Benefitis of Blogging in a Classroom?

Blogging is a new concept for me. I have had to blog more in my last two years of college then I ever thought I would have too. However, there are benefits of blogging that I've come to discover over that period; especially ideas related to classroom involvement. When I think about blogging I would say that it is definitely a tool for middle school and high school students. Being an Elementary Education major, I think the benefits would be more for the teachers rather then the students. For example, your group of team teachers could create a page and share ideas of worksheets or books they thought worked best. That way you can bounce ideas off each other online rather than meeting in person. If I were to ever be in a middle school classroom I think this idea of blogging is a great idea. With the advancement of technology, students love to go on computers. I know I used to find computers, when we went to that special, fascinating and fun. Therefore, if I were a middle school teacher I could do something along the lines of implement it by using it as a tool for a class discussion. For example, the students could make a project and share it on their blog. When everyone finished their projects I could have my students go look and read at least 5 of there classmates blogs and reply. The replies could consist of stating what they liked, what the student could improve on, and one question they had for the creator. This would help on classroom management because time management is a big part of teaching. Teachers try to fit so much in the day that having a blog to help that out is something to consider. However, you must keep in to mind the school district your students are in. Some students have could have never dealt with or have access to a computer. If you are able to have the proper technology to do the blog then the only constraint would be that you have to take time out of the typical day to explain how to work the site. Overall, I think this idea of blogging could be used just beyond typing papers up there for a teacher to read.

About Me

Hello Everyone!
My name is Kourtney Wolters. I am currently in my 6th year of college. I have attended Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) for 2 years. Then, I transferred to Western Michigan University (WMU) for a year. Finally, I transferred to Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and I have been here ever since. I am majoring in Mathematics with an Elementary Education emphasis. I plan to graduate in the April 2017.  

I am currently teacher assisting at Jamestown Lower Elementary in a first grade classroom. It is in the Hudsonville Public School District. Also, I am currently a part-time preschool teacher assistant at Appletree Learning Center in Grand Rapids.

Throughout my college years, I have participated in collegiate volleyball at the varsity level. I have used up all 5 years of eligibility (2 years at GRCC, 1 year at WMU, and 2 years at GVSU). I have a strong passion for volleyball but in general for sports. This year is interesting because it's my first year as a student instead of a student-athlete. Other hobbies of mine consist of boating, reading, and Netflix shows. I am a very active person but when I do have down time I enjoy every second of it.

A fun-filled fact about myself is that I am an identical twin. I have a sister who looks exactly like me except that I am two inches taller than her, but she is two minutes older. She went to GRCC with me but than transferred right away to GVSU. She has also played volleyball for all four years of college. I have a brother who is a sophomore at Calvin College. He is also athletic because he plays Tennis for Calvin.

I know you all are wondering, is my family tall? Yes, we are all above 5'9". My sister is 5'9", I am 5'11", my mom is 5'10", my dad is 6'2", and my brother is 6"3. We definitely got that Dutch gene of height! :)

For being in a what is know as the millennium year, I am not as high-tech as I would like to be. I know how to go between HDMI, projection, etc. However, the little new technology gets me. I currently just used an Elmo for the first time in my Elementary School classroom. It was quite a challenge but I got through it and can use it in my future classrooms. I would love to try and plan to use technology more in classroom since it is a big thing now a days. However, I don't stray too far away from PowerPoint or Word Document. I will admit that if my computer or anything were not functioning right, my first call is always to my dad. He is a computer programmer. Therefore, he has "magical" powers when fixing all my technology.

Below you will see a link for a video of myself along side my volleyball team here at GV. This is clips of the skills I played. I was a 6 rotation player. What this basically means is that you are on the court the WHOLE time. In these video clips we are playing against our rival Ferris State University, which is why the background is in Ferris' gymnasium. Enjoy!

Here is my professional picture of my twin sister and I on a trip we took this summer to Nashville, Indiana. You better read that again. I did not say Nashville, Tennessee but Indiana. It's a cute little town full of old fashion stores. For those of you who may be wondering, I am the one on the left in the orange tank top.  

What Was School Like Back in the 1980's-2000's?

I am a 90's child. However, that doesn't mean I understand fully about what learning or even paid attention to what classrooms looked like as compared to today's era, and what I face being a future teacher. Luckily, there is a way to see a glimpse into that life by watching TV shows that came out during that time. I choose a show that I absolutely could not stop watching while growing up. This show is called Boy Meets World. It was filmed from 1993-2000. It is a show about Cory and his journey throughout his school years. There is multiple life lessons that can be taught throughout each episode.

I will be focusing mainly on Cory Matthews, who is the main character in this TV series. During the first season, Cory was portrayed as a sarcastic, slacker who doesn't see eye to eye with his teachers (Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner). However, in every episode he comes to learn a valuable lesson from either of them but it doesn't come easily for him to admit it. As Cory gets older and into college life he relies heavily on Mr. Feeny's advice. Below are multiple glimpses into the attitude of Cory and his best friend Shawn in both teachers classrooms.

^ Mr. George Feeny teaches a lesson to his class.

^ Cory Matthews learning something from his teacher, Mr. Feeny.

^Classroom interaction between Mr. Turner and Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter. 

In order to determine the socioeconomic status of Cory, we have to take into account what his family income is. Cory's father works at a Supermarket. His mother doesn't work. He lives in a two-story house in a suburb area where the school is supplied with all the necessary or up to date learning supplies. Therefore, I would say this TV series is placed in a Middle level income class, Rural Secondary type of school/area.

For most of the episodes Cory tries to distract each class he is in. Whether that is speaking out of turn, sleeping through class, or even reading/listening to something else while the teacher is teaching. For example, Cory is really into baseball, causing mischief with his best friend Shawn. Therefore, his main goal is to be a distraction. Until, he figures out what either Mr. Feeny or Mr. Turner have been telling him can relate to his own life.  

If I were to come across a student like Cory Matthews I would have some strategies and technologies up my sleeve. Students who tend to act out more need to have information that they are excited about. For example, I would try to incorporate some element of sports in an activity. That way he is interested in learning about the topic and won't act out as much. There are multiple ways to do such a thing. Since I want to be in a lower Elementary classroom, I would include baseball books for him to read, workshops that incorporate a more sports aspect to it. I could create multiple worksheets for my students to pick but still have the same concept on it. I know in my classroom that I teacher assist at we do body breaks, which consist of letting loose of those built up muscles from sitting there. I could incorporate more of something that involves moving or sports/physical abilities.

Looking back at Cory Matthews school journey, I would say he definitely has potential of being college ready (which you find out in later seasons) but he has to work on his attitude towards learning.