Results.....Now?

I was disturbed while reading the article by Schmoker. It is sad all teachers do not have the same standards as we do. Our profession is attacked quite often and I understand there are "bad" teachers that just pop in a video and don't actually teach. At the same time we have amazing teachers that change a child's entire future. I know there are students that look forward coming to school just to have class with the teacher that stimulates and excited them to learn. The problem with the system is the lack of accountability. There isn't very much I am held accountable for as far as Physical Education. We are a non tested subject so what we are teaching in the classroom is not deemed as important to the district. I am non tenured so I get observed on a more regular basis, but the teachers in my department that are tenured get observed only once a year. This is not an adequate assesment of a teacher's performance. Teaching is a special profession that not just anyone could do, but it is also a profession that needs a little more tender loving care for it to dodge criticism by people like Schmoker.

Digital Cameras and Kids

DID YOU KNOW???

What are your initial reactions to what you saw in the presentation? I was very surprised at the information I read concerning how other countries are much smarter than us. I was also very intrigued by computers being forcasted to have more capabilities than a human brain.
How are these changes manifesting themselves in your personal lives? professional lives? I noticed I use the computer much more than I every used to. I have a myspace where I keep in touch with all of my friends from college. I also use Google at least 4 times a day to find information. I used it today to look up recipes. What do we think it means to prepare students for the 21st century? I think it means preparing students for what is to come as far as technology. What skills do students need to survive and thrive in this new era? They need to be able to become entrepreneurs. They need to learn and utilize the newest forms of technology to prepare themselves for any type of career.What implications does this have for our current way of doing things? Our current way of doing things may be great in some districts, but in my district the technology is very far behind where it should be. The teachers are not trained in using technology and neither are the kids. I taught at a school before that each kid had their own laptop. That is what we need to strive for.Do we need to change? If so, how? Yes, we need to change. We need to hold many more in service days geared for technology.
How do we get from here to there? We Research schools that have great technology programs, we hold in services for teachers on how to implement technology. What challenges must we overcome as we move forward? The biggest challenge will be the resistance of teachers. What supports will we need as we move forward? What kind of training will we need to move forward? We will need the support of successful schools that have technology as part of their everyday curriculum. The training should be from those kinds of schools that have great technology programs that work.
Is it possible for a teacher to be an excellent teacher if he/she does not use technology? I think an excellent teacher is one that has all of the pieces of the puzzle to guiding a student toward success. Without technology, that excellence isn't there even if the teacher is a good teacher. Technology is a part of our future and we need to face that.

"Reading Don't Fix No Chevys"

When I think about "Flow" , I think about the activities I am good at and want to keep doing. Students are the same way. When they are good at something and shine while doing it, they want to keep doing it. Competence plays a large role in flow. If a person fails at skiing they may not want to try it again for fear of failing a second time, or embarrassment. It is easy to flow when you are the student that gets every question right in math class. When you are the kid in the back of the room dreading to be picked on, flow just isn't there.

As educators we have to provide flow for our students but at the same time let them fall a few times. When we let them fall, we can teach them how to stand back up and try again. Falling is a good lesson for them to learn. When they fall and we teach them to get up...they will get up and try harder the next time. This is what education is all about. Teaching students to think critically, and find their interests. They use those interests to tie in with other subjects.

We have to provide flow for that child in the back of the room. This can be done through differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction will be a great tool for students to find "their way to flow".

GO STEELERS