Over the course of this semester I have learned so much about what it means for students to truly grown and learn in my content area. 

There are a few specific things that have really made an impact on me. 

Those things are:

-Every student is an individual and should be treated as such

-Using critical literacy to help students think and form opinions on their own

-Using technology to support the topics you are teaching

and

-Finding interesting texts for my students that will make them want to learn more.

I believe that every student has individual power and that if we are able to discover those powers and help students to understand them that they will be able to make a big impact on the world. 

Also, every student has different learning styles and different interests. It is our responsibility as educators to acknowledge these differences and tailor our lessons to fit these differences. We cannot simply teach the same lesson for every class or every student because that it is what is easier. 

It is also our responsibility to acknowledge cultural differences and help students to understand the different backgrounds that are present in our classrooms and how to support them.

Critical Literacy is something that I have always thought is very important in a classroom. One of the most important things for me when it comes to teaching is allowing students to form opinions on their own and discover who they want to be as a person. Students can often times be influenced by the people around them, which can be good or bad. However, I want my students to decide what is right and wrong for themselves.

Technology is something that I think is very interesting to use in the classroom. I don't think I will use it all of the time but I think it can be a great support. I believe it is important to find situations where technology can enhance the experience of the students and help them to learn more or grow more. If this situation presents itself then I think it is important to allow that growth to happen. I also think that technology should be used widely in the homework for classes. Students are so attached to their technology now that finding ways to integrate it into your homework assignments it allows them to access it wherever they are and they are more likely to complete things in a timely fashion. 

For one of my projects this semester I completed a text set for a class that is preparing to perform "Diary of Anne Frank." My text set included different genres, from graphic novels to government texts, and different reading levels, from basic picture books to books that were written for a high college reading level. As I was creating the text set I was sucked in. I wanted to read every book that I put on there and I wanted to be able to find more and more books, magazines, websites, etc. that I could add to my list to make it more exciting and comprehensive. I think this type of activity has great power for students. Whether they are creating their own text set or simply being allowed to choose their reading from a text set like the one I created it gives them the power to learn what they want to and how they want to learn it. This is something that I think would be very exciting for students.

I am grateful for all of the things that I have learned this semester in our class. I believe it is one of the most beneficial education classes I have ever taken. We learned how to help our students grown and become the best individuals that they can be by finding their individual powers which is something that I have always wanted to do but was never sure how to execute it. Now I have the tools that I need to create the type of classroom that I have always dreamed of.

For those people who think that Theatre is just for the nerdy kids that, for some crazy reason, love being at school all day, I say think again! 

Here are some fun things about theatre that you may not have known.

UNTIL NOW!

Maybe this is too old school for some people,

but I happen to love the game Tetris.

However, not quite as much as these people.

Now, I think that would make a pretty awesome movie. But maybe that's just me.

What about this guy? Look familiar?

Most people now know him as Gandalf, from Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit,

or Magneto from X-Men.

But, did you know that in 1991 he was knighted by the Queen for his contributions to the arts?

Or that he could perform Shakespeare like this?

Or look so young for that matter? 

Not only is Ian McKellen an incredible movie actor,

he has also been in numerous productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Here is a list of other Theatre Fun Facts from Broadway:

So if you like watching movies, 

dressing up,

becoming a wizard,

playing Tetris

becoming famous, 

or having fun

THEN THEATRE IS A PLACE FOR YOU! 

Technology Do's and Don'ts

After reading another blog post of a fellow classmate on technology in the classroom I have decided to write my post about the same thing, realizing that I have slightly different opinions. I am a firm believer that the use of technology is inevitable in our society and that even if we tried to keep it out of the classroom it would never work. So I have thought of a list of Do's and Don'ts when it comes to using technology in the classroom. 

DOS

1. Give students clear instruction on when using technology is allowed.

2. Integrate technology into as many assignments as possible.

3. Make sure you are up to date on current technology.

4. Teach your students about new technology and how it will help them in the future.

5. Allow students to teach you about new forms of technology that you may not know.

DON'TS

1. Allow students free reign when it comes to technology.

2. Expect students to never use technology in class.

3. Put technology off as a "phase".

4. Use technology just for the sake of using technology.

Each of these dos and don'ts, if followed, I believe can lead to a very successful education for students. Technology is a great thing but it can also be a great downfall. I think the most important of the items on my list is to give students clear instruction about when it is appropriate to use technology. If students are given free reign over their technology it will most likely become more of a hindrance to the class than a help. I have seen in classes that I have taught in high schools, that as soon as a student pulls out their phone they zone out of the lesson. Because of this I think it is important to be clear about what technology is appropriate and when it is appropriate. If you can successfully pull off this step I think it will lead to being successful in integrating technology into your classroom. 

