Warning: Men at Work

If you are looking at this blog for the first time because you are simply a curious surfer of the world wide web whose search brought you here, or you're a friend or family member who is gracefully humoring me, please excuse the disorganization. This is a work in progress, and it will be an evolving thing as this year and the following years roll by.

My name is Derek Brandow and I am third year elementary school teacher. The past two years I was lucky enough to teach some of the first graders at Thurston Elementary School in Springfield, Oregon. But this year my wife (Tristan), two and a half year old son (Jackson), and I have moved from Eugene, Oregon to New York, New York so Tristan can go to graduate school for Museum Education. It will be some of the fourth graders at PS 145- The Bloomingdale School whom I get to share a classroom with. I am very excited to be teaching fourth grade this year for several reasons, the main reason being that I get to try out some technology stuff I have been working on this past summer.

This blog is my first attempt to really incorporate technology in my classroom. The possibilities are really exciting. There are testimonies from teachers who claim their students' writing has vastly improved because of the incorporation of a blog. This is for a couple of reasons. The first is that kids realize they have a world audience now for their writing. "Wow! There might be someone out there who is really interested in my writing besides my teacher, and mom and dad, who have to be interested in my writing." Another reason kids' writing is improving is because they don't want to throw just anything out there for the world to look at. The kids want it polished. Well, If either of these reasons hold an once of truth, it seems like a blog is more than worth a hearty try.

I've been looking at some websites and blogs other teachers have put together for their students. As you can imagine, there are some great ones and some not-so-great ones. If you want to see a blog of a teacher who has been giving it a go for the past several years go to bobsprankle.com. He is definitely doing some great stuff with technology in his class.

That about wraps it up. Thanks again for coming to the blog and walking around in the mess for a while.

Comments

[Jeff DeFranco]

Pretty clever Mr. Brandow