Geocashing

So, geocashing is so much fun! Before today, I didn't know anything about it. I think this will be something fun to do with my fiance once I can afford a GPS. I also think this will be a beneficial geography activity to do with my students, as long as I can find the time. It is good for the students to know cardinal directions, in addition to working as a team for a common goal, i.e., finding a cache.

Social Studies - History

I decided I wanted to blog about history this week. I have never been truly fascinated by history as a whole, but more about my family history. Since I have grown older, I am more fascinated by history as a whole, in addition to family history. I am fascinated to see all the different stories related to one event; I like to see all sides of a story. While I was in elementary, middle, and high school, I only heard one side of a story and now I hear multiple sides of a story. I believe that students need to be able to decide for themselves what they think is true, based on facts presented to them.

Teacher's Critical Voice

Ok since, we in block, have been talking a lot about critical voice lately, and we're required to blog about it this week, I have some to say. The first is about the Valerie article from CUAI 4241... Wow! I am appalled at how that principal and the teachers treated Valerie, Mrs. Claire, and Mrs. Coughlin. Valerie is a young person, who missed a lot of school because of chemotherapy, she is almost deaf, but she does not have any other special needs, although she is treated as such. Mrs. Coughlin, the teacher, is not at all respected by her peers, and Mrs. Claire is treated as though she is stupid. The principal tells her, essentially, to butt out of her own daughter's education because she is not smart enough to know what is best. Mrs. Coughlin tried to use her critical voice, and although she failed several times, she eventually won the battle. Now on to the smaller of the two articles from Social Studies. I hope to be like Jenni, in the sense that I am a very hands-on teacher. I am afraid, because of standardized tests, such as the TCAP's, that I will not be able to teach my students in this way. I would like to have a balance of the two so that my students can benefit from both strategies. I hope that I will be able to use what I have learned in college to effectively teach my students and to stand up for what is right for them, as citizens of this country. Although they are "mini people" they are still people that have the same rights as I do.