This is my beliefs about technology. I believe that technology is very useful and very beneficial. I am grateful for the way it makes things quicker and easier. Although technology is critical to our lives I think that we need to only use it when necessary and not bombard our students with things that make their lives more complex. I think we need to simplify and by using technology only as a tool and only when necessary will help us with that.
I really like the NET standards that we read because it stated things that I need to do and know to be a competent teacher and keep up with the latest and best ways to teach. I really like the fifth heading about productivity and professional practice. We need to teach students how to use technology to increase productivity and do so ourselves. We also need to utilize the best communication methods that we can to collaborate with peers, parents and the larger community. This will definitely nurture student learning. I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the education programs collaboration meetings (lectures) they are having with a University in Spain over the past couple weeks. It is very interesting to hear about the things Spain is teaching in their education department and share with them what we are learning. I believe students should understand what is going on with students around the world. This is made possible by video broadcasting, skype, and there are many other programs out there. When I was a kid we wrote to students on the east coast but the letters took so long to get here and get to them that we didn't learn as much as we could with simple video broadcasting.
I believe that technology has its own place and as teachers we must distinguish when to use it and when it is burdensome. We need to make sure our students are effective face-to-face communicators but we also need to make sure they are ready to face the world once they leave high school. We need to make sure they have creative minds and can innovate and investigate. I want my students to know how to use technology but also when how to turn it off. I really liked that both UNI and NET talked about teaching kids about copyright and safety. These are crucial when using the internet and other types of instant media. I'm really excited to be able to use the things I've learned in this class so that I can make math fun for my students and also have it come alive for them.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
18 April- "Lessons Learned"
The readings were very informative. I really liked the two video clips. It was very interesting to hear and read about students points of view about technology. Sometimes it frightens me how smart and tech savvy the rising generation is. But if they weren't this way they wouldn't be able to survive in the future business world. The movie that just had words was also interesting one of the slides stated that by 2012 there would be a computer that is smarter than a human and by 2043 a computer that is smarter than the human race. I think computers are really important to our society but I think that people need to make sure they are creating and inventing things for the benefit of society. Today I was talking to my husband about how wonderful my childhood was because I didn't have a care in the world. I never used the internet until about 5th grade. My childhood was filled with pirate adventures, blanket forts, trips to the moon, and troll hunting. Kids today are attached to technology somehow they need to be able to use technology but have active bodies and active imaginations without being overwhelmed by the influences of outside media (at least while they are young).
Technology is great but we need to also make sure that students are still learning things they need to know to be sociable. The first skill is how to write. I think if a student ever writes text message slang on a paper they turn in they will get an automatic 0 or give it back and ask them to rewrite. That is how horrible I think it is, I hate that students nowadays can't write effectively. They really need to develop their vocabulary. The second thing is they need to have people skills sometimes students feel way uncomfortable approaching teachers so they email them (sometimes I am a victim of this). This I believe is the drawback of technology.
Even though sometimes technology is overwhelming, it is very important, critical to our students lives. I really, really liked the idea about having a ClassAct Portal. Students can engage in discussions, research, service, and many more things through this portal on whatever subject you are teaching about. Once they research the topic and see how it effects millions of peoples lives they will have a unique and new appreciation for whatever subject is being studied. I really liked the example the article gave about child labor laws. In my class I plan on having a ClassAct Portal for my students to contribute to. I also want to teach my students about how important internet use is but also its dangers and benefits. These articles taught me a lot of valuable information.
Technology is great but we need to also make sure that students are still learning things they need to know to be sociable. The first skill is how to write. I think if a student ever writes text message slang on a paper they turn in they will get an automatic 0 or give it back and ask them to rewrite. That is how horrible I think it is, I hate that students nowadays can't write effectively. They really need to develop their vocabulary. The second thing is they need to have people skills sometimes students feel way uncomfortable approaching teachers so they email them (sometimes I am a victim of this). This I believe is the drawback of technology.
Even though sometimes technology is overwhelming, it is very important, critical to our students lives. I really, really liked the idea about having a ClassAct Portal. Students can engage in discussions, research, service, and many more things through this portal on whatever subject you are teaching about. Once they research the topic and see how it effects millions of peoples lives they will have a unique and new appreciation for whatever subject is being studied. I really liked the example the article gave about child labor laws. In my class I plan on having a ClassAct Portal for my students to contribute to. I also want to teach my students about how important internet use is but also its dangers and benefits. These articles taught me a lot of valuable information.
