From+My+Heart...



"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all"

Just some words from the heart...

Wiki is the Hawaiian word for "quick". To me, the meaning of Wiki is "Makana" which means gift. Completing my own Wikipage was one of the greatest gifts I have ever given myself. I feel a sense of accomplishment, relief as well as pride in knowing that I created such a wonderful tool to use for many years to come. I can't believe that in a matter of a few months I went from being technologically unaware to creating my own masterpiece. I feel a sense of creativity and triumph has come not only out of the class but the project itself. It is hard to swallow knowing that other individuals can look and enjoy what I have created yet might not fully understand the hard work and dedication that went to creating it. I will enjoy being able to use this site for any grade that I might teach and know that these tools are already established and an exemplar has been created. I've learned a lot about myself as a student, a teacher and as a person and I am confident that all that I learned will continue to follow me from here on out. I learned that not all things in life come easy. I grew up being a straight-A student in high school and put a small amount of effort into the work I did. I cared about my school work, yet everything just came easy for me. I learned that I was not as technologically savvy as I thought I was and that there are hundreds of other technological tools out there besides Word, Excel and Powerpoint. The options that are available for teachers to use are exceptional and create a different learning atmosphere than what I had when I was in school. I learned that being a teacher is hard work and takes time, effort, passion and dedication to create lessons that will be beneficial for all types of learning styles. I learned most of all is that technology is a key component to learning and by creating lessons with technological tools, I found out a little bit more about the unit I created myself. Creating a unit is time consuming mixed with a lot of creativity. With all of the hard work that I put into creating my unit, I cannot imagine what it is going to be like to create multiple units, and then squeeze them into one school year! It certainly gave me an appreciation for teachers of all grades as it is difficult to incorporate the curriculum, making sure the students are learning as well as trying to make it still fun and exciting for the students as well. Until you are placed in a classroom setting, it is difficult to understand all of the tasks that go into managing it and running it successfully. Just as a business, a classroom takes key aspects that will make it successful. Without having classroom experience, creating your own unit was like trying to find my way through the dark without my flashlight. Yet at the end of the tunnel I feel as though I found the light and created an awesome unit that I feel is one that I could use in the years that I am in that classroom...with my flashlight. The greatest thing to be proud of about the products that I created is the fact that I created such great exemplars from tools that I have never used before. I took the time to think of the most realistic examples that could be used in the classroom. I wanted to utilize each and every one of the tools that I used in the future. I am proud of the way that they turned out. I felt that with each assignment and tool that we needed to used, I felt discouraged in not knowing if I would have the creativity and knowledge to be able to create them. Dr. Stocker has been an amazing leader in this class as she made sure to provide multiple examples and allow us to choose the tools we felt fit our style and needs the best. She understood that we were all different learners as well as teachers and I feel that this was one of the best ways to direct a class. Giving us the freedom to choose what we felt fit best into our unit and providing us with all of the different options made me realize that these tools are truly something I could use. I don't know if there was anything that I would want to do differently if I could do it all over again. I feel as though I truly found what my passion is for...and that is for teaching. I had so much fun creating my own lessons, using the tools, finding awesome graphics to use, exploring the different websites and creating ideas for my future classroom. I feel as though I strive for perfection. I know that I may not achieve it but I try really hard to be close to the bar. I think that I would change the fact that I changed the colors and look of my font a hundred times and I stressed because I couldn't find pictures to match my pages and I struggled for weeks to find a theme. Now I realize that those things are not what it important. My students will not care what colors I use or what pictures I choose, but the fact that they are having fun while they are learning. That to me is what I would change, open my mind to the true meaning of being a teacher. I wake up every day knowing that one day I will be inspiring a group of children in a classroom. Yet, I still feel butterflies in my stomach every time I think about it. I am worried that I will be compared to teachers around me, that I will get in the classroom and forget every thing that I learned, that I just won't be the teacher that I thought I was. I am concerned that I might forget how to utilize all of these tools that I learned and won't be able to stand out above the rest when it comes to technology. I want to be that teacher that students are talking about when they are in high school and college and I want to be the teacher that makes a difference.I never was able to use technology when I was in elementary school and I don't want that to be the same experience for my children. It's a matter of keeping faith in myself and knowing that if I wasn't meant to teach, then I wouldn't be doing it. Overcoming obstacles is just like a speed bump in the road. It makes your tires squeak while you go over them but then in a few seconds your on the road again. Technology is so advanced that I feel as though it would be difficult to not be able to overcome complications. Remembering to keep my patience and know that what I am using is for the benefit of the students is going to be the best way to handle situations. In the instance where technology is not available to me, I would do what ever I could to make sure that in one way or another, my students would be exposed to it. I believe that this is where this Wiki comes into play. If there is limited access to computers or technology in the classroom, hopefully I will be lucky enough to have students that can access this page at home. Since it is already established, it will just need some tweaking and updating and will be as good as new for every new year that comes. This could be my primary form of communication and my way of showing the students how important technology really is. I feel that no matter the obstacle, I would be able to overcome. Being a 21st century teacher is something I have heard quite often now. I can't imagine any teacher who would not want to have 21st century tools in their classroom to enhance their daily curriculum. It's a matter of including all standards and curriculum while allowing the students to have fun and explore different ways to learn. Providing the students with multiple options and examples of what the projects will entail is the best way to become a successful teacher. Since the students are learning in the 21st century, we must teach in the 21st century as well. There are so many possibilities, opportunities and challenges that are out there and the only way to accomplish them is to dive in. It's about encouraging your students to do their best, praise them for their achievements and be there for them whenever they may need you. I am confident in knowing I will be able to pass on this information to my students with the best of my ability. I have learned more than I can ever imagine and I become more eager everyday to become a teacher. With the continuing excitement, I strive to become a better person and to become their inspiration. My classroom will be my home. As these were just a few words from the heart as I bid this journey ado...

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book." **"A hui hou" (Goodbye, Until we meet again)** **--Mrs. Tahnee Usher **