The World of a 5th Grade Teacher

A must watch for those who have ever been asked the infamous question.

I read an interesting article today by Crystal Lee in the Daily Democrat.  I was pleasantly surprised that it discussed a few positive ways sites like MySpace and YouTube could be used.  Here’s an excerpt:

“These days, MySpace, YouTube and other “fun” Web sites can be used as learning tools as much as they are for entertainment.

Candidates running for the upcoming presidential election, for example, each have a MySpace profile set up in an attempt to engage and inform the younger demographic on national, international, political and societal issues - and perhaps capture the elusive youth vote.

“The best way to get information to young people is MySpace and YouTube and blogging,” Woodland City Councilman Art Pimentel said in phone interview Sunday. “This is a vehicle for young people in this country to communicate with each other.”

Pimentel said he created his MySpace page when he ran for council in 2004. It was an effective tool that connected him with volunteers and people who had questions about his campaign, he said.

Another popular Web site, YouTube, offers access to numerous videos, ranging from purely entertaining footage to compelling, socially relevant documentaries.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Take a look at the kinds of things we should be thinking about as teachers in the 21st century…
Download Video: Posted by mcleod at TeacherTube.com.

Here is a list of my favorite websites for teachers and students.

1. Pete’s Place: Free PowerPoint Presentations for Teachers
2. TeacherAde: The Online Community for Teachers
3. Lesson Plan Page: Free Printable Lesson Plans
4. Teachnolgy: Free and Easy to Use Resources
5. Cambrian School District: Student Friendly Standards
6. SBCOE: Language Arts Resources
7. Education World: Teacher Tools and Templates
8. Donors Choose: Teachers Ask.  You Choose.  Students Learn
9. Mr. Donn: Free Lesson Plans and Activities
10. eThemes: Professional development for educators by educators

After finishing up my second year of teaching, I realized that I was, indeed, still standing. This revelation led to reflection, which in turn lead to my usual reaction of wanting to do more. I signed up for summer trainings and classes, one of which was through the Area 3 Writing Project. Through this course, I was introduced to the concept of “blogging” as a means of writing and storytelling. So here I am, starting my first professional blog about my life as a teacher. Oftentimes, teaching can become an isolated profession and I become eager to interact with other adults. I hope that this blog will feed this need for contact with other educators who may be experiencing the same challenges and successes that I am. Perhaps it will also give non-educators a little more insight into the life of a teacher.