Response to "Date-Driven Teachers"

How do you see yourself using data in your hypothetical classroom?

I see myself using the outcome data of my students to greatly influence my lessons. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of my students I can tailor my lessons to get the most desirable outcome for my students and myself. As I strive to perfect my pedagogy the use of Data-driven decision making and setting goals will be a new arrow in my quiver or a new tool in my tool box. Properly using all these teaching tools and strategies will greatly enhance the education I education I give to my students.
The essential concepts of DDDM are Good baseline data, measurable instructional goals, frequent formative assessment, professional learning communities, and focused instructional interventions. For the most part I believe that the teachers I've had throughout my educational career used data and results of tests to assess themselves.

Tools and Strategies
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all
- Classtools.net
- Online Timer - keeps track of time in class for Tests and group work
- Random Picker - Randomly picks a students name
- Atomic Learner - website that teaches you how to use programs
- Spread Sheets
- Google Docs
- Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) - Creative way of summarizing paragraphs. collage of words
- Screen Capture (command,shift,4) - Being able to share finished products
- Preview Mark-up Tools (application)

Response to "Engage Me or Enrage Me"

Marc Prensky's article "Engage Me or Enrage Me" speaks to teachers about the importance of engaging students. What we as educators can and should do to get students more involved in class and turn them into the 1st type of student (The students who are truly self-motivated). How we do this is up to us. The article talks about bringing popculture into the classroom like video games and downloading music. Again by the time I am a teacher, everything might be different. I feel that I am still up to date with all the newest technology and popculture and I feel that I can definitely engage my students. But I do fear that one day I will become "old" and lose whatever connection I had with the new hip things in the world. I can also relate to the kids of today because I do all the same things they do. Video games being one of the big ones today. I play Xbox 360 and understand how engaging and addicting it can be. This article reminds me of the movie "Stand and Deliver". Its about a new teacher entering a class with a bunch of unmotivated Hispanic students, some are in gangs and most of them felt the school system was failing them. But the teacher Mr. Escalante engaged them. He mixed it up and did things that the students have never seen before. I can't wait for the day when I have a student(s) that challenge me into engaging them. I hope I am up for the challenge by then.

Response to "21st Century Classrooms Article"

This article wrapped up a thought that I have been having for years about teachers. The article basically said that "times are changing" and there changing fast. I've been in school all my life and have had many teachers. Some great, some mediocre and others were just flat horrible. The article listed many things that teachers are responsible for doing in their classroom and I can point out many that the bad teachers I've had didn't do. Teachers need to adapt to the rapidly changing world. They need to be up to date with technology, pop culture and new teaching methods to insure they can provide a positive learning environment and if they don't then they will fail and so will their student's because they wont receive the education they should be. The 21st century classroom will create a higher demand for more budget money to fill classrooms with up to date technology. and hopefully it will squeeze out any teachers who choose not to adapt and make room for new educators who are ready and willing to adapt and teach.

Today's classrooms are much different as I think back to my elementary school days. I remember students could just be engaged by the teacher reading them a story. Now it is a lot harder to grab students attention. There were no SmartBoards there were Caulk boards. The only computer in the classroom was a calculator and there were no cellphones to distract anyone.

Tools and Strategies
- Ticker Tape in active studio
- Cooperative learning (Find Someone Who...)
- Polls - Gather information fast. (MisterPoll.com)
- Inspiration : application for easy brainstorming activities
- Text Rendering : Using Preview to highlight, circle or box important parts of text rather than all