For every class we enter there is always expectations and hesitations about what we are going to learn and how we go about it. I was actually kind of confident coming into this class because I feel like I knew a lot about computer programs and how to use them. After a semester of this class I can say that I really did not know much but now am fully equipped with so much more knowledge that i can personally use and share with others. There was a lot that I took from the class but there were three that stood out to me.
One of the things I took out of it was about becoming a teaching professional. Hearing the feedback after our first demo really just stood out to me and gave me confidence as well as advice to become better. It gave me such a confidence to hear that I have what it takes to be a teacher and that others can see it by my actions and not just my words. I know that in the future I am not going to always feedback and advice but if I get it know it can help me in the future. It also helps me realize that giving the same feedback to my students could be beneficial to them.
Another thing I took from the class was learning strategies. The first blogged we talked about the 4 we use and why we use them. Once we figured that out being asked to find some new ones was an interesting idea. I found 4 that i thought would work and that I have not really used or even heard of for the most part. While I was reflecting on using them i realized that I use so many more learning strategies then I thought. To be aware of other strategies though is really beneficial. By knowing so many i can apply the one that best fits to the situation at hand. The idea of learning strategy will also be something that I carry into teaching. Not all of my students will have the same learning strategy so being able to use many will be a positive note for my classroom. I think that I would actually use the idea of having my students reflect on their own learning strategies so they can realize what works best from them.
The last thing I took from the class that stood out was breaking the comfort of computer programs. Sometimes in life we get so stuck in a comfort zone that satisfies all our needs that we have no desire to step out and learn something new. Using the access program really has shown me why its important to use other programs than the normal ones. I am comfortable with excel and all of the functions of it but using access i see that I can do so much more but I have to put in the time and effort it takes to learn something new and apply it. I really didn't want to learn a new program but after doing all the teaching demos, assessments and just reflection i learned that it was very beneficial to step out.
I overall did grow throughout this course. I took steps at becoming a better teacher and a better student all in one semester. I'm so excited to move on with the information I learned in this course and apply it to my future as well as helping others apply it to theirs!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Module 7 Reflection
During this module I was suppose to use two more learning strategies that I have not in the past but that may help me in the future. The first strategy was survey and the second was fishbowl.In survey you basically want to either in written form or verbally ask questions of others to gain more insight on a topic.
For survey I actually used it but more in a verbal form. I used the idea of surveys in our teaching demos. Before starting we chose to ask questions of the others in the room to see what they thought was and such. By having many share what they thought more ideas were put on the table which in return helped understand what we were teaching on more. I like the idea of using this learning strategy but at the same time I think that I would lean more to using it in a verbal way. If it was a paper survey it would take longer, and the results would have to be collected and it may be harder to get others to participate. I like the idea of using it in the classroom though because even though one student may understand by what I am saying doesn't mean all of them will. By having a survey method of different people in class it gives the opportunity for everyone to understand. I just think to use them better to continue to use them and not shy away. Sometimes I think that a teacher is suppose to teach everything but that is not the truth. The students have valuable knowledge that will help others and using surveys could help.
The second strategy I used was fishbowl. Fishbowl is where others share ideas and talk but while they are talking others are there to listen and not say anything. I used this in a couple of my classes. One of them was my biology class. Our group or the "fishbowl" was giving information on a product that we created. Others that were in the audience just had to listen to the ideas and explanations but not have a response. Eventually we got to present things and then others got to respond at their own will. I REALLY like this strategy. I like the idea of having a group of "experts" that present information and that others have to listen without interrupting. I really think that I will be using this in my own classroom just because I think it is very beneficial. Next time to make it better it might be easier to have smaller groups. When there is so many asking the "fishbowl" it can get a little overwhelming.
For survey I actually used it but more in a verbal form. I used the idea of surveys in our teaching demos. Before starting we chose to ask questions of the others in the room to see what they thought was and such. By having many share what they thought more ideas were put on the table which in return helped understand what we were teaching on more. I like the idea of using this learning strategy but at the same time I think that I would lean more to using it in a verbal way. If it was a paper survey it would take longer, and the results would have to be collected and it may be harder to get others to participate. I like the idea of using it in the classroom though because even though one student may understand by what I am saying doesn't mean all of them will. By having a survey method of different people in class it gives the opportunity for everyone to understand. I just think to use them better to continue to use them and not shy away. Sometimes I think that a teacher is suppose to teach everything but that is not the truth. The students have valuable knowledge that will help others and using surveys could help.
The second strategy I used was fishbowl. Fishbowl is where others share ideas and talk but while they are talking others are there to listen and not say anything. I used this in a couple of my classes. One of them was my biology class. Our group or the "fishbowl" was giving information on a product that we created. Others that were in the audience just had to listen to the ideas and explanations but not have a response. Eventually we got to present things and then others got to respond at their own will. I REALLY like this strategy. I like the idea of having a group of "experts" that present information and that others have to listen without interrupting. I really think that I will be using this in my own classroom just because I think it is very beneficial. Next time to make it better it might be easier to have smaller groups. When there is so many asking the "fishbowl" it can get a little overwhelming.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Access Demo
Today I learned about creating relationships in Microsoft access. I learned that relationships can help link tables so that data is all available to be seen easily instead of looking through many tables. It also makes sure that any information that is duplicate is not shown which prevent confusion. Its a great asset to the database tools that I could use in the future.
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