Thing 4

The possibilities for students and educators seem to be endless. There is an overwhelming amount of information and knowledge that is our responsibility to pass onto our students. With that being said I do believe that there needs to be a shift in how curriculum is implemented. There is a remarkable difference from when I was a student to my students that I currently have in class. The skills they possess as well as their style of learning is different. I am constantly looking for new ways to keep them engaged and interested in the curriculum that we must implement. Being a Resource Room teacher, focusing in Literature I do find it challenging to present material in a way that students find interesting.
Sweden and other countries mentioned that have made textbooks to be more concise seem to be in tune with what our current group of learners need. So often when students are presented with an enormous amount of information, they are instantly overwhelmed. This generation of students likes things to be kept simple and streamlined.
As educators we must find ways to keep technology constantly integrated into our classroom, and make it a part of our curriculum. So often the challenge in this is a lack of resources. Hopefully our legislators will soon discover that the current basic needs of a classroom are larger than a pencil and piece of paper, it is technology!
Goals in teaching need to be shifted to encompass learning beyond the classroom, building community within schools and the community in which we live, and to be a part of the global world. We seem to be self-centered in the respect that we neglect to integrate the teachings of other cultures and what they value.
Self-confidence also needs to be brought back into our teaching curriculum so that our students feel empowered to be independent thinkers and feel self-confidence in the classroom and with the material that they present to us. Self-confidence can only lead to creativity.

Thing 3

This is my first post as a blogger, how exciting!!! I have been a blog reader for some time now, the blogs that I read are typically relating to design, gardening, home improvements, and crafting ...things that I enjoy working on in my spare time.
I think that educational blogs are an amazing idea, for both teachers and students. It is slightly intimidating to put your thoughts out for the world to view, but I think that it is a great way for teachers to share thoughts and ideas that may be useful to others.
I hope to learn a lot from fellow bloggers and to incorporate this into my teaching style.