Blogfolio - 26

Introduction Video
1. NETS-T 3c: Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
2. This assignment meets this standard because creating a YouTube video introducing ourselves is way for students, parents, and colleagues to get to know the teacher through a form of digital-age media.
3. I think this would be a great assignment to use in my classes for the future. It is a great first day activity. If I chose for my students to keep online journals or kid-friendly blogs of their own, I would definitely introduce this the first day as a means of me getting to know my students as well as the students getting to know each other.
4. I really enjoyed this assignment. It was our very first assignment for this class. We just had to make a video introducing ourselves and could take liberties with it. I liked that it gave me an opportunity to show my creative side. I loved creating the blog post in general because it allowed me to share my voice on why I want to go into teaching in a very creative format.

TED Videos
1. NETS-T 1b: Teachers engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
2. The TED videos usually have a person discussing an important political or educational topic. Showing these videos to a classroom can open the floor for discussions on the real-world issues discussed in the video.
3. The TED videos I watched were mainly directed towards educators, so I don't know if I would necessarily use them with my students as much as I would use with my colleagues (other teachers and administrators). I think the TED videos will be great for meetings. I think they would provide inspiration on how to address certain topics, issues, or situations in the school and classroom.
4. I had never heard of the TED Talk videos until this course. I wish I had because they are very informing and entertaining. They choose great people to come and speak at the TED seminars. I even went home and watched a few more on YouTube. I cannot remember the name of the first lady that we watched on the TED video, but she was just so inspirational. She was so passionate about helping students learn, and she was hilarious while delivering her speech. I really enjoyed watching them.

Concept Map
1. NETS-T 1c: Teachers promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
2. A concept map can be used to help teachers and students brainstorm and plan lessons, papers, projects, etc. Concept maps organize ideas to help us understand certain processes or main ideas.
3. I think concept maps are a great way for organizing ideas. I have had to do several concept maps in different courses this semester, and they have proved to be very useful and helpful. I would use them in my classroom to help students organize information before writing a paper. In Stacy Reeves' CIR 306 course, we were shown how students can use them to organize main ideas, supporting ideas, and examples before writing a paper. This will help them to focus on the most important part of what they will write. I thought it was a great tool.
4. The concept map activity was challenging but a lot of fun. I had a great time with it. It was challenging at first because I had never composed a lesson of my own, much less integrated another subject in that lesson. It was another opportunity for me to be creative, especially since it was getting closer to Halloween; that provided a lot of inspiration for my activity and lesson. I chose to do a lesson on writing and publishing a Halloween narrative using an online tool to publish the narrative. It was a great way to not only learn how to write a narrative and use online tools appropriately, it was a great way to incorporate learning about a holiday.

Do Not Track Me
1. NETS-T 4a: Teachers advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
2. A teacher using the DoNotTrackMe software acts as an advocate for the software. They are modeling how to use the appropriate tools to protect one's self online.
3. I am not sure if I would use this with my classrooms. I think it's just because of my experience with it. I feel like it is important to educate my students on why this software is out there (because people are trying to get a hold of their personal information), but I think I could find something a little more computer and kid friendly to do so.
4. I had a little trouble at first with this software when installing it on my computer. It messed up several things that I had installed on my computer that were really important. I read about people who had success with the software, and from their experience, it seemed to be helpful as far as blocking hackers and people trying to track your "virtual footsteps" so to speak.

Augmented Reality
1. NETS-T 3d: Teachers model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
2. Using the augmented reality apps greatly enhances and facilitates a student's learning experience.
3. I would use this app in my class for field trips. I think it's a great tool to use when visiting places like a museum or art gallery. It enhances the student's learning experience and provides a fun way for them to learn while on a field trip.
4. I think augmented reality apps are a great tool. I have not had much experience with them; however, I had to do some extra credit for my science class at Lake Thoreau. I had to video record several classrooms walking through the nature trail at Lake Thoreau. Each of these groups had an iPad. On the iPad was an app that the students were using to tell them about the destination they were at on the trail. It was an augmented reality app. The children seemed to really enjoy it, and I could tell that using the app enhanced their learning experience.

Voki
1. NETS-T 3b: Teachers collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
2. Teachers can use the Voki avatar to communicate with parents to let them know what is going on in the classroom. The students can refer back to the avatar if they are unsure on due dates. This is a great tool for collaboration and communication with parents and students.
3. I would use the Voki in my class for students to create their own, personal avatar. I think it would motivate them to get on a classroom website more to check for information if they have something on there that is a reflection of who they are. It's also a great tool for teachers to use if they want to communicate with parents/guardians on what is going on in their classroom as well as inform them of events coming up.
4. I enjoyed creating my Voki. It was fun to tell a little about yourself through a cartoon. I am a little kid at heart, so it was something that definitely engaged me.

Web 2.0 Sites
1. NETS-T 3d: Teachers model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
2. This assignment showcased a variety of new, inventive websites and tools that support the research and learning experience.
3. There are so many of these sites that I added to my favorites on my laptop. I especially loved the PearlTrees and Edmodo websites. PearlTrees, which was similar to Pinterest, would help students collect information on research projects. Edmodo was basically a Facebook for teachers. I think that would be a great way for teachers in the same school, more specifically teaching the same grade level, to connect and collaborate on ideas.
4. I liked watching all of the presentations because it gave me a lot of ideas for websites to keep in mind to use for when I start teaching. It was also a great assignment because we had to present the websites we were assigned. We became the "teacher" for the duration of our presentation and had to address certain students who may not have been paying attention or acting out. We were sort of put to the test on how we would handle these students if they were in our classroom.

Online Safety Website
1. NETS-T 4c: Teachers promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
2. Creating an online safety website is way to use technology to inform students about how to responsible, digital citizens when using the Internet.
3. I think this assignment is perfect to use when teaching kids about online safety. My website was directed towards elementary students in the classroom. I used links to fun games that they can play all while being educated on what it means to be a good, digital citizen.
4. Once again, I enjoyed this assignment because it allowed for creativity. We had to create a website that was dedicated to online safety. It could be anything related to online safety (cyberbullying, digital citizenship, privacy, etc.). I had an array of subtopics for mine, which gave me a wide range of options. I liked doing this assignment because it taught me how to build a website. At first, I was overwhelmed because there were so many templates, tables, and other things that could be used and edited. Once I figured out how and what to use, it became a fun project.

