Blog #16 Technology Lesson Plans

We are writing lesson plans, to turn in as a final,that incorporate technology in them. It has been hard for me to think of ideas on what I should put in my lesson plans. We are supposed to come up with an idea that is unique to a previous lesson plan. I have come up with a few ideas like having the students learn a language over a web cam conversation with someone native to a different country or have the students make a film strip/movie with students in another country comparing the subject in 2 different cultures. We'll see what I end up doing, I'll keep brainstorming.

Using technology in the classroom is something that is new to me because when I was in school we hardly ever used technology, besides going to computers. I believe that it will enhance students' learning. It will not only enhance their learning but it will also prepare them to use technology skills later on in their life.

Now that I have expanded my knowledge in technology, I am able to take what I have learned to my future classroom. Along with that, I can build upon that foundation and learn more as technology is updated. I am excited to experiment around with technology and find new ideas that I can use in my classroom.

Video
School House Rock: Preamble
This movie is a classic! Some of my teachers in either Jr. High or High School had us watch it. That is the way that I was able to learn/memorize the Preamble. I can still sing the song today with all of the words! I believe that this movie is very helpful for students in learning the Preamble.

Blog #15 Digital Story 3

Digital Story #3

I have enjoyed learning how to put a digital story together. Once I got past the stage of understanding what a digital story was I was able to pick up the concept and make an attempt at making a digital story. It’s used to enhance a lesson by introducing the topic. Digital stories can also be given as an assignment to the students, in the elementary. This enables them to use their imaginations to present a topic.

A digital stories is something that can catch the attention of all learners. It is good to have this tool so that we can use various types of presentation tools to our students. Some students within the classroom may be able to learn by stories, movies or pictures. This would be a helpful way for those students to learn the material.

Now that I know how to create a digital story I could incorporate it into some of my lessons. It takes a lot of effort to make one video so I think that it would be neat to take all of the digital stories that we have created and share them amongst each other for the use of all of our classrooms. Also, now that I know how to make these stories, I can help my students through the process if I ever give them an assignment of creating one.

Video: Millennial Generation
This video was very informational in the sense that it shows the younger generation as expanding and imagining what technology is going to be like possibly just several years down the road. It’s amazing how much this generation knows about technology. As the stated in the movie, it’s hard for some of those in the older generation to accommodate to the new technology, but it’s something that has been a major impact upon the world. Technology is a fast paced revolution that will continuously be updated.

Blog #14 Thanksgiving Holiday!

It has been so nice to take a little break from school. I am sad that the end of this break is also the end of our field experience. I was just starting to get use to teaching and understanding the students. It's crazy how fast time flies. Before we know it this semester is going to be over and I'll be starting on my second semester in the Elementary Education Program.

There are many things that I have learned my field experience and it makes me even more excited to do next semester's field experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the program. I have learned new information, strategies that I can use and had tons of fun! I feel more prepared at teaching now. The field experience has helped ease me into this.

Now that I have had a little taste of what teaching is all about, I am totally excited to finish the program and start teaching. Now I am ready to finish out this semester and start with next semester. I think I'll even go back and help out in that particular classroom. I want to help those students to learn all that they can and have fun with it.

Blog #13 Field Experience 3

This was the last full week of being in my 4th grade class. I have really enjoyed watching the students progress and grow in learning new things. We have finished teaching our five lessons and I want to teach more. At first I was apprehensive as to how teaching would go. I was nervous that we didn't have enough material or that the students wouldn't understand or like what we were doing. This wasn't the case, the students loved it! One of the students in particular would ask me frequently if we were going to be teaching about the pioneers that day, this made me happy.

This experience has reinforced my desire to become a teacher. I wish that I could just stop going to school to teach school. I love seeing the students learning new things and finding out that they can do something. I feel like I have just gotten to know the students and their abilities and then we have to go back to school. I wish that I could just stay and help those students learn all that they can.

Now that I definitely know that I want to be a teacher, I will try my hardest to accomplish that goal. I want to be a teacher that can make a positive impact in the lives of those that I'm around and those that I teach. Now I have a better idea of how teaching a lesson plan works and next time I shouldn't be as nervous to give a lesson.

Blog #12 Field Experience 2

This week we are still in our field experience. I am in a fourth grade class. Aubri, my partner, and I taught out first two lessons this week, on the pioneers. They went better that what I expected. I didn't think that the students would participate as much as they did, but they're a pretty active bunch of students. When we aren't teaching we are walking around helping students and observing the teacher.

Observing in the classroom gives me knowledge on how to deal with students that are acting up in class or having a hard time focusing. Classroom management is a tool that is necessary in becoming a teacher. I like that we are able to teach in a classroom to build up our experience before we are set out on our own. The cooperating teacher that I'm observing and helping out is stricter teacher that I have been used to, for example reminding students of the procedures of the classroom. She is more sarcastic with the students than I would feel comfortable being.

Now that I have seen some of the techniques that my cooperating teacher has used, I can put my own spin on it. I can take the positive skills that she has taught me and make them so that they fit my personality of teaching. Being able to see good examples and not so good examples of teachers helps me to think of how I as a teacher would like to be. Also, now that I have been able to have a little experience in planning and teaching that lesson plan, I hope that I can become more comfortable with teaching the class. Now that I am able to observe in a live classroom, then I can get the hands on experience that I need to build my classroom management skills.

Blog #11 Field Experience 1

I have absolutely loved my field experience so far! I enjoy going into the classroom and observing, helping out and soon teaching some lessons. My partner and I will be teaching out first lesson this coming monday on the Mormon Pioneers. I am excited and nervous at the same time. It will be exciting to see how a lesson plan works out or doesn't work out the way that you had planned.

I think that it is necessary to have the opportunity to have a field experience because it gives me the hands on experience that I need. I am able to see examples of what works in the classroom and what doesn't work so well. Thus far, my field experience has taught me that teachers need to be very on top of what's going on in the classroom at all times. There are times when he/she needs to disciple a student quickly, for a certain behavior, that's sitting across the room.

All the things that I have learned so far in the EDEL Program I am able to apply to the classroom, that I have been assigned to help out in. There are things that I can now see that I would do differently, in my particular classroom, than my cooperating teacher does currently in her classroom. I am still far away from learning all that I can about the classroom, discipline, curriculum, lesson plans, etc., but I am excited to learn how I can become a positive impact on students.

Video Post "How Not To Use PowerPoint"-PDP Reflection

I thought that this vodeo got the point across about powerpoint in a humerous way. It made remember what not to do on powerpoint. The things that he mentioned wer things that can be a problem while creating a powerpoint and if we aren't aware ahead of time, then this is a good way to make sure you know. This would be a fun little video to show your students before they make their own powerpoints.