Which theories and historical influences should most impact the schools we'd like to have?

IN CLASS:

We were put into groups randomly and were asked to create a school of our choice. We had to create the school, decide who was in charge, the line of "power", if the school affects the community or if the community affects the school. In my school we were a very community oriented school. We had the children doing a lot of things for the community during the school year.

OUT OF CLASS:

I went to many school board meetings during my junior and senior year in high school. I went fighting for my swim team because we were becoming a new team and needed money put into the budget. I enjoyed them so much I started going to meetings on a semi-regular basis. Now I am on the UMF student senate doing the same thing for UMF students that the school board does for their students.


Question/Concern/Topic:

What are some other types of school government besides the typical school board and student council?

How Can I Use The Knowledge of the Learner to Become a Better Teacher?

IN CLASS:

We haven't really done anything in class to help us learn how to do this I feel.


OUT OF CLASS:

Some teachers I have noticed do an overall test at the beginning of the class so that they can find out where in average the entire class is on the certain topic they teach.



Question/Concern/Topic:


What are some other things that teachers can do on the first or second day of classes that will help find out what the students already know?

How Can I Be Successful at UMF?

IN CLASS:

In class we created a four year plan and things that NEED to be taken and done before we can receive our diploma. We also needed to find out who our advisor and peer advisor are. This gave us the tools to really succeed here at UMF.


OUT OF CLASS:

Having a really rough semester last semester I have found out about all sorts of resources here on campus. For example, the writing center, CHD, and Student Life.


Question/Concern/Topic:


Is the blog idea really going to go all the way through senior year? Or is it going to stop at EDU 101?

How Do I Become a Teacher?

IN CLASS:

I feel so far in the class I have learned how to become a teacher through when we talk about the different seat arrangements. When we do this we discuss what people benefit from the arrangement and which students do not. Then we try and figure out how with the current arrangement we can benefit the most students in the classroom.

Also, I feel making the cover for out notebook really helped me look at what I want in myself in a teacher. It put everything that helped me through my education.


OUT OF CLASS:

I was a teacher's assistant in an eighth grade English classroom my senior year in high school. I got to help teach the class and learn how to use the teacher's best friend, the photocopier. I really got to learn how to help the students that were mainstream and the ones that were placed in the classroom from Special Education.

I was a Sunday School teacher at my church from seventh to twelfth grade. I learned how to teach very young children through arts and crafts, song, and simple stories. It was a very interesting because I had to bring what I was saying down to their level of intelligence.


Question/Concern/Topic:

I would like to discuss what we as students need to do to start our portfolio.

Symposium Day

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 was UMF's Symposium Day. On this day many undergraduate students show their research to the community. Classes were cancelled so that every student had the opportunity to attend the presentations that they wanted. There were all sorts of topics being discussed, from geology to fine arts to tours of the new Education Center on campus.

I personally attended the presentation at one o'clock in Ricker Addition. It was to show the rest of campus exactly what the Early Childhood program here at UMF do during class. I went with my friend Arielle because she is taking one of the classes and wanted me to see what it was like. She also got five points extra credit for a guest that she brought because unfortuantely the program did not make it into the booklet. We used a lot of diffearnt materials to make differant art projects. We used foam finger paint, regular finger paint, bubble paint, stampers, and marbles. It was a lot of fun. I loved how it was very hands on and I got to get messy. The people overseeing were very friendly and willing to answer all my questions. Arielle was great too because she explained a lot about the Early Childhood program and how it works.

New School Review

I must be honest and say that I was rather disappointed that certain people targeted my groups community school when our school was the most like public school today.

Yes....we picked the unicorns as our mascot but some people were rather rude to our group.

I didn't appreciate how it was only our group that had any comments made about it and none of the other groups. My personal opinion is that our school is the school that is most likely school to succeed in the world today. I haven't seen the non-democratic school yet but from what I overheard from their discussion I don't think it will work.

This little fact just really bothered me and I was hurt that people wouldn't let it go that we were the unicorns. Oh man I could keep going but I am going to stop. I wish people would be a little more considerate and respectful.