Week 6: The Finish Line

    

The Finish Line!

Wow!  The last six weeks in AEDU 209 have been exciting, nerve-racking and informative.  I feel like I've gained a wealth of knowledge ranging from how to function within Google, how to create forms, conduct a screencastify, participate in a Voice Thread, create my own educational portfolio and blog.  I also now have my own Twitter handle -- I never would have thought.  You can find me at @KZINZER5.  

I'm grateful for all I've learned here on Wednesday nights.  Has it all been easy?  No!  Definitely not, but I was able to push through and for that, I'm happy and am walking away knowing more than I ever imagined within the technology realm.

I'm excited to keep up with all the skills and applications I've used so I can stay fresh for my upcoming students to deliver the best possible lesson in the best way possible while creating a positive and exciting learning environment.

So here I am, at the finish line, but my race is just beginning.  I'm so excited to be in charge of my own race with my own students as it relates to education.  I'm looking forward to pushing each student outside his/her comfort zone and will utilize technology to help me.

Week 5: The Good Old Days

The Good Old Days - Missing the Magic!

Do you miss the magic of the good old days?  I do.  I think back fondly of my childhood while going to school, playing sports and hanging out with friends all while creating memories that I didn't realize I was creating.  That's what life is all about -- living in the moment and taking every moment in and making the best of what you're offered.

I love this song by Macklemore and Kesha.  The lyrics sum up what it feels like to think back on the good old days.  My hope is to create a life for my kids so they can look back on the good old days with a smile.  My goal as a teacher is to create a classroom that is impressionable and memorable for my students.  I want them to look back on their time in my classroom with fondness.  If I can have a positive effect on a few students a year, I've done my job as a teacher.  

Just like the song states, I wish someone would have told me that these would be the good old days.  If I knew back then, what I know now, I would have changed a few things.  Not everything -- but a few things.  I feel blessed and lucky to look back on the good old days and feel proud and happy.  I've felt some pain and seen some things, but it helped shape who I am today.  I miss the magic of the good old days, but I want to live in the moment and create more good old days, so it's time to live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride.    

Week 4: Explain Privilege

Is Privilege a Game-Changer? 

Take two steps forward if your parents are still married. Take two steps forward if you grew up with a father figure in the home. Take two steps forward if you had access to a private education. Take two steps forward if you never had to worry about your cell phone being shut off. Take two steps forward if you never had to help your parents pay the bills. Take two steps forward if you never had to worry about where your next meal was going to come from.


These statements have nothing to do with what a child has done or a decision that he/she has made. It comes down to opportunity or perhaps an alternative word: privilege. Some kids have a head start in life. A head start in life is a huge advantage. Whatever kind of head start we are given, we need to make it our race. We still need to run the race and run it hard. We are all in a race . . . it's called the race of life. We all enter this world the same way, but what we start with may be different. How we grow up and how we are raised completely shapes us. Is this privilege? Some may see it as privilege. Privilege is a complicated word because often times there is a negative connotation with it.


The video that I chose captures exactly how we are all different and have different upbringings and family situations. These different upbringings have a huge impact on our lives and the direction in which they can turn - positively or negatively.


Make it your race and your outcome the best way that you can through drive, direction and determination. Don't let the word privilege get in your way. Show the world that you deserve it.  This is YOUR race.  Make it a great one.

Week 3: To Flip or Not to Flip?

To Flip Or Not To Flip.  That Is The Question.

I am a very different learner today than I was 0ver 20 years ago in high school and grade school, but one thing is certain, I have always been a visual learner.  The flipped classroom would appeal to my teenage self, but along with my visual learning style came a tendency to procrastinate.  With the flipped classroom, procrastination is not possible and accountability is the key component.  So maybe for my teenage self, the flipped classroom would be a win-win.  The visual would be there along with the lack of temptation to procrastinate because, well, it wouldn't be an option.

  

So, I say FLIP THE CLASSROOM.  Flip it good.  Today, I'm a huge fan of the flipped classroom and I've seen it in action with my own eyes as I work with a fifth grade teacher who flips his math class every day.  I see the students get excited about this new learning style (new for them) and take accountability for their learning.  I also hear them share their stories on what they found difficult, easy, fun, etc. with each other the next day in their math class.  I believe there are many positive outcomes with a flipped classroom.  For example, students have more control, it promotes student-centered learning and collaboration, lessons and content are more accessible for the students, and my absolute favorite is easy access for parents to see what’s going on in their child's classroom with assignments, lessons, material, etc.  As a parent, I appreciate understanding and learning with my kids through the flipped classroom environment by getting a small glimpse into their world.

Week 2: Sky's The Limit

This is my Sky's The Limit Post!

A Shout Out To All Of The Involved Dads!  You Are Making A Difference In Your Child's Education!

I came across this very touching video the other day and I wanted to share it.  This is MY shout out to all the DADS making a difference in your kid's life.  We all need a Dad in our life even if that 'Dad' is found in an uncle, grandfather, neighbor, etc.

Many of the kids in this video talk about what makes their Dad special: it is the fact that he is always there and involved or present!  Just being there for your child is what truly matters.  I am grateful because my husband, Erran is always there for our children: Faye, Quinn and Dane.  They are blessed and so am I.  He's present at all of their sporting events (even coaches some of the teams), he's attentive and listens to their problems and helps them figure out a solution.  He's there for each of them emotionally, too.  He's also there for them when it relates to their education.  He's in each of their corners cheering them on to success with their schooling.  Some days can be challenging with homework or preparing and studying for tests, but he's there telling them that their hard work pays off.  We also have a saying in our house, "Zinzers never give up!"

A father's involvement in their child's education is a key component to his/her success.  Research has shown that fathers, no matter what their income or cultural background, can play a critical role in their children’s education.  When fathers are involved, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior.  Even when fathers do not share a home with their children, their active involvement can have a lasting and positive impact.

  

Week 1: Technology Transformation

Technology is everywhere you turn and it's taking over the classroom, too! 

Positive Impacts of Technology

Technology has many positive effects on education.  The list is long and will continue to grow, for now I'll highlight just a few positive impacts that technology has on education. 

With technology in the classroom, the traditional student and teacher roles have evolved.  The student has become a lot more active and engaged.  The teacher is no longer relaying information in a lecture-style manner where the student has to commit this information to memory, but rather teachers are using technology to enhance and engage their students.  Technology helps students collaborate with other students and their teachers in and outside of the classroom quickly and easily.

Personalized learning is improved with the help of technology, too.  Lessons can be customized to fit each student’s progress and learning style. Through these learning tools educators can provide opportunities for students to be able to work and excel at their own level and pace.

Technology is transforming the face of education as I write.

Negative Impacts of Technology

With a technology-enabled classroom there comes more chance of distractions for students.  Games on devices, text messaging, email and websites are all areas that take attention away from the subject on which they are supposed to be focusing.  Technology can also lead to dangerous situations as students can be exposed to inappropriate online materials or online predators in chat rooms, etc.

Students can also rely on their mobile devices or a web site to find answers to questions that may be asked of them by their teachers.  Students can just look up the answers to questions and copy them down word for word.  They are simply repeating information instead of learning concepts and ideas. When students do this, they do not actually learn the material. 

"Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational."

~ George Couros