Tessa+Watkins

 Hi! My name is Tessa Watkins and I am a senior at Clemson University. I am majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in American Sign Language with the hopes of working at a school for the Deaf and Blind when I graduate. I did not want to become a teacher until after I began college. When trying to make a final decision in what career path I would choose, the prospect of elementary education made me very excited. I love working with children and, through American Sign Language classes, have come to love Deaf culture as well. Technology is a vital part of my life. I use the internet, computers, my iPod, my cell phone, and numerous other devices every day. I do not necessarily know how to use all of the complex programs these have to offer but I do well with the basics. Although there are some drawbacks with technology, I feel that I would not be able to succeed in the classroom or the "real world" without it.
 * Ms. Miller's classroom, the classroom I am doing my internship in, has a Smart Board. It also has 3 computers available for students to use. The school also has a computer lab which students may use during enrichment time or related arts time.

I love the blogs on the Edutpoia website. There are many very good writers who contribute to each one and the issues discussed are not the typical "cupcake" issues. These writers discuss the hard things teachers face in the classroom and when is really happening in educational society.
 * Math Extension Idea **

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For my math lesson, I taught lattice multiplication. This website has a good lesson on lattice multiplication. After teaching the method, one possible activity for students to do could be having them teach one another how to do lattice multiplication using the website. I have heard that the best way to study or practice something is by teaching it to someone else. This requires that you know how to explain why you do the steps you do to get to the correct answer. This website would allow students to teach one another without using the exact PowerPoint I used and without making them create an original lesson of their own. This would probably have to be an entire lesson in itself because it would take a while. This would also require a computer for every group of 2 students. If this is not available, the teacher could project the lesson on the board for all students to see at once.

====The Smithsonian Education site has some great resources for teachers and students. It has several pages of workbook pages that can be printed out and interactive games for students to play. There is an activity on the Smithsonian website called Sizing Up The Universe. This activity would be amazing to use in the classroom when looking at the solar system. It gives real life examples of the size ratios between the Earth, the moon, the sun, and Pluto. It allows you to type in your address to get a feel for how big orbits would be and uses Google Maps to show those orbits. The URL for this site is []. ====
 * Science Websource **

**English/Language Arts Websource **
====Spelling City is a website the students in my class at Blue Ridge Elementary use all the time. They enter their spelling words into the site and it creates activities for them to do using those words. Some of those activities include hang mouse, speedy speller, and match it. Students seem to love being able to get on this website and I think it really helps them learn how to spell their words for the week. I would use this website the same way my cooperating teacher uses it. She allows students to be on the website for 20 minutes at a time during their stations. They are to be focused on their spelling words while they are using it, not going to other websites. The URL for this site is []. ====