Teaching Toddlers To Tweet?

The article, "Teaching Toddlers to Tweet? Introducing Social Media into Elementary Schools", by Beth Holland, she talks about how things are changing and how students even in elementary school, should be using social media.  I really liked her introduction to the article where she talks about the importance of students playing outside, Interacting facd to face, and engaging in hands on activities. She then goes on to talk about how there are great tools available to introduce technology and social media to young students.  How it allows them to explore and gives them more opportunities than they had in the past.  I definitely agree that it is crucial we teacher children from a young age about all of this and how to use it properly, I do think it is a fine line.  Students will most likely be using things similar to this and home and it is only natural to bring it into the classroom, but obviously with certain stipulations and restrictions.  I did find it very interesting to see how technology is greatly changing how students learn and how teachers teach, even in the early grades!.

iPads In The Classroom!

In the article, "Apple Provides iPads to Los Angeles School District in 30 Million Contract" by Ben Gilbert, the author talks about how the school district is going to be putting an iPad into many of their teachers and students hands. Seeing a district see the importance of bringing technology into the classroom is so exciting!  The high school I went to implemented an iPad program about 3 years ago and it has been a huge success.  It is a private school, so it is up to the parents to supply the iPads, but when I attended there, we had to purchase our own books each year which were significantly higher than the price of an iPad.  They also don't have easy access to lockers so I carried around at least a 50lb backpack each day.  Now, students only have to carry around their iPads.  They can access all of their books, take notes, do research and stay connected to their classes with just a tap of their finger.  Although it seems costly to make these purchases, if you looked at the money it would save districts from not having to purchase books, it would not be so high. It is great to see such a large district implementing this technology!

Students Cooking Up Change

The article, Cooking Up Change-Students Transforming the Future of Food in our Schools, by Kelsey Donohue, talks about a program called Cooking Up Change, which challenges students to come up with affordable and healthy meals to be used in their cafeteria.  This is such a great way to get students to have a better understanding of how to prepare healthy food and teach them ways to live healthier life.  This also is great to help schools incorporate new healthier alternatives to what they have been serving. Unfortunately our schools are a large part of the problem when it comes to childhood obesity.  We are not helping our students live healthy lives when we only offer them unhealthy options in schools.  Our schools need to make a change and work to help students make better choices and offer better options.

Students Get To Invest Real Money

In the article, High School Gives 16 Year Olds 100,000 To Invest, by Hibah Yousif, it talks about how Greenhill School, a private school in Dallas is giving their business club students $100,000 to be able to invest in the stock market.  Many schools around the country have similar programs but they obviously do not use real money.  This program is hoping that instead of having students use imaginary money, by using real money they will truly learn lessons in how to manage and invest money.  This is a very expensive and controversial program that you almost never see at the high school level.  Sometimes at the college level, their clubs use real money to invest.  Personally, I find his very interesting.  Although I do think that it is great that students get to really have an opportunity to see how the stock market works and get a real life experience with it, I think that this money could be used in much better ways.  This is a lot of money that if they students do not make good decisions with, might be gone.

Privacy for Newtown

We have all been struck with grief when seeing the images unfold in Newtown.  Only a few months later, it is still fresh in our minds and causes all students and teachers to feel a stronger sense of fear when they enter their classrooms.  Thankfully, our government seems to be making a smart choice in banning the publication of pictures and documents that show this massacre.  In the article, Conn. Governor Signs Bill Restricting Newtown Photos,  they discuss why this is important.  Very young lives were lost in this tragedy, and it does no one any good to see those pictures of that gruesome day.  It is important for their families, friends and this town to leave those photos unseen.  We should remember the victims as the bright, cheery eyed, young boys and girls that they were.  

Struggling Districts in Michigan

There is an article in Education Week, "Michigan Says 55 School Districts Have Deficits", that talks about how Michigan has a record number of districts that are functioning with large deficits.  Many of us in Michigan heard about the Buena Vista school district that had to actually close its doors for almost two weeks because they were not able to pay their teachers.  This is beyond alarming for someone in the teaching profession! Teachers already get such little pay for the work that they do and now districts cannot afford to pay them anything. There is not enough money to properly run a school and provide the resources that both the students and teacher need.  As we all know, teachers are always purchasing supplies out of their own pocket because schools cannot afford to help.  When will our country ever see what a disservice we are doing to our students by not placing a higher responsibility of funding our schools.  So much  money is wasted in our government that could be easily used to help educate our youth!

