Ana's Blog

I notice that most of the words did coordinate with what my model was displaying. There was a connection because they were able to notice how the students and the teacher were in a tight circle, which indicates unity and togetherness. Although I included a rainbow and unicorn, they were still able to realize that they were symbols of peace. They were able to connect that everyone was included in the code of conduct. They used words such as peace, discipline, teamwork, rules, collaborating, norms, structure, togetherness, idealistic, and inclusion.

Photo credit to Ana.

I learned that I was able to convey my philosophy well and that they were able to understand what my model was about. My model was displaying cooperative learning and how the students and the teacher have to collaborate together to create a safe and comfortable learning environment. This will enable students to follow the rules because they were able to form part of creating them. They will have a better understanding of how they should or should not behave in the classroom. They will know what is expected of them because they are able to cooperate with the teacher. The discipline is set so students behave because it’s what they desire.

On Thursday, I began to teach Social Studies in the morning. The first thing I did was tell them to come to the carpet. One of my mistakes was I did not instruct them to clean up first and then come to the carpet. All the students came to the carpet quietly and sat down. The first thing I did was pull out a bag with two items that I brought from my house. The bag contained items that tell something about me. I asked for one volunteer to come up and pull out one of the items. I asked the class what the object might tell them about me. The first item was a stuffed panda, which indicated that I like pandas. One of the students mentioned this and I nodded. Then I explained to them that objects can tell us a lot about history. I asked the class what history means to them and one them told me that it was “something that happened a long time ago.” I told them that history is the story of people and events from other times and places.

Photo credit to Wikipedia.

            The next thing I did was introduced them to six different vocabularies, which were history, fact, holiday, culture, character, and fiction. I held a flash card up with the word history on it. I asked them to tell me what they thought each vocabulary was and then I provided the definition. When I came to the word holiday, I asked them what holidays we celebrate this month. They were only able to tell me Thanksgiving because my CT has been telling them about it. After I completed the mini lesson, I proceeded to read Junie B. Jones to them. I began to read chapter one using expressive reading. I read in different voices so the children would enjoy the book more. I read the boy’s voice in a deeper tone and they seem to have enjoyed it. They were disappointed when I finished chapter one.

         I have one monolingual student that is in the pre-production stage of second language acquisition (SLA). According to the ESOL I Student Assignment Packet, there are four stages of SLA. The first stage is pre-production, which is students are still “taking in the new language and are trying to make sense out of it to meet their basic needs” (2013, p. 35). My monolingual student does not speak the language, but has recently picked up a few words. He used to say “baño” and now he says “bathroom.” Most of the time when my student says a word in English, I give him a hi-five. He is still in the “silent period” in English, but still communicates in Spanish. He is able to follow simple commands such as getting his books out, moving his clip up or down, and lining up. He also points out when I ask him a question about something. He comprehends some of the stuff he is learning, but only when I translate the material to Spanish. I try to not only repeat the words so he can repeat them, but translate them so he is aware of what the word means. He now says “paper” instead of “papel.” According to the ESOL I Student Assignment Packet, as a teacher I must use strategies, which include “simplified speech, gestures, pointing, acting out, frequent repetition, props, visuals, modeling and demonstrating.

            I have another ELL student that is at the early production stage of SLA. He easily follows directions that are told to him. Sometimes I would have to rephrase what I ask him because he might not grasp it the first time. At the early production stage, students “will begin to respond with one or two word answers or short utterances” (2013, p. 35). He still struggles with identifying his letters and sounds. I administered the spelling inventory spelling test on him and I put him at the late stage of emergent. He did not get any of the words right, but he would just write random letters. He is able to respond to me though with yes or no. He sometimes points to what he wants to show me and tries to talk about it. This indicates that he has a “need to express themselves and be given a chance to produce language in a low anxiety environment” (2013, p. 35). As a teacher, I must not direct error correction at this student. I would have to model or demonstrate the “correct responses in context” (2013, p. 35).
            On Thursday, I was able to co-teach with my CT during literature block. I took the lead by calling each individual table to the carpet and had them sit flat on their bottoms. When they began to chat, I used the "give me five" attention getter to get them to quiet down. I instructed them to open their Journey's book to the page where the story began. I repeated the page number slowly and said the numbers separately. I then asked them whether they remember the characters of the story. I called on a few students to answer. My CT wrote it down on chart paper. Then I proceeded to tell them that the story is fictional fantasy and the definition for fictional fantasy. I told them what the object of reading the story was, which was for them to retell the story. I told them to use their fingers to point to the words as we read together. I stopped on every two pages to ask what the setting, beginning, middle, and ending were. My CT wrote each of these on the chart paper so students will be able to use it when they turn to their partners to share what has happened in the story so far. I was able to also do a read-aloud on If You Give a Pig a Party, since it was the book we were going to use for Book-A-Ween.

