First Week Learnings

-Reflect on something significant you learned this week...

This week I learned about the significance of technology in the classroom today.  Because the students these days have all grown up in a digital age, they are generally comfortable using technology.  Since students are comfortable using today’s technologies they are apparently more responsive to learning when they are able to incorporate digital/computer technology into the assignment.  When I complete Edu 422 I will have the skills necessary to make sure the students are learning to their full potential when it comes to utilizing technologies.

       This week I also learned one of the most useful ways you can insure fair grading is to use a rubric.  I have seen rubrics before, but they were not common when I was a student.  They are a great way to let the students know exactly what you are expecting of them.  It seems very fair because even if a student is not the most organized or neatest can still do well by trying their hardest and meeting all the requirements to receive an A.  I will gladly utilize rubrics in my class and look forward to creating one later on this week.

       I also learned about the importance of newsletters in elementary school classrooms.  They are apparently the best means to get monthly information conveyed to the students in an easy to reference manner.  When the class says you never told us, you can look back on the newsletter and say, “Yes I did”.

       Finally I also learned of the pitfalls of online social networks.  Since many of the self-created pages can be too revealing or reveal inappropriate information to parents, students, and potential employers, they are bad ideas for teachers.  Makes sense to me!