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So I spent part of my afternoon today braving the last minute Christmas-shopping crowds. My dad had a few last minute items to buy and I decided to tag along for a few things. We ventured into Barnes and Noble where he was looking for a specific book. Seeing as I wasn't planning on buying anything (since I'd much rather just check out a book from the library...), I decided to wander over to the Children's book section.

Let me just say- I LOVE children's books. Since I was little, I have always loved reading (although being forced to read textbooks has made me realize I don't love ALL reading). I believe a large reason that I love reading is due to all the children's books that I read as a child. This is the one part of teaching that I absolutely can not WAIT to do! I am so excited to build up a classroom library, and so excited to read to my students, and so excited to share my enthusiasm for reading with them and so excited to watch each of my students (hopefully!) "catch" some enthusiasm for reading.

I spent some time skimming through some different children's books and found a few I really liked! I personally love the humorous children's books, although I really appreciate the more serious ones as well. There was one book, in particular, that cracked me up today. Walter the Farting Dog was probably one of the funniest books I have read in a while. Unfortunately, I think this book may border on slightly inappropriate for classroom use (I can just IMAGINE trying to settle down a group of kids after reading THAT at storytime!), but I think it's books like this that can be helpful in encouraging kids to read. I can see this story being one that a parent would buy for a child who hates reading, only to discover that the child would sit down and try to read this book...because it's just so funny that you WANT to try to read it. (I realize that's extremely over-optimisitic, but I'd like to think that maybe somewhere, with some child, it would work out that way:))

Besides Walter the Farting Dog, I was also able to read a few other quality books. I read Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! The Pigeon books always make me smile, so I enjoyed reading this one. However, I still love Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! the best!

The last book I read was the story of Owen and Mzee. You may have heard the story of this pair. Owen was a baby hippo that was separated from his pod in the Decemeber 2004 tsunami. After he was rescued, he was put it a wildlife refuge. Because he was so young, the caretakers at the refuge didn't want to put him in with the full-grown hippos, so they introduced him to an area with smaller, calmer animals. One of these animals was Mzee, a 130 year-old tortoise. Owen and Mzee have since formed an amazing friendship. They are seen "snuggling" together, playing together, eating together, and sleeping together. This was unexpected since tortoises aren't exactly known for their nurturing skills. Not to mention that fact that Mzee is a reptile and Owen is a mammal! I thought this book was an adorable story, complete with amazing pictures! This is one book that I loved, and thought could easily be incorportated into many classroom lessons.

These were only the first three books I picked up in the store, and I loved them all! I think I'm in trouble if I go to buy books for my classroom next year...

Seeing as I have yet to begin teaching and I am still getting acquainted with all the children's books, I'd love to hear any suggestions you have! What are your favorite children's books? What books do your students love? What books lend themselves well to lessons that you teach in the classroom? I'd love to hear any and all advice!

It's about this time of year that monotonous tasks begin to seem more exciting. I'm in the midst of cramming for finals and after sitting in the same position for the last five hours reading psychology text, just about ANYTHING seems more exciting. While I typically resort to checking my email obsessively (just to find that-surprise!!- I've recieved more junk mail at 1:38 in the morning!) or simply checking facebook obsessively, I've decided it's time to come up with a more productive form of procrastination.

Therefore, I decided to actually read some of the blog entries that are currently noted as "new" on my Bloglines account. I set up my RSS feeds (I think that's correct use of the terms, but I could be wrong...) during a "Teaching with Technology" class a few semesters ago. My professor recommended a few educator blogs to add, which I did, but I've been quite lax in actually reading them.

So, I suppose, fittingly, the one blog post I actually have gotten around to reading today was a post by my professor, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach in her blog 21st Century Learning. She posted the most amazing videos from a grad student, Johnny Lee, on how to use a wii remote to make a smartboard! Now, I had a little trouble following the exact instructions, but the possibility of creating a technology tool THAT amazing with materials THAT cheap astounds me. It just further excites me about the possibilities and oppotunities that will literally be surrounding me when I begin to teach in less than a year.

That being said, I must return to actual schoolwork now. I resolve to be much better about reading other educators' blogs, as I do think it is important to keep up with all the current information that's out there (and by looking at the number of unread blog entries I have, that's a WHOLE lot of information!)

Until next time, I hope everyone is having a wonderful evening and a happy holiday season!

As of tomorrow, I will be beginning the search for a teaching job. I'm going to my first job fair and I'm slightly nervous about it. I've done a mock interview, polished my resume, and reviewed my portfolio, but I still feel unprepared. I hate not knowing what to expect- I don't know if I ask the first questions, or if the interviewer will ask the first questions....

