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Conversations in Classrooms: Why I Believe It's Necessary

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The desire and ability to teach has been coursing through my veins for as long as I can remember yet simply teaching in my community was never enough for me. At the age of sixteen, I decided to change my own life, leave behind my beloved family and friends, and teach a campo known as Punta Caña in San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. Upon returning, I knew for sure that I wanted to teach, but I was not sure where I fit in upon returning to my little hometown of Attleboro, Massachusetts . I was still that white, middle-class, Christian female from the United States, but in my heart, I felt more connected with the individuals I lived with in the Dominican Republic. For that reason, I struggled to see the world, especially the educational system I had benefited from for so long, in the same light. I had grown much more aware of the diverse population in my town and how no one tried to validate these individuals and the experiences they had, regardless of how they worded it.
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To-Do List

My to-do list to get ready for school to build up digital media literacy in my classroom.
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Coming Together: Classroom Conversations

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Here is my Pecha Kucha for Dr. Bogad's class. I will work on embedding it into this post later. For now, click on the link to view!
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At the Center of Me...

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I remember entering undergrad, sure of why I wanted to become a teacher, but as time progressed and I became more experienced with teaching and pedagogy, I slowly began to lose sight of my initial beliefs about learning, teaching, and the world we are in. However, as I dove head first into developing my Pecha Kucha narrative, I unearthed those beliefs once again. My three core beliefs about learning, teaching, and the world: I believe learning is derived out of an individual's experiences that he or she can engage with topics being taught in class. I believe that learning happens when individuals feel safe in the environment they are in surrounded by people of diverse experiences and backgrounds because it is from diverse experiences that we can really learn. I believe true learning occurs when we are able to set aside our preconceived notions of a topic and learn from others.  I believe teaching occurs through open dialogue, that adults and children alike can teach one
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Connecting Is Not the Same as Conversing

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What is the relationship between Turkle and Wesch? Do you see them as allies, or opponents in this discussion of new media and technology? I sit here, chuckling a little bit because as I was reading these two articles, I found myself thinking, "What do these have to do with each other at all ? Turkle is talking about constant connectivity through technology that leads to a disconnect and lack of communication in real life while Wesch is discussing how educators need to find true ways for their students become engaged in learning. How are they relatable?" But as I continued to think on the topic and the underlying themes between the two articles, I found myself seeing that these needs for connectivity and conversations arise from both authors. While Turkle continuously noted that "we are together, but each of us is in our own bubble, furiously connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens," I could not help but think of how Wesch's students must be in
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Who Am I? The Struggle of Being a Female in Today's Society

Here is the presentation that Melanie, Tera, and I created following Kelly Reed's time with us. Let us know what you think!
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TalkingPoints

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Talking Points is a free communication tool allowing teachers to quickly message students' families throughout the day. The free application can be downloaded onto iPhone or Android phones (and managed through a computer). If someone does not have a smartphone, fear not! The teacher's communication is sent as a standard text message as well.  Its primary purpose is to give teachers a quick and direct way to connect with their students' family (assuming you have their mobile number). How is this any different than texting or emailing, you ask? This is where Talking Points stands apart from other apps I've used for family-school communication:  IT AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATES THE TEACHER'S MESSAGE INTO THE FAMILY'S HOME LANGUAGE.  The individual who receives the message can then respond in the native language , send the message, and it will appear in the teacher's language of choice. As the education field continues to change, I feel tha
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