Movie Maker
1. NETS-T 2a: Teachers design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
2. This assignment required us to use our ability to create a story, then publishing that story using the digital tool, Windows Movie Maker. It promoted creativity because we could create any story using a variety of music, transitions, and captions.
3. This is a fun assignment to use in the classroom. Depending on the age range, I would use it more with older students (6th grade to 12th grade). With younger students, I feel like it would be a little too complicated for them, but I would definitely find an alternate, kid-friendly website for them to use. I would use Movie Maker or another software like Movie Maker for my kids to tell a story, like we did in class. I think it is way more fun to teach the sequences of a story (beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion) as opposed to just have them writing all of the time.
4. This was my favorite assignment from this semester. I enjoy putting together projects like this. It was fun and not stressful because we could make the movie on whatever we wanted to do. It gave me the opportunity to create a video for pictures I had been meaning to put together, anyway. I enjoyed presenting my movie to the class. Overall, it was a great experience for a final project.

Course Reflection
There are so many things to take from this class and use during the rest of my academic and teaching career. I learned about different tools that I could use for future projects and assignments that I had never even heard of before taking the course. For example, I ended up using Inspiration 8.0 for a concept map that I had to do for my science lesson in SME 432. I learned how present and express my ideas and information through various forms of social media such as Blogger and Voki. I do not feel as if the assignments were pointless or "busy work". I learned something important from each assignment that has helped educate me more in the field of technology. My favorite part of the course was our classroom discussions. Even though this was a computer class, we had open discussions about different things concerning education and technology. I loved talking about important issues that teachers are facing today. For example, we would discuss our personal views on the Common Core State Standards. I loved hearing everyone's opinion on this matter. These discussions really forced me to listen to what people had to say because I was being informed on information that will affect me as a teacher in the future. There were things brought up in our discussions that I had never heard about, but after the discussion, I became well informed. Our classroom discussions helped everyone become comfortable with speaking to each other. It broke the ice, and our classroom, I felt, became close-knitted. My strong points for this class would have to be doing creative assignments. As I had mentioned above, I loved doing the introduction video and movie maker because it allowed me to express myself creatively. I was always thought that was sort of my forte. My weak points were keeping up to task with the blog posts. One of my biggest flaws is that I am a procrastinator. I put things off until the very last minute. Even though I get things done before the deadline, it makes me rush through my work. As a result, my final draft or project is not that great or there are careless mistakes. I plan on working on my procrastination skills before I actually enter the workforce. I know procrastination and bad quality work will not cut it when I become a teacher. I just need to discipline myself and start on things early, so I do not feel pressed for time and end up turning in bad-quality assignments. I definitely plan on integrating technology in my classroom. Like I said, I have saved the web addresses for various websites and tools that I plan on using. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to websites and online resources to use in my classroom. I know one way I will use technology is for my students to use remedial game websites. I think the best way a student who is struggling with a particular subject is to play games that improve their skills in that subject area. For example, I found a math website, APlusMath, that has different games for children to play with that involve math skills. Overall, this course was a great experience for me. I learned a great deal without feeling overwhelmed. Dr. Beedle did a great job on sparking my interest in each of the assignments we did - mainly because he showed his passion for technology and teaching, and that is something every teacher should have - passion.

Beyond MOOCs: Is IT Creating a New, Connected Age? - 25

MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses. While MOOCs are a great way for delivering education to a large group across the world, they will probably not become the main source of delivering education in grand scheme of things. This is a great experiment for today's college students and 20 something year-olds because of how connected this demographic is to technology. College students are able to connect to their online courses with their smartphones. MOOCs are really reinnovating the typical, lecture styled classroom.

I think MOOCs can be very effective if structured carefully. I believe in the face-to-face lectures and classrooms because it helps me stay on task as opposed to procrastinating. I know there are some online courses that require you to be on the computer at the time of that course, but I still think it hinders the teacher-student professional relationship.

SAMR Model - 24

The SAMR Model or Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model is a model that shows how computer technology might impact teaching and learning. It also provides teachers of educational technology a progression they can follow as they progress through teaching and learning with technology.

LMS or Learning Management System is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of online education courses or training programs. (Definition from Wikipedia.org) I think the LMS system is a great way to help prepare and educate students for future jobs that will be dealing a lot more with online tools.

Interactive Whiteboards are a great tool, not just for a classroom use, but in other places as well. The article stated that more businesses are using interactive whiteboards in business meetings. It's such a great way to present ideas clearly and straight to the point. Like the article said, more people need to be trained in a model fashion on how to use these tools and how you want the tools used in the classroom or workplace.

I'm not sure how I would feel if my students brought all of their devices to school. Yes, I believe cellphones are necessary to have, and I see so many creative apps and tools that phones now have access to through the internet; however, I do not want my classroom to be fully dependent on technology. I want technology to be an aide, not a crutch, or main source.

A Conversation with a 'Bad' Teacher - 23

John Owens worked for thirty years in magazine publishing before he decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Little did Owens know, he was in for a rude awakening. He experienced the dark side of school administration and the American public education system. And only after a year of teaching, Owens quit. For good. In an interview with Hana Maruyama from Education Week Teacher, John Owens opens up about his all too real teaching experience. Owens accepted a position in an inner city school in the South Bronx. Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing Owens experienced during that year was the fact that the school district was not as concerned about helping their students succeed and become passionate learners as they were about just making sure they passed (for the school's benefit, not the students'). Owens wanted to instill a love of learning in these students, which made him the "bad teacher" on campus. Because Owens couldn't fix all of these students' problems or help them improve in their academics in a 46 minute school period, he was a "bad" teacher - according to his superiors. He talks about incidents where students were basically testifying to the awful things they have witnessed and experienced in their lives - things that should be addressed by social workers, counselors, and psychologists. Yet, administrators were all too quick to shoot down Owens when he relayed these issues to them. Owens said that it was a lose-lose situation when complying with his superiors. If he was doing something right, it was still wrong. If he went against them, he had no chance. He describes teachers as being scapegoats for everything that is wrong with the public education system in America. He gives an analogy that cops haven't been blamed for crime rates and nurses haven't been blamed for health problems; so why are teachers being blamed for America's failing education system? He says it's people's preconceived notions about teachers. Teachers have it too easy. They get summers and holidays off. Never will they have to work on a weekend. Owens was quick to say that out of the many, many jobs he has had in his lifetime, teaching was the hardest job he experienced.

