Blog in the Field

The blog called, Bit By Bit by Bob Sprankle is a blog about teachers who use technology in their classrooms. This blog is helpful because as a future teacher, I am able to look at his blog and see many different posts about how technology can be used. The post called Get Ready for iTunes U for K12 is a very interesting post because it talks about the future of technology in the classroom. This blog is filled with ideas of new technologies to help children as well as comments from teachers on what they think of the technology or what they believe will happen. There are many subscribers to this blog, so many teachers are enjoying what Bob Sprankle has to say about helping children meet their needs. 

http://bobsprankle.com/bitbybit_wordpress/ 

Technology in Education

I am a student studying to be an Elementary/Special education teacher. Technology is extremely important in my field of study because as teachers of children with special needs, we are trying to do anything possible to help make learning easier for them. Technology allows learning to come easy for these children. Some of these children have a hard time reading, writing and speaking. Assistive technology can help children with these needs in order to help them learn. The only downside of assistive technology is the amount of time it takes teachers to learn about the devices. Education World: Assistive Technology in Classroom states that training for the technology being used can be time consuming and if the student does not like the device, then the time could be wasted. Picking out the right kind of technology for your class or for the student can take a lot of time, but it also could be very worth it.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe every individual child has specific needs that need to be met in order for the child to learn. For children to learn, I will become a reflective practitioner and use feedback from parents, students, colleagues, and self-reflection to improve my instructional practices so that every child is successful in the classroom both academically and socially. I will achieve this by reflecting on student progress and monitoring their success each day. I will also use feedback solicited from parents, students, colleagues and the principal to improve. I will seek professional growth opportunities whenever I can. If I am able to honestly evaluate myself based on the success of each learner, I know that I will be an effective teacher. 

Autobiographical Information

Hello! My name is Tatum and I am from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In Spring of 2014 I will graduate the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. Education has always been a part of my life. Growing up, both of my parents were and still are principals. I was lucky enough to have my mother be my Principal from Kindergarten to 8^th grade!

I have two younger sisters who are my absolute best friends (pictured above)! My youngest sister’s name is Bailey and she is 14 years old. She is an 8^th grader and loves playing basketball. Most of my time is spent hanging out with her. My other sister, Paige, is a freshman at the University Wisconsin Madison. She is going for a degree in Journalism and Radio, TV Broadcasting. I do not get to see her as much as I would like, but I try and make as many trips to Madison as I can!  Currently, I live in a house with my four best friends and I would not trade them for anything!