Blog Post 1:
When I was in Highschool my favorite subject was always history but I never wanted to teach it until I got to college. Looking back on my time in high school I remember having both good and bad experiences while learning history. Though the good outweighs the bad for the most part. My earliest memory, which I feel has had an impact on my teaching strategy, was just how interactive he made the class. Instead of just sitting at desks and ‘pouring’ information into our heads he allowed it to be both instructional and interactive, which made the class very enjoyable. I distinctly remember when we were covering World War I, he gave us the content for the day then he had us set up the desks into trench-like rows and had us simulate trench warfare in the classroom. To some, this may seem childish and unnecessary, but I think it was a good way to make history fun and interactive, which I personally feel is lacking in most history classes. Furthermore, it can be a good change of pace for teachers to use to make the class more interesting and enjoyable for the students they are teaching. One contrasting experience I had was in my junior year when the history teacher just sat at her desk and read off the slides and made the students do work straight out of the textbook. To me, this made history very boring and played into the complaints that a lot of students often have about their history classes in schools. I want to avoid this as much as possible because the students aren’t really learning anything if they aren’t involved in the lesson. Although instruction of the content is important it should be done in a way that gets the students involved and helps them to generate their own thoughts and opinions on certain topics. My goal is to have a more discussion-oriented style of classroom where I can instruct the students and allow them to give their thoughts and opinions through open discussions on what they think of the topic. I think it’s important during the instruction time to make sure it doesn’t last a long time because the students could completely zone out and it allows you to have time to conduct activities such as WebQuest or other interactive class activities. All in all, my prior experiences in learning I feel have better prepared me for the type of teacher I want to be.
Blog Post #2
I think the use of a flipped classroom activity would work great in a high school classroom setting. Particularly in a history classroom, this activity would allow the students to learn at their own pace and apply their knowledge on certain topics to complete this activity. This activity also promotes the use of collaborative learning activities which could increase student engagement, enhance student understanding, and promote collective intelligence. For a history classroom, this allows the student to be actively involved instead of the teacher just reading off slides and expecting the students to fully grasp the content. I would use this type of activity to hold discussions or debates about certain events in history. For example, when discussing a controversial topic in history it would be beneficial for students to be able to hold a discussion or debate whether or not the actions of the historical figure were justifiable or not. This would allow students to generate their own thoughts on subjects which in turn can help promote their understanding of the content being given to them. When doing classwork, they can ask me about their progress, and I will be able to give them active feedback on their work or answer any questions they may have at that time. I feel a flipped classroom activity would work great in my classroom because I want to have discussions with the students about certain topics. Also, if I have to teach a civics class, I would like to do a mock election where the students will be able to mimic the process a presidential candidate goes through when trying to get elected. An important part of the process is a debate which would work perfectly with the flipped classroom activity that allows students to be able to debate certain topics. Furthermore, when students are completing classwork, it may benefit them to split up into small groups which is something I would like to do in my classroom. This allows the students to work collectively with their peers to complete a task based on the topic of the instruction that day. This also allows me to gather the class back together and allow them to share their work with each other. An example of this could be a mini research assignment where the students will split up into groups and research different landmark Supreme Court cases and compare them to each other. All in all, a flipped classroom activity would greatly benefit a history classroom because it allows the instruction and activities to be more interactive for the students to better understand the content.
Blog Post #3
One tool I think would greatly benefit my classroom would be the creation of a classroom website. A classroom website allows me to post updates regarding several things. It would allow me to keep my students updated on assignments, news, schedule changes, or other important things that may be happening within the classroom. It can also be a great way of showing off my classroom by posting pictures of the students’ work or even just a picture of how my class is set up. I could also post videos of open discussions I have with my students about certain topics in history to give an example to future teachers of how it would look. Additionally, a class website could be a useful tool by showing me which students have turned in what assignments which can help keep my grade book fully up to date. A class website would also allow me to have better contact with parents as they will have the ability to schedule a meeting with me on the website for either an in-person meeting or a phone meeting about their child’s progress. It would also benefit the parents because they would be able to keep up to date with their child’s work if they prefer to know what their child will be doing in class that week. Furthermore, it allows me to send announcements to both the parents and the students on important dates so they can keep better track of when their work is due or when they have an important test or exam coming up. I would set up my class website through Google Classroom because it connects with all the other google applications the students will be using in my class. Also, I have been in classes in the past where the teachers used Google Classroom and it was very simple and easy to use which is why I think it can be a useful tool in my classroom. Google Classroom also allows me to post prior lessons so if a student misses a day or needs a refresher on the topic, they can get it by going to the website. It also helps transition the class to use as little paper as possible which is beneficial for the next generation of students who do all of their learning with different forms of technology. All in all, a classroom website will greatly improve the overall quality of education students will be receiving in class.
Blog Post #4
A big topic of debate for education is the use of technology in the classroom. A major component of that technology happens to be the use of Google applications such as Googe Docs, Slides, Classroom, Forms, etc. Google has done an excellent job over the last decade to help completely change the classroom to better fit and excel the students learning in the classroom. It makes sense for the teachers to utilize these tools because many of the students are already using the tools at home. According to research done by Chief Data Scientist and Head of Content Imed Bouchrika, Ph.D., he states in findings, “At home, they learn to use smartphones, tablets or even computers at an early age. Indeed, Generation Z and Generation alpha do not know what it is like to live in a world without the internet and smart devices.” This statement explains the benefit of including technology in the classroom specifically google applications which the students are already learning how to use at home. At the time his research was published approximately 63% of schools K-12 use technology daily in the classroom. To me, this shows the importance of google being included in the classroom. Also, the use of google in the classroom helps make the learning more interactive which greatly helps when learning about subjects such as reading and history. Many google apps have been specially designed to incorporate an educational aspect to them which makes it easier for the teacher to use in the classroom. Additionally, the cross-saving feature between all the google applications allows for lessons to be created and used more effectively for educators. A great example of this is the Google Classroom app which allows educators to make their own class websites where they can post assignments, notes, updates, or other types of material for easy access by both students and their parents. The most recent developments for technology in the classroom are the inclusion of AR/VR which can transport the student to a specific area or even to a specific time period. This allows students to have a more hands-on experience and fully take control of their own learning. As someone who wants to teach history, I think technology can enhance the learning experience my students will be receiving and it can make a subject such as history more enjoyable and interactive for the students. All in all, I think Google in the classroom is great because it makes the overall educational experience for students easier, more interactable, and more enjoyable.