Anyways, hopefully things will go fine. Does anyone have any other specific advice regarding the job search process? Any advice would be greatly appreciated:)

I will begin teaching for my first year in a 3rd grade classroom in about a month (yikes!) I was wondering if anyone could suggest any "first-year" teacher classroom must-haves to start the year out right...any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Just some quick thoughts tonight...

After skimming some other blogs tonight, I realize how inadequate I feel when typing in this blog. Some people are so eloquent with their words, where as I feel that mine just spew and spill out without even making sense. So, bear with me if my blogs seem confusing, tangential, or just plain juvenille.

I wanted to post some quick reflections on my summer job thus far. I'm spending the summer working at summer camp (essentially a daycare kind of program) for the second summer in a row. With the completion of my student teaching last semester, I'm coming back with a slightly different perspective from last year. I think I always assumed that working with children, regardless of the setting, required the same set of skills. I've realized that summer camp and teaching require two completely different personas from me.

Until student teaching, most of the time I spent with kids was probably 80% friend role and 20% adult/authoritarian/disciplinarian role. I love goofing off with kids, playing games with them, talking to them about their likes and dislikes, and just hanging out with them in general. Between Bible School, Sunday School, Church Nursery, Babysitting, and summer camp, I thought that I was pretty well prepared to handle a classroom of students. As a leader in each of these roles, I had to maintain authority over the children, but in retrospect it was a very different kind of authority and relationship in general then the relationship I built with each of my students.

When student teaching finished up last semester, I realized that I didn't know my students that well. Sure, I knew a lot about each of my students because I spent all day discussing them with my cooperating teacher, but I was shocked at how little I really knew about each of their lives. I rarely had time to listen to students share their little ramblings about what their sibling said last night, where they lost their shoe, or how much they liked "Flushed Away." With my camp kids, I hear things like this all the time.

In a way, it makes me sad because I feel like, as a teacher, you don't get to know your students as well as you would like. In a classroom setting, you are one teacher with at least 15 kids. Your main goal is to help each student grow academically, and in order to do this, you have to sacrifice some of this personal time with students. I guess this is one thing I'll have to get used to as a teacher.

Another difference I noticed was my "classroom management" style. It makes me sad how picky you have to be about children's behavior in a classroom to keep that many students in order. I've come to understand how important classroom management is when trying to run a classroom efficiently, but it's so different from all the other "management styles" I'm used to. It seems unnatural sometimes to have students constantly following so many detailed directions...

Hopefully I'll be able to find my stride once I have my own classroom. I really hope that I can find time to "get to know my students" without sacrificing academic time. I also know that I will strive to have classroom management without constantly dictating every movement my students make. Until then, I supposs I'll continue enjoying my summer of essentially playing at camp!

Since I figured summer would be slower-paced than the school year, I've signed up to take the VRA and Praxis this summer. From what I've heard, the tests aren't too rigorous, but I still want to prepare. Any suggestions for studying/etc for these tests?

Yes, I know I have been absent in my writing for several months now. Admittedly, my semester of full-time student teaching has proved to take up the majority of the time. However, the end is on the horizon. This semester has, without a doubt, been the most challenging of my semesters at William and Mary, but also the most rewarding. My students always find a way to challenge me. Anyway, with that said, I am hoping to come back to blogging to document my first year of teaching.

My middle school motto said it best, "Choices have consequences; make wise choices."

As a student teacher, I came into the classroom midway through the year. I naturally assumed the same behavior management system as my cooperating teacher in order to provide continuity for my students. She had been big on "self-regulation" and helping students to understand that their choices all have consequences, good and bad.

This logic seems to simple. You make good decisions and good things will happen. You make bad choices and bad things will happen. Yet, it seems so difficult for first graders to remember. But should I be surprised? How often to I hear directions and not pay attention. How often do I blatantly disregard a rule or law?

Classroom and behavior management have been my biggest challenges thus far. Before teaching, I saw classroom management as a minor part of teaching. Now I realize that it is ever-present and one of the most challenging parts of teaching to grasp.

Coming up with a behavior management system is challenging. I want something that will motivate the kids, without rewarding them unnecessarily and too frequently. I want something that is achievable for all students, yet still rewards the students who make more frequent "good choices." And eventually, I want students to make ke good choices without the bribe of a reward.