17 April- Strengths and Weaknesses
While reading the articles and watching the movies about technology I realized that there are lots of things that I need to improve upon. There are also a couple things that I fell I do alright at.
In the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). I really liked how it outlines all the standards and performance indicators that all classroom teachers should be prepared to meet. The one thing from this article that I am going to work on is under heading III Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum section B. Use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of students. Until this class I didn't realize that teachers must use technology to differentiate for the different learning styles and preferences of the students. I would say that this is probably one of my weaknesses. I'm a little ashamed to say that I'm not super tech savvy. In one of the video clips it talked about preparing the students for jobs that don't even exist right now. I want to do that, I want my students to have a spirit of discovery that will take them to places they didn't think they could go to discover things they didn't thing existed. When I am teaching my own class I want to make sure a use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of my students. The one strength that this article made me realize that I have is applying technology to increase productivity. I'm a firm believer in using technology to do things more quickly and more effectively.
When I was reading the UNI Preservice Teacher Technology competencies it was shocking to see how many things I need improvement in! One of these is described by question 3 Describe and implement basic trouble-shooting techniques for multimedia computer systems with related peripheral devices. I don't have any clue about troubleshooting things. I sort of assumed that there would be a computer specialist at the school that could help me with any problems that I may have. But this isn't always true I need to develop these skills for myself. There was only one or two things in which I put that I am an expert at. One of them from UNI was listed under question 6 Demonstrate knowledge of equity, ethics, legal, and human issues concerning use of computers and technology. The expert level states: I reflect upon and make educated decisions in determining the effectiveness of activities that help my students gain awareness of copyright laws concerning information and computer software and the importance of equitable access to information technology. When I took the el-ed version of this class and we did the internet safety activity. I have since then always felt a strong desire to help kids realize the dangers and benefits of the internet and technology. I plan on teaching my students about that even though I'm teaching math.
My two goals are: 1. to find ways to implement technology in my every day teaching (using a Smartboard). 2. To learn how to troubleshoot my own computer. Two resources I found that I can improve my weaknesses are first a Smartboard training website when I was doing my teacher work sample my teacher used a Smartboard, it was really neat and I hope one day I have one in my classroom. SmartBoard Training. The next way I am going to improve my technology skills is by reading this website. It is about trouble shooting
In the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). I really liked how it outlines all the standards and performance indicators that all classroom teachers should be prepared to meet. The one thing from this article that I am going to work on is under heading III Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum section B. Use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of students. Until this class I didn't realize that teachers must use technology to differentiate for the different learning styles and preferences of the students. I would say that this is probably one of my weaknesses. I'm a little ashamed to say that I'm not super tech savvy. In one of the video clips it talked about preparing the students for jobs that don't even exist right now. I want to do that, I want my students to have a spirit of discovery that will take them to places they didn't think they could go to discover things they didn't thing existed. When I am teaching my own class I want to make sure a use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of my students. The one strength that this article made me realize that I have is applying technology to increase productivity. I'm a firm believer in using technology to do things more quickly and more effectively.
When I was reading the UNI Preservice Teacher Technology competencies it was shocking to see how many things I need improvement in! One of these is described by question 3 Describe and implement basic trouble-shooting techniques for multimedia computer systems with related peripheral devices. I don't have any clue about troubleshooting things. I sort of assumed that there would be a computer specialist at the school that could help me with any problems that I may have. But this isn't always true I need to develop these skills for myself. There was only one or two things in which I put that I am an expert at. One of them from UNI was listed under question 6 Demonstrate knowledge of equity, ethics, legal, and human issues concerning use of computers and technology. The expert level states: I reflect upon and make educated decisions in determining the effectiveness of activities that help my students gain awareness of copyright laws concerning information and computer software and the importance of equitable access to information technology. When I took the el-ed version of this class and we did the internet safety activity. I have since then always felt a strong desire to help kids realize the dangers and benefits of the internet and technology. I plan on teaching my students about that even though I'm teaching math.
