What is a manifesto?

According to the online merriam-webster dictionary the definition of a manifesto is: a written statement that describes the policies, goals, and opinions of a person or group. As teachers we need to have a statement that we believe in, statements or opinions that we believe makes an effective teacher. A manifesto is not a list of goals to PLAN to accomplish, but a list of things you WILL accomplish. In class this week my fellow classmates and I all had to write our own education manifesto. I am happy to share mine with you. I would love to hear opinions/feedback. Feel free to leave comments below :)
-I WILL be an effective and engaging teacher.
-I WILL push each one of my students to reach for success.
-I WILL address culturally awareness in my classroom.
-I WILL make any modifications to my lessons to fit the learning style of each of my students.
-I WILL encourage uniqueness and individuality.
-I WILL teach beyond standardized tests.
-I WILL use technology in the classroom and have educational objectives for the use of technology in the classroom.
-I WILL encourage cooperative learning in the classroom. People learn through conversation with others.
-I WILL be open to criticism and seek professional development opportunities. I will be open to anything to better myself as an educator.
-I WILL enforce critical thinking in the classroom setting.

By: Laura Sanchez

Technology In The Classroom

This week we covered the topic "technology in the classroom." We even got to play around with some great technology resources on the internet. While creating my "goanimate" video I realized how important the principles of technology are. Technology should be used for educational purposes only. Always have objectives when using technology in the classroom. Something extremely important is making sure that all of your students have access to any technology resources used in the classroom. If they don't have access at home make sure that you provide them with the resources they need. As teachers you should also keep in mind that technology should be used as a supplement for your teaching only. The technology should not be doing all the teaching for you. There should still be teaching going on in the classroom. I enjoyed watching the goanimate videos my classmates made as well. They were all resourceful. I learned a lot about the use of technology in the classroom from my peers. If you have not used goanimate I would recommend it to any teacher. It is a fun and easy resource to use. You can access it at: goanimate4schools.com

Technology in the Classroom

This week we made a podcast/video of the importance of technology in the classroom. We looked up some useful apps that will help teachers in the class. Remember to use technology not only to make your planning easier but to engage the students in the lessons and content. 

http://www.teacherkit.net

https://www.edmodo.com

http://www.showme.com

- Anna de la Garza 

Aldine ISD

On Friday my fellow classmates and I went on a field trip to Aldine ISD in Houston, Tx. It is incredible at how much I learned on this trip. We had several helpful experienced teachers who were more than happy to answer all of our questions. Walking into the classrooms I have never seen such effective teachers. Even though Aldine is a rough area in Houston, the students seemed to be engaged in the lesson being given. I have also never seen classrooms that were organized as these classrooms were.
During this trip I was given the time to reflect on the reason why I want to be a teacher. I have always known this was the career for me but I now have the drive to strive and be the best teacher I can be. Walking into the schools in Aldine I realized that for some of these children the school is the only place they feel safe, nurtured, or loved. The school is the only place some of these children will get the opportunity to eat. The teachers are their mothers, cheerleaders, and role models for most of these children. I realized that one day I want to be that role model or cheerleader. I want to be that difference. This field trip was definitely a learning opportunity for all of the future Aggie teachers that attended on Friday.
-Laura Sanchez
Class of 2015

Script a Life: Using Television and Scripting for the Student

Today, I was babysitting and I was starting to think we are so use to these little glimpse of other languages with Dora and Spanish. Now there is even Nai Hao Kai-lan. It would be great to create shows around English language learners. United States has so much demand for French in the north, Spanish in the south and many other languages in metropolitan places. This gives a chance to allow them to watch something actually educational before and during the education process while still developing their own language. I know that when I was in high school every Friday we would watch a series that went along with each chapter but still had a story line and characters. These days the average American watches so much television and many parents I know just stick their kids in front of a tv to get things done. Why not have it be educational?! Why not teach them something great and something they can use for the rest of their life !?! Even one of strategies out of the book of 50 strategies for English Language Learners, is scripting! Scripting works because kids love to be entertained. They love plays, television shows and movies because it gives them something to look to and act like. Scripting languages through video I think is the one of the best ways to see how to use it. Even if you had the teachers make a video series where your kids would watch it. Then they see the familiar faces they trust and it gives the teachers a chance to be as silly. Plus, your kids will get to see the other bilingual teachers they could have and that will allow for respect earlier! I have a video below that is one using subtitles for you. The kids get to see object names and just how english speakers use the language. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNGxjKkMgE

21st century school supplies: #1. Cell phones?

