Getting that full time position...

Well, once again it's been awhile!  Subbing has been pretty slow the last couple weeks because of the holiday break and the snow.  We're suppose to be getting even more snow tonight.  I've been trying to get together all of my applications and files that need to be sent along with them.  I've contacted who I need to in order to get the updated recommendation letters I need.  I find it interesting that things fall into your life as you need them.  I recently started keeping more closely in touch with two teachers I student taught with.  Because of this, I felt more comfortable asking them to update letters of recommendation for me.  I have student loans coming up that I will need to make a payment on.  One of the same teachers introduced me to a jewelry business where I can make some extra money in my spare time.  I'm happy that these people have come back into my life and help me out.  I just believe that if you stay positive and know that things will work out when they are suppose to, they will.  I've also been reading this book called, The Secret.  It's very good and I recommend it.  There are tons of inspirational quotes and it explains how "You are what you think."  The Secret shows you how to be more aware of your thoughts and how to attain your goals.

Since it's the New Year... I've been thinking about what I want to do differently this year.  For one, I want to start to cook more.  I've been saying that and I actually got some really neat cookbooks for Christmas.  Thanks Grandma :)   I also got a crock-pot! Very exciting!  So I hope to actually put those things to use.  The second thing, is to express more to my mother how thankful I am to have her and to actually let her know that I love her more.  What else?  Probably try to have a better relationship with my sister.  As I've gotten older, I've really realized the importance of family.  I want to really get focused for what I am doing next in my career.  Obviously, I want that full time teaching position, but it is just not going to happen if there aren't any openings.  So should I look farther out, like the city? Or another state? I don't know... Or what do I want to do next school year?  Do I still want to sub?  I like subbing, but I do not like not having health benefits through it or the fact that it is not steady.  I've been thinking about going back to being a TA if I don't have any luck with applications this time around.  I still am working overnights (3 nights a week) just to keep my health benefits.  It has taken away from weekends and my free time, so it is not something I wanted to do for a long time.

Well, if anyone has suggestions for job hunting, please feel free to leave them! Or maybe some other ideas of places I could work related to the field that might offer some good benefits.  

Update

Just thought I would take a minute to update.  I've been extremely busy between two jobs.  Subbing has been going great so far.  I had a placement at middle school yesterday.  It was my first time at that level, I had been getting called for the elementary school prior to that.  It was extremely chaotic in the morning because there was an overflow of subs in the office due to a teacher training workshop going on.  Time was ticking and I was waiting to get my assignment.  I like to have enough time to prepare and read over the plans.  One of the most stressful things is only having 5-10 mins to prepare.  So, I was thrown into an eighth grade English class!  Not as scary as I thought, being that I almost look like a student myself.  First period went great and as the day went on, the students got more rambunctious.  I had a few challenges with students who were being inappropriate and just talking about things that weren't related to the lesson.  All in all, it wasn't bad; I was able to maintain control and get through what the teacher had left, for the most part.  I like subbing at the middle school level because of the way the day is broken up. I like having new sets of students and being able to refine my lessons if I know something did or did not work well for a previous class. 

 I've been trying to find more educational pages on Facebook to follow.  Here are some I will share:
National Geographic
The Teacher's Hub
Social Media in Education
Edutopia
Verizon Thinkfinity
Gateway to 21st Century Skills
I am Teacher

There are tons of great resources and information for teachers on these pages.  

First Day Called To Sub

My first day called for a sub job was yesterday.  I was more excited than nervous.  It was a nice first day because I was asked to sub for a teacher's aide.  Since this was the case, I was able to get a feel for the school and classrooms.  I worked mainly with one student and took the whole class to recess, lunch, and gym.  Overall, the day went good.  I was able to work well with the student I was assigned to and get him motivated to do his work.  I learned that recess and lunch can be chaotic times.. Unfortunately, I did not have a whistle like the other aides in the lunch room had, so it was difficult to draw all students attention when it was so loud.  Students definitely did try to take advantage, knowing that I was new.  Getting this preview, I know that one of the most important things is to establish rules early and clearly.  

Behavior Management:

I liked an idea that the classroom teacher used to monitor behavior.  She had a bulletin board in the room with all of the students' names on it.  Under each student's name, there were three index (sized) cards, one red, yellow, and green.  They were layered on top of each other in this order.  After being verbally warned more than one time, the student would be asked to change their card from "green" to "yellow."  Each day the students start off at green.  Then after students got to red, there would be consequences.  I like this system because it teaches the students that they are in control of their own behavior and they are physically moving something to remind them of that.  Students can visually see where they are and how the majority of the class is.  

