Blog Post #1!

Krissy Venosdale's blog Venspired, is absolutely inspiring. Krissy is a gifted education teacher with a the most intense passion for teaching I have ever encountered. In her post, "If I Built A School" , Krissy describes with beautiful detail her dream school. She describes the school saying it would have, "Colorful walls, comfy seating, nooks, and crannies where kids could collaborate, discuss, dream, and learn." She talks about a large tree house in the library and comfy couches in the lunch room. I think my favorite part of her ultimate dream school is that there are no regulations, curriculum or state testing. She says, "We’d  learn to read for the joy of reading, do math because problem solving is important, and learn because we love it." This is the type of environment I would want to create for my students. One where we don't learn multiplication and division because someone said so, we learn because it's important for day to day life! A classroom or school where children are taught why they need basic math, reading and language skills, not just the skills. A place where children are excited and passionate about learning! Krissy, in another post, quotes WB Yeats, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." She then says, "Light it." It's as simple as that. My dream school would have beautiful colors, and interactive decorations. There would be a tree house or two, and definitely no desks; but most importantly, my dream school would light fires! It would inspire, drive and encourage children to learn! You can't make children learn, but you can make them WANT to learn! I would definitely quote Krissy, and the moto to my dream school would be, "We learn to read for the joy of reading, do math because problem solving is important, and learn because we love it!" 

When I first saw this video, I'm not going to lie, I was not thrilled that it was going to be 20 minutes long, but Sugata Mistra TED Talk 2013 was probably the best 20 minute video I have ever watched. It was so amazing to learn about his "Hole in the Wall" project! Basically Mistra took computers into the small villages across the India and literally put a computer into a hole in the wall. When the children in these villages came by they asked but it was, he told them, he didn't know and walked away.

When Mistra returned a couple of months later, he observed these children using the computers efficiently and teaching others how to use them as well! These children and their ability to absorb so much information all on their own simply astounds me. Sugata Mistra is a professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language 
Sciences at Newcastle University, England. In his TED talk, he also discussed his idea of a school in the clouds. This school is quite fascinating to me. The whole idea is similar to the findings in his "Hole in the Wall" project. In this school a teacher will simply be present so safety issues, students will be given computers and access to the internet and given a question to answer. He gives an example question, if a meteor is coming toward earth what would we use to determine if it will hit earth or not? The teacher poses this question to the class then the students find out how to answer the question then apply what they have found to answer it! This is such an advanced way of learning and quite honestly I think it is remarkable. I think it definitely gives children that desire to learn. The desire and passion that I hope to one day instill in my students. 

What do you want your students to know?

I think that the one thing I want my students to understand most is just how important grammar is in our day to day lives.

I feel that grammar is the basis of everything else we know or learn. While mine is in no way perfect, I am currently in my junior year of college and I still constantly learn new rules of grammar. I think that it is the most important skill we as teachers can instill in our students. Without grammar, you can't read or write word problems and answers in math class. Without grammar, we certainly can not communicate  verbally or in writing. Without writing or verbal communication skills, our students can not express themselves and without that ability to express ourselves what do we have? I feel that the basic rules of grammar are definitely what I will strive, as a teacher, to make sure that my students understand. 

What do you want your students to be able to do?

I want my students to leave my classroom, no matter what grade level, with the ability to communicate, understand the importance of education and learning and to think logically for themselves. Again, without communication we can not effectively live in today's society. If students can not think for themselves and make logical decisions, what have we done as teachers? Have we effectively prepared them for live in society? The most important thing I want my children to know is that education is important, and I hope to give them the ability to learn for themselves. So that even when they have a teacher that is a bit lack luster or when they have a question and no access to a teacher to ask it they will be able to seek the answer for themselves. We must be lifelong learners! Otherwise this world will leave us in the dust. 

What will be your primary method of teaching? 

I hope to effectively use project based learning in my classroom. I believe in hands on activities. When you show a student how a concept relates to their day to day lives or let them see the concept in action, I think they absorb it more. You have to relate your concepts to what the students already know and understand. In the elementary school, usually a students experience with certain things is limited. So you have to find creative ways to help them relate to the topics. 

What tools will you use in your classroom?

I hope to teach in a school where SMART boards, computers/tablets, and other technology is available. I love SMART boards I think they are an excellent way to get students involved and to make your lesson a little more interactive.

The things you can do with a tablet are endless and I hope to be able to use them in my classroom to allow my students individual time interacting with the lesson! I also think that a class blog is a very beneficial tool. Not only does it give the teachers a way to keep in contact with the parents, it also motivates the students to want to write! It makes it more exciting for them to tell about their experiences when they can share them with people all over the world. Technology in general is something I hope to have access to in my classroom. It is the future and what better way to teach the future of our leaders of our world than with technology!

What role will the students play in the classroom?

I do not want my students to be just students of mine. I want them to be teachers! I want them to teach their peers, as well as themselves! I want them to be able to interact with one another and work collaboratively to find a solution or answer to a problem. Then I want them to be able to share that answer with the others in the room! I do not want to hold the sole role as the teacher and them as only the students. I want us all to be teaching and learning together.