Reflection 12

The End is Near.....


So the end of this class has come. Just a final and we are done with 276. This last week of class my group had the opportunity to go teach the sixth grade class.

We taught them about Innovation and how they can improve anything as long as they are willing to go outside the box and go through the steps. We first had them think of things that they can invent. At first they couldn't think of anything and there was silence in the room. But then we changed the question and asked what is something they know of that could be improved. After they brainstormed things like flavored envelopes and things like that we asked them to think of things in their school and we gave each group a camera and had them go around and take pictures of the things in their school. I thought it would take too long for them to find 3 things to improve. They surprised me and had found things in less than the time we gave them. WE then had them brainstorm how to improve those things. These kids were really impressive and smart. It is amazing how much they know and how much you can see which kids take on which role with just being with them for an hour.

After teaching and spending time with these kids, I have realized that after teaching you grow to appreciate them and want them to succeed. I think that teaching is definitely a trade off career. We don't get paid as much as other degree earning careers but we have the opportunity to teach and inspire everyday. I think after teaching this semester and interacting with different types of people I have found that making less doesn't bother me as much. I feel lucky to be apart of this major and have the opportunity to do something that I love everyday!

Reflection 11

Well this last week we have just been planning for teaching the sixth graders and getting that all ready to go. But I also went over the final exam for this class. WOW!!! There is a lot of stuff on there that I didn't know. But looking over the books I have already read this semester it made me think about how if students are just given books to read then they don't really get as much out of the book unless they are given things to look for. I know in college we must try to get all we can out of things. But now I understand why in High school we were given worksheets that go along with the readings. It helps you recall information at that moment and not have to recall at a later time where it would be longer since reading it. So now experiencing how hard it has been to study for this final I will incorporate things to help my students know the information better. And it is true I could have filled out the final exam as I went along but I guess since it is called the final exam it always feels like it is so far away and it will never come. Another lesson learned.

Reflection 10

Teaching Elementary


This past week we were put into groups to form a lesson plan that we will use to teach a sixth grade class here in Provo. We have to teach something that goes along with one of the standards used by the district for 6th graders. At first I thought it would be easy to decide on something because we all seemed to be agreeing on the same ideas. Then after we talked about one idea for a while and seemed to be on track for picking the particular area to focus on, then the criticism and comments started. It was frustrating because some people didn't think that the idea was easy enough for 6th graders and that they wouldn't want to learn it. We sat and argues for a good hour on what we should do. Finally, Geoff came in and gave us an idea and I think most of us were sick of just sitting there going back and forth that we just took the idea and ran with it. So now we are going to teach about innovation and the steps it takes to fix a problem.

After all this back and forth stuff with wondering if the students will want to learn it or not, I have decided that you can teach anyone anything as long as we make it interesting. When I was younger, I would have never asked to learn anything about math or science because that did not interest me at all but I have teachers who made it interesting for me and so when they were teaching it I wasn't thinking I don't want to learn this. I did because they made it that way. I think that as teachers, not every student is going to want to learn everything we teach but that we have to try to get everyone involved in our lesson. That is a big challenge for teachers and I believe if we put forth effort and learn from our mistakes then we will be able to do that.

Reflection 9

This Week......


So we have been assigned to read the last text book for this class. This book have been hard for me to read for the last week. At first it was hard for me to keep all the researches straight and who did what and who found what. But as I kept reading I really liked how the book emphasized how important the teachers are and not just the school. But the teachers can make a difference.

Another thing that stuck out to me was other factors outside the school and the teacher that can affect the students before they even step into the classroom. Such as family life, social economic status and living environment. As I think about my own childhood, I feel very grateful for the family that I was raised in. For 7 years of my young life I was raised in a single parent home where my mom worked two jobs. But I never felt like we were disadvantaged. I am one of the lucky ones who had a parent who encouraged us to do our best even though her situation was hard at the time. She wanted us to have a better life and pushed us to do so. But I know that many kids who could be in my situation or other ones that could be worse don't have that support from their parents or aren't encouraged to do their best.

