Embracing Change

With the semester coming to a close, our class has been asked to reflect on the following quote: "The illiterate of the 21st century will NOT be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."

This quote brings to light the fact that the world is constantly changing. Technology, research and the changing dynamics of our society require us to be flexible citizens who are open to continually learning new material/methods etc, so as to better meet the needs of our world. One only needs to look at the medical field to fully understand this. We do not use the same methods/procedures etc to treat people medically as we did fifty and even twenty years ago. I have heard that the best dentist is the one who just left medical school, because they are equipped with the most up to date information.

In terms of education, teachers must continually open themselves up to new material/information and implement these in their teachings. If you look back at your schooling, you will appreciate this sentiment. If I think back to my schooling, I can remember when we used the old green screen Mac computers, and we were taught all the coding required to get into the programs. By the time I was in grade 5 and 6, new computers had been brought in and it was a new system. I can also remember taking several classes when I was in grade 2 and 3 to learn how to use the card catalogue in the library - now all of this information is computerized and quick and easy to access. Teachers and students had to unlearn the previous way of using computers and learn the new way. Technology and the introduction of internet to the 'regular Joe' requires people to be flexible and welcome to change. We are now teaching our students more word processing and how to use the internet much earlier than we had previously. Presently, schools are working to equip their classes with 'Smart Boards'. Teachers are attending in-services to learn how to not only operate this tool, but to do so in an effective manner. Concordia has a component of their lesson planning class dedicated to the use of the 'Smart Board', something that was not there three or four years ago. The hope is that if the newer teachers know how to operate this tool, they can go into the schools and teach the teachers. This requires everyone involved to be open to this new technology and adapt their teaching.
In summary, this quote does not simply apply to technology. It also applies to the changing needs of the classroom, such as the inclusion of special needs and ESL children. Teachers need to be open to these students, learn how to effectively interact with them and lead them to success. Someone who is not open to change will become stagnant and this is dangerous not only for those who interact with that individual but also the individual. We all need to be working on continually bettering ourselves and our world.

Monitoring and Adjusting

I thought the 'smart board' lessons were very well done and creative. In terms of monitoring, I noticed that when the class was not 'getting it', the teachers used verbal prompts to help get things started, and this really helped. When the 'smart board' was not working, teachers had to work directly off the computer which I could tell had some teachers (including myself) doing some improvising. I also think some teachers omitted or went through their material a little quicker than planned towards the end due to the time limit. I think everyone just worked with it instead of panicking, which is a good quality to have considering students and technology are unpredictable. Teachers need to be flexible and think on their toes because at the end of the day they are responsible for teaching their students, and if a teacher is unable to change things up to ensure the class is going smoothly and material is being understood, the students will lose and the teacher will get frustrated.
Lesson Plan on capitalization and punctuation: If I had a second chance at my lesson, I would like to try using the 'smart board' features. My lesson required the students to come up to the board and use the pen and touch screen, and when it was not working, I did more of an oral lesson with me circling and dragging because I needed to right click the mouse to change between the pen and select option. However, I think I was still able to accomplish the task at hand. If I were to change a component of my lesson, I would put the grey screen on the actual interactive screen and work through the paragraph line by line. Although I asked the class why we capitalized the first letters of names, I failed to ask why the pronoun 'i' should be capitalized.
I enjoyed the lesson plans and got some good ideas from them. I really appreciated my classmates willingness to participate and be actively involved so as to not leave the teacher hanging. I think it also served as a good class bonding exercise because we saw the creativity of our classmates.

The Role of Technology in the Classroom

The role of technology in the classroom has changed significantly since I was in school. It is exciting and neat to see the resources that are now available to teachers, and I am fortunate to be learning about them.

After looking at the 'Notebook 10' program, I am excited to see all the tools and resources that are at my disposal. It is a little overwhelming, but I know that if I stick with the program, I will become more comfortable, and thus my teaching and lesson planning will benefit. When I think back to my elementary years, I think that as a student I would have really loved the interactive nature of the lessons that some technologies allow. At the same time, I know that I was very well educated by caring and professional educators who were able to use what they had to teach us. To be responsible educators though, we need to ensure we keep with the times, and use what is available to us, and what is the 'future'. When we use technology, we are giving the students the opportunity to see the topic explored in different ways (video clips, interactive games etc), and we must engage our students in different ways to ensure optimal learning.