After reading about Owens' experience, I really just wanted to curse and rant and bad mouth every terrible person that works in the education field. Not only is that too many people, it would make for an extremely long blog. And to me, those people are not worth it. They are just ignorant and selfish. They ended up in the wrong line of work. Bless their hearts. Reading about such experiences really make me question if my skin is thick enough to deal with these things. These harsh truths about our education system.

However, my favorite quote from John Owens' interview with Maruyama reminded me of why it is all worth it -

"I don't know what's going to be required of someone who graduates 12 years from today, but I do know that if they have a love of learning, and they have a sense of community and a good moral compass, they'll do just fine."

How true. Just... so, so true.

To me, that's what it's all about. If we can instill those sort of values in our students, then everything else like grades, passing, being ready for the future... those things will fall into place. If I have to lose or quit several jobs because I put my students' needs before the schools' -- well as scary as that sounds, so be it. As long as I have impacted my students to better themselves each and everyday, then it should all be worth it.

Kids Can't Compute -- And That's a Problem - 22

The problem and concern that Mike Elgan (Forbes) has with younger generations is not that they are incapable of knowing how to use computers, smartphones, tablets, and other technological devices (because it is very clear that most young people are very capable of showing you how Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. works) - it's that kids today have no skills or knowledge about how computers, networks, and software function. Scientists and inventors in the field of technology are constantly improving how we use computers with ease. It does not require much thinking or knowledge to open an app, take a picture, and post it for the whole World Wide Web to see. While younger people may be better at using and working apps and things like that, it does not mean they are no more skilled than older generations who may not be as good at using these apps. Elgan's bottom line is that, using a computer in today's world does not require much thinking or appreciation as it did several years ago. Kids do not have to know or care about writing software, building computers, or why/how certain computer things work certain ways. He said this is a problem because there is no deeper knowledge or skill-building required. This does not help prepare younger people for jobs that will require such skills.

In most every way, I agree with Mike Elgan, and I definitely see and sympathize with his concerns. I am very old-fashioned when it comes to education. This is probably due to the fact that I feel like I have to be as knowledgeable as possible before starting on a certain project. Especially starting a new job - I cannot just be thrown into the job without knowing why/how/what I need to know or do. That is a great way to learn by discovery and problem-solving, but I feel more comfortable being informed and knowing the background and ins and outs. I also empathize with Elgan because it is so easy to simply Google a question or problem, which does really require us to think at all. We are becoming co-dependent on technology to answer everything for us without understanding why we got a certain answers. There's no higher level thinking being challenged, and that is a problem. It makes us extremely lazy and ignorant.

I believe children need to have an appreciation for how computers are built and operated. Knowing things like that, for anything, always instills a greater appreciation for the people who give all their time and dedication to make our lives easier; it makes us more humble people. Also, it just makes us more educated and intelligent. You can never be "too educated." Knowledge is never-ending. We can always learn more. We should be educated on how things in the world work. It makes us competent individuals.

However, I do not feel like it just an absolutely terrible thing if not everyone is up to par with their computer knowledge and skills. The positive side of technology constantly improving is the simple fact that it DOES make our lives easier and it DOES help us with things that we may not have otherwise ever been able to do. For example, a child struggling with math or reading can use some simple gaming app or website to help them improve their understanding of certain concepts in those areas. As long as that child is able to explain why or how they got their answer for a certain math problem, it should not matter how they learned it. Not EVERY job requires this, though that may change in the future. I think companies and businesses should hire people that are proficient in such skills, but it is not always necessary.

Web 2.0 Sites - 21

Madison
1. MindMeister - Can be used to make a concept map; your concept map can then be turned into a slideshow presentation
2. SpiderScribe - Can be used to make a concept map; no slideshow feature; able to insert Word documents, images, Google map locations; geared more towards a business use

Erica
*3. Bubbl.us - Similar to Inspiration 8.0; used for making concept maps; able to import pictures; very simple and easy for kids to use; organizational tool
*4. Linoit.com - Can post notes; calendar, due dates, videos, Word docs on a bulletin board template; there is an app for smartphones to access events and notes that may be needed; change font, color, settings

Madeline
5. Photobucket - can upload photos/videos; people are able to like and comment; you can see what is trending; similar to Instagram;
6. QuinturaKids - Search engine for kids; not directed towards doing research

Callie
7. DontBubble - search engine tool; has a filter to keep information clean for kids;
8.GoGooligans -

Rebecca
9. Padlet - a blank wall where the teacher can type a thought or question and the students can go to the URL for the wall and type in their answer/comment and it will pop up on the wall as they enter it
10. Text2MindMap - can be used to create a concept map

Brittany
11. Stormboard - Create different boards on different subjects where students can go and comment/vote on various questions

Allie
12. Instagrok - mixture of a search engine and concept map; kids can type in a topic on the search engine and it will bring up concept maps that are related to that topic and provide detailed information when you hover over one of the bubbles on the map; very age-appropriate for elementary students
*13. Kidtopia - search engine for children developed by a school library; can search various subjects (science, social studies, arts, language arts, people, animals, games, countries, math); safe for younger students

Victoria
14. SlimeKids - search engine for kids; provides various topics on authors, books, etc
15. WikiSummarizer - search engine where you can search a specific topic and it narrows down the most important information (basically summarizes); all of the information comes from Wikipedia

Tommi
*16. PearlTrees - mixture of Pinterest and a concept map; collect ideas/thoughts in a "pearl tree"; by clicking on one of your "pearls" it will take you to a particular website related to your topic
*17. NetVibes - a dashboard where you can search a specific topic that divides up the information into certain categories (articles, social media, blogs, etc.); saves your information all in one place

Mary Kathryn
*18. Glogster - you can create online poster boards; you can use a template to enter information on a certain topic; include multimedia on the virtual poster board; teachers can use it to post assignments as opposed to having to keep up with a syllabus or rubric
19. Audacity - audio editor and recorder; able to record speeches, notes, songs, etc.; one of the best free/recording websites on the web

Lauren
20. Vimeo - similar to YouTube; you're able to search videos
21. WordPress - you can start a blog, search for blogs to read, follow your favorite blogs

Deanna
22. Evernote - search documents that you have uploaded; if you need to search for something specific in your documents, you can type in what you need to search, and it will bring up all the documents that pertain to what you're searching for

Nicole
23. Compfight - similar to Google Images; used for locating images for blogs, inspiration, and research; able to download different sized images
24. Diigo - multi tool for knowledge management

Brittneii
25. Animoto -
26. BookBuilder - you can create your own book

Jordan
27. Weebly -
28. Storyboard Generator -

Tiffany
29. Tagul - like Wordle
*30. Edmodo - Facebook for teachers

Jacqueline
*31. Socrative -

Jonathan
32. Podbean - Teacher can post lessons on here in case a student missed a day; teachers can podcast their lessons and upload them to Podbean
33. Pixton - create comic strips

Jennifer
34. iCloud -

Amanda
35. infogr.am - use for visual graphs

Movie Maker - 20

I do not own the copyrights to the song used in this video "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons. All rights go the artists.