As a teacher, I will have to recognize that I need to be able to teach and encourage every student no matter what background they may come from. And understand that everyone is different and so their situation. I learn each week that teaching is so much more than just standing up in front of a class and relaying information. It is helping these kids become better and to help them reach their potential, even those who are disadvantaged and don't have support from home.

Reflection 8

Well this week i have been able to watch others as they Teach their STLs. I find it very interesting and I learn a lot about different ways of teaching and how my teaching style is different of similar to others. One thing that was interesting for me was the difference between people who did not do activities to those who did. I think it is is important to have a formal teaching time where information is given in the traditional way where the teacher talks and the students participate either by answering questions or taking notes. But I also believe it is very important to do some sort of activity to bring the information to life.

Like today when Greg was teaching and talking about the pre manufactured homes. I wasn't that interested at first but when we did the activity it made me excited and the activity had a purpose to show how different materials matter when building certain things and it its more efficient to have all the pieces ready to go. I think this really helped his lesson and help us as his students see the point he was trying to get across.

I think activities have their purpose and their place in a class. It shouldn't be all activities but it also shouldn't be all lecture and note taking. It really can help the students enjoy a class more and remember the information taught.

Reflection 7

STL Teaching 1

From this video you can see that my STL was technology in the field of agriculture. At first I was stumped on what to teach and I had no idea what kind of advancements there were in technology in agriculture. But i figured since I am from Idaho and my uncle is a farmer, I could figure out something. SO..... I did some research and I found one thing that caught my interest. Precision Farming!! Or GPS farming as it is known as. I thought it was interesting how it could control the tractor and tell it at which point would be best for planting and for tilling and so forth. I like the idea of how it being so precise that if makes farming more manageable and there is less room for mistakes and farmers could save money as well.

So my plan was to show the video above to the class and talk for a minute about how this process could help farmers plan out their fields and their crops and then we would do the activity. At first I thought that 20 minutes was way too long!! But as I started planning my lesson I realized I wouldn't have a lot of time to do most of what I wanted. But as I was teaching I felt the first part went pretty well and most of the class seemed to be listening to my lesson and most were answering questions. I still need to work on proximity and calling on people when no one answers at first. But after we all talked about the good points of gps farming, we did the activity I came up with. I had them break up into 3 groups and act out how GPs farming works. In the groups they have 2 satellites and one receiver who gathers all the data and then a tractor who plants the seeds and tills and fertilizes. They had to follow the map they were given and do all that it said. At first the activity was rocky and the instructions I gave weren't as clear as they should have been. I shouldn't have let them break up into groups until after I gave them all the instructions. I think it went pretty well after everything was explained.

Over all I think I did pretty good and that my point was well known why I was teaching what I was teaching. But I do need to learn to explain activities better and realize not everyone knows as much as I do about what I am teaching and I cant just expect them to fill in all the blanks. But that is why we practice right?!

Reflection 6

TSA


The TSA is a test what we have to take in order to get into the Secondary Education program in the Mckay building. I am with Geoff that it is a little insulting to us as Technology majors to have to take a test about technology to get into the program. But we all did it regardless.

One thing I found out about the test is that the time limit is harder than I thought. I figured I would be able to do it in no time but on one of the tests I went over. I think it was because I was taking my time too much on making it look exactly like the example and really they didn't care that much. I think if BYU really wants to say that there teachers are technology literate then they should have their future teachers take more technology classes.
While i was waiting to be graded on the Excel test I was talking to Evan and I said I don't ever use Excel so I have no idea what I was doing. And the girl behind the desk looked at me with glaring eyes and said "You will use it everyday when you are a teacher!" And you know what? I have thought about it and what is so great about us as technology teachers is that we do not limit ourselves to one medium of technology. We keep up with the times and yes we may even step outside from Microsoft office and explore other options that could do the same thing, maybe even better.

That is one thing I would like to do as a teacher. I want to be able to expand to other mediums and know a lot of different kinds of software and programs so if my students have questions or want another way of doing something, then I can be there to help them. That will be one of my goals as a teacher and step outside of what I am teaching and find other ways of doing something and not just the standard way.