So what's the best choice? So far, I've used a few things. I'm continuing my teacher's "marble system." Anytime the students are exceptionally good, do something exceptionally well, etc, they are rewarded a certain number of marbles. Once the marbles fill up the jar, the students get a party. The marble jar is used sporatically, but students are motivated to behave with the thought of getting marbles.

I also began a new system once I took over full time. I segmented the day into three parts, so that students have three chances to redeem themselves. The first time I call down a students during the day, their names goes on the board for that time period. So, if a student gets their name on the board in the morning, they still have the opportunity to keep their name off the board for two more period of the day. Each period that you keep your name off the board is worth a ticket. When students get five tickets, they recieve a sticker. This has worked ok. It's time consuming to put stickers in all the students bags and then count to see who has five. I think there's probably a better system that I"ll try once I have my own classroom.

Just my thoughts and struggles on behavior management for the time being...any suggestions?

This is my first post of the semester, as I've found myself in the midst of student teaching and insanely busy.

With a class specifically focusing on technology last semester, I found it easy to focus on technology in the classroom. However, now that I'm teaching, I realize that technology has fallen by the wayside. As a teacher, I use technology frequently. The internet is my lifesaver. I use it to find lesson ideas, worksheets, collaborate with other teachers, communicate with my cooperating teacher, etc, etc. But, I've found that my students rarely use technology IN the classroom.

I am in a first grade classroom and we have four computers. The computers are connected to the internet; however, the connection is rather slow. About once a week, there is a volunteer that comes into the classroom and helps students on the computers and they get about 15 minutes to play games on the computer. Other than that, we rarely use technology in the classroom.

I'd love to have a projector to project my computer screen on the board, but that's anot feasible. I'm not really sure of other ways to use technology in the classroom right now. I know that blogs are an option, but with only four computers and just me in the classroom...I'm not sure how to manage this.

Any suggestions from lower elementary school teachers of "best technology practices" in your classrooms?

Thanks to a family friend who is a teacher (and wonderful about sharing tips with me!), I discovered the program Photostory! I'm so excited about the possibilities with this program!

Essentially, Photostory creates a slideshow of your pictures. You can easily add music, text, and narraration. When I first read about it, it sounded similar to something you could do in Powerpoint. But, once I checked it out, I realized how much better it was! Photostory easily compiles all these elements for you.

The teacher who introduced Photostory to me said that she uses it in her Kindergarden class for show and tell. She takes pictures of the children with their belongings and then will post the Photostory on her class webpage. This allows the parents to see their children in school! This is especially good for parents who don't have the time to come into the classroom, because they are still able to see their children in school!

I've just downloaded the program, so I haven't had much of a chance to explore it, but I already have a project I'd like to attempt. I think Photostory would be a wonderful way to create a "virtual field trip." For a field trip lesson plan I had to create last semester, I went to Jamestown. While I was there, I took a ton of pictures. I think I could easily create a "virtual field trip" with these pictures. I could add my own narraration, and tailor the information to meet the SOLs. This would be a wonderful way for students to experience areas that are too far away for a field trip. And it is way more exciting than reading from a textbook!

Yay technology. I'm really excited to be able to try this out in my own classroom.

I want to have high expectations.

Ever since I started school, I have adored playing the part of the teacher. I set up an entire school room in my basement and scoured Goodwills for old textbooks. I begged my siblings to sit still for more hours of "school" after they got home from "real school" and even had a treasure box to reward those especially good students!

As I've gotten older and come to realize the other considerations that play into a career choice, I've debated the teaching profession. The salary, (sometimes) lack of prestige, never-ending work, and persnickety parents were all factors that led me to reconsider. But, I couldn't envision myself truly waking up excited for any of the other jobs.

So, naturally, I have high expectations for the path I've chosen. I expect that I'll wake up every morning thrilled to be in the classroom. I expect that my students will always make me laugh, giggle, and be excited to learn. I expect that I'll have fun at school everyday, something that is impossible in any other job I could have chosen.

And I'm scared that I'm wrong. This semester I've been in the school about three days a week. I'm starting to get a good feel for what it's all about, and it's not quite living up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying it, but I'm just scared it won't be exactly as I've envisioned teaching.

Next semester, I'll student teach. I'm not going to lie. I'm petrified about student teaching. How will I ever be excited to teach every day if I'm starting out petrified? I'm scared the kids won't learn anything, I'll completely lose control of the classroom, my teacher will think I'm completely incompetent, I'll loose a student somewhere between homeroom and the cafeteria, or I'll simply burn out before I even graduate.

