Last Day of Education 201 class

I finally made it through this delightful journey!!!!. I am delighted that i had a chance to experience a class that gave me the experience i needed to decide what grade i would like to teach. I love all children, but i think Middle School is just for me. They are a little bit mature than the elementary children and i just tend to love that age group. It reminds me of my journey through the middle school at that age. I have enjoyed learning about what technology i can teach to a class whether it's an iPad , smartboard , camera projector, or ipod . This way is very different from my days in school. I'm used to the chalkboard, dry erase board, movie projectors, computers, and overhead projectors. That is all we had in my day. Learning how to teach with certain technology was wonderful not that much of a challenge. Well maybe at first it was, but i got the hang of it. The iPad is very much like a iPhone but a little different. Anyways teachers can use  iPads to give students assignments such as, reading books or textbooks, researching topics on the internet, they can take notes on the ipad, and they can install homework/classwork assignments. They have all subject applications for students to complete throughout the semester/year. The smartboard can be used for presentations and other assignment any teachers choose to have as an assignment. The camera projector is used to put notes or anything they need for students to see on a board. The ipod can download any educational audio track for the student to learn from. The technology is not the only thing i learned from this class. I also learned what you should or should not do as a teacher. As a teacher what you should do is try to learn each student's name, needs, know their parents, know the children's learning styles, and anything that can hinder them from learning (autistic, special attention/self-contained, ADHD). The things that a teacher should never do is reveal any personal information about a student outside of a school. I don't really think it would be professional to really say anything about a child to someone who works in the school. Sometimes it can help if another teacher has that same student you did. You could help that next teacher to understand that student. Some of the other things you should never do is reveal any personal information about yourself and be careful what you say to people at your job. Your word can go against yourself and get you in trouble in the long run. What i mean is...say u want to quit and you tell people. Well that same person you told can go tell your boss what you said and get you in trouble. This is why it is essential to keep certain information to yourself. That is the professional way. If there are any further questions or details that anyone would like to share with me let me know. Leave a post and i will be sure to get back to you. This is my last time talking about this experience. This will be my personal blogspot after may 5, 2011 the day i graduate.

Last Day at Elementary School

My second week at Elementary School. Again I am waiting on the students to enter in the classroom. This time there wasn't a Ipad for me to explore with. I had such a blast last time i was on the Ipad  and it is so much fun. Anyways, today i had to wait about an hour and a half before the children came into the classroom. At one time I thought Ms. C had forgot i was in there. It seemed like forever, but eventually they all came into the classroom. I was greeted by one of the students I helped the last time her name was miss A.I love little children, but i think I will be teaching Middle School.  I was greeted with a hug. I tell you elementary students are so sweet and thoughtful.  Today the children worked on book reports, some backdrop for the cafeteria murals, and a quiz. Today i helped the student miss A because she struggles with math. She reminds me when i was this age because like her i struggled with the same math. She was struggling with long division which i found challenging in fourth grade. Some multiplication facts that was set up with 2 extra or 3 extra numbers didn't settle well with me. They were problems like: 34X56 or 500X36. With the long division problems were like: 6/360 which is 60?. I could relate to what this little girl was going through it seemed so challenging back then, but really easy for me now. I would have to say that all the kids in the classroom seemed to all like me. I had so many coming up to greet me and talk to me. I like friendliness, all you have to do is smile and be nice to children and they will like you. I told the children that today was my last day at the elementary school. One of the students was like you were only here for 2 days i was like I'm sorry but my observation was only for 10 hours in all. Too bad we didn't have more hours. This experience has been great. I learned a lot with the younger children as well. I was glad to walk around the classroom and see what students needed help. I helped out with any quiz questions they wanted help with. I gave hints to them on the quiz of course. I also helped some children out with their spelling to help them for their next test. I, myself was always good in spelling and many don't know that i was in a spelling bee in 6th grade. The only thing was i didn't get far because i couldn't spell business. I hated that i didn't win, but oh well that's life. You win some, you lose some. Before the children went to lunch today i helped about 3 kids on their book reports for class which was fun. Then we went to lunch and then recess. I finally left after they came back in for recess. I told everyone good-bye for the last time.

My first day at Elementary School

When I first entered the fourth grade classroom the students were not in the classroom, so i had the liberty to use a IPAD, Ms. C handed to me. The students came about fifteen minutes after I arrived. I also found out that on Fridays they have test days. There were two or a few that were curious about who I was. One student even offered me apples, how sweet is that? So sweet. I politely said "No Thank You." The kids for most of the time in class worked on tests. The teacher warned me at the beginning of class that they would taking tests and that it would be boring. Most students or alot of students do their tests on Ipads, so much different from my years being in school. In my days we had a board/overhead projector to look at notes and the textbooks and paper assignments for homework or classwork. I can understand why they switched to Ipads it's just easier that way. I pads have so much offer it's great. They have textbook apps, tests, homework assignments internet access, organizer, classwork assignments, e-reader and many other programs installed on them. It does not have everything on there though some applications you have to install yourself. Some programs you have to install includes textbook applications, and homework assignments, and you must pay for internet access. You can also block any unnecessary content throughout the internet on the Ipad as well. Just like any regular computer you still have that advantage.
     I then had an advantage to help a student with her fractions in Math. I can understand why anyone would have trouble with fractions especially at this age. Did I mention that she did her fractions through a computer program from her Ipad? Ms. C's class does most of her work on Ipads. After i helped her with her fractions the class then went to lunch. What a relief because I was so hungry. When I finally got to the cafeteria I then remembered how elementary food can be so nasty, ugh!. Then it dawned on me that i didn't bring my lunch and to my disadvantage i had to eat their food. After i got my food and took a bite i realize why some teachers take their lunch. I had the dried up pepperoni and cheese pizza, withe the not-finished-baked fries, peaches, and sweet tea. I really enjoyed the peaches and sweet tea, however; the food in general was just not the best. After i got my food I went to the teacher's classroom. That is where all the other students returned to eat at. Then the class had recess. This took me back to the many times i would enjoy myself with my friends at recess time. I never had any idea that it was only a 30 minute recess it always felt like it was one hour long, but nevertheless it was my favorite time of the day. I will always treasure and cherish those times at the playground. I enjoyed how some of the teachers on April fool's day April 1, 2011 played jokes on the students. Poor students i said to myself. Then it took me back to a time when i played a prank on someone at my church. April Fool's Day can really be a fun day. Anyways I forgot how cold it was going to be that day. I literally froze my behind off it seemed like 30 minutes for me was just too long to be out there on a cold day. I had on stockings, a cardigan, and a sweater on underneath and i still froze outside. We stayed outside for about 35 minutes and retreated back inside. It was about 10 or 15 minutes that we stayed in there. Then they had some Awards program they went to at 1:15 pm. That is when i said good-bye to them for the day.