My two goals are: 1. to find ways to implement technology in my every day teaching (using a Smartboard). 2. To learn how to troubleshoot my own computer. Two resources I found that I can improve my weaknesses are first a Smartboard training website when I was doing my teacher work sample my teacher used a Smartboard, it was really neat and I hope one day I have one in my classroom. SmartBoard Training. The next way I am going to improve my technology skills is by reading this website. It is about trouble shooting
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
3 April- Internet Safety
Internet Safety Reflection:
As a teacher I believe that although the Internet can be very dangerous it is a very useful tool that should be used every classroom. The Internet is extremely useful for many reasons. The communication that it provides between people all around the world is unprecedented. It is so incredible that we can search, study, and interact within the click of a mouse. Students can take virtual tours of the ocean, learn about Africa then use Google Earth and other simulation programs to actually see it and explore it, students can research topics at home and much more with the Internet. Although the Internet has many uses there are a lot of drawbacks as well. One of the major issues with using the Internet in a classroom is safety. There are a lot of predators, cyber bullies, and many other safety issues with using the Internet. As a teacher of young vulnerable adults I plan on monitoring their Internet very closely. When we utilize the internet I will teach them safety precautions that are critical to follow. Students will learn how they should never give out personal information online, correct etiquette, what they should do if they read something that is inappropriate or strange in anyway, and how to avoid cyber bullies and viruses. Because there is so much garbage and useless information on the Internet it is important to evaluate the sites that we use. Evaluating every website that we use will ensure that accurate information will be obtained, the author and source are credible and reliable, and most of all that it is safe and useful. The questions we should ask ourselves when evaluating a website can be remembered by the 5 Ws: 1.WHO: Who wrote the information and are they an expert? Does the website contain an online biography of the author or an email address? 2. WHAT: What doest the author say? What is the purpose of the site? Is the information biased? What organization sponsors the page? Is it an ad disguised as information? Does it contradict other information? 3. WHEN: When was the site created and last updated? 4. WHERE: Where does the information come from? Where can I find out more information about the sponsor or organization the author is affiliated with? In the URL look for personal names like jdoe or johndoe, ~ or %, or the words "users," "members" or "people," 5. WHY: Why is this information useful for my purpose? Why is this page or site better than other pages or sites? By following these guidelines and teaching our students Internet Safety we can ensure that they receive the most out of the time they spend on the Internet while still being safe.
As a teacher I believe that although the Internet can be very dangerous it is a very useful tool that should be used every classroom. The Internet is extremely useful for many reasons. The communication that it provides between people all around the world is unprecedented. It is so incredible that we can search, study, and interact within the click of a mouse. Students can take virtual tours of the ocean, learn about Africa then use Google Earth and other simulation programs to actually see it and explore it, students can research topics at home and much more with the Internet. Although the Internet has many uses there are a lot of drawbacks as well. One of the major issues with using the Internet in a classroom is safety. There are a lot of predators, cyber bullies, and many other safety issues with using the Internet. As a teacher of young vulnerable adults I plan on monitoring their Internet very closely. When we utilize the internet I will teach them safety precautions that are critical to follow. Students will learn how they should never give out personal information online, correct etiquette, what they should do if they read something that is inappropriate or strange in anyway, and how to avoid cyber bullies and viruses. Because there is so much garbage and useless information on the Internet it is important to evaluate the sites that we use. Evaluating every website that we use will ensure that accurate information will be obtained, the author and source are credible and reliable, and most of all that it is safe and useful. The questions we should ask ourselves when evaluating a website can be remembered by the 5 Ws: 1.WHO: Who wrote the information and are they an expert? Does the website contain an online biography of the author or an email address? 2. WHAT: What doest the author say? What is the purpose of the site? Is the information biased? What organization sponsors the page? Is it an ad disguised as information? Does it contradict other information? 3. WHEN: When was the site created and last updated? 4. WHERE: Where does the information come from? Where can I find out more information about the sponsor or organization the author is affiliated with? In the URL look for personal names like jdoe or johndoe, ~ or %, or the words "users," "members" or "people," 5. WHY: Why is this information useful for my purpose? Why is this page or site better than other pages or sites? By following these guidelines and teaching our students Internet Safety we can ensure that they receive the most out of the time they spend on the Internet while still being safe.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
21 March- "Digital Stories 2"
