Blog Assignment #1

My Classroom

    I imagine my classroom as a place where discussion is the focus. Creativity will be encouraged and inactivity will not be an option. Krissy Venosdale sees her classroom as a place where creativity and individualism are fostered and promoted. I feel that Sugata Mitra stresses that students can learn anything if given the means to do so, such as in his "Hole in the Wall" computers. I feel that students can do anything given the opportunity and the technology to do so. I will be teaching high school English and the emphasis in my class will be that grammar is a part of our everyday lives, and it is imperative that we know it. I will also stress that critical reading is consequential, and its value will always sustain itself.

What I Want My Students to Know

    I want my students to know the importance of good grammar and the fundamentals of writing, as well as the value of literature and being able to read comprehensively and critically.

What I Want My Students to Be Able to Do

    I want my students to be able to write effectively and proof read their own writings as well as others. I also want my students to acquire the skill of critical thinking, in regards to literature, and also improve their reading comprehension.

My Methods to Teaching

    In regards to grammar, I would like to teach my students the fundamentals of grammar. Parts of speech, punctuation, and diagramming sentences would be just a few of the topics I would cover in my class. One method I have found to be effective, is having students come to the board and diagram sentences and then discuss, as a class, what is correct and incorrect. In writing, I believe that proofreading is an essential skill to have. I would like to have my students proofread samples of paragraphs and papers to correct errors. I feel that this would be extremely beneficial to my students. In literature, I feel the best approach is a discussion based focus. Literature is supposed to challenge our reading comprehension. In testing their reading comprehension, I would have them read a passage from Shakespeare and then have them tell me what they felt the passage meant. I feel this will push them to really dig deep and find the answers, so they can adequately contribute to the class discussion.

The Tools I Will Use In My Classroom

    The tools I will use in my classroom are iPads or computers. I will have my students use them to do research for whatever we may be writing or reading about. I would also like to show videos on approaches to grammar and writing, as well as improving reading comprehension.