Resources:

I have been observing my CT to see which type of discipline she utilizes. Based on my observations, my CT uses assertive discipline. According to the Canters, teachers have the right to establish rules and directions on what is acceptable and unacceptable. Teachers also have the right to follow them throughout the school year and to ask assistance from parents and administrators. She has established certain rules that all students must follow at all times. One of the rules involves the use of the restroom. Students are expected to use the restroom when she is not instructing and only one female and male can use the restroom at a time. If one or more students breaks the rule, then she follows up with having them move their stars down on the behavior chart. She consistently uses this corrective action “when a student chooses not to follow a rule” (Canters). She has a few specific set of rules up on the wall, which include that students must have two sharpened pencils before class begins. These rules are “observable” according to the Canters because they are not vague rules, but specific ones. She utilizes supportive feedback by giving out tangible rewards, which are warm fuzzies that the students collect in a plastic bottle. Students then use these fuzzies to purchase materials they have lost such as pencil erasers, crayon boxes, or pencil sharpeners. She rewards the students “right after the observable behavior desired, accompanied by verbal recognition, but given sparingly” (Canters). When students don’t complete their assigned homework, my CT uses corrective action by not allowing them to play during lunch on Fridays.

Photo credit to teachers.net

In my classroom, I want to be able to utilize cooperative discipline rather than assertive discipline. According to Albert’s discipline, the main focus of cooperative discipline is “helping teachers meet student needs so that students will choose to cooperate with the teacher and each other.” I would want the student’s to behave because it’s what they desire. I would have to enforce the three C’s to ensure that the students feel like they belong. The three C’s are capable, connect, and contributions. Cooperative discipline allows students to choose their behavior, which they have to see the need to do so. Albert addresses that students misbehave to “gain attention, gain power, exact revenge, or avoid failure” (Albert). As a teacher, I will also have to work with my students to develop a classroom code of conduct and set of consequences. This will enable students to accept them as fair. I need to encourage good behavior and have students and parents get involved to contribute into cooperative discipline. The cooperative discipline article provides me ways to handle students that misbehave to “gain attention, gain power, exact revenge, or avoid failure” (Albert). For children that seek attention, I should provide recognition when they behave properly, stand by their desk, and use I-messages. I should allow students different options to choose from, give responsibilities, and grant power when appropriate for students that seek power. For students that want revenge, I have to build a caring relationship and teach students how to express their anger in appropriate and acceptable ways. Finally, for students that avoid failure, I need to use concrete materials, computer-based instructions, teach one step at a time, and teach various intelligences. I also have to teach students that making mistakes is okay.

Resources:

Canter, L., & Canter, M. (n.d.). Assertive Discipline.

Albert, L. (n.d.). Cooperative Discipline.

In my opinion, my CT’s authority base is reward/coercive, which is based on “behavioral notions of learning, foster teacher control over student behavior, and are governed by some principles of application” (Levin, 2014). Based on my observations, one of the rewards my CT utilizes is giving out warm fuzzies when students are on time, quiet, on task, and follow directions. Warm fuzzies are small and big fuzzy balls that can be purchased in the arts and crafts section of any store. She has set up specific guidelines of how she distributes the fuzzies to students. She also utilizes the fuzzies as a way of “paying” her for new materials such as erasers. For example, I have a few students that loose or break their eraser tops and thus, they give me one warm fuzzy for a new eraser top. My CT has guidelines for the warm fuzzies such as, they can trade in six small fuzzies for one big fuzzy that can be used for the treasure box. If a student is off task and does not follow directions then she tells them to “pay” her a warm fuzzy, which students dislike.

Photo credit to Steven Depolo on Flickr.

