Week 6!

I was very impressed with everyone's units in class on Wednesday. We had a nice variety of topics covered, plus I was able to see how someone did a unit with a similar topic (Jenny with immigration) than me in a different way. I got a lot out of the class too. LoTi levels was a completely new concept for me and it allowed me to look at lesson/unit planning in a different way. I was also introduced to some great ideas for project based learning that I could either use with my future students or suggest to future colleagues.

On now to start another phase in my life. I'll be moving back to the Madison area (Middleton) on Sunday and I'll be back living there for the first time since my undergrad days. I'll be starting a new job on Tuesday in a new field (Library Media Specialist at River Valley Middle School) so I'm very excited but also a little bit nervous for that experience. I'll also enjoy the three week break before we start our next and final class in the LMS cohort.

week 5

This has been one of the craziest weeks for me. I worked at State Fair to make a little extra cash before I move out to Middleton, but I didn't realize they were going to give me so many hours. It has been a non-stop circus but the extra money will come in handy. I have been putting the finishing touches on my unit plan and I am pretty confident with where it is at. My plan focuses on immigration in the United States in the late 19th to early 20th century. It is an authentic experience and students are using a lot of technology. It also hits many social studies standards along with many ITL standards. I am very much going to enjoy these next three weeks off before the next class in the cohort as I will be moving to a new town and starting a new job during that time.

Week 4

I was intrigued about our discussion on the Digital Divide. This is a topic that I am always curious about. I always wonder what the statistics will say about internet use for people. Will we ever just assume that everyone can at least find a place to access the internet? So much can be done online these days and it makes me wonder just how many people have easy access to the internet. According to some of the statistics we looked at in class, it seems that age plays a big factor in internet use. Also income, education, and race play a role in overall internet use along with the quality of the internet use (broadband vs. dial-up). It makes me wonder about the future of things like mail and whether or not that will become obsolete. I will be working in a more rural area next school year, so I am curious to find out what sort of internet habits people have there.

Week 3

Our discussion on assessment this week brought me back to one of my classes I took through Stritch's M.A.T. program when I was getting my initial teacher certification. A lot of the focus was on formative and summative assessments and how assessments should drive future instruction. It has been five years since I took that class but I still remember a lot of the information because I would prepare for job interviews with a lot of the material from that class. I have decided now that I'm going to do my unit assignment on the immigration project that I found on the project based learning website. It's designed for three weeks but I think I'll be able to shorten it up to five or six days. The challenge will be coming up with the day to day lessons. The big picture stuff seems easiest.