For my capstone project I addressed the 21st century classroom. I went into more detail on the actual design of the classroom rather than the teaching aspect. I've focused on integrating the 3 main learning styles into one classroom and 6 ways to upgrade the classroom. To make sure all the learning needs are met there will be a round/kidney shaped table so students can have a way to interact and discuss with one another. There will also be learning stations so students can be hands-on with their lessons. Lastly there will be seating that can be arranged for when a lecture style class is necessary. The six steps to move into the 21st century classroom begins with a makeover. High ceilings, elevated floors, adequate lighting, and better controls makes the room easier and more open to move around in. Let there be light comes next. Taking away the blackboard and making room for more open and light displays, removes shadows and dark spots giving the instructor more ability to adjust the light. Now on to seating. Students sitting behind their desks is long over. Changing the furniture arround to make it versatile enough to be collaborative and be able to lecture in is ideal. The fourth point is faculty involvement. Knowing the needs, desires, and concerns of your employees makes for a top notch facility. Next is making sure you have enough outlets and power sources to support the amount of technology in the room. It's quite expensive to install outlets after a building has been constructed so making sure you have enough during the designing process is crucial. Lastly, be certain that the classroom is set up well for the student-teacher dynamic. Give a suitable classroom before you lay all the technology on it. This is just an overview on how to move the classroom into the 21st century.
Follow this link to see my presentation:
http://www.slideshare.net/tiffanedavis/a-21st-century-education
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Hate To Burst Your Bubble, But...
As I was reading Ahlander and Kofman's Get On the Lattice, an excerpt from Share or Die: Voices of the Lost Generation foreworded by Cory Doctorow, I had a life changing realization. The "real world", or life after college, isn't all roses. My generation is very naive about what life is really like after college. The jobs we want we don't really know anything about, many jobs aren't as giving as you think they are, and having a family isn't as simple and happy as our parents make it look.
Today getting a job is a lot like doing paperwork at the DMV. Lots of paperwork and most of the time you don't know what you're gonna get. Making a career is even more difficult. Most of us don't even know what we want to do yet. I want to teach music, be it choral or instrumental, middle school, high school, or even college. Do I really know what I'm getting myself into? Does anybody research their future job options? The truth is they don't. Not knowing what to expect from your future career is like not knowing whether or not the fruit you're about to eat is rotten. Think about this question as you continue to read. Is what you're planning really what you want?
The second tip in "How to get on the lattice" (pg 90 of Share or Die) is to decide what's important to you. Flexibility in your schedule, health care, insurance, sick leave, vacation, a short commute, holding a higher position, or even being able to be a part of your (future) children(s) lives. Most jobs only offer 10 days of vacation a year for the first ten years; many don't offer sick leave; and women only get a couple months of maternity leave. What's important to you in a job?
My last point is becoming a parent. I adore children and I would love to have some of my own a lot later in life. With who I'm dating now, for example only, it'd be quite difficult. He's a Marine. He's never home and he's making that a career. I definitely don't see myself being a "single" mom. I want a job; I want to work; I want someone there to help me with my children. My career of choice does give me a good bit of time for a family. I'm just gonna be a band director. Yes there's late nights, rehearsals, and performances, but you can make that a family affair. A friend of mine got fired from her job, the first time she was late, taking her daughter to day care after being stuck in traffic for a half hour. Some jobs are unforgiving and unrelenting. Climbing the corporate ladder is almost impossible with children and if you have kids while you're climbing, you pretty much stay stagnant.
In conclusion, make sure that what you're planning on doing is what you WANT to do. Being stuck in a career you didn't want in the first place makes for an unhappy life. Do your research. See what the job has to offer you and not just what you have to offer the job. If you do decide you want a family, make sure you can and not have to give up on your dreams. Happy parents are the best thing for a child. Even if you're not there all the time.
Today getting a job is a lot like doing paperwork at the DMV. Lots of paperwork and most of the time you don't know what you're gonna get. Making a career is even more difficult. Most of us don't even know what we want to do yet. I want to teach music, be it choral or instrumental, middle school, high school, or even college. Do I really know what I'm getting myself into? Does anybody research their future job options? The truth is they don't. Not knowing what to expect from your future career is like not knowing whether or not the fruit you're about to eat is rotten. Think about this question as you continue to read. Is what you're planning really what you want?
