Setting up my first classroom

Setting up my first classroom

Wow! Who knew there was so much involved in setting up a classroom in order for it to be ready for the first day of school when the students arrive! Moving the furniture into the right place for the students. Placing your teachers desk/area so that you can have eyes on the entire room. Having wall areas for bright displays of the students work! 

BUT one of the key things I've learnt over this last two days is ... that the students will notice and pay more attention to the displays that you create with them rather than ones you do on your own! 

Now to tackle the planning aspect of setting up for the year!

E-Portfolios

E-Portfolios

E-Portfolios compared to portfolios  are:

• Easy to share to multiple people
• Easy to copy and have a digital back up
• Able to use a range of resources e.g. videos

There are 3 different kinds of portfolios: Learning portfolios, Showcase portfolios and Credential portfolios. 

I believe that we could use showcase portfolios in our classrooms to document the students learning throughout the years. This would act as another form of sharing their learning with the wider community. It would assist with getting students work ready for when parent-teacher conferences come around. 

Has anyone used e-portfolios before in their classroom?

For more information on e-Portfolios: click here

What it means to be Literate in the 21st century

What it means to be Literate in the 21st century

Literacy has changed over the years and we, as teachers, will need to change our pedagogies along with it in order to stay up to date. Everything is shifting - the tools we use (eg. from pen and paper to laptops), the skills we need (eg. handwriting to typing) as well as the world population. This is becoming evident in our classrooms through the use of creating 'Innovative/Modern Learning Environments' and using digital technologies to assist with the students learning.

To be literate in the 21st century, involves:

• Communication
• Multiple forms used
• Critical of literacy
• Find information - access it, different sources, types of sources, relevance, bias and age relevant
• Integrating of different semiotic systems
• Being Multi-modal
• Reading
• Writing
• Presenting
• Speaking
• Viewing
• Listening
• Social networking - eg. skype, blogs, Google Docs, Google Classroom, emails
• Needing a wide range of abilities
• Developing new abilities - creativity
• Understanding - comprehension
• Communicating ideas
• Forming opinions
• 'Text' forms
• Decoding and encoding information data
• Enables students with how to use tools and why we use these = fit for a purpose!
• The changing technologies means 'literacy' needs to change
• To fit the world we are in
• Different tools - are shifting 
• Being problem solvers
• Of the unknown that hasn't been invented yet

If literacy is shifting from the traditional ways, are traditional forms of literacy still relevant in today's classrooms?

Digital Pedagogies

Digital Pedagogies

Broadly defined as "the use of electronic elements to enhance or to change the experience of education" (BrainCroxall, 2016). It is the use of technology to assist in changing teaching and learning in a range of ways in the classroom. This could mean using blogs, activities online or other websites that act as tools for students to use to assist their learning.

From taking the paper The Teaching-Learning Process: Innovative Approaches, I have learnt more about Digital Pedagogies. This being:

• That the tool used needs to be relevant and purposeful for the students learning
• That it is more complex than I thought, in regards to the extensive process of making sure it is worthwhile and meaningful
• That digital technology should be used to enhance the learning not to restrict the learning
• It is not limited to one curriculum area - it can be used across a range of areas, Eg. Maths, Inquiry, English
• It also gives the students the ability to share their learning with the wider community

The wordle below highlights some of the words I believe are important when thinking about digital pedagogy. 

A few things that have surprised me about digital pedagogies is:

• What is available for teachers and people out there to use in the classroom with students - Eg. Sphero (robots) from Noel Lemming
• Everything is still so new for everyone and that it is still a work in progress

Do students need to have one device each in order for a digital pedagogy to be done to its best ability?

Are innovative/modern learning environments the only way teachers can bring in a more digital pedagogy into their classrooms?

Are assessments going to move into being done online if teaching is becoming more digitally based?

Reference list:

BrainCroxall. (2016). "Digital Pedagogy"? Retrieved from: 

          http://www.briancroxall.net/digitalpedagogy/what-is-digital-pedagogy/ 

University of Brighton. (2014). Wordle. Retrieved from: 

          https://studentfolio.brighton.ac.uk/dpp13/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/oer-wordle.jpg 

'Have you got Maths Eyes?' Professional Development

Have you got Maths Eyes?

On August 10th I had the pleasure of listening to Terry Maguire PhD talk about 'Looking through Maths eyes'.

The key messages I got from this lecture was that there is mathematics everywhere in the world and that we need to just look for it. For example, dodging cars when crossing the road - you can see it in terms of speed, distance, probability etc. It is also important for teachers be prepared for the lesson beforehand and organised.

With students we need to use images in our classrooms to provoke more discussion and ideas with them, this will give students a hook into the mathematics world. This can create a context which is relevant and also integrated within all subject areas. It also provides opportunities for parents and the wider community to be involved with the student's learning. This creates a chance for parents to assist their children with their homework at home.




For more information about 'Have you got maths eyes?', click here.

About Me

I am Charlotte and I am almost finished my Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) Degree at the University of Waikato.

I started this blog as a way of documenting my final weeks at University as well as documenting my teaching journey.

More about me:
* I love baking and cooking.
* I like reading mystery and detective books.
* I have a younger sister.
* I have lived in 4 countries so far in my life.
* I love travelling and going on adventures.
* I like cups of tea and chocolate bars.