The school that we were in didn't have much to work with when it came to technology. The classroom had computers in it but they didn't work. Our cooperating teacher also didn't have any way that we could really use technology to teach a lesson. The lessons that she gave us were mostly math lesson plans so we did the best we could.
The one lesson plan that we taught to the whole class, instead of in math centers/groups, was on long division. So to incorporate technology into this lesson plan, I searched online for a way to show the students how to do long division.
While they were out to recess, before math, I used the time to set my laptop up to the projector. It was a different projector than I had used before and it was hard to find a place in the room where all of the students would be able to see (it was on a rolling cart, there was hardly enough room on it for the projector and my laptop. Also, the classroom was so condenssed that it was hard to find room in the classroom for the cart and to make the projected screen visible for all students.)
We started the lesson out by reviewing what division was and had the students tell us how to do it. Then I showed the projected screen and we had one person from each table tell me how to do long division. The game on my computer was good becasue it not only showed them how to do long division step by step but it allowed them to see that you can use technology to learn and it's fun. I was worried that they would think it was dumb but they actually loved it. One boy came up to me and asked what website that was because it was fun and it helped him.
It wasn't really what I was invisioning with using technology but it's all that we could do with the amount of time the teacher allowed us to have and with the lesson that we had to do.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Third and Last week of Field Experience
What?
This was my last week, and tomorrow-Monday, of field experience. It's been hectic and very exhausting week. I'm not physically tired but I'm mentally tired. As the end of the week came closer and closer, I found myself already missing the studnets that I've been working with for the month of November. I stayed all day on Thursday to go to a movie with them and they were so excited that I stayed to watch it with them. They are all sad that Monday will be my last day with them. I really want to go back and visit them but I'm not sure if I'll have time with my work schedule and school.
So What?
I'm sure that I'll love being a teacher now. I was still up in the air with whether or not I wanted to be a teacher but even after just the first day I knew that I was going to love it! I never thought that I would feel bad when I left at the end of the day and I was sad. I know that it's going to be hard but I'm willing to do it! I honestly can't wait to become a teacher and get to have my own classroom that I can arrange anyway that I want to and put whatever I want on the walls, colorful things. I did notice that our cooperating teacher hardly ever, if ever, does any art projects with the students. I'll want to have them do some sort of art weekly; different kinds of art so that the students who aren't comfortable drawing can realize that art just isn't about drawing.
Now What?
I have realized that our cooperating teacher doesn't do a lot of things with technology or art. I know that when I'm a teacher, I want to have the students do art things and I will want to use technology as much as I can when I can. I'm hoping that whatever school I'll be teaching at will have computers that work in the classrooms and they'll have a projector that's on the ceiling so that it doesn't take up space and everyone can see around it. I did realize during the lessons that I taught that I need to find a way to use more correct terms. The students understood what I was meaning but when getting observed that's one thing that I was told to work on because I may get a student that gets confused with the terms that I use.
Overall, my teaching experience has been great and I have learned a lot. There are many things that I want to use from the teacher I watched and there are many things that I would change. I just hope that for next term I don't get put into a 1st grade class. I'm really not sure if I could handle 1st grade. I've been set on teaching the upper grades and I'm still set on that. Who knows though, I may like the younger grades more than the uppper grades.
This was my last week, and tomorrow-Monday, of field experience. It's been hectic and very exhausting week. I'm not physically tired but I'm mentally tired. As the end of the week came closer and closer, I found myself already missing the studnets that I've been working with for the month of November. I stayed all day on Thursday to go to a movie with them and they were so excited that I stayed to watch it with them. They are all sad that Monday will be my last day with them. I really want to go back and visit them but I'm not sure if I'll have time with my work schedule and school.
So What?
I'm sure that I'll love being a teacher now. I was still up in the air with whether or not I wanted to be a teacher but even after just the first day I knew that I was going to love it! I never thought that I would feel bad when I left at the end of the day and I was sad. I know that it's going to be hard but I'm willing to do it! I honestly can't wait to become a teacher and get to have my own classroom that I can arrange anyway that I want to and put whatever I want on the walls, colorful things. I did notice that our cooperating teacher hardly ever, if ever, does any art projects with the students. I'll want to have them do some sort of art weekly; different kinds of art so that the students who aren't comfortable drawing can realize that art just isn't about drawing.
