according to several people, I quit all my college and accelerated courses. At the beginning of junior year, in the running for valedictorian, I quit. I went to general ed classes for the first time in my life since i had started taking accelerated classes. The whole story behind this teacher is not important at this time, only that as normal, I was the only black student (or would have been) in his class, and it seemed from his actions that he was targeting me. Long story made short there, my father was on the verge of threatening to have the school fire him. This, as well as the incident where my brother's first daughter's grandma said that "white and black people shouldn't mix (despite the fact that her daughter already had a mix child)", made me adamant about going to college after all and becoming a teacher. Because I had straight As (yes, straight As) until 11th grade, I was accepted here even with my downgrade to general education classrooms and a scatter of Bs and Cs I got in the last years of high school. Even while I am here, I still ponder racial questions, such as you are doing Meg with your 1st grade kids, but I ponder on myself as well as my current and future kids. One of the reasons I came to William and Mary was because my guidance counselor said to me, "coming from a predominately white school, do you really want to go to a historically black school". This in itself makes me question all sorts of things. Just because I went to school where the population was mostly caucasion, does that mean I'm not black? The odd thing is that coming here has made me more aware of my race. I remember my freshman roomate (who was white) asking me why I didn't wash my hair everyday. It seemed that I had to explain to some people, probably like your little girl will Meg about being "black" apparently. I mean why don't some people shower everyday? Does it matter as long as we're healthy and don't smell. Different cultures do different things and different people do different things. The other day, one of my other friends remarked to me (and another guy) that we didn't seem black. I suppose he's right - how can you seem a color? (Though I realize I have written black and white throughout this entry, but that is for typing sake). Basically, what I'm wondering now about race is on top of what every normal pre-service teacher wonders, just to another extent. Will the students accept me (normal question)? Will they think i'm less intelligent because they are used to white teachers? Will I fit in with the rest of the staff? Will the staff see me as different, or an affirmative action hire, because of my race? How will the parents react to me as a teacher of color? It may seem trivial to worry about such things, but i do all the same. I just want to be seen as a highly-qualified, William and Mary educated teacher, and not just another face in a race to diversify a place.
In the article, The Power of Preparation by the George Lucas staff (http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_789&key=039) it was commented that research on teacher preparation programs "indicates that teacher quality is one of the most powerful influences on student achievement -- more powerful than almost any other school resource and as influential as student background factors like poverty, language, or family status." I agree with this statement completely! I've had the unfortunate experience of having at least one bad teacher, and because of them, I almost didn't come to college. Imagine if I hadn't. I wouldn't be in this education program, and I would never get to teach. It is one of my desires (wishes) to rid the world of teachers like this, but what with the lack of teachers in the world, schools may have to take those people who are only teaching because they have nothing better to do. I intend to be one of these teachers of quality, and I believe my practicum experiences here at William & Mary will help. Going to my elementary school is one of the greatest joys (highlights) of my week! I can't wait until I have my own class. I know to expect a lot of work, but I also know to expect a lot of joy!
In all due respect, after reading some of your entries, I feel as if teaching isn't really what you want to do in life. I am not you, so of course, I can't say how you feel about anything. I agree with some of your beliefs, such as "kids can rise to your expectations", and according to my educational psychology book so do other people. You commented on "needing to find a happy place", but yet your posts (at least what I've read) are mostly negative or commenting on how someone is wrong and you are right. That may be the case, but if you want to find a happy place, maybe you should post on some of the positive things that occur in your educational life. I completely understand though how soothing it is to vent your frustrations in a journal (or blog will you), so I am not condemning you for doing so; just giving you some suggestion.
This past Friday William & Mary had its last day of classes ("Blowout" to many) for the academic year. This year however there was more police presence and the FBI as well! This led me to reflect on the security of today's elementary schools. When I was in school, I don't believe I ever perceived it as a place where violence could occur, but obviously, what with the Columbine bombing and other incidents, it can be. I was reading on tapped in one day about a William & Mary student who was in a class where a student brought a knife to school. What do you do in a situation like this? Should we as preservice teachers be trained in this before hand, or is it much like dealing with parents - something you just have to learn with experience. This also led me to question once again why athletes and performers get paid a lot more money than teachers. The government and everyone else places so much emphasis on education, but yet they don't pay their educators nearly what people who merely play a game get. These new-age teachers are in some cases risking their lives to teach (though I'm sure violence is not that big an issue in most cases). Not only do teachers help raise people's kids, but they protect them as well. And this is not a reason to compensate them more?
My practicum teacher from what I've seen, doesn't seem to use technology much. Is it because they only have 3 computers per classroom, or is it because she is not a "new age" teacher who (much like us) are being geared to learn how to teach these breed of children who are going to be technology savvy. I am recently learning a great deal about technology, but unless I research on my own, or learn about it in my education classes, I might not get much experience with technology in the classroom. The most I've seen my cooperating teacher's students use the computer for is AR quizzes or to go to this website called starfall.com. I have to even go to another elementary school to get my practicum assignment completed. Can a teacher still teach technologically savvy kids if she isn't savvy herself? I sure hope so, because as y'all can tell from my bio, I am not that technologically advanced.
See that wonderful picture! That is my version of what I think the sloth said in the book "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said the Sloth". This was done in paint for our graphics presentation group.
From the time I was a baby to now, technology has been a part of my life; however, I say that lightly because I am referring to what we now consider basic technological tools, such as a microwave, refrigerator, and so forth. People my grandparents age think of computers as new technology, yet people my age think computers were the new technology, but now the new technology is ipods and so forth. When I think about technology and me, I think right now usually about computers because I am not as advanced as modern technology yet. When I say that I mean I do not own an ipod, and I don't own a digital camera. I still even like to write my papers (or some of them) on paper first! I am working on my technological skills however. I am now creating my own webpage for the education program, and I love it! It is so fun, and it allows me to be creative. I have used a digital camera recently and I love that as well. I hope to buy one soon and possibly even an ipod! So while I may not have had much experience with computers (I got my first personal one freshman year of college), I am catching up quickly! I plan to make sure my students are able to get experiences with the computer and new technology that my teachers didn't show me and more!