Online Safety 4 U - 19

https://sites.google.com/site/emsonlinesafety/

Em's Voki - 18

Cyberbullying - 17

Bullying.

What is there to say about it that hasn't already been said?
Not trying to be brash or rude.
But quite frankly... I'm tired of hearing about bullying.
Not because I don't care.
Not because I'm heartless.
And while bullying will always exist because cruel people will never cease to exist, it has become more prevalent than ever.
You would think...
That with all of the social networks and technology that we have, we'd use those tools to raise MORE awareness and build people up...
But instead... it's being used to tear kids down.

Hence -
Cyberbullying.

As a human being and future educator, I feel as if it is my responsibility to recognize possible signs of bullying within and without the four walls of my classroom. And while I cannot be everywhere my students are, I can only hope that I would do everything in my power to stop the bully and provide support for the victim. While I may be able to stop a bully from throwing a physical or verbal punch at his/her victim in the hallways or bathrooms, I cannot stop the emotional and mental toll it takes on the victim. That is something that stays with a child for a long time, no matter where they go.

That is what scares me about cyberbullying. There are not always visible, clear signs that it is happening. It can be the most subtle thing. The Internet is a big, big place. Bigger than a classroom, bigger than a hallway, bigger than a playground, bigger than a bus stop. A bully has an unlimited amount of space to prey on his/her victims.
The worst part?
Anonymity.
Which is just a bully's way of being a coward.
They can say whatever they want all while hiding behind a screen. Talking the talking.
And when it comes down to it, they're too cowardly to walk the walk.
This messes with the victim psychologically. They're being tormented; half the time, they don't even know why.
And the next thing you know - another suicide is being reported on the news.

I could go on and on and on and on and on about bullying and cyberbullying.
I could pour my heart out onto this blog post about how my friends have been affected by it, how I have been affected by it, and so forth... and the post would go on for days.
Maybe another time.

But, here is my awareness, for everyone, but mainly to you, present and future educators -

Look for it... even if it's not there.
Get to know your students. Get involved in their lives. Know what's going on. Because sometimes... you just never, ever know.

Another thing -
Technology.
We all know it's becoming a big asset in the classroom, especially with CCSS requiring more use of the Internet.
Teach your students EVERYTHING you possibly can about being a good digital citizen.
This means how to appropriately search for things; how to politely and respectfully communicate with peers on social networking sites or any website where kids can engage in conversations and discussions.


That's why I'm tired of hearing about bullying.
Adults. Role models. Parents. Teachers. Siblings.
We all have the power to make an impact and yet sometimes... we just sit back and do nothing.

While you can't control everything, you still have a good bit of the reigns.
You have an opportunity every day to impact your students.
Not just the victims.
But the bullies as well.

Augmented Reality - 16

In her article, "Augmented Reality Snags a Coveted Spot in Classrooms," Laura Devaney talks about how a smart phone/tablet app brings to life certain aspects of learning. An augmented reality app gives students an experience that "enhances a normal scene." By using a smart phone or tablet to hover a certain painting or historical landmark, the app will bring up background information, facts, videos, and other things that give students a deeper knowledge and understanding of that particular piece.

I like to compare augmented reality to Pinterest. On Pinterest, you see all these different food dishes, outfits, hairstyles, furniture, books, etc. and all you have to do is click on the picture, and it will take you directly the website where you can either get the recipe for a dish, tutorials for a hairstyle, or order form for a piece of furniture. You may see something that catches your eye and have NO CLUE as to what that thing is, but now you're interested and curious, so you click on it and learn about it. That's why I think the augmented reality app is such a great tool for students. If they see something they want to know more about, all they have to do is use a tablet or phone, and within seconds, tons of information is now, literally, at their fingertips.

Five Essentials to Create Connected Students - 15

In this article, Vicki Davis explains the importance of students being appropriately connected using technology. While Tumblr, Twitter, and Blogspot can be good tools for students to use in the classroom, Davis says students do not know how to use them academically. Davis says that connecting is an essential skill that people need to know in the 21st century, but we as educators are not providing them with the appropriate knowledge and guidelines to using these websites and tools effectively. She gives five essential elements to becoming a ''well-connected student":

1. A connected author - Students need to be able to write in the appropriate context. This means recognizing when it is okay to informal language and when it is necessary to use formal language and so on. Failure to do so makes one look uneducated and lazy.
2. A connected publisher - Students should include their academic profiles online instead of only using social networks for personal space.
3. A connected conversationalist - Know how to engage in academic conversations online. Using hashtags on Twitter is a great example of how students can find what is being talked about in the world and how to appropriately respond within that conversational setting.
4. A strategic disconnector - Using technology for recreational time is the new thing, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. However, it can be unhealthy, so students need to know when to put the phone or computer away.
5. A curious, lifelong pursuer of ingenious solutions - Students need to be curious about their passions and explore them to learn more about the world around them and come up with solutions. They need to be creators.