I'm excited, but the petrified feeling has pretty much taken over as I'm closely approaching student teaching. Why? I know I have the potential to do it, but somewhere along the way, I've lost my confidence.

I'm hoping that student teaching will be scary for a little bit, but end up reaffirming my desire to teach. I think of myself as an optimist, so I'd rather not go into this with low expectations. I want to go in with high expectations for myself, my class, my chosen profession.

The vulnerability scares me.

But it's a risk I'm willing to take.

"As pre-service teachers participating in practica and student teaching experiences in the schools, the SOE students are expected to meet or exceed the schools' expectations of appearance and behavior. Unkempt clothing, shorts, sandals, mini-skirts, bare midriffs, excessive body piercings, t-shirts, bare shoulders...are oftentimes unacceptable for school teachers. Students should dress professionally at all times in the schools, typified by slacks, skirts, collared shirts, ties, closed toed shoes, and the like." excerpt from Student Teaching Handbook

So don't get me wrong. I love sweatpants. I recently told my roomate that I sincerely believed sweatpants should become acceptable as daily casual wear. I'm a big fan of comfort.

But, I'm also a big fan of looking professional. Last semester, we had a long introduction to the School of Education. Somewhere in between testing requirements and evaluation forms, there was mention of appropriate dress. Being the eager student I was, I listened carefully and began mentally planning outfits for my first few visits to the school. Now, maybe I'm just excited to play teacher and dress the part, but I've noticed some slacking in the dress code department at my school.

Elementary school doesn't necessarily lend itself to high fashion. Kids throw up, wet their pants, wave magic markers and wipe their noses on the nearest adult. So naturally, I'm not expecting to see people in their most fabulous outfits. But I do expect to see slacks and a button up shirt,or something along those lines. I've surprised by the number of jeans that I've seen teachers and other faculty wearing. I've seen jean shorts, and even occasionally sweatpants!

Personally, I think we should try to hold ourselves to slightly higher standards. Although we are working with children (who can be more than messy at times), as teachers we are still professionals. By dressing the part, I feel you will demand more respect, and also expect more from yourself.

We've all heard the saying where you know a Mom has given up when you only see her in sweats. It's essentially the same thing when you see a teacher constantly dressing down.

So, here's to a challenge for all the teachers (and student teachers!)- don't forget that you are a professional as well! Dress the part!

I would like to do something similar to one of my classmates and reminisce about the past few months. This semester has been a busy one, but if we just think about this spring - when we get to teach all day our wonderful kids, it is inspiring. The 9 other people in my education classes have been wonderful companions and I, like Tiffany, hope we stay in touch for a long time. We are all quite different from each other, yet we all want the same thing - to be teachers. I realize today, after eating lunch with my cooperating teacher and the other first grade teachers at my school, that I am almost one of them. I feel almost like I am accepted in their group. One step closer to my dream.

I had this longer narrative planned, but at this time, this will suffice.

I was looking for some childrens books to read for my language arts class, and I came across some books about sexuality. I was shocked! I had no idea that they made childrens books that deal with sexuality. Some of the titles of the books were: King and King, Molly's Family, My Two Uncles, and so forth. What with all the stipulations on schools, with religion or whatever, I don't think there is anyway one would be allowed to read these books in their class. But suppose you do have a student (or students) with 2 mommies or 2 daddies!? I mean, the other students will find out i'm sure. Do you just ignore this like you might religious questions? I have heard some schools that have issues with christmas books or so forth, even with other religion books read as well, how would they respond to sexuality books?

I was reading this blog earlier at work, and it was talking about how their district is teaching sexuality and diseases in kindergarten! I can't believe that. Those kids can't even read when they get there! True, these days, middle school maybe too late to have those presentations, but kindergarten. I think that is too young and just ludicris. I'd like to know others thoughts on this topic!

In mid November, I taught my technology Implementation lesson on Jamestown. Which, by the way, I spent a lot of time working on, so y'all should check it out! That was an experience! My school does not have a computer lab, so I did my webquest with 7 kids sharing 3 computers. Because I wanted all the kids to experience the webquest (and the other two projects I had), I did not pick a select few to do the assignment with. However, realistically trying to do the webquest with 3 computers touching side-by-side and 7 kids, almost sitting in each others lap, was not a good idea. To add to that dilemma, my kids weren't very computer literate because unlike many neighboring schools, they don't have computer as a resource, and they don't start work with computers that much in kindergarten.

