Online learning is the new way for students to learn in the 21st century. Online learning has been in the college setting already for years but now high schools are starting to integrate online learning in their classrooms. I think this is a great resource for teachers to start using as its another way for students to access information they need for class. The great thing about online learning is if students are not understanding concepts the first time explained everything is online and they can go back and access the information again. In todays world there is many online resources for teachers to use to provide online learning such as "Angel," "Blackboard" and many more.
The downside about online learning is students have to discipline themselves and be serious about the learning taking place online. I think some students will struggle since I know for me this is a challenge to motivate students to learn and live up to their responsibilities. I think when there is not a teacher in the classroom pushing students it will be easy for students to fall behind "out of sight, out of mind." I think the best way to help students with this is for the teacher to set great expectations, set deadlines for assignments that are due.
For my classroom I have a teacher website that the school has set up for me and I use it all the time. After starting my Masters in Educational Technology at MSU and having more experience with using technology in the classroom I want to make my website more meaningful to students to access information they need for class online. I now have the knowledge and resources to enhance my online connections and take advantage of the technology out there. I think it would be great to start a blog or "Blackboard" for students to post comments and questions they might have. I want to make available accessible links and tools about topics covered in class.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
UDL Checklist
UDL Checklist">
The checklist was a good way to ensure a quality lesson for students. It made me step back and evaluate the lesson I developed and its effectiveness for all learners. This checklist took me out of my comfort level of teaching and made me as a teacher look at my lesson from a different viewpoint which will improve my teaching.
The checklist was a good way to ensure a quality lesson for students. It made me step back and evaluate the lesson I developed and its effectiveness for all learners. This checklist took me out of my comfort level of teaching and made me as a teacher look at my lesson from a different viewpoint which will improve my teaching.
Monday, July 11, 2011
"The Scholarship of Teaching"
I really enjoyed reading "The Scholarship of Teaching." It was a good article to look back and reflect on of all the things I am doing in my classroom as well as things I might need to think about a little more and maybe change. I know for myself as a teacher I sometimes get caught up in my day to day routine and sometimes don't take the time to read articles about my teaching practices. I know for myself I reflect daily on how lessons go in my classroom and if something did not go as well as I had though ways to change it for next time.
I enjoy collaborating with my co-workers weekly and we all share great ideas that we can bring back to the classroom. As a new teacher this is very helpful as I am learning from experienced teachers and sharing some of my own ideas with them. The more ideas teachers collaborate together the greater learning I think takes place in the classroom.
I like the saying from the article "Teaching, by its very nature is exploratory." I find this statement very true in the fact that we are all exploring new ways to address topics in the classroom. We as teacher are finding new ways to explore learning taking place and students are exploring with each other and also exploring with the teacher. In my classroom students explore ideas with each other by working on projects or finding problems to solutions I give them. I think the best way to learn is by exploring with others and helping each other out.
I found "The Scholarship of Teaching" very intriguing. I find it helpful that the article discusses how teachers should think hard about constructing their framework of teaching. We also need change things as we go by what the students are learning during our lessons.
I enjoy collaborating with my co-workers weekly and we all share great ideas that we can bring back to the classroom. As a new teacher this is very helpful as I am learning from experienced teachers and sharing some of my own ideas with them. The more ideas teachers collaborate together the greater learning I think takes place in the classroom.
I like the saying from the article "Teaching, by its very nature is exploratory." I find this statement very true in the fact that we are all exploring new ways to address topics in the classroom. We as teacher are finding new ways to explore learning taking place and students are exploring with each other and also exploring with the teacher. In my classroom students explore ideas with each other by working on projects or finding problems to solutions I give them. I think the best way to learn is by exploring with others and helping each other out.
I found "The Scholarship of Teaching" very intriguing. I find it helpful that the article discusses how teachers should think hard about constructing their framework of teaching. We also need change things as we go by what the students are learning during our lessons.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Personal Growth Plan
Personal Growth Plan
My name is Melissa Thompson and I am a 7th grade math and science teacher in Pinckney, Michigan. My whole life growing up I have known that I wanted to be a teacher. I was a student who always had to work a little harder when it came to understanding concepts covered in class. I never shied away from asking for extra help and learned through perseverance and hard work I could master concepts. Through my school years I had math tutors that helped me when I struggled. When I got to middle school I had a great teacher who made math seem so much easier. From that point forward math started clicking for me and I loved working with numbers and decided that being a middle school math teacher would be right for me. I received my undergraduate degree from Oakland University and got my degree in Elementary Education with a major in math and minor in integrated science. I learned a lot of tips and techniques to become a great teacher in the classroom.
