Field Experience

Summary

The night before my first day of field experience, I was as nervous as can be.  I had a thousand thoughts racing through my head; “I hope the teacher likes me.  I hope the kids like me.  I hope my partner and I work well together.  What am I going to wear?  What will I teach?  What if I’m an awful teacher?  The moment my partner and I got to the school, we were welcomed with open arms.  The moment we met the students, a smile became glued to our faces that stayed there for three weeks straight.

My partner and I were able to teach a variety of different lessons under our Pioneer theme.  I was very pleased with what we came up with.  Our lessons were interesting, creative, informational, and engaging.  Our cooperating teacher, Mrs. Dixon, seemed to really like them.  She was also a huge help as far as providing us with great materials, fun suggestions, and insider tips that we can carry with us throughout the rest of our teaching careers.  We got the chance to help with and see our fourth graders’ Utah program, which was wonderful.  I learned more about Utah and Pioneers than I ever have before.

            At first, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I could not have been more pleased with my field experience.  I actually was pretty stunned at how smoothly it all went.  I had an amazing partner, an amazing cooperating teacher, an amazing class, an amazing unit to teach.  I can't help but think that not everyone's field experience went as well as mine did, and I feel very lucky and thankful for getting to have the field experience that I did. 

My Beliefs

I am a big fan of technology in the classroom.  I believe that technology opens doors that otherwise would remain closed.  Just this year alone, I have been introduced to dozens of technology that benefits education and the learning process.  Google Docs is one of them.  It has completely changed collaboration and group work for me.  It makes it so easy and convenient.  Another example is the Smart Board.  The class I was in for my field experience had a Smart Board and I was blown away.  It accommodates all different types of learners, visual, verbal, kinesthetic, and otherwise.

I believe that all this new and exciting technology is something that is not going away.  It is here to stay.  Not only that, but it will stay and keep improving.  It will continue to get better, smaller, faster, easier, smarter, and more accessible.

However, with society becoming more and more technological, there are some things I don't think we should lose along the way.  There are things that could easily get overshadowed by all the new technological advances.  For example, I believe that kids should still know how to write a proper English paper (without the LOLs and the L8Rs) and how to write proper cursive and have nice handwriting.  As a future teacher, I plan on keeping a few of the "old school" educational practices while still benefiting from technology and using it to prepare my students for their bright futures.

Lessons Learned

The "Did You Know?" video really opened my eyes and got my brain's wheels turning.  I always find learning about other countries fascinating, and doing so in this technological context was no different.  All the information about China and India made me think, "Wow, I had no idea."  It's crazy to think of the different educational and technological levels different countries are on, and it was somewhat humbling to see where the U.S.is in relation to those two countries.

I also learned a lot from the article, "The New WWW".  I knew that we lived in technology-centered society, but this article did a great job of just how technology-centered life is nowadays.  It put into very real terms just how fast and easy and accessible the world is.  I learned about ClassAct Portals and the different ways to incorporate technology into the classroom; WebQuests, classroom websites, etc.

I learned that the best way to stay on top of school technology is reading how successful school are doing it day in and day out.  I learned how important it is to prepare our students to live in this digital world.  One part in the video that stood out to me was the part that talked about how we're preparing kids for jobs that haven't even been created yet, and that we're training them to solve problems that aren't even classified as problems yet.  Incorporating technology into the classroom and introducing our students to the technology world and guiding them through it is extremely important.

Strengths & Weaknesses

As I was taking the UNI surveys, I noticed that I got the same answer for nearly every single question.  I am a technological apprentice, which I am happy about.  I like that I'm not technology-illiterate and that I can navigate my way through the Internet, Microsoft software, and other programs.  I feel like since I'm still a rookie in the education program, I haven't had much experience with planning or developing lessons that focus on technology and all its resources, but I believe I will have many opportunities to do so in the future.

I feel like I have mastered the basics of computer and the Internet and that I have built a solid foundation to further my knowledge and use of technology.  Also feel like I'm a creative person and I am/would be good at thinking of new, fun, interesting ways to incorporate technology into my lessons and future classroom. As far as my weaknesses, I have a hard time knowing what to do when things go wrong.  I always have to go to others if a program won't work or if I can't find a file. Also, I find Google (Docs, Sites, etc.) very innovative and fascinating and I would love to learn more about it.

I found an online tutorial about troubleshooting your computer.  It provides multiple steps you can do to get your computer working properly again; restarting it, checking the cables, etc.  It's got tips about the battery and different maintenance systems you can benefit from.  This will help me move past apprenticeship because once I learn how to troubleshoot, I no longer have to use other people as a resource, they will come to me as a resource.  I also found instructional videos for Google Docs, Google Forms, and all of Google's programs.  As I watch and learn from these, I will better know how to use each program.  Then, I will be able to know the best ways to mix Google into lessons and my career in education.

14 April - Field Experience

What?

So What?

Now What?

10 March - Digital Stories 3

What?
This week we learned about Creative Commons, which is an online resource that provides a free, public, and standardized infrastructure that creates balance between the reality of the Internet and the reality of copyright laws.

So What?
Creative Commons means the world to teachers.  It opens up the door as far as utilizing and benefitting from the Internet without dealing with harsh copyright laws.  Accessibility, productivity, and development are all greatly increased by this helpful site.  You can choose from their different licenses, depending on which elements you want, and use then for things you produce.

Now What?
Creative Commons will be extremely helpful to me as a future teacher.  When I create something, or if I assign my future students to create something, this site allows that work to be protected.  This site will help me in the future because it provides its users with a simple, easy way to work within the boundaries of copyright laws.  The creators of Creative Commons have done all the work for you so you can be creative and safe.

3 March 2011 - Digital Story 2

What?
This week in Instructional Media, we learned all about Copyright laws.

So What?
Copyright laws mean a lot to teachers and the education system.  They place many restrictions on what teachers can and cannot do or use.  We were introduced to this topic because it will effect us in our future teaching careers very often.  We need to learn about them now so that as we start planning and putting lessons together, we can stay within the bounds of Copyright and the law.

Now What?
Copyright laws will make it so I have to be an aware and creative teacher - aware as to what I can or cannot use, and creative as to coming up with new ideas of Copyright laws make it so I can't use or do something.  Learning about Copyright was extremely interesting to me.  I didn't know much about it before this week, but now I know that close to everything is illegal - even taking one of your DVDs over to a friend's house.  Now that I know about Copyright, I will do my part in following those rules, in the classroom or otherwise.