Blog about Blogging

So, I am all about trying new things.  New experiences are the best to learn from.  I actually ended up having a completely different opinion about blogging that I thought I would.  I believe that blogs are a great way to keep in touch with other professionals in your field.  For teachers, one of the biggest pieces of advice they will give is communicating with other teachers.   I believe that blogging is a good tool for teachers sharing activities, lessons, and creative projects in the class.  Personally, I feel that I may use blogging as something to get me going as a new teacher.  I have to say that getting information that I can directly apply will give me enough motivation to possibly keep up with it.  

For this class, I felt that I was trying too hard to think of things to blog about which made it a little bit of a burden for me.  Although,  if there was something drastic happening in my life that i would like to share, I think a blog would be a great way to do that.  The problem I see with blogging though, is that you need a computer to do it.  If I were on a trip abroad, for example, I would rather keep track of my thoughts and experiences with the old fashioned pen and paper.  So, my final thoughts on blogging are not really set in stone.  I enjoyed reading others' blogs, and when I had something that I really cared to share, it wasn't that bad.  I guess I will see how I feel when I start teaching.  If it is something that is easily accessible and will enhance my career, than it is a tool I will use.  

Over and Out...

Music

I am doing my 100 hours of observation in a 3rd grade classroom.  As a way to create a calm atmosphere in the class, my mentor teacher usually plays soft, calming piano music during writing.  It really seems to work well.  Just as I was doing homework, I was using a really cool website to listen to music.  It is called www.pandora.com and with it, I can type in a band that I like and it will continuously play music similar to that bands style.  These are called "radio stations."  I love it.  I have a radio station for different activities I am doing.  I have a classical station, several to listen to while studying, one to listen to while hanging out with friends, etc.  I have also discovered a lot of music I like by having them connected to other bands I have created radio stations for.  I can pick the station according to what mood I'm in or what kind of work I am doing.  I think that this website will be a really neat tool to use in the classroom.  A teacher can create different stations according to activities that are happening in the classroom.

In a recent blog that I read, a teacher made a comment about teaching Shakespeare.  She said that at the beginning of the unit every year, she asks herself "why do I teach this?"  I thought that this is a great think for teachers to stop and ask themselves very often.  When we know why we are teaching something, it will be more full filling for yourself and the students.  Also, I think it is important for children/students to know why they are learning something.  

The reasons behind what we do is what makes us what to do them.  :-)

so much!

So, I have been thinking a lot about how many accounts I have all over the place: gmail, firstclass, Web CT, blackboard, facebook, my online banking, and various others.  Wouldn't it be a good idea to start a website where we can keep all these different accounts that we need to keep track of?  For EDT 400 we have had to create several new usernames and I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with those on top of the other ones that I have already.  Is there a good tool that anyone uses?  Is there a website out there like this already?  

Also, my boyfriend was telling me about a website that sounds kind of cool and may be neat to use in the class room.  www.xtranormal.com  It is a website where you can make your own videos with people.  You can have then move and talk the way you want.  Perhaps this may be something to use while teaching a lesson.  Or, being a student in college, it might be a nice addition to a presentation.  He is using it for a project in his Spanish class to help show a story his group has to tell.  

until next time...

So, I have been paying extra attention the past week to find something really good to blog about.

First, Our EDT 400 class has been exploring an AMAZING tool: Podcasts.  I love the idea of these.  There are not only educational, and FREE, but also really entertaining.  I would love to figure out how to create your own Podcast.  As a teacher, I think it would be great to have my class have their own news station that they can share with their parents, teachers, school, and the world.  

Second, I was working the other day (at My Gym children's fitness center) and i had an interesting conversation with a 7-year-old boy in first grade.  He was just there to play with his little brother and while swinging on the swings started telling me about some of his own computer skills.  He asked me if I liked the show Transformers.   "Sure, I used to like the old episodes." I replied.  "Yeah!" he said "Those are what my little brother likes too!"  I was wondering if he had an old video or how he could watch those episodes.  "Youtube!" he relied.  I admit I was a little shocked.  I has no idea a first grader would know a tool that I use almost everyday.  "I'm the only one that knows how to use it so I find videos for my brother to watch."  Holy Moley...How things have changed.  

Although...I think it's pretty cool that old school shows like Transformers can still be viewed by kids these days.  

Sixth Sense

WOW,

I just watched the video that Ed posted last week that has to do with the Sixth Sense device that have been made. With this device, information about the world around us is actually "at your fingertips."  The device is connected to the internet through your cell phone usually.  It included a camera and a projector.  The camera can pick up something that you wish to have more information about (i.e. a book, product at a store, or even a person) and project that information onto any surface.  With different colored tape, marker caps, or even paint on your fingers, the camera can pick up certain things you are doing with your hands and you can interact with it.  I feel that it is pretty much the same as having a computer attached to your head.  I have some mixed emotions about this device.  Honestly, it seems pretty cool.  How awesome would it be to be able to check if your flight has been delayed simply by looking at your ticket.  You can also find out so much about certain products while shopping.  Although, I do feel that we have access to much of what this device provides already.  When you pick up a book that you think looks interesting, I feel it is exciting to just go by what the back says.  When you want to know if your flight is delayed, you can just use your cell phone to find out.  If you want to know if a product is ecologically friendly, doesn't it say so on the packaging?   I feel this device allows us to quickly find out more information that we usually need to do a little searching for.  It's an amazing tool, but is it going to make us lazy?  Or will it be a new way of living?  

