eJournal Post 6

For my project, my students will use their computer stations to research how an interview should/could go. There are countless methods for how this can be conducted. Students may watch videos of mock interviews, research the most common questions and answers of interview questions, as well as participate in an interview questions survey. Students will also use their computer to produce a presentation of both the correct and incorrect ways of answering pre-selected interview questions. These methods are items that students may be able to learn for future endeavors. With incorporating the use of student computers, the students are given the opportunity to get more familiar with how to properly use technology in an educational setting. This not only makes them better in finding/researching solutions using technology but, it will also benefit them later in the workforce. Technology integration in the classroom only helps widen the technology sources students may use.

I plan on my students also using the web 2.0 technology entitled Powtoon. Powtoon is an animated version of Microsoft PowerPoint in which, students have the opportunity of being more creative with the visual aspect of their presentation. The presentation that the students generate will be presented to their peers in order for the students to broaden their knowledge on the interview process. As well as, allow the presenters an opportunity to develop speaking and presentation skills in their learning environment. This application can show the students there's more to technology than the normal everyday use. It allows the students to think outside the box and be more creative in their design.

eJournal Post 5

During my interview activity, students will be able to work with a partner during the activity to develop various answers for pre-selected interview questions. This lesson will give the students a sense of control that allows students to choose the type of assignment they do or which problems to work on that may just motivate them to do more. Before the start of the lesson, I will define the objectives of the lesson. Students want and need to know what is expected of them in order to stay motivated to work. This includes laying out clear objectives, rules, and expectations of students so that there is no confusion and students have goals to work towards.

This activity will be able to target various types of learners, included but not limited to visual learners, read-write learners, and auditory learners. Each of these types of learners will be accommodated throughout each stage of the lesson. This ensures that every student is learning at all times.

Students are given the opportunity to connect with their peers and recall prior knowledge from the start of the course. Students must know how to be professional (dress and conduct), how to speak clearly and how to think and process information effectively. These items have been taught at the beginning of the course and brought up throughout different activities.

This particular lesson will be used as an informal assessment to ensure that everything that has been taught can be effectively and correctly implemented in an interview setting. The students will be evaluated through their presentation to the class, their professionalism/collaboration with their partner, the answers to the interview questions they have generated and behavior throughout the course of the assignment. Students will be presented with a rubric of what they will be evaluated on during the definition of objectives phase of the project.

eJournal Entry 4

Teaching 8th graders has it's challenges. You are in a room with a group of students who feel they may have life figured out and no challenges/obstacles will stand in their way of achieving whatever they want in life. With this I know differently. I know that the road is not always smooth and things definitely don't always go as planned. So as their exploring careers teacher I must make it my duty to prepare them for those bumps in the road. However, as fun as this task is I'm constantly faced with the challenge that every student will not have the same path or experience the same opportunities. Not all of my students will graduate from high school, not all of them will attend college and not all of them will enter the work field of their dreams. But, one thing I do know for a fact each of them will experience regardless of their destination; a job interview.

As an adult I have experienced a few job interviews of my own and I know and can be a process that can drive anxiety. However, everyone must go through it despite their level of success. With this I plan on showing my students how to be successful during the interview to ensure they are prepared, professional and stand out among the crowd. The most dreadful part of an interview is anticipating what the employer may ask. I plan to take this portion and design a lesson that will allow my students to be better prepared for the questions that they may encounter.

The goal for my instruction is to allow my students to see the interview in a less crucial and scary process as many adults may see it. I want them to be prepared for any question or happening that may occur before, during and after the interview. I would also like for my students to conduct mock-interviews to actually see how they should carry themselves from the time they walk in the door til the time they walk out.

eJournal Entry 3

Instruction is usually established without much thought about who the learners are.  However, when time is taken to understanding the learners, instructors are typically more successful with the implementation and outcome of student learning. Many factors are contributed to affect a particular learning environment.

With my particular subject I usually don’t experience the learning difficulties that core teachers may experience. Of course I still have SpEd, 504, GT and dyslexic students that I may or may not have to make accommodations for. However, my main issue with my learners is the lack motivation. When a student is not motivated to do anything, you cannot get them to do anything regardless of if they have learning disabilities or not. With my class my students must participate in order for the class to be effective. This class is primarily about them and their goals and aspirations so there isn’t anything else that I can do if they don’t have the motivation to do it themselves. Even though this is my primary struggle, this isn’t experienced too often. Students do tend to at least try 99% of the time in my class which is a huge accomplishment.

Another factor that I sometimes experience is learning the personal learning style of their students. All children do not learn the same. Some may learn by doing while others may learn by watching. To be really an effective in the field of education, one must take time out to learn his/her student’s learning styles. This may take time but, it can be very rewarding to both the instructor and the student in the long run.

My final struggle is making sure the lesson is presented clearly. This issue can occur regardless of the types of learners that may be in the classroom. Sometimes, I find myself using terms my students do not yet understand or techniques they have yet to be taught. To avoid this issue I always ask if the students have any questions and sometimes I provide them an exit/reflection ticket (informal assessment) to check for understanding. This helps me personally to evaluate if they really understood what I was trying to convey. If they didn’t get the message clearly I re-evaluate my lesson and try to present it in another manner that they may understand.