A New School Year, A New Experience

I am both nervous and excited to start substitute teaching.  I have been reading a few books to help prepare myself:

• Substitute Teacher Handbook K-12
• Substitute Teaching from A-Z

I've also purchased some books such as Mind Joggers! 5-15 Minute Activities That Make Kids Think.  I want to be as prepared as I can.  I have looked at the district's website and printed out information on the school policies and also found some really neat web resources there.  This blog is full of resources :  Teaching 2.0  A Professional Development Resource Blog.  There is an infinite number of tech resources out there for the new school year!

Right now, I am in the process of making a binder to organize everything that I will need to carry with me, such as my assignment logs, teacher reports, student activities, school calendars and locations, etc.  I will be subbing mainly for elementary and middle school students and need to have a variety of plans.  If there is time to fill, I want to have something that I can implement and that is educational.  I've continued to build my book collection for different levels.

I have read tips for substitute teachers on management and organization.  I plan on going in with an open mind and getting the most out of my experience.  I will keep a notebook of different ideas I see in classrooms that I may want to use in my own one day.  I know that there will be good days and bad and will use each day to shape my teaching style.  I can read different tips and strategies but won't see the reality until it happens.  Being prepared and organized is the first step! :)

Continuing My Professional Blog

I really would like to continue to utilize this blog that I created with my Masters program for Integrating technology. I will be starting to substitute teach in the upcoming school year and would like to use this space to write about my experiences and put up any resources that I find or would like to share. I am going to put an effort into finding ways to use the web to benefit my teaching career.

As I probably have mentioned in earlier posts, I am unfamiliar with Twitter. Today, I logged in again (it has been a few months since I created it). I am going to use my Twitter site to follow educational posts. Here is a link to my page: https://twitter.com/Michelle0529. You can see who I have began to follow there.

New and Emerging Technologies - Final Reflection

During this course, I've learned a lot about the transformation of digital tools and the stages that technology passes through (McLuhan's Tetrad). I've also learned how to be a teacher leader and the different steps or approaches I can take to advocate for technology programs at my school. One of the themes of this course that I came across several times was that student learning styles are changing and as teachers, we need to consider that and be open to trying new things in our classrooms. Almost all students interact with some form of technology outside of school. In order to make learning relevant to their everyday lives, we need to bring some of that technology into school and show students how to use those tools in an educational way. By showing students how to successfully manage and organize the large amounts of information that are available to them, they will become better self-directed learners. With technology, students need to know that they can customize their own learning experiences. This course has provided an unlimited number of ways to customize curricula. We have studied different virtual environments, such as online learning modules (Moodle), multi-user virtual environments (Second Life), digital games, and creating personal learning networks. Teachers can be unsure about using certain virtual environments because they are unfamiliar with them. From my own experience, I was unfamiliar with MUVES, like Second Life, and was unaware of all of the educational benefits. I learned that there are many resources for teachers in Second Life, including professional development opportunities. Teachers can also meet in Second Life from different places around the world to share ideas and have conferences. Students are able to create avatars, build worlds, and collaborate. According to Will Richardson (2009), we should "be proactive in educating about social networking." Using MUVES creates opportunities for students to learn in a multi-sensory environment, problem-solve, and view content through multiple representations. A major benefit of using online learning tools is that it reduces student's threat of failure. In virtual environments, students can experiment with trial and error. Several software provides immediate feedback. What more could a teacher ask for?

In demonstration of my learning, I created a lesson that integrated digital mini games and other interactive web sites. The content area the lesson focuses on is Science, specifically, human body systems. Students watch a video clip from Brain Pop and discuss familiar systems as a class. During the explore phase, students work with a partner to interact with these web sites: Kinetic City - All Systems Are Go!, Inner Body, and Kids Health. While gathering information from these sites, students are asked to record notes on a graphic organizer. At the closing of the lesson, students take an online quiz. Through these web sites, students are able to navigate the body systems and focus on what they feel they need to. At the Kinetic City site, students play a mini game where they match body parts to their body systems. This game is very content centered, but gives students a fun way to learn. I was able to demonstrate my learning in this course through creating this lesson because I successfully integrated educational digital games that were goal-directed. Using these web sites, provides an example of how technology can enhance student learning and focus on multiple learning styles. I also constructed a report on influencing adoption and explored grant resources. I found several great grant resources and programs aimed at technology integration.

According to Fullan (2001), "change is a process, not an event" (p.40). Adjustments I will make to my efforts and teaching will focus on this thought. Change is ongoing and should be managed in steps. When I have a classroom of my own, I will create a mixed learning atmosphere. I will integrate the technologies I have learned about in this course based on the needs of my students and my own readiness. I will look into more professional development opportunities for myself and other teachers to learn about new and emerging technologies. I also now have the knowledge to locate funding and defend my choices of technology to administrators and parents.

Resources:
Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009) Virtual worlds. New and Emerging Technologies. Baltimore: Author.

Emerging Technology: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

My Voice Thread presentation on online learning:

http://voicethread.com/share/1180623/