Welcome to Ms. Nedai's Classroom

Practicing Conscious Awareness in the Classroom At the beginning of every class, I would take a few minutes to do a brain break with my students. As demonstrated in the video, students would take a moment to focus on their breathing. This helps students connect with the present moment.  After a  brain break, students are in a calm and relaxed state of conscious awareness. I found students focus and attention improve overtime. Initially, when I started doing brain breaks with my class, some students were skeptical and not keen on trying it. However, overtime, most students tried the brain break and started enjoying how it made them feel. In fact, one of my students asked for a brain break before a test because it helped her stay calm during the test.  One of the most rewarding elements of incorporating certain pillars of the MindUp curriculum into my daily lessons such as a brain break is that it teaches students to practice being present in the moment. Practicing being pr

Tyler DeWitt reminds us all of the importance of engaging our students in a fun and creative way. Whenever our students are engaged in their own learning process, they will learn because of the meaningful connections they are able to make. So, always keep lessons fun and engaging!

 Angela Kurmey presented on how teachers can create a positive presence on social media. They were several amazing examples of young students who have used social media as a platform for change and to inspire others in remarkable ways. The work of Joshua Williams and his team of young volunteers working to provide food for those who need it was inspirational to see the care and dedication young people have for those in need.

Tribes education focuses on human development and learning. The fives pillars of Tribes education include a focus on developing students intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects. I have tried some of the Tribes activities with my students and I have observed a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie between the students. In the video below, Jeanne Gibbs, founder of Tribes Learning Communities, speaks about educating the whole child.

At the top of Bloom's taxonomy is creating which involves producing new or original work. There are several different ways teachers' can achieve this with their students such as providing students with a choice when it comes to projects. Genius hour is another platform for students to unleash their creativity. Students get an opportunity to work on a passion project. One way to incorporate genius hour is when some students finish a task early, they can use their extra time to work on their genius hour project. Genius hour is one way to ensure students are intrinsically motivated and self-directed learners. When students take ownership of their own learning, they will feel empowered and confident in their own abilities.

One of the most important lessons I have taken away from our Integration of Information and Computer Technology class is the importance of networking. Now that I am on twitter and I have a blog, I see the benefits of networking from a professional perspective. As seen in Sylvia Duckworth's sketch-note, when you network with other professionals you will always be learning from each other. The advantages of networking are endless, from sharing resources to learning the latest trends in education.  As a teacher starting out, I am really looking forward to collaborating globally with other classes on projects. As a student, I always imagined how it would be like to work with other students overseas. Now, I hope to make this a reality for my students to collaborate and connect globally with other students.