I'm not really familiar with the West Virginia 21st Century Standards. I may be using them and not realizing that I am. I would definitely like to learn more about these standards and exactly what they represent.
Last semester, the classroom that I was in used lots of technology everyday. It was a Reading 180 class and they were required to get on the computer and take tests to determine what grade level they were reading and how the teachers can best accommodate the assignments to their level. Also, while about 6 students were doing that, the other half of the class was either reading the book, "The Outsiders" or they were listening to it on audio by using individual CD players and headphones. I would like to incorporate more technology into my classrooms, or at least I would like to be in a classroom that used different kind of technology so that I could be exposed to different ways of using technology because I am not a real technical person and I learn better at seeing something first before using it on my own. I would like to see how different teachers use different technology resources in their classroom.
A great teacher, in my mind, is someone who cares about the students. They need to care about them on many levels. One level is they need to care about how the students best learn the material. They should be able to teach different ways for the different learners in the classroom. Another level is actually caring about the students themselves. If a student knows a teacher doesn't like them or doesn't care about them, then they will want to quit from the start. A great teacher doesn't just stick to one thing because that's the way they have been doing it for 5 years. The teacher should be open to change to help improve his or her classroom.
One question that I had was what is your interpretation of West Virginia's 21st Century Standards and have you used them in your PDS?
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The CSO's to me are the standards that students in your classroom need to accomplish before the end of the year. They need these skills to move to the next grade. I have used the CSO's in my PDS when I had to create simple lesson plans. I have seen my teachers' lesson plans and she has the CSO # actually written on her plans. I know that all teachers have to complete teaching the CSO's, but there are some other standards that I have seen teachers use such as report cards.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the standards are a bit confusing. I know that switching from high school to middle school it seems the state CSO's are far more broad in terms and can be applied in so many instances. For some of the CSO's I feel like I could list those for almost every lesson. The high school CSO's for me were a bit more defined and easier to apply when creating lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree about technology and utilizing it as much as possible. I have seen many classrooms and schools that have technology but it is not used as much as it could be. This leads to your next comment about teachers knowing their students and caring. I think in today's world that students' lives are so immersed in technology they tune in without realizing when technology is used. I have heard many teachers comment that certain types of technology are only meant for math or science courses but I personally see ways these same types of technology can be used in Language Arts. It is extremely important for students to feel they are cared about as individuals and that teachers know their students and can sympathize when they have a bad day. In addition if we are to be successful in teaching our students then we must know their learning styles or we will have unengaged, bored and struggling learners. The variety that technology provides is one of the best tools I have used to vary learning styles for my students.