Another reward my CT gives students is play time outside on Fridays only if they have completed their homework for the week. Every Friday we have lunch outside, only if it’s not wet. Students are expected to complete their weekly homework and turn their folder in on Fridays. I check to see how many assignments the student has finished and I jot it down by their name on the assignment sheet. Once the students finish their lunch, my CT checks to see whether they earned to play or not. Those who have not completed their homework sits down without getting to play. Most of them have gotten into the habit of finishing their homework because they know they will get have free time. I had one girl who sat next to me and I asked her why she wasn’t playing with the others. She responded with “I didn’t do my homework because I was playing with my friend.” My CT has accomplished to “be consistent in assigning and withholding rewards and punishments,” the student has “perceived rewards or punishments,” and the students see the “connection between their behavior and the reward or punishment” (Levin, 2014).

The authority base that I want to accomplish is referent. Referent authority is when “students behave as the teacher wishes because they enjoy a positive relationship with the teacher and like the teacher as person” (Levin, 2014). By using this authority, it enables me to learn about each of my student’s background and family background. I will be able to develop a positive relationship with each of them. I know this means that I am not the student’s friend because then I would be “dependent on students to fulfill his personal needs” (Levin, 2014). My goal as a teacher is to create a friendly and positive climate so that students respect me and their peers. I don’t want my student’s to behave because they will receive an award or not. I want them to behave because “it is of their best interest” (Levin, 2014).  The students will view me not only as a teacher, but as a person and will collaborate with me. I want to adopt collaborative theories because the primary goal is that students are able to control their behavior when they become mature adults. This theory enables students to get engages with learning activities and making choices to some degree.

Reference:

Levin, J., & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of Classroom Management (Seventh ed.). Pennsylvania: Pearson Education.

            This week I began with morning meeting. I have been setting guidelines and they have been following my instructions properly. My first greeting involved having the students turn to each other and saying “Good Morning (insert name).” After, I had them share what they did over the weekend. They all seemed excited to be sharing what they planned on doing. I did the popcorn greeting another morning. I had them all sit down in a circle. This greeting involved each student to jump up and say their names. It gave me an opportunity where the students introduced themselves to the new student in the classroom.

            During centers, I work with a small group on their sight words or the words of the week. I lined up the students for the first time and they followed my instructions. The next day, one student asked whether I could line them up again. My CT let me in charge of lining them up now and walking them to either lunch or specials.

For Emergent Literature, I pulled the same three students that I gave the ERAS to and administered a spelling inventory to help me determine at what spelling stage they are in. I was able to identify two students to be at the early stage of within word pattern. I will be using an activity specifically for this stage that the book provides. The activity is called the Racetrack Game, which was developed by Darrell Morris. The purpose of this activity is for vowel pattern. The materials I will be using is one file folder, construction paper, scissors, glue, tape, and little toy cars or other similar items. The file folder will be used to create an oval racetrack on it. I will then write the spelling words on each square and draw two stars. After, I will create a collection of around 50 cards that share the same patterns. Using some construction paper, I will craft a number spinner, which will be used to move players around the track. When starting the game, each player will receive six cards and the rest will become the deck. The player will spin the spinner and read the word that they land on. They will then look for words in their hands that have the same pattern. If they land on one of the stars, then they get to discard odd words, such as give, or choose their own pattern. The winner is whoever has placed down the most cards and the game ends when there are no more cards to play.

Photo credit to Words Their Way.

According to Managing Diverse Classrooms, “children from collectivistic families are socialized with values that emphasize working together interdependently rather than working alone independently” (Rothstein-Fisch, 2008). I have noticed this in my classroom with my ELLs. One of my ELL students that only speaks Spanish went to help another ELL that speaks English with finding a page number. This showed me that my ELL comes from a collectivistic family in my opinion. His family moved here from Puerto Rico. He tends to help others and likes to receive help rather than work alone.

Resources:

Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2011). Words Their Way (Fifth ed.). Prentice Hall.

Rothstein-Fisch, C., & Trumbull, E. (2008). Managing Diverse Classrooms. MA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

            I began my week by doing morning meeting and having everyone introduce themselves to the new kid in class. There was one day where the students did not follow my instructions. They talked among themselves and they would not be quiet when I told them to. My CT had to interfere and straighten them up. She advised me to set guidelines and to use my teacher voice even if it hurt their feelings. The next day I was a bit firmer and they followed my instructions without any misbehavior.

