New year and new posts

I am finally here. In two weeks, I will start my final semester of classes before I student teach. I am simply elated that I have made it this far and I can almost see my future classroom. This has been an extremely tough journey filled with ups and down but I am proud that I have persevered through it all.

I did have to change my major due to some crazy people at the registrar's office but I feel that I am meant to be an elementary grade teacher. It is truly where my heart is. I have decided that the additional SPED classes that I have taken are going to help me an even better gen ed classroom teacher. A wise professor told the class that the chances of having a student with special needs in your classroom is 100%. I simply have more tools in my toolbox now.

I am looking forward to this semester. Books have been ordered and my calendar has been filled out. I just have to make sure that I learn what I need to to help me be a better teacher. After all, that is what I want to be. I want to be the best teacher possible to each and every one of my future students. I know it sounds cliche but I have worked for this for over 20 years and I want all that work to mean something. :)

Thing #24

I have thoroughly enjoyed completing the 23 Things activities in my blog. It truly has been a eye-opening experience. If I had to narrow it down to one favorite thing, it would have to be the Animoto video maker. I can already see how I will utilize this site both personally and professionally. It is just so cool and I am thankful to have discovered it and to have tested it out prior to sharing it with my students.

This technology course as a whole has changed the way I feel about integrating technology into my classroom. I have said in previous posts that I was a bit afraid of technology. There is so much out there online and I have never really caught onto the tech craze like others. This course changed that. I feel that technology has changed the way our classrooms work. I must embrace the changes and not fear them. 

I am far from an expert though. I have so much to learn but I do feel more comfortable with testing the waters now. I want to help alleviate the stress of new technology for my students as well. I want them to be able to use what helps them and not get bogged down with the rest. I want to incorporate technology into my lessons rather than having a tech component in addition to my lessons. 

I was surprised at the many things that are available for free online. I was always under the assumption that there was a fee for the latest technology but I was wrong. I also was reminded that educators are in a fish bowl even more when you open up yourself online. You have to find a healthy balance of being connected to the pubic and having your privacy. 

If I could suggest anything to improve this course, I would say to have students do a search for themselves online before they start their blog. I think students would be amazed at how easily people can find out about you simply by googling your name. 

Well, I am now using the Symbaloo page as my home page and I absolutely love it. I linked it to my Facebook, Twitter, blog, and APSU. I am able to use it as a bookmark of sorts for all the sites I go to daily. In addition, I have truly enjoyed keeping a blog and I plan on keeping it up in the future. I am going to be bold and share my blog with my Facebook family and friends. I will also keep it up through my final semester of classes and student teaching. I like the idea of giving myself 15 minutes a day to writing on my blog. I think of it as a tech way of keeping a journal for my experiences. :)

Thing #23

I am all about collaboration and giving credit where credit is due. Those two ideas are kind of what Creative Commons is all about. I looked at Dr. Wall's 23 Things page and found this text that shows that the activities that Dr. Wall had outlined were based off of someone else's work. Please see below:

"Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers is based on Learning 2.0 - 23 Things, a staff development program for the Mesquite Independent School District. That program was based on the Learning 2.0 program that was designed by Helene Blowers and adapted by the California School Library Association and others. Content and style for Learning 2.0 - 23 Things for Teachers has been borrowed and duplicated with permission, under a Creative Commons License."

I have done a bit of research on Creative Commons and I believe that it could be a huge asset in the classroom. People can share ideas and tweak the ideas of others as well. The collaboration that could take place truly knows no bounds. As a side note, I really like the idea that the lawyers don't have to get involved in Creative Commons. :)

Thing #22

I am suddenly caught between two majors in my program. I just switched from SPED K-12 to K-6 due to some scheduling conflicts. I am still going to pursue an additional endorsement in SPED after I graduate next year. Because of this, I made sure that I created binders that will reflect this goal. I created three binders on Live Binders. I created tabs for kindergarten, first, second, and primary modified K-2 in each binder. I created three basic binders: Reading, Language, and Math. I added websites that I currently use in the classroom and googled additional resources as well.

This site gave me yet another resource for my classroom. I can use this type of site for peer collaboration; to share with parents; and with my students. Please take a look at my math binder below and see what you think. :)

Math Binder

Thing #21

Italy Trip 2009
 

Okay, so this was simply the coolest thing I have learned about during this assignment. I am hooked on making these videos and will most likely be upgrading my account so I can make videos for our family. I realize I should be looking at this site in an educational way but I keep thinking of all the amazing ways I can share videos of our adventures as a family. 

I took some of the pictures from our trip to Italy in 2009 and made the video. It was a great experience. I just kept playing with the tools until I got it the way I wanted it. This site was extremely user friendly and a bit addictive. I can see how this site could be used in the classroom as well. 

Thing #20

I need to confess something. (Who knew this blog thingy would be so therapeutic?) I fell in love with the Kid President last spring when my youngest daughter's 5th grade teacher shared his "pep talk" with her class. Megan came home that day and shared it with me. I was inspired and got a bit teary eyed. The adorable little boy was encouraging and honest and very funny. We watched that YouTube clip 5 times in a row. I shared it on Facebook with my family and friends. I found one of his new clips and shared it above. This kid has a knack with words and he says the very things that teachers and students need to hear.

As for YouTube, there are simply too many pros of utilizing this site for anyone to dismiss it. I have seen teachers find clips for all of the subject content areas. There is a ton of music and books that can be used on YouTube as well. Yes, teachers need o screen any clip to ensure that it is appropriate and relevant to the classroom learning environment but it is a valuable tool nonetheless.

I also found Kideo. This site has age-appropriate video clips for children. This site could be a good resource for parents as well. There is music, learning games, and interesting videos for students to explore. I will definitely be adding this to my Delicious bookmarks!

Thing #19

In a previous post, I mentioned that I have something of a Pinterest addiction. Well, my husband says it is an addiction. I would call it an enjoyable way to waste 6 hours without blinking. :)  I adore Pinterest and have enjoyed looking at everything from recipes to organic gardening tips. I found the Teachers on Pinterest just by chance and was floored at all of the pins and boards I had access too. There are so many ideas and tips that it has been a bit overwhelming but so informative at the same time. I am a big proponent of not reinventing the wheel so when I have the opportunity to learn from others, I jump on it. Social networking sites give you that ability. One thing you have to remember is to realize that everything you tweet, post, or pin is out there for the world to see. Be respectful and responsible with your social networking, no matter how you feel. :)

For a look inside my Pinterest world, feel free to click on the link below:

Tonya's Pinterest