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IClickers are a great tool for classrooms of any grade level. I had no idea just how extensive the use of an IClicker could be, since I have not used one since my sophomore year in college.  They have definitely advanced since then! The clicker I used consisted of 5 buttons, A-E. Now, there are ones teachers can use that can create polls and surveys! How exciting! Just look at what Greg did in class with taking a poll on what kind of pizza we wanted for our final! Oh technology….

I think IClickers are a great way to suppress the anxiety and fear of shy students. Some may not be apt to participate aloud in class, and the IClicker that will still allow them to participate. As teachers, we can obviously not replace a students participation with the IClicker. I would like to think that any teacher would work with and help develop a child’s confidence throughout the year so that the WILL participate aloud in class. In addition, teachers cannot use IClickers for everything!

What do you think?

Blogs are great for students to reflect and write informally with their peers. I currently have a blog group for my TE 402: Language Arts class, and I love it! I do not feel the pressure of creating a formal essay or paper. It is just my thoughts about what we are learning, my field experiences, and questions I have for my peers. Blogs would be a great idea for an upper elementary classroom; however, they may be more difficult for the younger ones who are still learning how to type and use a computer.

Wikis are also fantastic. My first experience with them has been with TE 401/402. With this said, both of my professors for TE (both semesters) have collaborated each other’s lessons and classwork with one another. Sure, you could do this without a Wiki, but the technology  makes it easier and more visual to students. The Wiki allows students to add, edit, and share many things with one another. They have just a crucial role as the teacher with this technology! Again, I think Wikis would be better for an upper elementary classroom. It is a little tricky at first to get used to. I had a hard time at first too!

As far as webpages go, I think any grade level could use this. Teachers can keep their parents updated with newsletters, homework assignements, and homework help. You could even add surveys and field trip information too! I definitely plan on having a webpage for my future classroom. Weebly is a great source because it is so easy to use!

Overall, I cannot say which one is ‘better’ to use over the other. It all depends on your students, parents, and resources made available to you and students’ families.

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Although I was unable to attend class last session, I have seen a couple presentations regarding Smart Boards in the past. We even used them in my TE 401: Social Studies class last semester. It is amazing just how much they can do and how much they can accentuate student learning. You can even dissect a frog on a Smart Board! This is great for students who would rather not partake in the actual experiment for their own personal reasons.

I just recently found out that my current field placement elementary school is getting Smart Boards for every classroom. This shocked me! I did not think my school had the funds for something like this. My field placements have always been in urban Lansing, which usually have limited materials. However, my school may have received a grant. It is important to remember that as teachers, we can do individual grants for our own classrooms. We must research into this for ourselves, so we do not spend our paychecks!

Last week, I also attended a Music and Special Education professional development with my student organization, the Student Michigan Education Association.  It was a great opportunity to also see how music is helpful in teaching and managing students with severe mental and physical disabilities. Overall, special education, ASD specifically, are VERY important to learn about as teacher education professionals. After all, writing IEPs (individualized education plans) are something that may become a common occurrence in our future classrooms.

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Are you ready? I am hesitant, but I know that I am. Change is good, but it can be intimidating. How do you feel about the length of our internship year at Michigan State University, in comparison to others in the state, as well as nationally? We all know that our College of Education is ranked first in the nation, but how do you feel about the full-year internship? I, personally, love the idea. I know it is difficult on account of no income coming in, along with masters classes. However, it will set us apart from other teacher candidates when looking for jobs. What do you think? Would you rather just have a semester of internship and before graduation at that? I have also heard about some seniors opting out of doing the internship and joining Teach for America. I do not know much about the program, but how do you feel about this?

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If you do not already know, Stand and Deliver is a 1988 film about a teacher who gets position at an urban high school in Los Angeles. It is a great inspirational story that I believe all teachers should watch. It was recommended to me by my TE 402 math professor, along with my roommate’s father. The film shows the hardships of connecting with your students, giving them the strength to succeed, and proving society wrong. In the story, the teacher comes into the school ready to teach computers, but is given a math position instead. This is because the school did not have the funding to buy computers. After fighting to teach AP Calculus, he spends an extensive amount of extra hours to help the students prepare for the AP tests. The students pass with flying colors, but the government believes that they cheated? Why, you ask? … because ‘students of this caliber would not pass a test such as this.’ How do you feel about this? It is hard to NOT stereotype when working with specific communities. It is sad just how geographic location and race thought of so highly. What do you think of this? How will you help to extinguish this in your future career? The teacher in the movie had high expectations for his students, which in turn paid off. How we view our students is so crucial; our views are subconsciously  told to our students through our words and actions. Think before you speak, teachers!

Side note: Another (more recent) movie similar to this is Freedom Writers

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This week, I will write on Artsonia. This is described on the website as ‘the world’s largest’ kids art museum.’ How neat! This would be very beneficial for an art classroom because it would give students a chance to display their work elsewhere, besides just in school. They could get new ideas from other kids around the world, participate in contests, and see just how many schools are joining by the day! Art teachers share lesson plans on it, and there is even a 15% ‘giveback’ from purchased items to schools that join. You should try navigating the website. It is great and is affiliated with the National Art Education Association! This may be a great savior to the budget cuts to our education system. Just allowing your students to explore and add things to Artsonia, even if you will not be teaching art, would be very beneficial for them.  Let me know what you think! After all, we should try our hardest to incorporate music and art in the classroom. Our kids to not get that outlet enough these days!

I think Animoto would be quite simple for students, espcially for those in upper elementary and so on. As teachers, we could have students compile pictures that they take on field trips, or any other educational venture, and create a video of their findings. Animoto would engage students because they are able to personalize their videos in many ways. It would allow students to express themselves in a new creative way, aside from your typical paper or project. Overall, I think Animoto would be very useful for my teaching. It could be used in any content area across the curriculum. I especially liked how you can go back and edit your video once it is published. Check out my sample video! I wrote as if I was my sister and her fiance’s dog.

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I recently attended a panel of MSU teachers who are currently finishing up their internship year. One secondary teacher discussed the difficulties of being the students’ teacher vs. friend. He said that it is crucial to make it known that you are their teacher, and in fact, NOT their friend. Where do we draw the line? I often question this, especially after receiving word of my 5^th grade internship placement next year. Communication is key. What are your thoughts? What can we do to make sure we do not cross that line?