Taylor+McCarthy



==== Hello! My name is Taylor Nicole McCarthy and I am an Early Childhood Education major studying at Clemson University. I am originally from Brinklow, MD, and am one of four kids. After college I hope to teach in a Title I school working with either first or second graders. After gaining some classroom experience I would like to get my masters in Administration and become an Elementary School principal. This semester I am participating in my Practicum Experience at Hunt Meadows Elementary School in a K-5 classroom. In my free time I like to spend time with my family and friends, listen to music, hike, boat on the Miles River, and take pictures.

==== == **Taylor McCarthy's PLN **

**Teach For America Blog Collection**: This resource is a central website where corp members currently teaching with Teach For America can blog; sharing classroom problems, accomplishments, as well as personal feelings towards teaching. I really enjoyed looking at this website because it was raw information coming from actual field experience. Preparing to possibly teach in an area similar to where TFA is involved is scary, and these blogs are not sugar coated. They are real life examples of what a day consists of. **PE Central**: This is a website created by Clemson's very own, Dr. Debbie Smith. It is a website where teachers are encouraged to share lesson plans and ideas that focus on the physical education standards as well as another academic standard. As classroom teachers it is very important we encourage practicing good healthy habits as well as making our lessons engaging. This website provides countless ways to get kids moving while also learning content that is essential to their growth of knowledge. **Busy Teachers Cafe:** This website is compilation of free materials that teachers can use in their classroom. It is geared to be a quick and easy resource that teachers can use if they need something to do in their classroom. I think it is important to know that coming to this website you should have other lesson plans in mind, but this can help cut time when having to make letter worksheets, or counting books. One of my favorite things on this website is the management and forms printables. They have absentee forms, gradebook pages, newsletter outlines and more. This PLN activity has made me conscious of all of the good resources the web has to offer, all of which do not mean entering an idea into a search engine. Current teachers keep blogs, offering up-to-date information on what is really going on in the classroom today, common struggles that are seen and things that need to be improved upon, is one of the many helpful tools this PLN activity has made me realize. We often think we need to come up with an original lesson plan everyday. But through our education we know collaboration is key, and the internet is a fabulous way to begin that search for knowledge.

media type="custom" key="10821206" After completing the Blabberize Assignment, reflecting on its potential use in the classroom has made me realize that there are a plethora of ways to engage our students in fun meaningful activities that ultimately tie back to the standards and guiding principals in teaching. This activity is particularly good in addressing ELA standards. One of the beginning stages of reading is Oral Language Development. Children are encouraged to talk and expand their vocabulary by interacting and sharing through discussion and casual conversation. This activity gives students the opportunity to not only speak out loud, but hear their voice played back. This can strengthen their communication skills because they have the chance to critique how they sound and what they say. Most times children don't realize how many times they say "um" or "uh" and this is a perfect way to allow them to self-correct.