A Little About Me...

My name is Marlena L. Marsh. I am married to my husband, Michael Marsh. We have been married for a little over five years. I am currently attending the University of South Alabama, double majoring in Elementary Education and Speech Therapy. I plan to graduate with honors and go on to teach the youth of today and help them excel and be the leaders of tomorrow.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Teaching Concepts

I have several teaching concepts that I plan to implement in my classroom. The first is that I will bring a fresh, new curriculum to my students each day. I will show them new concepts and methods of completing an assignment so that they will feel excited and engaged in the learning process. Secondly, I plan to make my classroom a place of learning. Bias, ridicule, gender, and race will all be left outside my door. My class will be a haven for learning for all students. I feel that this is necessary so that children recieve the best education that they deserve.
Lastly, I feel that my curriculum should be multicultural in nature. Our curriculum in school's today is largely Eurocentric in nature. I will add to this required curriculum with stories, facts, lessons, and personal experiences of my class so that the students will receive and education that will properly equip them for the future.

Technology In The Classroom

Technology in the classroom is a great resource for teachers. From blog posts to custom websites, these tools can be used to further your students learning and correspond with parents. I plan to use both of these tools in my classroom so that my students will have every opportunity available to them so that they will be able to succeed in life. Technology allows for the expansion of curriculum, critical thinking skills, and new subject matter, just to name a few.
I plan to set up a class website in my room so that my students will know the value of the internet. It will be a place where students can ask questions to either me or their classmates, check daily announcements, look at their homework, and be uplifted by the quote of the day. On this website, students can also blog about their day, good or bad, without feeling pressure from me. I will look at the blogs to see what we need to focus on in the upcoming lessons and what the students feel that they have a grasp on. Technology will be a valuable asset in my classroom.

Inspiration For Teaching

My inspiration for teaching is my mother. Her name is Martha Lane. She was a Special Education teacher specializing in Deafness/Severely Handicapped Children for over thirty years. She is an amazing woman who has a passion for children and teaching them to succeed in life. No matter the obstacle in her way, she pursued her dream and the dreams of her students. She has dedicated her life to deafness and is now an interpreter for the deaf since retiring.
I feel that it is important to have a role model for the career that you choose. I feel blessed that my mother is my inspiration and role model. She has taught me to strive for my goals, no matter how lofty. From her, I have begun the journey to becoming an Elementary school teacher and a Speech Therapist. I cannot thank her enough for the support she has shown me and the drive that she has instilled in me to succeed.

Podcasts As Teaching Tools

Podcasts are a great tool for the classroom. There are numerous topics and genres to choose from so the possibilities are endless. You can use them for all subject matters and topics discussed. From the podcasts, students can gain new insight on a subject or topic and then discuss their ideas about the podcast in class. This opens up a forum for student interaction and critical thinking/analysis of ideas.
I will use podcasts in my classroom daily and possibly several times a day. I find that podcasts bring subjects alive and discuss them in ways that engage all audiences. I will show video podcasts about the environment, the ocean, and humanitarian issues so that my students will be able to better grasp what is going on around them, all while sitting in their desks.

Useful Internet Sites

The internet should be used as a resource for lesson plans. There are great websites to be found that have pre-made activities and lessons for your use. I find these websites to be helpful for teachers so that new ideas can be put forth. These new ideas aid the students by fresh curriculum being taught in the classroom that engages all of the students.
I will use internet sites to help in my lesson preparation. I have found so helpful sites that I can not wait to use for my students. These websites contain lesson focus ideas, projects for both at school and in home, curriculum, work sheets, and many more valuable tools. Here are some of the websites that I have found to be my favorite:
www.teachingk-8.com
www.kid-lit.com
www.highlightskids.com
www.earthgoogle.com
www.brainpopjr.com
www.rainforestmaths.com
www.efieldtrips.org