Journal Review 3

Getting Girls EX.I.T.E.D About Project Management
By Bjorn Norstrom, Carol Smith, and Annika Haglund

Everyday students are required to complete many tasks that involve utilizing technology based tools. The problem with this is that, not all students are always properly educated, or equipped to accomplish these tasks, especially the more complicated ones. A school in Colchester, Vermont came up with their own solution to this problem.

IBM puts on an annual summer camp called Exploring Interests in Technology and Engineering, or EX.I.T.E. The camp is geared towards getting middle school aged girls enthusiastic about science and technology along with IBM engineers. The IBM/Colchester Middle School liaison, Annika Haglund, teamed up with the EX.I.T.E representatives, to come up with a program to teach girls project management. The program was based around four main goals: the establishment of a long term relationship between mentor and mentoree, introduce the girls to product management with a connection to technology skills, encourage young girls to pursue careers in sciences and technology, and to develop a model that could be followed in a school setting on collaborating around technology.

The original pilot project was a weekly EX.I.T.E club that met after school hours. Eventually the club began meeting everyday after school, with a closer, more hands on relationship with their IBM mentors. The girls soon became much more task orientated, and took ownership over the projects of the club. Girls who had been shy or introverted were suddenly coming out of their shells, both in and outside of the club. Through collaboration of the pedagogy of the teachers, and the experience and technological skill of the IBM mentors together created amazing strengths for the project.


Question 1: How as a teacher this is relevant to me?
Answer 1: Well not only as a teacher, but as a female teacher, this entire article was fascinating to me. Even in today’s day and age, with the leaps and bounds taken towards equality, men still hold all of the math, engineering, and technology based careers--or rather, a majority of the highest paying professions. This club, and summer camp to be geared complexly towards young girls is completely liberating. It is inspiring girls to get out into the areas they were maybe hesitant towards approaching, and gives them the skills they need to thrive in the areas.

Question 2: How could this be made into an effective program at a school I may teach at?
Answer 2: After reading this article I would love to get involved with a program like this, and begin the processes of getting it effectively established in my school. Many times girls just need a strong push, or spark to get them excited about something. I would love to be a part of that spark or excitement for them. Also, when I was younger I was always fascinated by science, and technology, I heavily considered some sort of IBM based career, so it would be a learning experience for me as well.

CSUSM Future Educators

https://docs.google.com/a/cougars.csusm.edu/Doc?id=dpttbjf_6gzk7j3nw

Yvette Givens
If I were to describe myself in three words they’d be genuine, loyal and teachable. These are all characteristics I believe will make me an affective teacher. I have always been a hard-working student who enjoys learning. My favorite subject is mathematics, which is why I decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in it. I find math to be a very intriguing subject. I love the fact that there is always one answer but multiple ways of getting there. I guess problem solving is something that attracts me not only academically but also in life.

The courses I took as a math major originally seemed unnecessary for what I wanted to do. There were many times when I was in class wondering why I had to take certain courses if all I wanted to teach was high school math. In making it through these courses I got to experience how it felt to be a frustrated math student, which I feel will better help me relate to the students I will have in my classroom who are frustrated as well. Furthermore, I am better equipped with the background knowledge I need to be an effective teacher. 

Early on I realized I have a passion for young people. This coupled with my enjoyment of mathematics has been why I’ve decided to pursue a career as a math teacher. I love to serve others, and I believe teachers are some of the greatest servants that exist in this world. One of my favorite quotes is one by Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” As a teacher I believe I will be able to live out this motto. Teachers spend so much time with their students not only teaching them a subject matter but also being a role model to them. By no means do I believe I am a picture perfect human being. I am constantly striving to be the best version of myself. If I can make this evident to my students while simultaneously inspiring them to have the same mentality I believe change can happen. 

