Advertisement
Readers' Survey 2007: Best Blog for Educators
Edutopia readers weigh in on their favorites.
by Edutopia Staff
2¢ Worth
Tech-savvy soothsayer David Warlick walks away with it. Warlick's lively blend of wit and wisdom nicely complements his focus on modern thinking and design in the classroom. Warlick's approach is fresh and forward looking, but he also spent more than thirty years working with public schools, so he leavens his visionary ideas with the grit of reality. Says Warlick, "My goal is to inspire and energize with ideas and possibilities that will challenge [people] to expand their perceptions of teaching and learning, and dare to consider our professional future with optimism and excitement." Amen to that. Other popular blogs included Eduwonk, Edublogs, and Edutopia.org's own Spiral Notebook.
Our Take
Blog Wrangler
So many blogs, so little time. If you're interested in the latest blog blather about a specific topic, no matter who is writing about it, get thyself over to Google Alerts, which automatically emails you when new Google results for your search terms occur in its News, Web, Blogs, and Groups directories. The Google folks say many alerts are set up by people monitoring a developing news story, keeping current on a competitor or an industry, tracking medical advances, or getting the latest on a celebrity or a sports team -- or, may we suggest, staying abreast of educational developments.
NEXT PAGE OF READERS' SURVEY: Amount you spend out of pocket each year on classroom supplies
2007 Readers' Survey Home Page
Novice and Expert
Submitted by Tracye C. (not verified) on August 6, 2008 - 20:40.
This is my first ever blog. I have always heard or read about bloggers but I have never done it up until now.
I will enter into my 9th year of teaching next week and I feel that I am both a novice and an expert depending on what we are speaking of. I usually go back to school and can jump back into things without any worry or great concern. But there has been a channge, just recently I attended a worshop for the new English adoption my district chose. With out a doubt, I will feel like a novice teaching English this year. There is a lot of chanting and singing and very specific word use and ordering of things and I will be out of my comfort zone with these new techniques that we are to use. Usually I have teachers coming to me for my help or opinion, this year we will help one another get through the first year of using this curriculum.
Novice Teachers
Submitted by Alexis Williams (not verified) on August 5, 2008 - 19:50.
Hello everyone. I am not new to the blogging per-se, however I am new to the education blogging experience. As I am reading all of the response to this topic on Novice and Expert teachers I feel that everyone (that I have read so far)makes excellent points about what makes a teacher an expert and a novice. I had to answer a question on what my definition of both meant to me. And I said that the novice teacher is someone that is fresh out of college and has a lot of energy and has no idea of what the teaching world holds for them. I defined the expert teachers in two personalities. The first personality was The always willing to help, and always positive teacher, and the second personality was the I wish it was time for retirement teacher. As I said in this assignment I have dealt with both kinds of personalities from experienced teachers. The other part of the assignment was to see where I as a teacher would fit. Would I be a novice teacher or an experienced teacher? I feel as though I am a little bit of both now. When I first started teaching I was completely a novice teacher. I was so full of energy(I still am today), and I had no clue what the education world was really about. I mean they taught us in college the simple things but the real world of teaching is nothing like college. I felt as though after college I was given the ideas of how the real education world work but I just did not know how to deal with them until I experienced them for myself. Right now as I start my second year of teaching, I feel as though when it comes to giving advice about how to survive your first year of teaching I am an expert in that area. I am able to help other first time teachers straight out of college. To them I am the expert teacher. When I am around other expert teachers I am still the novice. I still have a lot to learn. I think that in some way teachers are still novices and experts. We all have some area that we are the expert and then there are other areas that we are still that fresh out of college novice teacher.
Novice to Expert
Submitted by Sandra Hall (not verified) on August 6, 2008 - 16:49.
Hi Alexis, I truly agree with you. You might not have been in the field for very long, but it is possible for you to become an expert in certain areas. You feel that you are an expert in helping new teachers get through their first year. I was beginning to think that I was the only one that has confidence in my abilities. I know we all have a lot to learn. When you get to that point that you are the go to person on certain subject matters you are an expert. It might just be in your building, but you are the expert there.
Novice vs. Expert Teacher
Submitted by Jacquelle (not verified) on August 5, 2008 - 16:36.
