When teaching students, educators have to be aware that students come from different backgrounds and may have many stressful events going on in their lives, therefore, it is important to support these students as best as you can so they are able to receive an education. The article “5 Things Every Teacher Needs To Know to Create a Trauma-Informed Classroom,” goes into detail about how to best suit students that may be experiencing some form of neglect, abuse, and/or violence. Classrooms should be a safe space for students, they should feel welcomed, and feel like they can trust the teacher.

The first thing to do in order to support students is to understand where they may be coming from. Many students that act out may come from troubled homes and it is important to keep an open mind to that idea so you can best support them and provide them with the best education. When students experience some sort of trauma their nervous system is filled with stress hormones, and because of this learning can be hard for those students. In order for students to learn and perform their best they need to feel a sense of trust so they are not filled with stress while at school.

Providing support for students can look many different ways. One example explained in the article was a teacher in Alabama who would make their classroom cozy and welcoming for students by having blankets, stuffed animals, and a fridge with different snacks for the students.

Another teacher, from Missouri, explains how she lets her students decorate their classroom. In doing so it makes sure the students are comfortable in the environment they are in and creates a sense of trust knowing their teacher has given them the privilege and opportunity to create the classroom how they want it. It also allows the students to have a sense of control and a sense of themselves. The students have the ability to be themselves in the classroom, which is not always allowed in their home life.

For my classroom, in the future, I will use these different tools to create an environment where my students will feel welcomed, safe, and feel like they can trust me. I specifically love the idea of having a fridge with snacks since students cannot focus on learning if they are going hungry. When I was in high school I had a teacher who had snacks and a coffee maker in her room for students to use, this teacher was also one that all students trusted and felt safe to talk to, this shows how even the little things can make a large impact on the students. My classroom will also be lively with lots of colors and diversity to create a more welcoming appearance, as well as comfortable areas for students to be able to relax. Although these may seem like little things to add to my classroom I believe it will create a trusting and supportive environment. With trust, I can learn more about my students and what their needs may be to continue to provide for them and to create their learning experience the best it can be.

Using the Website AirPano I was able to go on a virtual safari in Vladivostok, Russia at the Primosky Safari Park. The park houses multiple wild cats including lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, and lynxes. The virtual safari included videos of the animals and provided educational information about each of the wild cats. The park has many different cameras in the exhibit so the video allowed the viewer to see the wild cats from many different perspectives. As well as showing the animals, the video shows the setup of the park where visitors can see inside the exhibits. The visitors can stand on bridges high above the exhibit so the wild cats cannot get out but the visitors also can see an overview of all the cats. The video explains how the park’s goal is to rehabilitate animals that can no longer survive in the wild, although their exhibits are similar to their natural environments with many trees and large areas of land.

The video is educational and explains facts about each of the different wild cats. The viewer also learns the background of each of the wild cat’s in the park, like their specific species name and how long they have been in the exhibit. We first learn about Tigers. Tigers are not dangerous to humans unless provoked, they also bond with different species of animals. The video explains how one Tiger has bonded with a Goat, which most people would think is quite unusual. Next, we learn about African Lions. They are an endangered species. When Amur Tigers and African Lions mate they create a hybrid. These hybrids are not found in the wild but are only found under human supervision.

After the African lions, we learn about the Leopards. Breeding of these Leopards and other cats takes place as part of the environmental protection program. Although as of now, the park only has two Leopards that are separated in different enclosures. We then learn about the Canadian Cougar. They are an independent living species and a solid predator. They hunt at night although are very curious animals. Lastly, we learn about Lynxes. They are smaller than the other wild cat species, weighing at most 30 kilograms, which is equivalent to about 66 pounds. In the park, the Lynxes like to play with each other.

After going on a virtual field trip, through AirPano. It is shown this is something that can be used in the classroom to provide students an education in different locations all around the world. On this particular field trip, the viewer is being educated on the topic of wild cats, while also being able to experience how they would act in the wild and hearing how they sound. AirPano is not just videos but 360-degree tours of different locations. These locations range from cities around the world to the great pyramids to different islands. Therefore, whatever topic an educator is teaching there is a wide range of videos and 360-degree tours to create an educational virtual field trip for students.