This week in class we learned a lot about copyright and the creative commons licensing. I really enjoyed learning about all the copyright laws and how they first came about years and years ago and how they have drastically changed to meet the needs of our society today. I read the article on the website titled, "The Educators Guide to Copyright and Fair use." In this article the first sentence reads, When it comes to copyright law and the application of fair use exceptions, ignorance is definitely not bliss! Learn how to educate yourselves and your students and avoid making a costly mistake! I know that as an educator it is vital that I follow the copyright laws and especially as a student right now at UVU. I know that through the internet people can steal many things such as papers, ideas, projects, art etc. to get the grade that they want without putting forth any effort. I know that people do it because I have witnessed it for myself. But what good does it do anyone? If a student attending college cheats to get good grades they are simply cheating themselves. I don't understand how people pay $2,500/semester for an education and steal someone elses work so they don't have to put forth hard work. They surely aren't learning anything and they are stealing in the process. I want my students to know how strongly I feel about the copyright laws. I may even share an experience I've had so they know that it is real. Two semesters ago I was enrolled in an drawing I class. My dad is a professional illustrator and is pretty well known in the art world. Anyone I found out after a couple weeks into the semester that the professor hated my father. One day she accused me of tracing his work because I had made significant improvement since the beginning of the semester. Anyway it got pretty ugly and she told me I had broken copyright laws and such. I had to meet several times with an ombudsman, the professor, the chair of the department, and even the dean. I know that I didn't do anything wrong but it was very uncomfortable and I can't imagine if I really had cheated the guilty conscience that would have haunted me. I'm going to teach my students that copyright is very, very real and serious, especially in college. My professor ended up resigning because she knew she had seriously harassed me and that I was going to file harassment complaints with Human Resources. I'm very grateful that I have kept copyright laws and want my students to have the same clear conscience I do so if they are ever in the same situation they don't have any regrets.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
13 March- Digital Stories 1
This week in class we learned about making digital stories. Before this week I had never heard of digital stories before. I really enjoyed looking at all of the different examples because I realized how much impact digital stories can have on the viewers. When reading Technology a key tool in Writing, I really liked the part that says, "the use of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts, wikis, and comics-creating software can heighten students’ engagement and enhance their writing and thinking skills in all grade levels and across all subjects." As a teacher I want to ensure that students have good thinking skills. It is crucial for students to think on their own, when students have good thinking skills they are much more likely to succeed and I want successful students! I also really like the statement in the article, "We are preparing kids for a different world—a world where they need to know how to tell compelling stories. And the types of stories that are compelling these days are not just print stories...When kids make a video about something, they know it a lot better than if they were writing a research paper … When it is more real, they are more engaged; they are more motivated, but they also try harder.” I haven't totally thought of a way that I can create an assignment for students to make a digital stories with math but I am sure there are ways. I am going to explain multiplying fractions using recipes and doubling- I hope that these digital stories will help teach my students concepts in a fun and creative way.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
7 March- Vidcast
Math Explorers! is a series of small math lessons that my 7th grade class can watch at home if they need to review or need help on a homework assignment. Each podcast episode is designed to align with the 7th grade core curriculum. This particular episode is designed to meet Standard 3: Students will develop fluency with the language and operations of algebra to analyze and represent relationships Objective 2: represent relationships using graphs, tables, and other models. This podcast reviews basic graphing knowledge that students need to know to represent real statistical data taught later in the course.
There are two reasons that I chose to make a podcast about graphing the first one is because when particular concepts are shown to me rather than simply lectured I remember them much better. Graphing is very visual and is a fundamental concept that is built upon with each math class in the future. If the students understand graphing inside and out they will have an easier time grasping particular concepts in the future. The second reason is because this semester in my curriculum class one of my classmates presented a lesson plan while teaching a lesson about graphing. To my surprise many of my peers were very confused about the basic concept of drawing a graph given an equation. Although they are not math majors graphing and analyzing relationships is useful in many real world situations.
One drawback of making a podcast series is that students will get used to relying on them for information to do the homework instead of learning the material in class. The ideal way I would want the podcast to be used is not as a replacement for taking notes and paying attention in class but rather a reminder or study aid before a test.
