Wednesday, January 29, 2014
What does it mean to teach?
You are all future teachers. Soon you will find yourself in a classroom teaching. What does it mean to teach? After watching the video, what thoughts came to mind? How do you view teaching after having watched and reflected on the video? What stood out as important?
Prof. Arlinda Lopez
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After watching the video, the thought that education has been changing by leaps and bounds came to my mind. The huge amount of tools and resources available for both students and teachers is amazing. It really moves ahead from the traditional classrooms and typical instruction.
ReplyDeleteI really found this video interesting and motivating. Because of the new ideas and techniques it presents. We as future teachers must try and apply new fresh ideas in our classrooms. But, it’s a reality in many schools and classrooms here in the island that the lack of these technology resources is a big issue. So how can we use this technology in the classroom to teach if we don’t have it readily available?
During my teaching practice in Elementary, I made a budget to buy and acquire certain materials that I would use during my instruction and it really helped during my lessons. So the lack of resources from the government should not be an excuse not to acquire these technologies in order to have a fun and engaging class for our students.
If we as future teachers do not mold or guide students using technology they would just use this technology for entertainment; we must try and engage students in order to use it for teaching and learning. We as future teachers must be the catalyst in the learning process as well as the filters of information.
What does it mean to teach? For me, teaching is engaging students learn something they do not want to learn. We have to engage them in the concepts and materials with resources and strategies that appeal to their interests. If we do not make that connection with them they would bore and pay no attention to you whatsoever.
So for you what does it mean to teach?
I completely agree with molding our students into using technology for educational purposes. If we do not accustom them into using the Internet for other than Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter, they will not learn and will only feed off information that will not help them gain knowledge or lifelong skills. I also believe that teachers should never have excuses for the lack of resources found in the school. Things have ALWAYS been this way. Teachers have always had to buy their own paper and print their own copies. Now that times have changed, teachers must now acquire their own latest technology. A teacher that complains and throws excuses left and right, is mediocre and does not really care if students learn or not. As teachers we must literally work day and night to give the best to our students. Will it be difficult? Of course, there is no doubt. Is it impossible? NO. If we were to change our mindset we could become the best innovative teachers out there. We just have to be willing.
DeleteAs Elvis says, this video motivates the future educator to find ways to introduce the lesson integrating technology. It gives the educator a prior knowledge of what to expect with this new generation, known as Generation Z. This generation will have a higher level of technology that will make significant progress in academics. Of course, this Generation Z will be more internet savvy than us, the future educators; the Generation Y.
DeleteUnfortunately, here in the island of Puerto Rico the government does not hand out many funds to the Department of Education because of its debts. In other words, we (future educator) must bring or create our own resources to engage the students in the classroom.
-Paola Tubéns
I agree with Elvis, we should not use the government lack of services as an excuse. What some teachers don’t realize is that having that kind of mentality in the end will affect the students because they won’t give that extra step to help them be more engage with its education. No matter what the situation, teachers should integrate a variety of methods and materials to make the class better for the students. Also, one of the hardest jobs a teacher can have is to maintain their students engaged in something they don't care about or don't interest them one bit. That's why in the end, the teachers must decide how to integrate technology in a way where the students are able to learn and at the same time fun.
DeleteI agree with many points that Elvis brought up like engaging our students and helping them make good use of the technology. I wanted to add that even though the Department of Education does not supply many of the tools that we need, technology is around us. It's almost everywhere. How many students have cellphones nowadays? I'm sure that in a classroom most of them if not all of them. Automatically we have that advantage and we can put that technology to good use. The point is precisely how do I get my students to start engaging in new creative ways to use that technology. But we already have the advantage that it's there and literally at the palm of our students' hands.
DeleteTeaching has morphed into a complete new concept that some educators nowadays still cannot seem to fully comprehend. Teachers used to represent intellectual beings that would gradually feed students information and students would simply absorb everything without even questioning why everything was the way it was. We can all agree that in the 21st century the concept of teaching is completely new even though there might be some bits and pieces that have remained intact. This video captures how significant and extensive this concept has become.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to teach today’s students by using older techniques and methods. Why? Technology has become an essential part of everyone’s life. By either using technology for personal enjoyment or for expanding one’s own knowledge, everyone has come face to face with the latest technology available on the market. 21st century students have the ability to find unlimited information however and whenever they want. It is our job to help them find and fully understand what information is actually RELIABLE, after all the Internet is filled with so much content.
