Glogger for Life!

Here is a link to my glog about teaching first graders how to tell time.

The High Cost of Education

Education and the cost of college is constantly a hot topic in politics. Recently, the college students participated in "Occupy Wallstreet", where they camped out until their protests were met about forgiving student loans. This is just one event that was sparked by the high costs of college education. A main problem our country is currently facing is the fact that it is so expensive to get a college degree, yet many graduates remain jobless when they finish. Government officials have toyed with different policies on how to alleviate this problem, as well as creating standards that hold universities accountable for preparing students for the work force. I think these standards are necessary to ensure all students "get what they pay for" when it comes to a college degree.


I will be attending college in the fall, and cost is a big concern to me and my family. I have been applying for numerous scholarships and I am hopeful that I will get a sufficient amount of money to alleviate some of the financial burden of college expenses. I have also applied to FAFSA, so hopefully all this will be enough for me to pay for my college without having to take out too many student loans.


-inspired by this article

Hire Me, Please!

In an interview, I would say that my strengths are positivity and achiever. Positivity is a strength of mine because I am always looking for the best in situations. I am an achiever because I always want to go above and beyond to complete all of the my tasks in order to present my proudest work. My weaknesses are that I am a perfectionist because I always want to give my best and I can get stressed out easily when I have a lot of different tasks to do. 

I can overcome being a perfectionist by just learning when good is enough. I can overcome my stress by praying when I feel bogged down, and just reassure myself that everything will be okay. When it comes to my strengths, I can accentuate them by always having a smile on my face and being sure to always set my goals high.

I have applied for a job that I didn't get. The Children's Courtyard didn't hire me because I haven't graduated from high school yet, but they said they would have in a heart beat if I had a diploma. With this being said, I hope that means that my first impression was good!

~inspired by this article

Digital Learning Day

In my first grade class, I could use animoto to teach a lesson. This tool enables you to turn your photos, video clips, and music into awesome video masterpieces to share with the class. Animoto is very easy to use and it is also free with the shortcuts that Mrs. Stevens has! (which is in every teacher's budget). I could use this in my class to present before we conducted a science experiment. I could include pictures of the materials we are using, and then find a brief video clip of putting all the materials together to perform the experiment.

2. On Wednesday, February 1, my teachers did not really use any technology out of the ordinary. We watched a movie on the computer that displayed on the projector and watched video announcements off of youtube. Other than this, my teachers did not use anything else.

Make It Happen 2012!

The new year brings about the perfect time to reflect on the past, and decide what changes need to be made. Here are the three main things I want to change to improve for the new year!

You must list the three things you want to change, how you will make this happen and what you hope the outcome will be as a result of your efforts. 

1. Get a Job: During the fall semester I was very busy after school with volleyball, however now I get out of school at 1:30 so I would like to spend my extra time making money to save up for college. I have started applying for jobs at certain places like The Children's Courtyard and Fitness 2000. The outcome of my results will be me landing a job and the beginning of the growth of my bank account!

2. Have a Positive Outlook: I want to have a more positive outlook on every situation I am faced with during this new year, even when I am overwhelmed. I will be disciplined with myself, and when I feel my frustrations and stress rising, I will turn to God in prayer. This will result in a more peaceful and joyful me!

3. Live in the Present: I want to enjoy the present situations that are to come this year, like all of the senior activities and new college experiences. I am going to focus on not wishing the rest of my senior year away, but rather just enjoy every minute because I know I will never be able to go back. This will result in me having no regrets and lots of wonderful memories to look back on!

My Ideal Classroom

The twenty-first century has brought about many changes, among these is the change of the structure of some classrooms. The "starbucks" style classroom that consists of lounge chairs and couches in a relaxed manner has become the topic of popular discussion. This provides a learning environment that is more peer taught, as opposed to lecture driven. I think this new classroom setting is beneficial, however I do not think it should completely replace the traditional style classroom. The "starbucks" style classroom is proving beneficial now, however, when this becomes the new standard, students will eventually get used to their surroundings and become disenchanted again. Therefore, my ideal classroom would consist of the traditional desks, but also have areas with more relaxed atmosphere to complete certain activities.

-inspired by this article

Grinch or Santa?

I believe the practice of celebrating the Christmas Holiday should be allowed inside the classroom because...

1. Part of students' education requires that they learn culture of societies, so the Christmas Holiday is a great educational tool to incorporate culture and traditions.
2. Teachers know the standards they must meet, and they are held to these standards, so if they move at a fast enough pace that allows them the extra day for a Christmas celebration, then they should be allowed to celebrate.
3. The Christmas Holiday has a lot of morals that children need to learn such as selflessness, giving, joy, and celebration of life. A child's education requires that they learn more than merely facts, but also views and understanding of the world around them.

-inspired by this article and this article