Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Blog Post #1

About Me 

As you can see my name is Laura Carpenter. I am twenty years old. I chose to attend the University of South Alabama because,in a sense, I was raised a Jaguar fan. Not only was my mom an employee of the University, but I am the third of my siblings to attend USA. I was born here in Mobile and have lived here all my life. Originally a Radiology major, I changed over to Elementary Education last spring.I developed a love for interaction with kids through all the time I spend with my total of thirteen nieces and nephews. I am quite popular with them. My interest in education also developed through my passion for English/Language Arts. English has always been my strongest subject in the academic environment. In high school, a few of my poems were published in National Anthology books. You may be thinking,well why didn't she just major in English? I chose English as my minor. A unique fact about me is I am the youngest of eight, although I am the only one between my parents. I have four half brothers and three half sisters, but we are very close. Despite the eleven year age difference between the closest one to me and about twenty years age difference between the oldest and I, they are some of my best friendsAll four of my brothers serve in the military. Another unique fact is that I was a special gift for my parents, considering they were in their forties when I was born. This led many to believe they were my grandparents.

I have encountered many challenges over the past eight years. During my brother's first tour in Iraq, he was the only survivor in a roadside car bombing. In 2005, my family's house was flooded during Hurricane Katrina. We salvaged what we could, but many irreplaceable photos and other items were lost. We lived in a FEMA trailer in our front yard while we repaired our house. Shortly after I started high school in 2006, my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer due to secondhand smoke. She has come a long way being in and out of remission, but sadly the most recent find was a tumor on her brain. This has changed her significantly. I believe all these obstacles were put into my life only to make me stronger and to learn from experiences for what is to come in my future.



My Future Classroom

When I become a teacher I plan to use quite a bit of technology in my classroom. In my opinion, this will allow for my students to experience hands-on learning. This will also be a good learning/teaching tool considering what a technical world we live in. I,myself, find it easier to retain what I have learned through interaction rather than following along with some lecture. As the motto goes for this course, I do not want to encourage "burp-back" learning. I would much rather encourage my students to develop their own opinions and ideas. I took the Arts in Education class last semester and it really brought my attention to how important incorporating the arts into the curriculum is important. I plan to use this in my future classroom.

I plan to be an encouraging teacher rather than one of the no personality and this is how it is type of teachers. I believe a student is more inclined to learn from a teacher whom they feel cares about them rather than one whom just sees them as a statistic. I plan on mastering in English and I hope to encourage my students to develop an appreciation for literature rather than just seeing it as a required reading.

Time Management

I like how Dr. Pausch encourages putting the "ugliest" task at the top of your to-do list. This makes it stand out like a sore thumb and less likely to put off until the very end. I find his idea to plan your days, then your weeks, and then your semester interesting. Rather than starting out with the big picture, he is encouraging you to start small and work your way up to the big picture. Pausch makes a claim to ask yourself  WHY you're doing something ,WHY you'll succeed , and what will happen when you DO NOT do something on your list. I believe these are excellent questions to ask yourself because you will get a much better sense of what direction you intend to head versus what direction you are currently heading.

2 comments:

  1. Late, even though you are a poet. Be on time with your work.

    I am sorry to hear of your mother's illness.

    You will watch Randy Pausch's Last Lecture later this semester. It is a powerful and moving video!

    Well written. Welcome to EDM310!

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  2. Hi Laura,

    We have a good bit in common. I have also changed my major recently to education, and I love it. It is very exciting to have your poems published. I had two poems published when I was in elementary school. It was only in a young writers poem book, but I remember being so proud of my work. I am sorry to hear about your family's difficult times, although I am sure it has made you a stronger person. My husband is in Afghanistan doing his first tour and it's difficult for me but I can not wait for his safe return.

    I enjoyed reading your blog post, and I agree with your views on teaching. I also plan to incorporate technology into my classroom. I believe students will enjoy learning through technology and it will help them in the real world.

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