I plan on continuing to make Math Explorers! episodes. When I recognize that students are having a hard time grasping certain concepts I will make an episode about that topic. I believe that it would also be beneficial to record a study guide for the students for upcoming tests so they know the material that will be covered and how to prepare for it. These episodes are a great way to differentiate for visual and auditory learners because they can go home and watch or listen to it over and over again.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
21 January 2011- "Podcasts"
This week was very informative. I didn't really know what a podcast or a vidcast really was before last week. I know that may seem impossible but the term was always sort of confusing to me and I never really understood what consisted of a podcast and what didn't. I also learned what a Public Service Announcement (PSA) was. As I was creating my podcast I thought about how I could use this in my future math classroom. At first I didn't think I would like this assignment or that it would ever be applicable to me. But like usual, I was proved wrong. I actually really enjoyed making this podcast and I'm sure if I had more time it would be even more cool. As I thought about my future math class I decided it would be beneficial to my students if each week we summarized the topics learned in class so they could review it at home or if they missed a class they would be able to listen to the things they missed. I also thought it would be useful for the students if they were each assigned a math topic to research and make a podcast about. I think the best way to learn something is by teaching it to others. Instead of just giving a presentation to the class they will be able to utilize the technology they know and love to benefit themselves and their classmates.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
UEN- 14 January 2011
The Utah Education Network (UEN) is a very useful resource for not just teachers but parents and teachers as well. The first useful tool that UEN provides is called Pioneer Library. This database has a wealth of information for students of all ages and teachers as well. I especially like using EBSCO and SIRS Knowledge source. Both of these search tools contain thousands of peer reviewed journals and books. The tool that I found particularly useful for my future math classroom is eMedia. eMedia is easy to use and has fun movies and audio clips on hundreds of subjects. If I have a student who isn’t understanding how to find the area of a circle, there is a movie clip that demonstrates finding the area of a circle. There are also movies that show how math is used in different jobs. This tool is useful in differentiating my lessons according to student interests. Some other useful collections that the Pioneer database has are newspaper archives, World Book Encyclopedia, Spanish Resources, Library of Congress and many more.
Another tool that UEN provides is called Interactives. This is one of my favorite tools on UEN. Interactives are fun games that students can use and play on the computer. There are tons of games in each level of math ranging from factoring to adding and subtracting integers and even solving the Pythagorean theorem. These interactive games take subjects that may otherwise be difficult and make them fun. One game teaches students about ratios by applying them to recipes. When students understand how to apply the topics they are learning about in real life they will understand them much easier. Another game simulates a 4 week-long road trip and students must plan financially to have enough money for their entire journey. I will use Interactives as fun concepts review and post links to them on my classroom website so students can access them as they please.
My favorite UEN resource as a future teacher is the Lesson Plans. I love looking through each level and math and seeing all the wonderful lesson plan ideas. They have great suggestions on how to differentiate your lesson plans and engage all types of learners. I know that I probably won’t ever just teach the lesson that is provided but I know that I will take ideas from them and adjust them to make them fit my classroom. I am very glad that I have access to experienced teachers lesson plans especially for my first couple years of teaching.
The last resource on UEN that I want to talk about is the core curriculum. UEN provides links to Utah’s Core Curriculum in each of the levels of math. It also provides a link to the new Common Core Curriculum for math. This is very useful as I begin to develop my own teaching style and plan my year out as a new teacher. Some of the other useful things that UEN offers are research tools and homework help for students, and many great links and websites for parents. I am excited to utilize this great network more in the future as I begin to teach my own classroom!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
7 February- Google Part 2
This week in class we created our own classroom website. After learning all that we did last week about google docs, google presentations, google forms etc. then putting it all together was very rewarding. I truly felt like a real teacher creating a website for my class. I never thought about having a classroom website but now I will without a doubt. It will be extremely useful for my students to be able to see what they missed if they were absent one day. Sometimes teenagers have a hard time remembering what assignments are due the next class. This problem can be solved by simply by posting the assignment on the calendar. I assume that almost 100% of students have access to the internet, and utilize it daily. Another reason I think that having a class website is useful is because students will be able to take quizzes online at home. Since I will be teaching math I think it would be really beneficial to me and my students if after they completed their homework they took a quiz online. Then I would be able to determine for the next day which concepts are still unclear. As a parent I think a classroom website would be useful so I could contact the teacher whenever I needed or upcoming assignments/projects that are due.