I think Davis touches on some very important things in her article. I especially liked her take on how students present themselves on the Internet. I think this goes for EVERYBODY. I cannot stand to see misspelled words or use the incorrect form of a word; when I see someone on Facebook misspell things, especially when they're trying to make an intelligent point of some sort, it bugs me to no end and distracts me from the point they were trying to make in the first place. No matter how smart or reasonable you may sound in a blog post or Facebook status, using improper language and having numerous grammatical mistakes really hurts you. My favorite part of Davis' article is when she talks about being a strategic disconnector. I cannot stress enough how much it bugs me that technology has turned us into lazy, dependent zombies. We depend on it for EVERYTHING. And I will be the first to admit, there are times when I can't tear myself away from the computer or away from my phone, but I eventually have to give it up because it stresses me to no end. I think technology has become a handicap for physical, face-to-face communication. We've become awkward and uncomfortable whilst having conversations with people because our initial reaction when meeting someone new is looking them up on Facebook and researching all their interests, photos, and basically getting to know that person through a web page. We develop preconceived notions about that person, which affects how we treat and talk to that person the next time we see and talk to them. And when we finally sit down to have a conversation, there is little to talk. We need to have self-control when using technology. Yes, we need to use it to our advantage, but we also need to know when too much is too much.

21st Century Skills: Why They Matter, What They Are, and How We Get There - 14

President Ken Kay of Partnership for 21st Century Skills wrote the Foreword for the book Enriching Minds for the 21st Century. Kay discusses and explains why the education system of American needs to be reinvented and restructured to adapt to the changes of the 21st century. Kay addresses three important points that answer why America needs a new model for education in the 21st century. One point he makes is that the world is changing. Technology is replacing blue collar workers. Global competition and collaboration has been accelerating over the past 30 years. More than three-quarters of all jobs in the United States are in the service sector (AKA - truck transportation, messenger services and warehousing). Kay's second point is that schools and student in the U.S. are not adapting to these changes. He emphasizes the fact that the public education system is not preparing students for the demands of the 21st century (economic, workforce, citizenship opportunities). He brings up the alarming high school dropout rate of 70 percent. Kids and teenagers are losing interest in school and are unengaged and unmotivated in their learning. He points out that benchmark testing, even if mastered, still does not prepare students for the expectations of the new economy. Kay's final point was that the U.S. has no clear sense of purpose for securing our future economic competitiveness. America is the most competitive nation in the world, but we still lack the skills needed to prepare future generations to be skilled workers in critical fields in order to remain globally competitive and on top. Kay provides a model of what the 21st century education should look like. The model focuses on life and career skills, learning and innovation skills, and information/media/technology skills. At the center of these skills is the foundation and knowledge of core subjects and 21st century themes.

I really like where Ken Kay is going with his ideas on this new education system. I agree that curriculum and instruction should be reinvented to help prepare and adapt our students to the ways of the 21st century world. I loved his quote:

"Without a clear and thorough articulation of the outcomes that students need, reshaping the infrastructure is premature...If you are building a house, it doesn't make sense to order the plumbing fittings before the architect finishes the design specifications. In education, 21st century student outcomes are the design specs for the rest of the system." - Ken Kay

I feel like the United States, currently, is trying to create an education system that does not work well with what our students are NEEDING to learn. At the least the focus is not on what we need. My other problem is that if we are so competitive with other nations, why are nations in Asia and Europe way more skilled in important areas ahead of America. Why have educational leaders not recognized this? And if they have, why have we not come up with a more effective approach? And while I'm on my soap box, why are teachers, parents, and school administrators not the ones making these decisions? Why are people who have no business in creating a new education system making all the decisions (mainly referring to the CCSS team)?

I feel like America has become too comfortable and content. We have become lazy. This needs to change.

Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results - 13

       Joanne Lipman's article "Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results" reflects on the traditional ways of teaching. Lipman recalls a music teacher of her's (Jerry Kupchynsky from the Ukraine) who did not beat around the bush when it came to insulting someone's intelligence, or rather, lack thereof. This brash discipline was not meant to degrade a student; instead, it did something more. Lipman says when her teacher passed away, they celebrated his life by bringing all of his former students together to perform a concert. The turnout was overwhelming. Many of Kupchynsky's students that showed up turned out to be Ivy League graduates, professional musicians, doctors, lawyers, etc. Lipman realized that her teacher's teaching methods were quite effective in preparing her and her peers for their futures.
      This was truly a fantastic read. And all too accurate. I will be the first to say, I have learned so much more from the teachers who made me cry and pushed me past my limits. For me, it was more like I felt like I wanted to impress my teachers. If I tried harder and did better in whatever task I was given, then my teachers would approve of me and think I was a great student. At the same time, I felt like if I did not work hard or if I failed, then I wasn't good enough. And I wanted to be the best I could be. My favorite parts of the article were when Lipman stated that failure is an option. This is a lesson I've learned with life and school lessons. I feel like we sugarcoat things too much nowadays. Failure isn't always a bad thing. And it's definitely inevitable. We learn valuable lesson after we have failed at something. We just take what we have learned from that failure and try again. Failure is negative when it becomes consistent with no effort made to learn from what we did wrong the first time. Children AND teachers need to know this. If a child fails a test and makes no effort to do better, then that child needs to know that there are consequences such as receiving a failing grade or even repeating that grade.

Inspiration Comments - 11

1. Victoria's Feliciana Meets Da Loup Garou
-very nice job at incorporating cajun history and culture with your lesson! a nice, simple lesson - if your lesson is focusing on the cajun culture, maybe bring more of that into the lesson. Personal stories, favorite cajun foods, traditions, etc.
Other than that, wonderful job!

2. Allison's Comparing and Contrasting Multimedia (Peter Pan)
-I love the the creativity in your activity for them to create their own "movie" - a great, fun way to integrate the arts into literature and technology! I like the awards system. It's a great incentive for the end of the week to get your students motivated. Fantastic!

3. Callie's Johnny Appleseed
- This is a very appropriate, nice lesson for Kindergarteners. It is simple and fun. They will love it when you tell them they get to be the an "author" and "illustrator" ! Good job!

4. Madeline's Butterfly Lesson
- This is a really, really great activity! I do not see the connection to technology, but other than that, fantastic job. Kindergarteners will love this. You did a great job on integrating more than one subject, especially connecting it with science, math, reading, and art. It is all very hands on and active. Nice job!

5. Madison's School Uniforms Lesson
- This is a great lesson and very thorough. They are third graders, so I feel like they'll need more elementary related topics and activities. School uniforms is a very popular topic of debate, but I think something more on the third grade level would be what kind of lunch foods they'd rather have. Other than that, great lesson!

6. Brittany's Story Time
- This is a good start to a lesson. A little more specifics and details will help you develop a fantastic lesson!

