Blog's as a Teaching Tool

Before I was made to keep a blog in one of my college classes, I never kept one. However, I quickly learned how to use them effectively in my classSPACE rather than the standard teaching styles. Technology is quickly advancing and rather than fight against I prefer to embrace it. I learned that by using blog's a teacher can generate much more enthusiasm for their subject, and as a result students learn more.

I would use blogs to hear what my students really think about the subject, as a sort of private journal for them. I would use them in my discussions of the subject; and have them respond to other students response's.

If I don't know, Let's find out as a class

Many a time, as a student I asked a question, and if the instructor did not know they blew it off like it was not important. I believe in just the opposite; if I don't know the answer I use it as an opportunity for the class to find out the answer. Maybe I would assign them to research the topic and tell the class about it at a later date; or I would research the question myself and get back to the class as a whole.

I am a user of Google Tools

I love to use the tool's Google has to offer and encourage my student's to take advantage of them.

• Documents (the equivalent of Microsoft Word)
• Spreadsheets (the equivalent of Microsoft Excell)
• Presentations (the equivalent of Powerpoint)
• RSS feeds directly to my gmail account

The reason I live these tools are:

• They are free
• They are simple to use, and much help is availiable if needed
• They allow you to not have to carry around and rely on electronic means of saving, such as jump drives or CD's.
• They allow more than one person to have the same file and work on them without it getting messy. Everything is shared automatically through google.
• Everything is saved on a mainframe server at Google, and can not be lost
• It allows live chat and video while working
• Everything is available online, and cuts down on the lost time while getting documents or power points while in the classroom.

I have found these tools to be very useful and helpful for my own use.

Learning from my students

While I was in school, teaching styles were pretty much the standard, "I lecture, you write it down", and as a result after the class the knowledge was forgotten or remained dorment. Personally, I believe that I should encourage my students to bring forth their own knowledge and experiences. We live in a diverse society, and my students will have different upbringing's and life experiences than my own. I would be a fool if I did not listen to what they have to say about life or history. Because we live in a diverse society, what one person thinks will not mimic another.

As a result of the different perspectives my students take, I can learn where they are coming from and therefore better educate them. I love to listen to the stories about how life was for different people, and believe highly in incorporating this into the classroom. I would also challenge my students to learn about their own past and to bring their knowledge with them throughout their lives.

Learning and Discussing History

I believe in bring the information to class, and involving the students to find out what they know. I encourage discussion about every topic, whether or not it relates to what I originally planned to discuss. I view classroom discussion as a major tool to teaching, rather than the cut-and-dry "I write on board, you copy" style of learning many fellow educator's use. I feel that if you involve a student's own knowledge and background into the discussion, that they will learn so much more and will remember it for the rest of their life.

I love to learn more about History every day. I encourage my students to learn about different styles than just the average amount they are expected to know to pass a CRT or another standardized test. In fact, I happen to not like the idea of a test determining my student's future. Personally, I believe that every one of my students can make it in this world. I believe that by incorporating discussion's about each topic, I help them that much further to be successful in their life. I encourage my students to bring their own knowledge to the forefront so that not only do they learn from me, I also learn from them.

a bit about me...

I am majoring in Secondary Education Social Sciences and AS History at the University of South Alabama. I have been in charge of my own wharehouse for J&J Furniture for almost 3 years; I plan to continue working here until I finish college. I plan to graduate with my bachelor's degree, start teaching for a few years while I save up money, and then go to night classes for my master's while continuing to teach.