From+My+Heart

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=== It is hard to believe that 16 weeks have slipped away from me. I began this class uncertain of what to expect. I thought it would be random assignments using different tools from the Internet. I quickly realized that the assignments wouldn’t be random at all. There was a flow that helped drown out my doubt. I was challenged to create my own wiki page and create lesson plans based on different tools that are available to us in the 21st century. I learned that I am the kind of person that wants to put all of me into what I am doing. I get frustrated when I feel that things aren’t “perfect” or if I feel as though it isn’t creative or unique. This can become an exasperating quality, but one that can also be rewarding. I like to come up with new ideas and find ways to express myself creatively. I think this will play into how I function when I am a teacher. I also learned that it isn’t always easy to come up with lesson plans and that sometimes you have to look for ways to tie one unit into a different subject. You have to be flexible enough to differentiate instruction for other students and I believe that I am quickly learning how to accommodate for this. Being a teacher is a ton of work and a ton of planning! === === I am proud of the work I created. I stretched myself and did things I had never done before. I am mostly just proud of myself for hanging in there, getting everything done, but at the same time doing it well. I am proud to say that I discovered so much more than I thought I would in this class. And for someone who hates the sound of her own voice, recording myself made me nervous, but by the last recording I only had to do one take! The next time that I write a unit and incorporate technology I will better plan how I want everything to piece together. I will look at the technology available to me first and then decide what part of the unit I want to use that piece of technology in! === === Technology is something that I feel as though I go back and forth with. I think it is so wonderful and useful, but there are times it makes me want to scream. Like any college student who has been mid-paper and had the computer shutdown on them, I can attest to the aggravations of technology. At times is makes me nervous, and I do worry about students who while not have the same available access to computers or technology at home. I don’t want students to feel as though this makes them any less capable. As a future teacher I will make sure that there is time to do technology projects in class and that everyone has a fair advantage and chance. I will also make sure that I explain technology well and guide them through it while they also experience independent learning. I want students to understand my direction and goals, but I want them to feel as though they can be creative and explore concepts freely. As a teacher I want to known my students as individuals. I want them to feel comfortable to be who they are, to be honest with me, and to share in their joys and struggles. This can be an overwhelming thing to think about as you have many students and wouldn’t want any to feel that they are any less special than another. I will be sure to take the time to get to know my students, to observe them, and to carefully reflect on their work. This way I can help each of them in certain areas and help mirror their greatest qualities. I will make sure that I do this with each student and not ever leave a student out. I will do my best to meet every student where they are at, bring out their strengths, and help them through their stresses. I believe that as a teacher, when you face obstacles, that it is important to have a support system and use them to help you and your class; plus everyone needs someone they can turn to that will laugh and cry with them. === === Technology is intriguing because it always changing. It is consistently growing and there is always something new. I am excited to see all of the new things that unfold in terms of technology. It has been wonderful to see how technology can be beneficial for all different types of learners and that it has provided an advantage. Technology can be a great assistant and I will continue to do my research about what will be available for myself and for my students. As a teacher I am intrigued by the ever-changing foundation of education. It can be terrifying thinking about what happens in terms of cuts to education and the mess that it often finds itself in. But what is amazing is the need for education anyhow. Education is critical and beautiful. Although it takes its hits and I am not always supportive of the changes that are made or the things that are pulled from schools, I believe that teachers can still make a difference. I think that you can adapt to your situations and still be a successful teacher, I have met these teachers, and I can only hope to be as wonderful as them. === === I will be a 21st century teacher. I hope to see this manifest in my classroom through my use of multiple resources. There will be indicators in classrooms that reflect what century they are teaching in. In my classroom I desire that it will be seen in the use of available technology, the ability to differentiate instruction, and the use of multiple foundations of learning. Students will have the opportunity to experience things first hand and the ability to learn and create as an individual. Understanding that each child learns in a different manner and meeting these needs will increase the chances of success in the classroom. So many teachers go into education saying, “I want to make a difference in every child’s life”. That is a wonderful dream and one that I am drawn to also, but my true ambition is that I make sure each child feels loved. I want to be a source of encouragement and support for kids. I want them to understand that they are loved, cared for, and have the potential to accomplish great things. I hope that by modeling love that in turn they will model the same in their lives. I want to make a difference as a teacher and in turn I know that teaching will change my life. ===