Week 4 MAC Readings and Cotributions

My Dream Teaching/Presentation Environment
My dream teaching /presentation environment would be one that facilitates teaching and learning. It is one where there is exchange of information, knowledge and understanding. My students will not be like sponges soaking up knowledge or a pail where I pour in knowledge. They will interact with the knowledge presented, ingest it and be able to apply this processed information to solve current problems that currently plague the society.
My presentation will capitalize on audio, visual and graphic images to make the intangible concrete in their minds. As in a hands -on learning, knowledge will be practically applied in learning and daily life. Interactive learning will be my goal: interaction with classmates, teachers and others in the field.

Drew McSherry says:
August 26, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Beyond the obvious of everyone having access to the newest computers, fast internet connections, and time to create amazing lessons I would have to say that my dream teaching environment would be a place where producing life long learners was the only goal. I imagine a place where each student can learn how to learn and then let them decide what they want to do next. If they have an interest in music, let them listen, absorb, create, and astound. What about taking apart a toaster to see how it works, or creating a board game that eventually turns into the next blockbuster Playstation 4 game. Either way they will learn because they have been taught how to and then we get what everyone should want, educated creativity.
Educated Creativity = That crazy idea that could change the world and the knowledge to make it happen

@Drew
I like most of what you say but I take exception to letting students decide ‘what they want to do next.’ Although it depends on the age or grade level, somehow I believe That students at a lower age or grade level will need a lot of guidance or information to decide on what they should do in life. What they may be interested now may be a passing fad that will dissipate as time goes by.

Andy_Bouwens says:
August 26, 2010 at 9:36 am
My dream teaching environment would first be in a building where tools were available to teach all students and students actually wanted to come to school everyday. I would like my room to have a SmartBoard with all student locked in with MacBooks on there desks. Parents would attend weekly workshops on Macbooks in order to keep them up to date with what the students are doing. I would have all the tools I need to differentiate instruction and meet all student needs. I would have various choices for completing objectives that would help with this. My class would be very interactive with things always going on and peer as well as teacher instruction always going on.
@Andy
Thank you for your dream-teaching environment. But somehow it seems to me to unrealistic. I would rather prefer an environment where there will lots of improvisations and creativity. I would prefer such a challenge to the students and you that the necessity will be the fuel of invention that will advance knowledge and human progress. And let’s face it; life never gives us such idyllic environments but rather gives us opportunities to make a mark on life.


Shanna Woods says:
August 25, 2010 at 5:34 pm
My dream-teaching environment would be one where learning is actually taking place. A place where the focus is not on tests scores, paper trails, and hidden agendas. This place is one where the students are the priority. This environment will embrace technology and differentiated instruction. It does not put emphasis on one subject more than another; all are equally important. This environment brings the community, school, and home together for the good of all students

@Shanna
I like you approach to and a philosophy of your ideal teaching environment. However I have some problems with your ides. For example, you aim to teach for understanding. I like this and will do the same. But how will you know when learning and understanding has taken place when there are no test or exams? A student centered teaching is important and I agree. But what about the subject matter and the disciplines they impart? How about you the teacher who is the facilitator of learning? I think of a tripod where there is a balance between the student, teacher and content of instruction.

Karen Smith says:
August 1, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I thought I already wrote here, but I don’t see it and it says only 6 people have written, which I don’t think is right, either.
I will add to what I think I already said. I want to teach in a place where we all respect each other. I respect the young teacher who comes in like they can change the world just because they are there. We need that vigor. I used to have it. I know I don’t have it anymore, but I still have lots of energy to teach and love it.
I want respect for the teacher who is old, but awesome. She or he can’t move around much, but the kids don’t care. She ore he love them so much, they learn to love and respect the wisdom in the body that is getting so old it doesn’t keep up, but the kids handle it well.
I want respect for the principal who may be an idiot, but lets just think it quietly, share with our husband or best friend, but respect them in and out of public. I don’t mean if there is a law beaker type person, I mean, we get principals going through things we don’t even know about, yet, we judge them.
And the kids, my child who has roaches crawling out of his shoes that are way too big for him.
The girl who hasn’t spoken in 3 years, since her Daddy sat she and her siblings on the couch and said “don’t move, and shot and killed Mommy in front of them. He’s in jail. The kids live with Grandma and Grandpa, but there is so much grief, she isn’t talking. She sits in my lap on bad days.
Then there is the child who listens to Mommy and Daddy fight all the time.
And don’t forget the little boy, who said, when I mentioned reading books to my little boys, at night, before bedtime, in the bed. He came up and whispered, “Can I come live with you and you read to me in bed, now that your little boys are grown? ? I learned he’s NEVEr been read to, at least in his memory.
I have well adjusted children, too. I am grateful for that, My boys have funny memories of Daddy reading to the. He would read the first page and go to the end, thinking he could get out of it, but they had memorized the book, and after a while, well, let’s just say, they weren’t stupid, they knew if Daddy was reading, he would try to trick them and they loved it! I wish all kids had at least our non perfect lives. With all our mistakes, they turned out pretty good. The daughters in law thank me for teaching them to cook, do laundry, make the beds, use a vacuum, etc. AND put the toilet seat down after using, not to mention things like holding doors open and treating girls like ladies, or as my youngest DIL says, he treats me like the Princess I am!
I wish my students all could have memories like that. I try to give them good memories of music class and I’ve had enough kids grow up to come back and say Thank you, that I know it’s worth something. I just wish for more and for all teachers to be that way with all kids, no matter the skin color or religion. It shouldn’t matter if they are Muslim, Christian, Jew, Mormon, or whatever religion they may be.
In Nepal, I got invited to homes (primitive to us_ to have tea (not boiled long enough to be purified) and I went, while our kids were playing football with street kids, etc. I couldn’t make the walks of a few miles, up and down hills, but I could visit ladies. Later, I learned from the Pastor, these are people they have been trying to visit for years, and when they invited the white lady to have tea and came AND told them how wonderful the church family was, they began talking to them. Wow! Even a fat lady with bad knees can make a difference and we need to make that difference at school EVERY DAY.
That is my wish, over all the other things I think I already said. Thank you.
@Karen
Hi Karen thank you for this picture you painted. You captured my dream environment for teaching. Being in a palce to meet the needs of kids with various mental and family issues; being able to reach out to people in poorer countries who cannot imagine the wealth American gorge themselves in. being able to reach all kinds of people in various places on earth is a dream worth having. And I share it all with you.