Ah making a online portfolio!

This process has been scary , exciting and very rewarding! Putting together an online portfolio is tricky for me because I needed to be sure each part was there and saving correctly. Although I have been extremely overwhelmed , seeing it all  come together is such an AWESOME feeling! I am so grateful for Dr. Smirnova and her wonderful tips. These tips will not only make me a better teacher but also a better learner! I am so glad I took this course. In addition , it is so important to continue blogging. One of my good friends who has become a teacher has started a blog with her co-workers . This blog is so inspirational and makes me so very excited to someday have my own classroom and to be sure to blog all of my thoughts, experiences , fears and hopes! I am so glad I became a blogger and SO glad I have become more comfortable with the wonderful technology I have at my fingertips! This technology will be invaluable to me as a teacher and it something I must help my future students to become comfortable with is as well!

Mock Interview!

I loved the mock interview activity. I loved it because I believe we practiced a nerve wrecking activity with the comfort of our peers and professors. One may be an excellent candidate for teaching , but he or she must be capable of performing their best on an interview. In addition , it is so important to be prepared for the various types of questions and the best tools to have with you in order to look prepared and find success! MSMC does a wonderful job or preparing its students. The career center is filled with tips, tricks and tools! In addition , Dr. Smirnova helped my class to become more confident and prepared for our future job searching as well. In addition Pinterest and other resources has some great info! Check it out!!!

Artifcat Bag

In class today , we explored one another's artifact bags. This was an engaging activity and each of us were able to see each other's creativity and our thought process. Each of us , in group two, had an economic and movie making theme . Our bags were each different sizes and themes. My bag, green, was to represent money. Chelsea's bag , with the Disney princesses, tied into the Disney movie making theme. Joe's bag was a solid brown because he did not have bag to go along with his.

Inside my bag, was printed out money from the early 20th century.I included the money so that students can see how different money looks today! Also, I want them to realize how much more things cost today compared to 1920. A second item in my bag was a postcard with Walt Disney on it. I aged the postcard through burning the edges a bit. The students cans see how long Walt Disney has been around and how much of an influence his company has had on the world. The last thing I included was a stock chart which showed how stocks have changed over time. I taught the fourth graders at Bishop Dunn about stock and felt that this was an excellent item to include in the artifact bag.

The artifact bags are an awesome way of engaging all of the students in a social studies topic and pushing them to make connections to their lives and to current events. I will definitively use this activity in my classroom for many different topics.

Geography!

      Hi everyone! Geography is such an important element to teach because the students will understand what is happening in the world, why it is happening and how it affects other people around the world and themselves. Geography is so unique because it combines both physical and cultural characteristics of the world. Geography includes all 10 social studies standards which shows how important it is to the students learning. 

I was looking at Pinterest and found a pin about an interactive iPad/ iPod app . The app is entitled  Whole Wide World for ages 5-8. A woman blogged about the app and stated; " Play the world one game at a time. Whole Wide World takes you on a fun journey of sight, sound and play. Learn about the monarch butterflies of Mexico and the giant rocks of Iceland. Ride a Kangaroo in Australia, find hidden objects in China and much more! Fill your scrapbook with postcards from around the world and learn fun facts about cultural and geographical wonders. Start with three exciting destinations and then choose where to go next on a learning journey unlike anything else! " (her blog) 

I downloaded the app on my iPad for free! However, there was a version for only $2.99 which allows the student to visit more areas and have many more interactive learning opportunities.  The app is very user friendly for the student and he or she is able to chose an explorer and purchase a ticket and explore many different areas of the world. The student will learn the geography of the various areas and the culture of the areas as well.  It is a fantastic app which the students will feel as if  they are playing a game , but they will also be engaged in a hands-on learning experience of geography! I am excited to try this app out when I do have a classroom of my own :)

Last group: day 1

I thought you all did really well today. Each of you seemed calm and knew what you were talking about :) The students were engaged and seemed to grasp the material and if he or she was unsure you re-explained it well. Everything is a bit rushed with the movie, but that is not your fault whatsoever... Wednesday should be enough time to finish up :) awesome start and keep up the good work !!

Last Day of Teaching- Group 3

Yay group 3 you're done!! You had your best day yet. Each of you described the topics well and treated the students as business men and women! I felt you became more confident over the courses and seemed to have a lot of fun with the assignment.  Awesome job and I hope you enjoyed your experience.

Day Two: Group Three

Amazing job today girls! You spoke clearly and provided the students with excellent information and knowledge. I think that you allowed them plenty of time for their commercials and they seemed to have so much fun with the assignment.  In addition , I believe you provided the students with examples which they could understand and also had an excellent intro and closure. Great job making them feel like companies and employees as well.