            On Monday, I read When Autumn Falls to the class. I called on each table to join me on the carpet. I began by reading the title and asking them the definition of autumn. After a student answered that autumn was fall, I asked them between what months it occurred. I began to read the story and stopped at the page that mentioned the word temperature. I decided to stop here and ask them what temperature was because it was a word that they learned in science last week. They were able to tell me that temperature measured whether it was hot or cold outside. I resumed with the reading and made another stop because my students did not know what bobbing was, which I explained that it was a competition of getting the apple by the mouth. The next stop I made was when the book mentioned Jack-O-Lanterns. I asked the class whether they were going to carve pumpkins to make Jack-O-Lanterns, they were able to make connections to the text. I learned by watching my group’s read alouds that I need to establish an attention getter. The attention getter will help me by redirecting their attention back to me after they share stuff. There was one part in the story that talked about rain and I imitated the sound and hand gesture for rain. My students repeated my action. After I finished the read aloud, I asked what they learned about the book. I gave everyone an opportunity to share once about what they learned.

Photo credit to Ana Siu.

            In class, there is one particular male student that I’m concerned about due to behavior. He does not follow directions most of the times and tends to act like a kindergartner. I noticed that he works when you actually sit down with him and take the time to work with him. This student is still in the punishment-obedience stage of Piaget’s moral development. He knows that the punishment for disobeying is moving his star down, but it seems that he does not really mind too much.

Resources:

Levin, J., & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of Classroom Management (Seventh ed.). Pennsylvania: Pearson Education.

Morning meetings provides opportunities for students to greet, listen, and respond to each other. It helps to build a strong community within the classroom and creates trust among classmates. I introduced the class to morning meetings this week. I received a positive response from the students the first day I initiated the meeting. I planned my morning meetings for the week on a sheet of paper, in which I included a greeting and an activity.

On Monday morning, I only started with a greeting to see how the students would react. I began with the Brown Bear Meeting with a stuffed animal I brought. I modeled and gave clear instructions first before passing the stuffed animal around. The children loved Brown Bear and all of them participated in it. Two students came late and the most of them told them about the fun activity they missed. On Wednesday, my CT helped me out once again in calling them to the carpet. I chose a simple greeting because I realized that they didn't know their classmates’ names. The greeting I chose was a simple “Good morning, my name is Miss Siu. I like pandas.” This activity let me and other students know what everyone’s favorite animal was while learning their names. Right after the greeting, I introduced an activity with a beach ball I purchased at the Dollar Store. I wrote all of their sight words onto the beach ball the night before. The purpose of this activity was to practice their sight words. I threw the ball to a student lightly and whatever word is under their right thumb is the word they say out loud. The beach ball activity got out of hand since I didn’t set guidelines and rules. On Thursday, I was able to call table to come to the carpet quietly. I tried the Butterfly Greeting, but not all of them did the butterfly gesture. The greeting starts with saying “Good morning” to each other and then hooking their thumbs together and wave their fingers in the sign language sign for butterfly. I repeated the same activity with the beach ball, which they enjoyed. I set cleared rules before letting them use the beach ball this time and they obeyed this time. Friday morning I did the Brown Bear Meeting since it’s the greeting they like the most. The activity for that day was to say their names while passing the beach ball around.

Every morning, I sharpen the student’s pencils and move the clips back to the middle. I usually assist them with anything they don’t understand about the worksheets or homework. Centers began during this week and I was excited that I was able to work with one group. I was in charge of the bingo sight words table. The students express pure happiness when they knew they were working with me.

When the small group of students came to my center, I passed out the bingo charts and a few red chips. I told them that I would be playing along with them and they began to get more enthusiastic. They would tell me that they were going to beat me and say the word correctly. The following thing I did was show them the sight word. I instructed them to raise their hands and to not yell out. They obeyed and raised their hands to tell me the sight word. I carefully picked each of them, without picking on the same student over and over. Whichever student I chose would tell me the word and then I had the others repeat it. Surprisingly, they followed my instruction with enthusiasm. Every student received the opportunity to win and get a sticker from me. I didn’t exclude anyone from winning. After we finished every bingo game, I made each student tell me the words that they had covered with the red chips. Most of them were able to pronounce and recognize the sight words. Some of them would even use the words in sentences. I noticed that when they’re in groups, they tend to participate more. “It creates a sense of intimacy and belonging, which helps children feel comfortable enough to take risks” (Clayton, 2001).

Photo credit to Wikipedia.

For Emergent Literature, I had to test students on whether they are more interested in academic or recreational reading. The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey consisted of twenty questions that described how they felt when they read a book. I chose three students to test, which included one with level A, 6, and 14. What surprised me the most was how high the boy at level A scored over the girl at level 14. Both students scored higher in academic books over recreational books. The boy’s overall percentile is eighty-two while the girl’s overall percentile is sixty-two. Even though the girl has the highest reading level, she scored low.

