Web 2.0

This semester I got introduced to so many new web 2.0 concepts. I enjoyed learning all of them all and I’m sure that in some point in my future I will be using them in some kind of way in and outside of the classroom. One of my favorite web 2.0 tool that I got introduced to was pintrest! Pintrest is full of cool and useful information for almost anything. I will most definitely be using pintrest in my future to get ideas for my classroom, lesson plans and anything else I might need that extra bit of inspiration to complete.

 The next web 2.0 tool I got introduced to was prezi! Prezi is similar to Microsoft’s PowerPoint but it has some special features. Prezi makes your regular PowerPoint slide look boring with all the zooming in and out and different pathways that Prezi can do. For all my future presentations I will have to do I plan on using prezi to jazz it up a bit!

With all the new web 2.0 tools I was introduced to I fill as if I have more resources and ideas going into my future career. 

Image via Microsoft Images. 

Cultural Diversity

Teaching your students about cultural diversity is very important. Not every student is the same and children need to be taught that so they are aware. The goal is to help all students become respectful of the multitudes of cultures and people that they'll interact with daily.

To promote cultural diversity you could:

Provide students with an opportunity to share stories of their home life, such as family holiday practices, provides fellow students with a window into their peer's cultural traditions.

Show students everyday photographs of people of different ethnicity, shapes, sizes, and garb gives students the opportunity to see people that look very different from themselves and their family engaging in the same types of activities that they and their family participate

Welcome guest speakers into the class that hail from differing backgrounds and have all made a positive contribution to important fields can also help dispel any preconceived notions that students might possess about the relative competence and value of people from different cultures.

Here is more on cultural diversity!

Image from Microsoft image: http://bit.ly/YMnPw6

School Uniforms

When I was in middle school I hated the idea of wearing a uniform. But now that I’m older I understand that wearing a uniform to school made life so much easier. Getting dressed in the morning was a breeze. I didn't have to stand in front of the closet pondering on what to wear, I already knew.  But not everyone believes that. When I was in middle school people always use to say “wearing uniforms makes us boring” or “wearing this uniform isn't showing my individuality”. When you really think about it you can express individuality while still wearing a uniform. All you have to do is use different accessories and be creative and you’ll definitely be expressing your individuality. Here are reasons why students should wear uniforms.

Image from Microsoft images:http://bit.ly/TJbPoA

Math!

Recently I had to do an assignment on why math is important and why we teach it to students. At first I didn’t put any thought into it other than we use math to count. But really we use math in almost everything we do. Every aspect of our day to day life contains us doing some type of math whether we know it or not.

In the kitchen baking and cooking requires some mathematical skill as well. Every ingredient has to be measured and sometimes you need to multiply or divide to get the exact amount you need.

Every outing you plan needs your math skill. You will plan your way there and you will use your time wisely, math is your guide that will assist you and help you. When driving you need fuel, oil and water, without it your car will break down. All of these require math.

MATH is VERY IMPORTANT!!

Image via microsoft images:

Managing your Class

Classroom management is the foundation of an effective classroom and teacher. It is the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students in the class.  Classroom management can make or break a teacher. If you do not have your class under your control, then the students will tear the class room apart doing any and everything they can do.

Here is video on classroom management------> http://bit.ly/TBJ1gU\

 Reasons why classroom management is extremely important:

1.  It helps create a productive learning environment.
2.   It provides students with structure and achievable goals
3. It helps form responsible individuals.
4.  It allows for various activities to occur during the day, with a minimum of wasted time and confusion
5. Students know what is expected of them.
6.   It increases on task time and reduces classroom disruptions.

Peaks and Valleys

I just started reading the new IRead program book, Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson.  Not too often do I actually take time out and sit down and read a book but this book is required for me to read in several of my classes this semester. As soon as I opened the book it grasped my attention and I could not put it down.  The book tells a story about a man who lives in a valley and wants to get to the peak but on his way up there he meets an old man who gives him advice on the peaks and valleys of life.

Peaks and Valleys can be used in our everyday life. As I was reading the book it made me realize that shifting our thinking about the ups and downs in our lives can change how long we dwell in the personal valleys or savor the personal peaks of life.

If you have not read this book you really should. There are tons of quotes and inspiration sayings for you think about and apply in your everyday life.

This is one of my favorite quotes from the book. 

Vote!

Today is the last day you can register to vote in this year’s election! No one cares about whom you’re voting for as long as you’re registered and exercising your right to vote. You may not think voting is very IMPORTANT but it is!  

Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, social security, health care, and other important issues.

EVERY vote counts and there is power in numbers. When we vote and get our family members to vote, and even our friends, we can truly make a difference. If you don’t vote for what you believe in, others will and you may not like the outcome.

 Voting changes the community.  When you look around in your neighborhood, do you ever wonder why it gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is VOTING! When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see. Voting is our chance to make a difference in our own lives and within the world.

So are you going to register and let your voice be heard?

Reading!

I have always known that reading was VERY important but I never really took the time to recognize just how important that it is for children in elementary school. Since I started taking my reading classes for my degree plan I have seen teaching reading and the importance of reading in a whole new way. Reading is the first stepping stone in a child's life. If you cannot read you will struggle with writing and even speaking. As a future educator, I feel the need to encourage children to pick up a book once or twice a day and READ! You don’t even have to be a book. They can read magazines, comics, highlights, anything that will get their mind stimulated and word flowing out their mouth. Any type of reading is beneficial to the child.

Available via creative commons license at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/4569110493/

Reading programs in school are also very important. Every school should have at least one program promoting reading. If children see that others are interested in reading they are more likely to become avid readers. So ENCOURAGE any child you see to READ! 

Here are some reasons why you should read to your child.

My Professional Goals & Aspirations

Hey everyone! I’m Unique Winbush. I’m currently a junior at Prairie View A&M University. I’m a Interdisciplinary Studies major with a concentration in early childhood through sixth grade.

When I was in high school I never really knew what I wanted to do after graduation. Then my senior year I took a class called Ready, Set, Teach. In that class we observed and student thought a class throughout the school year. I grew to love the class, my students and the taught of even being a teacher. While taking that class I realized that my professional aspiration was to become a second grade teacher, but not just any second grade teacher: I want to become the teacher who gives her all to every single student no matter what.

My goals don’t just stop there! After about five years of teaching my best friend and I plan on opening a day care center. So my ultimate goal is to run an established and accredited day care facility. With every goal I have I know that I can achieve them no matter what. So be on the look out for me. 

Available via creative commons license at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aymanvanbregt/6377597813/sizes/m/