Reflection 5

This week in class we talked about Persogeneics. We had to take a test to see what we were like as a person and the way we learn. After taking the test I learned that i am Expressive/ Amiable.

I thought the whole idea was interesting how it could tell us what we are by a few questions. Here is what it means by Expressive.....

The Expressive

Expressive Patterns naturally exhibit high-assertive and high-responsive behaviors. This means they communicate assertively, and are more open in their gestures and expressions than the other patterns. Expressives are very people-oriented. They desire a clear and open show of understanding by both sides in communication, and they use persuasion and exaggerated body movements to promote that understanding.

Expressives are recognized as being energetic, emotional, opinionated, sometimes loud, and always ready to take risks and volunteer. They are also playful and fun-loving, tend to dislike routine, and may at times appear to be unfocused in their work.

I can see why this is my primary pattern and I see myself in a lot of what is says and how I act. Knowing that I am primarily an expressive person I will know how I teach and how it could have an impact on my students.

My secondary style is Amiable. Amiable is defined as having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities. In the break down of my results it also describes amiable as..

The Amiable

Amiable Patterns are naturally low-assertive and high-responsive in their behaviors. This means that they are not forceful in their communication, but they do outwardly show concern and understanding for others. Amiables are people-oriented and team-oriented. They are concerned with the happiness and satisfaction of all.

Amiables are peacemakers by nature. They are diplomatic, cooperative, patient, and strive to avoid conflict if at all possible. Amiables are slower paced when they move and in the gestures that they make and are softer-spoken and more moderately paced in their speech than most of the other patterns. Amiables are tentative and cautious in decision making, less apt to take risks than most of the other styles, and may at times appear non-committal and conforming.

In this it says that I am ambious and want to succeed in all I do but that I am also aware of the needs of those around me and that I will go out of my way to make sure those needs are met. I find it interesting that my primary and secondary patterns are somewhat opposite but I blend the two. I find it interesting how this could affect my teaching and that to some students I might come off too strong and that I will expect too much out of everyone and that I need to understand that everyone has individual needs and that everyone is at their own level. I found it to be appropriate that it says that I am comfortable telling people what I think because of my high assertiveness but that may not always be the way to be the best teacher. 

From doing this test and talking about the results I have learned that everyone has their own pattern or style of who they are and what is more effective for them and how they might learn on an individual basis. As a teacher it is up to me to learn the different patterns and learn the ways to teach to each different style of person.

Reflection 4

So this past week I finished up the Gong book we were to read in class. I found some very interesting things in that book that provoked more thought from me and had me see teaching and learning on a new level. I feel that the Gong book doesn't just instruct you on how to teach but also on how to be an effective learner as well.

Exponential growth of knowledge comes from two essential abilities: understanding and remembering.

I felt this quote from chapter three sums up a lot about what the book is trying to enforce. We as teachers need to encourage exponential growth but also practice it ourselves. Especially as technology teachers we need to be up on all the new technology and the ever-changing aspects of it. We can't let our thirst for knowledge stop just because we have completed our degrees.


In the last chapter of the book it talks about the L/T squared and how to take the learner/ teacher role to the next level and to apply it not only in teaching students in a formal classroom but also to everyone you may meet. The roles they describe are:

1. Love
2. Action

The reason I put a picture of Christ on the top of this Reflection was that while reading the last chapter of the book my thoughts turned to Christ. I have always seen him as an inspiration in my spiritual life as someone I want to model myself after but I never really thought about connecting him to my professional career. But in all the examples they gave the ones that made the most sense to me where the ones from the New Testament.

When they describe love they say that it is infinite and we must learn to be able to always love and to be loved. If we love what and who we teach it will be easier to help them grow and become better people and to listen to that which we teach. I couldn't think of a better example of love than Christ. If as a teacher I can learn to love the subject I am teaching and the students that I have then I know I can make a difference and isn't that what all teachers want to do??

Action is defined as an effect or influence. In the chapter it explains how a teacher was trying to teacher her students about technical writing and that she would explain it and see one student understand and then she would have him explain it to the class and then she would see more people understand and then she would have them explain it and so on until the whole class understood. I found this is something we do in the church too. Not everyone can sit down with the prophet personally and learn everything about the gospel from him but we have people who understand and teach others and ultimately we all learn together and grow from our teaching experiences. As teachers we will learn from our students like they will learn from us we just need to be willing to put into Action the techniques that we know are effective and we will be able to influence those whom we teach and will be influenced as well.

