Context

The “Newsletter” assignment was created for CI 3750, Integrating Media and Technology into Teaching, during the spring of 2007 semester. It was created under the advisement of Dr. Jeff Goodman.

This activity was designed to be distributed during my practicum to the students, parents, and teacher of the classroom I will be in. I will be in Wilkes County Elementary Schools all day, learning firsthand experiences that I will be able to take with me to become a good Elementary education teacher.

Impact

I have created this newsletter to allow students to get to know me on a more personal level. I want to have a professional appearance in the classroom; however, I do not want students to be afraid to have conversations about themselves and their favorite foods, or hobbies. I want students to feel as if they can trust me, and that I was like them at one time, not long ago. As I enter their classrooms, I will need to get to know each of them, and in order for them to share about themselves, they will need to be comfortable with me. Allowing students to view this newsletter will let students see who I am and what I'm about.

In addition to keeping lines of communication open with my students, I also hope to keep them open with their parents. I have included my personal information, such as my email address and phone number, in case they have a question for me. I want parents to realize that I am a student at Appalachian, and that I hope to learn as much from their students, as their students learn from myself.

I have also created an interactive newsletter to get kids thinking, and sharing about ideas. I have provided my favorites, a top ten list, multiple pictures, and my favorite books, recipes, and websites. I even included a place for students to tell me about themselves, their favorites, or a funny story; just so I have a chance to get to know them better individually.

Alignment

This assignment met the following NETS-Technology Standards:

Standard V. (C.) Apply technology to increase productivity.

This artifact allows me to use technology to make my job easier to open the lines of communication with students and parents. It can also be edited or modified if say, I wanted to make a monthly newsletter featuring Students of the Week, or include what’s happening in the Classroom.

Standard V. (D.) Use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.

This artifact shows that I communicated with students and parents. It shows when I will be in the classroom to things about myself.

NCDPI Standard 16, Indicator 3: Teachers communicate with parents, guardians, and caretakers to build partnerships between home and school.

This artifact shows that I can communicate with parents, guardians and caretakers of my students, by buiklding relationships and partnerships between home and school. By sending a newsletter home for parents to meet me, it allows parents to see who is teaching their child, and what I am about. It also gives my contact information and allows us to be on more personable level.