Open Mic

This week I would like to give kudos to the Atlanta Public Schools system. They found the necessary funds to complete my lab. This year has been very hard to keep the students’ interested and motivated in the Broadcasting/Video Production program. During the course of the year I’ve been keeping the students interest by allowing them to shoot and edit their own video resume. I think the completion of my lab for the next school year will bring a new and exciting group of students who are eager to learn about the wonderful world of Broadcasting. I am certain that this will definitely change the way my program is perceived and allow me to recruit the best students for this program.

Open Mic

During my 3 years of teaching I have often wondered if I made the right decision leaving Corporate America and entering the education field. In such a short time I have experienced some dramatic highs and some somber lows. For the most part I have found myself questioning whether I have what it takes to become a successful teacher. I have finally come to the conclusion that I am doing what I was called to do. I am very fortunate in so many ways and I can thank the professors at NTI in helping me to realize my full potential.

Things I've Learned About Myself as a Teacher

The most important thing I've learned about myself as a teacher in the past term/year is . . .” I have a strong passion for teaching and connecting with students who are in my program as well as others who are trying to transfer into my program. I have experienced a large amount of students who have heard about the program and have taken steps to changing their pathway. I have been told by several teachers how my students talk about my class and wanting to be a part of the Video Production team. Several of my students have been showcased on the Atlanta Public Schools website and have been recognized for their work on the APS Today television show. I hope I can continue to make a change in the future journalists of tomorrow.

The Most Important Thing I've Learned........

The most important thing I’ve learned about working with my school administrators in the past year is to always motivate and challenge the students. This year has probably been the most challenging for the students and faculty in the school system. Our administrators have had the task of changing the first Atlanta Public High School to Small Learning Communities. During this daunting task I’ve seen some major changes that have allowed me to be more efficient in the classroom. During some of my personal development training sessions some of the administrators outlined strategies that have made the transition to Small Learning Communities a smooth one.

What I Have Learned About My Students

There are several things I have learned about my students during this year. First, I would like to highlight some of the progress that many of them have made since entering the Broadcast/Video Production program. In the beginning of the school year many of my students had no idea about gathering information about news or understanding how you research and deliver the news on a daily basis.

Many of them had no concept of how news information are obtained and processed for the general public. I recently administered a test where the students had to recall the information they obtained while in the program. I am happy to report that 80% of my students passed their exam while the other 20% showed some understanding or had some concept of news gathering. In addition to the test that was given two of my students were recognized for their work and was chosen to host the Atlanta Public Schools television show.

Overall I have learned that many of my students are eager to lean. Given the opportunity many of them would thrive and succeed in many areas. One area that needs to be addressed is the behavior of many of these students. I think the school system has to find a way to combat the behavior of students who continue to disrupt the learning environment. Many of these students have no sense of respect because of their economic and social backgrounds. This is one area that must be dealt with.

Master Teacher

This week I will highlight some of my past events and evidence that I am growing as a master teacher. During my first hour class I offered my students a different look on how to integrate other class curriculum into our broadcast classes. After meeting with several teachers during our interdisciplinary meeting; we came up with a challenging lesson plan that would enhance the students’ learning in several areas of Chinese and World History. I think these are signs that I am growing as a teacher but a master teacher, let’s just say I am working towards it.

During the class students were given an opportunity to broadcast a news report in Chinese. This lesson consisted of students translating their news report from English to Chinese. During the history class students were able to research history making events that were broadcast from television or radio.

Survey

Survey completed!

Portfolios

It’s very ironic that I am working on two portfolios at the same time but I am getting a great understanding of putting this information together. This is vital information that students must understand how valuable it is to retain for their careers. I think sharing this information with students will have a tremendous effect that will ultimately shape many of their lives. To accurately see this through I have given my students an opportunity to build their own video resume tape.
I have discovered this is a great way to keep students engaged and on task. This has also been a rewarding experience for me as well. Since this is only my second full year of teaching I am hoping to continue adding to my portfolio alone with assisting the future journalist of tomorrow. This is a great way to showcase the students’ work and to help them gain an advantage in their career choice. This has certainly been an exciting project for me.

Elluminate Live Technology

To design a course using the Elluminate technology, I think will have several advantages for students as well as the teacher. The first thing to consider is how students will embrace this technology. The students of today are more prevalent to adapt to this new technology because of the use of internet and the way we communicate by cell phones, pda, and other electronic devices.

Some things you have to consider is the state standards and to make sure that you are following the guidelines that are required by the state. This would include equipment, materials and more importantly the course that is been taught for that particular class. The course syllabus should outline other information that would detail how the class would be structured.

Before using this technology students will have several training sections where they learn how to navigate and troubleshoot existing problems. To make this a successful transition student will be given several handouts that will be covered doing the course. This will include PowerPoint and learning modules that will help students understand the assignments before classes start.

Interview

I think this will be a great assignment and very informal due to the fact that we are the first school in the Atlanta Public Schools system to integrate the Small Learning Communities. Interviewing our guidance counselor will help me understand how the system breaks down each student’s data. Obtaining this vital information I think will translate to the teacher understanding more about a student and their particular needs within the classroom.

I think this will be a great benefit to me as well as the students. This will allow me to access the student by their learning styles and their behavior needs. I really feel that this will ultimately help me to be more effective as a teacher and provide my students the best learning environment possible.

Bernardo Baker

During my first week of school I have found several of the teaching strategies and techniques I learned in NTI to be very efficient. Last year I was not equipped to handle the day to day operation that came with being a teacher. This year I've learned to manage my time, deal with behavior problems, and connect with students from all grade levels. I have been really impressed with how the different learning styles have come together in the classroom. Some days I am still challenged by several of the PEC students (Program for Exceptional Students) in my class. It has been a real challenge to keep these students on task. My main focus is to make sure that I am providing the necessary tools for these students.