Teacher Evaluation

     So how about the new form of "evaluating teachers" that will be set in place by next year? I think this is very good because I know I've had my fair share of different teachers. I have had experiences with the kind of teachers that are phenomenal; they know what they are talking about and they know how to get it across to the students. I have also had teachers who are insanely genius and yet they have no idea how to share that genius. And, of course, I have had teachers where I wonder..."why the heck are you in this field?" By adding in more criteria for the evaluation of teachers, I think we can figure out who needs to stay and who needs to go. One thing I'm wondering though is: what about the kids who don't want to do anything? I know if we have better teachers, the students should be active in the classroom which should raise their grades, which is now a larger factor in evaluations. But, there are many kids who are stuck in the "I don't give a crap" mentality about school. So how large is the percentage of students-who-aren't-doing-so-well allowed to be? Anyway, I'm still not totally educated in this new form of teacher evaluation, but I can see some positive outcomes in it. I am also a little nervous about it too.

Adding Technology to the Curriculum

 One of the things that I love in The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age, by William Kist, is the fact that there are examples of activities to be conducted in the classroom. As a soon-to-be teacher, or even a teacher in general, it is always nice to have a bag of tricks. I am kind of in the dark on the bag of tricks because I have little experience in the teaching field. Of course I have some ideas that come from my experience of being a student, but by Kist including some activities I can grasp some concepts easier and gain some insight on how to talk about some things with my furture students. Kist provides the examples in various forms which is a perk becasue multimodalality is a huge help in keeping kids involved in the curriculum, and one of the hardest things to do as a teacher, is keeping kids involved. As for the readings in Sara Kajder's Adolescents and Digital Literacies: Learning Alongside Our Students, I found it very interesting that "55 percent of online teens (aged 12-17) self-reported having a profile within a social networking site (18). I guess this isn't really surprising, but it sounds like a large number. Of course, I have had my share of myspace and facebook but I was never inclined to keep up with the technology. My personal experiences are very limited with technology, and sometimes I feel very overwhelmed with the new advances, or even older things for that matter. A lot of the material we are reading in class seems very informational to me becasue I am so unaware of some of the simple things going on in the tech. world. I know that by the end of this class I will have learned a lot of stuff.

All About Me

     Hello, my name is Mary. I am a full time student at Slippery Rock University, studying secondary education in English and Spanish. I am a full time employee at Papa Zeko's Express Grille in New Castle. I grew up as a Wilmington Greyhound and graduated from Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, from the Commercial Arts program. I fully believe in the expression of one's self, proven through my involvement in choir, my passion for art, and my goals in teaching in the language arts curriculum. I would also love to do something with American Sign Language, which I believe Slippery Rock needs to add in as a minor/major. I have an amazing boyfriend, Adam, with whom I've known since second grade. Also, I have a beautiful four-year-old daughter, Madison. I love watching her grow, especially in the sense of language. I take pride in her large vocabulary and understanding in words and expression. Some folks learn later in life that they have a passion in teaching...mine began at a very young age. I can remember playing barbies and setting up classrooms where I would teach all subjects. I can also remember helping my peers with their school work. Teaching, I think, is the most important profession in the world. Without teachers, there would be no other careers. One thing, however, I was never too good at was technology. I never experienced some of the things a lot of others my age have. I realize that technology is growing rapidly and is becoming interwoven in curriculum and I plan to learn as much as I can about the technology available so that I can become a better teacher in my future. I hope to take a lot with me from my classes at Slippery Rock and I thank all of the great teachers out there who shape every child's life for the better. For any one reading my blogs: always remember that optimism is a must!
                                                                                                                             <3 Mary