If you wish to know more about me please feel free to email me at: Yvette.Givens@gmail.com 
You may also check out my blog at: http://vetsedu422.blogspot.com/ 

High School Mathematics
"Math is like love-- a simple idea but it can get complicated." When we get down to the bottom line of things everyone wants love in their life, so if math is like love why wouldn't anyone want math in their life? While I'm using humor to talk about math in one's life, the truth is math cannot be escaped. Even if one went their whole life without stepping foot into a mathematics classroom they would need to know how to count, add, subtract, etc. In conducting everyday activities like purchasing food or clothing, cooking, and balancing your checkbook math is involved. These may seem like simple tasks at first, but there are times when it can get complicated. Math has always been a subject I've enjoyed, and I look forward to the opportunity to teach it. I would like to teach the high school level because it is at this point when students become disgruntled with the subject, feeling as though there is no need for it in life. I like to make connections from the classroom to real life and feel as though I will be able to do so in an effective way for my students.


Not only is math essential for being able to perform certain tasks in life, but knowledge in the subject will also better equip students for future careers they may pursue in which they may not even know math is involved. The subject matter is also an effective tool in teaching individuals problem solving skills. As one proceeds in their educational endeavors they will find that math only gets more and more complicated, but hopefully with me as their teacher they will learn to appreciate all that is involved in math in the development of character, patience, and understanding. Math can be an enjoyable subject. Some areas are more interesting than others, but the exciting thing about high school level math is there are so many subject areas to be touched that provide each student with an opportunity to find some kind of interest in mathematics. There is much information available on California Mathematics Content Standards for teachers, students, and parents. There are also many websites available for students who are interested in getting extra help or practice during the summer and other school vacation periods. The following website is very helpful in helping students to gain more knowledge on some of the mathematical subjects talked about in the California Mathematics Content Standards website: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ 

 

 

 

 

                                    

My name is Krysteena Moraga. I am twenty years old, in my 3^rd year of college, and first prerequisite semester of the ICP program.  I have wanted to be a teacher for just about as long as I can remember. I have always loved reading and writing, and was always the first person to volunteer to write on the board and assist the teacher with whatever they needed. I would always make my sisters sit around and play school with me, and even make up homework assignments and worksheets for them to work on. One summer I even set up an entire lesson plan that included all of the core subjects and implemented a PE program. Ever since then I have known that teaching was what I was meant to do.

Another reason I know I am meant to be a teacher is my love for children. I have always been drawn to children and had such a natural ease forming bonds with them. I think having had such a influential hand in raising my own sisters has instilled that in me. I want to teach elementary school for about 10 years or so; but I intend on getting my Masters in History, teaching high school history, and eventually pursuing a PhD in history and teaching history at a college level. What I love most about our College of Education mission statement is its commitment to “life-long learning,” which I extensively believe in. I think that we are not giving our students an education for the day, or an education for the year, but for an entire lifetime. The knowledge we provide them is the basis of which they will build on for a lifetime. I feel like my own continuing pursuit of a further education while teaching is an apparent example of this.

 

Contact Information

Email: Morag001@cougars.csusm.edu  

Blog Web Address: http://krysteenameduc422.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

First Grade and Beyond 

 

In today’s day and age of technology where knowledge can be accessed by the click of a mouse, and where we have endless amounts of educational resources, it is astounding to learn that 20% of high schoolstudents are considered functionally illiterate.  Even more staggering is that 42 million American adults are illiterate and 50 million cannot read at a level exceeding that of a fifth grader.

 

It is statistics like these that have both instigated and fueled my dedication to illiteracy. How these children move up through the grades, and continue to be pushed through the education system baffles me.  But I have made a promise to myself to do even the slightest bit to minimize the illiteracy rates in if nothing else my district, or my school. I want to teach first grade, which of course is where the basics of reading and writing are laid out for children. I just want to feel like I have done my part to help spark the need for knowledge. The link below is to the California State Content Standards.

 

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf

 

 

Eventually I plan on moving up through all of the grades from elementary school, to high school, and eventually to a college level. I want to teach history, and history teachers are notoriously forgiving when it comes to paper writing, linguistics, grammar, etc. I on the other hand, will not be that teacher. I know for example at our college we have a writing standard that must be met each semester by each class, regardless of subject, I would definitely take advantage of this policy. I want to feel like I fully devoted myself to my students, and I personally would not want to feel like I let them down by letting them just slide through the system. When I think back to some of the best teachers that I had growing up, and how much they helped me and inspired me into this profession, I want to feel like I lived up to their expectations of me by holding my own students to the same standards.

