BP 40 Wk4-2 DB Quickies:My Dream Teaching/presentation Environ. Comment to: Susan Nwokedi

Susan Nwokedi

My dream job is one that allows the ultimate creativity. I started a forward movement towards my dream job when I recently started a supplemental education center to work with at risk students. Since both my husband and I are teachers, he a secondary school teacher and I an early childhood educator, we felt it was time we embarked on this journey. Though I love my current job as a classroom teacher, I don’t think it is my dream job. Besides teaching, I am also an up and coming filmmaker. So what is my dream job? When I think of my dream job, I see a place where I can combine teaching with technology and filmmaking. Hmm, is there such a place in public education? This takes me back to what I said about starting a supplemental education center. I believe in if you can’t find it, create it. At the center, I will be able to practice my creativity, to include all that I have learned at Full Sail University and beyond. Finding one’s dream job is a process and I feel I’m headed in the right direction of the process.

Susan,

I think it is pretty 'neat' that both you and your husband are teachers- you are preparing your kids for his classroom! It is as if you have your own vertical team going on in your home! I think you said it best when you stated, "I believe in if you can’t find it, create it." Great teachers do this very well as we are so committed to what we do that we will make it happen to the best of our abilities within the parameters of our environment. You do such an awesome job of that and it shows in every activity that I have seen you share. I am inspired. I do see the filmmaker in you come out in your teaching as well. Who knows, maybe you could start a program where you teach the fundamentals through the art of film making and production. Kids not only get the necessary fundamentals, but modifications are naturally included, kids are empowered and a cross curriculum activity/project has been developed. What a great school/classroom that would be. Just think of the caliber of students you would be sending to your husbands classroom! Amazing. I can't wait to see what you do next.

BP 39 WWk4-1 DB Quickies: my dream teaching/presentation environment Reply to: Natasha Hogan

WK4 READING OR PROJECT - DREAM JOB? 6/27/10

I was truly challenged this week to think about my dream job, and answer the week’s question. I took the lead of the class and stayed in the safe zone, but the truth is, I don’t really have a dream job anymore. I’ve been there done that.

My dream is to not have a “job” and to be freed up to help people who really need helping. My heart is for the kids in Africa, my cousins, who have so much potential, but need the basics. I want to see them thriving in my lifetime. That’s what I want to do!

After the basic needs are taken care of, it would be great to be able to provide a way for the students in Africa to get quality education, perhaps largely through the internet. It would be great to partner with people like Dean Kamen and the folks at Edutopia to make this dream a reality.

What stands in the way? Nothing but time. It’s a big puzzle, but I think it’s all unfolding just as it should. This dream will become a reality, I believe. I’ll let you know when I get there.

Natasha,

I understand your deliberation with this topic as it makes one really think about your chosen place in life and the world and not just having a job to maintain a lifestyle. You seem to finally let your passion lead you to your answer and that is what matters most (in my opinion) because if you are passionate about it, it will get done! You really want to be a change agent in the world using the talents and opportunities you have had to allow others the support and opportunities. Paying it forward is a wonderful thing, especially when a heart like yours is the driving force! Just remember, you can and are making a difference everyday and it all counts for those that are right here around you.

BP 38 Wk4 The Art of Possibility -Chapters 10-12

Chapter 11-Creating Frameworks for Possibility: how do I make insight into a daily thing and share it with others?

Hmm. The word 'Insight' is a noun meaning "the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing." It is of Middle English, probably lower German in the sense of inner sight, mental vision and wisdom.

So the way I am able to gain a deeper understanding of a person or thing is to study it in various ways, environments or situations. This is can be considered a scientific skill since that is the nature of science to study or observe for greater understanding. So, to answer the question, I use insight for our assignments by reading the components and additional or tangent information thoroughly (sometimes very time consuming), asking questions of my professor and getting feedback from my classmates when I want to check for shared understanding. With people, I usually watch, ask questions and over time can formulate some better insight into who they are for that particular shared environment. I have sense of my classmates for who they are in this class. I have more insight about my long term cohorts in this program since we have shared the most time, throughout a variety of situations and circumstances and time which has allowed me to experience them in many facets of their lives as our schooling can greatly overlap into our personal lives. Some as far as knowing their families from the many iChats.

There has been times when I have put forth the effort to share my 'insight' about one cohort with another when disharmony has shown up in group activities. I was only able to do that because I had spent more one on one time with the other person and had the chance to get to know them better. That was very helpful in maintaining the group cohesiveness and focus on the goal at hand. I thought it was the standard that all groups got along like ours, but maybe not. Insight- don't leave home without it!

