There are two kinds of teachers — ones who have ALWAYS loved school, and ones who found school an endlessly boring challenge, and yet, at some point, usually do to the mentoring of a great teacher, found themselves teacher. I fall into the first category. I have always loved school. I love the smell of new books, and fresh worksheets. I used to line my stuffed animals up and teach them.
I had been meaning to earn my Master's with the support of Napa Learns, since I first heard of the opportunity, but kept putting it off. I kept telling myself, "I'm too busy." The truth is, I AM too busy, but another truth is that I am ALWAYS going to be too busy! I have really enjoyed the challenge of being a student AND a teacher. It has reminded me of the struggles that my own students go through — trying to mange their school work, their friends, sports, and clubs. I have also love/loathed pushing myself to write in a style fairly foreign to me -- the Research Paper. As I fight my way to the finish line, I can say that even IN the struggle, I am appreciative of the ways that it has stretched me. I determined a few years ago that I would begin to push myself to try new things — to say yes to opportunities as they present themselves. This is how I moved from being a language arts teacher to the teacher in charge of the Technology Design Lab. I love being exposed to different types of learning apps and to all kinds of technology. I've spent the last two weeks, learning, using and even teaching classes on Google Classroom. I really enjoy breaking down new things to learn all the parts. I've enjoyed, so much all the tools that we've been exposed to this semester. I keep showing up at work saying, "Let me show you this new website I found where you can . . ." One of the biggest issues that I continue to think about is the idea of the opportunity/technology gap. It is clear that students from poverty are cheated if they have little or no access to technology. This could become a tremendous and deadly divide. Imagine a child from poverty who only has access to tech when at school -- she cannot get free tutoring apps unless at the library. She cannot play computer games like Prodigy which not only help her master basic facts but offer free test prep, she cannot access live homework help that is offered on thousands of websites, she cannot email her teachers, or work collaboratively on a project with her classmates. It is if the door to educational opportunities is closed to her -- worse still it is a sliding glass door; she can SEE the opportunities are there, but cannot attain them. This is troubling. Often when I talk about this opportunity gap, it is pointed out to me, "Everyone has a cell phone." This might seem true, but just because someone is holding a device in their hands — it doesn't meant they have the same access as everyone around them. My students have phones but they don't often have data plans, or sometimes even service. The phone gives them the appearance of normality, and while I might use my phone for quick research and to check my emails, I am NOT writing my paper on it. As I move forward in the program I am looking forward to learning more about innovative ways to use technology in the classroom — and especially to be exposed to more apps, websites, and tools for the classroom. I know that if I am going to remain effective as an educator - I must always keep moving forward.
1 Comment
Dan Parker
4/27/2017 01:13:24 pm
You are so positive and it's nice to read. It is true that we are all busy and will always be busy. As adults working, being students and having families, it is a crazy time, but I also love what I do. I don't love being in a classroom but I do love being on a field or working with my players. In all the craziness, how awesome that we can do something we like so much.
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AuthorJen has been teaching school for awhile now. She's learned some stuff, but she's got tons more to learn. Archives
October 2017
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