I chose to read-aloud I Just Forgot by Mercer Mayer. I told my first graders that they needed to put on their thinking caps to create a movie scene and draw it on paper. I asked them if they have ever forgotten to do something. I received immediate hands in the air and their expressions told me they were anxious to share their stories. I picked on a couple to share what they had forgotten. I told them to be on the lookout using their five senses. I asked whether they knew their five senses and most of them told me the correct answers. I commenced with the read-aloud. I divided the book into four sections so that the students get the opportunity to draw four different pictures. At each stopping point I asked what they saw, heard, smelled, taste, or touched. Most of them remembered the most recent page I read to them and drew that. I showed them an example of what kinds of scenes I imagined when reading the book. They followed my instructions and tried to share stories connected to the drawings they drew. After I finished reading the book, I instructed them to turn to their partners to their pictures.

Resources:

Clayton, M., & Forton, M. (2001). The Whole-Group Meeting Area. In Classroom Spaces That Work (p. 63). Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

Mrs. Plant’s classroom is rather small than a normal size classroom. In my opinion, the way her classroom is set up makes the room a bit crowded. As you walk in, her desk is set up on the left side of the door. On the right side, there is a medium-sized cubby that she is not utilizing at the moment. The students have small individual desks that are grouped in five. Their names are taped onto the desk and their books are stored into the book box. The white board is located on the east side of the wall, right next to the medium-sized cubby. In front of the white board there are two small tables, one is rectangular and the other one is a half-moon. The half-moon table is the listening center and the rectangular table is the writing center. Next to the writing center there is a wide bookshelf with various workbooks. The back door is located close to the wide bookshelf and across from the front door. Around this area, there is a sink with cabinets, where the students wash their hands. In between one group of student’s desk and the sink, there is a medium-sized table. I utilize this table to grade papers and check if they have their homework completed. The guided reading table is located at the corner right, next to the sink. Across from this table is the little library, which contains all types of genres for the students. Ahead from the little library is the colored square carpet, where the students sit down and listen to the teacher read aloud.

            The way I would arrange and decorate my classroom would be differently. I would put tennis balls on the ends of the desks and chairs for safety purposes. It will prevent the students from getting hurt and scratching the floor. As you enter through the front door, my desk would be located on the left. Next to my desk would be the computer lab and the library in the left corner with three beanie bags. The audio reading center and guided reading centers would be east side of the room. The colored square rug would be located at the left upper corner, between the east and south wall. The sink and cabinets are against the south wall near the colored rugs and the back door. The student’s desks are located near my desk, there is a set of four grouped desks. Next to the desks are the math, science, and writing centers. I would cover all my walls with colorful and educational posters.

            

Photo credit to Ana Siu.

            I would set up the classroom like this because the centers would be all in one area. It would be easy to just view the students working in centers in one direction. There will be spacing between the board and the desks so that the children have enough space to line up at the exit door. I would change the students around every two months, so that they get to work with everyone in the classroom. According to Classroom Spaces that Work, “change groups often provide deliberate mixing of genders and friendships” (Clayton, 2001). I have noticed that most of the children still have trouble copying from the white board. In order for them to all copy down the information, I will provide a separate sheet of paper. I want to decorate the classroom with a fair amount of colorful, educational posters because it will catch the student’s attention. These posters will consist of vocabulary, letters, numbers, colors, and motivational quotes. I will also be hanging up the work of groups of children to reflect the “value of diversity in the work displayed” (Clayton, 2001).

Resources:

Clayton, M., & Forton, M. (2001). Classroom Spaces That Work. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

Photo credit to Wikimedia Commons.

During my first three days in my field experience, I observed how my CT handles the classroom. Although my CT only allows one girl and boy to use the restroom at a time, the students tend to use the restroom often. She does make it clear that they cannot use the restroom when she is instructing the class. In my opinion, I feel like the students aren't learning properly by constantly using the restroom.

The article mentions that in order to engage children in learning and sharing their thoughts and feelings, “they we must work to create classroom communities where students know that they are needed, valued members of the group” (Weinstein, 2011). Students want to be heard and acknowledged. I have observed other classrooms before and most of them begin with a morning meeting. What is different about this classroom is that my CT doesn’t start with a morning meeting at all. She does greet them in the morning, but doesn’t start them off with a short, fun activity. The routine that I have observed is that they enter the classroom, eat their breakfast, use the restroom, and dive straight into assignments. I have noticed that the students are not engaged in what they are learning. They either play with their pencils, use the restroom, or talk to their neighbors. There are two students that don’t get along well and tell on each other. It demonstrates to me that my CT hasn’t tried to create a classroom community and is more focused on the material.

