Jennifer Maleta's Page

After watching the video "A vision of K-12 students," I realize the need for teachers to truly understand the population they teach in order to meet their needs. One thought that really stood out to me is one of the initial statements: if students learn what they do, what are they learning sitting here? While there is a major push from school districts to have students actively engaged, providing professional development on interactive learning and encouraging teachers to build lessons that have students moving and creating, the bulk of education, in my experience, is still sit and get.Some of the most startling statistics, in my opinion, were the ones referencing the amount of time today's learners spend using technology. With much of their interests lying in social media and fast paced digital media, teachers must find a way to capture their attention and use these tools to help students learn the necessary curriculum in a way that is interesting and familiar to them. We must shift from the way we were taught and the way we learned, and must use technology to meet students where they are and take their learning to higher levels. It is clear that if we don't engage and entertain our students, they will do so themselves.I also think that as teachers, we must build relationships with our students. Although this was a college setting, I was shocked by the average class size as well as the percentage of teachers who didn't know their students names. I wonder if students in the K-12 setting feel that their teachers don't know them, I wonder if there are teachers that don't know their students' names; I know the impact of that would have had on me as a student.This video, as a future administrator, makes me consider the types of teachers I will have in my building, as well as the types of teachers I will want. It also brings to mind the importance of administrators providing education to teachers on how to truly reach their students using whatever means are necessary. Without support, it is difficult for teachers to grow and meet their students' needs. I hope that I will be able to advocate for and ensure that students and teachers will have access to the best education possible.