END OF CLASS AND ON INTO MY FUTURE!
This Tuesday is my last class for my Educational Technology Endorsement. I can't begin to list everything that I've learned, though I've included a lot of it here on my website, particularly in my blog. I had time to apply only a portion of it in my classroom, which improved with every attempt. I empathize with teachers who find technology challenging. I would encourage you to jump in. It's painful. I left many of the first months' classes with a headache from synaptic overuse. But as I reach the end, it was well worth it. I believed technology was the future in education when I began my studies. Now I know it is. Experience in my classrooms has already proven to me the importance of using technology to engage students and provide them with truly differentiated curriculum. In years past I've spent most of my time grading papers and lecturing. Now I spend my of my time working directly with students. They are learning and excited about learning. What more could I possibly want as a teacher!
FUTURE OF EDUCATION!
I suppose I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I spent some time this weekend researching educational trends and found this one on Khan Academy, which I'm finding such success with in my classroom.
Just wanted to share! |
Visit my Previous Blog "TechnoteachingwithJodee" for book reviews!
GOLDEN PEN AWARD!
This year at my Utah Romance Writers of America Conference I received an award for writing. The Golden Pen award goes to the writer with the top number of points for the Heart of the West Contest. There are many excellent writers in our group - which made this award especially precious to me. My entry was "Manor Born" which is the first book in my Shakespeare's Witch Series.
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CLASS WEBSITE EXPERIENCE!
I have a great class this year! My students are good workers and fun to be with. They're also very patient as I try to introduce as much technology as possible. Teachers who have tried this know how frustrating it can be to find out you can't do what you planned and how quickly a class gets out of hand as you're trying. Fortunately, my students this year have gotten used to the problem, and I've gotten used to coming up with alternative work. Day by day, step by step, they're becoming proficient. And it working! I can't share the website, unfortunately - it's password protected.
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WELCOME TO MY E-PORTFOLIO
This website is evolving from my experiences in my Educational Technology Endorsement. However, I'm realizing the potential for expressing all of my interests and experiences. The beauty, of course, of a website is that it can be continually and instantly updated. So please excuse possible glitches as I re-arrange and add new information.
I'm very excited about learning in general, but my time in the technology endorsement classes has been energizing. The first month or two I don't remember leaving a class without my head pounding from all the new information we were getting. Later, in a kind of "sink or swim" fashion, the chaos of unfamiliar material lessened and I'm now retaining a lot more. I'm also exploring a lot more on my own. The best advice I got in class? Try to remember just one or two things you can use immediately. Be patient. The rest will fall into place. And that, dear reader, is the advice I leave to you! 
and seeking adventure!
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I love being outdoors,
participating in the arts,
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MY VISION STATEMENT OF HOW TECHNOLOGY WILL CONTINUE TO ENHANCED THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM!!!
As a teacher, I want to continue to bring my students innovative strategies. I believe the best thing you can teach a student is not what to learn, but how to learn. Change is a constant in our society. There's no way I can predict what the world will be like when my students begin looking for jobs. The most important thing I can teach them is how to cope with constant change, which means how to adapt. We live in a world that demands we learn throughout our lives.
Today, learning strategies have to include an understanding of technology, which continues to transform our world. Technology skills and the ability to locate and assess information is critical to success. I find myself racing to catch up with many of my students in their ability to use technology. My classroom has already become a center for sharing knowledge. I want to help my students develop the skills they need to participate fully in a connected world.
I submit that the ability to connect with others will be the greatest skill we can teach. We all must learn better to communicate clearly and objectively, to cooperate, to share, and to listen. Students who can work together to solve problems will be empowered to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. I see that education is evolving to promote the tremendous power of teamwork. In our new world, everyone can succeed if given the right tools.
The following is a little self reflection that we did in our first class.
Today, learning strategies have to include an understanding of technology, which continues to transform our world. Technology skills and the ability to locate and assess information is critical to success. I find myself racing to catch up with many of my students in their ability to use technology. My classroom has already become a center for sharing knowledge. I want to help my students develop the skills they need to participate fully in a connected world.
I submit that the ability to connect with others will be the greatest skill we can teach. We all must learn better to communicate clearly and objectively, to cooperate, to share, and to listen. Students who can work together to solve problems will be empowered to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. I see that education is evolving to promote the tremendous power of teamwork. In our new world, everyone can succeed if given the right tools.
The following is a little self reflection that we did in our first class.
I LOVE CATS!
So of course I have to have at least one picture of a cat. I love cats because they're independent but sensitive. They're soft but have surprisingly sharp claws. They make a wonderful sound called purring when they're happy. And they're very affectionate - but only when they feel like it. They're also highly intelligent and self determined. I think most of my students can be described this way.
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Maybe that's why they so often compare teaching to "herding cats!"
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I LOVE FLOWERS!
I love the color, shape, texture, and smell of flowers. I wish I had more time for gardening. Nothing replenishes my spiritual well like gardening. I have several flowers in my garden. This particular flower is, I believe, a plumaria, which I got a chance to see during my Hawaiian vacation at the end of January. I actually brought a stalk of a plumaria home and have attempted to grow it. No luck so far!
How does this relate? Well, teaching is a lot like gardening. You plan and arrange your garden. Nurture it with water and fertilizers. Pull the weeks and control the pests. And after a lot of work and time, you get a harvest. You enjoy that briefly, then begin to plan for next year. Each year, if you're lucky, your garden produces better results. Some years are harder than others. No year is exactly like any other year. And each flower is individual and beautiful in it's own way.
Now, doesn't that sound like your typical classroom?
How does this relate? Well, teaching is a lot like gardening. You plan and arrange your garden. Nurture it with water and fertilizers. Pull the weeks and control the pests. And after a lot of work and time, you get a harvest. You enjoy that briefly, then begin to plan for next year. Each year, if you're lucky, your garden produces better results. Some years are harder than others. No year is exactly like any other year. And each flower is individual and beautiful in it's own way.
Now, doesn't that sound like your typical classroom?
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