Home Improvement?

     I hope it hasn't been too long since you asked yourself how you could improve.  Learning how to be better and do better things should be a virtue.  I recommend all teachers to take the Master's of Education program from Indiana Wesleyan University.  In the Master's course I have been challenged to keep up with the digital age.  I have been surprised at the opportunities for learning using technology.  My classroom has shifted because of what I am studying.  My students learn from interactive videos and PowerPoint lessons instead of straight lecture this year.  So I leave you with this question...how can you improve?

Design your own Teacher’s Lounge…

     Have you ever steered clear of the Teacher’s Lounge because the conversations did not interest you?  What if you could design your perfect Teacher’s lounge?  Who would you invite to come in during your break?   This is called your Personal Learning Network (PLN).  

     You could use online social media to build your PLN Teacher’s Lounge.  You could “friend” teachers like you in Facebook, “follow” teachers like you on Twitter, share favorite links on Delicious, and much more.  Think about how you can better prepare your students to be productive citizens in the 21^st century.  Think about the last time you shared a new technology tool with your fellow teachers.  

Now go and design your own Teacher’s Lounge…

What are you afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

     I have gone without internet several times each week at school and even at home.  Even my scientific calculator needed troubleshooting for calculating trigonometric functions by changing the mode to degrees.  Technology can not do everything for me.  For instance our graphing calculators can not multiply and divide polynomials.  I offered my student a choice to download an application or to write a program in order to multiply and divide the polynomials.  He chose to input a program (which we found on the internet).  Of course we ran into a problem...I was able to solve it an hour later.  Things would go much smoother if we did not have all this fancy technology...but I would not choose to go without Skyping my family, a cell phone, a washing machine & dryer, refrigerator, microwave, you name it.

     Next school year we will have a computer lab--I hope it comes with IT support.  We do have a friend who is gearing up to come back to Xi'an as a Media teacher. Yay!

What are you afraid of?

Turn a dream into reality...

Turn a dream into reality...

• What apps do you already do in your classroom? 

With our new textbooks come videos, PowerPoint, digital solutions, and extra practice problems.  Students use Graphing Calculators, not just for graphing, but also for statistics.  

• What do you want to do to be better?

It would be great for students to each have a computer with their eText, graphing calculator, and geometry sketchpad.  But to top it off math video games would be our means of assessment.  

• How can you do it?

We will not need to order text books during the next math curriculum cycle again.  I will be familiar and comfortable with student computers, and eTexts.

Turn a dream into reality...

How can I help you?

"How can I help you?"

      What do your students want?  Do they just want to watch a video when they are in your class?  …listen to a tutor and watch a whiteboard presentation?...or do they want you to "edutain" them?  

     What can you do with your colored whiteboard markers?  Can you make them laugh?...make them understand? …make them curious for more?...make them ask questions? 

     Is your homework the first one they choose to do in study hall?...or do they save the best for last?  

If someone were to ask me "How can I help you?":

• I would've liked to see many complete math curriculum options side-by-side before paying to have one delivered.
• I would like someone to show me all the bells & whistles that go along with my new math curriculum.  
• I would like texts and tests with out typos.  
• I like being able to quickly look up any questions that I can't answer on the internet.
• I would like all educational software to be free online.  
• I would like more technology professional development in order to troubleshoot my lesson plans when things go wrong electronically.

On a scale from 1 to 5 where 5 is best, rate yourself on the following questions:

How well prepared do you feel for 21^st century teaching and learning?

I rate myself a 4 because I am doing a lot with what I have:  videos, powerpoint, graphing calculators, laser pointer, etc.

Do your students leave your classroom equipped for success using 21^st century skills?   

I rate myself a 4 because my students move on to another next academic step by scoring well on the SAT and being accepted to College.

What would you say when asked "How can I help you?"?

What if?

What kind of technology would you use to teach if money was not an issue? 
    (I'm an Upper School Math Teacher at an International School in China with an American curriculum.  If I was to grade myself on National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) it wouldn't be an epic fail...but at most average.  So I do not fear but I dream on.  I picture myself sitting on Santa's lap sharing my wishes...)
1.  Smart board (currently I use a student at my desk to click on my computer for me as I teach moving around the classroom)
2.  White board paint on the walls (When I run out of board space now I must raise my projector screen)
3.  Computerized agenda board (It is such a bummer when the nice straight lines and homework I wrote down get erased by someone's bustling backpack)
4.  Online school management system with gradebook software (I've lost too many tests sending them home with student's to get the parent's signature to confirm grade communication)
5.  Unlimited Internet & Technology support (I am beginning a Master's of Education course in order to help myself and my students in our quest for knowledge)


What about you?  What kind of technology would you use to teach if money was not an issue?