The second tip in "How to get on the lattice" (pg 90 of Share or Die) is to decide what's important to you. Flexibility in your schedule, health care, insurance, sick leave, vacation, a short commute, holding a higher position, or even being able to be a part of your (future) children(s) lives. Most jobs only offer 10 days of vacation a year for the first ten years; many don't offer sick leave; and women only get a couple months of maternity leave. What's important to you in a job?
My last point is becoming a parent. I adore children and I would love to have some of my own a lot later in life. With who I'm dating now, for example only, it'd be quite difficult. He's a Marine. He's never home and he's making that a career. I definitely don't see myself being a "single" mom. I want a job; I want to work; I want someone there to help me with my children. My career of choice does give me a good bit of time for a family. I'm just gonna be a band director. Yes there's late nights, rehearsals, and performances, but you can make that a family affair. A friend of mine got fired from her job, the first time she was late, taking her daughter to day care after being stuck in traffic for a half hour. Some jobs are unforgiving and unrelenting. Climbing the corporate ladder is almost impossible with children and if you have kids while you're climbing, you pretty much stay stagnant.
In conclusion, make sure that what you're planning on doing is what you WANT to do. Being stuck in a career you didn't want in the first place makes for an unhappy life. Do your research. See what the job has to offer you and not just what you have to offer the job. If you do decide you want a family, make sure you can and not have to give up on your dreams. Happy parents are the best thing for a child. Even if you're not there all the time.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
What's college good for?
College is a stepping stone from high school and adolescence into a career and adulthood. It's a long-term investment in one's life. College is a test of intelligence, it's discovering yourself , and, most importantly, it's a lesson on life.
We all know that everybody's different. Some people are prettier, taller, more atheltic, and more talented. You never really know who the smart ones are at a glance. Although there are IQ tests and many more exams that may measure a person's mental capabilities, you need something more than just a slip of paper. "College is, essentially, a four-year intelligence test (Menand)." Intelligence is measured by much more than 50 or so questions. It's someone's creativity, wittiness, ability to absorb, time management. College brings out all of the traits of intelligence. You must have good time skills, learn fast, and think way out of the box to survive the road to a degree.
Along with a test of intelligence, college is a point in which many people discover themselves. However, according to McArdle, increasingly the time and cash spent to earn a diploma is leaving kids off "worse than they were before." Although this may be true for some cases, it's not true for all. College doesn't just help you master your craft, it also helps you "learn things to enable you to do things with your life, to enable you to find interests and pursuits that may in some way or another expand the way we see things (NPR staff)." College is about finding yourself and what you want to do with your life. I for one think the investment is well worth it.
Last, but not least, "The first aim of a good college is not to teach books, but the meaning and purpose of life. Hard study and the learning of books are only a means to this end. We develop power and courage and determination and we go out to achieve Truth, Wisdom and Justice. If we do not come to this, the cost of schooling is wasted (President Watson)." College teaches you about life. The good and the bad. You gain power with knowledge, and with great power comes great responsibilty.
All in all, college may not be for everybody and that's fine. We're all different anyway, but if you want to test your intellectual abilities, learn a little about yourself, and take in all the knowledge and power you can, college is well worth any and everything you put into it.
We all know that everybody's different. Some people are prettier, taller, more atheltic, and more talented. You never really know who the smart ones are at a glance. Although there are IQ tests and many more exams that may measure a person's mental capabilities, you need something more than just a slip of paper. "College is, essentially, a four-year intelligence test (Menand)." Intelligence is measured by much more than 50 or so questions. It's someone's creativity, wittiness, ability to absorb, time management. College brings out all of the traits of intelligence. You must have good time skills, learn fast, and think way out of the box to survive the road to a degree.
Along with a test of intelligence, college is a point in which many people discover themselves. However, according to McArdle, increasingly the time and cash spent to earn a diploma is leaving kids off "worse than they were before." Although this may be true for some cases, it's not true for all. College doesn't just help you master your craft, it also helps you "learn things to enable you to do things with your life, to enable you to find interests and pursuits that may in some way or another expand the way we see things (NPR staff)." College is about finding yourself and what you want to do with your life. I for one think the investment is well worth it.
