Utilizing Technology

I use technology many ways in my everyday life, as well as utilizing it in my role as a teacher.

The most important way that I use technology right now, as a teacher-in-training, is to complete my school work. I research, write, and relay my work to my adviser using my handy-dandy laptop. Additionally, I post to this blog using the internet. I started the blog this fall. When I first started writing in it, I was posting mainly academic pieces, but as time has gone on I have used it more for reflecting on my day to day activity at the school. I blog, because I know I wouldn't take the time to sit and hand write reflections as often. There is also a community of bloggers, including other teachers who blog, so I feel a sense of accountability to keep up with my blog, and to read others. If I didn't write about my experiences I feel like I might not remember many of them in detail in the future. By having the blog to document how I was feeling, I can reflect on how I have changed as a teacher in the last month, year, or few years. I do not use names in my writing to honor the privacy of my students and their families. I would change the names in a story if I felt like it was important to the flow of the piece.

My first exposure to using technology, from a teacher's perspective, was in my Introduction to the Teaching Profession class my Freshman year in college. The teacher would use Blackboard, an online teaching tool to post grades, meeting times, discussion boards, assignments and quizzes. It opened my eyes to the breadth of resources there are for teachers on the internet, and through technological applications. During one unit, we studied web programs to use in the classroom, provided by the site www.4teachers.org. It has programs to help teachers organize lesson plans, write quizzes, write rubrics, share lesson plans, plus many more tools. I haven't found that website especially useful thus far, but I will keep it in my toolbox for when I teach in a more traditional school.

Another exciting experience using technology this fall has been while working with the 7th and 8th graders at the Free School. They are planning a two week trip for next May. It has to have a service component and they have to fund raise all of the money. I have been helping the students research options for their trip online. They need to find ideas like places to volunteer, where to stay, airplane tickets, and how to get a passport. I have taught them how to use Boolean operators to refine their searches. Another element of planning the trip requires technology: the fund raising. I helped one student write letters to potential donors for a fish fry fund raiser and I helped another student make fliers. I grew up using the internet, and word and flier publishing programs, so I am able to show the students some features that they don't already know, although they have all had exposure to the internet, and writing programs in the past.

Recently I started working for the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) helping with outreach. I have been compiling a database of alternative education organizations, networks, schools, etc. for us to make a mailing to promote the conference that AERO holds. Making a database of these education organizations has been so easy, and is very easy to translate into mailing labels. I have been researching the organizations by using the internet, and have found out about many useful organizations. I will hold on to my database to refer to organizations in the future that relate to my teaching career. The biggest idea that I have learned by doing the organizing for AERO is that there are a very large amount of people in the United States, and the world, who hold similar values to me regarding education.

winter time

It has been getting colder and colder here in Albany! My first winter in the northeast. There is definitely more snow and ice than I am used to so far. I will walk into places and be the only one bundled from head to toe. I worry that my Kansas-ness sticks out like a sore thumb.

The cold weather brings everyone inside at school. Everyone inside at school brings conflict with it. Energy at school escalates so high when everyone is feeding off each other. We have had many council meetings lately (conflict resolution meetings), some of them have been short and sweet, but others have been epic. A notable council meeting recently was called on two boys who have been bullying a lot of the younger children. The teachers don't generally call council meetings on the students, but they might encourage a student who is having problems with another to call a meeting. The bullying had been going on for a while, but no other students had called one on them. So I was relieved it finally happened.

I am excited to be going home in two weeks. I was feeling a little homesick and it will be so nice to see my family.