Presentations

All the presentations on pedagogical approaches were helpful. I think the best part is when we can all discuss with eachother our thoughts and opinions. I like brainstorming how we might use them in our classrooms. We may not realize what specific approach we are using, and it may be more than one. I think that direct instruction really is my primary way of teaching. When implementing my lesson for the unit it was a change for me. I felt that one of the most important approaches used was engaged learning. All the students did a nice job of providing feedback and helping one another out. All the students have their strengths and they really used them at the appropriate times. Not only was it up to me to do the teaching, but it was important for the students to help out.
I really learned a lot from all the people in this class, and I think it is important for our students to learn from eachother. Many times it is not the teacher who does all the teaching, it is our peers who we end up learning a lot from.

Pedagogical Approaches

With all of the different types of pedagogical approaches we have learned about in this class, it is hard to pinpoint what may always works the best. I think as teachers are educating students each day, planning lessons to follow the curriculum and considering the integration of technology, it becomes very difficult to try and specify a specific pedagogical approach that is being taught. I, myself, feel that many of the pedagogical approaches can be overlapped, and considering them in the development of each lesson is not practical. However, I do feel it is important to be aware of what types of teaching methods teachers are using, and what the important aspects are. The reflection piece becomes a very critical component in effective teaching. I would have to say that many teachers really do not take the time to sit and reflect upon each lesson taught. I know that hold true to my own self. With all the commotion of the daily grind, reflection can easily be put at the bottom of the list, although it can be so crucial in our teaching.

Overall, I think it is important to understand pedagogical approaches and consider what type of teaching we are implementing in the classroom. I think being aware of our “teaching style” is an important part of educating our students. Each year we gain more confidence and ideas that carry over. One year we might find that we had more of a constructivist approach and the next year problem based learning was something we practiced a lot more.

Learners with Special Needs

I think it is very important for educators to realize the assistive technologies that are available. It is very rare for any teacher to have a “regular education” classroom. I would bet that at least one of those students will have an IEP. It is important to be aware of differentiated instruction and what that means. Teachers need to know how to do it and what it entails.

I believe that Universities are doing a much better job of preparing educators for teaching all types of students. As I entered Illinois State University, I came in wanting to be an elementary education teacher. Within that program it was required for all education majors to take intro to disabilities. That class is what intrigued me to special education and was the reason for my major change. It really opened up my eyes to other areas within special education.

Teachers need to be much more up to date on new technologies, but they also need to know how to adapt them for special needs learners. Knowing what assistive technologies are being used is not only helpful for those learners with IEP’s, but also for students who happen to be getting by without the “label.” As educators it is really important to be able to adapt our lessons for all types of learners and keep that in mind as we teach all of our classes. Even if we may not have all the learners we were required to discuss in our plan for meeting special needs, it is always a good idea to keep in mind what would we do and how would/could we do it.

Being Passionate about Teaching

I enjoyed watching the tech buzz presentations. It was nice to get information on topics that I knew very little about. After they were finished it got me thinking about how it is so important to be passionate about something and how that can truly affect ones teaching style. When we are passionate about what we do, I truly believe that students are more likely to get excited about learning, even thought it may not be a topic or content area they enjoy. I have no desire to play World of Warcraft or have I thought about how to incorporate that type of gaming into education. However, seeing Christine’s passion and excitement really caught my attention and I learned a lot more than I thought I would. It shows that there are so many avenues available for educating our students and we need to continue to keep our eyes and minds open. As educators, even though we may not like some of the content area we are teaching, it is important to “pretend or act” in a way that leads our students to believe what is being taught is significant(because of course it is…). We want to impact each student and provide those meaningful experiences. How many times have you heard a student say “why do we need to know this?” When we can have them think outside the box and show ways that this information is important to their lives, I feel they will be much more likely to pay attention. I know for myself this holds true. In the special education realm I have questioned why certain aspects are taught when I feel the focus should be elsewhere. However, I have had colleagues clarify and point out things I did not think of and I completely get it!

TED Video

Just recently I went to Ted. com to check it out and among the few videos that caught my eye, Johnny Lee's demo (http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/johnny_lee_demos_wii_remote_hacks.html) on how to turn a $40 video game controller into a digital whiteboard, a touchscreen and a head mounted 3-D viewer really intrigued me. I felt that with the number of brilliant minds in the world today, the possibilities for development are endless. Smartboards and Promethean boards are something that I am personally seeing brought into the schools more often. However, I am noticing that they are only used as demos in the library and/or computer lab. The reason for this is because of the large expenses each school/ school district would incur. If research and our own observations are showing that these tools are significantly benefitting students, then how great would it be to take Johnny Lee's video and have this technology implemented in school districts? Although, the Wii remote is inexpensive for technology improvement, does it end up costing more money in the professional development and personnel areas?

I feel that this video, along with some of his other demonstrations really got me thinking. I immediately wanted to share all of these ideas with other colleagues. It made me wonder what other types of “low cost” technologies we could integrate into the classroom. The Nintendo Wii has been something that I have seen in some schools for reinforcement for students with/without disabilities. It led me to think, is this really the way to get through to our 21st century learners by adapting what they know/like to teach them the core curriculum? The answer to me is both yes and no. We need to have that balance of keeping our students up to date, but also, making sure that they can function and have the basic skills to find information if the technology is not functioning the way it should. Trying to teach the basics often leaves our students unmotivated.

Meaningful Learning

Once again, I liked the part of class where we could all shout out our ideas and opinions on what we thought the words meaning and learning really meant. Then, it was interesting to see how we took a combination of both to come up with a definition of meaningful learning that we could all agree on. It really got me thinking about my own teaching and how to go about the benchmark project. Is everything we teach or do in the classroom meaningful? Is it even possible to accomplish that? For my benchmark project, when I am thinking of integrating the technology of using a digital camera to further understand mathematical concepts, will each student’s self be changed permanently? To me that is a very powerful statement and the thought of meaningful learning really depends on the individual. I want students to learn to understand that there are a number of ways to accomplish one task/goal. If they are able to take pictures or use a digital camera that makes sense to them and also learn about using money, how much things cost, etc., I feel that I, as a teacher, have done my job. It has then become a meaningful experience .
If we as educators strive to make our lessons/ time with our students meaningful experiences, whether the goal is curriculum based or not, I feel we will continue to touch our students in ways that their sense of self is changed permanently, and they are changes that matter.

Curriculum

I think it has been interesting how we have taken a word such as curriculum, integration, etc., and have gone into such depth to understand what it really means. To be able to reflect on the meaning of curriculum for as long as we did is fascinating. I think it really made sense to look at the how as the management of the classroom/instruction and the what as more of the content area. We all had our views and opinions on what the word really means, but could all come to a decision as to what made the most sense. My favorite part of class is being able to openly discuss views and what is happening with education nationally as well as internationally. I learn a lot during these discussions. For example, the importance of curriculum based on the schools location and the Illinois standards. It definitely plays a part, and it is important to understand where our students "come from". As teachers, we are going to have transfer students from different areas of Illinois, different states, and even different countries.
Also, I think it was right to say that curriculum really does have a major bearing on educator's biases. Our views and opinions really do make a difference on what/how we teach. I think curriculum is just a part of education and sometimes all the other things that are taught, have a much larger impact.