Introduction and Explanation

My name is Rachel Van Nostrand. I am an elementary education major in my Sophomore year. I have switched my major multiple times. I started as a social work major, then on to Biology and now I believe I have found where I belong in elementary education.  Originally, I am from a small town of around 500 people in Iowa but I currently call North Webster, Indiana home.  My phone number is 574-529-0549. I currently reside at Campus Corner, my address is 1150 S. Clarizz Blvd, Bloomington, IN 47401.  My email address is rvannost@indiana.edu. I have baby- sat for multiple families starting in my middle school years. This past summer I worked at a summer program for children ages 5-12, there were approximately forty children on any given day.  P248 and G203 are both classes that have taught me about childhood development and how to communicate with children. From this class in particular I hope to:

• Start to develop more of an understanding of who I am as a teaching.
• Learn ways to teach children effectively based off of resent research.
• Become more confident in my understanding of children and teaching styles

I am not sure what my specific content area is going to be as of now.  I really enjoy creating and planning. I even thought about being an event planner at one point. I believe that these skills will help me be a more organized and thoughtful teacher.

 

              

Big Idea: Students learn absorb information through the process of problem solving and experimentation.

Example Activity: Teaching about the water cycle, a teacher could first use a lecture to inform students what the water cycle is and then ask students to think of a project that would show what the water cycle does.  The students could then do the project that they thought of.


I chose this model because I believe that teaching takes more than just lecturing. When I look back on my elementary years the lessons that stick best in my mind are ones that this pattern I have chosen seems to shine through.  Also, each and every student learns and thinks differently. Using this model the class can learn from each other based off of what they choose during the problem solving method and the outcome of their experimentation with the subject. This process creates a learning environment that makes children really think about the lesson and it also shows the teacher what students do not understand the lesson before an assessment occurs.