Technology Literacy

The three technology tools that I believe teachers today must be proficient with in order to model literacy to students are computers, smartboard, and using digital videos. Computers are a key tool in success in today's classrooms. By teaching kids how to use them and what the different programs are, will help them with their future encounters when using them. The smartboard I am not too familiar with as we did not have that when I was in school, but as I visited my son's Kindergarten classroom several times throughout the school year was able to watch the teacher use it a little bit. It is like an interactive whiteboard that is a lot like a computer. The kids are engaged and learning hands on. It beats the big old black chalkboards they used to have. Digital videos can be useful for a wide array of lesson plans. You can use them for various lessons to teach and show many different subjects. If I had all of these technological tools I would definitely use them and teach the kids how to use them as well. My son would tell me how they do interactive math lessons and such on the smartboard and was always excited to tell me what he was learning. I think it's a great way to get students engaged and put the "fun" back into learning. I would definitely try to get the children as involved as I could while teaching lessons on it. I think that it would be a huge benefit for the students who would get to help use any technological tools because they are learning about them while learning on them! In almost any job or degree you need to know some about computers, so by starting them young at getting familiar with computers will definitely benefit them in the long run. The videos can help bridge the gap to certain lessons by showing them vs. just telling them about certain topics. Some students are better at seeing the picture visually rather than just hearing about the picture. Yes, these tools are very expensive, but I think they are well worth it. On the smartboards and computers you can use games to help teach too. I think it is neat to watch how you can make almost anything into a game and get a much better response from the kids, and you can definitely do that with a lot of technological tools today!

Playing by the Rules

The rules I remember the best would be: making sure you hand assignments in on time, treat others with courtesy and respect, raise your hand when asking or answering a question, and ask permission before getting out of your seat or leaving the classroom. Rules are in place to ensure your safety and overall smoothness of running a classroom, they have a specific purpose. So with that in mind, I really do not think that any of them seemed unreasonable. Most often the consequences of breaking a specific rule, you were given a warning, then depending on which rule was broken you either would be sent to the principal, have certain privileges taken away, or take an incomplete grade on an assignment if you failed to turn assignments in on time. Almost every teacher does explain to you what the consequences would be if rules were broken and I always knew what was expected of me and what would happen should I break a rule. Even in the daycare we have rules set and let the children know what happens should they not follow them. With the younger ones we often have to remind them from time to time, but most of them get it and they do a fairly good job of following them. For my classroom the three rules I think I would choose would be 1.)Treat others with kindness and respect 2.)Ask permission before leaving your seat/classroom 3.)Raise your hand when asking and answering questions The first one I think is a very important one as you want everyone to feel welcome and part of the class. You don't always have to like someone, but treating them badly is not okay! The other ones are pretty standard, but you always need and want to know where your students are and if they just get up and leave whenever it would make it harder to keep track of where everyone is and what they are supposed to be doing. Also, by not having everyone shout out answers and talking at the same time, it will make it easier to keep an orderly classroom and be able to give everyone a chance to participate. Depending on what age group you are teaching would depend on what the consequences would be. Say I was teaching Kindergartners I would probably give them up to two warnings before isolating them or sending them to the office. They usually pick up on things fairly fast so after you have to tell them twice, they should get it. If they still have a problem following them I would try a "heads down on the desk away from everyone" or maybe stay in during a recess. If they continue to break them, I think a conference with the principal and/or mom and dad would be appropriate. Overall most kids generally do well with following the rules, but you will always have those few who will test and push you. Rules make your class run smoothly and should be in place in order to maintain that smoothness.

A Remarkable Influence

I would have to say that the one person who has helped put me on this path to becoming an educator would be my mom. She has been a Kindergarten teacher as well as a second grade teacher. She loves kids and definitely has a passion for teaching. I've watched her and visited her classrooms throughout the years and seeing how happy children and teaching makes her, makes me realize that you really can find a career that interests you that you love doing. I always use my mom as examples when I'm talking about teaching or how I could do things that work for her and her age group. She's helped me tremendously with my daycare center and is always giving me tips and ideas on how to make things better and more fun for the children. She's VERY good at getting children to do things while having fun so they do not dread doing their work. She's all about making it fun for them and gets a pretty good response in return. I guess the best way I can pay forward her inspiration in my career is to continue talking about her and using her in examples and taking her advice as to what she does that works best and makes positive impacts with her students. She can probably see her "ways" through me and my teachings and know that some of the things I do came from her. My physical classroom can also pay tribute by having some of the things up that she found useful in her everyday teachings. Though I will just go as far as Pre-K, there are certain things I can have in our classrooms that can help the kids get prepared for Kindergarten. My mom knows all about what they need to know or should know and I can build off of that to incorporate some of her ideas to surround the classrooms to make them the richest learning environment needed to be successful. I guess I'm very fortunate to have such a great role model who can help lead and guide me on the right path to having successful teaching ways and tools needed to working with children. :)

Becoming an Educator

Children in general have been my biggest inspiration and influence in becoming an educator. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to work with children and loved babies and kids, and still do. We own a daycare center because not only can I be a part of my own children's everyday lives, but others as well. I am actually not taking this class to become an elementary, middle, or high school teacher. I am taking it to fulfill the requirements for my Early Childhood degree. If I had to choose one of those though, I would definitely see me fitting better in an elementary setting just because I have the most experience with that age group. I understand them a little better and have worked with them the most. The part of being an educator I love the most is watching children learn and grow in such a short matter of time. It amazes me how their little minds work and how much they pick up on from YOU. We are their main source of learning and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing them succeed and grow and knowing that you made a difference in their lives. My main attributions are that I am patient and understanding and I know how to get children to listen and work while having fun. When I first started doing daycare there were definitely days it was a challenge, but I learned how to overcome those challenges and what works. It is important to understand that each child is an individual and unique and what works for some, doesn't work for others. There are certain techniques you can use with certain children to get them to listen and behave better for you. Kids are our future so we need to do as much as we can to get them prepared for their grown up lives. I think there is much more to being a good teacher than just teaching them the everyday basic subjects. We need to teach them about themselves and their world around them. Children are my passion and I think overall I am very good with them. My mom is an elementary school teacher and her students and parents all love her. Her teaching style seems to fit the need of most everyone she teaches, so I think working with kids must run in the family. :) I'm sure some teachers see it as "just a job" but I think it really does take special people to be able to teach kids day in and day out. We have all had those teachers who just seem to be miserable and mean and like they really are not into it. I say if it's not a true passion of yours, to pick a different career. Teaching is a very important job position and you need to put your heart, mind, and soul into it in order to get the most out of it and be the best teacher and educator you can be for our future.