Web 2.0 Educator

I picked Cool Cat Teacher Vicki Davis just because she had so many blogs, I figured she really knew what she was doing. Her 'specialty' seemed to be blogging about good (and bad) ways of teaching students and using technology. I liked her analogy about bobbleheads and bumble bees the best because all of us have had our share of bobbleheads and a few good, busy bumblebees trying to make up for all the bobbleheads. It gives me hope for the future of America. Hopefully young children are reading that and saying, "I want to make the difference! I'm going to be a bumble bee and work hard to teach my students everything they need to know to succeed in life!" Vicki Davis knew how to diagnos learning disabilities, too, even as she was teaching in the classroom, so she was an all around good teacher. I was also impressed with all the knowledge she has with technology. I read her article about cellphones in schools and how teachers have to be on their guard all the time because you never know when they'll be using them for either cheating or videotaping. Yes, they are excellant for safety, but they can also be used frivolously. She warned parents about making sure their children were being 'safe' online, and so much more. Our country needs more teachers like her to spice up the classroom. I must say, I'm glad that she's not my mother because I have a feeling that I couldn't ever sneak anything past her!!

Type I and Type II Tecnology

Type I applications that don’t really make a difference in the classroom, they just help keep things rolling. A few examples of that are a new version of Microsoft Word, or getting wireless Internet at school, or maybe a new way or registering for classes. These are all helpful, but don’t really change the world as we know it. But on the other hand, Type II applications of technology are things like SmartBoards, Inter-Library Loans for books, and even how we are all connected by e-campus. These things are all really handy and I feel that we had either advanced or it would be so much harder to stay connected with everyone else.



Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning. Maddux, Cleborne, Johnson, D. LaMont. 1984, Haworth Press.

My MEL Experiences

• Hands-On: My freshmen year in high school, my Algebra I teacher, Mr. Moody made the coordinate plane on the floor in our classroom. He gave us an ordered pair, one at a time, and we had to find out place on the plane. We also learned where the four quadrants were located. This was fun because we were able to get up and move around, but also learn about math in a new, interesting way.

• Learning Styles: My geography teacher taught us by lecturing and using PowerPoint on a Smartboard. It was much easier for me to learn because not only was she telling us about it, but we could look at the SmartBoard for more information. I discovered that this is best way I learn and I really enjoyed the class.

• Student/Teacher Relationship: My 7th grade math teacher was also my homeroom teacher, so I would see her every morning for twenty minutes or so, and one day I asked her a quick question about math. From then on we could have a couple minutes in the morning to talk about math, a new concept, or even just how life was going. I really liked that class because I felt like Mrs. Wells had a interest in me and my life, I wasn’t just a number and I did really well in that class.

• Helping Students Succeed: My band teacher was also a part time theatre teacher and at least once a week our band class would be a study hall because he would be working on the scenery for a play, or he would have a meeting, etc. We only played about twice a week and it would take at least fifteen minutes before he started class. This poor example of a band teacher really showed when we had concerts because the Middle School band always sounded so much better than the High School’s. He didn’t expect much from us, so we never gave it to him.
  
• Context: My geography teacher also had us do a current event every Friday that had to do with geography. We did things about the weather or the cultures of different people. We had to find an article and summarize it. As students, we hated doing it (and I’m sure she didn’t look forward to reading all of them). But when I look back on it, it really kept us informed about what was going on in the world. We also were given the option of sharing our topic if we chose to, so we could learn the topics of fellow students. And by doing these current events, the teacher could tie in certain facts that we learned, but they struck closer to home since we already knew a little to begin with.

Learning Style Inventory Results

Style Scores

Visual
6

Social
13

Physical
7

Aural
18

Verbal
18

Solitary
12

Logical
16

I was actually surprised when I took this online quiz. I have always known that I was logical, I have a love for math and math puzzles. When I took the survey in Dr. Beth’s class, I was almost all math. What surprised me was how high I had scored on the aural and verbal. But, when I looked back on the characteristics, I really do like reading and writing, and I can’t be in a room for ten minutes before I turn on some sort of music. I especially love singing in the car (alone, of course!). This was neat and I felt like I learned more about myself. In the future, I will have to work on my Physical and Spatial to be a well-rounded person.

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/results.asp

Ch. 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness

“I’m not adult enough to get a job and have my own apartment, but I’m adult enough to make decisions on my own, know right from wrong, have ideas about the world. That’s why it’s so hard to be a teenager-it’s like a middle stage.” -Vance p. 18 This describes my life perfectly. I can see his frustration, he knows what he wants and how to do it, but he can’t quite reach that goal. I have been there and maybe I still have one foot stuck there. But the only cure to this problem is time. It will make you older and wiser!

I agree with Vance. Even now (and I’m in my last teenage year) I find that I can make these decisions like choosing a college, paying for it, going to school in the fall, doing homework and dealing with the issues that come up. And yet, you’re never quite old enough to do everything, according to your parents. And everyone goes through this stage of life, it’s like a coming-of-age rite.

Ch. 1 Knowing Students Well

No one quote stood out at me, but reading what those students really shocked me. They were so honest and said exactly what they thought. I liked how Elaine said she liked to paint, but the brushes and paint were too much money. These students come from a poor household but they say it how it is and the author writes it so bluntly, explaining the whole truth right there.

I thought the whole time I read this chapter that this is exactly what teachers need to read. Students expose themselves and say how they really feel, but reading even this first chapter that I already know how not to do on the first couple days. I know that I will be kind, polite, and treat the students like equals; that’s what they want, not a friend, but someone on the same level as them.