The Interactive White Board- Yes it has Arrived! (required)

Well... many schools are very excited about the "SMART" boards, or interactive boards. The reason for this being that students no longer bored out of their minds in class. They are able to work with technology and to expand as students because they are learning in new ways. Or you could even look at it in the old made new since they still are learning the basic subjects, but having some fun too. In fact one school wanted an interactive board so much that teachers agreed to be duct taped to the gym wall and be pied. This happened at Sir G. E. Cartier Elementary School in London, Ontario, for real.

In the article "It Makes Teachers Touchy" By Matthew Philips from NEWSWEEK, Matthew discusses how SMART boards are wonderful in the classroom and mentions how some studies so far show that attends is raising in classes with SMART boards and the number of students going to the Principal's office are decreasing. Teachers are still hesitate to use the boards.

This article, I think shows how the boards are great in the classroom, yet also pointing out that we need to help our older generation of teachers how to not be afraid of the techonology showing up in their classrooms. If you wish to read this article yourself click here

Turning on the lights (required)

I found this article very interesting and thinking outside the box from what some would call "traditional" schooling. I do agree that children in earlier years did receive an eye opening schooling into what the world was and how it worked and what was going on during that time period. When it comes to todays children I feel that yes their eyes are more opened before they reach the classroom, but how many young children truly pay that much attention to what is happening in the world and know how to process that information. I will say that some do pay attention to what they see and hear, but they also hear is mostly from what their parents think of the information and start forming opinions based only on what they see and hear from their parents. So school, to me still is opening the eyes of the students and asking them to step outside of their box and to create their own opinion of what is happening and to see both or multiple sides to a situation. In this regard teachers are still able to enlighten their students.

I do agree and disagree with this passage from the article, "Teachers would no longer be the providers of information but instead would be the explainers, the context providers, the meaning makers, and the evaluators of information that kids find on their own." Teachers should already be context providers and meaning makers and someone the students can ask the question why and learn how to find the answer from the teachers guidence. But I still beleive that there is much that the students can and will learn from the teacher that makes it possible for the students to function more fluently within society and in their life as they grow and in their careers.

This brings me to the Boredom Crisis in the article. I believe that students should learn the 1,200 years old algebra and and 4,000 years old Egyptain geometry because they will not know that before they enter school and for the students to make their future "feel" like it is advancing they will need to know what has come before them so that they may build upon that foundation. Or if they disagree with some of that information test it and see if there is more to it or if it is truly throughly thought through and proven.

While reading the article and seeing the games that students learn from I do understand how games are a benefit to the students and how they can really learn from those games just like they learn from the teachers, but I feel that they will also still learn from being in the classroom with their peers and their teacher because you learn so much more than facts- you learn how to function with others and how to connect with others.

to end this blog I would like to say that I do agree with the "How to Turn on the Lights" section of the article because I think that students should be able to excel at technology so that they will understand how it works and be able to learn more about tech easier as they grow up.

the beginning (required)

When I was little I always dreamed of being a pilot and flying around the world. But as I started looking into making my dream come true I found that I didn't truly have want it took to be a commerical pilot. I entered this stage of not knowing what I wanted to be when I entered the "real-world" but one night while I was talking to my mom and boyfriend Jeff (who is now my husband)they were talking about Jeff's class Career's in Education. Then they said to me that they thought I would make a great teacher and reminded me of all the work and experience I had with children. I thought about it and realized that yes I did have fun with kids and being with them teaching them crafts and songs and keeping them out of trouble at various camps for Girl Scouts. I then entered the Careers in Education and learned about what it meant to be a teacher how education in general works and I even had the chance to work in a 3rd grade classroom. In this class I learned that I did enjoy being in the classroom and teaching various lessons to the students.

I would like to teach the upper elementary classes but am truly not set on a certain grade, I know I do not want to start with the younger classes though. I am going for a humanities endorsement so that I will be able to teach in the higher grades as well.

I want to take with me from this class a confidence in using smart boards and other technology in the classroom and learning the technology I have tried to use but not that great at on my own.