Play Time Anyone: Physical Education, We Need It.

When you think of elementary education, physical education is probably not the first subject that comes to mind. Well, it should be. Children are physical beings that need fresh air and sunshine, not unlike plants. With technology as prevalent as it is today, kids are spending less and less time outside and more time engaging in passive activity. This is not helping our children develop critical life skills, nor is it helping their bodies maintain a healthy weight. I think that more of an emphasis should be placed on physical education and it's role in developing a healthy child. It should be part of a well-rounded curriculum.

Marvelous Multi-Culturalism

This semester I have had the privilege of taking a class in multi-culturalism. Having grown up in a household that consisted of a father born and raised in Hungary who married my mother, born and raised in Ireland, I thought I had the multi-cultural issue sewn up and knew a lot about the subject. I was very, very, very wrong. This class, and the instructor, have opened my eyes to not only my own personal bias' toward different aspects of class, race and culture, but to societies as well. I believe I will be a better, more in tune, teacher because of this class.

Podcasting...Please!!

For educators, pod casting has many benefits. It allows us to listen to people who are more knowledgeable than us without leaving the comfort of our own homes. It allows us to create and post information via the Internet in a more intimate form (using our voices) than having something read from a blog (I do, however, love blogs.) I thoroughly enjoyed creating the podcast, the technical side to be exact. I can see the benefit of listening to pod casts and perhaps, depending on the age of the children I have in the class, having my students podcast as well.

Blogs are Beautiful

I love blogging. It is a chance for me to express my opinions, get information to people and let everyone know what I am, or will be, doing. I will definitely use blogging in the classroom. With society so "plugged in," blogging is a great way to get vital information to parents and guardians about what is going on in the classroom. It is also a great way to have open dialogue, get kids involved with this technology, post links to important information, and a plethora of other applications.

Google is Great

I was thrilled to learn all about Google. It is very useful for everyone who uses a computer, engages in any kind of business, or collaborates on projects. What I like about Google is that you can access your personal page from any computer, collaborate on documents and presentations simultaneously from across the globe and access your documents anytime, anywhere (you just need a computer that has access to the Internet.) Great for the global village. I have used Google for many things since learning about it's existance. I have no doubt I will continue to use it in the future.