Reflect and Transform

As a teacher we are constantly writing lesson plans, crafting ideas and making plans for our students.  We sometimes think of this as the most important aspect of our teaching, but what we don't realize is that reflecting back on how our lesson was, analyzing what went well and what didn't and also realizing how our students performed is the most important part of our teaching experience.  With the opportunity that I had to work in a 1st grade classroom for nearly 13 weeks, I was presented with the experience to teach and reflect on the work that I presented.  As much as writing a reflection can be a pain and afterthought, having the ability to review how you presented the information and if it was successful is something that it is important to partake in.  Throughout my experiences with research within the classroom and also personal experiences in my classroom, my ideas and philosophies have been transformed and added on to within my education career.  While you have your main ideas and thoughts about how you teach, constant ideas and changes within the education world will allow you to transform these ideas to fit the mold of your classroom.

My main philosophy as a teacher is the idea that every student has the ability to learn and it is our responsibility to find those ways of learning.  Throughout my practicum experience and the learning that I have received in the classroom, I can see now that my philosophies will always be catered around the same idea, but will be changed and twisted throughout my various experiences.  As I grow as an educator I can see that making connections and building rapport with my students is something that will provide a room full of learning.  By building rapport I will be able to see the various ways of learning that a student may need, because I know them more than just as a student.  I can also see that learning is more than just providing answers, writing essays, reading a story and finishing a book report, learning is every where in the classroom.  Its on the walls, its in small reading groups its in the student's minds.  This is something to not take for granted or become too overwhelmed when you realize that you haven't assessed your students enough or that the state tests are coming up.  Your students have the capability to always be learning, as long as you create an environment that pursues these ideas.  It is always important to establish a positive learning environment that the students understand the rules, establish the expectations and have the ability to be who they are at any point in the day.  By establishing this type of classroom, you will provide the most optimal learning opportunities every single day.

As an educator, we need to be constantly reflecting on our ideas, lessons, and day to day activities so that we can see how to move forward.  It's just as any athlete, musician, artist, etc. reviews the work that they have provided so that the next game, concert, and gallery can be better than before.  This same thought can be brought out with teachers.  We aren't expected to be perfect the first time, or at all for that matter, but reflecting and thinking about ways that we can improve learning for our students is the type of teacher that I wan't my students to have.

Technology Transformation

As we sit in our classrooms the forever constant, take out a pencil and paper will soon be changed to talk out your iPad or laptop.  Teachers are being asked and directed to change from the classic models of educating to integrating technology throughout every aspect of your school day.  From SMARTBoards to tablets, schools are now moving from a computer lab to one-to-one systems.  While some can find that many of these ideas are innovative and will put us one step ahead in our math and reading developments, some of us teachers cringe at the idea of reading from an eReader.  How does a student truly become motivated without having a physical book in there hand?  Will we even teach the ideas and fundamentals of writing in our future classrooms?  These are all questions and concerns that many teachers in the 21st century are realizing throughout these past couple of years.  Now-a-days a 21st century learner can develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology, create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts while attending to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments (National Education Association).  One of the biggest ideas that I struggle with is the fact that we have a responsibility to use education throughout our classroom, but how can we do it effectively.  With this questioning in mind, I was curious enough to research my own ideas about using technology within my classroom through a Pinterest board.  These ideas allowed me to research what apps are effective, how can I incorporate tablets and various strategies to use a SMARTBoard with various subjects in the classroom.  Many links, blogs and websites provided a variety of resources that were actually meaningful for a elementary classroom, but the real test is how do we effectively incorporate this into our every day curriculum?

"Technology in the classroom, its not a matter of 'if,' its a matter of 'when' and 'how,'"  stated by Alice Armstrong in her Illinois School Board Journal.  The ideas generated from this article are a great resource to realize that we are not just bringing in new materials to use, we are creating new ways of teaching our students.  Essentially we are reviewing our old ways and reflecting on methods that we have been taught and practiced with and turn them around to accommodate to the ever growing world of technology.  The change is prevalent and can be seen throughout many schools across the U.S., but the most important question becomes, is this change good?  With my own personal experiences I believe that technology can and should be incorporated throughout our classrooms, there just need to be expectations established and positive and effective uses for the students.  One of the ways I plan to incorporate games and activities from computers or iPads are doing my own research as a teacher to find activities that are learning involved and motivating for the students.  Many resources that I have discovered throughout Pinterest have allowed me to research blogs and reviews that provide realistic approaches to specific activities and why they work or don't work throughout classrooms.  This is something that is very important as a teacher because if you are supplying a portion of time out of your classroom to allow a student to play a game or activity, it needs to be learning filled and have a purpose.   After you have discovered the positive and impacting ways of using various forms of technology throughout parts of your school day, it then comes to the ideas of how much technology may be too much?

As we approach the questions of how to incorporate technology into the every day classroom, some classrooms and schools have already began their investigation on a flipped classroom.  For some of you who may not know what this idea entitles, the basic run down involves the students listening and watching lectures at home and then the teacher providing supplemental work and activities in school.  The classroom is essentially flipped where the teaching is done at home and activities are provided at school.  This entitles technology and provided wifi for every student and also for the student to have the ability to listen to these lectures at home.  I believe that it can be successful in some situations, but as a teacher I feel as if I am only doing half of my job.  As an educator I believe that it is my responsibility to provide information and teach my students with a purpose and a goal.  By allowing students to look at a robot or a lecture on the computer and to hold them responsible for taking in all of that information is a scary idea.  While it may be successful in some situations, I believe that teaching and working can be done both at school to provide the best learning.

In looking at all of the technology that many schools are supplementing into their curriculum, I can see the constant battle between just using technology because your administration tells you to, and using technology as an effective means of learning.  This will be a difficult battle to overcome as an educator, but with great research and knowing your students, it can also be a very positive and successful way of learning in your classroom.