For the last few days I have been thinking about the differences between a novice teacher verses an expert teacher. This has been quite a challenging task. I have come to the conclusion that most novice teachers, including myself, lack the experience and confidence expert teachers demonstrate. I also came to the conclusion that expert teachers have more experience under their belts and tend to have many more resources and connections to help support this confidence. But after yet even further thought, I believe that the standards of what it means to be an expert teacher are constantly changing and therefore somewhat impossible to achieve. It’s difficult to achieve something that is not concrete. As for myself, I’m in my fourth year of teaching and find it difficult to place myself in either of the two categories completely. In some areas, I feel I have room for growth, while in others; I am very confident and reflective about my current practices. With this said, I feel that in order for teachers to remain on the novice to expert teacher continuum, teachers must actively and passionately seek knowledge regarding methods and strategies to increase student achievement. Finally, another interesting point someone made on this same blog was how sometimes veteran teachers appear to be the “rocks” when it comes to adjusting curriculum or implementing new strategies. I have some of those teachers in my building as well! They appear to be very set in their ways and feel that the teaching practices they have been using for so many years are effective enough and not necessary to change. Personally, I believe it is pointless to “water those rocks”. Schools should move on and focus on teachers that are accepting and willing to practice lifelong learning to increase student achievement.
Novice and expert teachers
Submitted by Chastity (not verified) on August 5, 2008 - 12:09.
Hello,
This is my first time blogging, although I replied to a comment yesterday. I feel like I will always have an area that will make me feel like a novice. Education is always changing, and I know that in order to be productive I have to continue to grow. I look forward to becoming an expert in some areas. I do not think I will ever label myself as an "expert".
Novice vs. expert
Submitted by Donna D. (not verified) on August 6, 2008 - 11:11.
I agree with you Chastity that I may never feel like an "expert" teacher. Just when I think I have seen or experienced it all, something new happens and I have to address it and learn from it. Whether it is something a student may do, or something new we learn in the field of education there are constantly things to learn. I think as teachers we are always somewhere in the spectrum between novice and expert and I feel that thinking that way will help us be better teachers.
Novice Teachers
Submitted by Jill Walker (not verified) on August 4, 2008 - 12:34.
I believe that beginning teachers are novices and need all the support and help they can get from expert teachers. What I would call an expert teacher is someone who has had several years of experience teaching, extensive collaboration skills, and a lifelong learner who continues to grow and develop effective teaching strategies. I am not an expert, but on the path to become one!!
Novice vs. Expert Teachers
Submitted by Melissa Velarde (not verified) on August 12, 2008 - 23:59.
I couldn't agree with you more. I still consider myself a novice teacher. I am going into my fourth year teaching. Although I am much more comfortable and experienced than I was three years ago, I still feel like I have a long way to go. I look to the most experienced teacher for guidance and advice. I find that most are very eager to help a new teacher out. I expect them to have all of the answers to all of my questions. Many of them do have all the answers. They have continued on with their education and are lifelong learners. They continue with professional development, and are very motivated with new ideas and findings. Unfortunately, there are some very experienced teachers who I consider not experts. They have become stagnant in their career; uninterested in developing new skills. New ideas and approaches are quickly shut down and their attitudes are very negative. I hope to always be wanting to learn new things. I hope I never become an old experienced teacher, but not quite the "expert teacher."
Novice to Expert Teacher
Submitted by Robin Marble (not verified) on August 6, 2008 - 08:36.
Hi Jill,
I agree with you that beginning teachers are certainly novice teachers and we do need the help and guidance of expert teachers. Expert teachers are those teachers who, like you said, are lifelong learners. I feel that education is constantly changing and we are hearing about new developments, so I feel that an expert teacher is still continually gaining new information. I don't feel that a teacher becomes an expert and stops gaining information. There is always going to be something to learn about. That is great that you are on your way to becoming an expert. I am a novice teacher and have a long way to go. But I do look forward to the journey of learning.
Robin
Novice Teachers
Submitted by Jill (not verified) on August 4, 2008 - 12:18.
I believe that beginning teachers are novices and need all the support and help they can get from expert teachers. An expert teacher is someone who has had several years of experience teaching, extensive collaboration skills, and a lifelong learner who continues to grow and develop effective teaching strategies.
Post new comment