Creativity & Technology --- Out THERE!

I recently discovered the Shortie Awards, a student news and film festival that recognizes digital media productions made by students and teachers. Some of the submissions are actual short films, others are like the vignettes we made. The Shortie Awards are part of MHz Education, and provides resources such as professional development programs for teachers. They broadcast shows on TV on the East Coast. Here's a sample of one of the winners. It makes me laugh. :)

Class Class. Yes Yes Indeed.

For all you future Power Teachers here is a quick demo on Power Teaching. Learn how to gesture, stomp, and talk over others on your way to a brighter academic future.

Education of Ms. Groves

Education of Ms. Groves is a great series on the Sundance Channel that follows a new teacher as she takes on the challenges of working in an inner city school. This show is both entertaining and informative.


Here is a link to some video clips:
http://www.sundancechannel.com/videos/230227791

Majority Rules Blog a Good Source on Local Events

Seattle school district is reportedly facing a $24 million shortfall in their budget. It seems that that school closures are inevitable. There are speculations that anywhere from three to nine schools may have to be shut down. I remember our class’ visits to Northshore’s school meetings during the closure/cutbacks debate. There is going to be a lot of tough heartbreaking decision-making in the administration, the community, and the teaching body. So far the discussions of this issue on the radio and in blogs has had a negative tone. This will definitely be an important issue to follow. Majority Rules seems like a good place to get some of your information.

VIDEO- Teachers are like Mirrors

I grew up with low self-esteem. This video touched me because I think it puts forth a great message in remembering your role as a teacher as a unique position in which you can instill positive self-esteem, body image and self worth in children. This was something I always wished I had reflected to me. I had teachers that did not practice this, and some that did and I think the message is very important. WATCH

Great quote from the video-

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is YOUER than YOU."
-Dr. Seuss

Too Much To Handle

In my dyad experience, sometimes I feel like my teacher has too much on her plate. What I mean is, that when my cohort partner and I are in class with her, we do A LOT of work. Whether it's setting up for a lesson, making copies, passing things out, taking over the class, working individually with students, working with groups, grading, etc. etc.... It's hard for me to believe that she gets all of this done when we aren't there to help. I want to talk to her about how she manages this class and all that it entails when she is alone, but don't want to offend her in my asking. I think she realizes that she has us both do a ton of work for her and sometimes she will apologize for it, but I just want to know how it is possible to run her class with just her from what I've seen.

There are some students that require a lot of special attention in this class having a large amount of ELL students as well as a few behavioral children that don't participate in anything unless worked one on one with. They are able to benefit from classtime when my cohort member and I are there able to work with them, but my teacher does not have enough time to give them a lot of one on one when we are not. I'm wondering how to address this with my teacher without being misunderstood.

Free the Children video

Watching the video, "Free the Children" was a really eye opener to me. When we were watching the segment about the children in India and the police raided the rug factory, I was thinking that being reunited with their family is a short term solution. But having rehabilitation center is a really good but should we also look at having the family members have some seminar and help them understand what their children endured. The segment about the sex trade in the Philippines really hit me. I did not realize how much sex trade my own country is involve. I felt guilty because I feel like I need to be there to help but in reality I am here...

One Parent's Thoughts About Teachers

This is an editorial from today's P-I that talks about one parent's respect for teachers.

No Climate Change Here...

Last week in my Dyad, John and I were asked to come up with a lesson plan dealing with Earth systems or catastrophic events to present to the class before we leave. Because most of my undergrad work here at UWB was focused upon the environment and environmental issues, I thought that doing a lesson on climate change would be a great opportunity to put some of those concepts and ideas that I had learned to use and present them to the class. My dyad teacher surprised me by saying that it was the one subject that we should avoid!

Apparently he has had a problem in the past with a student who didn’t like the way that my Dyad teacher taught the lesson (in a science class) and took it upon themselves to get their parent to try and get him fired over it. It really surprised me that something that is really scientific knowledge, something Al Gore received a Nobel prize for, would be something that he would not allow to be taught in his class because of a past run in with a difficult parent.

It seems to me that as a science teacher your role is to simply present the facts, and the controversy is best left for others. I just thought that this was a strange thing that happened and that I’d share.