Here in Puerto Rico, incorporating technology into our classrooms can be a little difficult. I have done many observation hours and what I have seen in the classrooms is not pleasant and makes me question why everything is the way it is. I have witnessed with my two eyes, teachers complaining about how everything does not meet up to their standards and how disgusted they are with the educational system. Sure, we can all agree that the educational system in Puerto Rico has a lot of cons rather than pros, but should teachers simply throw in the towel just because they have limited resources? There is so much FREE content and software out there, that if teachers spent half of the time actually searching for them rather than complaining teaching would be fulfilling. Teaching is like a puzzle. It is our job as educators to try and fit our teaching techniques into the grand picture and if that does not work we must modify and pick another way of trying to fit everything together.
Just as it was stated in the video, teaching must be engaging to students. I found this point to be extremely important especially in today’s context. Since technology is becoming so advanced, many students sometimes lose focus on school and their interest goes completely downhill. We must grab students’ attention and show them how fun and interesting learning can be. As educators, we must make it a lifelong task to continue learning every chance we get because teaching is a concept that is always in constant metamorphosis. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” If we put our heart and soul into teaching, life would be so much easier on us. If we want to see a gradual change, we MUST first be willing to want to change.
"Here in Puerto Rico, incorporating technology into our classrooms can be a little difficult. I have done many observation hours and what I have seen in the classrooms is not pleasant and makes me question why everything is the way it is."(Daniel)-
DeleteThis is very much true. Integrating technology could be difficult, but has you said it is not impossible. It is just a matter of investing time wisely and look up for fun, different and engaging ways to deliver or facilitate learning to students. During my practice I had a third grade group, even though they were young I used to integrate technology with them. Therefore getting them used to seeing the technology as a way of acquiring knowledge. Instead of just entertainment. When I was at third grade I did not had that opportunity so I want to make a difference to my future students. The profession we choose is not easy, nor the best paying one. But we are here because we like it, and when we are doing something we like we go above and beyond.
“Teachers used to represent intellectual beings” – Daniel
DeleteIt is true, they used to be seen as the only person in the classroom who knew about everything, but times have changed. I would not say that technology or computers are replacing the educators, but rather are seen as a help in the classroom. I agree with Daniel when he says that it is our job to aid the student when they are using the internet to look up for any information. They must be acknowledged that everything they see in the internet does not have to be real.
I believe schools in Puerto Rico and their educators should integrate more technology or ways that will engage the student into the learning process. I have also been to some observations and what I see it is not of my delight. They have all this not-modern techniques in which they just write something on the board and they just sit behind their desk waiting for the bell to ring.
I agree with you. We, modern new teachers have a lot of ideas and learned a lot of new ways to captivate our students attention. Making our learning more effective. But the fact of not having the needed resources to make this possible it's what holds us back a little. But as a teachers ask yourself how many of our students have facebooks, twitters, instagrams, etc. We can say that at least 90% of the class has the ability to to connect to these social media either with iPods, iPads, tablets, cellphones or computers. So we as teachers just got to show them how to use them wisely. In a way that it could benefit them in the class and in their learning.
DeleteTeachers are an essential part of the classroom. They are the ones that encourage students to have values. Some students do not have that role model that can guide them through life or teach them the values accepted in society. When it comes to teaching a subject or a lesson, the teacher can explain the student one-on-one (face-to-face) for a better understanding.
ReplyDelete“No longer the source of knowledge but filter.” We, as future teachers, might fit into this category, but we are the one who will guide them through this process of acquiring new information with technology. Also, the students would not know how to handle the massive information they find online. They would need someone that explains it to them little by little. As well, they (educators) can add to their explanation their experiences they have had based on the subject they are teaching.
-Paola Tubéns
I agree with Paola, teachers must be that role model in our students lives. Maybe because most pf their parents are uncaring and does not pay the attention they need. Maybe their parents are busy with work and life problems. This should not be an excuse for parents, but is a reality.
DeleteWe as future teachers must try to stay ahead in terms of technology to provide a healthy learning environment and safe heaven for students. Students who seem to have problems at home or other situations out of our control.
With the ever changing world of technology teachers must be ahead of our students in terms of technology. So that we can embrace and benefit their addiction to technology in order to use it in our favor.
Teaching is a complex process and we are expected to be lifelong learners in order to be effective teachers.
Paola, your statement is completely true. As teachers, we must be that special role model that students want to follow. Aside from instructing them and teaching them to develop certain skills, we must also encourage them to become the best human beings they can be.
