Hello There!,
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Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. My name is Niccole Putnam and I am originally from Poquoson, Virginia. Not many people have heard of Poquoson since it is an extremely small town, however it is located right on the Chesapeake Bay and about 15 minutes from Newport News. I have lived there my entire life and my mothers side of the family were among some of the first settling families in Poquoson, just a small fact that I tend to take great pride in. Before moving to Radford, I lived back home with my mom (Norma), father (Larry), younger sister (Shelby) and 2 papillions my mom calls my brothers (Max and Oliver). Together, we are one dysfunctional family but I wouldn't trade them for the world. Because Poquoson is such a small community I have had the pleasure of being extremely close with my mothers side of the family. My grandparents are basically my second parents and even my cousin was born on the same day as I just 2 years apart. The older I have gotten I have grown to appreciate them more and more, which has had made leaving more and more difficult each time. However, in Poquoson you truly get to experience the benefits of living in a tight knit community, which is one of the reasons why I chose Radford University along with many other reasons.
I chose Radford University because of its credible education program, the amazing location and the size of the community. This past May, I graduated with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies. The particular program that I chose is a five year program, so after attending graduate school for a year I will receive my MS in education, as well as, dual teaching licensure in special education birth to three years of age and licensure in Kindergarten through third grade. Instead of beginning classes this summer with the rest of my cohort I decided to take the summer off for a mental break. In that time I served as a summer camp leader for a small private school back home and I couldn't have been happier with my decision. This experience allowed me to gain additional time with children as well as truly focus on growing and working with children without having to work on the pressures of assignments and deadlines. Throughout my undergraduate career I have had numerous pre-professional teaching experiences which have included; working in an infant room at Rainbow Riders, a VPI classroom at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School, home visits in the New River Valley with New River Community Action and working with a Kindergarten classroom at Eastern Montgomery Elementary School. It is extremely hard to determine which has been my favorite placement because I have learned equally as much from each experience and I am truly grateful to have been able to build the knowledge and relationships that I have been able to. The graduate program I have chosen is a continuation from my undergraduate program and focuses on Early Childhood Special Education. As I previously discussed, I have decided to continue on with graduate school in order to receive dual licensure. Without my teaching license I would only be able to work in a day care setting or with early intervention services. Although I have experience with both fields, the dual licensure provides me with numerous job opportunities.
Where do I see myself in the next five years? That truly is hard question to answer and something I am struggling with at the moment. Once completing graduate school I will have various directions I can go with my degree. I am quite interested in the teach America program or joining the peace core for a few years. I feel that these would both be great opportunities for me to take advantage of especially when I am still young. I would like to return to school later on and receive certification to work with K-12 special needs as well, however until that time I would love to have my own Kindergarten classroom in a low socioeconomic area. Once I settle down and start my own family I would like to return back to the Poquoson area or Outer Banks area to teach.
The things most important to me are my education and my family. Without my family I would not have been able to achieve what I have, they are my driving force and my biggest supporters. My graduation was an extremely emotional time for me because I had my entire family fly in from across the country to witness me receive my diploma. Seeing each and every one of them gather here for my special day signified to me just how much I matter to them and how important family truly is. My education is also important to me because I feel that there is never a time to stop learning. Through constant learning you are able to adjust your beliefs and accept new information which I believe is critical for all educators, especially when working with young children. Other things I hold important are volunteering within the community and being active outdoors. I truly enjoy hiking, white water rafting, camping, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.
In response to the question "How will you use technology in your teaching?", will I intend to use technology in almost every aspect of my teaching. I feel that "technology" can be any form of medium that may be used to enhance the overall learning experience of a student and could vary from either low tech or high tech. Examples of technology may include; textbooks, cd's, videos, live demonstrations, voice recorders, computers, ipads, tablets, smart boards and adapted materials for students with disabilities, etc. I intend to have numerous types of technology at the finger tips of my students because through using these devices they are able to open their mind to learning and make their knowledge more concrete. Some items would be used in small and large group settings so they would also be able to facilitate other skills such as communication, interactions with their peers, problem solving, etc. Also through interactions with others they are able to build upon each others knowledge and accept possible ideas that they might have never imagined. As a future teacher I will remain creative and implement technology in any way possible.
I hope this brief overview gave you a little more insight as to who I am and what I hope to accomplish in my future!
I chose Radford University because of its credible education program, the amazing location and the size of the community. This past May, I graduated with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies. The particular program that I chose is a five year program, so after attending graduate school for a year I will receive my MS in education, as well as, dual teaching licensure in special education birth to three years of age and licensure in Kindergarten through third grade. Instead of beginning classes this summer with the rest of my cohort I decided to take the summer off for a mental break. In that time I served as a summer camp leader for a small private school back home and I couldn't have been happier with my decision. This experience allowed me to gain additional time with children as well as truly focus on growing and working with children without having to work on the pressures of assignments and deadlines. Throughout my undergraduate career I have had numerous pre-professional teaching experiences which have included; working in an infant room at Rainbow Riders, a VPI classroom at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School, home visits in the New River Valley with New River Community Action and working with a Kindergarten classroom at Eastern Montgomery Elementary School. It is extremely hard to determine which has been my favorite placement because I have learned equally as much from each experience and I am truly grateful to have been able to build the knowledge and relationships that I have been able to. The graduate program I have chosen is a continuation from my undergraduate program and focuses on Early Childhood Special Education. As I previously discussed, I have decided to continue on with graduate school in order to receive dual licensure. Without my teaching license I would only be able to work in a day care setting or with early intervention services. Although I have experience with both fields, the dual licensure provides me with numerous job opportunities.
Where do I see myself in the next five years? That truly is hard question to answer and something I am struggling with at the moment. Once completing graduate school I will have various directions I can go with my degree. I am quite interested in the teach America program or joining the peace core for a few years. I feel that these would both be great opportunities for me to take advantage of especially when I am still young. I would like to return to school later on and receive certification to work with K-12 special needs as well, however until that time I would love to have my own Kindergarten classroom in a low socioeconomic area. Once I settle down and start my own family I would like to return back to the Poquoson area or Outer Banks area to teach.
The things most important to me are my education and my family. Without my family I would not have been able to achieve what I have, they are my driving force and my biggest supporters. My graduation was an extremely emotional time for me because I had my entire family fly in from across the country to witness me receive my diploma. Seeing each and every one of them gather here for my special day signified to me just how much I matter to them and how important family truly is. My education is also important to me because I feel that there is never a time to stop learning. Through constant learning you are able to adjust your beliefs and accept new information which I believe is critical for all educators, especially when working with young children. Other things I hold important are volunteering within the community and being active outdoors. I truly enjoy hiking, white water rafting, camping, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.
In response to the question "How will you use technology in your teaching?", will I intend to use technology in almost every aspect of my teaching. I feel that "technology" can be any form of medium that may be used to enhance the overall learning experience of a student and could vary from either low tech or high tech. Examples of technology may include; textbooks, cd's, videos, live demonstrations, voice recorders, computers, ipads, tablets, smart boards and adapted materials for students with disabilities, etc. I intend to have numerous types of technology at the finger tips of my students because through using these devices they are able to open their mind to learning and make their knowledge more concrete. Some items would be used in small and large group settings so they would also be able to facilitate other skills such as communication, interactions with their peers, problem solving, etc. Also through interactions with others they are able to build upon each others knowledge and accept possible ideas that they might have never imagined. As a future teacher I will remain creative and implement technology in any way possible.
I hope this brief overview gave you a little more insight as to who I am and what I hope to accomplish in my future!
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