New Year. New Me!

When summer comes to a close it’s always bitter sweet. I have spent a lot of time with my family and taken some vacations now it’s time to get back to work. This year I plan to make a more detailed approach to my courses. This past school year I fell below my personal standard in my execution of the educational plan. The combination of graduate courses and a second job caused me to not be as proficient. This year I plan to begin with a purpose with objectives and measurable goals. I also plan for this to be my last year in the classroom. After this year I want to become an assistant principal. After learning about the responsibilities of the position and after school requirements I do well as a middle or high school assistant. I believe that I connect well with this age group. Let’s get it.

Knowledge Sharing & Tracking Voice Thread

Click here to watch my Voice Thread

Bucs Chat Ep 4

Bucs Chat Ep. 3

Week 4 Reflection

Happy birthday to me. Today is my birthday and at 1a.m. I'm writing my reflection post. I have always been a night owl. This week I took the time to make some post on what concerns me about using social media in the classroom. I believe that the use of social media should be regulated and incorporated in ways that reinforce the content. I think school districts must also develop guidelines for usage as technology evolves. For my sharing tracking activity, I decided to create videos on the Bucs. I posted the videos on Twitter, Facebook, and my blog to get views. On my second video, I will be posting it to the stick carrier facebook page and measure feedback from my facebook group. Hopefully, I have some great views and content evaluate for the final assignment. In the creation of my videos, I used iMovie. I was able to use and add videos for commentary. Since I am using short videos for commentary I will be able to take advantage of Fair Use. I am also not posting these videos to make money. I look forward to learning more and becoming familiar with these tools.

BUCS Chat Ep. 2

920 teachers fired

920 Florida school teachers have lost their jobs because of an inability to pass the FTCE General Knowlege Exam which doesn't measure General Knowledge. I guess it's better to have a vacant classroom than one with a teacher in it. Taking one of these tests is a life decision because it starts at $200, you have 3 to take, and if you don't pass the first time they add $15 to the cost for motivation. When I graduated college the test cost $25. The state removed the funding that assisted teachers in paying for the exam. That made the price skyrocket from $25 to $50 to $200. Then someone had the great idea to make the test more rigorous because a test truly determines if you will be a great teacher. I wish they had a test that lawmakers had to pass on economics, common sense, and math. Now our education system is facing some unique problems. First, veteran teachers are retiring (they can't work forever). Second, fewer people are taking the test and fewer people are passing. Finally, those who are teaching while trying to pass the test are being fired. What is the government's response to this issue? Wait and see. Why aren't universities offering courses for these exams that are vital to obtaining a job? Most universities will just direct you to the library. Potential teachers are being measured on skills that were taught freshman year without assistance. With many school districts growing, students are going to pay the price. Instead of having dedicated teachers in classrooms they will we be replaced with longterm. Why doesn't the state require a general knowledge course that meets the requirements? I feel angry and frustrated for these dedicated teachers who now find themselves out of a job.