Blogs in the Classroom

I think that a blog could be really useful in my future classroom. As a teacher, I think a blog could have multiple uses with multiple benefits. One way to use a blog would be as a tool for parents to stay informed. The parents would have access to the blog and could go on to keep up to date with the happenings in both the classroom and the whole school. By creating a calendar and posting daily about any announcements/big lessons/homework. A blog can also be used as a platform for the students to post daily about a topic. For example, students could be selected each day to share their writing from the day from their writer’s notebook. Then, the other students in the classroom will have the opportunity to comment and give one another feedback, creating a positive learning environment for everyone. 

A blog would be helpful, because it allows assignments and posts to be found in one location. It also allows students to explore technology and become familiar with online conduct, such as commenting on someone’s post. Some constraints of using a blog would be that students will not receive that same oral support that is essential to develop. 

Learner Analysis: Rory Gilmore

Rory Gilmore seems to defy all the odds. Her mother, Lorelei Gilmore, had Rory when she was only sixteen years old. This caused her elitist and very wealthy grandparents to become angry because Lorelei was meant to uphold their high standards. Lorelei ran away shortly after giving birth to Rory and found a job as a maid working at an Inn and living in the shed behind the Inn. This is where Rory grew up, until her mother saved up to buy a home and begins to make money of her own to support them both. 

Rory has always been an excellent student. She is extremely intelligent and dreams about studying at Harvard University, which for her, is completely possible. She attends an elite private school in Connecticut, Chilton Academy for her high school years. Her grandparents supported Rory’s academic success by funding her very expensive education, with the requirement that her and her mother must visit them weekly. Rory is very engaged in her school work, which is sometimes a negative for her because she has obsessive behavior to be a perfectionist in everything she does. Anything but an ‘A’ is simply not an option for Rory. She wants to stand out and she wants to be the best so that she can achieve her dreams. Rory is definitely “college ready” academically. She has her strategies for studying and managing her school work. However, I do worry about Rory in a social sense being “college ready”. She becomes easily caught up in school work, which leads to obsessive behavior and her to forget about how important it is to go out and socialize. 

Rory’s interests are mostly academic. She is a very avid reader and spends most of her free time figuring out how to manage her school work. Because she goes to such an elite school, the pressure is very much so on the students and they are expected to do well. This is a school where the students are expected to go to Ivy League Universities. As a student in my class, it would be a challenge to keep Rory busy. The traditional work and curriculum would come much too easily for Rory and she would be left feeling bored. I would be sure to have materials for Rory that can challenge her such as extra worksheets, advanced level books, and I could suggest apps for her to use that have higher level materials on them. 

About Me

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! 

My name is Sierra Kudsin and I am an undergraduate student at Grand Valley State University. I am currently finishing up my last year and plan to graduate in May of 2017. I am majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English Language Arts. 

In my free time, one thing I enjoy is reading. I indulge in all types of books, but my favorite of all time is the Harry Potter series. That is where the root of my love for reading comes from. I enjoyed reading from a very young age, as it was something that my family encouraged me to do. I collect the original, yellow-spine, illustrated cover version of The Nancy Drew series, which was also one of my favorites growing up. 

I also enjoy being outdoors. I have my own kayak and I love going on trips with it. My favorite place that I kayaked this summer was in Cape Cod. I kayaked through a river into the Atlantic Ocean and that was a first for me. I also enjoy hiking and camping. Unfortunately, I didn't do much of either this summer, but I am hoping to take a fall trip to the U.P. to squeeze one in for the year! 

One of my main passions in life, besides teaching of course, is traveling. My grandparents encouraged me to travel from a young age and brought me on vacations every summer. We started out small, like a trip to Mackinac Island, and from there we began exploring down south and going gem mining, exploring caves, and hiking the trails. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to embark on a study abroad program. I studied in Maastricht, the Netherlands and was there for 4 weeks (I also extended my stay to do some extra traveling). While there, I also visited London, Ireland, Germany, and Belgium. It was a once in a lifetime experience. My state count is now up to 15 and my country count is up to 9. 

When it comes to implementing technology in the classroom, I do not have much experience. For various classes at GVSU we have had to research websites that will be helpful for the future, but I have not had a chance to use them in the classroom. I would say my experience comes from watching others use technology. For example, my placement this semester has a classroom set of iPads which they use for various reasons through out the day. I am eager to learn more, in my placement and in this class, about using technology in the classroom and the various benefits that go along with it. 

For a little clip about me, click here!