Being Prepared For An Intruder

After reading the article "States Pressing Schools to Add 'Intruder' Drills" by Nirvi Shah, it occurs to me just how drastically our world has changed.  It was not that long ago that I was sitting in an classroom and having an intruder enter my school was they furthest thing on my mind.  It just was not something we had to worry about (or so I thought).  It is so sad to know that this is a real fear of students and teachers today.  When Newtown happened, I was eating dinner with my 4 year old niece and she was asking when this is going to happen in her school.  It was heartbreaking.  A four year old should not have to worry about someone entering her school like this.  She should feel safe and comfortable in school, not in fear.  Although it is great to see schools making sure that they are prepared for such an occasion, it is sad that this is something that they even have to worry about.

Teachers Saving Students

In the article "Teachers Credited With Saving Students In Ohio" by David Lieb, the author talks about how courageous the teachers were who helped to save their students at the risk of their own lives.  They went above and beyond their job description to protect their students and did so willingly and without hesitation.  Like we saw in Newtown, teachers are not just teachers.  They see their students as their kids and most would give their lives to protect them.  They build relationships with their students and care about their well being.  Unfortunately, so many people do not see their dedication in teachers.  It is often a thankless job, with numerous hours spent working to do the best we can for our students.  Seeing teacher put their lives on the line for their students is amazing and is a true testament to how important a teacher is in the lives of their students.

New Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

In the article, "Technology Gives Students with Disabilities Access to College Courses" by Michael Yudin, the author describes how online education is giving students with disabilities the opportunity to attend college when they might not have been able to in the past.  For a long time, students with disabilities might not have been able to attend college because you had to be on campus to attend classes.  With the growing amount of online courses and colleges, it is giving students a whole new avenue to obtain a degree.  This is opening new doors and opportunities to students who may have never thought of college as an option.

I have two cousins that at both autistic and they have both been able to obtain online degrees.  One of my cousins is great with computers and technology but has a difficult time in social situations.  He definitely would not have been able to attend college courses in person, but he was able to get a degree online in technology and now has a job that he works from home on the computer.  In the past, these would never have been opportunities he would be able to take advantage of and it is allowing him to live more independently and provides an income for him.

Online education is a great way for students who may not be able to attend classes on a campus still be able to obtain a degree.  It is opening so many doors for people who in the past might have these opportunities.

Math in the Arts

The article "Young Children Learn Math Through The Arts" by Doug Herbert, takes a look at a new approach to teaching math, specifically to children of preschool age.  There is a new approach that uses the arts to help students build a better understanding of math. It had students looking at the world around them and discovering how math is everywhere.  Math is usually a tough subject for students and we often see them struggle throughout their education.  This approach seems like a great way to make math real and practical.  As a former math teacher, I always struggled to relate the math to the students lives.  When students understand why you are doing something and how it relates to their world they have more of a reason to learn and apply the math.  This new way to teaching math to preschoolers would help to give students a good foundation to begin learning math and help them to relate it to their life.

Games in Education

In the article, Games Win Big in Education Grants Competition, it talks about how the Department of Education has announced the winner of the Small Business Innovation Research contract awards. Almost all of the winners were companies that developed programs or applications that make educational concepts into games.  The idea is to help make education similar to the games that students play at home.  It gives them a chance to use the same problem solving skills they have from video games to learn new concepts.  For example, there is one that is about growing plants and understanding photosynthesis.  Students have to make adjustments to many of the factors of growing a plant to be successful.  This really shows how the Department of Education is placing a focus on technology in the classroom and how important it is for our students.

