"I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." - Abraham Lincoln

Monday, December 9

This is it. The last day of the semester. No more running from class to class. No more homework to stress over and assignments to hand in. That is, until next semester. 

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." I think that this quote is a great way to end the semester. I can only do the best that I can do, and keep going strong until the end. Ending on a positive note and keeping my head held high no matter what is thrown my way is the attitude I need to keep as this semester comes to a close.

This semester has been a long one, yet it seems to have flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was walking into Aquinas 53, nervous and excited at the same time for my last methods course at MSMC. This course has taught me so much about not only teaching social studies, but also about myself. I have learned to stay confident and believe in myself. I know that I can accomplish whatever task is handed to me and I can be the best I can be. 

This class has taught me to use technology in new and exciting ways. Before entering this class, I had never blogged before, and never even really used a Smart Board. I think that my learning how to use these technologies, I am able to become the best teacher in the future. Whenever I go to a school, I can show the teachers the technologies that I have learned and keep up with the changing times. I think that with the new technologies and common core changes, anything that can set you apart from others is beneficial to you.

I also learned a lot about implementing various types of lessons and assessment techniques in this course. I previously thought that there was only two types of assessment, but learned that there are actually three:  diagnostic, formative, and summative. By using a variety of assessments in the classroom, the teacher can check for student comprehension and understanding before implementing the lesson, during the lesson, and at the end of the lesson through independent practice. These lessons can also be one of three main types:  direct instruction, inquiry, and cooperative learning. 

Personally, I have grown a tremendous amount throughout this course. I have learned to be more confident in my decisions and in my teaching. I have learned that it is okay to make mistakes, but to not focus on them. Sometimes you have to just "go with the flow" and keep moving forward. No one is going to judge you based on how well you wrote your lesson plan. The main goal is how you implemented it. I also got more comfortable being in front of a class. I learned to take charge and be the teacher. When I am in a classroom, I am taking on the role of the teacher and need to act like one. I am not a shy student, but an outgoing, enthusiastic teacher. 

Professionally, I have grown throughout the semester as well. I have learned to use professional language, not only in the classroom, but everywhere I go. Even outside of the classroom, I will still represent the school I am with and that I am a teacher. I also learned to dress more professional. Though there are some days where leggings and a sweatshirt are necessary, dressing nice is important. You never know who you will meet and what future employer you will run into. You want to give the impression that you are always put together and confident in yourself. 

Overall, I think that this course helped me grow in numerous ways. I learned more about myself and about being an educator from this class than any other class that I have taken at the Mount. I will be using the resources that Dr. Smirnova has supplied us with and all the materials that I have gained throughout the semester in my future career. These skills and resources will help me in becoming a better teacher and will set me apart from others.

                                                   

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius

Reflections on ED 3120-01

An ongoing assignment in my social studies methods class was to keep a blog throughout the semester. This blog was used to share information pertaining to the class, my fieldwork experiences, and my everyday life.

Below are the links to the blog posts that I have commented from my fellow group members' blogs. The blogs I chose to comment on contained information that I thought was important and relevant to my own success.

Madison's blog - Socializing Our Future Leaders

Lindsay's blog - Keep Calm and TEACH ON

Alex's blog - Changing Tides and the Wave of Education 

I enjoyed this assignment throughout this semester. I never have used a blog before, so it was a little difficult for me to stay on task and remember to update on a weekly basis. I think that this is a great way to informally reflect on your life and classwork.

I think that you would be able to use blogs in your classroom as a way to keep students on task throughout the year, as well as inform parents on what is happening in the classroom. Students can use blogs as a journal or even for assignments. The teacher can assign a particular reading and post questions on his/her school blog for students to comment and reflect on.

For someone who has never blogged before, I think this is a great video to watch. Blogs in Plain English breaks down what a blog is in a simple way, without getting into any fancy technological talk. I think this video would be a great introduction to use in the classroom as a way to familiarize students with the concept of blogging. 

There are a plethora of resources out there for teachers and students to use. To work to the best of our ability, we need to use these resources and skills gained from using them. You need to have a reason to implement the technology though. You cannot simply say that you want students to use a blog simply to use a blog. Blogs can help students with their metacognition. They can help spark conversations and increase their writing skills. Technology can help students to succeed in ways that they never have before. As the above picture states, "technology is a tool, not a learning outcome." 

Personally, I think that there is no point in going against using technology. You should hop on the technology train and take it as far as you can go. 

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Donald Kendall

Monday, December 2

Today, we started off class with a brief overview of what we will be doing on Friday. In class, we will be having mock interviews on Friday, with four "principals" to host the interviews. Each person will have a chance to answer questions and get a "feel" for how an interview would work. 

After the introduction to Friday's activities, Dr. Smirnova provided us with in-class time to work on our portfolios. Using this time,  I worked on my Live Binder and discussed with my group when we are going to finish working on our edTPA reflections. 

Wednesday, December 4

Today in class we were again given time to work on our end of semester assignments. Lindsay and I decided to continue our work on the edTPA section of our live binders. Though we found out that we were not doing the questions in the right format, we got a lot done. The edTPA is supposed to be in an essay type of format. We did it question by question, so it will be an easy fix.

We also talked more about the mock interviews for Friday. I am slightly nervous about these interviews. Looking at sample questions, I had no idea how to respond to them. I hope that I will be able to think on my feet when the "principals" ask me questions. Within our groups, we also had to create a list of questions to ask the principals while we are being interviewed. Two questions that we all thought were essential were "what is your teaching philosophy?" and "What professional development opportunities do you offer for your faculty?" These questions will show the principal that you are interested in bettering yourself and being a working member of his/her school team.

This will be a good experience for all of us future teachers. We will get to know about the format of an interview and what types of questions that principals might ask. I think that this is interviews are a good idea to incorporate in education classes.

Friday, December 6

Today was the big day! We began class with a brief introduction from Dr. Smirnova, who was playing the role of a journalist inviting us all to a job fair. After her back story, the teacher candidates went around the room sharing their names and what they expect to gain from this experience. I shared that I hoped to learn more about the interview process and what type of questions will be asked.

After the teacher candidates shared about themselves, the "principals" began their introduction. Each of the four "principals" shared their back story, sharing their schooling received and their school's teaching philosophy. Each school had a different philosophy, ranging from behaviorism to a cooperative learning approach.

Once the introduction portion of the activity was concluded, we broke up into our fieldwork groups to begin the interview process. The "principals" went from group to group asking questions. Each "principal" opened the floor with an ice breaker type of question. These questions were something fun to get people talking. For example, one ice breaker question asked about a book you have most recently read and how it has impacted your life.

Some of the interview questions were difficult to respond to in the shortened amount of time. It was hard to get your thoughts together with the pressure of people watching you. A few times I stumbled with my words and could not get out what I wanted to say, but overall I think that I provided decent answers for all questions asked.

Overall, I think  that this was a worthwhile experience to have. I really liked being interviewed in groups. This setting allowed all of us to use ideas from our fellow teacher candidates in order to provide the best answers that we could. One bad thing about this format was that if another person had the same answer that you were planning on saying, you had to think of a way to make it your own and stand out. I think that this activity was a great end to the semester and I cannot wait to see if I get "hired" in class on Monday!