While I am excited about the technology, I also have to come to the realization that there is a lot of work behind the use of the SMART BOARD and other technologies. A teacher needs to ensure they don't make their activities so elaborate and busy that it takes away from the goal and purpose of the lesson. I also believe a teacher has to be careful that they do not rely on technology to teach their students. Technology is meant to be used as a supplement tool and must be used responsibly.

All in all, I am excited about the resources available through technology, and believe that for the most part it adds to the child's experience, and thus education benefits.

First Month Reflections...

We are now a month into the program, and I'm feeling excited, overwhelmed and a tad stressed. I am enjoying what the teachers and my classmates bring to my classroom experience. I appreciate that I get to be with my classmates for the next two years, as we can grow and assist each other. I have already noticed that I am in a very kind and open class, and I am excited to see what they can offer students when they are out working.

There has been a lot of information thrown at us in the last month, and as such it has been necessary to figure out my learning style, and how to best incorporate that into my study and work habits. I have confirmed that I am a visual learner. I like to have information presented to me in a manner in which I can a) read it and make notes and/or b)see an overhead with the information. Midterms and papers have arrived, and it is necessary to stick to learning styles and studying skills that I know help me. Independently, I know I have to keep up with the readings, make notes and just keep reading the material until it sticks.

Looking at Piaget and Vygotsky, I would also say I am a social constructionist. I enjoy working in groups, and hearing other peoples perspectives on things. I feel that I can learn a lot from my peers, as it gives me different perspectives on issues that I may have never even considered. Not only are our teachers a wealth of information, but I am also in a class with people who are social workers, travelled the world, worked as 'teacher assistants', and parents with students in the school systems right now. I find when I have an example(s) of how the theory/material relates to the real world, the information becomes more ingrained.

It is hard to believe we are a third done this semester, as it has gone so fast. It feels good though to be moving along though.

Until next time...

Introductions...

Hi!

My name is Meghan Hetherington and I am a first year Concordia Education student (section B). I grew up in south-west Edmonton with my parents and younger brother. I graduated from Harry Ainlay High School in 2001, and took a year off working as a nanny for a family of three. I ended up staying with this family on a part-time basis during the school year until the fall of 2007. After that year as a full time nanny was completed, I decided I wanted to go back to school but was at a bit of a loss as to what to do (as there were many options). I was still not comfortable making a decision, so I decided to go to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to earn my business diploma. This seemed like a good idea for me as it was a short program, and even if I did not go into business, I would leave learning some valuable things (ex. public speaking, accounting). It became clear that business was not very 'Meghan" in my second year when we had to focus on an area of business. Although this did not work out for me, I gained many valuable experiences and friends. After I graduated with a diploma in small business management in 2004, I went backpacking in Australia and New Zealand for 6 months. I had done two other backpacking trips before, but this trip brought a lot of things about me and the world to my attention. I decided then and there that I wanted to pursue a childhood desire of mine and that was to be a teacher. After speaking to various people who knew the education field, I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia and then apply to their Education program.

I have had the opportunity to work with children in Edmonton through nanny/babysitting, coaching soccer for 5 years, and as a child-support volunteer at a battered women and children's shelter. I know the experiences I have had with these children will make me a better person and teacher.

I believe teaching is an opportunity to have an impact on the future, and that this position must be taken seriously. I believe an exceptional teacher:

• loves children and what they have to offer the world


• provides a colorful and welcoming environment that safe and conducive to learning


• is a person who outside of the classroom exhibits the behaviour and morals encouraged in the classroom


• is able to capture and keep their students' attention, thus fostering the desire and motivation to learn


• is an ambassador to the profession and school in which they are employed

When I get the opportunity to get out into the field experience component of this program, I hope to be paired up with a teacher who values education and his/her students, and is open and willing to share them with me. I hope to learn new strategies on learning and classroom management. Although I am a little nervous about getting out into the field experience, I am also excited.

Welcome to my Education 501 Blog and stay tuned for more....