Blog Post #3

The ELA standard that I feel prepared to teach is W/WHST.8 “Use Multiple Sources.” This standard is all about obtaining useful information from multiple sources while being able to credit the sources properly. Plagiarism is something that was drilled into my head at a young age. In middle school and high school, my teachers stressed the importance of citing work that was not originally yours. Whether it was typing research papers or making power points, a citation was always required and expected. Hence, teaching my students this standard would be no challenge, since I am well experienced in this area. Now, a standard that I have yet to master is SL.5 “Use Digital Media.” This standard emphasizes the use of digital media to express information and understanding of the content. This standard also implements the use of audio recordings, which is an area that I have little to no expertise in.

Since I will be working with 1^st graders, there is little applications that can be used. Fortunately, apps like First Grade Learning Games, Sid’s Science Fair, and Brainzy, can be downloaded for free and used as a resource to teach your students in a more attractive way. I believe that young students are more likely to pay attention to things that are on a screen rather than on paper and pencil. These apps are made up of fictional stories, mathematical problems, geographical pictures, and scientific experiments that are appealing to young students. Of course, there must be guidelines when using technology. For my first graders, I would teach them to protect personal information about themselves or others and that their participation in the digital community is appropriate and on topic.  

After diligently working on my Newsletter Design, I acquired some new Word skills. One skill that I gained was creatively using a text box and changing the background. I also learned how to insert a “cut here” line. I liked the creative aspect of the assignment. As an elementary school teacher, specifically 1^st grade, it is important that you have some creativity because bright colors and figures draw the attention of little kids. The one thing I did not like was the amount of time that has to be put into making a newsletter. However, now that I have a better understanding of how to create a newsletter, it will take me less time to make one if I ever need to in the future.