A class that I really enjoyed in the education program at Oakland University was my technology course (IST). The class was an introduction to technology and taught me how to design websites, create web quests and iMovies along with more ways to integrate technology in the classroom. Going through the class at Oakland I learned so much about technology that I never knew before and in my mind I thought it would be really great and beneficial for me to get my masters degree in this area. Technology is the new innovation being taught in classes today and I want to be using all the new tricks of the trade in my very own classroom. I am going into my third year teaching. Since I have graduated, I’ve been fortunate both here in Michigan and in North Carolina, to have taught in highly equipped classrooms with state of the art technology. Having enjoyed the technology classes in my undergrad program, I was extremely excited about using all the technology in my own classroom. I was nervous about using it though as each technology device works a little differently whether it be a SMARTBOARD, Projection screen that is hooked up to a computer and can be projected onto the board, the Elmo , document cameras, slates that are hooked up to the SMARTBOARD or projection screen. I felt like I knew these technology devices at the introductory level, but did not feel confident and by no means did I feel like an expert when it came to using them. I have been learning a lot by working with this technology in my classroom but I still feel like I don’t have it mastered quite yet.
Getting my Master’s at Michigan State University in technology will help me become more of a well rounded teacher. I love technology and it can be challenging at times but when you problem solve and find things that works its really exciting. Its even more exciting to show the kids and teach lessons with the great ideas you come up with in technology. I use technology daily in my classroom but I want to become a master at it. There are endless possibilities in the classroom when it comes to using technology if you are assisted with the right equipment.
After the first week of attending the Educational Technology program at Michigan State University I have learned so much already. Learning everything this week has been a little overwhelming, challenging yet extremely informative. I have gained so much these past 4 days and am so excited to learn more in the weeks and months to come. This first week I have learned how to create and set up a blog which I have never done before. I now have a Twitter account and have been tweeting which I have never done before. I have learned how to create movies with voice and sound on a program called “Animoto,” become more familiar with programs in Google docs and have been introduced to programs I have never heard of before. Coming into the program I didn’t really know what to expect and after being in class these past four days I am really excited to see what more I am going to learn. I feel like I am at the point right now where I am still trying to understand some of the basic concepts with uploading images and links to my blog. I am thrilled about gaining all this knowledge and wealth of information and bringing these technological resources back into my own classroom.
My personal growth plan for the remaining portion of the 2011 summer classes is to continue understanding the concepts presented and putting them to use for the upcoming school year. I know it is going to require time, patience and perseverance. I’m very willing and motivated to conquer the skills for the practical implementation it will provide for both my students and I. The contacts I’m making in class will be good resources for problem solving this term and future professional growth.
For the next 2 to 3 years in the program my goal is to become very knowledgeable of teaching technology in the 21st century classroom. I would also like to become confident in using the different technology devices such as the flip camera, iPod, iPad and others. I have always thought I would be great to become the technology tech in the district. I also like the idea of being someone who trains teachers and districts on various technology resources coming out by companies.
With my personal technology plan “I believe” that it is important to have good communication with my students and parents. Since being in this class I have learned so many great tools and techniques to create a blog that I never knew about before and I am excited to create and start a blog for my own classroom. With the blog that I create I would like for it to have helpful links on concepts covered in class that students and parents can go to. I also think it would be great to create Podcasts with my lessons and post them on my blog for students to go back and listen to or for students to use when they are absent. On my blog I would also like to post news and information for students to know for example certain supplies students need to bring to class on certain days. When I myself start to feel more confident with blogs I would like for my students to create their own blog and use the blogs as helpful resources for themselves and others in the class.
My name is Melissa Thompson and I am a 7th grade math and science teacher in Pinckney, Michigan. My whole life growing up I have known that I wanted to be a teacher. I was a student who always had to work a little harder when it came to understanding concepts covered in class. I never shied away from asking for extra help and learned through perseverance and hard work I could master concepts. Through my school years I had math tutors that helped me when I struggled. When I got to middle school I had a great teacher who made math seem so much easier. From that point forward math started clicking for me and I loved working with numbers and decided that being a middle school math teacher would be right for me. I received my undergraduate degree from Oakland University and got my degree in Elementary Education with a major in math and minor in integrated science. I learned a lot of tips and techniques to become a great teacher in the classroom.
