How to Use Blogs in the Classroom

Blogs in the classroom can be useful for many reasons. In my case being and English teacher the blogs will most likely be used for a type of journal. The students will be able to share and store their ideas with myself and their peers. This will allow the students to become more equipped for the lives ahead of them which will be filled with a plethora of technology. They will also be able to share their ideas with other people not in the class which will expose their works to others outside of the classroom.

I will also have a blog which will share how and why I teach the lessons the way I do. They will also be able to check my blog to see what activities they missed in class. This is important because it allows students to not fall behind if they may miss class for any reason. Adding this type of technology in the classroom adds something fresh which the students most likely have not used in the classroom before. This will keep them engaged as well as interested in the new curriculum.

WebQuest Reflection

The WebQuest assignment may have been the most challenging of the year, but I found it as the most rewarding assignment of the year. I enjoyed coming up with a project that not only did I find interesting, but that would allow the students to think for themselves in the process. I enjoyed setting the project up in such a way which allowed for different possible outcomes depending on the group, this allows for more interesting presentations from year to year.

I have never much been a fan of group projects, but after learning about how students actually retain the information more it makes sense why teachers assign so many. I have come to respect the group projects and now that I wont actually have to do many more of them I can openly say that I like them.

Overall the WebQuest project was something I plan on using in my classroom if it meets the curriculum. It is something that can be adapted easily, and even better they are something which can be easily created over a few days time. They are very useful tools and will come in handy during project times.

Professional Development Resources Reflection

I feel that it is important for teachers to continue learning throughout their career. If a teacher stops learning then he or she has no right to expect their classroom to learn for them. Learning new knowledge is only going to make the teacher more knowledgable as well as more marketable for other positions. One of the easiest ways for teachers to continue learning is by attending conferences.

In the exercise we were asked to do we were able to find conferences, seminars, and webinars which allow a teacher to grow as an educator. I am very lucky to be given the tools necessary to find these sites before I become an educator, that way once I am a teacher I will begin learning more immediately. This will cut off the plateau period I imagine a lot of teachers are faced with before they decide to further there education.

I am glad I am getting the chance to learn about the inner workings of the teaching system now before I actually have to become a teacher. With these logistics out of the way I will be able to spend more time preparing lesson plans and finding ways to effectively teach my class the material.