It's become that time in the semester again when everything is due and everything seems to be happening all at once. It's overwhelming and can make you burn out very fast! I decided this week for my blog that I would write about my learning experiences from the end of semester chaos and how I am coping with it. It was good to do some outside research to see ways of dealing with it and it also gave me a mindset from a teach point of view on ways I can prevent from putting my students through so much.
Some ways I found of coping with the stress of the end of the semester:
1) Monitor your mindset: times like this, it's so easy to keep telling myself that I won't get through, but I should really be telling myself that everything WILL be alright and that I WILL get through it.
2) Maintain reality: It's important to stay focused on what is in front of me and focus on one thing at a time. I'm not superwoman so I can't do 20 things at once and I shouldn't try to.
3) Avoid isolation: When you have a ton going on like this, it's easy for our brains to go in thousands of different directions when we sit down alone in a quiet place. It's important to talk things out with others and let them know how you are feeling.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/design-your-path/201304/6-tips-not-freaking-out-about-end-semester-stress
I have thought about becoming a teacher and how my students will be in the same place I am in now and I thought of ways I could help them cope with the stress in my future classroom. I plan on not scheduling everything to be due at the same time as other classes probably assign things. Even having things assigned two weeks before everyone else assigns things could eliminate a ton of stress off of a student. I also want my students to know that I am there if they need help with anything and I also don't want assignments that I give them to overwhelm them so much that they don't even learn anything. I plan on making major assignments fun for them in a new way that they can learn from instead of the normal, boring ten page research paper. Having something fun to do can eliminate some stress and give them something to keep their mind off of everything else for a little bit.
This relates to the NCTCS because standard 4 states that teachers understand student learning. It's important for us as teachers to understand how students develop and their cognitive thought processes, so during this time in our students' lives when everything is going on it's important to take that into consideration and think about what we are assigning during this time and how it may affect our students.
I know I didn't really pull any significant learning moment from class this week, but I felt that this was the thing that really laid heavy on my mind and I did learn a lot especially with transforming into the teacher mindset of things.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Learning about SAMR
An impactful moment of learning for me this week was the class where we learned about SAMR. The video that was played at the beginning of class was mind blowing for me. Technology has advanced so far that people who can't move any part of their body from the neck down can edit video clips and create short films. That's crazy to me! I realized in just a short period of time after watching that clip that technology is no longer just one machine that everyone uses for the same things. Technology has advanced so far that it can accommodate a person's needs and fit whatever they need in life to make it easier. Also, I started thinking about how I, as a future teacher, will have to learn how to adapt to students in my class that could very well be using this same type of technology.
It's no surprise that times are changing and technology is still evolving and getting more advanced. These are some of the reasons to why SAMR comes into play. It's important for us as teachers to realize that we can still teach on the same topics and expect our students to learn about that topic, but we can expect them to do the assignment in a different way that would be more fun for them and would allow them to learn more while completing it. This was a great learning experience for me because advances in technology are not slowing down.
I found a video that talked more about SAMR and it talks about the threshold from augmentation to modification as a transforming process that allows students to analyze and use critical thinking skills which are expected of students now in the 21st century. It's important to modify our lesson plans in a a way that allow our students the chance to analyze issues, solve problems, and think critically. I have listed the website that I found the video below.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/introduction-to-the-samr-model
There are many teacher candidate standards that relate to us referring to the SAMR model while we are planning our lesson plans and ones that relate to us using technology and 21st century skills to ensure our students are learning problem solving and critical thinking skills. A few of these standards are teachers adapt their teaching to benefit students with special needs and this involves meeting the needs of all students and working with specialists to ensure we are meeting the needs of these students in the right way. Another one is teachers make instruction relevant to students. It's important for us as teachers to make our lessons relevant to our students in a way that they understand and can relate to. Which is another reason why the SAMR model is so important because it allows teachers to modify tasks to fit the needs of students in the 21st century and it activates learning that students can become interested in. Teachers are also expected to utilize technology into their instruction and this is how we can modify our lesson plans to interest our students. Instead of just having our students write a paper, we can have them take a virtual field trip.
I have made many connections this week and I can tell that in order to keep my students engaged and learning in my classroom, I need to go above the normal teaching ways. I can't expect my students to do what students did in 1950. Times are changing and evolving and my students have access to unlimited technology and it's my job to get them to utilize it and use it for their benefit so they can enjoy what they are learning.
