Thanks, Uncle Reuben! A Teacher's Reflection

Studying the life and journeys of Uncle Reuben was such a deep and rich experience. The material gave my students opportunities to review, practice and apply multiple skills that they have learned over the year.

Skills they used and practiced:

• Working in a group
• Cooperating and taking turns
• Measuring miles on a map
• Map reading
• Adding large numbers (over 1000)
• Calculator use - adding lists of large numbers and checking their answer by comparing it to others
• Measuring distance
• Non-standard measurement
• 
  

Learning:

• Location of states in US
• Transportation of the early 1900's
• History of flight - Wright Brothers, World Flight - 1924
• Concept of time past (100 years)
• The computer as a tool
• Some uses for Word and Excel
• The size of the United States
• Putting events in order according to time
• 
  

Benefits:

• Confidence
• Knowledge of the United States
• Confidence using technology
• Motivation
• Engagement
• Ownership of learning
• 
  

Still Busy!

Until further notice, this is my "home away from home." With 26 second graders to keep me busy, I feel like I'm not seeing much of my real home. After 10 years without my own classroom and then moving into a new classroom with an entire curriculum that I have never taught (except for a lesson here and there in another teacher's classroom) it is expected.
I'm sure it will get better and the planning and organization of all of the materials will fall into place soon. Then I may be able to have my old life back. You will probably see me then!

The Journey Begins

Here are the newest additions to my classroom. Don't they make you want to begin a journey? This last week I searched several used stores and ebay for suitcases just like these to use as props and activities. I was watching several on ebay but I hated the thought of spending $30 - $50 for one. I was about ready to give up when I spotted these two sitting at a Goodwill store. I couldn't make up my mind and, after several minutes of opening and closing each one, I decided that they needed to stay together. They are a perfect, stackable pair. A few travel stickers will add the right amount of intrigue to capture the imaginations of my students.

It looks as though they have spent some time waiting in an attic or down in a basement, but in their prime, I can imagine that they took many journeys. Trips in the trunk of a car traveling down route 66, in the cargo hold of an old prop plane, maybe on an ocean liner excursion to Europe.

I wonder where they will take us this year...

 - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone which is a very advanced skill! ;-)

20th or 21st Century Educator?

I read over my list of things I didn't have last time I had my own classroom today and realized that most of them are technology based. I didn't have a lot of technology in my last classroom. Over a decade ago, I had one computer for 26 students and a teacher. Even though technology is important and necessary for teaching in today's schools, there is much more to being a 21st century teacher than bringing out a piece of technology and then trying to "work it into" my lesson.

I will soon have a chance to step into the many roles of the 21st Century educator. It won't be easy. I expect to have times when I fall back into traditional methods but I will try to stay in the correct century and engage my students in a way that will help them learn best.

Technology provides many of the tools but teachers provide the opportunities to learn and apply 21st century skills. The diagram below will be my map for the next year.