 

 

 

 

Journal Review 3

Going on A Desktop Diet
By Michael St. Jean

In times like these, and in an economy like this, districts and state boards are feeling the pressures of budget cuts, and fund restrictions. So it is no surprise that certain areas are coming up with innovative ways to save money. The small 16 school district of Pawtucket, Rhode Island is no exception. The district was trapped in a cyclical cage of desktop system upgrades, and replacements the schools just could no afford. In addition, the computers barely fit into the small elementary schools, and stretched the limits of the aging schools’ electrical capabilities. The technology was becoming increasingly dated, as curriculum was progressing, and the district trying to keep up with the evolving demands.

Next came the solution, to get rid of all the desktop computers. As an alternative, the district buying and building terminal servers, and converting the desktops into thin clients. Terminal servers are those that host applications, and then communicate remotely with systems of computers and other devices. The converted desktops became specialized clients that exchange mouse clicks, keyboard strokes and video with the terminal servers. This exchange creates a local experience and desktop experience for several users at a time.

The change was not a swift one; but rather one that happened through phases overtime. Over six years ago the process began with just a few computer trials. After success was proven the district needed to buy a supply of outdated desktops to convert. The justification in the purchase was that allow there would be an immediate cost of $90,000, in the long run the schools would be saving upwards of $800,000 to $1,000,000. Today the district deploys 1,800 thin clients, supported by 40 terminal servers. The desktop diet has definitely proved successful in terms of dropping extra money along the way.



Quesion 1: How could this be implemented in our own school district?
Answer 1: The article gave a fascinating play by play as how to effectively being the desktop diet in your own schools. I think that with proper planning, and a dedicated team the desktop diet could be a fundsaver in our own hometowns. Perhaps not in higher level education schools since multiple desktops are integral to both teachers and students. But the diet would most likely be effective in elementary school settings.

Question 2: About how much savings couldbe estimated for a major California school district?
Answer 2: While I cannot project an exact number, seeing as how nearly one million was saved on such a small district of only 9,000 students in Rhode Island, I imagine the savings in one of our school districts to be even higher.

Journal Review 2

Virtual Success: Transforming Education Through Online Learning
By Julie Young, Pam Birtolo, and Raven MacElman

This entire article was really fascinating. I knew that you could take college courses online, but I had no idea that you could complete an entire high school career online as well. Then once I thought about it, I found it very shocking that I had never heard about Florida Virtual School (FLVS) before this article.

Virtual schools offer an entirely different type of educational experience; it is an alternative to standard curriculum, normal school hours and scheduling obligations. Children are able to learn on their own time and on their own motivation. If they are sitting awake at 2 o’clock in the morning they can message their teacher and receive almost instantaneous feedback.

These children are not only mastering technology, they are working out multiple concepts of education on their own just as much through instructional guidance. They are also receiving higher grades and scoring higher on AP exams and outperforming standard students on educational assessments.


Question 1: How effective can this virtual instruction be?
Answer 1: With this time of education, information is accessible, and knowledge and limitless. Any question a student can conjure up can instantly be answered by the click of the mouse. If there is something the teacher themselves is unaware of the answer, or simply just unavailable the student can take steps toward resolving it on their own.

Question 2: Where do I as a teacher fit into this virtual world?
Answer 2: The teacher still holds a vital role in this type of instruction. They are laying out the coursework, anticipating the needs of their children ahead of time, and needing to be reaching at all hours of the day. There are no hours or boundaries to the classroom; the teacher is dedicated 24 hours a day. If I want to be a History professor as I someday wish to be, there is a very big chance that I will be teaching online courses as well as teaching in the classroom. I will need to be able to accommodate myself to all the learning styles and teaching abilities.