As part of LRC320 we have to find vaulabe online educational resources for teachers that we find useful. While searching for these resources I found one that stood out the most called Building Tomorrow. I found this website so intruging because its an international social-profit organization that's working to increase philanthropic activies and awareness of educational inequalities among elementary and middle school aged children. I thought this was wonderful because I had the opportunity to volunteer a lot in high school, but never when I was younger. We did the occasional food drive and things along that nature, but never on a scale such as this. I think its wonderful to not only expose children to the inequalities of the world, but give them realistic ways to help change those injustices.
Teachers can sign up to have their classrooms be a part of Sit for Good-service learning campaign that gives teachers the resources through lesson plans, activitites, discussion topics, fundraising tools and ideas, and background information regarding sub-Saharan Africa needed to teach students about philanthropy and educational inequalities. These resources are provided along with the actual "Sit for Good" activitiy where students give up their desks and classroom resources for a day in order to experience the hardships kids their aged go through with not having the same resources. The classrooms participating in this great program also fundraise in order to help build primary schools for underserve children in sub-Saharan Africa. Builidng Tomorrow is just an overall fantastic program to teach young children empthay and chartiable behavior that will hopefully only increase as they get older. This program is beyond useful because it teaches children that not everyone has the same things as them, to not take those things for granted, and most importantly to give back to those in need.
See for yourself! Building Tomorrow
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Engage Me? Yes, Please! Flowing Wells Jr. High School
After changing my minor from sociology to adolescents, community, and education (ACE) I've had many different education courses. This semester I'm in TTE 195b Introduction to the Teaching Profession and part of the course includes visiting an elementary, middle, and high school within the Flowing Wells school district. I had the pleasure of visiting FW Jr. High this morning and was given a personal one hour tour by the Principal Peter M. Wells. I was super amazed and impressed with the school. The campus was big, very clean, and very well maintained you could tell everyone takes pride in their school.
Flowing Wells Jr. High is divided into pods with a pod for each content area and the many electives offered. I got the chance to observe every content area English, math, science, and social studies as well as the art classes, computer classes, band, orchestra, ceramics, theater, and the resource center/special needs. Every class I observed was full of colorful posters store brought and home made, classroom expectations, consequences, and rewards, vocabulary words, smart boards, and bell work on the board with in class work and objectives.
However, the most impressive thing I observed at FW Jr. High was the productive student behavior and the amount of engaged learning time. The teachers were amazing incorporating many different teaching styles to include all their students and make learning fun. Every classroom I entered was utilizing their smart boards, but the best use of the board had to go to the class for students not meeting standards. This teacher used Justin Bieber and the amount of followers he has on Twitter to creatively teach math. It was a small classroom but every student was actively participating by raising their hands and answering questions. I noticed the use of cameras with students shooting a video that will go along with a proposal for a grant being written by a few teachers. It was nice to see the effective and interacting use of technology along side the high number of active student participation. It was definitely evident that teachers were teaching effectively and students were actually learning.
There is even a class called Games that's a innovative way to prep for aims using interactive computer games along with other thing to increase learning and prepare students for taking aims. Science classes were using beads to make the compounds in the elements of the periodic table. The ceramics teacher is way more than a teacher who teaches students to make bowls, but a teacher who incorporates culture, math, and science. The teachers seem genuinely happy with what they do and the students seem excited and happy to be in class learning. I personally believe Flowing Wells Jr. High is a school that other schools whether it be elementary or high school should aspire to be like. They have a collaborative and trusting staff, technology is effectively utilized, student engagement and active participation is high, and is definitely serving up a side of engage me!
Flowing Wells Jr. High
Flowing Wells Jr. High is divided into pods with a pod for each content area and the many electives offered. I got the chance to observe every content area English, math, science, and social studies as well as the art classes, computer classes, band, orchestra, ceramics, theater, and the resource center/special needs. Every class I observed was full of colorful posters store brought and home made, classroom expectations, consequences, and rewards, vocabulary words, smart boards, and bell work on the board with in class work and objectives.
