The End

I can not believe the semester is almost over; when it first started I was afraid of the amount of work I was going to receive. When Dr. Luongo mentioned having to write a blog twice a week I figured it would just add more work. I was wrong, I love the blog assignment. I feel my blog portrays who I am and how I feel; it's a great way to express oneself. It is allows people to share ideas and communicate about various topics. It is great how people can comment on each others blogs and leave their personal thoughts. The blog allowed me to express my thoughts and emotions about my growth in becoming a teacher.

I will certainly use blogs in my classroom. I feel students can communicate about subjects that we are unable to get to in class because of the amount of time. Blogs are a great way to add technology into the classroom because students can add pictures, articles and videos to their blogs. I may give my students a topic and have them blog about it and share ideas with one another. I believe it will also strengthen the relationships in the classroom if students learn to communicate with one another. I could introduce the blog in the start of the semester and have them write a blog on their feelings about the class and have them comment on each others blog. There is just so much that can be done with blogs!

I really enjoyed the blog assignment and I plan on using it. I am sad its over but I'll continue to write it anyway!

What to do?

Today was my turn to teach in Principles and Techniques and although I have taught before I was a little nervous. I decided to do my unit on short stories and I figured it would be best to start with a story the students felt comfortable with. I wanted to teach a lesson that would be fun and attention grabbing but it was very hard since the first thing we had to get done was read the story. The students all cooperated and read! That was very exciting! Another lesson I had planned for this unit was the acting out of the story, where students would select a character in the story and play the role (as a group). They would be free to change the ending of the story or add characters but the plot and climax had to remain the same. I wish we could have started there, it would be fun! However, I felt it wouldn't be right since I wasn't sure how many students were familiar with the story. It was also important to read first because of vocabulary and pronunciation.

While I worked on the lesson plans I was happy with all of them except for the first one. It didn't seem like students would have fun and be interested. It made me realise that not every lesson is going to be filled with fun. However, I would have loved to teach for another day just to watch the student version of Rumpelstiltskin! Maybe I'll use this lesson again.

What it's all about!

This morning when I woke up I decided to check my email. I had received an email from the teacher I had done my Junior Field with. I was excited to see what he had to say. Well, it turns out the students miss me and want me to come back! He says they ask about me all the time! That made my day, actually it brought tears to my eyes. I remember how nervous I was the day I was supposed to teach, I barely slept the entire week. It was all worth it, the stress and anxiety! When I got up there it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. They listened and payed attention; now having them ask about me, it's what it's all about! It means I made an impact and they remember me. I can't wait to go back and see them.

Today's Learners

Check out this short video and see how students feel about technology today! They want to learn and wish to apply today's technology to their education! What do you think?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

Jr. Field

This past week while everyone was enjoying their Spring Break I was bust doing my Jr. Field. Since I am going to be a Spanish teacher I was able to observe all different levels of Spanish. The first few days I sat there writing notes of little techniques the teacher used. He was amazing! I enjoyed the experience. The second day he asked me if I would like to teach a lesson and although I was terribly nervous I agreed. I was so nervous I barely are all week and I couldn't sleep. I would wake up speaking in Spanish and thinking of what I would do that day. The teacher I was observing introduced me to a lot of people and made me feel welcomed. So, Friday was coming up and on Thursday I was thinking to myself," maybe this isn't for me; it's so stressful and so much work." So, Friday came and although I was a nervous mess I got myself together and did it. It was the best feeling in the world, I felt comfortable after talking to the students. The lesson was all in Spanish and there was an article on Spanish weddings, we listened to a recording and answered questions. We also spoke about the kind of weddings the students would like and some of the answers brought humour to the class. The next class I taught was a little different, it was a Basic Conversation and we did a lot of grammar and vocabulary. I taught them how to conjugate Present AR-verbs. It was such a great feeling to be teaching someone else. I didn't think I would say this but...I MISS THEM! It is this priceless feeling to hear them say, " will you be back on Monday?" I wish I could be there! They made my day when they said, "we wish you could stay longer and you're so much fun." I actually wanted to cry! I know this is what I want to do and I know when I become a teacher it will be different because I will get to know my students from the start. I was intimidated by the students in the beginning and after teaching for five minutes we became friends. I loved it!

