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Intro
Hello everybody, my name is Stacey and I am in my third quarter at Antioch University, Los Angeles, getting my Multiple Subject credential and my Single Subject-Spanish credential. I am getting both for a number of reasons, but they can be summarized by saying that I want to keep my options open and let the quality of the jobs that are out there be the deciding factor for where I end up next year. I am currently doing my student teaching in a 4th grade classroom in a LAUSD elementary school in Venice, California. I also worked in a Kindergarten class at the same school last quarter. It was an extremely challenging, yet rewarding experience. I see myself better suited personality-wise to work with older kids though, so I am looking forward to 4th grade.
I have taught ESL both internationally and locally, and tried to incorporate technology whenever appropriate, but I would say that my overall contact with edtech is low. When no listening materials were available for an advanced class of mine, I found web pages and podcasts and designed lessons around listening to those. For my own study of Spanish, I often listen to various podcasts in Spanish to brush up. I know that many people use skype as a way of language exchange but I haven't yet ventured in that direction. I have thought about using it, however, as a means of connecting my future students (if I teach Spanish) to English learners in Latin America so they can do a language exchange.
Overall, I am looking forward to learning new skills to make my classroom more interesting and more up to date.
Stacey - you sound quite prepared for whatever comes you way. And I have
aconenciton with your comment about teaching older kids. When I started
teaching, I assumed I would be a middle school teacher -- well the first
job opening was 3rd grade in Granger, Texas so I took it. I loved 3rd
grade, later taught 5th, then now have been in 4th for the past 7 years. I
like your resourcefulness in using the web for materials - I find that
resources are absolutely inexhaustible! Organizing and applying is the real
trick as I'm sure you're discovered. Unfortunately there are many sites
springing up that are geared for standardized tests... Terry
Hey Stacey,
so impressed that you use podcasting! I don't have any idea what podcasts
really are, and I wouldn't have the first idea how to do one myself. I am a
pretty visual person, and i thought podcasts were kind of ...
verbal/auditory??? do they also have graphics or does that fall into
another category? anyway... so glad you're enjoying your new student
teaching assignment. there's nothing worse than feeling stifled and
under-utilized in there!
Hey Stacey,
I'm also impressed with your technological achievements thus far! I like
your idea of letting the quality of the job offer dictate the age group you
will work with. I'm flexible with what age I want to teach, but not that
flexible. Nice intro.
Stacey,