A classroom website is useful for several reasons.
A classroom website is useful for several reasons.
- Reduces student excuses (I didn't know the assignment, you never told us the assignment, I was absent, etc.
- Parents know about announcements/up coming assignments/projects
- Students can access class information if they were absent
- Helps gain teaching time
- Students gain more access to online resources that have been tried/true
- Students recognize the internet can be used as an extension of school subjects taught in the class
- Many many more!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
29 January- Google Part 1
This week we learned about the many tools that google offers. It was extremely informative. I knew that google docs existed and had used it a little bit, but this semester I have utilized it more than ever before. I have been able to collaborate much faster with my peers. The really nice part is that you can both work on it at the same time and see what the other person is inputting. Although I'm not sure how I would ever use this in my math class, there were many tools google did offer that would be applicable in my classroom.
I also like exploring google forms. I had never heard of this program before and I can already think of several ways I could use this in my class. I think it would be a great way for students to take quizzes at home when there is less pressure, turn in homework assignments, or just perform basic surveys about how much the students are understanding.
It was also beneficial to look around the google excel and presentations programs. Both of these will be very useful in my classroom. I saw another site that google manages called knol. It is a website where people go on and share things they have learned. I think this could be a great resource for my students to collaborate with students across the world and read about different things they are learning.
The movie I am what I learn was very interesting. I have been in one of your other classes before and most of the time I really like the suggested clips that you post for us to watch. This one however didn't really catch my attention too much. I wasn't sure what the message was that Renee was trying to portray- it just seemed a little choppy. I do however like that she talked about how students aren't what their situation tells them they are. That they can be whoever they'd like to be. "Here in America you can write your own destiny." I hope that when I am a teacher I can help children recognize their potential to be something great. I think if we teach our students this, no matter what subject area we teach, we will impact the future.
I also like exploring google forms. I had never heard of this program before and I can already think of several ways I could use this in my class. I think it would be a great way for students to take quizzes at home when there is less pressure, turn in homework assignments, or just perform basic surveys about how much the students are understanding.
It was also beneficial to look around the google excel and presentations programs. Both of these will be very useful in my classroom. I saw another site that google manages called knol. It is a website where people go on and share things they have learned. I think this could be a great resource for my students to collaborate with students across the world and read about different things they are learning.
The movie I am what I learn was very interesting. I have been in one of your other classes before and most of the time I really like the suggested clips that you post for us to watch. This one however didn't really catch my attention too much. I wasn't sure what the message was that Renee was trying to portray- it just seemed a little choppy. I do however like that she talked about how students aren't what their situation tells them they are. That they can be whoever they'd like to be. "Here in America you can write your own destiny." I hope that when I am a teacher I can help children recognize their potential to be something great. I think if we teach our students this, no matter what subject area we teach, we will impact the future.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
24 January- MLK day
After I attended our first class session, then had a week off- I have had a lot of time to ponder how each of my classes will affect my classroom. During our first class I thought, “I don’t think there is any way that this class will apply to my content area (math).” But over the last two weeks I thought about the different types of instructional media and how I might be able to apply them to teaching math in the near future. The first thing I thought about was using different types of media to reach the different interests of my students (differentiation). I came up with a short list of ideas that may be useful in my future classroom.
· Have the students use excel to solve problems involving statistics
· Show how to properly use the functions on a graphing calculator
· Use overhead projections of graphs and other models to display different ways a problem could be solved.
· Use the program Maple to display graphical data. (One of my math professors used this program in my Calculus III and it made the problems come alive, and more interesting).
· Have the students take a problem that is in their field of interest (business, sports, finance, biology, physics, cosmetology, drama…) and create some sort of math problem they would use in their field- create an example and solution. Present to other members of the class through a classroom blog. For example a student interested in cosmetology may want to run their own business some day, they could calculate how many clients they would have to have and what their prices should be in order to generate a profit.
· Watch a documentary/biography on people who use math in their career every day.
