What I Learned from Room 108
I was never a student in room 108, but reading about their triumphs on Shelly Fryer's website has opened my eyes to the amazing things that can go on in a classroom. The first things that I noticed about Mrs. Fryer were some of her awesome teaching techniques. Implementing technology into the classroom in extraordinary ways I had never thought of before like having a classroom podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the students reminisce about their past year in room 108; what they enjoyed, what they learned, and one question stood out, "How room 108 feels like home." Isn't that what all of us teachers should be striving for? Creating a learning environment that is safe for exploration, expression, and just great place to live and learn? To hear it come from the mouth of the students is incredibly powerful.
I included both "Welcome to the 4th Grade" and "Welcome to Room 108" to the right for your viewing pleasure, because they are both worth the watch. Dwayne Reed impressed me to the fullest extent with his openness, willingness to be vulnerable for his students, and really just putting himself what he is doing for these students. I'm 100% sure he would be a great 4th grade teacher to have. "Welcome to Room 108" is beautifully crafted and sounds so amazing with all of the students voices being heard and the beautiful slide show of memories to go along with just brings it all together. Shelly has a great quote from her post Technology 101 skills for Teachers that says, "I am convinced technology tools should be used to enhance and amplify student creativity." As an aspiring technology teacher, that hits me to my core. Technology is such an important aspect of our students lives, that I think it is critically important for us as educators to implement it into our classrooms. Students don't just learn in class, and outside of class a lot of their learning is facilitated by technology. So it only makes sense to facilitate their learning in the classroom with technology. The final picture sums up what I've learned about Mrs. Fryer's teaching style and ideology. She loves and wants every student to succeed, and is willing to put in the time and effort to build a classroom community that will work towards achieving that goal. Details about how she built her classroom can be found in her article More Similarities than Differences. Building a classroom community is critical for fostering good learning techniques and building relationships among students and between the student and the teacher. Shelly Fryer is truly a phenomenal teacher. Exploring her website has provided me with many valuable tools to add to my teaching toolbox that I will use in my classroom. Her teachings encompass all grades, because all students whether 5 or 18, need to feel safe, loved, and that they matter. |
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