Blog Post Assignment #1

Krissy Venosdale is a GiftedEd teacher for grades 3-6. Here blog, Venspired, is very inspiring, and I feel like I can connect with her since I will be getting a degree in elementary education. I'd love to be a student in her classroom. Her post "If I Built a School" was perfect. She would make her classroom so welcoming and free for the children. I love how she said creativity would ooze from every pore in the building. I also loved how she would make the environment so comfy and relaxed ,so the children could learn freely and easily. I agree with how she would have laptops, desktops, tablets, IPads, and even cellphones in her school. There would be no regulations because the students would earn her respect and trust to use them at the proper times. She gave the students the opportunity to create trust and not just rules to where they could never earn it. Her ideas are a lot similar to how I would want to build my school if I had that option. I throughly enjoyed Sugata Mitra: A School in the Clouds. I thought his research helped prove his idea on how a SOLE-Self Organized Learning Environment would do good in the 21st century. I found it amazing how children who had never used a computer before learned how to use it without instruction. I believe that if that was possible, then children today with good teachers and a nice school could learn how to do a lot with technology. I liked how he incorporated encouragement into this school also. It was amazing that with just encouragement from someone else the children learned more, even without a teacher and instruction. Before viewing this video, I would have never been convinced on this idea of an SOLE that he presents. After this video though and all of his research, he proves his idea well. I support his plan and feel as thought it will be successful in schools.

What I want my students to know

I want my student to know many things in my classroom. I don't want my classroom to just be a place of studying and memorizing facts for a test. I don't want the children to feel like all I want them to know is what material they will be tested on, or what I teach. Yes, I want my students to know that learning new material is an important goal. I want them to pay attention and to know that I expect them to learn and give their all in my class and towards the academics. However, I want my students to know that I am here to teach them, but also that my classroom is a place they can feel safe. I want them to know that I am here during tough times and that they can come into my classroom and feel comfortable. I want my students to know that I am going to give my job as their teacher my all, and im also here for them. I want my student to know that I expect their best effort and that my classroom will always be a safe, comfortable place.

What I want my students to be able to do

I want my students to be able to learn in my class. I want them to come in and sit down comfortably, with no worries but learning the new material being presented. I want them to know that my classroom is always suited to accommodate them and that they are highly respected and expected a lot from. I want them to be able to know what I expect and what they should expect from themselves. Mostly, I want them to learn to the best of their abilities and know that they can do anything they set their mind too.

What method I will teach my children with

My method of teaching my children will be a combination of things. I want to incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic ways into my teaching. Not all children will learn as fast or in the same way as others. I want to present information in multiple ways so it can be learned an easier, and it will be able to sink in in multiple ways.

Tools I will use in my classroom

I want to use up to date technology tools in my classroom. I want to use a smart board, laptops, and up to date programs. I want to use tools that help the students know how to work technology also. I want to use tools that incorporate learning in multiple ways.

What role my students will play in my classroom

My students will all play an equal role in my classroom. One child will not be better or expected more from than the other. They will be able to participate in the learning process in multiple ways. I want them to be able to learn and help others learn. They will be expected to give presentations and show that they understand new things that I teach. The learning environment will be comfortable and they will know that they can ask anything.