Now What?
I have realized that our cooperating teacher doesn't do a lot of things with technology or art. I know that when I'm a teacher, I want to have the students do art things and I will want to use technology as much as I can when I can. I'm hoping that whatever school I'll be teaching at will have computers that work in the classrooms and they'll have a projector that's on the ceiling so that it doesn't take up space and everyone can see around it. I did realize during the lessons that I taught that I need to find a way to use more correct terms. The students understood what I was meaning but when getting observed that's one thing that I was told to work on because I may get a student that gets confused with the terms that I use.
Overall, my teaching experience has been great and I have learned a lot. There are many things that I want to use from the teacher I watched and there are many things that I would change. I just hope that for next term I don't get put into a 1st grade class. I'm really not sure if I could handle 1st grade. I've been set on teaching the upper grades and I'm still set on that. Who knows though, I may like the younger grades more than the uppper grades.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Second week of field experience
What
This was my second week in field. It's quite an interesting experience. I love teaching so far but I have a hard time working/doing things the way of the teacher that I'm working with. I think it may just drive me crazy. I love to work on things before they are do and I'm a very organized person and a neat freak; my cooperating teacher is none of the above. I also like to have my lesson plans done at least a few days to a week in advance so that I can look over it and review it. So far, I've not had a chance to do that. We get told what to teach a night before we have to teach it and it's very frustrating...especially because there is a blind child in the class and the assignments need to be brailed a week in advance so they've been having to make exceptions for us and I'm sure that it's very frustrating for them as well... It is a good experience though.
So What?
Although this experience is going to drive me crazy, I think that it will help me to prepare for the unexpected when I become a teacher. I know that things don't always go the way you planned when you're a teacher because something always seems to come up, so I think that having to "wing" it right now will just help me become that much better as a teacher.
Now What?
I'll apply what I've learned so far not only as a teacher but in real life. I know that's it's not always feasible to have everything organized and planned out just so but it does make things nice. It will also help me when/if I do make up a lesson plan that if a child is having some problems or something else comes up that I'll know how to "wing" it and think on a whim. I've also learned a few classroom managment skills that will help when I'm in charge too. So far, although this situation is very frustrating, it will help me a lot in the long run.
This was my second week in field. It's quite an interesting experience. I love teaching so far but I have a hard time working/doing things the way of the teacher that I'm working with. I think it may just drive me crazy. I love to work on things before they are do and I'm a very organized person and a neat freak; my cooperating teacher is none of the above. I also like to have my lesson plans done at least a few days to a week in advance so that I can look over it and review it. So far, I've not had a chance to do that. We get told what to teach a night before we have to teach it and it's very frustrating...especially because there is a blind child in the class and the assignments need to be brailed a week in advance so they've been having to make exceptions for us and I'm sure that it's very frustrating for them as well... It is a good experience though.
So What?
Although this experience is going to drive me crazy, I think that it will help me to prepare for the unexpected when I become a teacher. I know that things don't always go the way you planned when you're a teacher because something always seems to come up, so I think that having to "wing" it right now will just help me become that much better as a teacher.
Now What?
I'll apply what I've learned so far not only as a teacher but in real life. I know that's it's not always feasible to have everything organized and planned out just so but it does make things nice. It will also help me when/if I do make up a lesson plan that if a child is having some problems or something else comes up that I'll know how to "wing" it and think on a whim. I've also learned a few classroom managment skills that will help when I'm in charge too. So far, although this situation is very frustrating, it will help me a lot in the long run.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Field Experience week #1 Blog
What?
This was my first week, well 2 days, in my field experience. It was very interesting to see how my cooperating teacher ran her class. It was also very interesting to see the different types of students and how she had to do certain things differently with each child.
So What?
I wasn't quite sure what I should expect when I went into the classroom. I was very nervouse until I was actually in the classroom. It's very interesting to see how fast the 5th graders warmed up to me.