Free Apps

I chose the article Free Apps to Support Vocabulary Acquisition by ELLs, because working at Apple, I am constantly being asked by educators for new app ideas. I always tell them go online and google it!  There are so many great apps out there to use in the classroom, all you have to do is a little research!  There are so many articles and blogs out there where other teachers and educators rate and review apps that they have used.  This article is a great example of that. This article gives great apps that can be used to ELL students to better learn vocabulary.  Bringing technology into classroom can be a difficult jump for some teachers and starting to try new apps is a great way for them to get started.  Most often you can get many of the apps for free, so unlike purchasing expensive software, teachers can test things out before they implement them.  

Bringing Education into the 21st Century

The article Nashville High School Has Record Label, in Education Week was a great example of how education is changing.  The article talks about how the Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School built a 1.2 million dollar recording studio for their students to work in.  Especially in Nashville, this would be a great way for students to build practical knowledge about what it is like to work in a recording studio.  They get to work with new technology and programs that give them real world knowledge.  Allowing students to be able to learn things that interest them and get them involved in school helps them build skills necessary in life.  Although most schools would not have the funding to build a studio like this,  working to implement new technologies into schools helps to bring education into the 21st century.

Teacher Appreciation

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!  (Although this should be everyday!) I found a great article that is a good pick me up for teachers, especially since this is the time that teaching can be the most difficult.  Students and teachers are both ready for summer and trying to concentrate can be a challenge!
The article Celebrating Unsung Heros, talks about how important teachers are and how difficult of a job it can be!  As you all know, it pays very little, and can often be thankless and endless hours of work.  Teachers work so hard for their students and it can be easy to forget how important that work is and what a difference they are making!  So take a moment to recognize yourself and know that you are making a difference!

Chapter 1

After reading chapter one in the textbook, I found it to be a great way to really see how far we have come with the implementation of the Internet.  It is hard for me to remember a time when we did not have a computer in our house or accessibility to the Internet.  I have been fortunate enough to be brought up where Internet and computers are something I am very comfortable with.  In today’s world, we are completely surrounded by it.   Most of us carry around a smart phone, which is essentially a hand held computer.  At any moment we have access to endless resources.  This is something that most of us all take for granted.  It was not very long ago when to be able to write a research paper, you had to spend hours researching in the library.  Most of that time was just to simply be able to locate a particular book or article. Now, we can type what we want in a search engine and everything we need pops on our screen. 

For businesses, it had given them endless possibilities to advertise and get their brand out there.  Almost all websites are now covered in ads and things to click on.  It has also made international business completely different.  Instead of flying across the globe, you can open a program that allows you to see each other and have a conference meeting right from your office. 

            In education, teachers can now create blogs, wikis and other virtual classrooms to reach out their students.  The possibilities are endless and it will be great to see how technology and the web changes the classroom in the future!

After reading the article "rethinking Difficult Parents" by Dr. Allen Mendler, I have a lot that I have been thinking about.  When I was in the classroom, one of my biggest struggles was working with parents.  There has definitely been a shift in how parents view their child's behavior and education.  When I was in elementary and middle school, parents most often agreed with the teachers.  They supported their decisions and trusted in their judgements.  When I was teaching and had an issue with a student, most parents turned the blame on me.  It made things so incredibly difficult.  I did not have an ally in the students parents and often felt backed into a corner when issues arose.

This article does a great job of giving teachers a new point of view on how to handle difficult parents.  It can be very easy to get frustrated and give up but if you always keep in mind what is best for the student then it can be easier.  Being able to genuinely acknowledge concern of the parent and appreciate their suggestions but still keeping limits can be great suggestions to help when dealing with a difficult parent.

Overall, it is important to find effective ways to work with parents and now against them.  Parents should be a teacher best ally and even though they may be difficult, they usually have their childs best interests at heart!
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/rethinking-difficult-parents-allen-mendler

Welcome to my blog!  I wanted to give a brief introduction about myself.  I graduated from CMU with a Bachelors degree in Education.  I majored in math and minored in integrated science and middle level education.  I taught middle school math and science for a little over a year until I began working for Apple.  It has been a great experience and I have really loved all the opportunities it had given me.  

This blog will be used throughout the class EDU 653!  I will be blogging about articles, our text book and other resources I will be working with.  

I hope you enjoy!