As someone who works with electronics in my day job, I see the good and bad that can come from technology. I have always been wary about using technology in the classroom because of the risks it brings with it of students getting distracted and off task. However, I think there are so many things that students can learn through technology. I also think that a lot of students are probably more comfortable writing in a more relaxed way on a computer because that is how they live out most of their lives. Even I spend the majority of my time during the day using technology. My phone is my planner, my textbooks, my dictionary, my atlas. For almost everything that I need throughout the day I can use my phone. If there is something that I can't do on my phone I can find a way to do it on the computer. 

Our world is moving more and more into the technological age and I think it is pertinent to a students education to learn about technology. Both about what new things are coming out and how to use the technology that is provided to accomplish great things. I think that if we empower students with the knowledge of technology, it will give them many more opportunities in the future.

I decided to write this post on "Connecting School and Home Experiences."

I remember being in love with performing since I was very young. I still remember an adaptation of "Billy Goats Gruff" that I was a part of in pre-school. I remember talking to my mom about how excited I was to be in it, although I don't remember which character I was. Ever since then, I have been hooked on the feeling of performing in front of an audience. There is something about it that nothing else can match. My parents, throughout my schooling, were very supportive of my being involved in theatre. 

Starting when I was very young, second or third grade, my parents would take me to plays put on by community and professional companies. I remember being enthralled in plays for as long as I can remember. I guess the inherent theatre major in me was always intrigued by the lighting, costumes, and set of the play as much as the actual acting. Something about being able to create a completely different world on stage has always been exciting to me.

Another thing from my childhood that contributes to my love for theatre was growing up with five older sisters. We did a lot of dressing up and creating stories and other worlds together. Although this is something that all children do, I feel that between my sisters and the friends I had in Elementary School, I was involved in this type of play for much longer than most other children. Also, as soon as the imagination play started to wind down with friends, I joined my first community theatre class.

One other thing, that I guess kind of oppositely affected my choice to be involved with theatre was that I was outnumbered by my sisters at home and had become content with being the one that just hid in the background. When I got involved in theatre it gave me a chance to truly be myself. Not only did I get to perform and speak out in front of people but I also got to explore the ideas and beliefs of others which taught me what I truly believed for myself, rather than simply following the ideas of my family.

As for how I can use this to teach my students, I think it can be a great tool. I want to make it a goal to know about the backgrounds of my students because I know not everyone will go on to be a theatre major after high school but there are many things that theatre can teach students. I also think using a students background is a great way to figure out what aspects of theatre they may be interested in. Someone who has worked on carpentry projects with their parent growing up may be interested in set design or building. Likewise, someone who has grown up sewing with a parent may be interested in costume design or construction. There are many ways to utilize a student's backgrounds to personalize and amplify their education and I hope that I will be able to recognize these things in my students when I am teaching.

Post 1: Personal Introduction

My name is Kaitlyn McDonald. I am a Theatre Education major and an English Education minor. I absolutely love what I do. From the few experiences that I have had so far with teaching it is definitely what I want to do with my life. I love being able to spend time with students and help them to grow and learn more about themselves. When it comes to why I chose theatre my decision was easy. When there was first an option to take a theatre class I was instantly drawn to it. From then on I felt empty, in a way, if I didn't have some sort of theatre class in my schedule. It was because of those classes that I learned who I really was. Before taking theatre classes I was incredibly shy and self conscious. Throughout the classes I learned more about myself and was able to become confident in myself. I want to be able to do that same thing for my future students. I believe that theatre is a great way for students to grow and I want to be a part of helping them to discover those powers in themselves.

Up until last semester I had never really thought about the word literacy. Last semester I took a class that discussed different types of literacy and for the first time I started to make a definition of literacy for myself. What I came up with is that literacy is the ability to take information and interpret it in a way that allows the information to be used in a real life setting. I think that literacy can apply to all types of information, books, music, other people, etc. Literacy to me, is more about the application of the information than the type of information that is processed.

Some other fun facts about me...in my free time, which seems to be becoming more and more of a myth, I love to listen to music, watch Dr. Who, play League of Legends and do art projects such as  drawing, painting, and sewing. I am a total nerd and I am not afraid to admit it. 

That is all for now!