A class that I really enjoyed in the education program at Oakland University was my technology course (IST). The class was an introduction to technology and taught me how to design websites, create web quests and iMovies along with more ways to integrate technology in the classroom. Going through the class at Oakland I learned so much about technology that I never knew before and in my mind I thought it would be really great and beneficial for me to get my masters degree in this area. Technology is the new innovation being taught in classes today and I want to be using all the new tricks of the trade in my very own classroom. I am going into my third year teaching. Since I have graduated, I’ve been fortunate both here in Michigan and in North Carolina, to have taught in highly equipped classrooms with state of the art technology. Having enjoyed the technology classes in my undergrad program, I was extremely excited about using all the technology in my own classroom. I was nervous about using it though as each technology device works a little differently whether it be a SMARTBOARD, Projection screen that is hooked up to a computer and can be projected onto the board, the Elmo , document cameras, slates that are hooked up to the SMARTBOARD or projection screen. I felt like I knew these technology devices at the introductory level, but did not feel confident and by no means did I feel like an expert when it came to using them. I have been learning a lot by working with this technology in my classroom but I still feel like I don’t have it mastered quite yet.
Getting my Master’s at Michigan State University in technology will help me become more of a well rounded teacher. I love technology and it can be challenging at times but when you problem solve and find things that works its really exciting. Its even more exciting to show the kids and teach lessons with the great ideas you come up with in technology. I use technology daily in my classroom but I want to become a master at it. There are endless possibilities in the classroom when it comes to using technology if you are assisted with the right equipment.
After the first week of attending the Educational Technology program at Michigan State University I have learned so much already. Learning everything this week has been a little overwhelming, challenging yet extremely informative. I have gained so much these past 4 days and am so excited to learn more in the weeks and months to come. This first week I have learned how to create and set up a blog which I have never done before. I now have a Twitter account and have been tweeting which I have never done before. I have learned how to create movies with voice and sound on a program called “Animoto,” become more familiar with programs in Google docs and have been introduced to programs I have never heard of before. Coming into the program I didn’t really know what to expect and after being in class these past four days I am really excited to see what more I am going to learn. I feel like I am at the point right now where I am still trying to understand some of the basic concepts with uploading images and links to my blog. I am thrilled about gaining all this knowledge and wealth of information and bringing these technological resources back into my own classroom.
My personal growth plan for the remaining portion of the 2011 summer classes is to continue understanding the concepts presented and putting them to use for the upcoming school year. I know it is going to require time, patience and perseverance. I’m very willing and motivated to conquer the skills for the practical implementation it will provide for both my students and I. The contacts I’m making in class will be good resources for problem solving this term and future professional growth.
For the next 2 to 3 years in the program my goal is to become very knowledgeable of teaching technology in the 21st century classroom. I would also like to become confident in using the different technology devices such as the flip camera, iPod, iPad and others. I have always thought I would be great to become the technology tech in the district. I also like the idea of being someone who trains teachers and districts on various technology resources coming out by companies.
With my personal technology plan “I believe” that it is important to have good communication with my students and parents. Since being in this class I have learned so many great tools and techniques to create a blog that I never knew about before and I am excited to create and start a blog for my own classroom. With the blog that I create I would like for it to have helpful links on concepts covered in class that students and parents can go to. I also think it would be great to create Podcasts with my lessons and post them on my blog for students to go back and listen to or for students to use when they are absent. On my blog I would also like to post news and information for students to know for example certain supplies students need to bring to class on certain days. When I myself start to feel more confident with blogs I would like for my students to create their own blog and use the blogs as helpful resources for themselves and others in the class.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Looking Back, Looking Forward
My personal learning network has expanded tremendously since starting the Masters of Arts in Education Technology classes at Michigan State University. I have become a part of such a bigger network of communicating with people and learning how to blog, joining Twitter and how to add comments to Wiki's. I plan to continue my learning network by continuing taking Masters of Arts in Educational Technology classes at MSU. I hope to continue the professional learning of my administrative colleagues by showing them what I've learned this summer with using technology in the classroom and being confident in answering questions that they have about technology.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)