Blog Due May 12

For Seniors:

Title:  Summer Checklist  

Many of you participated in the recent trip to Tarrant County College.  Some of you have been making college visits throughout the year.  Most of you have had the benefit of visiting with recruiters in EAT prior to Thanksgiving, or you have encountered a college representative at one of the TAFE or FEA conferences.    

The countdown is on.  In approximately four months you will begin the next phase of your education.  What does that look like?  What do you need to do to make that happen?  What are you most looking forward to?

This blog needs to include the plans you have for life after graduation.  Include the following:

• Name of institution you plan to attend and location
• Insert a table or checklist that includes all of the things you need to do prior to the first day of class at the college/university/trade school/etc. you plan to attend and the deadlines for each of these activities. Be sure to include things such as attending orientation (and registering for it), sending in transcripts, paying tuition, buying sheets and towels for your dorm room/apartment, etc.  You should  have at least 10 items on your list.  (NOTE:  I can spot an incomplete list a mile away since my daughter is going through this process right now, so be thorough.)
• Discuss what aspect of your life after graduation (in the next year) you are most looking forward to.  Be detailed and tell why you are looking forward to the aspect you identified.

For Juniors:

Title:  The Senior Year Checklist

You are about one month away from your senior year in high school.  Although some say that the junior year is the busiest academically, any free time you may have in your academic schedule during your senior year will be replaced with college admission activities.  

This blog will focus on the duties you will have to accomplish during your senior year to make life after graduation possible.  Include the following:

• Name(s) of institutions you are considering attending and their location. (Optional:  Which one are you leaning toward?)
• Insert a table or a checklist of the things you need to do during your senior year to gain admittance into your dream institution (college/university/trade school/military).  Include the deadlines for each of the actions listed.  Include items such as taking college placement tests (look up dates on ACT or CollegeBoard websites), college visits, application deadlines, etc.  (NOTE:   My daughter just went through this process, so be thorough because I can sniff out an incomplete list!))
• Discuss what aspect of the college (trade school/military) admissions process makes you the most nervous.  Be specific and tell why.
• Who are some people you can use as resources to help you when you reach a hurdle in the college/trade school/military admissions process?  Why them?

Blog Due Friday, April 14

The March/April 2014 issue of  FEA's GO TEACH magazine features two teachers who describe what has attributed to their success in the classroom.  Respond to one.

FEA National Attendees:
TITLE:  Teacher of the Year
Read  National Teacher of the Year:  Jeff Charbonneau, on p. 30 in GO TEACH.   Discover what has inspired him to become a successful teacher.  Reflect on his responses by answering the following questions:

• What traits or characteristics conducive to teaching would you predict Mr. Charbonneau to possess?  Why would you make these guesses?
• Mr. Charbonneau will be addressing FEA members during one of the general sessions at the national conference?  What question(s) would you ask him, if given the opportunity?
• Mr. Charbonneau gives advice to future teachers in just six words.  I you could give advice to future EAT interns in six words, what would it be?
• It is the year 2030.  You have been teaching for 10+ years.  You have been selected as the National Teacher of the Year.  What would you reply when asked, "How do you help all students succeed in your classroom?"

Learn more about Mrs. Charbonneau from his address to the National Education Association in 2013.

All other EAT Interns:
TITLE:  Teaching With Hope

Read Teaching with Hope on p. 27 in Go TEACH.  Each of you has taken the Gallup StrengthsFinder instrument.  The Gallup organization does additional work in identifying factors that lead to success. A significant factor, identified through years of research, that leads to success is having hope.  Mary Hawkins-Jones, Gallup's first Most Hopeful Teacher in America, writes about experiences that shaped her career.


Read more about Hawkins-Jones, then reflect on her personal story as you answer the following questions:

• Share a school experience about a time when you received hope or became hopeful.  Be descript and provide details.
• Have you been able to pass hope to your students in your field site classroom?  If so, how?  If not, why?
• Ms. Hawkins-Jones discusses building positive relationships with students.  How are relationships and hope linked together?
• What specific activity will you do in your future classroom to help your students set goals?  Describe thoroughly.

Read more about hope:

Montgomery Counting Measuring "Hope" to Help Improve Academic Success in Schools

Searching for the Most Hopeful Teacher in America

Blog Due Friday, March 21, 2014

Title:  Getting Along With Your Roommate

As juniors and seniors, you will be attending college in the near future.  You've made decisions regarding your choice of a major, and you will attend a summer orientation to register for classes.  In addition, you've had to think about housing arrangements while you attend college.  Some of you will be moving into college dormitories, some will move into apartments, and some will remain at home as you begin a new chapter of your life.  

As you learn to manage the new challenges of college academics, new living arrangements can present additional challenges that you may not anticipate.  It may be the first time you have had to share a room with someone, as well as manage your money, prepare some or all of your meals, and be totally responsible for tasks such as laundry, cleaning, etc.

