Using Assessment in My Classroom

Assessment is an important part of teaching. Teachers must know how well their students are doing and evaluate whether or not they have learned the content. Formative assessment often takes place during the learning process and enables the teacher to gauge how well the students are learning. The results of formative assessment allow the teacher to improve the lessons to meet the students’ needs.  Examples of formative assessment could be having the students make posters of what they learned, writing an essay on a specific aspect of the lesson, or using other mediums. Summative assessment generally takes place following a unit or lesson. This is to evaluate whether or not students met the required level of knowledge.  Examples of summative assessment are quizzes, standardized tests, etc. Both of these assessments are helpful. I would use formative assessment throughout a unit so that I could make adjustments. At the end, I would do a summative assessment in order to see where each student is at and whether or not there could be special needs. Technology can also be used to assist both of these. There are growing new technologies that can give students the chance to respond to questions, create projects, write up responses, etc.

Organizations and Unions

One of the resources available to teachers and education students is the support provided by an organization. These professional organizations can provide the member with needed support, resources, information on current events, and many other things. There are quite a few that are applicable to my field. The AERA is the American Educational Research Association. This organization works with the studies and research that are done concerning education. The members pay $150 or $40 if you are a student. The advantages for AERA consist primarily upon the up-to-date data and research available for teachers. Another organization that I found interesting was the NABT, the National Association for Beginning Teachers. This organization was created to give teachers a support during their first few years of teaching. The group enables teachers to join forums, receive advice and ideas, and have access to resources for the classroom. This organization runs through donations and does not have a membership fee. A third organization I am interested in is NCEA, the National Catholic Educators Association. Since I am pursuing a career in religious schools, I am interested in the resources offered by this organization. NCEA provides members with academic, intellectual, and financial opportunities. The cost varies depending on the level of enrollment. Students pay $80 for an individual membership. Teachers may be included in a institutional membership or they may pay $170.
Teaching is a job that is constantly changing and having organizations like the AERA, NABT, and the NCEA are helpful for remaining a current and up-to-date teacher.

Teaching and the Digital Divide

 My Lessons on Maps

I see the digital divide as a source of separation for many students. Some students may be very well versed with technology (perhaps even surpassing their teacher!) while others may not have a computer at home or have much experience using one. Because of this, I think it will be important for teachers in this modern age to expose and instruct students in how to use these tools well. Most schools have some sort of computer class, but I think they can be incorporated into the students' core instruction. By using computers to instruct, children will become more comfortable with them. We can inform them where computers and internet access is available free of charge, such as a local library. This will create a system where people are given opportunities to access the same information and tools as those children who may have a home/personal computer.

Mind Mapping

Ideas for a Lesson on Reading Maps

Bloom's Taxonomy provides a wonderful way to guide learning. It provides a framwork for understanding how our minds retains information and how to form educational objectives. Mind maps are ways to organize our thoughts so that we can come up with ideas on a topic. This is very useful for teachers so that they can plan their lessons based upon these these principles. By using online mind mapping tools, such as Popplet, teachers can successfully create diagrams that help to organize their thoughts to create a more complete and in-depth lesson plan.

Cyber safety is such an important issue today, especially in schools. While the Internet offers so many opportunities, it also can be a dangerous place for children at times. Bullying and inappropriate content  are becoming more and more relevant today. For my poster, I wanted to create a poster that would provide questions that students can ask themselves. It is designed to be a sort of self-check to enhance awareness in the minds of young people who spend a lot of time on the Web. When I am a teacher, I want to encourage safe and appropriate use of the Internet so that students can enjoy the benefits of being connected. I would share with parents my classroom rules for web use and encourage them to implement similar measures at home. I would encourage them to ask the questions at home as well. Since cyber bullying is such an issue, I think that monitoring the computers that students are using, helping them be aware of when a situation may become a bullying situation, and teaching them the tools to know how to respond.

Teaching Children in all Areas of Life

For my BookBuilder project, I endeavored to show how virtues can be taught to children of all different faiths and backgrounds. I propose that virtues are life skills that can be taught to students and children to help them grow into well-balanced individuals. They are universal to the degree that they can be applied to every age range and background. Teaching the virtues can engage children in making good choices and can build upon the child's natural and prior knowledge of making good choices and building good habits.
To see my book, please visit the site below:
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=56850&page=1

What to do with Social Media

Social media covers a wide expanse of internet use. In its most basic form, it can be defined as anything that allows individuals to socialize with one another using media as a form of communication. Social media is extremely popular and is gaining force throughout the United States.
I believe that social media can be used in the classroom. It will engage students, most of whom will be familiar with using the internet as a means of education. I would use it to supplement my lessons and to provide a place where more sharing of information and learning can take place. I feel that some things are appropriate for classroom use, like the sites above. I would refrain from using Facebook, since it is too much of a distraction and may interfere with the appropriate student/teacher relationship. I would personally like to seperate my personal life from my work as a teacher. I would hesitate to accept a student as a "friend" who can access all types of information. Also, I believe that it can be too easy for a teacher or a student to pursue a relationship that may be inappropratie.