In my future classroom, I want my students to see that I can utilize technology in a way that makes learning fun for them, but I also still have a ton of interaction with them because I don't want technology to be the only thing teaching my students. I will integrate technology into my lesson plans in a way that is fresh and new and allows my students to enjoy what I'm teaching instead of dreading it.
It's no surprise that times are changing and technology is still evolving and getting more advanced. These are some of the reasons to why SAMR comes into play. It's important for us as teachers to realize that we can still teach on the same topics and expect our students to learn about that topic, but we can expect them to do the assignment in a different way that would be more fun for them and would allow them to learn more while completing it. This was a great learning experience for me because advances in technology are not slowing down.
I found a video that talked more about SAMR and it talks about the threshold from augmentation to modification as a transforming process that allows students to analyze and use critical thinking skills which are expected of students now in the 21st century. It's important to modify our lesson plans in a a way that allow our students the chance to analyze issues, solve problems, and think critically. I have listed the website that I found the video below.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/introduction-to-the-samr-model
There are many teacher candidate standards that relate to us referring to the SAMR model while we are planning our lesson plans and ones that relate to us using technology and 21st century skills to ensure our students are learning problem solving and critical thinking skills. A few of these standards are teachers adapt their teaching to benefit students with special needs and this involves meeting the needs of all students and working with specialists to ensure we are meeting the needs of these students in the right way. Another one is teachers make instruction relevant to students. It's important for us as teachers to make our lessons relevant to our students in a way that they understand and can relate to. Which is another reason why the SAMR model is so important because it allows teachers to modify tasks to fit the needs of students in the 21st century and it activates learning that students can become interested in. Teachers are also expected to utilize technology into their instruction and this is how we can modify our lesson plans to interest our students. Instead of just having our students write a paper, we can have them take a virtual field trip.
I have made many connections this week and I can tell that in order to keep my students engaged and learning in my classroom, I need to go above the normal teaching ways. I can't expect my students to do what students did in 1950. Times are changing and evolving and my students have access to unlimited technology and it's my job to get them to utilize it and use it for their benefit so they can enjoy what they are learning.
In my future classroom, I want my students to see that I can utilize technology in a way that makes learning fun for them, but I also still have a ton of interaction with them because I don't want technology to be the only thing teaching my students. I will integrate technology into my lesson plans in a way that is fresh and new and allows my students to enjoy what I'm teaching instead of dreading it.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Don't Go Tech Crazy
Learning about TPACK in class, I had my moment of learning this week. Technology is a tool in the classroom, not a learning outcome. This was impactful for me. I have had teachers where they want to use nothing but technology and they throw away all the old ways and then I have had teachers where they won't even touch a keyboard on a computer and never will integrate any form of technology into their lesson plans. Being in the school of education now, I see that when I begin teaching I will have to use technology in my lessons. My kindergarteners will come to school knowing how to do more on a computer than I will ever even begin to know in all my years of education. However, hearing this statement made a lightbulb go off that made me realize that technology, just like books, is merely just a tool that we have the privilege of using now in our classrooms to help our students learn more proficiently. We are not there to let the computers teach our students. If that was the case, we wouldn't have even been hired to do the job. Teachers are needed always no matter how far technology advances. It is our responsibility to learn how to integrate that technology as an advantage to us so we can teach our students in ways that were never thought possible.
This connects to the NCTCS because technology is such a huge part in our society now that it is important for us to see and understand that in order to successfully teach our students we must also use tools that help us do that. Teacher candidate standard 4d states that teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction and to become proficient in that we must integrate technology with instruction to maximize student learning. Meaning, technology is just a small part in the huge puzzle that makes our students succeed. Technology must be integrated with instruction. We can't depend solely on technology nor can we depend solely on our instruction; both need to be present.
For my outside research, I wanted to find ways to integrate technology into my kindergarten classroom that was a little bit different than what they will be used to because let's face it, 5 year old children know more about a computer, iPad, etc. than we could have ever imagined knowing at that age. When we were 5, 3/4 of this stuff wasn't even invented yet and we were more concerned about making sure Mama bought us the 64 pack of crayons with the sharpener. Times are changing and they are changing fast. As a kindergarten teacher, I have to be ready. Here are a few things I found as ways to use technology in my classroom in a way that is different than just giving them an iPad or computer.
