Last Day but a New Begining

         This class went by really fast. Usually when you are learning and enjoying something time does fly. My eyes were opened to technology and programs I never new existed. That was the most valuable part of this course to me. Learning the philosophies was very important and I enjoyed it. I'll use what I learned for the rest of my life. I realized how important being a professional is. Going the extra step to make presentations more creative and informative. I didn't know how well a online class would run, but it went fantastic. Great class Dr. Smirnova!!!!!!!!!



Thank you to my group also. Group 2 , Faith and Angela!!! You both were great and helped me tremendously. Good luck in the future!!!

philosophies of education: I am a believer of the cognitive theory and the nine multiple intelligences. I am for teaching by modeling. Showing students how to do something instead of letting them figure it out on their own. It we give them the tools and knowledge than it will create a generation of thinkers. I also believe everyone has something to contribute. The nine intelligence theories stresses that point. I will look for the intelligence in each individual student. I will not use the one size fits all strategy for identifying intelligence.


relevant history of American education: We have to study history and build on past triumphs and not repeat failures. The trends of today all came out of decisions from the past. No Child Left Behind and Brown vs. Board of Ed. are two pieces of our history that impact students today. These were brought about through the government. Teachers can create change by writing grants and making the government change laws effecting schools and students.

current issues impacting public schools: Poverty, drop out rate, multi-culturalism, No Child Left Behind, and standards. There are so many issues impacting public , I would have to start a separate blog!! All teachers should be actively trying to address issues impacting their classroom. If every educator does their part on a small scale, large scale change would follow

future trends in American education: I think American students heavily influenced by technology. It is happening right now and will only continue to grow.

Standards of professional conduct: Being a professional is a necessary part of this job. Teachers are viewed as leaders.They are role models to students .





Best wishes to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

         I set up my glog yesterday on glogster.com. It was my first time posting (I never heard of it), but it went OK. It's took me awhile to get used to adding the different tools. I like how they had different icons and backgrounds to choose from. The way you can box in videos is really cool. One major problem I ran into was that I couldn't get the sound to work. I had a good idea using this music file I found. I guess I'll save that for another project. I am glad I had to make a glog. It's another tool in my garage!!

Watch the video above, it's short and sweet


         One of the questions on my glog was "Imagine the Possibilities"?  I think the two products below are going to lead the way. Everything will be ran through products like these. Students will have access to high speed Internet, high definition cameras, and millions of apps. Using technology only helps train students for the jobs of tomorrow. Most of those jobs aren't even created yet. So many creative possibilities are awaiting the students of the future. Whatever area of interest someone has, there will be an app to use.  Students will be able to receive and submit assignments via e-mail or social network postings. Students can work with tutors via skype. Imagine learning Italian from an Italian who's in Italy while you are in your kitchen in NY. Students can be sick at home and use their Ipad to join in on the class. Music and arts programs will go to another level with the new technology. The virtual classroom will be just as important as the regular classroom. Think of what awaits us.

j

I'm on the right track

       Recently I read an interesting blog post describing a fellow blogger's top ten things a person should know to be successful.  I totally agree with everything he has listed. This is  "real world intelligence" instead of "book intelligence'. It still amazes me how heavily valued being book smart is. Lets see how I break down each category:

• How to predict consequences: If you have this ability you will save yourself alot of headaches and time. Before making a decision I usually thinks things through. Studying other people is a good way at improving your predicting skills. Remember those who don't pay attention to history repeat it.

•  How to read: This means to read critically. Find out the important info and separate from words taking up space. As a reader I like getting to the point, otherwise I get bogged down by text. I end up having to take extra time to re-read material.  Paying attention to the details is the main lesson here.

•  How to distinguish truth from fiction: There are two sides to every story. Always consider your source before counting something as a fact. As a teacher it is hard to tell you students to challenge everything they hear. I will try and build a trust with my students so they know I am telling them the truth. However I will let them know it is OK to look at both sides and question things they do not understand.

• How to empathize: Don't be so self centered. Acknowledge the people around you. Build relationships by being accessible and understanding. People will be a lot easier to work with if you display empathy. It's a human code. Be nice and others will return the action, usually.

• How to be creative: I think to enhance creativity you have to take advantage of technology.  Whatever avenue it takes to get your point across , use it. Creativity sets people apart, it makes life fun. One thing I would like to show my students is how to take a creative idea and transfer it to another area. Like thinking of a great story, then turning it into a play or cartoon. Even taking a great presentation and turning it into a lesson.