Teach something 2

This week for teaching we were asked to teach for 12 minutes about something with technology. I figured that since I work for BYU Broadcasting I work everyday with video editing and tv replays so i felt like it was something i could teach effectively. But i was really nervous about doing it for 12 minutes because I felt like I didnt have enough information to cover and that I would just have to make things up.

My teaching plan!

This is an EVS. Its a tapeless recording device that makes in easy to do replays!

I talked about the different types of replays and how things will happen during a game and the role of an evs operator compared to that of a producer or director. I then showed video clips and explained to my group what to look for and see at which point the operator wil slow the play down and everything. I also had an activity planned for my group to use Imovie to get a feel of editing and telling a story of a whole game in only about 40 seconds. I didn't have enough time for them to do the activity though.

Always room for improvement....

So I felt that my teaching went well and I didn't feel like I had to stretch anything to make my information last the whole time. Although now i know that I need to budget my time more and to practice how long each thing takes including the videos i showed. If i would have split up my time into better parts I would have had time for the activity which would have helped my students understand more of what I was trying to get across about editing and highlight reels. 

I also need to learn to get away from presenting my information and teaching it. In all the time leading up to this class i have been trained to give presentations and that is just an instinct that I have right now and I need to overcome that presentation mode and step out and get those who I am teaching more involved.

Reflection 3

"Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three." --Confucius 

              So i read this qoute on someone's facebook this week. I know it seems like people put up quotes all the time and you just get sick of reading them but this one made me think about what I had been learning about this last week and about some of the things i have realized while teaching for the class as well.

            So last week we talked about the moral dimensions of teaching. They are........

-Providing access to knowledge for all children and youth

-Enculturating the young in a social and political democracy

-Ensuring responsible stewardship of schools

-Practicing a nurturing pedagog

*Or PEEP as Geoff says

                      I never realized how many moral codes there are to teaching and sometimes it seems as thought teachers are walking on egg shells in order to not offend anyone for his or her own beliefs. I think also after learning and studying all of these moral dimensions it makes me think back to my own education experience and I can pick out the teachers who cared about these and the ones who didnt really care as long as they were paid. I think it makes a big difference on your teaching style by how you act and carry yourself. I don't think you have to follow these word for word in order to be a teach who has a good set of morals but you should carry yourself in a certain way and ask yourself would i want to learn and listen to me if i was the student?
    
                
My HMMMM moment......


 When i was younger i used to wonder how they taught teachers how to teach. I thought that in college if you become a teacher your professors would stand up there and say ok so when the class comes in you will great them and tell them to open up their text books to chapter 5 and have them do this assignment just like this. I thought that it would all be laid out for them and they would just follow the instructions on how to teach.But now as I have matured I have found that there is not a lot of instruction for the basic things that classes do everyday but that you learn the concepts of how to be a teacher and you fill in the rest for yourself. You are given the information that is needed to be a teacher it is what you do with it that determines whether or not you will be an effective teacher.

            

                In class we discussed  exponential growth and learning. In class Geoff asked us if we remember a lot from our American Heritage class or any of the generals and i raised my hand and i said it didn't apply to me so i didn't really take an interest in what was being taught and i would just memorize things for the test and didn't take anything away from that class. Now as i look back on that and other classes and things I have learned I could have walked away with much more knowledge and appreciation if i would have found something in every class I took and learned to apply it to me and take something away from that. It is our responsibility as learners to take the next step in the learning process and incorporate those things that we are being taught and remember them, not just for a test but for everyday life. Yes Geoff, I understand that i was naive and now i know my responsibility and that is something i will remember as a teacher as well.
                  

