A site worth checking out

This is actually a video streaming web site, were your district can pay a fee and join so you have access to a vast library of videos. These videos are organized by grade level and content areas, and they are ready to be viewed without timely downloading and storage. (United Streaming.com) I hope you find this useful.

Course Reflection

Realizing how little I knew about technology and the internet, then understanding how much I could actually do and understand (with a struggle) was the portion of this class that worked for me. I still have much to learn, but I may have broken through a few barriers that had limited me before this class.
The understanding by design assignment was fun, and my students seemed to really enjoy the lesson. The concept of big ideas and essential questions were confusing at first, especially when associating them to math concepts. Looking at the big idea as an application of how the math skill can be used in the real world and the essential questions are developed to stimulate critical thinking on how the skill can be used to help solve problems in every day life allowed me to implement these concepts into my math lessons. Having the students to understand math through real world experiences may give relevance to the skill and result in true mastery of that skill. This ability to problem solve is in fact our primary goal as math teachers.
Change is not always good, but we do know that change will always come about when people are not happy. As an administrator, I hope to observe and analyze trends and make adjustments and modifications as they are needed. I don't believe that changes should be drastic unless absolutely necessary in situations such as safety or security. Improving how students learn by providing an environment that is safe and conducive to learning would be one of my primary goals. Preparing these students for the future would perhaps be my biggest challenge. After taking this class, I'm not sure that any education system is equipped to adequately prepare our students with all the skills and tools necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

Middle School

The city of Orange is perhaps the most impoverished community in the state of New Jersey. Orange Middle School houses 600 students, where 9 out of 10 come from low income homes. Because of the regulations developed by NCLB, Orange Middle School has been directed to develop new methods and strategies to improve the scores of its failing students.
OMS developed 5 smaller learning communities to help build relationships and establish a sense of community within the school. Teachers within these learning communities meet twice a week , this allows the teachers to develop a stronger curriculum through inter disciplinary units. It also gives the teachers some feedback on individual students and perhaps opportunities to develop strategies on how to help these students to succeed.
The school's administrators and teachers are working together to improve the level of student interest and establish a safe learning environment in an area where violence and crime are evident. The teachers appear to be motivated and their enthusiasm will eventually spread amongst the students.
Some suggestions would be the development of after school programs. These programs could include subject tutoring or club and sports activities. This would help improve social and intellectual development by allowing the students peer interaction, belonging to a group, and recognition for their achievements. Performing some acts of community service would not only improve their moral development, but help them to improve their own world.