Resource Blog #3

For this week’s resource blog, I went with a less traditional form of text, a Podcast. “The Daily” podcast is a ran by the New York Times, suggested by my current social studies professor, Joe. I found that this was an excellent resource for my content area, as they post as their name states, daily, with the exception that they do miss a few days sometimes, with news updates about things happening in the USA and global events. I find this as an excellent way for students to start thinking about what is going on in the world around them and being able to tie current content and standards into real world problems and events as a teacher. They have been doing this podcast since last year, so you could even take podcasts from the past and use those topics from then to bring up past issues that relate to the current topic. I can see other content areas using this resource as well, if the discussed topic relates to their field. For example, the amazon rainforest fires were talked about in the podcast, could be used in science class when learning about the importance of the environment or even when learning about how trees oxygenize our planet. Overall great resource that provides consistent and updated information, however it is the New York Times so there is bias, but a good dose of Fox News in the morning with my cup of joe, before I leave and listen to the Daily on my drive to school keeps me well balanced.


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/podcasts/the-daily/elizabeth-warren-rally.html


Word Count: 255

Synthesis Blog #3

I found it very helpful in understanding this text when we discussed in the classroom and used the strategies for the reading. As far as the text itself, very useful in understanding how we should manage the use of a textbook in our future classrooms. Whether it be used more heavily or more as a reference every now and then I think is the choice of us teachers. I do believe that we can all agree using the whole textbook like the reading is not a healthy learning space for us or the students. How I wish to run my future classroom is using the textbook as a supplemental resource, just like resources I will supply my students and I hope to get them to gather for themselves. In social studies, I feel like it would be trivial to simply use the textbook. Afterall, it contains the standards in it, and even has questions I could use to supply my tests. Practically doing my job for me. I know that it be devaluing my students, would make me hate my job, and therefore make my students hate my class. I see the value in the textbooks. Excerpts from the textbook would be great way to introduce some vocabulary that students are not aware of. As from the reading, our tasks as teachers are make sure our students understand what is being talked about it the classroom, not worry about that later when they pass or fail a test.

Word count: 248

Resource Blog #2

https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/

My new resource for our second resource blog comes from the Discovery Education website. They have a section called virtual field trips. This section of the site specifically focuses on high quality video productions that works for any subject. It takes you through a tour of a subject, ranging from STEM subjects, literacy, history, technologies, and even college readiness programs. They are varying long videos that take students through that subject, in a combination of a simulation/documentary styled video. This resource was good for either social studies or any other content area. It allows for an overview video to aid in reviewing for a subject or introducing a subject. I would not allow these virtual field trips to take the place of teaching, but I still thought this was a valuable asset to teaching my content area as the videos were interesting and I think would hold the attention of middle schoolers.

Word Count: 156

Synthesis Blog #2

      I found that, even though I consider myself an avid reader, that I had some trouble with some of the passages that these teachers used to challenge their students. As I continued through the chapter, I found that I recalled myself thinking the same way as the students. For example, on page 284 of the text where a student is calling out the teacher for the teacher expecting them to “know what they know and know what they don’t know.” I remember thinking with the same reasoning in middle and high school about my teachers that would say that. Now as a future educator and a college student, I understand the value of self-monitoring now, simply because it is a necessary skill. College professors do not baby you and that is either a make it or break it point for students in my opinion. As a future teacher, I hope I can break my students for relying on me for the answer, but instead, get them invested enough that they want to find it for themselves. Achieving that will require me to use the strategies in this chapter, by assessing where my students are on their reading levels, and building the type of relationship with my students where they are comfortable to ask me to explain a text and walk them through it.

Word Count: 223