Watch This

So, I found this video on youtube and I thought it was definitely something to share.     

Apparrantly, A man by the name of Matt Harding first decided to travel across Asia.  Along the way he recorded himself dancing either in a different area.  In each video he is either alone or with locals from that part of the country.  Stride gum caught on and agreed to sponsor two more of his trips.  In this video, he visits 42 countries over 4 months.  

This video reminds me how beautiful areas of this world.  In this video, Matt also shows that even  if the place is not so beautiful, people can still be happy and willing to dance.  

With Spring break coming up, I am feeling a little anxious because I will not be able too go anywhere.  With technologies like youtube, I am able to still see the world even though I can not travel there...yet.

**Go to www.youtube.com and type in "Where the hell is Matt 2008" **

Di-gi-tal

 I feel that when I am thinking or talking about technology in the classroom, I always have a picture of a computer in my head.  This week, I have been trying to think of other technologies that we could use in the classroom besides the computer. So, what are they?  Well, the one that I thought most about was the digital camera.  With this, we can document different things that happen in our classroom and all sorts of things we discover.  We can take pictures of things outside that we may have questions about and instantly be able to refer back to that picture while researching.  

In one class that I took last semester, we all created nature journals.  We were required to take pictures out in nature to go along with what we were documenting.  We also used them to track any changes that were happening with the change of the seasons.  I did a group project about fungi and mold and we took pictures of various items of food we set out as they molded.  It was really interesting (and gross!) to see through pictures, how much of a change there was and how long different foods took to get to a certain point.  What a fun science activity this would be to do with a class room.  It also got me thinking about what other processes we could document with pictures.  Maybe a plant growing, water freezing, snow melting, or tides changing.  

I am hoping to continue thinking about these types of things.  I feel that one of the best gifts a teacher can give their students is an idea that so many others ideas will grow from.  

http://teachingwhatworks.blogspot.com/

http://learningwithimpact.blogspot.com/

http://teachercommons.blogspot.com/

-Teachers to be (and those who already are): check out "Superheroes" on this blog...

gttp://teachsomething.blogspot.com/

Funny Kiddos

One of my favorite things about kids is the way they view our world and the way they express this view.  I've been meaning to start documenting the funny things kids say to me, but had yet to find a way to do so.  I guess this is a pretty good place to start.  This will be my funny blog, please add to it if you have some stories of your own :-)

  Hope it brings ya some giggles.  

Friday 1/30

I have started doing my 100 hours in a first grade classroom for this semester.  This is my first experience with teaching first graders so I am still getting used to them, their level of reading, writing, math, and wit.  This was the first day I really started to realize how funny they can be.  

One boy walked into the classroom from gym this morning, clearly in the middle of an argument with one of his classmates.  "Ms Smith!" he asks

"Yep?" A little distracted, I thought the little guy might just ask for some help tying his shoes or something.

"Is 'sin' a bad word?"  hahaha...hmm

"Nope, it's a bad thing though."  Best reply I could think of.

Turning to his peer "See told ya."  

Now, the part that got to me was: how exactly did this argument start?  In what context had he used this word to make it sound like a bad word?

At the end of the day, the kids were getting ready to go on the bus, walk, or be picked up.  (Note: helping with snowpants, boots, jackets, and hats can be pretty tricky...but those DARN little fabric gloves will really getchya.  Those tiny fingers never, ever want to go to their designated spot.)  I noticed one boy having a particularly hard time getting on his snow pants.  I went over and asked "Now Jason, what do you think will make this easier?  Asking 'Ms. Smith, will you please help me?' or grunting and groaning?"  

"Well," he says (uh oh) "my grandfather says that grunting helps him!" 

"Does it?  Well do you think it helps him to get his snow pants on?" I ask. 

"No.  It helps him too get out of the car though!"    

 

A new tool

I have read some articles on blogging and now have a new opinion about this new tool.  It is clear that blogs can be used by many different people no matter their age or education level.  I first believed that blogs were used more as a journal that could be viewed by other people than a place to tell news.  Now, I realize blogging can be used for so much more.

I was reading an article about blogging in the elementary classrooms.  As you see in my last post, I really felt that as an elementary school teacher, blogging isn't something i will be able to use.  I have since learned that there are special sites that allow teachers to create a classroom blog that they can control themselves.  Here, children can respond to questions or prompts the teacher has posted, sort of as a classroom or even homework assignment.  Depending on the type of class i am teaching, I could either have children do this at our classroom computer or in a computer lab.  

I look forward to reading other teachers' blogs.  I feel that it is a good place to find and record ideas to use in the classroom.  

January 26, 2009

Welcome to my blog! 

This is my first experience with blogging.  I am curious to see where this leads me in regards to my growth as a teacher. I feel that maybe blogging isn't something that my students will be able to use personally.  I do feel, however, that having access to other educators' blogs could be a great resource for me.  

This is going to be a stressful, busy, and exciting semester for me.  I am hoping that this blog will be a good way to track challenges and accomplishments I experience throughout this semester.