7. Brittneii's Base Ten
- What a great, thorough lesson! I like that you incorporated online games in your activity. This will help kids who struggle with learning or enjoying math to take more interest in the subject.

8. Nicole's Little Mermaid
- This is a very fun lesson! Kindergarteners will love this. Awesome job picking out a fun story. They will love the dress up day and getting to play their favorite part. Great way to integrate the arts with literature! Nice job.

9. Deanna's Secret Garden
- You chose a great book to teach with this common core standard. I know fifth graders may not think it's as a cool, but I think it would be cool to integrate science in this lesson as well and have them start their own garden. Very nice lesson!!

Do Not Track Plus - 12

I think this is a very interesting concept. I downloaded the the software and was very surprised with how many sites are actually following my information. It is scary to know that websites and advertisers have access to some of my information. I never really thought about websites having access to my account, and when I found out that they do, it freaked me. Do Not Track Me Plus eases my mind a little, knowing that there is something out there to block these websites.

Concept Map - Writing and Publishing a Halloween Narrative - 10

Writing and Publishing Halloween Narrative

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

I.       Read a Halloween Book

If possible, I will open each day with a Halloween story to set the mood for the lesson that day. If I cannot read a book everyday, then I will continue to teach with the same book that I can refer back to each day. This will give my students an example of how a story/narrative is set up.

A.    Students will listen for descriptive, Halloween words, sequence-of-events words, and other keywords to prepare them to write their own story.

B.    Enhance their reading, vocabulary, and listening skills.

II.     Writing Activities and Games

Students will do creative writing exercises and play interactive games each day that will build their understanding of writing stories and narratives.

A.    Each day, students will be given a different writing prompt after reading the Halloween story of the day to prepare to write their own story at the end of the week.

B.    The students will immerse themselves in interactive writing games. The games will incorporate fun into their learning process, ultimately motivating them to improve writing skills.

III.    Computer Day

At the end of each day, we will spend time on the computers to get students comfortable with using the Internet appropriately and improve their typing and writing skills.

A.    For a day or two, students will learn about computer etiquette and Internet safety upon starting their story and searching the Web for pictures to put in their story.

B.    Students will use various websites to play "typing" games to gain better skills when writing a paper or story.

IV.    Dress Up Day

Dress Up Day will be a fun, relaxed day where students will be able to dress up as a character from their narrative/story they have been working on throughout the week. DUD is rewarding students for their hard work and improvement in their writing. It is more of an incentive for them to work hard throughout the week and motivate them.

A.    Dressing up as a Halloween character will act as an incentive for the students if they do well with the lessons throughout the week.

B.    Having a "costume day" will give students something to look forward to and motivate them to do well throughout the week/unit.

V.     Create Your Own Halloween Book

Creating and publishing the students' book online is basically an assessment of all the writing and computer skills they have mastered throughout the unit or week.

A.    The final writing product is the student's story/narrative, which is an assessment to see how their writing skills have improved and enhanced.

B.    The online storybook is the digital tool in which the students will publish their story/narrative to see how their computer and Internet skills have improved and enhanced.

1.    Students will use a website called Scribblitt to publish their very own book. Ideally, I would like to be able to purchase the book they created for them to have a very  own copy for inspiration in their future writing endeavors.

2.    Students will make a physical, hard copy of their story before publishing it on Scribblitt using construction paper and pictures cut out from magazines or brought from home.

Safe Practices for Life Online - 9

1. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
2. Actually, two girls at my school and a teacher at my school were sued for posting stuff about another student in a private Facebook message.
3. Sexting = sending explicit, detailed messages to another on a cellular device; cramming = illegally running up another person's phone bill; cookies = messages sent from a web browser to a web server; trojan horse = a harmful that is inside a seemingly safe programming and ruins the file allocation table on your hard disk (http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/Trojan-horse);
4. They are unprofessional and not names a potential employer would take seriously.
5. These screen names give the wrong impression. If you're a girl and your screen name is IMAHottie then a potential sex offender could try and contact you on whatever site you use that name.
6. With Tom_Evans34, he could be revealing his age as well as Missy-13. Revealing your age is unsafe because it could cause people to question you more about who you are and get you to reveal other information about yourself.
7. Some of those choices are good, such as: Soccerstar, Bookworm, 2BorNot2b - those seem harmless and don't quite raise any red flags. HOWEVER, KeKe1995 is a poor choice because the number may indicate a birth year, and that's a pretty young aged child which might attract some unwanted web freaks; gUn4hiRe is bad because not only is the alternating lower and upper case letters annoying, the "gun for hire" sends out the wrong message.
8. movie_buff00, black_n_gold4ever, pizzaluver
9. (a) no (b) no (c) no (d) no (e) yes (f) yes (g) no (h) yes (i) no (j) no (k) no (l) no (m) no (n) no (o) yes (p) no
10. Most Common = Students give password to friends, Students write password down where others can see it, other who know personal things about student guess their password
Least Common = password-cracking program, other studetns see password as student types it in

The Padagogy Wheel V2.0 - 8

The Padagogy Wheel is a great to incorporate Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning with technology. The Padagogy Wheel V2.0 takes the components of Bloom's Taxonomy (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation) a step further using iPad apps. I believe this is a great invention because it taking something that teachers have used for years and years and modernizing and adapting it into the how we are learning today. Technology is becoming a critical part of education (especially with Common Core) and I think that taking it a step further with this wheel will really help students engage more in their learning.

Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core - 7

The article "Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common" from edutopia.org discusses how teachers can still use the arts - may it be visual art, music, theatre, or dance - to better aid in their lessons under the Common Core Standards. Most teachers find it challenging to "integrate" because it is more than just merging two or more lessons together. When a teacher decides to ingegrate, he or she must have an end product (or goal, rather) in mind. There needs to be a purpose behind the integration.

I really like the points that were made in this article - access points and true equity.
Access points says that our society places a high emphasis on the arts. We see it everyday though advertising. If we, as a society, value it so much, why are we NOT placing an emphasis on it in our educational frameworks? As humans we are more likely to respond to something that stands out, like seeing a bright advertisement on a billboard rather a boring ''wanted ad'' in the Classifieds of the daily newspaper. True equity says that integrating arts help students learn in a way that meets their own unique cultural, social, emotional, and intellectual needs. So, why are we teaching and testing kids as if they were all the same? It is good to have the same goal for all students; however, reaching those goals will be different for each individual.

