FRANCISCA C. BLANCO

 

Buenas yan Saludu Everyone,

My name is Francisca Camacho Blanco.  I live in the most grassiest village on the island of Guam, which is, Central-Mangilao.  Professionally, I am a high school CHamoru Language and Cultural Program since the late 1980s.  And with this in place, I also have many years in elementary school levels,  from the 2nd - 5th grades.  I am a devoted mommy of three children also; which are all adults now and are all active in their professional goals.  One of them is a physical fitness trainer,  another is a probation officer and the last one is a real estate agent.  Moving along  from my teaching profession and familia, I am also involved in Community Services in various Guam organizations and clubs.  I am a President for one of the Lion's Club of Guam.  In another, I am the secretary for a local Guam Language Org.  Lastly, I am involved in creative and unique arts and cultural activities all around the island and I always make it my goals that I get involved, I teach, I guide and I encourage.

J. Dela Cruz - June 6 - Reflection on the Literacy Session at Hagatna Library

 I enjoyed today's session at the Hagatna Library. The books that were read by the star readers were great selections. I always enjoy books about the ocean and their animals. I know students enjoy pictures books that help describe the author's intention and story. The pictures were beautifully illustrated. I know that with students who are second language learners, picture books help them better understand the book presented to them. Many times as teachers who have ESL learners, we use resources such as picture cards to assist with the lesson being taught. I know that I use this strategy in my classroom. 😊 It definitely helps. 

I also enjoyed the story "The night before summer..." This is an awesome book to read to students at the end of the school year. With the summer finally here, I believe it is important that parents continue to keep their children busy. I remember hearing in our session today that As parents, we are our children's first teachers. So encouraging with reading books during the summer, going to the library, and going to a summer camp are ways we can make their long summer vacation fun and a great learning experience. This will be beneficial for our ESL learners as well. 💗 The Coast Guard water safety presentation was another perfect way to discuss water safety with summer here. Many of our families go to the beach, go on boats, go to the swimming pools. Understanding the important of water safety especially living on an island is very important. 

Week 1: June 1-7 - Comments for Angie's and Jackie's Reflection Blog

Due to publishing issues that I've encountered for this weeks comments I created a new post as an alternative way to comment to my peer's blog.

For Angie's Reflection Blog:

This is an impressive reflection that I too, gained knowledge and information to jumpstart the new school year on Professional Development plan.  Thank you for your sharing.

For Jackie's Reflection Blog:

It is also important to balance the usage of technology.  So many times WASC will emphasis the schools to integrate teaching with technologies.  This is correct but nevertheless sometimes new programs were introduced with minimal training.  This class has not only introduced me to blogging but also instilled self-confidence as a new user.   

Week 1: June 1-7 Reflection (2nd Post)

 

Reflection

The resources shared by our instructor has provided positive learnings and information that are very important for me.  Although, I am teaching for a long time, I must admit that I need to learn how to use technology in my teaching activities.  I may be an old school that I prefer the traditional deliverance of teaching but 20th century had sifted the teaching methodology to technology.  

I've enjoyed the presentation and learned the meaning of Educational Technology, its theory, and insights of its practices, the different usages of technologies.  This vital resource is very important to relate to my teaching colleagues in our program because I see the need make full usage on the existing technologies in our daily teaching both for presenting lessons of activities to student learnings in various ways.

Busy Teacher is another resource that provided information for me.  Although it entailed for English learning structure, I can use it and modify to fit the CHamoru program for our Curriculum Standards.  It is very resourceful.  

Cool Cat Teacher is also pointing out that real learnings happen outside the classroom through traveling to places to experience hands on - real life learnings as it is explored by the 3 teachers in this video presentation.  A good example is about my class that went on a field to all the historical sites here in Guahan during COVID when schools were on virtual learnings.  I almost give up my position because I didn't know how to present this fieldtrip on line.  So, when face to face went back to normal, I took my class to the actual historical sites in person and they were happy learning the historical events of the history.

Lastly, Educational teaching and mobile learning as in AI assisted, I need to explore more on this type of compute usage because my students do not use computers.  The program did not issue any to the CHamoru classes.  

I love and enjoyed the poems by Dr. Rivera - Educational Technology and about the typhoon Sinlaku.  These are resourceful references for the teachers.  I want to translate them into CHamoru language for my teaching activities next school year.

Week 1: June 1-7 Resources Reflection

Thank you for sharing this week’s resources, Dr. Rivera. One of my favorites was the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. I’ve always found that talking with other educators is one of the best ways to get new ideas, solve problems, and even relieve some of the stress that comes with teaching. It was also interesting to read stories and perspectives from teachers in other places, not just here on Guam. 

I also enjoyed exploring Education Technology and its articles about AI. This is a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately because I’m currently struggling to find the right balance with AI use in my classroom. I don’t mind students using AI when it is used appropriately, but many middle school students still do not understand how to use it as a learning tool. Too often, they see it as a shortcut and use it in ways that result in plagiarism rather than helping them develop their own thinking. As AI continues to grow, I think it is important for us to teach students how to use it responsibly and effectively.

The ILA and Poet's Club sites were another nice addition. I think your poems would be great to use in the classroom because they are based on experiences and topics that our students can understand and relate to. When students see themselves and their culture reflected in what they read, they are often more engaged.

Lastly, although they were not technically resources, I found the introductory YouTube videos to be very helpful. I think they would make excellent additions to future professional development sessions. One video discussed the importance of understanding the different types of technology available, knowing how and when to use them, and making sure they are integrated properly into lessons. That message really stood out to me because I believe there needs to be a balance between traditional teaching methods and new technology. One quote that stuck with me was, “Technology is not the solution, but an aid.” I think that perfectly sums up how technology should be viewed in education. Another important point from the videos was that schools often spend a lot of money purchasing technology but do not always provide enough training for teachers. As a result, some of that technology ends up being underused or not used to its full potential. This is something I believe the Guam Department of Education should keep in mind when investing in new technology. Providing quality training and support is just as important as purchasing the technology itself.

Week 1: June 1-7 Reflection - J. Dela Cruz

 As a teacher in this generation, I believe that the use of technology and keeping yourself updated is very important. Many students as young as kindergarten have great knowledge about technology. In many classrooms that I have been in, I see teachers using many educational websites to assist with their lessons and class discussions. I have seen teachers use Kahoot, IXL, quizlet and many other educational resources. But I also believe that “the teacher will always be the most important element in learning,”  that technology can assist, but can not solely be responsible for teaching the class/students. Knowledge and understanding the use of  technology is not only important as a teacher, but also in general.  When I have a question or don’t understand something I google it or search “how to” videos on youtube. I also use CHATGPT to get ideas and suggestions for anything. I am always willing to learn new things about technology use in the classroom. Thank you Dr. Rivera for sharing all the resources. I always enjoy reading your poems; the Sinlaku and the tribute to Tata.

Angela Anderson

Hafa Adai! My name is Angela Anderson, and I am from Pago Bay. I began teaching in 2009 and have dedicated my entire career to Inalahan Middle School. I have always taught 7th grade Language Arts, but more recently I have become a combo teacher, working with both 6th and 8th grade students as well. I am also very involved in coordinating school activities and served as a yearbook advisor for many years. I truly enjoy creating memorable experiences and making school enjoyable for students both in and out of the classroom. After all these years, I still genuinely love teaching middle school students and ensuring they have a memorable experience at IMS. Teaching definitely keeps me feeling both young and old at the same time!