Personality - ENFP

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Do you believe that learning by conversing in learning communities can be more effective than traditional instruction? What evidence would we need to confirm (or reject) that belief?

Yes I do- when everyone is communicating and sharing in a safe environment ideas seem to key off of each other. I have been through training in both settings, and in the "learning community" I walked away with volumes more knowledge and ideas, than I did when an instructor talked to me the entire time.

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Do you think that students have different learning styles because of their personality types? According to the test that you have just done, do you think it will help you know your students better? How?

Yes- absolutely. Yes- learning what a student responds to allows me as a teacher to provide the proper stimulus. I attended a training class several years ago teaching that some people respond better to hearing the information, some to seeing or visualizing the information, and some need to see it on paper. In my experiences since attending this training, I have found the results to be true. Knowing each students personality type will help me as a teach to introduce teaching tools the student will respond to.

Spreadsheets

I am a big fan of Excel- the beauty of a spreadsheet is you spend some time creating it, but from then on, it is a big time saver and 100% accurate. The spreadsheet allows data entry, much like a calculator. Hands down the spreadsheet is a better tool, because it does all of the calculating for you, stores the data and provides a clean, concise printout. You can also print a portion of the spreadsheet; for example, you can provide one student a printout of their grades on the gradebook. I have worked in Excel for many years, so I know the options for use as a teacher are endless. As a teacher, I would use it to track attendance, store student information, provide sample calculations to help tutor students, etc. I really appreciate the final product created with a spreadsheet, and look forward to using it in the classroom.

I just love the website- I want the software right now!!! What an exciting tool to have accessible to any student. The demo made it look simple enough for even a tech challenged person like myself. I will use it in my classroom because it provides visual assistance, tools to store idas as quickly as your brain can generate them- I can type 20 times faster than I can write. Also, the data is stored as you go, so you would not be struggling to keep track of notes, index cards, articles and references. I will be teaching Math, so I am struggling to think of a use for it in High School Math. I guess it would be useful to students doing research papers, or a group project. The group could share access to the same project; adding their section, making suggestions to each other, gathering the data as the project grows without pieces being lost.

Students can help each other by sharing their perspective and experience with use of the unlimited tools. They can also bounce ideas off of each other, and proof for each other making suggestions and/or corrections where needed. Technology tools help create an environment in which the students can share their work in progress with each other; different perspectives would improve the final product. I was a certified expert on the topic I was teaching, and had both the knowledge and many years of hands on experience. During my first training session in front of 50-60 students, I found myself nervous and distracted. I am thankful my presentation was on power point, because I would have struggled to find my voice and begin. I did learn something about the topic- one of the students shared an experience she had dealing with the Revenue Department in her state, Arizona, I gained knowledge I could share during future training sessions.

well, let me tell you about Friday, Sep 11th. I woke up at 8:15 instead of 7:00; I jumped in the shower, dressed and raced to my 9:00 am class. I walked in the door at 8:58 to find a strange instructor (not C.K.'s smiling face) and a room full of strangers. As they all stopped to look at me, I realized it was FRIDAY and we did not have class. This is something my mother would do...............God I love my forties.

:)

respond to Chapter 6 questions

What do you think about using blogs? I love it. I have family spread out all over the country from California to New York to Florida and back to Texas. Their blogs give me the opportunity to keep up with them on a daily basis.

What and how do you think blogs would be useful for education? Provides an interactive place for teachers to share with other teachers; exchanging ideas, methods, failures and success stories.

Some people think using blogs in classrooms is a waste of students’ time. How would you respond? I do not agree. My 17 year old son has dyslexia so reading is a real chore for him. on the other hand, when he interacts on-line, both socially and for school, he really shines. It is the right medium to teach Josh.

What are some ways that you could use he technology ideas in Chapter 6 to support your curriculum and student learners? Definitely the blog postings by the teacher giving day by day summaries of the information covered in class, and following up with questions to make her students think and respond.

My name is Colette. I am 45 years old. I have raised my five sons, and lost my job of twenty- five years in the building materials industry. Now I am back in college to finish my bachelor's degree in Math with a teaching certification. I have always wanted to teach, and I am very thankful for this opportunity.