Personally, I LOVE the arts. And you can bet that I will be finding so many ways to integrate them into how I teach the Common Core Standards with my classes. Children respond better and learn better when they are able to express themselves through some form of art. They are up and moving around, and that registers better with them than just sitting at a table, reading.

John Hunter and the World Peace Game - 6

What he implemented in his classroom? 21st century wisdom table - world peace and other 4th grade achievements (chris) - upon watching himself in the film, john saw his self disappear, but instead saw his former teachers (as well as his parents who also taught him) shine through him - he said he was a continuation of their teaching gestures -

(Gifted 4th Graders) - Virginia - Not CCSS
He didn't want his students to have lectures or book reading, he wanted them to be emerged in their study of Africa - he wanted them to interact and be involved - so he made up a game - 4 dimensional plexy glass model with a civilization built around - he wanted to see if 4th graders could solve social, cultural, economical, political, environmental etc. problems in Africa by creating their own countries with a similar political, cultural, and social structure - he has a saboteur - he says his game is a sincere apology - "here's how we left your world (in a mess), we're sorry, we hope you can fix it"

a self evident assessment of his students being engaged (young girl who could forsee what was going to happen and planned an attack; young boy who said he was living what Sun Tzu wrote in Art of War) - Hunter said that was something he could not teach, that it was true engagement (spontaneous compassion) - he does not deny them the reality of being human and that they find out what is right their own way their own selves - if only they could pick up a critical thinking tool - these kids are motivated on their own and they take it upon themselves to learn more... deeper thinking (intrinsic motivation)

Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy - 5

1. What is the purpose of the college and career readiness standards? The purpose of these broad standards prepare students to keep the focus on where they are headed in the near future. (i.e. - as they prepare for college and field of work)

     2.  What are the benefits and challenges of the shift to reading and writing non-fiction texts? The benefit of this shift stems from the fact that 80% of what we read is informational text, anyway; most jobs require you to read and explain informational text. Thus, with the new college and career ready standards, students will be prepared to for future jobs.

    3. What are the benefits and challenges of having standards for Science, Social Studies, and technical subjects? - Bringing writing into these subjects, not only educates them in the subject, but it teaches them how to present their content or argument; instead of just relaying information, it is important that children can cite their information and support their arguments.

Review: The Common Core's Fundamental Trouble - 4

Hello Everyone.

I know. Back so soon. Just think of this post as an addition to my 3rd post reviewing Diane Ravitch's article.

I'll try to keep this review on Valerie Strauss's article (Washington Post) short and sweet.

In Strauss's article "The Common Core's Fundamental Trouble" she conveys her fears that the Common Core State Standards will fall doom just as the 2001, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) did. She says that the resources needed to assess these standards of the CCSS are not available to many schools (i.e. computers and such). And like Diane Ravitch (refer to previous post), Strauss says there is not enough evidence or research to prove that the CCSS is as successful as they are claiming.

She writes:

"... the new Common Core tests will be considerably harder than current state assessments, leading to sharp drops in scores and proficiency. We have seen this show before. The entire country just finished a decade-long experiment in standards-based, test-driven school reform called No Child Left Behind..."

Strauss said that after nearly a decade with NCLB, it proved to be a "dismal failure" since more than half of the schools in the US were considered "failing schools." Strauss's biggest concern was that we are basically repeating history. Instead of seeing where we failed with NCLB, we just end up making an even more difficult system. Instead of CCSS preparing children to be "college and career ready" - it may just drive them right out of school, thus increasing the dropout rates.

MY RESPONSE: I can definitely see Strauss's (as well as many teachers, parents, and other school administrators) concerns for the CCSS. Some of it concerns me too. I do not believe that we should be drilling the idea of successful test scores and "pass this, pass that" into our children. Yes, I want my children to pass and be successful on their assessments and understand the material and content, as well as grasp the deeper meanings of their writing and reading and such. But not to the point that it makes children want to give up because it's too hard.

As much negativity as I have been hearing about Common Core in my classes, I was interested to see what elementary and secondary teachers (that I know personally) had to say about the CCSS. I posted a status on my Facebook page and received many positive comments about the program. These are teachers who are already working with the new standards, and they really seem to like it.

Here's one of the comments I received:

"I am on year 3 of implementing CCSS, and I love it. It does require a different mindset because it requires each grade level to focus on less objectives, but to go deeper in each skill. Instead of just touching the surface of addition, for example, we teach addition concepts from basic to very advanced. CCSS also requires instruction to occur across the curriculum, which is great for building reading fluency and comprehension while reading non-fiction Science text. I could go on and on.... I like CCSS, and I think it will help improve MS education."

Just by my posting and reading the comments, my mind is starting to be a little more open to the idea of Common Core. I am not completely sold just yet, but I will definitely continue to do my research and be more open-minded to it.

Until next time,

Emily

Review: The Biggest Fallacy of the Common Core Standards (An article by Diane Ravitch) - 3

Hello All!

Back once more! 

And with another review. This time around, I will be reviewing an article written by Diane Ravitch of the Huffington Post.

In her article "The Biggest Fallacy of the Common Core Standards" Ravitch takes a stand against the new educational system that 45 of the 50 States are now transitioning into. The Common Core State Standards. The Common Core boosters and promoters claim that the CCSS will help students become "college and career ready."

Ravitch's biggest problem with the CCSS is that the advocates for the program really have no substantial evidence as to whether or not the Common Core is as successful as they are claiming it to be. Many big-time corporations have put out advertisements (in favor of CCSS) dramatically claiming that the US economy will be in trouble if every state does not abide with the Common Core Standards.

"A report from the Council on Foreign Relations last year (chaired by Joel Klein and Condoleeza Rice) warned that our national security was at risk unless we adopt the Common Core standards." -Diane Ravitch

Even with these claims, Ravitch is not buying into this new program. Because the program is so new, she worries that there little to no evidence to prove that it will help of these national problems or help prepare students for their college and "real-world" careers.

MY RESPONSE: Ravitch has some really great points in her article. I will say that these major corporations and the foreign relations council are being quite dramatic about the importance of the CCSS. It is a bit extreme and presumptious to say that our nation's security and economy lies in standardized benchmarks and test scores. I certainly hope that is not how we portray this new system to our students. No pressure or anything, right kids? If you don't pass this test, welcome to the Great, Great Depression. These are some bold claims being made by these different organizations as well as the promoters of the CCSS, especially if they do not have any evidence to back them up.

