Hi there. I'm looking forward to connecting with each of you this Spring semester. Here is a quick video greeting. Also, check out a Voki message I made four months ago.
Here are my replies to Dr. Hsu's questions:
2. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
"Define Your Dreams, Pursue Your Passions". Despite enjoying a corporate career, I longed to be an educator for years. Over the course of several years, I defined my dream, developed a long term strategy and I am now pursuing my passions of being a stay at home dad and a future educator.
3. Tell us one of your favorite joke.
My humor is usually spontaneous, zany, and, oftentimes, a play on words. For example, my 7th grade daughter was recently completing a science project on the human skeleton and I said ''I find your work to be very funny." She asked why. I pointed to the the long bone between the shoulder and elbow and said "Because that is humerus!" (Humerus is the name of that bone)
4. Tell us what subject you teach, years of teaching, and how far you are in the Teacher Education or MSIT program.
I have completed 21 credits in the MS, Childhood Education program. While I do not yet teach, I have a 7th and 4th grader at home and help them with their increasingly challenging homework assignments. I also volunteer to teach financial literacy lessons for the non-profit Junior Achievement of New York organization. This Spring, I am teaching five lessons each to second and fourth grade students.
5. How much do you know about teaching language arts?
My limited classroom time has been devoted to Junior Achievement and lessons I have created on Marketing, technology and Chinese New Year. I have no experience in teaching language arts but learned quite a bit in previous courses (EDLA 615, EDLA 635).
6. How much do know about "new literacies?"
I learned about "new literacies" in EDLA 615. As a parent, I clearly see the critical need for our schools to incorporate "new literacies" in the curriculum.
7. What are your concerns about taking this course?
None more than usual. With three online education courses, active involvement at my son's elementary school (besides teaching Junior Achievement lessons this Spring, I'm Vice President of the PTA, run the school's Book Fair and Literacy Week events and a class parent), and being an enthusiastic coach to my son's baseball team (I'm creating and running weekly Winter workouts before the Spring season starts in April), my schedule will be jam-packed just like everyone else's life. I'm having a blast and I hope you are, too!
