Check out the pulldown menu to take a look at some of the things I've created as part of my Communications Technology and Education class, as well as classroom lessons during my professional semesters. Now, dim the lights and grab some popcorn...
Clicking with CTS/CTF
While I primarily see myself as an English Language Arts teacher, after taking a Curriculum & Instruction for Non-Majors - CTS/CTF class during the summer session, I see CTS/CTF find its way into all of my lessons.
The course included a visit to a city high school, which allowed us to see CTS in action. Here are some highlights from my visit:
• Looking through the CTS modules set up by other teachers, I can definitely see myself setting up my own assignments in other subjects with things such as checklists (Day 1 you should be done A and B. Day 2 you should be done C. Day 3 your assignment should be submitted for grading), and job descriptions for group projects (In your group, you should have an X, Y, and Z person and they are responsible for the following tasks. Who in your group is taking on Job X, etc.). I also noticed that some CTS teachers link YouTube and other how-to videos to the assignments. For example: Don't know how to do this action in Photoshop? Check out this video. I'm not sure whether that's to accommodate the different levels of learners in a single classroom or students who weren't in attendance. Either way, it's self-directed learning and the teacher takes on more of a facilitator role. Any time I don't have to be at the front of the classroom blabbing is a good day. Plus, students are pretty used to heading to the Internet to find the answers they're looking for anyway, so this is nothing new to them.
This aligns with one of Inspiring Education's 3E's: Engaged Thinker. Modules help students become life-long learners because when they ask "why?," they have to figure out where to get reliable answers to their questions. In most cases, they're using technology and/or collaborating with others, as well. critical thinker, creative, adaptable
• You have to sell yourself and your option. The nice thing about options is that, for the most part, students are there because they want to be. I never really thought about the relationship part in terms of increasing enrollment in your option class, though, before the Chinook visit. Yes, building relationships with students is important, but I never thought about how students sign up for classes because of the teacher. I guess I do the same thing in university. If I like the way a prof teaches, grades assignments and runs a classroom, I seek out their classes. If that weren't the case, sites such as rateyourprof.com wouldn't exist.
• I don't have to be an expert at everything. At this particular high school, teachers had no problem admitting they didn't know something or that students knew more than them. That's reassuring, especially as a new teacher. I've used Photoshop in my former career. I think I'm pretty good at it. But when I looked at what students were expected to do, such as create bobbleheads, I realized I know the basics and that's about it. Instead of throwing up my hands and saying I could never lead a class that asks students to do advanced actions in Photoshop, I can learn along with them... or watch YouTube videos or get a student whose skills are better than my own to teach me. Even experts were beginners at one time.
My biggest lesson from this visit is the reason I switched careers to be a teacher: I love learning. Being involved in CTS, and the soon-to-be-implemented CTF, I'll always be learning as trends and technology change. And that excites me.
The course included a visit to a city high school, which allowed us to see CTS in action. Here are some highlights from my visit:
• Looking through the CTS modules set up by other teachers, I can definitely see myself setting up my own assignments in other subjects with things such as checklists (Day 1 you should be done A and B. Day 2 you should be done C. Day 3 your assignment should be submitted for grading), and job descriptions for group projects (In your group, you should have an X, Y, and Z person and they are responsible for the following tasks. Who in your group is taking on Job X, etc.). I also noticed that some CTS teachers link YouTube and other how-to videos to the assignments. For example: Don't know how to do this action in Photoshop? Check out this video. I'm not sure whether that's to accommodate the different levels of learners in a single classroom or students who weren't in attendance. Either way, it's self-directed learning and the teacher takes on more of a facilitator role. Any time I don't have to be at the front of the classroom blabbing is a good day. Plus, students are pretty used to heading to the Internet to find the answers they're looking for anyway, so this is nothing new to them.
This aligns with one of Inspiring Education's 3E's: Engaged Thinker. Modules help students become life-long learners because when they ask "why?," they have to figure out where to get reliable answers to their questions. In most cases, they're using technology and/or collaborating with others, as well. critical thinker, creative, adaptable
• You have to sell yourself and your option. The nice thing about options is that, for the most part, students are there because they want to be. I never really thought about the relationship part in terms of increasing enrollment in your option class, though, before the Chinook visit. Yes, building relationships with students is important, but I never thought about how students sign up for classes because of the teacher. I guess I do the same thing in university. If I like the way a prof teaches, grades assignments and runs a classroom, I seek out their classes. If that weren't the case, sites such as rateyourprof.com wouldn't exist.
• I don't have to be an expert at everything. At this particular high school, teachers had no problem admitting they didn't know something or that students knew more than them. That's reassuring, especially as a new teacher. I've used Photoshop in my former career. I think I'm pretty good at it. But when I looked at what students were expected to do, such as create bobbleheads, I realized I know the basics and that's about it. Instead of throwing up my hands and saying I could never lead a class that asks students to do advanced actions in Photoshop, I can learn along with them... or watch YouTube videos or get a student whose skills are better than my own to teach me. Even experts were beginners at one time.
My biggest lesson from this visit is the reason I switched careers to be a teacher: I love learning. Being involved in CTS, and the soon-to-be-implemented CTF, I'll always be learning as trends and technology change. And that excites me.