Although my sister and I sometimes have completely different tastes and opinions (she attends UT Austin and uses Apple’s iPad while I attend A&M and use Window’s Surface tablet) we recently hit upon a topic that we both strongly agree on: allowing mobile phone use in the classroom.

            We both received our educations in a school district that issued to the students multiple hardback textbooks every year. This was during the time when smartphones were barely being developed and the various social media sites were just starting to take off. Moving away from our small town home for college was a real eye-opening experience concerning how more enjoyable and efficient technology could make our learning experiences. Due to the extensive workload of our classes and how expensive textbooks can be these days we both decided to invest in a tablet to make life easier. This meant we would no longer have to carry around 30-50 lbs. of textbooks and still stay connected with our peers in way that allowed us to study smarter.

Unfortunately, we know well how unmanageable the cost of a tablet can be for many students. That is why we feel that educators and students need to take advantage of a readily available asset: their mobile phones. Today it is rare to find someone without a mobile phone. We already use them for almost every aspect of our lives, why not use them to make our educations easier and more engaging? With the growth of the phone app industry there are now apps available for almost anything. So many useful educational apps have been developed recently that we feel it is a waste to not use them. My sister recently discovered the joys of Duolingo, a free language learning app, and she swears by it as one of the best study and practice tools to maintain her Italian, German, and Spanish skills.

Looking at the plethora of educational apps and mobile devices available today, we both bemoan not having had the opportunity to use them in the classroom. It would have been great to use our phones to take quizzes, answer questions, and learn interactively. We believe using the phones in an iclicker like system would encourage students to answer and make it more efficient to grade and provide feedback. Reading from a dry textbook is no longer enough. Students needs to be engaged in order to learn better and by using the medium they know well, technology, it should be easier to make education more fun and productive.

Although there are many benefits of using mobile phones as learning tools in the classroom we acknowledge that they do present some problems that need to be dealt with. First, cost and access. While most children do own a mobile phone there are still many who do not have the resources to buy one for some reason or another. In order to mitigate the cost we feel that the schools can put a program in place to lower the cost of the mobile phone and plan (a partnership with the phone company perhaps) or they could devise a system to issue students a phone (like some schools issue ipads).

Furthermore, allowing any kind of technology always brings up the question of misuse. One main objection many educators have to allowing students to use their phones as learning tools in class is that they are afraid students will use them to play games and text with their friends instead of doing the school work. This is a valid concern, but we feel that there are ways to deal with it. We think that a clear set of rules should be outlined concerning the mobile phone use with reasonable punishments for when they are broken. We could even go one step further, and try to use an app to block game and social media site usage for the duration of the class, set at the beginning of each lecture.

There are so many ways technology could make teaching and learning more efficient and fun, but we understand that it is still a very controversial topic. Although we may believe that using mobile phones in the classroom would be a great help we understand that there are valid arguments for why it shouldn’t be allowed. Let us know what you think.

 

~Maria Lopez

Young, S. (2010). Cell Phones. Teaching with the tools kids really use: learning with Web and mobile technologies (pp. 15-24). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin.

Journey of a Teacher

On September 20, 2013, 3,700 Aggies got their little piece of gold. One of our own, Dina Valdez, finally got her Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring (Whoop!). 

Dina Valdez is a Bilingual Education major from Laredo, Texas and a proud member of the Class of 2008.  She is one of twelve siblings. She is someone that is always helping other with expecting nothing in return. She always has a positive attitude on life. She has been able to overcome many obstacles and get her precious Aggie Ring. This ring is more than just a ring. It is the official welcoming into the Aggie network as well as the beginning to her journey as a teacher. She wants to change people’s lives. She is passionate about her future and her goals. She believes that every child has the capacity to learn no matter the odds.

Valdez was beyond excited this past weekend. Filled with family and friends she received her class of 08’ Aggie Ring. Her youngest sister, Joyce, was able to come to the special occasion to place the ring on Valdez’s finger. Valdez was overwhelmed with happiness. She knew that all of her hard work had finally paid off. Valdez will continue to pursue her love for education in preparing to become an efficient teacher. She is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2015. She is determined to continue with her studies in getting a Masters Degree from Texas A&M while teaching in the Bryan/College Station ISD. 

We are so proud of you and love you ! -Cristy