Last, but not least, "The first aim of a good college is not to teach books, but the meaning and purpose of life. Hard study and the learning of books are only a means to this end. We develop power and courage and determination and we go out to achieve Truth, Wisdom and Justice. If we do not come to this, the cost of schooling is wasted (President Watson)." College teaches you about life. The good and the bad. You gain power with knowledge, and with great power comes great responsibilty.
All in all, college may not be for everybody and that's fine. We're all different anyway, but if you want to test your intellectual abilities, learn a little about yourself, and take in all the knowledge and power you can, college is well worth any and everything you put into it.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Why College
Blog Post 2
College to
some is the true beginning of their life, to others it's to reinvent themselves,
and to many more it's to gain a career. There's a vast sea of answers to "why
college?" Personally I chose college to advance my knowledge in my chosen craft
(french horn playing/band directing), to be a part of something bigger than
myself, and to learn to enjoy life.
I wanted to learn what it took to be a professional musician and a band director. Honestly, it's a lot more than was expected. There's theories and techniques and history that I never knew existed. How did I expect myself to teach kids these things without knowing about them myself? I didn't. I chose to expand what I knew so that I could further others in the musical path.
While majoring in music education, I've also become a part of The Marching Southerners. Their tradition of excellence and phenomenal performances are what drew me here to Jacksonville in the first place. I first experienced The Southerners my sophomore year of high school and was aboslutely taken aback just by the sound. I knew that if I wanted to be great, that I had to learn from the greatest.
There was also an extra perk to being in this amazing ensmeble. It's a big family. I craved to have the life that I didn't have in high school. To go be with friends without having a curfew. To go to parties and enjoy myself, responisbly, without fretting about the parental repercussions. Yes I had plenty of friends, but none of them ever got crazy and I was okay with that. I never got these opportunities in the past few years, and now I'm taking life by the reigns and enjoying the ride.
My choice to attend college, especially at JSU, was simple. I'd get the quality education that I desired and needed to follow my dreams. I'd be a part of something that I could be extremely proud of. And, lastly, I'd find friends that would become my family for life.
I wanted to learn what it took to be a professional musician and a band director. Honestly, it's a lot more than was expected. There's theories and techniques and history that I never knew existed. How did I expect myself to teach kids these things without knowing about them myself? I didn't. I chose to expand what I knew so that I could further others in the musical path.
While majoring in music education, I've also become a part of The Marching Southerners. Their tradition of excellence and phenomenal performances are what drew me here to Jacksonville in the first place. I first experienced The Southerners my sophomore year of high school and was aboslutely taken aback just by the sound. I knew that if I wanted to be great, that I had to learn from the greatest.
There was also an extra perk to being in this amazing ensmeble. It's a big family. I craved to have the life that I didn't have in high school. To go be with friends without having a curfew. To go to parties and enjoy myself, responisbly, without fretting about the parental repercussions. Yes I had plenty of friends, but none of them ever got crazy and I was okay with that. I never got these opportunities in the past few years, and now I'm taking life by the reigns and enjoying the ride.
My choice to attend college, especially at JSU, was simple. I'd get the quality education that I desired and needed to follow my dreams. I'd be a part of something that I could be extremely proud of. And, lastly, I'd find friends that would become my family for life.
All About Me
Blog Post 1
My name is
Tiffane Lynn Taylor Davis. I was born in 1994 in Villa Rica, GA. I guess I
should tell you about my interests. I enjoy Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and
things similar to that. I love to read, but writing isn't really my strong
point. I don't watch a lot of tv, but I do have a few shows: Pretty Little
Liars, Glee, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Dr. Phil, and Dance Moms.
My real interest is music. I love it all, except rap, country, and dubstep. Old
jazz, Frank Sinatra and such, are my absolute loves. I'm a musician. My primary
is french horn and my secondary is trumpet, but I also play a little piano,
guitar, and pit percussion. I sing occasionally. I can sing everything from bass
to soprano, but I'm mostly an alto. I'm majoring in music education, and I love
every minute of it. I hope to teach, but would love to play more. I'm a member
of The Southerners and the symphonic band here at JSU. Being in ensembles is
definitely the highlight of my day. I'm looking forward to this class and
getting to know everybody's writing styles!
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