A Review: The Confidence of Math Teachers and their Students

http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/castingoutnines/2010/01/27/girls-inheriting-math-anxiety-from-female-teachers/
This article taken from the Chronicle is a short summary and commentary on a recent development in math education. The article states that female elementary school teachers can transmit their math anxiety to their female students. This research seems to indicate that stereotypes regarding math and gender are still in force today.
I chose this article because it was relevant to teaching. I will be an elementary teacher, hopefully in the 3rd-6th grade range. This article reminded me the importance of expressing confidence and fostering an atmosphere of positive learning. On a personal level, it called my own math anxiety to attention. I reflected that perhaps my anxiety is based on a stereotype and what I can do to enhance my confidence in my math skills.

Reviewing Online Resources

With the vast amount of information to be found on the web, it is important to to be able to define what is a "good" resource, versus a "bad" or "un-trustworthy." A "good" resource, I would argue, is one that contains truth about a subject, that is not misleading, and without an overt amount of bias. There are some ways to ensure that the information you are receiving is reliable. For instance, a good resource will likely have citations or refer to sources, thereby validating the information and confirming facts. Also, any website that presents the information in a professional manner would most likely be more reliable than a non-professional, typo-filled site. Once you have found a reliable source, you can use this information for your educational needs. 
http://www.diigo.com/user/rosered14/TEAC?type=all
These are a selection of good resources related to teaching, discipline, learning, education, etc. I found them at http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm. With these quality resources, teachers can have greater confidence when they teach or collaborate with others.

Using New Technology in the World of Education

I am really excited about the opportunities that technology is bringing to the education field. For instance, wikis can be used to create a forum where teachers can communicate ideas with each other and edit one each others'  work. Wiki sites can also be used for parents and students, so that events or field trips can be a collaborative planning opportunity. Prezis are also an innovative way to get students involved. Prezis show a big picture, can have videos directly added, and are an exciting new way to present ideas. Diigo.com, or other similar sites, is a wonderful way for learners to collect information on the Internet. The use of Diigo allows the person to save articles, to make notes, or highlight important text. As a future teacher, I can see how this will be useful for finding articles, projects, or other teaching ideas and saving them for later. RSS feeds also have the potential for being useful. With this, time is saved from going directly from site to site, and teachers will be able to interact and keep up to date with the latest from other teachers, parents, students, or any other person who has a blog.
I recommend everyone, including but not limited to teachers, to discover the new opportunities that technology has offered to the world. In many ways there is "something for everyone!"

Movie Presentations - how to improve for the future

Apple’s iMovie is an amazing tool. By using this program, simple videos can be created into a very professional presentation. I personally enjoyed the experience and I hope to use the program for other projects in the future.

In reflecting on my video, I felt there were several improvements that could have been made. Firstly, afterwards, I discovered that my audio was very choppy and harsh. In order to make the video, I had to completely mute the recorded noise and I relied entirely on music to provide background. Next time, I would try to make the audio more clear and reduce background noise. My own narration should be clearer as well. Also, I noticed that my video was sometimes “bouncy” as I recorded while I was walking. This created a video that was very unstable and even creating a “motion sickness” feeling when watched. Next time, I would either find a camera that would handle the movement better or plan to keep the camera in a mostly fixed position through filming.

In the future, I would love to explore various step-by-step videos, such as how to solve quadratic equations, dissect a frog, write a research paper, etc. These are instructional videos that many students could use and there are so many resources on campus that could be utilized, such as experts in the field and labs.

Understanding copyrights for the classroom

The use of online resources, copyright, illegal downloads, etc. are all hot topics these days. Just recently, Congress debated new laws that would place restrictions upon what information or websites could be shared by places such as Wikipedia or Google. The topic of copyright is a very important one for any person, both individually and in whatever occupation he/she may be in.

Copyright itself is the exclusive ownership of a material. This ownership gives that person the complete rights to their work and they must be give permission before others can use the material. Another important aspect of copyright debate is the fair use doctrine. Under the fair use rights, a person can take excerpts from a work, such as a direct quote, in order to report, teach, research, etc. This does not require permission from the owner. Needless to say, these laws are not generally kept by a large portion of society today. In order to help people to use legal material, Creative Commons was formed where people can post things that can be shared or edited (often with just attributing the owner). This is to give the public an alternative to trudging through the difficult world of copyrights or breaking copyright laws.
My understanding of these issues and laws will become even more vital when I am an elementary teacher. It seems so easy to just copy a picture or watch a video without going through the process of getting permission. I do believe, however, that following these guidelines will provide a good example and will be a tool for teaching. By showing students where to find "free" pictures or articles, they will become more aware of the issues and will see a legal alternative to piracy.

Group Work - Allowing Ideas to Collide

As adults, we can occasionally scoff at the idea of working collaboratively. Mostly likely, this could be because of previous experience where group work proved fruitless or frustrating. Research has shown, however, that working (and especially learning) in groups helps understanding and retention for students.
Recently, I read an article from Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis, which highlighted the tools that can be used to facilitate postivie group experiences. As I look forward to my future as a teacher, I can see how important these skills are and resolve to use the ideas for classroom.
For instance, I believe guidelines should be placed at the very beginning. Basic rules that are set forth in the beginning can save headaches later on. In some cases, a simple written contract may assist students in learning how to work together fairly. There are also small ways, such as informal learning groups that are formed during the class period for the purposes of talking about the subject. This type of group are very short-term, but can provide a place where ideas can be shared and new thoughts can come forward.
Best-selling author Steven Johnson wrote the book Where Good Ideas are Formed and he spoke of the need for ideas to collide. Allowing the time and space for students to share and receive ideas and to build brand new ideas from the original. This is a vital way for students to achieve their potential when it comes to learning.