Motivation in the classroom

Motivation is the feeling someone gets when they have the desire to do something, it is the push that gives you strength to do something. What motivates students? I believe motivation comes from all areas in a students life. Lets start in the classroom. If the students don't feel comfortable in the environment they are not going to participate and they will lack the desire to work hard. If a classroom gives the student the opportunity to be themselves they will shine! Giving the students choices will give them the feeling that they are part of their education. I strongly believe this will increase the motivation level.

Parents and family are also a major part of motivation. I believe parents play a major role in the education of a child. School is the biggest part of being a child, you learn and grow and in times like that a strong support system is needed. Students want to make their parents happy or get their attention and having parents who go watch a play or listen to Christmas concert help the students strive. Siblings are also a great impact in someone's life. Ever since my brother was born I have worked extra hard to show him that anyone can achieve their dream; it is just a matter of dedication and working hard. He is my motivation. Friends can also motivate a student; if someone is there to give you that encouragement you will work hard to prove to them they were right!

I think motivation is a necessity, especially for students. They want to know someone will feel pride in their work!




Here is an interesting site, it has some tips on how to motivate students and many other things!

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#motivating

Check this out!
http://www.quia.com/

Fun ways to teach and have fun!

MY Access!!!

Today we used MY Access which is the next best thing since sliced bread! This is an amazing program that allows students to improve their writing skills. MY Access offers various resources to help students with organization, spell check and many other writing needs. Students are able to receive feed back on their work and the really fun part is that they can receive it in their native language! That is just amazing! MY Access checks for any violence or threats and will let the teacher know. Teachers can also change the grades if they believe it should be different!

This program is a great way to motivate students and to help improve their writing. Students can write narrative, persuasive and other types of essays. MY Access offers Venn diagrams and many other sources students can use to brainstorm their thoughts before writing. Students are also able to revise their work and use the feed back to make their essays stronger. Teachers are able to see the students essays, scores and leave their own comments!

I loved MY Access!

No child left behind

In our last class we discussed the "NCLB" which stands for No Child Left Behind. This is a very controversial subject. I have a nine year old brother and we receive papers every year about "NCLB" but I never really looked into the specifics of this act. I knew that schools had to meet yearly requirements but I had no idea they would have federal funds removed! I don't see how that helps a situation. I believe schools like that need that extra help and motivation. I can understand that it is like a consequence for not achieving the goals but I think it is much harder to achieve when your are deprived of what you already had.

I wish every school could be equally equipped but unfortunately this is not the case; some schools are more fortunate than others. All students are equal and should have the same opportunities.

Here is what Hillary Clinton has to say about "NCLB".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayKEnypvtU

Lesson Plans!

It seems like every time I write a lesson plan I get a little carried away. I worried about writing my first Unit for Principles and Techniques because I couldn't measure the time I would need for each activity. I prepared what I wanted to teach and what activities I would work on with the students in order to help them understand the material better and in a fun way. I put a lot of thought into it and I decided "Simon Says" in Spanish would be a great way to learn parts of the body! I added some music and even Jeopardy!

I worried about my assessment portion of the lessons because I am not exactly sure how I would assess my students in order to see if they understand the material. I came to the conclusion that with time and understanding each student I will know how to assess and measure their understanding. Not everyone will be the same and I may have to assess in various forms. I was also worried about teaching to the "Multiple Intelligences". I needed to figure out how to incorporate all of them into a lesson so that all my students could enjoy and understand the lesson. I worked on visual aids, music, group work, and many other ideas.

I received my unit back and I was a little nervous to look at it, but when I did I was very happy!

