Just a Thought...or Two

I recently attended a College Board AP Workshop for a couple of days and sat in on various sessions. While most were directly tied to AP exams, close reading strategies, and poetry there were a few thoughts I'd like to be sure and "record" on this blog as a way to remember them. The following is not a funny joke, but a way to make a practical point:

--A teacher, lawyer, doctor, and car mechanic all traveled in a time machine to the year 1950. Which one had the easiest time adjusting to their occupation? The teacher, of course. While laws, medicine, and cars have changed drastically over the past sixty years, unfortunately, many teaching practices have not. FYI: this should be a horribly shameful fact to those of us in the teaching profession.

--If a teacher is planning a lesson, and it can be taught or continued with all students absent, then the lesson (and probably the teacher) needs to change!

Both of these points were convicting to me. While most days I try to have student-centered learning, using innovative new methods such as technology, all too often I fall into the trap of lecture, power point slides, note-taking, and the ever-dreaded worksheet. I realize these all have their value, but they should not be a constant. I hope and pray I will not be the teacher who could easily adapt if placed in 1950 or the teacher who could carry on without the students.

Excellent Poem

Glogster

Success! My students loved using Glogster. They turned their "I Am" poems into creative collages, and it's easy for me to grade. Until February 28, 2010, teachers can obtain 200 free student accounts. After February, it goes down to only 100 accounts. This is a great way to see students' creations and grade them without printing. I plan on using it in the library someday to advertise certain books, authors, or PR campaigns.

NING

I should have already mentioned that one way I incorporate technology is using www.ning.com This is a social networking tool. The thing that's great about it is that the creator has total control. I can choose who becomes a member. In my case, I only allow my AP Lit students to join. We use it for weekly discussion threads. This has been great for graded discussion, which is a key part of any AP program. Students who would otherwise stay silent in class, feel more comfortable discussing on the Ning. It's not anonymous, but it isn't as intimidating as face-to-face discussion.

For media specialists, a Ning could be created in order to discuss books. It would be an excellent way to have book talks without having to meet face to face. This may get students involved who wouldn't otherwise participate!

Try this!

There is a great website that my AP students love--quizlet.com. All I do is enter in their vocabulary words, and they can go to this site anytime and study. It creates flashcards, has some review games, and even gives practice quizzes. This could be used in a media center by creating lists of words having to do with research and using search engines. Librarians could teach a unit and then ask students to go to quizlet.com for review. It's a great resource!

Today, I'll be using Glogster for the first time in class. www.edu.glogster.com This is a way to create collages online--the website slogan is "poster yourself." I've used it personally before, but never with students. It's a great way to avoid the mess and chaos of old fashion poster collages. It also means we'll be a little kinder to the environment. Hopefully, things go smoothly. I'll update later today about how the students do. I'm certain I'll see some very creative glogs.

Useful Site

Check out www.teachertube.com for useful educational videos! YouTube is also a great source, but be careful to monitor if allowing students to use it. There can be some "sketchy" material to say the least.

Why blog?

This blog was started in an effort to document some useful tools available for teachers, media specialists, and others involved in education. I am currently a high school English teacher pursuing a masters degree in Instructional Media. Most days, I love my job. I get to be around some amazingly unique individuals, and hopefully teach them something that will help them become successful adults. However, I go home many days feeling frustrated. I believe that all too often I "teach to the test." And I believe that the current educational environment practically forces that upon teachers. This does not mean I blame administrators, NCLB, accountability, assessment, parents, fellow faculty, or students on my teaching deficiencies. The blame lies solely with me. I fail to come up with lessons that do something other than "teach to the test." I am too selfish and too concerned with what my students' benchmarks scores or EOI scores will look like. Yes, that is important, and I in no way take those assessments lightly. HOWEVER, if all I do as a teacher is prep my students for the next benchmark or EOI, then I have failed miserably. When my students leave my classroom (and someday my library) I need to have given them something more than test-taking tools and how to identify tone, metaphors, and similes. I need to prepare them in ways that allow them to become creative, critical thinkers. I need to use the tools that they use on a regular basis. I need to incorporate technology--ipods, cell phones, computers, etc. in a way that isn't just an afterthought. Hopefully, this blog will serve as a way to showcase useful ways of doing just that. And hopefully, I can become an educator that doesn't just "teach to the test."