Teachers, Are you here?!

[jamijame83]

Hey Teachers,

Are guys still here? I would love to hear from some of you all to find out what's happening in today's classrooms. I'm going into teaching as a result of my my experience as a student, especially a my kindergarten year. However, I'm guessing that there may been a few important changes made since I first came into Ms. Davis' class sporting my smiling dog back pack talking about the brand new Back to the Future Movie (wanted to reveal my age without saying the number, it scares me to see it).

Jamijame83

[andyandlexismom]

I'm not a teacher but I can tell you that my daughter's kindergarten class is trying out the new "smart" boards. My daughter loves it. If you're not sure what they are, you can Google it.

I would love to hear some of your ideas for teaching!

[Crafty Amanda]

Welcome to the boards!

[jamijame83]

Hey AndyandLexismom,

Thanks for the reply! Actually, I gave a presentation on the use of technology in the classroom last semester in class and the smartboard is one of things I presented on. I love the idea of it. Have you ever asked your child what it is they like about having the smartboard in class? I get excited thinking about all the fun that learning is, especially when you talk about implementing technology.

I'm really glad you wrote back. It is very important for me to find out what parents will be expecting and how they might feel about some of my ideas. I would love to hear from you about what great things your child's teacher is doing that you really like.

[andyandlexismom]

I just asked my daughter what she liked about the Smart boards--she said that she liked to be able to touch the board and move things around on it.

The funny thing is that these boards are new to my kids' school this year. Her K-class is trying one out and they love it. On the other hand, my son's 5th grade class is trying it out and they didn't like it at all. His teacher didn't like it, either.

Both my kids and I love their teachers this year. Both teachers are young and full of new and inspiring ideas. My daughter's class works a lot in stations and groups to learn. They have reading groups, too. Although the teacher has an assistant, it amazes me how well her teacher can keep 24 little children under control.

The downside of their school is that they are not big in parent involvement so I really can't tell you a whole lot of her actual teaching other than what I hear from my daughter.

I am amazed at how much she has learned this year! When school started, my daughter knew her alphabet and numbers but wasn't reading. Now, she is reading like a champ. In her interim report card, her teacher said that she is an awesome student and one of the top readers in her class.

I thank you for wanting to teach our children!! We are in need of good teachers in this country! I'm sure that you already know this but you really will have a big impact on their futures!

[UmaNanna]

I use a smartboard every day. We use it for virtual field trips. I will copy workbook pages and project them on the smartboard. I scan student writing and we edit it on the smartboard. I love doing graphs and manipulate items being graphed. We do sight word flashcards using powerpoint. When I introduce a new math skill I can access the e-program with our math adoption and demonstrate the skill to the class before they get on their computers to play. Kids love to play games on the smartboard as well as write on it.

It's great. I can't imagine any teacher or student not loving them.

[jamijame83]

Thanks for the post Uma Nanna. I apologize for this super late response. I've had lots to do in school and at home. Any-o-who, I want to find out what you are doing in your class. I have some guesses about what's happening in kindergarten classes, but I would love to know what is is really taking place. I could really use the help. Thanks in advance (T.i.a)

jamijame83