At recess, they swarmed around me and wanted to talk to me and then at the recess that they earned later that day, they wanted me to play with them. It was very fun :)
We played a game, the students came up with, it's a get to know their name game. They gave me a beanbag spider they called Mr. Spider and I would throw it to them and they would tell me their name. After all of the kids told me all of their names, I went through and tried to recall all 29 of their names. Needless to say, I could only remember about 10 of their names. I felt very bad that I couldn't remember their names so for the rest of the day, I would look at all of them and say their names and look at their faces and where they were sitting. Lets just say that by the end of the day and the begginning of the next day I had all of their names memorized.
I found myself feeling bad when I left the students. I never knew that after 2 days I would feel like this for the students. I figured that I would feel bad for leaving at the end of November but not after just 2 days. Now I'm positive that teaching is what I want to do as my career.
Now What?
I know that many of the things that I've learned, in just 2 days, will help me when I become a teacher. I know what I will change from what I've seen and I know what I can use. I have seen many things that I like and dislike and I know now what I can do and what I should stay away from. I really enjoy getting this experience and I'm still liking the idea of teaching the higher grades, 4th-6th, but that could change when I go back in the spring to do field experience in the younger grade levels.
This was my first week, well 2 days, in my field experience. It was very interesting to see how my cooperating teacher ran her class. It was also very interesting to see the different types of students and how she had to do certain things differently with each child.
So What?
I wasn't quite sure what I should expect when I went into the classroom. I was very nervouse until I was actually in the classroom. It's very interesting to see how fast the 5th graders warmed up to me.
At recess, they swarmed around me and wanted to talk to me and then at the recess that they earned later that day, they wanted me to play with them. It was very fun :)
We played a game, the students came up with, it's a get to know their name game. They gave me a beanbag spider they called Mr. Spider and I would throw it to them and they would tell me their name. After all of the kids told me all of their names, I went through and tried to recall all 29 of their names. Needless to say, I could only remember about 10 of their names. I felt very bad that I couldn't remember their names so for the rest of the day, I would look at all of them and say their names and look at their faces and where they were sitting. Lets just say that by the end of the day and the begginning of the next day I had all of their names memorized.
I found myself feeling bad when I left the students. I never knew that after 2 days I would feel like this for the students. I figured that I would feel bad for leaving at the end of November but not after just 2 days. Now I'm positive that teaching is what I want to do as my career.
Now What?
I know that many of the things that I've learned, in just 2 days, will help me when I become a teacher. I know what I will change from what I've seen and I know what I can use. I have seen many things that I like and dislike and I know now what I can do and what I should stay away from. I really enjoy getting this experience and I'm still liking the idea of teaching the higher grades, 4th-6th, but that could change when I go back in the spring to do field experience in the younger grade levels.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Digital story blog
What
We learned about the digital stories in class this week. I think that it will become a very useful tool while in the classroom. It could be a good way to introduce or conclude a very boring topic. We started out learning about the digital story and then learning how to do the story board to help us organize our digital story and get some ideas or figure out what/if we need to change anything
So What?
This will show that as a teacher I'm comfortable with using technology that the studnets are interested in to make my teaching strategies better. I think that this will really get the students attention, especially on a very boring subject. It will also help me to become more enthusiastic about teaching that boring subject.
Now What?
I'm going to use this in my class someday. I think that I will probably use it a lot while I'm going to have to teach my students about a very very boring subject. I think that I could use two different digital stories, one to introduce the topic and get my students "hooked" and then to use a different one to "conclude" what they've already learned. I still need to work on learning how to get all of the main points into it and then figure out how I want to put everything together.
Video Blog
I couldn't get the Nasa video to work....
We learned about the digital stories in class this week. I think that it will become a very useful tool while in the classroom. It could be a good way to introduce or conclude a very boring topic. We started out learning about the digital story and then learning how to do the story board to help us organize our digital story and get some ideas or figure out what/if we need to change anything
So What?
This will show that as a teacher I'm comfortable with using technology that the studnets are interested in to make my teaching strategies better. I think that this will really get the students attention, especially on a very boring subject. It will also help me to become more enthusiastic about teaching that boring subject.
Now What?
I'm going to use this in my class someday. I think that I will probably use it a lot while I'm going to have to teach my students about a very very boring subject. I think that I could use two different digital stories, one to introduce the topic and get my students "hooked" and then to use a different one to "conclude" what they've already learned. I still need to work on learning how to get all of the main points into it and then figure out how I want to put everything together.
Video Blog
I couldn't get the Nasa video to work....
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