• How to communicate clearly: The most important part of the list in my opinion. The only way to get your point across is to communicate clearly. So many things get confused or disregarded because the receiver doesn't understand the sender.  This applies to all avenues of communication. A very important part of communication is writing. Students have to learn how to effectively speak and write clear and concise.

• How to Learn: This doesn't mean just remember the facts for a test, that's OK for some topics. True learning involves recognizing why the answer is what it is. When you recognize something that means you built a connection in your brain. Learning strategies differ amongst people. I have to repeat readings and work hands on with a subject to truly learn it. I like being able to watch, read to help me learn.

•  How to stay healthy: I need help with this one. I feel myself getting sluggish and tired more often than usual. I think the winter doesn't agree with me. I play summer sports not winter so that doesn't help me. I know In have to be in good shape to be able to give my class the energy it deserves. I am starting a new diet soon, it's hard to do!!

• How to value yourself: This is an interesting one. I have good days and bad ones, just like everyone else I assume. I do know I feel my best when I feel like I am useful or working towards a goal. Never sell yourself short. When you build yourself up, a confidence grows and then you will be at your best. No matter what area you are in confidence increases your chance to succeed

• How to live meaningfully: I am working on this part right now. I left my previous job because I wanted to do something more meaningful. I think I made the right choice. Investing in family and doing work that impacts people is living meaningful to me.

Great list and blog post. I like seeing others people views. I find it cool when they are similar to mine. It lets me know I am not alone out here.

The Future is Here

            I just viewed an interesting webinar presentation: Future Technology Trends In Education by Emily Atkinson of Memorial University. I was impressed by the content as well as the presentation. According to her I am part of the net generation (anyone born in the 80's and 90's). I believe I am also. Internet that's a necessity in 2012, students live with it and expect to use it. I think the schools should make teachers use technology in some form during their lessons. I learned about "open courseware" There are free higher education courses available online. Will this increase in the future?? I think so. Students have to learn to be more independent. That is a good thing. Open courseware is available to everyone. I think open courseware can be beneficial for students trying to figure out what direction they want to go for a career. You can try different things and see what you like.
          Another topic the webinar touched base on are "E-Books". I know the benefits (less money, e-co friendly, quicker to access etc.) and I do believe they will be common in future schools. However I still like to hold a book when I read. If it is for a class I don't mind e-books but for personal reading I like a regular book or magazine. The same for a newspaper. Its free online but it isn't the same as holding a newspaper. The really cool part of an e-book is some can update themselves. Textbooks get old and out of date. There is alot of money to save also!!!! Poorer schools will benefit greatly. I look forward to being able to use the technology that is available. I'm up to date with technology in my personal life, I couldn't imagine not using it for my job. The demand for technology based education will be huge, the students of this generation expect it to be available at school like it is at home

This video below is an eye opener. I am glad I know how to handle technology and want to learn more about it. It seems like anyone who doesn't embrace it will be past by. The  message in the video that had an impact on me was when it said the "We are preparing students for jobs that don't even exist yet". That's a deep message. Teachers have to get their students ready. We don't live in the past so we shouldn't teach like we did in the past.

Must Read!!!!

Zachary D’Alfonso

Chair of Curriculum

January 12, 2012

Dear Members of the Community:

I have recently accepted the position of Chair of Curriculum for the Newburgh School District. My first goal is to develop a multicultural curriculum that is representative of the students in our district. I believe this is a necessary step towards making our historically underrepresented cultures part of our schools. African American and Spanish cultures will be incorporated into our curriculum starting at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. The following programs will be required.

·          4^th – 12^th grade level classes will be required to use a minimum of 3 books written by African American or Spanish authors during the school year. These books are to correspond with English and Social Studies lessons.

·          K-12 art and music classes will include 2 or more projects per year dedicated to  African American and Spanish cultures.

·          An African American and Spanish play will be performed by our drama club. The performance will be made available to the community and students.

·         Spanish language instruction will be taught twice per week for the K-6 grade levels. Once in junior high school, the student will be allowed to choose a foreign language to complete their language requirement.

·         10^th – 12^th grade students will be required to take one full semester of either Spanish or African American Studies before graduating.

This is a change of course for the district. It is a fact that the cultures that make up our district have changed over the years. My goal is to make every student feel like they are welcome at school. Acknowledging different cultures will lead us on a path to becoming a more united district.