DeleteI also agree on how nowadays the teacher works as a filter rather than the source of knowledge. Since technology is constantly advancing it is our job to guide our students into using the very best ones. We must help them understand what information is reliable and which one is not. We must show them how diverse technology is and how we can use it enhance learning.
I agree with you, teachers have to put their heart and soul in this job to provide the students everything they need to build their future. Our priority should always be the student, so we must know how to approach them in different situations to give them the help, motivation, and encouragement they need. As you say, technology has so much information that we have to teach them how to make the best use of it in an educational way. If we don’t do this then our students will never know how many things they can learn that helps them not only in school but in a personal way. Being a teacher is not only teaching the students oral, writing, reading skills is also about teaching them values and morals so that in the future they can be ethical, integral and responsible people.
DeleteWe do have to be filters of knowledge because there is so much information out there but not all of it is reliable. I agree with you on a point that is crucial on our education system and society and it is the teaching of values. We live in a society where there are no values. We tend to be intolerant, disrespectful, and ignorant of other people's values and believes. Since there is a lack of these values coming from the families themselves, we have to be role models and lead by exemplifying some of these values. That's when our job goes beyond than just being merely educators of knowledge but we must teach principles and morals as well.
DeleteThis video is great with so many fantastic ideas to integrate technology in the classroom. When I saw this video the first thing that came to mind is how times have changed dramatically and technology is revolutionizing the school environment. As teachers, I believe that we shouldn’t see technology as an obstacle for our work or a negative influence for the students. It’s true that students are almost addicted and obsessed with technology, and most of them spend their time searching for irrelevant things, that are just for the sole purpose of entertainment, so why bother with technology if students are not going to use it adequately?
ReplyDeleteWe as future teachers should find different ways in which we can engage them to use technology in effective ways. This video gives us fantastic ideas of how to incorporate technology in the classroom making the students feel freer to express themselves and become more motivated when it comes to making an activity, project, assignments and even to strengthen the student-teacher relationship. I understand that most of the schools in Puerto Rico don’t have technology tools in the classroom and most of us, future teachers, will have to make a budget to be able to provide the students the information they need because the school won’t give it to us. Nevertheless, the teacher should always find a way to combine technology with the class. With the few observations that I’ve made I’ve seen the absence of technology in almost every classroom and the lack of knowledge the teacher has when it comes to working with a device. The educational environment becomes boring and monotonous and most of the students had to struggle to stay focused in class.
Teachers have to be self-learners and have the time to search different web tools that can completely change the way they give class in a positive way. I believe that the essential role of the teacher aside from being organized or responsible is to be creative, to know how to work with the unimaginable things that technology has to offer, and turn it into a productive and helpful tool to make learning fun and exciting for the student.
-Zuleika Ruiz Requena
Totally agree like I said in my last comment to Daniel. We as teachers have to show our students how to use technology in a way that it will benefit them. If we don't have the resources in the classroom, let's use their own resources to benefit them. They all have cellphones, iPods, iPads, computers, etc. Lets educate them how to make the right use of those resources.
ReplyDeleteThis video has a lot of valuable information for us future teachers. The fist quote that caught my attention was " Teachers are no longer the source we are the filter". This is so true. Technology has upgraded so fast in this past few years. So many new things and new ways that facilitate our teaching making it more interesting and fun. We all know kids now days love everything related to technology. So we as teachers have to incorporate this in our classroom.
ReplyDeleteI know we all think, ok we have to integrate technology in our education but where are the resources? Sadly here in the island we can't count with the highest technology in our classrooms. So we have to figure out how to create and integrate it with out it. 90% of our students have access to the internet either by their cellphones, computers, iPods, iPads, tablets, etc. So let's have them using this telecommunications wisely.
The students need to be entertained. We have to make fun and exciting the learning for them. So we as teachers have to be engaged to make this learning effective. We should be able to asses what students know, understand and can do and use this assessment to plan our future teaching and learning activities. We have to learn how to motivate them and learning will be so much more fun for them. Don't look at technology as an obstacle for learning but as a tool for learning.
What does it mean to teach? I believe that everyone has own capability to teach in their own way. I think it is very unique. However, what we teach and how we teach can and should be shared with others so that we can learn from each other. The video provides valuable information and the reality that teachers are no longer the primary source of information. We as teachers have to guide our students on how to find reliable sources of information. We have to show them how to make good use of technology for their own benefit of acquiring knowledge. But most importantly, we have to engage them into creating activities, blogs, videos, and knowledge itself. The twenty first century teacher must be prepared to face the many challenges that make it difficult on us to truly effectively educate our children.
ReplyDelete