This was about a month ago, but since then, my school had gotten a lot more technologically advanced. While they still don't have a computer lab or smart boards, they do have two laptop carts with about 30 computers and every classroom the teacher has a laptop that connects to the screen that comes down. They also now have video cameras, which they didn't have before, and some other things. The other day, I got to watch my class being introduced to the laptop. The technology person talked about the rules and such, and the students task for that 35 minute lesson was to turn the computer on and off twice, which some of them had trouble with. For some, i'm sure this was the first time they ever touched a laptop. Seeing them that day made me think about my technology observations at other schools.

Because many of the schools in the neighboring county have computer labs, the students can interact with computers on a weekly basis starting in kindergarten. When I observed some k, 1st and 2nd grade classes, they were drawing and doing things on the programs, that I had no idea how to do. I just think it is amazing how much technology does matter. These kids are way more advanced tehcnologically than my kids; while that doesn't mean they are more intelligent, they do have 1 up on them. Since much of the present (and future) is technology based, essentially, they are ahead.

Today I had a rare and delightful experience... being able to kick back and visit with my cooperating teacher while the students were at P.E.! We discussed classroom management issues, talked about lesson plan ideas, and shared cute and funny stories about some of the students. Our conversation took a more serious note with the topic of "uninvolved" parents. She mentioned that one particular student's parents had not been in the classroom or even been in contact with her since the very beginning of the school year. No replies to notes sent home, no parent-teacher conferences, no communication whatsoever. At first, I was annoyed with the thought of how this inconsiderate behavior would make it difficult for the teacher. But my perspective and sympathy shifted from teacher to student when she commented, "Yeah, way to show your child you care about them, huh?"

What message does that send a child, when they draw a picture and leave a note for their parents on Open House day, and then the parents never go and miss that gift? Or when they're in a play at school, or have a special presentation, or a game for a sports team, and no one is there to see them and cheer them on?

I began to understand why this particular child is always seeking attention and seems so sensitive and "needy"... she's insecure. My feelings of frustration and annoyance at the parents turned to pity for the student. Every child needs and seeks encouragement and approval from those they love or look up to. Love is a basic human need. I began to understand how much of a void is left when they don't see it expressed. This really pulled on my heart strings! Knowing where this child is coming from sort of automatically increased my patience for her attention-seeking. More than anything, it reminded me of the critical role and incredible potential a teacher has, and it reinforced my determination to a make a difference in my students' lives. I can't be their parent, but as a teacher, I can show them that I sincerely care about them and their future. This is hope and desire for making a difference is the very core of why I want to teach.

While spending time in my technology practicum working with the technology teacher at my elementary school, I had the opportunity to assist a lesson of fourth graders who use the internet to track hurricanes. The lesson is really neat--the research the chosen hurricane, and once they have written an article on it (the end project is to create the front page of the newspaper from the day after it hit), they use GoogleImage to find pictures of the destruction. It is, as the tech teacher put it, "the carrot at the end of the stick".

While I was there, the class was transitioning from research to writing their "article", and some students even made it to the point where they searched for images. The teacher mentioned to me at the end of the lesson the differences in the level of students--not only was there an apparent difference between kids who could easily construct a paragraph and those that had trouble just forming a sentence, but also a difference between those that were familiar with computers and those that were not. And the kids who had trouble both typing and writing...their disadvantage compared to the rest of their peers was overwhelming.

The experience underscored for me the need to have technology integrated as much as possible. Students should learn how to print, write cursive, and type. And if we were only to teach two of those, I'd say cursive should be out first. Just as we're changing our definition of literacy, we need to rethink what we're asking when we want someone who can write. Because, more often than not, it will be more important to type information than it will be to print information.

I had to fill out a bunch of worksheets for a children's lit project I have for a methods course... and even after very little writing my hand really began to ache. Writing is hard work...and I'm out of practice--because I type everything. And typing should be considered an alternate form of recording. For a lot of kids, typing is a skill that could maximize their rapidity at recording information, which would help them to boost their academic performance.

Unfortunately, though, typing isn't taught in my elementary school at all--the technology teacher aligns all of his lessons with what the grades are doing from the SOLs. And, each class only sees him once every seven school days--not a lot at all. But not even one class period can remain untouched by the SOLs. And I'm not saying that kids should spend hours upon hours of doing typing drills--I certainly hated it. But at least the opportunity to learn should be available. Because otherwise, how are the kids who are behind going to catch up? Frustration with the tool (because they cannot type adequately) is certainly not going to encourage students to use technology more--and would probably discourage it.