Thank You,

Zachary D’Alfonso

Every room is a computer room

     

        Yesterday we discussed teaching with technology. This can be in the classroom or virtual (on-line class). Both ways are going to grow in the future. The class I am taking right now is online!! The students live their lives using the latest technology available. School districts should embrace the idea of using technology in the class. The students will find it relevant and fun. There are greater opportunities for communication between teacher and student via blogs, social networking sites, personal websites, e-mail, texting, and skype. I figure anyway to keep the students interested is a good strategy to teach with.
        Ipads and smart boards will be the biggest tools a teacher will use in the next decade. So much more can be accomplished using these devices. Ipads are going be the leaders in the technology revolution. Even people who do not like embracing technology will be amazed by the Ipads capabilities.  Students can play video games that double as learning games via websites such as primarygames.com . As a teacher I would use those sites as a reward for good behavior or performance.Another cool tool the Internet and technology bring us is Skype. Skype is a chat service that allows you to see the people you talk to. Very cool!!!! I remember having a pen pal from England when I was in elementary, we were give pen pals in school. I enjoyed the activity but it went slow because we had to mail our letters to them. Now with Skype we can have the students interact individually or with whole classes abroad or in other parts of the country. It shows the students how different places are and their are many opportunities out there. I plan on using technology in my classroom when I become a teacher. It's my job to be up to date on the latest technologyy I can use

Charter Chat

            Today we had a nice virtual chat during group session. The topic of the day was charter schools. The session went great, I've come to expect that out of my partners. They both bring a lot to the table during our sessions. I didn't know much about charter schools before today. A couple quick facts I found out about charter schools:

• They are open to public and attended by choice
• Receive public money ( may also receive private donations).
• Part of the public education system (not allowed to charge tuition).
• Typically proposed by a group of parents, teachers, and community leaders.
• Admission is frequently allocated by lottery ( creates waiting lists for admission)
• The number of charter schools has increased over the past decade two decades.

       I am pro public education, however this is America and we have the right to choose. I believe charter schools should exist. They give children an opportunity to learn and I can never deny any institution who wants to facilitate that. I like how they provide competition for public schools. Innovative ideas will flourish because of the competition. Public school teachers should want the challenge, people assume charter schools have better teachers. I would want to prove them wrong.The only way to get better at anything is to be challenged and evolve. There are pros and cons to this topic.  Which side do you stand on??

This is an interesting documentary on charter schools. Let me know what you think

Two Theories I Support

          During group session last Friday we discussed two very interesting theories. Constructivist Cognitive Theories of Instruction and Multiple 9 Intelligences Theory. I am a supporter or both theories. Constructivist Cognitive Theory simply means that learners gain knowledge and meaning from actively participating in the teacher's instruction. Instead of the teacher lecturing to the student, he would instead try to guide the student and allow him the opportunity to develop his own knowledge and conclusion. Assessments in this theory are not solely based on written tests. I believe that lecturing and assigning book work does translate to learning. Information is not retained that way. Information is retained by actively actively thinking about a topic and performing different tasks designed around it. Constructivism makes the brain work instead of just trying to make it remember bits and pieces of information for a test.


            The second theory we discussed is Multiple Nine Intelligences Theory. Howard Gardner developed the theory. This theory teaches that intelligence can and should be measured depending on a person's abilities. Gardner believes intelligence should be determined by factors other than being knowledgeable in standard subject areas (math, science, reading, etc.) . Standardized tests do not determine intelligence because some forms of intelligence can't be measured using a test. Below are the categories he created for each different intelligence.

• VISUAL/SPATIAL - capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly.
• VERBAL/LINGUISTIC - well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words.
• MATHEMATICAL/LOGICAL-  ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns.                                                                                         
• MUSICAL/RHYTHMIC -ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber.
• INTRAPERSONAL- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes.
• INTERPERSONAL - capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others.
• BODILY/KINESTHETIC - ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects
• NATURALIST- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature
• EXISTENTIAL - sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

        
           I appreciate what Gardner developed. The world would be a very boring place if we did not value intelligences besides being "book smart". The world has advanced throughout time because of free thinkers who excel in their field, whether that be math, sports, or music. I do not like the notion that if someone is great at math and another is a great piano player, then the math person must have the higher intelligence of the two people. Intelligence should be looked at from multiple angles. This is exactly what Gardner did when he created his theory. This theory gives value to people who's contributions to society are usually under appreciated.

          I hope teachers begin using this theory to evaluate their students. I understand the need to have standardized testing and standards to follow, especially in public school. However I think teachers should use their common sense to see some students are intelligent in other areas. Teachers should try to build on the skills their students have. This will build the students confidence and hopefully that confidence will translate to other subject areas.

So Many Issues!!!

    For the second activity in topic one our group discussed the cultural issues of education and schooling. Our group brainstormed for ideas and came up with the following topics we thought were relevant to this topic.

