EDWEB: Recognizing Race In Education
In the past two to three years the subject of race has become more prevalent in the news today. The topic of race is an inescapable topic and something that will always be in the world around us. As early childhood educators, it's our job to make sure that our students are aware of the world around them in a way that makes it easy for them to understand it. As an African American educator, it is my intention that all of my students will feel welcome, knowledgeable, and accepted not only in my classroom but in the real world. So the question remains: How do we have these conversations with our students? How do we let our students generate these conversations between one another?
From this EdWeb Webinar I earned the Following:
The students are a product of their environment. Its up to the teachers to make certain that they are aware of their students cultural background and the challenges that they may face in the outside world.
Change is inevitable, if you want to see a change in your students, they best way to see that it happens is to start with yourself because you are with them consistently.
While it is important to let your students talk about their differences, its also important to let them know of the things that they have in common. Change and acceptance comes when your students know that they are more alike than different.
As a teacher it is my objective to make sure that all of my students feel that their voice is always heard in my classroom. I wish not only my students to feel like my classroom is a safe space but also that I am a safe space for them. In my classroom I will make it apparent that I recognize all of my students for not only who they are in the classroom but also in the outside world.
Education is something that is always changing and will always be progressing. As teachers it can be easy to stay in the same routine that has always worked for years, however we live in a world full of technology that is constantly changing. In order for children to stay attentive in the classroom, the teacher must bring in new, engaging and interactive teaching styles and ideas that stimulate learning.
From this Blog I learned the Following :
According to a study done in 2019, a child's attention span is a minute longer than their age. Therefor, in order for them to stay attentive, the teacher must find new and creative ways to keep their attention that also manages to help them learn
While it might seem easier on the teacher to show a movie at the end of class or uses a movie or a video to teach the children topic, studies show that children from the age of three to ten years old learn better when their teacher is being physically interactive with them
Because children today are born into technology, and most parents use it as a way to keep them calm, too much of it can cause the children to become less dependent on the teacher. However the use of it can enhance the quality of learning in the classroom such as learning games with different features that might help explain the skill in a better way than the teacher can.
As an early childhood educator, one of the things I was worried about was ways to keep my students entertained while teaching. This blog has given me many ideas on how I can effectively teach my children while they have fun.
As educators it's natural to think that everything we do must be perfect. It can be easy to think that we must have everything put together all the time, but in actually educators are humans that are bound to mistakes. It is necessary to make mistakes in order to become the best educator that you can be. As educators we cannot be afraid to take creative risk because without them, we risk our teaching skills becoming dry.
From this Podcast I learned the Following:
If an assignment doesn't work go to your students to figure out why it didn't go as plan. By receiving feedback from your students, you become more approachable and venerable to your students, your students gain a sense of power believing that they are controlling their learning but also still respect their teacher.
The idea of "the status quo" is something that does not need to be trashed in education simply because the world is evolving. The status quo are a set of ideas that are true and effective in education but new ideas come from building off of those, not only teaching by them
Do not be afraid to fail in front of your students. If your students see you fail-someone who is supposed to be a master at the skill-then they will feel more comfortable coming to you when they come to a problem in the lesson
Getting a new teacher every year for some students can be scary. In my career, I understand that all my kids will learn differently, some of them will be more open with me when they need help and others will not be as forthcoming. However if they see me make mistakes, or ask them for their personal opinion of assignments then they will be more willing to talk to me and make them understand that it's okay to fail
EDUTOPIA: How to Build a Culture of Better Professional Learning
In order for a school setting to work properly, it takes all the educators working together. Educators must work together to ensure their own success in the classroom. Constructive criticism is a very important part in making sure that each teacher is a her best ability to not only ensure the success of her students but also the success of their collogues and their students. When teachers are actively working together, it can be the cornerstone for making a strong school.
From this Edutopia I learned the Following:
When a session isn't planned well, participants can easily become disengaged and see the information as irrelevant. It is important to be mindful of the educators time and energy in order to set the stage for productive learning
While it can be useful to have board members and professionals come in and critique teaching methods, the best feedback comes from other teachers who are in the actual classroom daily
Feedback needs to be effective and delivered in way that makes the recipient know that they are still doing some things well. If delivered in a way that seems more hurtful than harmful, the criticism will not be taken into a affect and can cause a hostile work environment
I plan to use the skills that I learned from this Edutopia in my career in the event that a coworker and I get into a disagreement or a faculty meeting where we discuss the different ways that we've been teaching our students, we can give each other ideas on ways to help manage troublesome students so that the classroom is not only healthy for the students but also for the teachers as well.
Social Media in Education: Twitter
In the 21st century technology has become pontent in our everyday life. Social media is a tool that the new generation of teacher have in order to connect with their students and also, other educators. Twitter is a platform that can be used for educators to build ideas off of each other and find creative ideas to make their classroom more innovative.
Twitter is a great tool to get ideas from other educators, stay connected to other educators and learn new teaching ways to keep your teaching form fresh
Twitter can be used to teach media and information literacy including digital skills as well as global citizenship. You can prepare students to be informed, creative, engaged empowered as well as how to express themselves.
Teachers and administrators can use Twitter to share classroom or school news-from homework to projects to back-to-school nights.
In my career I plan to use Twitter as a way to connect with other educators across the globe. I want to use this platform as a ways to make sure that my teaching strategies stay up to date , ask other educators their opinion on lesson plans, and ask them what methods they have used in the past that were successful and possibly implement them into my classroom.
Social Media In Education: Instagram
As of 2021 there are two billion users on Instagram today. Instagram is filled with many different post and ideas that teachers can use to build creativity in their classrooms and the classrooms of their colleagues.
Instagram is filled with many educational and inspirational content. Using a hashtag is a simple and efficient way to spread news amongst your peers and for them to comment on whatever it is that you have shared
Because its such a popular app, it's a great way to showcase your students work to the world. Sharing your students work won't only give them a confidence boost, but it can also give other educators ideas on fun crafts for their students.
Because we are in a world of technology, an educator could create Instagram-themed assignments and activities. Things like assigning an "Instagram photographer of the week" will give the student a small responsibility while they are simultaneously having fun.
I plan to use social media platforms like this to have a closer connections with my students and posting their work will give them confidence. It could also make a closer connection with the parents because they get to see what their children and learning while they are away!