An Introduction To Me!

Hello my readers! I hope that you will find my ramblings helpful, poignant, or at least mildly interesting. I just graduated this last December from UCI. I got my degree in sociology and minored in education. This fall I will be entering the multiple subject teaching credential program. I am super excited to finally be starting on this leg of my journey towards becoming a teacher. I have wanted to become a teacher my entire life. Both my mother and grandfathers were educators and showed me the impact a good teacher can make on their students. I hope that one day I will be able to influence my students the way my mother does in her classroom. This summer I am working full time at the YMCA as a unit leader for summer camp. It is an exhausting but rewarding job. Outside of school and work I enjoy reading, swimming, going to the beach, and hanging out with my family.

I really began using technology in the latter part of my elementary schooling when computers starting becoming prominent in homes and schools. My family would never let my sister or I use game systems, or play many computer games (besides the few educational games like Oregon Trails and Math Blasters), so I basically only mastered typing and basic internet skills in elementary school. As I advanced through middle school, high school, and college I became more competent using technology. Most of what I have learned about technology has been through personal exploration rather then inside a classroom. In the past, I have found that my technology classes are out-of-date and try teaching me information and skills that I already know. I feel that the best way to learn new technology is to play around with it. I wouldn’t call myself technology savvy in the least. Admittedly, I do not have the urge to try out all the newest technological inventions. Rather I tend to stick with what I know. I feel like this comes out of my upbringing, as technology was never a big part of my childhood.

I will be entering the credential program this fall! I have always had a passion for working with children and thus have had many opportunities with students both inside and outside of the classroom. I am not going to go through all my experience because that would take too long (and would probably bore you) but I will talk about some of my most recent experiences. In 2008, I volunteered at THINK Together (Teaching, Helping, Inspiring, & Nurturing Kids), an after school program in the Santa Ana area designed to help students who are performing far below grade level. Thomas Edison Elementary, where I volunteered with second grade students, is 98% Hispanic and 79% English language learners. Each time I came, I would first lead the students in a physical activity, ranging from relay races to hand ball. Students then began their homework during which I monitored behavior, and worked with students individually and in small groups. I kept them focused and helped them develop an understanding of the material. Working with this population, I realized that many of the students lacked a basic understanding of math, which prevented them from being successful in the regular classroom. For example, many of them had not mastered basic counting skills. By giving them the one on one help they needed, these students made progress and were able to complete their math homework with better understanding and accuracy.

For many years I have also volunteered at Ocean Knoll Elementary School in Encinitas, California. Most recently, I spent over seventy hours in a first grade classroom. I helped students, both in small groups and one on one, with a variety of learning activities. These activities included helping students complete practice book pages, conducting and helping with math lessons, supervising computer and music time, reading stories to the class, and helping students complete writing activities. Additionally, I worked with English language learners, focusing on letter sound correspondence. During this time, students worked on spelling and reading through learning letter sounds.

For the past three summers I have worked for the YMCA summer camp program. At the YMCA, children from all over North County San Diego come to experience the joys and excitement of summer camp. Some children come to the YMCA on scholarships, while others come from affluent families. The YMCA additionally provides services for children with physical and mental disabilities. Children with aspergers, autism, and social/emotional disorders have been assigned to my camps. For the past two summers I have been in charge of my own camps where I design and implement my own curriculum. I LOVE SUMMER CAMP!

I hope to get a lot out of Education 422. I mainly want to learn about technologies such as iMovie that will enhance student learning in my classroom. I feel like most of my computer classes have only covered basic computer skills, which I already know and hope that this class goes well beyond what the others covered. I also hope to learn how, as a teacher, I can implement these technologies into a curriculum. I hope to come away with some concrete activities to do with my students.

That’s all for now!