Over the course of the last semester I have had meaningful online interractions and created a Personal Learning Network. I created professional accounts on Twitter and Pinterest, joined the National Science Teacher Association, created a Common Sense Education account, and started a professional blog. My Personal Learning Network is as vast as I choose to make it, I discovered. Online interactions on Twitter are fast paced. One Twitter tool I enjoyed utilizing was the video feature. I reached out to my Personal Learning Network to ask about professional attire and updated them at the end of the semester with my final thoughts, practicing the Ignatian Value of Reflection. Additionally, I reached out to Dwayne Reed and asked “what role does Social Media/technology play in the classroom?” Mr. Reed responded, “1. Don’t try to say/do too much; paraphrase/generalize. 2. Respect everyone who gives up their time to communicate w/ you. 3. Have fun and try not to take yourself so serious.” This online interaction with someone with over 6,500 followers left me feeling awesome! I also created a Pinterest account with boards such as Digital Citizenship, Classroom Inspiration, and Parent Resources. Social media was by far my favorite portion of my Personal Learning Network project. The National Science Teachers Association proved an auspicious choice. I was initially hesitant, seeing as I am not bent towards science, nor do I intend to teach science, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that that would allow for greater growth. It is one thing to capitalize on your strengths, but it is also important to work on your weaknesses. After experiencing Virtual Reality Field Trips I wondered precisely how capable Virtual Reality was of replacing traditional field trips. I asked “what has or what do you anticipate being some limitations of VR? Can it replace live dissections or enhance it as an introduction to the concepts? Does it qualify as a field trip?” Pamela Dupre, a STEM Master Teacher for grades 3 -5 responded that “it would be a virtual field trip without having the hassle of getting permission, buses, and lunches. The things that would prevent us from using it would be lack of equipment!” I learned that without enough headsets or iPads, however, that schools may still be limited. My time on the National Science Teacher Association helped me feel more prepared to teach science and math, something I never would have previously imagined. ![]() My Common Sense Education account allowed me to review 3 learning applications. I felt that I would use Minecraft “to teach young students to design,” however, I feared “that students would get too sucked in and do more playing than learning.” After experimenting with Evernote I felt that it “would be a great tool for students to take and share notes. I specifically like the tag tool. I frequently use OneNote and they have a similar feature, but Evernote has a much more integrated and easy to use user interface.” Finally, I tried Montessori Math Challenge, calculate better, faster! This product made math fun, and “with variation in knowledge presentation, it forced me to think through my methodology for solving problems. For example, one question showed ___+5=13, but with a fun ball graphic that helped illustrate the problem and engage the player.” I also engaged with my Personal Learning Network and received 42 likes and 5 retweets, including Valerie Touze, the Co-founder of Edoki Academy, and the Edoki Academy Twitter Account. Finally, I created a blog using Weebly. The theme of my blog is privilege in the classroom. I developed a lesson around the book My Brother Martin as my first blog post. I felt that the book was a “phenomenal primary source to introduce your students to the idea that they, too, can be agents of change.” Additionally, I created a free printable bookmark (inspired by https://pin.it/k3xplmdu44kzba) where students can write what their dream to turn the world upside down is and draw a picture of it.
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My Brother Martin: a sister remembers growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a children’s book written by Rev. MLK’s elder sister, Christine King Farris. Unlike any other account of MLK’s childhood, this one is first-hand. This book serves as an excellent introduction to the life of MLK and inspired children that they, too, can have big dreams. The story opens with his sister narrating his first waking moments. It is important to Farris that she detail the physical environment as well as the socio-economic climate they were born into. Their home housed 3 generations, including their aunt. She characterizes her two brothers as mischievous and personalizes their childhood.
Farris goes on to explain the political climate of segregation and its history rooted in slavery. She describes her ancestors as having been “captured in far-off Africa and brought to America as slaves.” This rhetoric purposefully holds no punches, while still being comprehensible for children. A relatable MLK is painted without white washing, a feat in itself. The beginning of the book is largely blissful and shows Martin playing with white neighborhood boys. This is contrasted by the end in which those same boys told the young Luther brothers that they couldn’t play with them because they were negroes. Understanding what aspects of MLK’s childhood shaped him inform our historical picture of his fight for equality. That night all three siblings had their mother explain the racism they were inundated with. Historical details to the black experience such as being forbidden from streetcars, elevators at City Hall, parks and museums, turned away by museums, hotels, and theaters. WHITES ONLY signs marked their childhood. It is essential to mention, too, that their mother’s words “also gave (us) hope.” It is after this experience that Martin utters the phrase “Mother Dear, one day I’m going to turn this world upside down.” MLK went on to be a passionate, justice loving preacher like his father. The book draws to a close with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreaming a dream “that turned the world upside down.” This book is a phenomenal primary source to introduce your students to the idea that they, too, can be agents of change. Below is a free printable bookmark I created, inspired by https://pin.it/k3xplmdu44kzba. Students can write what their dream to turn the world upside down is and draw a picture of it. ![]() This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. |
AuthorHi! My name is Brittany Wells, and I am a Montessori 6-9 major. I was born and raised in Cincinnati and attended Xavier University Montessori Lab School, Mercy Montessori, McAuley High School, and now Xavier University! Archives
May 2020
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