Read the article by Kaitlyn Preies, Life 101:  Getting Along With Your Roommate, which can be found in the January/February Go Teach magazine.  Think about her advice.  Many friends decide to live together when they go off to college.  Their relationships are tested when they are placed in the same living quarters.  With Kaitlyn's advice in mind, what will you keep foremost in your mind so that you will have a successful living arrangement?

Your assignment:  Identify three main points which YOU think are necessary to keep in mind when living with a roommate!  What will keep your relationship harmonious?  Be sure to embellish you points with explanations, examples, anecdotes, or testimonials.  

The blog rubric will be used to grade this assignment.  Remember, you must include 3 different media resources.

Blog Due Friday, February 21, 2014

Title:  Should Entrance Requirements to Teacher Education Programs be Raised?

Mollie Miller, FEA student president and college freshman pursuing a career as an elementary or middle school math teacher, argues that entrance requirements for teacher prep programs should not be raised; teacher preparation programs are what should be more rigorous in her estimation. Read Mollie's commentary.

Jalen Brown, FEA student vice president and college freshman pursuing a career as a middle school social studies and language arts, disagrees with Mollie Miller and takes the stand that raising entrance standards will provide evidence of how well we value our education system, while our colleges will only be training those candidates who chose education as their first choice and not as a fall back option. Read Jalen's commentary.

Read their commentaries in the January/February 2014 edition of GO TEACH, pp. 14 -15.  Then voice your stand based on the following question:

        Q.  What do you see as the benefits or drawbacks of raising academic requirements for teacher candidates?  

• Be sure you discuss both benefits and drawbacks clearly. Avoid sounding wishy-washy or vague. 
• Provide your own support.  Yes, this will require some research.  You might begin by looking at the teacher preparation requirements for the college that you are planning on attending.  Be sure to discuss them in your blog.
• Discuss how entrance requirements may affect your personal journey toward becoming a teacher.  
• With whom do you agree - Mollie or Jalen? Be clear with your stance. 

(Remember, the blog rubric will be used to grade your post.)

Need more background?  Watch this video featuring Michael Alfano, Dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies at Central Connecticut State University for a broader understanding of teacher education preparation.

Blog Due February 3, 2014

Title: Three Things I'd Share With My Peers

Earlier this year, Ashton Kutcher received the Ultimate Choice Award at the Teen Choice Awards.  In his acceptance speech, he shared three secrets with teens that he had learned during his younger days:

1. Build a life rather than live one.
2. Find your opportunities.
3. Be sexy.  (This is different from what you think.)

View his message below:

What three pieces of advice would you share with your peers that would be useful for them to carry into later years?  Explain and provide support.  

Remember, the blog rubric will be used to grade this.

Blog Due January 13, 2014

Title:  My Plans for the New Year! 

2014 is Here!  It's a New Year and a fresh start in the spring semester!

• Seniors - You have 20 weeks of high school left!
• Juniors - You are about to register for your senior year classes!

Have you set yourself up for success after high school?  Or do you have some work to do?  It's never too late to begin.  Think about what you have to accomplish from now through May.  What are some of the things you need to make happen?  Do you need to improve your grades, take college placement tests, or apply for scholarships?  Seniors - Where are you in the college application process - application, acceptance, dorms, scholarships, etc.?  Juniors - what types of classes do you need to take to make you a highly desirable college applicant?  

In this blog, compose three goals that you hope to accomplish by the end of the year.  You should have at least one goal that is academic or school related.  The others could related to employment, family, friends, fitness, spiritual, etc.  You will be reflecting on your progress later, so be sure that they are realistic and achievable.  Here are the components that each goal must include:

• The outcome or desired behavior
• The timeframe
• The methodology or way it will take place

Poor example:  I will lose weight this year.

Good example:  I will lose 15 lbs. by April 15 by exercising 3 times a week and eliminating deserts from my diet.

Poor example:  I will get scholarship money for college.

Good example:  I will secure $5000 in scholarships for my freshman year by meeting the scholarship deadline for (insert university name), and completing 2 scholarship applications per week through April 15.  

To complete your blog, discuss how achieving these goals will improve your quality of life.  How will the results make your life better  - physically, emotionally, socially or intellectually?  Be sure your discussion has support.

Remember - the blog rubric is in effect (content/writing mechanics/media, links, files, videos/deadlines.  

Blog Due Friday, December 13, 2013

Title:  An Adventure for _____ Graders (content area) at the Perot

We visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science on December 4.  Put on your teacher hat and create a learning experience related to one or more of the TEKS for your classroom and add the material you gathered.  When your post is finished, you will embed it on your blog.  

Where to start:

Begin by setting up an account in Prezi.  

Save to Public.  Be sure to give a brief description of what your Prezi is about.

Follow all of the requirements listed on the Prezi rubric.  Click here for a link to the Prezi rubric.

Here is an examples of what your page may look like:

I visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science on December 4, 2013.  Please view my presentation about the activities and ideas that I collected that would enhance learning in the classroom.

(This example was created by Mrs. Stevens, BCTAL 905.)