Ravitch raises a great question in her article that really stuck out to me:

"Can anyone explain how the nation can adopt national standards without any evidence whatever that they will improve achievement, enrich education, and actually help to prepare young people -- not for the jobs of the future, which are unknown and unknowable --but for the challenges of citizenship and life?"

Exactly. To me, that is THE most important thing we, as educators, should be teaching our children: The importance of being the best citizen they can be and helping them reach their full potential as well as preparing them for the different challenges in life.

Jobs are fleeting. Who knows what jobs may still exist by the time our students are old enough to have one?  Instead, we should emphasize the valuable lessons, things that our children can take with them no matter where they go in life. Things that they will always be able to hold onto no matter if there are zero or a million jobs left in the world. 

As much as I believe students should be challenged in their academics, I do not believe the claims that are being thrown out there should be WHY we are challenging them.

Until next time,

Emily

"How Teachers are Integrating Technology into Common Core" -2

Hello All,

I am back again. This time around, I will be reviewing Fred Sitkin's article, "How Teachers are Integrating Technology into Common Core," from www.edudemic.com.

In today's day and age, children and technology have become rather close. And I do not like it. I get quite aggravated when I am in the store and see an 8 year-old with their face buried in their iPhone. For one, I did not get my first phone until I was a freshman in high school. It was a flip phone. Standard texting and calling. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, or any other insanely popular social app that is the sole joy of every smartphone owner's existence these days. Secondly, when I was 8 years old, I was either outside playing H.O.R.S.E with my brother, trying (and failing) to ride my bike, or trying to recreate my own "Out of the Box" experience (it was a show, look it up). So, you get the picture. Today's technology has kind of inhibited children's creativity. Kids would rather spend endless hours on their phones or tablets making odd faces for a couple of "likes" instead of taking advantage of all the world has to offer.

However, there is a bright side to a child's interactions with technology. This may come as a surprise to most kids, but there is such a thing as learning with technology. Whoa. Hold the phone (look that up too). Learning? With technology? Yes. And I am here to tell you, it is a pretty nifty change that is coming to a school near you.

In Fred Sitkin's article, he talks about how technology is becoming rather popular in the classroom these days. All across the United States, teachers are transitioning into a new system called the Common Core State Standards. In a nutshell, Common Core is a bunch of standards that students are expected to have successfully learned in order to advance to the next grade level. Sitkin believes the transition to CCSS and the "wave of educational technology" could not have come at a better time. He discusses how the Core is involving more technology in a child's learning environment. More schools are bringing iPads into the classrooms because it can help teachers recognize where a student may be struggling. How? You may be wondering.

Sitkin explains:

"With [apps such as] iBooks, student can interact with text by writing notes and sharing those notes with their peers and teachers. They can define unfamiliar words as they read them or even have the pronunciation of those words spoken to them."

Sitkin explains that with the proper guidance and support from adults, these technological tools can be very effective in the classroom.

As a future educator, I appreciate any resources that can take the stress off of my students when being introduced to new material. Anything that helps them learn and fully understand the subject at hand is always welcomed. When used appropriately, technology can be very effective in the learning environment. I agree with Sitkin that this new era of educational technology (when used appropriately) could not have come at a better time.

REVISED - 8/27/13: A concern that was brought up today in class in my Computer App Education class was that technology can hinder human interaction. A couple of students expressed in their blogs that technology in the classroom would defeat the purpose of a teacher. Instead of a teacher instructing the child on how to read or solve a math problem, the teacher would just be guiding the child on how to operate a tablet to help solve the problem for them. Another concern that was brought up was that with the fact that low income school districts may not be able to afford the technology that the Common Core requires. So the question became: How will children going to these schools be able to pass these benchmarks of the Common Core if they do not have access to the required technology?

MY RESPONSE: I completely agree that technology can obstruct the effective one-on-one time that a student has with a teacher. Children need the classroom setting with live teachers and peers so that they can gain that social skill that being around other people provides. I also agree that teachers need to do the teaching, and technology needs to be the co-teacher (or aide). Technology is a very resourceful tool when it is used properly, but it should not take the place of a teacher. It should be used frugally and appropriately. As far as the Common Core concern, I feel that this is a big concern in all of the states that are transitioning into this new learning system. I do not believe it is fair to the teachers and students of these low income schools who are unable to afford the technology needed to teach these students. I am really not a big fan of Common Core in general, but I will expand more on that later. If the public education system is going to make everybody switch over to CCSS, then they need to make sure that every school is able to have access to the resources needed to follow these standards.

Well, this blog entry has been enough technology for me for one night. Time to go channel my inner child again and find some boxes to get into...... or maybe more homework. Hashtag: College Probz.

"So long. Farewell. To you, my friends. Goodbye. For now. Until we meet again."

Emily

Introduction - 1

Hellooo You All!

As you may have already learned by my video, my name is Emily. I am currently a junior at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.I am studying to be an elementary school teacher as well as trying to pursue a minor in theater. I did not travel too far from home to study my major as I am from Pearl, Mississippi.

Elementary Education was not my first choice coming into college as a freshman. I was originally a theater major, but several paths later, and here I am studying to be a school teacher. I have always had a desire to teach. Anything, really. I am great with kids, as I have two nieces (ages 1 and 2) who I love very much. Most of you may think a teacher's number one job is to educate their students in the area of reading, writing, math, science, literature, etc. Yes, all of that is very important. However, I believe a teacher's number one job should be to help their students grow and become successful human beings.

When I say "successful" I do not necessarily mean a CEO of a huge corporation or New York Times best-selling author. While these are definitely huge accomplishments, they are not the "be-all, end-all" of success.

My definition of success means positively impacting the world around you. Whether a student becomes a janitor, a doctor, a mechanic, a waitress, etc., they have the ability to make an everlasting impact in someone's life. Children need to know that no matter where life takes them, they have the ability to be successful just by having the right attitude and spirit. Teachers are the encouragers for these children. The role models. The examples. And sometimes the only positive authority figure in a child's life.

So, yes. My students will learn the alphabet, a couple of math problems, and read some fascinating books. But most importantly... they will be loved; that is where success starts.

Until next time,

Emily