1) Use old technology devices in the centers: It's important for our kids to have a wide range of knowledge on what technology looks like today versus what it looked like even just 5 short years ago. Putting a cordless telephone out for the students to explore and play with opens up so many creative juices in their tiny little heads. Many of them might have never even seen a phone that looked like that, so allowing them to make the connections of what all phones can look like will help further their knowledge even more.
2) Combine technology with outside time: iPads are a great tool that we are blessed to be able to utilize in our teaching now. However, we don't want to teach everything off of an iPad and get our students to the point where they rely on sitting in front of a screen all day. Nature walks are a great way to get the students outside, learn and see what is in nature and the iPad allows them to take a picture of it so they can look back at it later and remember what they saw and learned.
3) Model good tech habits: With all the technology available, it will be easy to get in the habit of only wanting to use the technology in the classroom, but it's important for our students to also get experience with holding an actual book and reading it. If we don't continue teaching these techniques to our students then they will become extinct. Also, we can model how to handle gadgets that we use in the classroom by having a certain place in the center where the phone goes and handling it with care just like we would if it was real.
http://www.weareteachers.com/6-hands-on-center-ideas-for-using-technology-in-pre-k-and-kindergarten/
In my classroom, I want my students to be aware of all the technology around them and I want to integrate technology into all my lesson plans, not just because it's a requirement of me as a teacher, but because I see the importance in it. My students will be growing up in a time where technology is almost becoming a necessity to survive. Many people wouldn't know how to function if their cell phone was taken away from them. However, I want to use technology as a tool to help teach my students. I do not want the technology to take over and become the teacher. We have an important job as educators and it's up to us to continue that.
This connects to the NCTCS because technology is such a huge part in our society now that it is important for us to see and understand that in order to successfully teach our students we must also use tools that help us do that. Teacher candidate standard 4d states that teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction and to become proficient in that we must integrate technology with instruction to maximize student learning. Meaning, technology is just a small part in the huge puzzle that makes our students succeed. Technology must be integrated with instruction. We can't depend solely on technology nor can we depend solely on our instruction; both need to be present.
For my outside research, I wanted to find ways to integrate technology into my kindergarten classroom that was a little bit different than what they will be used to because let's face it, 5 year old children know more about a computer, iPad, etc. than we could have ever imagined knowing at that age. When we were 5, 3/4 of this stuff wasn't even invented yet and we were more concerned about making sure Mama bought us the 64 pack of crayons with the sharpener. Times are changing and they are changing fast. As a kindergarten teacher, I have to be ready. Here are a few things I found as ways to use technology in my classroom in a way that is different than just giving them an iPad or computer.
1) Use old technology devices in the centers: It's important for our kids to have a wide range of knowledge on what technology looks like today versus what it looked like even just 5 short years ago. Putting a cordless telephone out for the students to explore and play with opens up so many creative juices in their tiny little heads. Many of them might have never even seen a phone that looked like that, so allowing them to make the connections of what all phones can look like will help further their knowledge even more.
2) Combine technology with outside time: iPads are a great tool that we are blessed to be able to utilize in our teaching now. However, we don't want to teach everything off of an iPad and get our students to the point where they rely on sitting in front of a screen all day. Nature walks are a great way to get the students outside, learn and see what is in nature and the iPad allows them to take a picture of it so they can look back at it later and remember what they saw and learned.
3) Model good tech habits: With all the technology available, it will be easy to get in the habit of only wanting to use the technology in the classroom, but it's important for our students to also get experience with holding an actual book and reading it. If we don't continue teaching these techniques to our students then they will become extinct. Also, we can model how to handle gadgets that we use in the classroom by having a certain place in the center where the phone goes and handling it with care just like we would if it was real.
http://www.weareteachers.com/6-hands-on-center-ideas-for-using-technology-in-pre-k-and-kindergarten/
In my classroom, I want my students to be aware of all the technology around them and I want to integrate technology into all my lesson plans, not just because it's a requirement of me as a teacher, but because I see the importance in it. My students will be growing up in a time where technology is almost becoming a necessity to survive. Many people wouldn't know how to function if their cell phone was taken away from them. However, I want to use technology as a tool to help teach my students. I do not want the technology to take over and become the teacher. We have an important job as educators and it's up to us to continue that.
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