Lessons Learned

Describe 3 "lessons learned" to date by being in a classroom this semester. In particular, discuss what you learned about - or from - your PDS students.
In the few months that I've been at East Dale Elementary I have learned more than I thought I would in an entire year. I've realized what my education teachers have said about teaching is true, and in fact, educating a student is not an easy task at all. I'm stationed in a Kindergarten classroom now and I have learned that classroom management and structure is a must at all times. The students seem to really enjoy learning, but can get off track very easily. It is important, as a teacher, to maintain control and the student's interest to have productive classroom time. Also, these students have taught me how fun and rewarding teaching can be. I honestly had the best time when I was teaching the whole class the letter "M." I was very nervous, but standing in front of the class and having them interact with me was so much fun. When they told me they were having fun and I could see how smart they were and how eager they were to learn, I just knew this was the career for me. Finally another lesson these students taught me, was that no matter how organized you are as a teacher anything can happen and sometimes you just have to go with it. I was in this classroom when there was a fire drill, when there was a gas leak and the students had to be dismissed early, and also when a young girl vomitted on the floor and had to leave early. Each time I noticed that my host teacher had to accomodate what she was doing, but handled the situation in probably the best way possible. I learned that sometimes other things need to be taken care of or are more important and I need to just go with it and accomplish what needs to be done. These are probably the three most important lessons that I have learned so far and can't wait to see what I learn in the future.

Instructional Technology Integration

What is the difference between technology use and technology integration? Technology use in the classroom pertains to an instructor's use of technology during lessons. This technology use can consist of using the computer to teach lessons, using a mimeo board, or any on-line activities that help achieve academic success. From the use of technology, students continue to learn from the teacher's instruction but just have the material presented to them in a different form. Technology integration is different than technology use because it deals with integrating the technology to a greater level with the students and often provides hands-on activities for the children. With technology integration, children also learn through the use of technology but technology is integrated into their every-day activities. Here, children are given the opportunity to work on computers and complete lessons via certain technologies but they also achieve a sense of how technologies work today. Not only are the students learning their lesson, but they are also learning how to maneuver through technologies and expand on their ways of learning.

Action Research Wonderings

How has learning about inquiry and creating a 'wondering' influenced the way in which you think about what you see at your PDS?
Learning about inquiry and thinking about 'wonderings' influences my time at my PDS dramatically. Before this year, I don't think I really understood what inquiry was, but have 'wondered' about things during other volunteer hours. Now that I am aware of inquiry I not only catch myself at my PDS wondering about certain things, but thinking about my wonderings and ways to go about understanding the wonderings. I also think of ways to change the situation so that the wonderings are no longer there or so that I think of new wonderings. I never realized how detailed a person's wonderings can be.
Often when I think of a wondering, I think of how I may have felt as a student sitting in a classroom. But also often times, I think of how my past teachers may have felt and how I feel at the present time. I try to converge these feelings together to accomplish the best strategy for testing my wondering and finding an appropriate result or answer. I have found that being a teacher or being a student can be difficult and the relationship between the two needs to be understanding of one another to help achieve the best teaching strategies.
I think teaching is a complex process and teachers should continue to wonder everyday. Teachers can improve themselves and the learning of their students from wondering and testing their wonderings.