Where I Was...
Where I Am...
Where I Will Be...
by Fatmeh Beydoun
Where I was…
When I was in high school, I remember my teacher walking over to her filing cabinet and pulling out the worksheets she had labeled week 16. Year after year, she used the same worksheets even though the student needs and abilities had changed. You see, she was of the mentality that kids conform to the material taught, regardless of how it is taught. We would slave away day in and day out, solving problems and writing stories. Yet, I can not call one experience we had in that classroom that was memorable. I do not tell this story to cast judgment or speak badly about this specific teacher. However, I think it goes to show how pedagogy, methods, and ideals of teaching can change so drastically within a few generations of teachers.
As a teacher of this generation, I know how important it is to incorporate learning experiences with memorable experiences. How do we do that you ask? I have always found that integrating technology is an amazing way to keep content current and applicable to the real world. It is also a great way to hook students and keep them interested. Now, I am not saying that technology integration will solve all the problems in education, but I definitely think it is a part of the missing link. This is the reason I chose to continue my education past my Bachelors degree. Although I left that program satisfied with what I had been taught, I felt like I was missing out on all the new methods and techniques that could help students with disabilities and English language learners.
Where I am…
Upon embarking on my MAED, I felt like I was not a tech savvy person. How could I teach using technology if I was not comfortable with it? Well, MSU Angel throws you into an online community that forces some rethinking on the way things were done. During my courses, I was exposed! Yes, exposed!!! At times I felt as vulnerable as a deer in headlights, but somehow through trial and error I learned how to navigate and use the technology at my disposal. Throughout my courses I came across many tools that I have already incorporated into helping my English Language Learners improve and succeed. Amongst the programs that I have already integrated are Pixton, and SOLO 6. I found these to be user friendly and provide an enhancing educational experience for my students. The main characteristics of these types of teaching tools are to help students with reading challenges, print disabilities, comprehension, and understanding issues. Of course, most of these programs are helpful with literacy and comprehension. Other teaching tools I have used since being introduced to them in my courses have also been very promising. Even something as simple as adding sounds to PowerPoint presentations, creating podcasts, or complete educational websites have made a difference. So, not only have I learned about new technologies, but I have learned how to use old technology in new ways. For example, I added a few of our classroom books onto Powerpoint slides and then had the students record the audio. They loved listening to themselves reading the books and controlling the
expression of the story. More recently, our school has purchased access to an online site called RazKids. With this site students are able to listen to stories, have fluency modeling, read on their own for practice, record and listen to their own reading, and check comprehension with quizzes. It is an interactive way for students to learn while having fun in the process.
Where I will be…
Now that I am armed with all of this, it’s time to continue applying it. I know myself; I am the life-long learner type. Although I maybe content with earning a masters degree for now, I am hoping to return to school in the next few years to become a math coach. Math has always been my passion, and its application is so important to student success in the future. However, I have learned that Math is not just about understanding numbers. It involves comprehension, understanding, reading, and application. So, in order to fully grasp the concepts of Math I have to continue to stay up to date on the methods, technologies, and instructional techniques of all subjects. In order to do this, I know I have to stay current. As I said before, so much can change in a generation of teachers. I hope that in my teaching future I can continue to learn, grow, challenge myself and change as an educator.
When I was in high school, I remember my teacher walking over to her filing cabinet and pulling out the worksheets she had labeled week 16. Year after year, she used the same worksheets even though the student needs and abilities had changed. You see, she was of the mentality that kids conform to the material taught, regardless of how it is taught. We would slave away day in and day out, solving problems and writing stories. Yet, I can not call one experience we had in that classroom that was memorable. I do not tell this story to cast judgment or speak badly about this specific teacher. However, I think it goes to show how pedagogy, methods, and ideals of teaching can change so drastically within a few generations of teachers.
As a teacher of this generation, I know how important it is to incorporate learning experiences with memorable experiences. How do we do that you ask? I have always found that integrating technology is an amazing way to keep content current and applicable to the real world. It is also a great way to hook students and keep them interested. Now, I am not saying that technology integration will solve all the problems in education, but I definitely think it is a part of the missing link. This is the reason I chose to continue my education past my Bachelors degree. Although I left that program satisfied with what I had been taught, I felt like I was missing out on all the new methods and techniques that could help students with disabilities and English language learners.
Where I am…
Upon embarking on my MAED, I felt like I was not a tech savvy person. How could I teach using technology if I was not comfortable with it? Well, MSU Angel throws you into an online community that forces some rethinking on the way things were done. During my courses, I was exposed! Yes, exposed!!! At times I felt as vulnerable as a deer in headlights, but somehow through trial and error I learned how to navigate and use the technology at my disposal. Throughout my courses I came across many tools that I have already incorporated into helping my English Language Learners improve and succeed. Amongst the programs that I have already integrated are Pixton, and SOLO 6. I found these to be user friendly and provide an enhancing educational experience for my students. The main characteristics of these types of teaching tools are to help students with reading challenges, print disabilities, comprehension, and understanding issues. Of course, most of these programs are helpful with literacy and comprehension. Other teaching tools I have used since being introduced to them in my courses have also been very promising. Even something as simple as adding sounds to PowerPoint presentations, creating podcasts, or complete educational websites have made a difference. So, not only have I learned about new technologies, but I have learned how to use old technology in new ways. For example, I added a few of our classroom books onto Powerpoint slides and then had the students record the audio. They loved listening to themselves reading the books and controlling the
expression of the story. More recently, our school has purchased access to an online site called RazKids. With this site students are able to listen to stories, have fluency modeling, read on their own for practice, record and listen to their own reading, and check comprehension with quizzes. It is an interactive way for students to learn while having fun in the process.
Where I will be…
Now that I am armed with all of this, it’s time to continue applying it. I know myself; I am the life-long learner type. Although I maybe content with earning a masters degree for now, I am hoping to return to school in the next few years to become a math coach. Math has always been my passion, and its application is so important to student success in the future. However, I have learned that Math is not just about understanding numbers. It involves comprehension, understanding, reading, and application. So, in order to fully grasp the concepts of Math I have to continue to stay up to date on the methods, technologies, and instructional techniques of all subjects. In order to do this, I know I have to stay current. As I said before, so much can change in a generation of teachers. I hope that in my teaching future I can continue to learn, grow, challenge myself and change as an educator.