Technology in the Classroom...

     Technology is everywhere! We live in a very unique moment in history: The information age! Access to information and resources is at the touch of our fingers. Sitting down and looking up anything you want is an incredible benefit to our lives; these are some traditional and innovative technology tools that I plan to use in the classroom, not just for research but for creating a suitable environment to elevate students in the classroom.

    First, you must have an excellent external hard drive. This allows teachers to save things in a safe place. Lesson plans can be portable; no matter where you might be, you can share them with your students no matter where you might be. Having an external hard drive is vital to staying organized.

    You need a portable scanner. What if you have an outstanding worksheet and want to share it digitally in the classroom? Being able to scan documents portably is an excellent way to do that. Also great to organize every student's classroom work. 

    An iPhone/iPad projector would be an excellent tool to have! Being able to quickly project videos or photos of information from your phone or iPad for the entire class to see saves time and effort and ensures we stay engaged on current topics.

Wireless doorbells, a.k.a. attention grabbers, are a new and innovative way of controlling a noisy classroom. Instead of having to yell and lose your voice, having an audio signal to gain the attention of a loud class can be very helpful. Also, it's great to set different signals for different activities. 

Smart tables are great too! Having an area where students can work together to simultaneously use technology and different sources is something straight out of a sci-fi movie. It would also be great games for rewarding students.

    

    Another device I would like to have in my classroom and something that might not be on this is an echo dot. As a history teacher, I want to teach children about some of the great classical composers of the past, and to be able to provide relaxing music in the classroom is something children would enjoy. Also, providing binaural beats and white noise has been shown to help people retain information better. 

All these devices in a classroom can ensure that students have the best possible learning experience through technology and bring about a future where learning and collaboration can be done efficiently.

My Philosophy and Classroom Activities...

     A little bit about myself, I am passionate and ensure the people around me are always comfortable. I'm optimistic, energetic, knowledgeable, and thrive when busy. I worked in healthcare for six years, which taught me compassion and empathy skills; I worked as a property manager, which led me to High Levels of Organization. From early on, I've been drawn to healthcare because I'm a purpose-driven individual who considers life worth living is serving others. Still, as the years progressed, I realized I was squeamish and felt it wouldn't be a good fit, so that was not why I'd chosen a career in Education. I have a natural ability to teach, impact your students positively, and instill positive habits that students can take forward and benefit their lives.

    I've always thought of the classroom as a unique place. It's one of the most critical places in our world; it's where the minds of our future are shaped and dreams start. As educators, we are responsible for making the student love to learn. It's one thing to offer your expertise on a particular subject clearly and concisely, but our ultimate objective should be to have the student take what they have learned and feel fulfilled. Considering this, my most effective approach to teaching would be that of a student-centered and the ideals of Progressivism.

    A Classroom should always focus on the students, for they are the majority and, more importantly, the reason for Education. It is essential to establish an attitude that encourages students to feel responsible for their classmates. It will instill a social responsibility that will go beyond the classroom and be indispensable for them in the future.

    I want to convey to students that life is all about our experiences, good or bad, and how we deal with them. Understanding this, I plan to create a classroom where students feel free to express themselves in a manner that would cultivate a constructive learning experience. We're constantly in development, and to take the classroom training and make this development in a controlled setting can be the most practical use of the time. 

    Primarily, classrooms consist of children, and children are typically curious individuals. It's counter-productive to neglect this idea and have a classroom that is not open to questions and discussions with one another. The objective is to mold these children for the real world, and in most modern societies, free speech is a human right. To suppress free speech in the classroom is irresponsible.

    I enjoy seeing that look in someone's eyes, signifying that they get it. But what can be even more rewarding is when that look of understanding is carried out into action in the real world. John Dewey, one of the most preeminent thinkers in the Progressive education movement, said, "Education is not preparation for life. Education is life itself." With this in mind, educators must ensure their students have a sense of fulfillment in the classroom that could provide them with the ability to activate their true potential and life purpose.

    

    I always want our classroom activities to be centered around projects that the children are working on. It's a wonderful way to instill teamwork and problem-solving skills. Projects will always include History-Research, and a couple of examples of what I would want the children to work on would be creating fact boards or models about a particular historical topic.

    At the beginning of the day, I also want students to find out what happened on this day in history and write something about it. In the end, social studies inquiry circles where students can discuss want where they just learned and be able to give meaningful discussions on topics. 

I'd like to end each week with project presentations and a Jeopardy game to test their knowledge for prizes.

Welcome!

Hi everyone! My name is Anthony Rotolo, and I'd like to share my thoughts on teaching strategies and technology applications that I look forward to using as a middle school History/Social Studies Teacher. I hope you enjoy it!