· Use a SmartBoard. Let students write on it- teach their peers how they did a problem.
· Play interactive math games online or software games.
· http://www.coolmath.com has interactive games for classes including pre-calculus, geometry, algebra, and pre-algebra.
· http://www.math-videos-online.com/index.html is a website full of educational videos.
I also read this great article about a study done to math teachers about using instructional media. It has great suggestions for me as a future teacher. I really liked how in the conclusion it states some of the things that make using technology difficult and ways to overcome those difficulties. This is the link to that article http://www.ait.net/technos/e-zine/articles/math_teachers.php. I’m excited to have my own classroom someday and utilize the things that I have learned in this class.
Monday, January 10, 2011
17 January- Introduction
Educational Heroes.
As I ponder on my educational experience- starting as an eager 5 year old in kindergarten to the awkward junior high days all the way through high school and now into college- several teachers come to mind who have had a huge impact on my love of learning. All of these teachers have one thing in common. They have a passion for what they do. The teachers I've had who are excited and passionate about the topics they teach make me anxious to learn about the subject as well. These teachers respected us students and in turned gained the respect of us students. When there is a mutual respect between teacher and students the learning atmosphere seems to be much more open and the short class time is used productively. Of course during high school we'd try to get the teacher to go off on tangents, but when we respected the teacher and what they had prepared it was much easier to keep focused.
If I had to pick one educational hero, it'd have to be my high school teacher for AP Calculus. Mr. Smith. I'm not sure the words to describe him. He was simply amazing. When you walked into his classroom it was inviting and very comfortable. Not because of things on the walls or the temperature of the room- but because he was so kind to everybody and always, always smiled. He had the perfect teaching style. He had such a deep understanding of not only math but teaching as well. He used just the right types of motivation to make each of us want to do better and learn more. I'm not sure how it's possible to instill a love of math into somebody but he did! I suddenly loved learning knew ways to use numbers to calculate integrals and derivatives- then learning how to use that knowledge in real life. It was so satisfying. Mr. Smith was a good teacher because he was such a good communicator he could tell when somebody didn't understand a concept. Then he'd point them out and say something like, '(name)- what part would you like me to clarify.' He was always willing to explain and re-explain topics to somebody- stay after school, come before school, or even meet during lunch. He is a great example of how I want to be when I am a teacher. He is one of the main reasons that I would like to be a math teacher and one day a professor. I have a hope that one day I will be able to instill that same love of learning into my students that he instilled in me. Thanks Mr. Smith.
As I ponder on my educational experience- starting as an eager 5 year old in kindergarten to the awkward junior high days all the way through high school and now into college- several teachers come to mind who have had a huge impact on my love of learning. All of these teachers have one thing in common. They have a passion for what they do. The teachers I've had who are excited and passionate about the topics they teach make me anxious to learn about the subject as well. These teachers respected us students and in turned gained the respect of us students. When there is a mutual respect between teacher and students the learning atmosphere seems to be much more open and the short class time is used productively. Of course during high school we'd try to get the teacher to go off on tangents, but when we respected the teacher and what they had prepared it was much easier to keep focused.
If I had to pick one educational hero, it'd have to be my high school teacher for AP Calculus. Mr. Smith. I'm not sure the words to describe him. He was simply amazing. When you walked into his classroom it was inviting and very comfortable. Not because of things on the walls or the temperature of the room- but because he was so kind to everybody and always, always smiled. He had the perfect teaching style. He had such a deep understanding of not only math but teaching as well. He used just the right types of motivation to make each of us want to do better and learn more. I'm not sure how it's possible to instill a love of math into somebody but he did! I suddenly loved learning knew ways to use numbers to calculate integrals and derivatives- then learning how to use that knowledge in real life. It was so satisfying. Mr. Smith was a good teacher because he was such a good communicator he could tell when somebody didn't understand a concept. Then he'd point them out and say something like, '(name)- what part would you like me to clarify.' He was always willing to explain and re-explain topics to somebody- stay after school, come before school, or even meet during lunch. He is a great example of how I want to be when I am a teacher. He is one of the main reasons that I would like to be a math teacher and one day a professor. I have a hope that one day I will be able to instill that same love of learning into my students that he instilled in me. Thanks Mr. Smith.
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