Blog in the Field

Although I am a Dual Major my dream is to teach Special Education, so when looking for a professional blog to read over I wanted to find one that focused more on Special Education. Before I even finished reading the first article of  Jerry's Special Education Blog I knew I was going to want to keep reading.  The first paragraph of Jerry's most recent post contained links to the materials he was using as well as information about his real life experiences with the activity he happened to be talking about.  The real life stories, 30 years of experience and links to countless educational articles all contributed to my bookmarking of Jerry's blog. I feel that this blog will end up being a wonderful resource in the future and I am excited to find other blogs like it that I can use to improve my teaching.

Technology in Education

Typically when teachers talk about technology integration they are talking about using things like IPads and Smart Boards to enhance, and assist, the learning of their general education students. However, another form of technology integration, and a very important one at that, is using assistive technology in the classroom in order to benefit those students who have special needs.  Since I am aspiring to be a special education teacher, this topic is one of great importance to me and my future students. In the article Technology Integration in the Special Education Classroom the author discusses different forms of technology that can be particularly beneficial to students with special needs and how teachers can incorporate these types of technology into their everyday teaching. I think technology in the classroom can play a very important role in helping to improve the education of students with special needs.

My Teaching Philosophy

In my future classroom the one thing that I will make sure to always keep in mind is that each child is unique.This means that although all twenty five of the students in your classroom are "second graders" each and every one of those students will come into your classroom with their own schema, their own background, their own skill set and their own individual collection of knowledge.  This also means that teachers must tailor their instruction to match the individual needs of each and every one of their students.  Teachers cannot simply teach one lesson and expect all students to benefit from it.  Teachers must make sure to get to know all of their students on a personal level so that they know exactly what each child can and cannot do on their own. This will allow the teachers to be able to push each student to be their own personal best. 

About Me

Hello-

My name is Theresa Schultz. I am a junior at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I am a dual major in Elementary and Special Education. I am in several student organizations on campus including Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC), Student WEA and Colleges Against Cancer (CAC). I work as a nanny for two young children in the Oshkosh area. I enjoy playing educational games and trying different learning activities with them. In my spare time I like to spend time with my family and friends. I enjoy being active by doing things like hiking, running, playing soccer and swimming, as well as any other activities that involve moving around and being outside. I am a very happy, friendly, outgoing person and I hope you enjoy following my blog and my journey towards becoming a teacher.