Sunday, January 27, 2013

Blog Post #2

Did You Know 3.0
As an American to see all the statistics from this video is beyond shocking. To know that so many people have cell phones and computers in their reach is pretty scary. I do not like the fact that young people are so up to date, because they expanding themselves to a whole new world when the have internet access. It is dangerous to me, and I believe kids need to be monitored at all times while using internet.  In reality though the world is turning to technology and cyber space more and more every day.
Like the video said the top jobs ten years from now do not exist yet and will use technologies that have yet to be invented. So in a way I guess it is a good thing for the younger generation to be up to date with the adult world, because the world is progressing daily and someone has got to know how to operate things. I am very interested to see what the future holds technology wise.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
After watching Mr. Winkle Wakes, I have two sides on this video as well. The first one being: Imagine being in a coma for twenty years and waking up to a whole new world. Can you imagine how much change there would be in twenty years? Especially when there are new generations of apple products pretty much daily! So in twenty years try to picture things... I cannot even begin to imagine the products that will be out. That being said thank goodness we have people who are smart enough to come up with these items.
When it comes to the school part of the video, I kinda have to disagree. School is not the same. There are ELEMENTARY schools with iPads now. What elementary kid needs to use an iPad to learn one plus one, or the colors of the rainbow? I do not agree with most technology in school that early, but I guess it is something that has to be done this day and time.


Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance of  Creativity

 In the video Sir Ken Robinson presented he pointed out how teachers are "required" to teach. Teachers are expected to teach by the guidelines of the state. Sir Ken Robinson tries to explain how all children learn differently from one another and I could not agree more. Some children are hands on learners while others prefer to learn it on their own. He explains that creativity is becoming extinct.

I completely agree with Sir Ken Robinson. I am a very different learner myself, and it really depends on what subject it is if I prefer to be hands on or learn it on my own. I believe teachers should encourage children to do things the way that is most comfortable to them. If teachers can structure their teaching style to fit the need of each student, I believe the students would be more eager to learn.If teachers would step outside their comfort zone, and think outside the box children will also begin to think that way. 

Pinterest
As I created an account for pinterest and began to explore, I am still debating on whether or not I will find it helpful in the classroom. I did find a few videos to help explain Factoring in math that I thought was cute and will probably use it for my children. I like things broke down into song form because I learn faster that way. I do not believe I will let my students use pinterest because that is not getting them to think of creative ideas on their own. I do not want my students to rely on other peoples ideas I want them to have their own train of thought. Yeah this website is great for suggestions, but that is also taking away from the students in my opinion.  

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Blog Post #1

About Me
My name is Haley Thompson, I am twenty years old, and I am a junior transfer majoring in special education. I live in a small town in Mobile County called Chunchula. I am attending the University of South Alabama because I graduated from a junior college, where I also played softball, and felt that South was a good choice for my next chapter of life. I am majoring in special education, because I have a very big heart when it comes to children with special needs. I would go over and beyond to help these kids learn. While teaching, I also plan to coach volleyball and softball.
My passion in life is helping others in need, and who cannot do for themselves. I do not help people for the praise and compliments; I simply help them just to help them. A few other things I enjoy are sports, singing, and church activities. Something interesting one may want to know about me is that on December 8, 2011 my life was turned upside down. I was in a very tragic drunk driving accident, and lost my roommate of two years in it. For a while I questioned God and why he would take the life of the one who had her seatbelt on, yet keep the one who was ejected. I now understand that it is all a part of God's plan, and although I may not know the reason I am still here I know He has a big plan for me. I will continue to trust Him, and I plan on sharing my testimony with others to help save lives.

Future Classroom
When I become a teacher i want my future classroom to be very welcoming to the students when they walk in for the first time. I plan to have it very colorful with art work all around the walls. When I was growing up it was always a relief to me to walk into a classroom that did not feel so intimidating. My desk will be in groups of four because I will be doing mostly hands on group work. There will be a lot of communication skills being worked on since I am majoring in special education K-6, so I feel it would work out best being in groups. Children with special needs often feel intimidated around other children and that will not be the case in my classroom. I want the kids to learn to communicate without the fear of being made fun of. We will be doing a lot of "ice breaker" activities to help break down their fear. The children should never be scared to ask a teacher a question, so my number one rule will be "Never be afraid to ask a question, there is no such thing as a dumb question." At the end of the year I want my kids to be able to walk out of the classroom and say "Ms. Thompson was my favorite teacher, and I cannot wait until next year. She makes learning fun and really breaks it down to me where I can understand the material step by step." If the students can walk out and say that, I will know I have reached my goal as a teacher.

Dr. Pausch and Time Management
Dr. Pausch made some very good points in his video that stood out to me. Goals, priorities, and planning are very important when it comes to time management. We should always ask ourselves these questions: Why am I doing this, what is the goal, Why will I succeed, and what happens if I choose to not do this? If we asked ourselves these questions before everything we dreaded, I guarantee we would not dread it as much. The answers to these questions are what our personal future depends on. The statement "Failing to plan is planning to fail" hit me like a sack of bricks. That statement is so very true. We should plan each day, week, and semester. Yes your plans will change from time to time but that is completely okay because at least you have a plan. Also we should not focus on doing things right, but doing the right things.  If we spend too much time focusing on doing things right we will miss the opportunity of getting the right things done.