I am posting an original recipie for an apple cake, because I love cooking, and while I love teaching, it's often refreshing to take off the teaching hat. It's a good season for apples so I think it's only appropriate, and with finals approaching, it's an even better season for stress eating. At least this has some fruit in it.
;o)

Did I mention that after teaching, I'd like to be a food critic? Mmmm. (I'm not gonna lie, I'm really looking forward to tasting all the food in Ecuador...)

Apple-Ricotta Kuchen
This cake has three layers: a hearty cake base, a cheese middle, and a layer of sliced apples on top.

Cake base:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. all-purpose flour (or for a gluten-free version, I recommend Bob's Red Mill millet flour)
1/2 c. almond meal (can be purchased at Trader Joe's, or made by processing almonds in a food processor until the texture of soft sand; but, can be substituted with flour if necessary)

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and sugar until light, add eggs one at a time and beat after each. Beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and and fold in flour and almond meal. Spoon into buttered and floured pan (I used a 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment instead of flour and butter, because that's what we have in our dorm room, and it worked perfectly). Set aside.

Cheese Mixture:
1 1/4 c. skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

Combine all ingredients. Spoon on top of cake batter carefully to keep layers separate.

Apples: Peel and slice 2 apples. Arrange apple slices on top of cheese mixture. (Optional: soak or sprinkle the apple slices with apple juice before placing them onto the cake for extra flavor or moistness). Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.

Bake cake in the oven about 45 minutes, or until the center of the cheese mixture has set. Allow to cool sufficiently and enjoy.

Bon apetit!

I just have to say it... I adore my classmates. I don't think I could be any luckier to have such intelligent and committed people to work with every day. It's so funny reading everyone's blogs because I can hear them saying it--I hear Rachel reading her blog with her softly southern voice that packs a punch when it needs to; Brittany when she hesitates before her face lights up in a smile; Meg when she talks about her kids. It's funny how clearly your voices come through. It's probably easier because we spend so much time together...but I take reassurance that even when we're all in our separate classrooms there's still hope that we can stay together by blogging.

I had the fortune to watch several of my classmates' implementation projects. It's been so interesting to see the ways in which they have chosen to use technology in their classrooms--a couple have gone to the lab and conducted the lesson there; and others have used laptops within their regular classrooms. The experiences have varied--while I would say that hands-down, every lesson was a success--most of us (except for Emily) walked away feeling like it was just a failure. It is really hard teaching a class, one class, a lesson with technology--essentially it means that it is up to us to establish procedure for technology (none of our teachers really had that in place) while asserting ourselves as their teacher (our capacity has mostly been to observe). It was no small challenge.

What I think I learned from this, though, is that the best use of technology is consistent and sustained. The logistical challenges to getting our lessons done were huge. And yet... if we were in our own classroom, we would probably spend at least a whole class period rehearsing procedures for technology. So this implementation project asked us to do a lot, and in doing so, I think, helped us to grasp the ideal situation with technology and why it is that ideal--make use of technology regular so that it is integrated into the children's classroom experience.

What was really remarkable, though, was the excitement of all of our students to be using technology. To have students that excited about anything was awesome. It caught me off-guard, actually--they just loved using laptops or the lab. It feels almost gimicky to use the technology to engage the students...but...engagement leads to better learning...I'll take whatever gimmick I can get.

In Scholastic's magazine for November/December, they promoted Imbee as a free and safe site for parents, teachers, and students to connect and blog. I felt so ahead of the game as Professor Nussbaum-Beach has already gotten us on that bandwagon.

I've decided that instead of going straight to the elementary classroom, and instead of getting a masters', I'm going to spend 10 or 11 months in Ecuador teaching English and becoming fluent in Spanish. The more I think about the idea, the more excited I become. I love being fluent in a language (French), but it will be so much better when I'm fluent in a language that more people use! And, for the classroom, well, it would just be fantastic.

I hope that I will have access to computers and to internet at my teaching site in Ecuador. There are so many resources online that make language teaching not only easier, but more meaningful. It'd be great to partner with an American class to have an exchange through blogging. Or even Skype, as Malini pointed out in her post about Chris Craft's blog.

And then... the possibility of being fluent (at least functionally fluent) in Spanish just has my mind reeling with so many great teaching opportunities. I would love to work with Hispanic communities--what a difference it could make for these families to be able to talk to their child's teacher in Spanish! Even just to be able to incorporate some Spanish into the every-day routine, or be able to offer a center on Spanish (Spanish AND French!!!). Gee wiz, I just love teaching elementary students and I just love foreign languages. It's too bad that they don't intersect often enough.