Technology in the Classroom: A Professional Blogfolio

It feels good to be back in the classroom with a regular routine once again. The kids seemed excited to have me back and I was just as excited to be back. I’ve been able to pick up a few more classes so now I’m teaching Health, French, Social Studies, and Science. In addition to the heavier workload, I’m becoming more involved in some extra-curricular activities. The fall musical is quickly approaching so twice a week I work with grades 4-6 for “No Strings Attached” (an adaptation of Pinocchio). Each practice I’m amazed at the talent, passion, and enthusiasm that these kids have. They are so incredibly dedicated to the performance that most of the actors have their lines memorized, and the backstage crew are ready to go! I also had the opportunity to work with the little ones (K-3) for division one choir. What an energetic bunch! I was completely exhausted at the end of the noon hour, but I had a great time.

While in the classroom I have made several attempts to keep the students engaged in the material I’m presenting. I have created games and activites for French class that challenge the students, help them learn new vocabulary, and allow them to be a little bit competitive. I turned a simple matching game into a team sport where students match the vocabulary cards with the correct illustration. On our last day before moving on to a Halloween theme the students matched ALL of the cards correct except for one! I was very happy with their performance and I told them so.

In Health class I have continued with the Multiple Intelligences unit that I created and they are very excited each time we do an activity. I can’t count the number of times that students have asked me, “When are we going to score our smart tests?!” Because of schedule conflicts we lost the Health class where the kids were supposed to find out what type of “smart” they are. Let me tell you, they were not too happy about that decision. Once we had the opportunity to do the activity, it was ALL they would talk about. Students were sharing with one another their results and we eager to talk about it in class. I think the students are gaining an understanding of the concepts I am trying to teach and it feels great to know how excited they are about being different.

Social Studies this week was interesting because my co-op and I started a GPS unit. After charging the batteries, checking all of the devices, ruling out the ones that didn’t work, organizing groups, and bundling up to go outside, we had a chance to see the kids in action. We simply showed them how to turn the GPS systems on and off, and explained how to get to the compass rose, and they were off. While they understood what to do, they were not afraid to experiment with the machines or make mistakes. All of the groups worked well together and were beaming when we explained we would use them for the next week or two.

Science this week has been a little bit difficult for me. I am finding it tough to pick up where my co-op left off. Because it is not my unit, I feel sort of disconnected from the weather actvities that I have done. While I was in the classroom during the science lessons she has taught this far, I feel like I am unsure of what to do next. I have several ideas in mind, but it’s hard for me to know where she was going with the unit. This is not a negative thing, this is just something I will have to overcome.

On a positive note, we had a PD day today. We watched a video of Doug Reeves speaking and it caused me to remenisce about a talk I once had with Tim. Claire’s dad, who just recently passed away, was the one who introduced this key-note speaker. It was a bittersweet moment to see him up at a podium addressing educators. It’s where he belonged. I smiled to myself each time Mr. Reeve spoke of something familar, for example, giving students zeros. I remembered how Tim had become frustrated with those who argued that giving students zeros would motivate them. He explained that research clearly shows the negative affect it has on students. He was angry that teachers still continue to do this despite what the research tells us. Both Tim (in casual conversation) and Doug Reeve (in presentation) spoke passionately about the positive change that needs to happen in teaching practice.

After another long day I’m realized how quickly I’m inching closer to my three week block. I am beginning to feel the pressure as I am at the school at 8am and I usually don’t leave until after 4:30pm. I continue the planning when I arrive home and work until I’m too tired to do so. I’m not surprised at the amount of time it takes to prepare and execute lessons, but I think my body needs some time to catch up. Hopefully after this inspiring video, some family time, and turkey dinner I’ll be well rested and ready to go again.