Week 3 - The TA Google Classroom

This week we read a few resources about google classroom.  It was a very interesting reading since I have had first hand experience with google classroom while substituting.  It is amazing how it has changed throughout the years.  I have also seen how the use of google classroom among teachers have grown.  It has become more user friendly in my opinion that it does not take much time to learn to use.  In the beginning many teachers were just using classroom as an assignment sheet where students and parents can find what is due when.  Now teachers use google for many different activities.  Not only do teachers post assignments they put assignments on classroom that the students can work on while classroom.  Like the reading mentioned because teachers can create assignments like worksheets on classroom, it eliminates the use of paper worksheet.  The reading also talks about how classroom provides students instant feedback.  It also helps teachers start question driven discussions.  I have seen this first hand in a 6^th grade math class.  The teacher will put a quiz on google classroom and as the students answer each question it shows how many students pick each answer to the question.  He then will which students pick a certain and have a student explain how he or she got that answer.  This process helps the teacher figure which students know the material and which ones do not.  It also helps the teacher know where he needs to focus his teaching on where students are struggling.  Google classroom has started eliminating the loss of school days because of weather.  A lot of schools are declaring E-learning days whenever school is cancelled.  I feel eventually schools will not have to worry about missing school because of weather.  The teachers can post notes or even videos of the lesson and then also put on assignments.  There was one thing that I did not know Google classroom did that I found really fascinating was the idea that the teacher can assign individual work for students who are struggling to help them out without singling the student out in front of others.

Week 2-Popplet goes the Weasel

There are a lot of interesting tools that we have been introduced already.  The one tool I enjoyed reading about is Popplet.  Though it may come off a little simple compared to some of the other tools, I think it is as important as a visual learning tool in the classroom.  Popplet is an app that allows the teacher and students to brainstorming ideas for a topic.  You can use the app to prepare a visual representation of the topic and brainstorming ideas.  They refer this to as mind mapping.  The students think and learn better visually while using Popplet.  The app in turn will help students take all his or her thoughts and develop a relationship between those thoughts and facts and images.  The Popplet app is not only available on the computer, but also on the IPad.   As a future business teacher I can see where I would use this tool in the classroom.  One example would be I hope to have an entrepreneurship class or section and would have the students come up with a business idea they would like to do.  I would use Popplet for twice for this project.  The first way would be to have the unknown business as the base in the center and then have students put their strengths and interests in the branches.  This will hopefully help the students come up with a business idea.  Then the next stage I would have the students take that business idea as the base in the center and the branches will be ideas the he or she needs to get the business started.  The other project that I think Popplet would be beneficial would be somewhat of a business history project.  I would have the students probably in an intro of business class select significant business figure, event, or movement and that would be the center focus of the Popplet.  Then as the students do research on the subject they chose.  That will be the branches of the Popplet.

Week - 1 Why I want to teach?

I never thought I would want to be a teacher.  I was dead set on running my own business and did not want to hear anything else.  Well after 16 years after graduating with my business degree, I am not any closer then I was right out of high school of running my business.  In the meantime, I started substitute teaching and I slowly realized that I enjoyed being in the classroom.  However as much as I enjoyed being in a classroom, I was hesitant and completing what I needed to do and become a fulltime teacher.  There were a few factors that made me start changing my mind.  The first was my dad and his passing.  He always thought I would have been a great teacher.  My mom told me after he passed, he thought I would have already have been a principal in a school after teaching for a few years and coaching.  So, when he passed, I realized that maybe I have not lived up to the potential that he saw in me and that is when I started looking into going back to school.  It has taken me a few years and a couple roadblocks to get here, but I am here.  The next factor is I got engaged a couple years ago and I realized to provide for my fiancée and a possible family in the future I would need a better career then what I have now.  The last is I have been in a school recently were the students are in some business classes, but are not learning anything and they need to learn more.