Student Involvement

Student involvement is key within a classroom setting. If the students do not feel welcome, included or just don't feel like they are needed, they will just sit there and focus on the time going by rather than the material they are supposed to retain within that lesson. Every teacher should do their very best to make sure that every child, no matter what race, religion, ethic background or disability is included. If you have a child who has a hard time working alone, pair them with a student who is excelling in that particular area and have him/her help the hard learner out. If you have a child who is always the leader in group work, pair him/her with someone who doesn't speak out as much and encourage them to switch roles for this particular assignment.

It is very important that students feel included and involved with everything going on within the classroom to ensure that every child is learning and feels welcomed. If a child does not feel included or welcomed, they are more likely to stray behind with the assignments etc.

Hands On Activities

Learning within the classroom needs to be based off all the students and not just the majority. If 75% of the classroom does better by learning visually, what about the other 25% that learn better aurally? Just because the majority of the classroom does better learning visually, doesn't mean that the teacher should take that and teach everything based off of powerpoint slides, hands on activities etc. I think that the teacher, in this case should present both types of learning abilities and allow the students to adapt to the opposite learning style and adjust it from there.

When I was in elementary school throughout middle school, I also retained more information if the teacher used more hands on, group work activities. For this, I was able to take what I learned from the tangible side of it, relate it to something to a day to day basis and retain that specific information. Unfortunately, I was not able to read a passage in an article and be able to tell you what it was about two weeks down the road. Once the test/quiz on that specific information was over, the facts went in one ear and out the other.

Teachers should try and incorporate hands on activities within the classroom as it shows that the students do better on follow ups such as quiz, tests, projects etc.

Keeping the Parents Involved

Having parents involved in their child's education can be a crucial aspect of how they are able to learn and succeed. For some, it can be tricky to have the time to be involved in their child's learning because of work, home life etc.. For others, they are fortunate enough to make sure that they block the time out to be there for their children no matter what. Keeping the parents involved in what is going on inside the classroom can benefit the child more than they will ever know. Looking back when I was in late elementary school throughout middle school, my parents were always involved with what I was doing. For example, when I was learning my multiplication facts, my father would sit down at least three times a week and quiz me with flashcards on them, or if I was learning new words for a spelling test, my mom would sit down and we would do "mini" quizzes until I felt prepared for the real quiz every Friday. In that moment, I always hated my parents doing this to me because I had just spent nearly six hours at school and the second I got home I just wanted to relax, but looking back on it now, I would not nearly be good at spelling or multiplication facts as I am today.

As a teacher, I would send home weekly notes to the parents about what their child will be learning that specific  week. I would have the students bring them home, have the parent read it, sign it, and bring it back so I know that the parent read it and not the student just throwing it away. In this note, I would discuss how I am going to teach the specific material, wether it be a presentation, one on one, group activity etc. There will then be a section for notes for the parents to write questions, comments or concerns on what they think would best benefit their child best learning this material. This can be a great way for the teacher and parent to connect on such a simple level but also to learn more about how the specific student learns based on what their parents see.

Technology History within the Classroom

Technology is vastly growing within today’s schools. When I was in Elementary School, the only technology we had and used was the computer lab where our class would go and learn how to type. Even though it doesn’t sound like much, I am happy that we did this because to this day, I can thankfully say I am a pretty good at typing and it definitely makes it easier to type knowing how to do so.  If we were to use this computer lab for anything else, it would be to look up information for school projects but that is to the extent of this.

In middle school is where we really got introduced into what a computer can be used for, for example, saving documents, creating power-point slide shows, searching the web etc. Along with these features, we also continued on learning how to type and for some, it was still a challenge.

Moving into high school for me, it was a breeze with technology within the classroom. I could consider myself very tech-savvy knowing where everything is on a keyboard, what each buttons do, how to navigate through a computer and online etc.

Kids in today’s society are now able to use so much more than just the computer labs for everyday use. Some classrooms are able to use iPads, laptops, iPhones, iPods as well as just the typical desktop computer. I think that it is very important for teachers to incorporate these tools into the classroom because these children are growing up in the generation where technology such as these is an every day necessity.

Journey Through SNHU and EDU 235

I came to Southern New Hampshire University to get a good quality education. My major here is Elementary Education with a certification in Special Ed. I am really looking forward to be able to do what I love and that is to help children learn and eventually help them grow as individuals. As a sophomore here at SNHU, I have taken a good amount of Education classes where I have been able to actually take what I have learned in the classroom and use it within actual classrooms. I have some experience with children in an environment where I am taking my knowledge and relaying it to them. For example, I work at a YMCA where I live, and there I am a swim instructor and teach kids of all ages how to swim.; two things that I love put into one. This job has opened the doors for me to help me realize what I really want to be when I grow up and that is a teacher. One other thing that this job has helped me become who I am today and who I want to be tomorrow is that I have been introduced to working with children with special needs. Walking into this, I did not thing that it was for me, but after a couple weeks or so, I knew it was what I wanted. Four years later, and I have relationships with children and their families that I never would have had if I did not accept this new experience. That is why I am really looking forward to taking the next steps and becoming a teacher in a different setting.
Taking EDU 235: Learning with Technology is just another step closer for me being able to become a teacher. I think this class will really help myself be more aware of what goes on within the classroom technology based. When I was going through school, we didn't have iPads or laptops that we could use and now, classrooms everywhere have access to that. I think that it is extremely important for children to use these tools because they are growing up in the day and age that they are going to be using them on a day to day basis.
I am really excited to continue on in the Education field and one day, take what I have learned and help children grow into better human beings in the real world.