All of us SMAC'ers are almost there before having one month off before the real work begins. Today I felt was one of the best of the term. I felt our visitors, provided some great advice. Kevin's advice to model tech use really stuck with me. I am a tech person by heart. When I get a new piece of software or hardware or join a new social networking site I dive right into it. I love getting to know the ins and outs of technology, taking things apart to see how they work and can be put new uses. However, when I am teaching I cannot assume my students, even though they are a part of the Generation M they may not have that assumed computer literacy. Students need to know what the teacher expects for performance.
Larry said student teaching should be our one time where we as teachers can experiment with our pedagogy and classroom management. Even though I have been taught general chemistry at the University of Michigan for the past two years, I have never received the chance to experiment with my teaching. The curriculum, syllabus, lesson plans, assessments, and lab protocols were always designed ahead of time by the professor. I am excited to take ownership of my teaching. In the fall, I will be teaching integrated science and physics in an inquiry-based classroom. I have some cool ideas I would love to try out. So, I feel bad for my mentor teacher if my ideas bomb.
At the end of class we skyped in with Lauren's class from the New York. It was great hearing from her students what they expect from teachers. I want to make my lessons content rich and utilize higher order thinking, but I also want them to be fun. I had some really cool science teachers in my past, so I would like to pay it forward all that was given to me. Lauren had a great idea when she said holds Facebook office hours. This would allow students to reach me easily when they are not in class. My only worry is that not every student has the internet resources to be able to take part in online office hours. However, hearing that most students in her low-income area have a smart phone (which was surprising) this should not be in issue as Facebook is integrated into the majority of phones (android, iOS, Windows7 Mobile, Symbian, and BBOS).
I had a great first term in the SMAC program. I met some great new friends and future teachers. I also learned a lot about reform, using technology in the classroom, pedagogy, enhancing literacy, how to hit higher order thinking in my lessons. Therefore, my fellow SMAC'ers, have a great August and see you in a few weeks!