Field Experience

My field was a positive experience and I learned a lot about teaching, as well as myself as a teacher. Classroom management is a lot harder than it seems. I always knew it was hard, but in the class I was in, it was WAY hard. We were in a very hard class, the hardest our cooperating teacher had in 30 years. There were lots of students with disabilities, as well as lots of diversity. There was a group of boys who were very rowdy and disrespectful. The teacher did her best to control them, but she did not use any cues or anything that we have learned in our program. It was surprising to me, because she is a veteran teacher. She also did not do any teach methods other than writing on the board or reading out loud and having the students take notes. Even though this is not the teaching style that I want to use, I still respected her for using it. With the lesson we taught, we decided to have then students get up and move. We did a "drama" activity with the three branches of government and the students loved it.
Field solidified for me that I do want to be a teacher, but that I want to teach younger children. The fifth graders were too old and had too much attitude for me. They were cute and fun to work with, but that is not what I want to do. I want to be with the young kids who want to be there and are excited to learn!

My Beliefs

I believe that technology is very important in the classroom today. In one of our classes today we talked about three things needed for a teacher to be a great teacher: curriculum competency, classroom management and tecnhology. I strongly believe that those are all important things, but especially technolgy in the world today. If students don't know how to use a computer, they cannot succeed. The fact that we are teaching children to be ready for jobs that have not even been created yet blows my mind. Our students have no idea what they are going to be doing when they "grow up". So therefore something like tracking, where a students potential is determined in school and they are only allowed to take certain classes is ridiculous. If they don't know what they are going to be doing when they grow up, how are we supposed to train them for those jobs. It is exciting to me to know that the future is unknown and we are going to find out with them!

Lessons Learned

I feel that I learned a lot from the PDP assignment, the readings and the videos. There was one video, the "Did You Know?" one, that was very interesting to me. There were a few facts on that video that shocked me. Such as "There are more text messages sent everyday than there are people in this world." I couldn't believe this fact! Not everyone in the world has a phone or the ability to text, so that means that those who are texting are sending out hundreds or thousands a day! The e-school news was also something that I found interesting. That is something I am intested in for sure! I want my students to be able to use technology and keep up in the world. I feel that I am fairly competent in technology now, but when I am older I know that it may be harder to keep up so I need to be continually learning about technology in the classroom. After taking the survey, I am a a little concerned that I do not know enough about technologies that will help those with disabilities or those who are learning English.

April- 14: Strengths and Weaknesses

I feel that I know a lot about technology, but I also have a lot to learn. I know how to use a computer, and do most things you need to do as a teacher, but there are many new things coming out for teachers that I have yet to learn about. During field, we were exposed to smart boards, and they are amazing! I am excited for the day every students has a "smart board" on the top of their desk. I feel that on the survey I was between an apprentice and a practitioner on most of the questions. I know a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. I also feel that this class has taught me a lot. I excelled in my abilities to create videos/digital stories during this class. One goal I have is to learn more about technology that is available for children with special needs. I know there are many technologies available for them to learn and progress in education, and that is something I need to learn more about before beginning to teach. Also, the technology for ELL learners is something that is going to be important when I am a teacher. There are many students who are coming to America and who don't know Engligh and there are many resources out there that I should learn about. Another goal I have is to learn more about certain programs that I can use to create activities/worksheets for students. A lot of teachers spend a lot of unnecessary time creating things that can be done on the internet/computer. Assistive Technology Voice 4 Me for Windows ELL/ESL Technology Teaching ESL with Technology