CEDu549 - Week Three

Stats seems to be growing a little easier for me lately. I am still not completely comfortable with the idea, but I have found an easier time with the math when I have formulas to work with. With the use of formulas, the math isn't quite as daunting as I expected, and with the help of Excel, I seem to be excelling myself! Three weeks to go...

CEDu549 - Week Two

After worrying about the test, the benchmark was not as bad as I thought it would be. Admittedly, I am having a hard time working through the details of 4 hours of stats class once a week, but I am growing more comfortable with the work that I am to perform.

Stats - OH MY!

So, here we are, half-way through the program. The IRB is complete, waiting on approval, and we have now begun STATS. A course I have heard to be a nightmare since high school. There is a reason why I am an English major, for goodness sakes. I am going to give it my all, though. I am interested to see if I can accomplish this, seeing as I never made it past college Algebra. I am anxious, but I know I can do it. I guess we'll find out after the first test!!

CEDu520 2 of 2

After the completion of CEDu520, I am greatly looking forward to beginning my action research. It is exciting to think that I will have my own research to look back on in the future, and I can put it to use in my own classroom. This class was difficult, yes, but it was a great learning experience. It will be interesting to see my results!

CEDu520 1 0f 2

As I am working through my Action Research IRB proposal, I am frustrated. Not because I don't know what I am doing, but because I don't know exactly when I will get to begin. Because this unit is the first of the school year for my Freshman students, I now have to find a way to exchange it with another unit in the semester. For my sake, I hope that I can do this successfully without hurting the students in the long run.

I am interested to see the results of the study, as I do enjoy research and finding what types of learning work best for my students. I feel that in this way, I can be a better teacher and I can continue to grow along with my students. It is an opportunity both for myself, as well as the learners in my classroom.

CEDu521 Last Blog

Describe what the course as a whole has done for you. What have you learned? What would you have liked to have learned but was not covered?

The course as a whole was a reminder of what I need to be doing in the classroom on a regular basis. Many of the topics discussed regarding the unit were items that I have done previously in college, however, once in the classroom, and working with veteran teachers who have their way of doing things, the newer items and ways tend to fall by the wayside. We are currently working to change that for the future (near future, that is). I have also learned valuable lessons that I can use in the classroom regarding technology. I look forward to using these keys in the future. Thank you for an entertaining class...

What ongoing professional development is important for sustaining professional growth? Explain.

As teachers, it is always necessary for us to grow professionally. How can we stay abreast of the situations and real-world activities and teach students the benefits of education if we cannot continue to grow ourselves? I enjoy being a student, as I think there is always so much more to learn about education and life in general. In order to make this happen, it is necessary that we have a district and school board as well as administration, that is in support of this growth, and is willing to do all that is necessary to make this happen, whether it be including new software technology, or updating technology altogether. It is also necessary that when teachers want to educate themselves further, that opportunities, whether workshops or classes, are made available and are addressed throughout the district to benefit the district as a whole. The opportunity to be part of this program is great, and it is wonderful that half of our cohort is from Port Washington, because it presents the notion that we are motivated and do want these professional growth opportunities presented to us on a regular basis.