However, the most impressive thing I observed at FW Jr. High was the productive student behavior and the amount of engaged learning time. The teachers were amazing incorporating many different teaching styles to include all their students and make learning fun. Every classroom I entered was utilizing their smart boards, but the best use of the board had to go to the class for students not meeting standards. This teacher used Justin Bieber and the amount of followers he has on Twitter to creatively teach math. It was a small classroom but every student was actively participating by raising their hands and answering questions. I noticed the use of cameras with students shooting a video that will go along with a proposal for a grant being written by a few teachers. It was nice to see the effective and interacting use of technology along side the high number of active student participation. It was definitely evident that teachers were teaching effectively and students were actually learning.
There is even a class called Games that's a innovative way to prep for aims using interactive computer games along with other thing to increase learning and prepare students for taking aims. Science classes were using beads to make the compounds in the elements of the periodic table. The ceramics teacher is way more than a teacher who teaches students to make bowls, but a teacher who incorporates culture, math, and science. The teachers seem genuinely happy with what they do and the students seem excited and happy to be in class learning. I personally believe Flowing Wells Jr. High is a school that other schools whether it be elementary or high school should aspire to be like. They have a collaborative and trusting staff, technology is effectively utilized, student engagement and active participation is high, and is definitely serving up a side of engage me!
Flowing Wells Jr. High
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Reading
This will be very interesting because I've never created a blog in my life, but I'm excited to try!
Well lets see I decided to do my first post on what I like and my favorite thing to do is read books especially crime novels/mysteries and Black contemporary fiction. Due to all the work that goes along with trying to get things in order to graduate in Dec, I have not had anytime to read anything new. However, if you like crime novels/mysteries or anything of that nature J.A. Jance is an author I would highly recommend to read. She's a definite favorite and I've read pretty much read all of her books to date. Jance's novels are broken down into four different series: J.P. Beaumont, Ali Reynolds, Joanna Brady, and the Walker series. Each series is unique and different from each other, the characters are well developed and likable, and her writing is amazing! All her books have great and intriguing twists that keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. I hope you check some of them out their awesome reads! I've included a link to her site at the end of the blog just in case you want to check it out for yourself.
When it comes to Black contemporary fiction I have many favorite authors, but my main favorite is Kimberla Lawson Roby. Her novels will have you laughing, crying, and wanting more. Roby has one series the Reverend Curtis Black series and a bunch of stand alone titles dealing with many different characters and stories. The Curtis Black series are the novels I enjoy reading the most, but all of the stand alone titles I read were just as good. Her novels are easy to understand and enjoy as well as being overall exciting reads. Roby writes with so much emotion and her characters are easy to relate too, easy to love, and easy to hate. I've also included a link to Roby's site as well so you can check her out as well. Both of these authors are beyond talented and write fantastic novels that will not disappoint :)
Links:
J.A. Jance
Kimberla Lawson Roby
Well lets see I decided to do my first post on what I like and my favorite thing to do is read books especially crime novels/mysteries and Black contemporary fiction. Due to all the work that goes along with trying to get things in order to graduate in Dec, I have not had anytime to read anything new. However, if you like crime novels/mysteries or anything of that nature J.A. Jance is an author I would highly recommend to read. She's a definite favorite and I've read pretty much read all of her books to date. Jance's novels are broken down into four different series: J.P. Beaumont, Ali Reynolds, Joanna Brady, and the Walker series. Each series is unique and different from each other, the characters are well developed and likable, and her writing is amazing! All her books have great and intriguing twists that keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. I hope you check some of them out their awesome reads! I've included a link to her site at the end of the blog just in case you want to check it out for yourself.
When it comes to Black contemporary fiction I have many favorite authors, but my main favorite is Kimberla Lawson Roby. Her novels will have you laughing, crying, and wanting more. Roby has one series the Reverend Curtis Black series and a bunch of stand alone titles dealing with many different characters and stories. The Curtis Black series are the novels I enjoy reading the most, but all of the stand alone titles I read were just as good. Her novels are easy to understand and enjoy as well as being overall exciting reads. Roby writes with so much emotion and her characters are easy to relate too, easy to love, and easy to hate. I've also included a link to Roby's site as well so you can check her out as well. Both of these authors are beyond talented and write fantastic novels that will not disappoint :)
Links:
J.A. Jance
Kimberla Lawson Roby
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