Introduction

Who I am and Why I am Taking This Class:

I started my teaching career by joining Teach For America. My teaching program took place in Englewood, which opened my eyes to the cruel realities these children face in Chicago’s South and West sides—the toughest neighborhoods. The school I was placed in was an alternative, or option school. The student population was aged 16-21 and it was their last chance to receive a high school diploma, rather than a GED. I taught 11^th and 12^th grade English for the two years that I was in TFA. The other year and a half of my teaching career, thus far, has been spent in a primary independent school teaching 3^rd grade and now 1^st.

I chose to take Social Media and Emerging technologies because as technology evolves, so should our practices in the classroom. Using interactive technology in the classroom helps get students excited about the work they are doing and increases engagement. Also, depending on what school you work in, there might be more pressure to utilize new educational mediums in the classroom. Not only do blogs and learning platforms eliminate paper and having to keep track of student work, but they create one place where work is submitted and students can interact. I want to be able to properly operate and manage my own blog so that I can enrich student learning with supplementary course materials and discussion. I appreciated how in Nicole’s example blogs she featured readings and other neat links for students to further their learning. Parents want to be involved and know what is going on in our classrooms too, which makes a blog a perfect way to keep everyone in the loop. Parents can instead just go to the teacher’s website and check on upcoming assignments or important dates, rather than relying on their child who might not be the most responsible. I hope to absorb all that I can from this course and put it right to work in my own classroom.
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