One of the only things I really have to rant and rave about is my own stupidity. After our discussion with Dr. Zimmerman about our portfolio I went through the list we got from her to check and make sure I had everything I needed. When I started to go through my portfolio I realized that I am totally disorganized! I have so many things labeled close to the same thing it was hard to tell one from the other! Seriously, I had to open every one of my documents to search for the thing I needed and it took forever. I really need to go through every thing and label it the same as the portfolio and organize it in the folders that they should go in.
This thing isn't a rant or rave but it makes me sad that for student teaching our classes will be with the grade we are teaching and disctrict... I know it's probably convienient for the program, but I want to be with my cohort! I almost felt like an abandoned child when Dr. Zimmerman said that. But we'll make it through, the end is so close it sight, I can almost taste it!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
HELPFUL!
These tools are so helpful and I feel like I can use a lot of them in my own classroom. I want to point out a couple of them that really stood out to me and how I could use them in my own classroom.
1. The Conversation Roundtable P. 121
This organizer really makes the focus clear about what is going on. For example, it says in the middle question "What kind of people are these characters?" Then it lists 4 characters that go around the circle. This could be easily adapted for differentiation because you could have different pages for different students such as the 4 as it suggests in the book or you could add or reduce the number of characters you have students study.
2. Developing Clarity About Learning Goals P. 124-126
I think that this is such a great idea to have students map out what they are to know, understand and be able to do. What a genius idea to have students have a copy with your lesson plan of what you are trying to convey to students and have them on the same page. I like this for a participatory teaching method as well to make up a unit with your class. I like that this example had several examples and I like how it breaks down into a tree like form. I'll say one of the branches of the tree. Know-sonnets, Understand-Periods of rebirth or renaissance may occur more than once, Do-Write and present documented research in a variety of formats.
I think that this is very helpful as a pre-service teacher to have this tree organizer with the know, understand and be able to do to plan a unit. There are several different branches in a unit and it would be great to have a short description of what is going on all on one page like this. Also, with a differentiation view, the number of branches could change due to the different tasks students do in the unit.
3. RAFT P.135
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
I like this activity for students to get an organizer for their writing. It is often hard for students to keep in mind who they are writing to or their target audience. I like the examples it gives in the book like, R- A natural resource, A- Our class, F- A speech, T- What people need to know about using this well and why that matters anyhow.
Lastly, I found that the rubrics were very helpful in setting up my own idea of a rubric for my future class, even my student teaching. The pages are 144-148 and they give good examples of explicitly stating what is expected, which is helpful to me when thinking of getting a rubric or directions together. I like that they give different examples and it really shows the versatility with using the exemplary, developed, emerging, and undeveloped grouping. That was clear to me and I could see myself using that in a class.
I think I may be a little crazy for saying this, but I like that there aren't black lines for these organizers. I like that I could make different pages for different needs of my future students such as adding more or reducing the task at hand. I like that these ideas are all clear and they have been shown by example in the tool box pages 120- 162. I can see myself using some part or the whole idea of a lot of these strategies and I am glad that I can have this as a resource in my future teaching career.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Chapter 7
The simple, hard truth about teaching is...
that every day isn't going to be a break through success with each student,
that there are factors outside of your students lives, and yours that influence how your day goes,
that every day isn't always going to be a good one,
and being a teacher that is dedicated to differentiation takes a lot of time.
I hope that as I become a teacher of my own classroom that I can take the time to be a dedicated differentiated teacher. I know that every day isn't always going to be success, but the hard work and determination will make the successful days that much better.
Today I am making it a goal to work on a couple of the research findings of Stronge each month as I am a teacher until I can be a little bit of all of them. Here are some that stuck out to me first.
Students consistently want teachers who respect them, listen to them, show empathy towards them, help them work out problems, and become human by sharing their own lives and ideas with their students.
Caring teachers who create relationships with their students enhance student learning.
Effective teachers emphasize hands-on learning, conceptual understanding, and links with the work beyond the classroom.
Effective teachers reteach material to students who need additional help.
Student engagement is higher when they take part in authentic activities link to the content under study.
I like how this chapter wrapped up nicely reminding us that in "The Little Prince" we are not sure who is the teacher and who is the learner. We have been talking a lot this semester in several classes that we aren't always "in-charge" of a classroom, we are the facilitator of the learning that goes on in the classroom. I love this line "our best lesson plans evaporate in the face of a riveting question from a child whose age is not a quarter of our own." Isn't that so true? I remember in the first semester of field we were studying ancient civilizations and the students were in groups studying different areas. The group who was doing Ancient Rome really took off with it and had quality work. They found out extra things that I hadn't specified and when they would find something interesting they would say "Mrs. Ames, look what we just found!" Even though their end of unit project was totally different, it was awesome to see their faces light up with excitement. I hope that when I am a teacher, I can differentiate in a way that students will light up and really take off. With the metaphor of the teacher whose mom cooked really good gravy, I hope that I can put that type of love into my classroom gravy by starting with working on a little bit at a time the research of Stronge. I hope my ceiling never has a roof, as the hallmark states: students never have a way out, but only a way up.
that every day isn't going to be a break through success with each student,
that there are factors outside of your students lives, and yours that influence how your day goes,
that every day isn't always going to be a good one,
and being a teacher that is dedicated to differentiation takes a lot of time.
I hope that as I become a teacher of my own classroom that I can take the time to be a dedicated differentiated teacher. I know that every day isn't always going to be success, but the hard work and determination will make the successful days that much better.
Today I am making it a goal to work on a couple of the research findings of Stronge each month as I am a teacher until I can be a little bit of all of them. Here are some that stuck out to me first.
Students consistently want teachers who respect them, listen to them, show empathy towards them, help them work out problems, and become human by sharing their own lives and ideas with their students.
Caring teachers who create relationships with their students enhance student learning.
Effective teachers emphasize hands-on learning, conceptual understanding, and links with the work beyond the classroom.
Effective teachers reteach material to students who need additional help.
Student engagement is higher when they take part in authentic activities link to the content under study.
I like how this chapter wrapped up nicely reminding us that in "The Little Prince" we are not sure who is the teacher and who is the learner. We have been talking a lot this semester in several classes that we aren't always "in-charge" of a classroom, we are the facilitator of the learning that goes on in the classroom. I love this line "our best lesson plans evaporate in the face of a riveting question from a child whose age is not a quarter of our own." Isn't that so true? I remember in the first semester of field we were studying ancient civilizations and the students were in groups studying different areas. The group who was doing Ancient Rome really took off with it and had quality work. They found out extra things that I hadn't specified and when they would find something interesting they would say "Mrs. Ames, look what we just found!" Even though their end of unit project was totally different, it was awesome to see their faces light up with excitement. I hope that when I am a teacher, I can differentiate in a way that students will light up and really take off. With the metaphor of the teacher whose mom cooked really good gravy, I hope that I can put that type of love into my classroom gravy by starting with working on a little bit at a time the research of Stronge. I hope my ceiling never has a roof, as the hallmark states: students never have a way out, but only a way up.
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