Teaching to the test

Education is not teaching by the book or a specific subject. Education includes teaching a child to respect, be responsible, care, appreciate and even love. It is so hard to fit this in when teachers are at a race with time, they must teach their students the necessary material that will be on the standardized tests. Teachers are put under pressure and stress because they have to fit all the information into their curriculum.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/policy/story/0,,1825326,00.html

Being A New Teacher

I have always wanted to be a teacher and as a child I new I had to attend college in order to make this dream a reality. Now that I am more than half way there, I have to admit I am a little scared. Being a teacher is dealing with something new everyday, no day will be the same as the previous one and no student will be the same as another. I never really understood the sigificance of being a teachers until now. In class we mentioned the procedures some schools go through in order to practice for emergency situations; and that's when it hit me, the students are going to count on me! They are going to feel protected because I am there, I will have to remain calm under any situation in order for my students not to be traumatized. They are going to count on me for any problem or concern they are facing. I want to the that person who they can count on. It does scare me a little to know I will have to react accordingly to whatever situation may come, but I know it will all be worth it.Being a teacher is not having a job it is part of who you are and I take great pride in becoming an educator. It maybe a little hard in the begining but we must find the courage and enthusiasm; one day we maybe that one person who changes someone's life!

Site for begining teachers
http://www.beginningteachers.org/
http://www.inspiringteachers.com/

Learning Disabilities

While I was working on my unit for Principles and Techniques I looked up learning disabilities. Never did I imagine the long list I was going to find. I knew about some like ADD and ADHD, but some of the ones I found shocked me. It really upset me because I figured if I didn't know some of these disabilities existed many others may not either. It also upset me because these children must go through such a difficult time to process information or just to get their words out. For example, Dysgraphia is trouble forming letters using pen and paper and can not produce legible hand writing and Dyspraxia is a severe difficulty in performing drawing, writing, buttoning, and other tasks requiring fine motor skill, or in sequencing the necessary movements. Can you imagine how hard it must be for a child to be able to enjoy art class? I was a little happier when I found out there are center and organizations that help through these difficult times!


Check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCqeFxDgacQ

Technology in the classroom!

In class today we mentioned how technology can be used in the classroom. This is a very valuable topic because many teachers hesitate when technology is involved; I can understand why, it is hard to try something new. I believe literature is very important, students to value its meaning and the messages and beauty they portray. I am not saying literature should not be used, it definitely should;but I believe we should use technology to help students understand the material better and in a way they find interesting. Students feel comfortable using technology and get excited when something new is introduced. There are so many ways to use technology, such as: movies, radio, internet, databases, online quizzes, power points and so many more. I believe it is important to introduce students to what is out there and how education can be "cool" and fun. Students may sometimes give up on school because it doesn't interest them and I feel technology will open their minds to the importance of education and diverse subjects. Today's adolescents use technology daily and I believe that adding their interests to the classroom would add participation and perhaps raise grades.

I am also pretty excited, because I already got placed for Junior field during break :0)

Last week in class we talked about the impact teachers have in the lives of their students. We all have that teacher or teachers that made a difference in our life and we will never forget. In high school I had two amazing teachers that guided me through difficult times and educated me as well. I know that my teachers impacted me and helped me become who I am today. I admired them and decided to follow in their footsteps; I want to make that impact in the lives of others.

One Hundred Years from now

(excerpt from "Within My Power" by Forest Witcraft)

One Hundred Years from now
It will not matter
what kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
how much money was in my bank account
nor what my clothes looked like.
But the world may be a better place because
I was important in the life of a child.

Students depend on their teachers for support, attention and sometimes even care. Nel Noddings is a philosopher who believes care and education should work hand in hand to help students. At the high school level students are in the middle of becoming young adults and with that comes a lot of questions and emotions. Who better to help them through it than someone they see daily and can trust? Here is a site with more information on Nel Noddings and her interesting philosophy.

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/noddings.htm

Hey, my name is Catarina Abrantes. I am a Spanish major and Secondary Education minor at Saint Peter's College. This is my first blog and although I have never written one before I believe it is a great idea. I guess I will start this blog with my thoughts on why I want to be a teacher.

As a child I always knew I wanted to educate others, I would walk around grading papers and talking to myself. It was when I got to high school that I made up my mind about what I wanted to teach. I had taken Spanish since 6th grade and loved it, therefore I continued with it through high school and now in college. I love learning new languages, cultures and traditions. I started speaking Portuguese as my first language and then learned Spanish; I didn't learn English until I started school.

I want to to educate others on the importance of accepting others and their cultures and traditions. Other nationalities are very unique and interesting to learn about and I don't think people value them enough. That's is why in my class I want everyone to feel equal and special. I am very nervous and yet excited to be teaching young adults about various traditions in the Hispanic world and hopefully learning from my students as well.