Our Digital World

I, for one, love technology. I am not proclaiming to use it to its full advantage---I have could have been heard saying more than once that I don't get my money's worth out of my smart phone! But I still love it! It is hard for me to imagine having to plan even one lesson without being able to go to the internet and search unitedstreaming.com or prometheanplanet.com for fun and exciting ideas that are sure to keep my students engaged. I only wish my school had more funding to spend on our digital natives- in regards to teacher training and devices. I think its amazing that many 'veteran' teachers are so willing to step into the world of the unknown in an attempt to offer than students exactly what they need. With all of this said I still have one question on my mind.......What about handwriting??

Teaching Patriotism to 3rd Graders

I really considered the idea of teaching my 8 and 9 year old students about 9/11. In the end I actually let myself down because I watched the ten year anniversary of 9/11 pass feeling like I didn't do my part to globally educate my class. Truth is, I was terrified and totally unsure of how to approach the subject. I loved the site http://www.pbs.org/americaresponds/theamericanflag.html it gives exactly what an educator needs to approach this subject with younger students. This site suggests that the teacher begin with a more simple approach to the 9/11 anniversary: patriotism. I wish I would have utilized this site to help my students learn about patriotism and the symbolic representation of the flag. Pbs.org also offers some great hands-on activities to help reach the kinesthetic learners in the classroom.
As I reflected on 9/11/2001 I was left feeling like at 19 years old I was unable to truly understand the horrible acts of terrorism that were taking place right in front of my face. This is one of the reasons I bypassed discussing it with my students. I decided that if at 19 it was hard for my to understand and I witnessed it on live television it would be much harder for my students to understand- students who weren't even alive in 2001. Another reason I opted out of teaching the subject is because the school year is just beginning and I do not 'know' my students therefore I didn't know how they would process such a heavy subject.
These are all reasons why the pbs.org website would be an excellent resource for students in lower elementary grades. I will definitely revisit this site next year.

Another year

I am super excited about my kids this year! They all seemed ready and enthusiastic to be coming to 3rd grade. The parents were awesome and I expect to have some extrmely supportive, involved families. Going into my 2nd year I am ready and prepared to give these kids exactly what they need in order to become better readers, learners and citizens! Have a great year everyone!