Learning and Fiction

I recently read a history book that was fiction, however it was based on historical facts.  This book was about a teenage boy who grew up during the New Youth Movement in China.  This novel relied on historical evidence to ensure the realness of the story and also accurately described historical figures living during this time. By having students read a book from the perspective of someone their own age it makes it easier for them to connect to the material.  I think students can gain valuable learning from fiction.  With that being said, as a history teacher I will also push my students to read non-fiction and primary sources. 

Students have a hard time learning when they are only presented with theoretical examples or non-real situations.  Students learn best when the material presented to them is concrete and the teachers illustrated clear meaningful examples.  In history, this may be hard to achieve because there is a vast cultural gap from the past and now.  However, there are new games online that actually put students in the shoes of people fighting in the American Revolution and various other wars and concentration camps.  This helps students get a better understanding of what life was like during various times in history.  Fiction is useful and I would argue necessary in the classroom

Portfolio Assessment

I think there is value in portfolio assessment because it breaks away from the standard test but allows students to show that they have met the performance standards.  Also, students learn in multiple ways and I think a teacher needs to have multiple types of assessments, one of which needs to be a portfolio assessment.  For example, in my Tech and Topics class we were to complete a portfolio in the form of a website.  This was challenging for me because it required that I use multiple different types of technology to show that I met the standards for the class.  This portfolio took the entire semester to complete, which gave me time to understand new information and incorporate it into my portfolio.  Now, when I step back and look at my portfolio I am proud of all the work I have accomplished and excited about all the new tools I have learned.  I found a short article on why computer-based portfolios are important for students.  Here is a brief summary followed by the link to the article: 

“The implementation of computer-based portfolios for student assessment is an exciting educational innovation. This method of assessment not only offers an authentic demonstration of accomplishments, but also allows students to take responsibility for the work they have done. In turn, this motivates them to accomplish more in the future. A computer-based portfolio system offers many advantages for both the education and the business communities and should continue to be a popular assessment tool in the "information age."

Electronic Portfolios: A New Idea in Assessment 

Lesson Critique

Lets be honest, I hated this assignment.  I was extremely nervous before teaching a lesson to my peers and even more nervous that my professor was video recording me.  It was something close to torture to watch myself and even harder to write a paper critiquing my presentation.  However, after I finished, I realized that this helped me a lot.  I saw that I have some strengths and need to be confident in my ability.   I knew the content and felt comfortable with my knowledge on the Great War.  On the other hand, I noticed the areas where improvement is needed.  I tend to say "um" when I am nervous and look upward toward the ceiling.  I also seemed pretty stiff and didn't move around at all.  I need to be more comfortable with my teaching style.  So as they say, practice make perfect.
Below is my paper:

Betsy Moore

EDMS 333

Presentation Critique

            I recently taught a lesson introducing The Great War and was videotaped.  I was able to go back and watch myself teach.  After watching my video I analyzed my strengths and areas that need improvement. 

My strengths when teaching this introduction to The First World War were numerous.  First, I reviewed what the students had recently learned, and how that tied into what they will learn about World War One.  For example, I reviewed the definition of nationalism and imperialism; then reminded the class when we discussed the two terms.  Next, I informed the class how these terms will be important during The Great War.  Another strength of my presentation was the use of technology by incorporating a PowerPoint into my lesson.  On the PowerPoint I showed maps and pictures.  Some of the pictures were taken during the war, while others were taken after the war.  All of the pictures helped students to understand the seriousness and devastation of The Great War.  The final positive aspect of my presentation was my ability to relate The Great War to today.  I showed pictures of modern day France where violence from the war can still be seen.  There are still numerous bunkers and trenches in France that reminds people of the Great War. 

            Although there were strengths to my presentation, there were also areas which could use improvement.  For example, when teaching I tend to move my hands a lot.  This can be good because it shows my excitement for the material and can be helpful to keep students attention.  However, if I move my hands excessively it can take away from the instruction and be a distraction.  I need to find a healthy balance.  Another weakness of my presentation was my abundant use of the word “um”.  Whenever I am nervous I tend to say um and look toward the ceiling.  I need to work on not using the word um and keep eye contact with students.  When I was teaching I stood in the same spot the entire time.  I would like to feel more comfortable and be able to walk around the class while I am teaching the students.  By walking around the class I could ensure that students are listening and make sure they are taking notes. 

            Overall, I am happy with my first attempt at teaching an introductory lesson.  I am confident that I will be able to improve my weaknesses and strengthen the positive aspects of my presentation skills.  I am excited to teach again and become more comfortable with my teaching style.  It was beneficial to watch myself teach and to critique myself.  This is something I will do again in the future, evaluate my teaching, in order to keep improving.    

Video Editing

Video editing is scary and overwhelming during ones first attempt; at least it was for me.  However, after “playing around” on the software, it became easy, and dare I say even fun.  I used video editing to trim down my introduction to a lesson in order to make it the best video possible.  I think this tool would be great for students.  For example, have students make a video of themselves doing a presentation, or a video of a specific topic, like how to best study for a test.  After completing the recording process students can learn and use new technology to edit, cut, and create an awesome video they can share with the class and others.

Technology and Teaching…

I recently taught an introduction to a lesson on The Great War.  The purpose of the introduction was to connect what the class had learned to what we are going to learn about the First World War.  Technology was necessary in order to effectively present the information.  I used a PowerPoint presentation to convey main ideas of the war and most importantly pictures.  By using PowerPoint the pictures could be displayed on a large screen where all students could see them at the same time and make comments.  The images also looked better on a PowerPoint than when printed out.  In addition, I can easily embed this PowerPoint presentation onto my blog or website, another advantage of using technology.  Technology, when used appropriately, is an extremely effective tool to help increase student curiosity, attention, and learning.

Web pages... what can a teacher do with them?

Web pages can be extremely helpful to students because they can be accessed at any time from any computer or device that has an Internet connection.  When I become a teacher I want to have a website for each of my classes.  My websites will contain important document like the syllabus, behavior guidelines/ rules, and handouts.  This will be helpful because if a student leaves their syllabus or handout at school, they can print it from home.  Also, this ensures that parents can access important documents, which will help keep them informed.  I would also put some cool interesting photographs that are relevant to what we are studying in class.  For example, if we are learning about Ancient Egypt then I could have pictures of the pyramids and mummies.  On the website I would also have links to other websites that would be useful to students.  I would have a link the Library of Congress’ website so they could explore the information on the website and learn more about a subject than what the book and teacher has to taught them.   I would make sure that my website is linked to the schools website so it can be accessed from the school’s site, making it easy to find.  For students who are digital natives, it is important for them to have access to educational and beneficial sites to guide their learning.