Infographic

Infographics are really effective tools to present information like diagrams, charts, and tables in a different visual way. Infographics rely on images and visual organizers to present data or other kinds of information so that the viewers can understand essential points easier. Infographics condense information using more visuals and less text. This link gives excellent examples of quality infographics that most people would be familiar with.

http://www.theblendedenglishclassroom.com/infographics/what-is-an-infographic/

I made a very simple infographic on international icons for my coursework. This infographic doesn't give the best description of what most infographics consist of, but it is something that I have done personally. Someday, I want to make multiple infographics for my history classes because I think I would really enjoy them.

Infographics are typically appealing to the eye and fun to use. In our modern world, teenagers are really interested in visual presentation, particularly through social media. Infographics can appeal to that interest that many student may have. Visual organizers like infographics made through programs like Easel.ly can be very practical for teachers to teach about information in a non-traditional way, that is very effective.

Concept Map

This link will take you to a program called Mindmeister. This program is excellent for developing a variety of concept and mind maps. 

http://www.mindmeister.com/460188711/major-countries-of-europe

     I really liked using Mindmeister. It is a very creative, intuitive program for a very unique form of education. I made a very simple concept map for my course assignment over some of the major countries of Europe. This concept map example is just to help student learn some very broad information about the European continent. Concept maps can give students an excellent visual representation of the connection of information as it correlates to each other. Programs like Mindmeister can add links, images, videos, audio, and text to reinforce the presentation of information to assist the learning process. Concept maps can be a very persuasive format to teaching to make a topic more intriguing and fascinating for students. If teachers can present their class material in a way students find interesting and intriguing, there is a higher chance of gaining students' respect. If student can see that a teacher is passionate about their subject and are passionate about passing it on to others, students are much more likely to find interest in the topic. 

Word Cloud

     This is a Word Cloud I did near the beginning of one of my graduate classes. Word Cloud are great tools to use to display components or pieces of a whole. For this particular class, our teacher asked us to make a Word Cloud that would reveal a little about who we were and the things we are interested or involved in. Word Clouds are very simple and fun to make. Teachers could use these as an easy way to get to know their students early in a class. If student know that their teachers care about who they are and the things they are interested in, they are more likely to return that interest and care when they are in the classroom. Word Clouds are very simple methods to getting a foundation started on a healthy relationship with students. I would highly recommend letting students see a Word Cloud that you, as the teacher, make and letting the class see each other's Word Clouds.

Drive

     My Freshman year at Harding University in 2009, one of my history professors told me, "You never stop being a student, even when you are a teacher." She elaborated saying, "No matter where life takes you or how much knowledge you acquire, you never stop learning, and it is your responsibility to make sure that it stays that way. Regardless of your occupation, your responsibility is to seek truth." The words that Dr. Fortner said on the first day of Western Civilization, have stayed with me to this day and drive me to be an ever-learning student that continuously seeks truth. My form of carrying out that calling right now is learning a way to respect and care for my students so that they respect and care for me as their teacher. My major goal is to create trust, and people listen to those that they trust. If trust is formed, then we, as a class, can use social studies as a tool to seek truth together. If this kind of relationship is formed, who could ask for a better occupation than one that seeks truth and helps to guide young minds in that search? This is my reason for choosing education; specifically, my drive to teaching social studies.

Purpose

     I hinted to the direction of this blog in my Introduction post, but I want to clarify a little more in this post. Essentially, I want this blog to document my road to earning students' trust and respect. I want to track my progress on obtaining a healthy teacher-student relationship by discussing techniques, strategies, and tools. I am making this blog public, primarily, for other teachers who are starting their career and ask the same questions. Obviously, anyone is welcome to check out this blog, but my primary audience is new teachers who are also trying to find a way to gain their students' respect and maintain an efficient classroom. Hopefully, this blog will benefit others, but I would love for there to be comments that bring new, insightful thoughts and perspectives that can help me as a teacher and others on their road to effective teaching.

     Initially, I set up this blog for a course in my graduate studies at Harding University. Throughout this particular course, we have used many technological programs and applications that can benefit us in the classroom. I'm going to post samples of some of my work in this course on this blog because I believe that being technologically savvy can really earn you some points with your students. These tools can also display some very effective modern methods to education that seem to do a lot for students in this day and age. So this blog will display some of the tools that I will use in my classroom that hopefully benefit my progress as a teacher.

Introduction

If I didn't establish a clear purpose for this blog, then it would most likely consist of a whole lot of rambling about nothing. But I have a very clear reason for starting this blog. I am going to become a teacher. But this blog will be where I document my road to becoming a great teacher (hopefully).

     I believe that most people who choose to become teachers initially believe that they could be effective teachers. I think we all choose occupations that we think we could excel at. But we also decide that based on what we think the job is really like, what it consists of, and the amount of effort that goes into it. When people begin their first job associated with their degree and realize that they don't actually like the occupation that they have chosen, it's often because the job is not what they expected or hoped it would be. In the teaching field, this often looks like a new teacher who steps into a classroom expecting all of their students to quietly remain seated and do nothing but listen and speak when prompted. But in reality, this teacher steps into a classroom and has no idea how to gain the students' respect and is dealing with disciplinary issues the majority of the period.

     When teacher candidates are learning to become effective educators, they are typically taught how to educate their students after they have already gained their respect and have a perfect rapport with their students. They are lectured to about the joys and rewards of teaching young minds. They are also shown the side of teaching that encourages them to be passionate and excited about teaching. These things are great, there is nothing wrong with them at all, but there needs to be a balance. Education students need to be aware of the difficulties of teaching and what goes into the daily job. There have been many cases where education students are really excited about their future occupation...until they step into the classroom for observation hours. I have seen plenty of students drop their class and change majors after they do their observations. They return from their experience depressed by the lack of funds for teachers, lack of resources, poor student-teacher relationships, and poor teaching skills. This is usually the point when people see what the job really consists of, realize it's not what they thought it was, and back out. Teaching really is one of the most mentally and spiritually rewarding jobs, but it comes through hard work and a drive to succeed.

     I believe that when a teacher respects and cares for their students and the students respect and care for their teacher, most elements in teaching a class fall into place. Now obviously, there are a LOT of variables that go into it, but the foundation of an effective and appropriate teacher-student relationship, in my opinion, is respect. This blog will be about my process to finding the perfect balance of respect in a teacher-student relationship so that education is harmonious for teachers and students alike.