Teach Something 1

I taught how to putt a golf ball. I started out by asking everyone who has played either mini golf or gone out to play golf. I then had a powerpoint slide that listed the things i was going to talk about 1. Stance 2. Grip 3.Routine 4. Confidence. I then had everyone stand up and do what i was doing as i was explaining each step of putting. After that i asked them questions and they answered them.
I thought it went pretty well although i felt like i could have explained things a little better and i could have showed some examples of different forms. But overall i was happy with what I taught and i felt like most people felt involved and learned something.

Reflection 2

This last week in class there are many things that have been brought to my mind that have really made me think about teaching and how I want to teach and the certain things I want to implement into my classroom.

In the Wong book, I found that there were many little things that a teacher can do that can make a huge difference for the effectiveness of their teaching. For any job the way you dress can tell a lot about you and people will either respect you or not for how you carry yourself. I remember how my teachers dressed and carried themselves. The ones whose clothes were not ironed and they never got up from their desk were the teachers who had little effect on me. I think it is important to me that I will show to my students that I want to be there to teach and to learn with them and I will do that by preparing myself not only with my lesson plans but with how I dress and act and greet them.

Also this week I really enjoyed talking about the different categories of teaching. One that really made me interested to incorporate into my own way of teaching is the non-linear or self-paced learning. I think this way of letting the students learn on their own time at their own pace will help them want to learn it more and they will learn to love whatever it is they are learning. I believe this way proposes a more challenging way to teach but a more rewarding one as well.

Reflection 1/ Teaching Philosophy

This week while reading, The First Days of School, I realized a lot of things from my own educational experience as a student and also about the kind of educator I would like to be.

In the reading it described how critical the first day of school is to the student and the teacher. Excitement is running high for both and a chance for a fresh start is about to begin. It is important for the teacher to establish for his or her students what kind of classroom they will have throughout the year. I never really thought about how important that first day is. As a student I was most excited to meet my new teachers and find my classes and see who was in my classes. But now as I think more about it I find that as a student I made a quick judgment that first day as to whether or not I would like my teacher. It is an important time to build that respect with your students, respect that will be kept all semester or year if it is earned.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that as an educator I must help each student find their potential and give them the tools they need to seek out and learn all that they can. I think that as a teacher I have a responsibility to prepare myself the best I can in order to help and inspire those that I teach and come in contact with on a daily basis. I feel that being able to teach someone requires dedication, time, and patience. Some say, “those who cannot do, teach.” But I feel it is more like those who chose not to do, teach and inspire. I feel that teaching is a privilege that should not be taken lightly.

I want to focus my teaching courses on multimedia arts such as film and photography. When I was younger it was hard for me to want to learn math and science. I never felt inspired by fractions or how water is evaporated. I always was interested in the arts and how one can be taken to a new place by never having to eave their seat. I want to teach students how to bring new things to life and find their own creativity. I don’t want to just teach about film and photography and how it all works. I want to demonstrate how important these different types of art are and how to appreciate them and other forms of art in the world.

Some may say that film classes and other multimedia classes may be a waste of a student’s time, but I know that when I was in high school those elective classes were the ones that got me through the day. They gave me something to look forward to. I want to have a class that students want to come to learn and feel comfortable in my class. To do this I believe preparation is key. A class with structure and purpose help the students feel comfortable and have confidence in their instructor and know they can come to them for help.

Another important aspect of teaching is to understand and know your students. The teachers that I have respected the most were the ones who took the time to get to know me and treat me like a person and not just another student. As a teacher I will go out of my way to talk with each of my students. I will learn of their background and home life so I might better know their strengths and weaknesses to help them achieve and accomplish that in which they desire.

I believe that a good way to help each student to be an individual is to make the classroom a place for participation from each student. My class will not be one of one-way communication. Each student will participate in his or her own way. Whether it be answering questions aloud or reading from text or even just sharing something about himself or herself to the class. This not only improves the students’ confidence but also facilitates each student to get to know their classmates. When each student knows each other then the classroom becomes a much more comfortable place open to learning.

All of these ways that I have shared that are important to me as a teacher are what I have discovered through my own educational experience and how I have seen what is effective to help others learn. The last key to teaching that I think is most important is quality. My teaching needs to be of high quality in order to reach out to my students. I will do this by setting realistic goals knowing the capabilities of myself and of my students.