Communication can be used in many different aspects of the education field, whether it’s communicating from teacher to parent, teacher to teacher, teacher to student, student to student or so much more. That is why communication is one of the most critical parts of teaching. “Sail the 7 Cs With Microsoft Education” goes into depth on how to provide the best education. The writers explain the importance of communication, as communication is one of the 7 Cs.

To provide a quality education communication is needed in every classroom. Over-communicating instructions and topics allow the students to learn the best and ensures there is little to no confusion, the students should then be able to communicate what was taught to them to show they have an understanding. Communication is something that all students should have the ability to do and have access to. Students that may be disabled or speak different languages from the instructor still deserve the ability to communicate and learn. Immersive Reader was created to provide students with disabilities or in certain situations where communication is not as accessible the ability to still work and communicate with others. The user can translate words/documents into their native language, as well the user can adjust text, spacing, and highlight words. Translator is another online tool that can be used by not just the students but faculty and parents. Translator can be used to teach, communicate questions, and/or translate text. Everything can be translated into the user’s native language and messages from others can be translated into a specific language as well, therefore there is no limit to communicating.

Teaching students in ways that they understand can create communication skills from the students to each other and instructors. The example in “Sail the 7 Cs With Microsoft Education” explains how Minecraft brought the student together. Minecraft is a game that the younger generation uses and has lots of knowledge of, therefore when using Minecraft for teaching the students were able to communicate help and ideas to each other. Chatting to each other through the game also became an effective form of communication that originally would not have been seen in the classroom.

Without communication, there cannot be success in learning or teaching. Teachers need to be able to communicate effectively so students can learn and process information. While students need to communicate to gain other skills like collaboration and understanding. With the use of technology and resources communication can be provided to all students of all different backgrounds. This ensures that no one is left out in the education world.

AFS-USA is a nonprofit organization that specializes in intercultural education. They provide many activities and resources that can be used in the classroom. What’s nice about AFS-USA is that the lesson plans cover many topics like the environment, diversity, poverty, stereotypes, religions, cultures, and so much more. This allows the students to be able to learn and be open-minded to all sorts of topics and comfortable researching topics that may be unfamiliar to them. The website not only opens up the student’s minds but the teacher’s as well. There are many different handouts provided that allow the teacher to understand why a student may act a certain way and the culture behind it.

AFA-USA would be very beneficial in the classroom. In my own classroom, I would use different lesson plans so students can learn about the information that may be new to them to raise a future generation that is understanding and open-minded to others’ differences. Those lesson plans that I find specifically important are “Chain of Diversity”, “Education for All #BringBackOurGirls”, “Examining Current Social Movements”, and “Critical Listening through Debate.” The “chain of diversity”Chain of Diversity” lesson opens up the discussion of similarities to those with different backgrounds and shows the students that all people can be alike despite many differences. “Education for All #BringBackOurGirls” educates the students on gender inequality and inequality in the education department. “Examining Current Social Movements” provides the students with insight into the past and how people came together to solve a problem, which can inspire the students to try to spark their own movement an make a difference. “Critical Listening Through Debate” allows the students to be open-minded to others’ opinions and open-minded to changing their own.

Students should not just be taught specific subjects but real-world understanding. These are the children of the future so it is important that we teach them other skills like understanding, compassion, problem-solving, and much more. With AFS-USA teaching methods and lesson plans, they allow teachers and instructors to prepare students and set them up to create an amazing future.

Collaboration is important in the education field for both students and instructors. When collaborating with others it allows insight from different perspectives and backgrounds. As well, students can inherit other traits such as teamwork and problem-solving. Learning collaboration at a young age allows the students to then grow up and be more prepared for the work field as collaboration is something needed in everyday life.

Teamwork is important, it is something all students can benefit from. These students are exploring their skill sets to then collaborate together.

When collaborating in schools it is important to be open-minded to working with anyone and everyone. Librarians are often overlooked during the collaboration process. Although, they have great resources that could be applied to help better students and faculty.

Collaboration is one of the many traits needed to accomplish success for the students and teaching ability. If there is no collaboration then skills will not be taught to the students and they will have a hard time achieving those skills as they grow older and are put into positions where those abilities are needed. Teachers also need to collaborate to provide the best information and ways of teaching that the instructors may not be aware of, and will only be aware of if they work with others.