• Teachers need to be open minded to different cultures in order to preserve and transmit to students the culture and traditions of the past.
• Religion and it's part in schools (pledge of allegiance).  Have schools banned the pledge??
• More and more African Americans assigned to special education.  African Americans have lower test scores and higher drop out rates.

• Hispanic students=language barriers.  Their drop out rates are higher than African American students.  We need more ESL teachers and bilingual classrooms.  Immigration is increasing not decreasing.
• Asian students are stereotyped  (not too sure about this one. need to read more)
• Teachers interact more frequently and precisely with male students.
• Poverty- 1 in 5 children live in poverty which is connected to black and Hispanic drop out rates.
• The traditional family unit of the past has undergone a radical transformation.  Divorce, remarriage, wage earning, parenting, and alternative relationships have restructured the family and the home/school connection.  Latchkey kids, teenage pregnancy (lack of parental supervision).  Fact: 1 in 11 teenage girls become pregnant
• Sex Education is missing in some schools. 
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual youth suicide.
• Achievement gap- great debate about whether the achievement gap can be closed.

       

           These are just the issues we selected to focus on for our prezi presentation. We added interesting pictures and posted questions in our presentation. These are topics that all educators should discuss.  I'm 28 years old, the generation of students today is not that far off from when I was in school. I do not recall having so many  important issues to deal with . These aren't just topics for high school students, these go all the way down to elementary school students. It's just the nature of the world today. Children have to grow up faster. They are exposed to issues at a much younger age when compared to older generations. As a teacher I have to be able to recognize these issues when they appear. Outside influences can take away from the learning process. Time and energy that the students should use for school work can be easily taken away, because their minds are thinking about the issues going on in their lives. I think teachers should strive to bring a sense of normalcy and calm to their classroom. I know it's impossible to keep cultural issues seperate from schooling and education. However with proper training and effort I believe teachers can be able to handle issues as they present themselves.

Please let me know your thoughts on this video.

Two Thumbs Down

I just watched a clip on YouTube called "When I become a teacher" . I believe the director wanted to show the side of teaching that disgusts people and gives the teaching profession a bad name. The people interviewed looked miserable and said everything that is totally against what I believe in. People were saying I want to "teach to the test", "lecture all day long", and "I'm retiring so it doesn't matter". I believe if you don't like something, just stop. If a teacher doesn't want to teach then they are hurting every student they encounter. Miserable attitudes do not have any place in a learning environment. If I was in that video i would say....

When I become a teacher I'll do everything I can to make sure my students have the resources to succeed!!!

Teaching in a Changing World

           Yesterday I had my first virtual meeting with my group (#2). It was a successful meeting. We created a group page on pedagogy21.pbworks.com and digital card using prezi.com. The meeting went very smooth. We communicated great. Everyone participated and brought good ideas to the discussion. It's a great feeling working in a productive group.  We met for 3 hours!!! The time actually went very fast. We planned to meet for 2 hours , when that window closed we had to start a new session.  Angela did a great job setting up the class and showing me different things when we were using the white board on www.wiziq.com/.
           We had a great brainstorming session while working on the first group activity "Education in a Changing World" . We first created individual answers and then came together to make a final draft. The 5 changes we believe most affect how we educate children are listed below. As a group we thought globalization most affects how we educate children because the United States is ranked at #25 in the world as far as education goes. The NYS standards are changing and they are raising the bar for both teachers and students so we can basically "catch up" with the other countries.
 

•  Technology
•  Economy
•  Cultural Diversity
•  Globalization
•  Home/Community Life

Our team's name is "Without Teachers, Life Would Have No Class"

Our team's motto is " Committed to Lifetime Teaching and Learning"
We choose this motto because we all agreed this is how we want to live our lives.

A Whole New World of Technology

Hello !!

        This is my first blog post ever. I always wondered how it works, glad we had to do this for the class. Last night we had our introduction class. I learned a lot about the technology available to me. I want to be up to date with the latest technology. I think that will help make learning fun for the students. Also it will allow them to learn how to use it. I want to be known as a creative teacher, someone who thinks outside of the box and is successful doing it. Using prezi.com, wiziq.com  and the web cam were all first time activities for me.  I didn't even know WiZiQ existed. It's a very cool program.
        When I first saw the syllabus I was a little intimidated, but Dr. Smirnova did a great job breaking everything down for the class. She also reassured us by saying she is always available to help. This is my first online class . I've handed papers in and taken tests through moodle.com but never had the whole class online. I was surprised how smooth it went. We had some glitches, mainly connection problems but the session went very smooth. I think everyone got the general idea of what is expected for this class. I have the feeling classes structured like this are going to be the norm someday.

Looking forward to the next two weeks. Hope to have fun while learning a lot!!!!