BP 37 Wk4-2 DB Quickies:My Dream Teaching/presentation Environment

"What stands in between you and your dream job? Why do you deserve to work in a dream job environment? what do you bring to the table? Be specific." This is a great question as well in that it encourages us to think to the next stages after completing this degree. I know I came into this program with the idea of equipping myself to move out of the classroom and into a role of leadership with curriculum/people development. Now let me explain THAT! The Wordle picture above is a collage of self-descriptors of who I am, evolving into sprinkled with words from two appropriate quotes I love: "Above all, remember your humanity." -Sir Joesph Rotblat and "Above all things get wisdom and understanding."- The Bible

My dream job is to be an umbrella company/think tank so to speak that helps to support, inspire and model and assist others in creating/becoming their Best Selves and live life full out- however that looks to them. An organization that encourages kids to dream and teaches them how to become empowered to make their dreams a reality. It is more of a mission and passion that it would be called a job. I already have the framework for this and a few ideas and supporters showing up. It makes me very excited to know and be able to use my gifts of vision, idea development and helping to assist others discover their passions and reach their dreams for themselves, not the ones that others may have told them were the right ones, safe ones. My motto is helping others be their best selves in life! I would have a facility where (I cannot tell my entire idea until it is copywrited- lol!) all of these great things would happen and in the midst, people would be required and compelled to pay it forward.

I deserve this job/career because I am passionate about it, have the skills, drive, know how and dedication to make it happen and it's my idea! I deserve it because I asked for it and it will benefit more than myself. I bring to it a host of skills and experiences from educational, life experiences, community service and passion along with the ability and willingness to make the connections and do the research to ensure it's success.

My ideal career is one that will help develop more 'kid-prenuers' than 'workers' as research shows kids are most likely to stop dreaming between the ages of 9 and 10 because the people in their environment start telling them to grow up, get real, and life is hard. Life is what you make it. Why not make it something you are passionate about?

BP 36 Wk4-1 DB Quickies:My Dream Teaching/presentation Environment

Briefly share what your dream teaching or presentation environment would be like, be specific about what such a place would include (beyond just the tech toys).

That is a fine question! It would not be so much a physical space such as a building or room as much as it would be a element or methodology or way of doing things. The ideal environment for me would be one where I have flexibility and freedom to move around from site to site teaching and training teachers how to use the tools that they/their schools have for that department (ideally science) and how to utilize the space and environment best. I would love to take the standards and help the teachers organize, review and divide over the calendar. Next, help them develop lesson plans and activities, that include hands on and 21st century Web 2.0 tools so as to take away the fear of learning/failing and that age old battle of no time. Being able to travel about in a county for a certain amount of time, then move on to the county, district or company as this would work for educational companies as well.

This environment of mine would include a support team that gives me access and provides help where I need it so that these traveling trainings would be successful. I would get to spend time on site teaching and training and some time back at an office doing curriculum review and writing to make sure supplemental material is most useful. All this being done in four day work weeks. This way I would get to combine my science and research background, corporate training and education expertise to have to ultimate service profession.

BP 35 Wk3 Discussion Deeper: Video Use in Education

Using videos, streams and such in the classroom seems essential to capturing the attention of today’s audience, breaking up the monotony by diversifying the delivery method and allows for learning for all about technology in addition to the curriculum. My students enjoy the lessons and being able to interact with them (we use smart boards and lots of sites have lessons that are compatible) and get the information in a way that may work best for them (differentiation of the curriculum). Here are a few that I use for everything from lesson builders, radio broadcast/pods, writing skill building, math review, virtual labs, games, video lessons and demonstrations and research.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00stlqg/Science_Cafe_20_06_2010/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/scia/
http://dsc.discovery.com/games/games-tab-04.html
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/?location=klrn - register for your own login- sorry, can’t give you mine!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/Mar05_websitings.htm

go to these once inside the scholastic site:
The Yuckiest

http://yucky.kids.discovery.com (middle school boys love this one)

Digital Froggie
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/frog

A Sickening Site
www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/infection

The Mysteries of Poo (middle schoolers love this one!)
www.kidwings.com

Comment to Lynne:

I too, use Edutopia but for different subject matter. However, I really like the sites you have suggested and the uses as well. This will be really helpful in the effective education area of our curriculum (this is the first school where it is truly apart of the curriculum). This is something that is needed. I am going to check out the larc.sdsu.edu/social media one for information on webinars as my students are really interested in the idea.

BP 34 Wk3 Reading: Art of Possibility, Chapters 7- 9

Chapter 9. Lighting a Spark. It’s not about us. It’s about them. What are you doing to pay-forward from your universe of possibility?

My paying forward is simple: lead my example and make room for you to develop and create opportunities and pathways for kids to demonstrate and develop their own methods and ideas about how teach or utilize the information shared. I like to always learn new things- information, methodology and the likes, not just from adults but from spending time with kids to find out who they really are, how they think and what interest them as learners. Then take some of those ideas to develop lessons that work for them and cover the material that is suggested by the standards. This also allows for students to take some responsibility for their own learning and develop some leadership skills all why becoming invested in the lesson(s) at hand.