Using the Internet within a Classroom

The Internet is a great source for information if used correctly. As teachers, we need to teach our students to use the Internet properly. Students will be able to search for information successfully and be safe in the process with the proper knowledge and constant supervision. The Internet has a lot of useful tools for teachers and students that could be brought into lessons. Teachers can access movies and students can search for questions that they may have.

A great way for teachers to use the Internet is by accessing pictures of the items that are being discussed during the lesson. Don't assume that all students know what the state flower looks like. By showing the students a picture, it will give the students a visual as well as the needed information on the topic.

The Internet is not a safe environment for students. There are a lot of horrible things that go on within the Internet. Don't allow your students to be victims of it. Give them the proper tools and be a "present" teacher while your students are working on the Internet. Students should not be left alone during research. Be available for questions and help.

Blog or no Blog??

The idea of having the option of creating a blog as a teacher is appealing to me. Keeping your parents informed is a huge part of teaching. A blog would be a great way to inform them of what is happening within their child's classroom.

Within a school, there is the privacy concern. A well developed blog with the proper settings applied, the privacy concern would be mostly eliminated.

Blogs would be a great way for parents to communicate with the teacher. Simple questions could be answered by this blog and both the teacher and parent could respond and read at their convenience. There will be some parental concern about privacy, but most parents will see the blog as a great source of information about their child's day.

I know that it would be a great deal of extra work as a teacher, but most parents would appreciate the information and the extra time that was spent for their children.

Introduction (June 7, 2010)

I have been married to Brad for almost 12 years. We have 4 boys. Their names are Logan who is 9, Dalton is 8, Karson is 6 and Colton is 3. I am a full time student and will graduate with a Bachelors degree in Elementary and Secondary Education in May 2011. I love my family and know I am exactly where I should be in life.

I believe that I will use many theories as a teacher. There a many valuable ideas that all of these theorist portray. The Behaviorists Theory provides a positive learning experience with rewards as reinforcers. This theory also states that continuous reinforcement increases the rate of learning. I believe that children learn in a positive and fun, loving environment. In Piagets' Cognitive Theory it states that children must learn in steps and by sequences. Most children understand and comprehend better when taught one thing at a time in a certain order. In Bruner's Constructivist Theory he explains that children should research and investigate during their learning. This exploration will generate more ideas and allow for bigger and better discussions from the children.

With a combination of all of these theories within my classroom, I believe that my student's will have fun, be challenged and become great students. Finding the right approach to teaching a classroom can be challenging. This is the key to having a successful school year.