“You can also welcome students by standing at the classroom door and greeting them at the beginning of the day” (Weinstein, 2011). I was able to observe this in a classroom and it was a very effective way of getting students’ attention. The teacher stood at the door, greeted them, and asked about their days. The students were delighted when the teacher acknowledged them. They were energized, motivated, and ready to start the day. This teacher was able to establish a classroom community and based on my observations, the students respected each other and the teacher.

On my first day in the first grade classroom, the students were curious as to who I was and why I was there. I was able to communicate with almost all of them. Some of them didn’t open up to me. The rest of them were already sharing with me what they did, dreams, and what they were going to do when they got home. When I was ready to leave, almost all of them came to hug me. I have not established expectations as a classroom leader, but from my observations, I think the students view me as a friend and an assistant to the teacher. According to the article, “as a new teacher, it’s probably wise to find a happy medium between these two extremes and share limited information” (Weinstein, 2011). I am a very open person so students tend to see me more as a friend than an instructor. Overall, not only does a teacher have to display that they care about the student, but enforce clear expectations without appearing as a dictator.

Resources:

Weinstein. (2011). Building Respectful, Caring Relationships. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from file:///C:/Users/Annie/Downloads/Weinstein Ch. 3.pdf

This course was extremely helpful and informative about using technology in education. I was able to demonstrate my skills about computers and websites and expand my creativity online. By writing online journals, I was able to both express my thoughts and discuss the textbooks content to the public. The website review assignment allowed me to evaluate and recognize which websites to trust. The discussion board was a way for us as students to interact with each other online and discuss topics. It gave us the opportunity to analyze and evaluate each topic and the involvement of technology. Two projects that enabled us to cooperate with classmates as a team was the wiki and collaborative lesson plan. The wiki and webquest helped me “create a portfolio with samples reflecting ways technology can support classroom management, administration, and teaching in a K-12 classroom” (Coleman). When I was creating the wiki, I managed to create a Voki for visual and audio enhancement. The webquest gave me an opportunity to design an internet assignment using several online resources for middle school students. I learned how to give credit to photos and search non-copyright photos on Google and Flickr. GPS-Caching was an outstanding way to get the classroom involved and away from lectures. The last project, the teacher e-portfolio, was a project where I put all of what I learned in class into this website. It allowed me to view how I’ve developed over the semester. The overall quality of the course was more than just about right. I learned more things in this class than in any other class. There are no suggestions improving this course, since what I’ve learned will be useful now and for the future. As a future teacher, I will be able to use these skills for my students in the classroom.

Resources:

Coleman. (n.d.). Edison State College Syllabus. . Retrieved April 24, 2014, from http://eme2040edison.wikispaces.com/file/view/EME%202040%20INTRO%20TO%20TECH%20FOR%20EDUC_Coleman_SP14.pdf/479780492/EME%202040%20INTRO%20TO%20TECH%20FOR%20EDUC_Coleman_SP14.pdf

Focus question: How can teachers and students use digital portfolios as tools for learning?

A teacher will be evaluated throughout their career, which sets the context for developing a digital teaching portfolio. Digital teaching portfolios is where teachers store a collection of educational and professional materials in an electronic format. It allows teachers to organize a collection of educational materials, which shows their growth and development over time. The digital portfolio may contain Word documents, PowerPoint, videos, pictures, and copies of paper materials.

In this class, we are creating our own portfolios where we can store our educational materials. Once we finish it, we will be able to provide career-related information to teaching colleagues and school administrators. It will be a way to store activities, ideas, field experiences, summer work, and community volunteering over time. These portfolios give us an opportunity as future teachers to reflect on our developments.

Portfolios can be used to “connect teaching skills and competencies to teaching or curriculum standards as way to show that new teacher candidates are qualified to receive a license or…to remain as the teacher-in-charge in the classroom” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). It enables us as future teachers to acquire a distinguishing quality of master teachers and to think critically and creatively. It’s a good idea to update your portfolio so it won’t become a “celebratory scrapbook of the past,” but promote growth and change in our minds and works. Students will be able to use to portfolios for their personal and public piece of writing. It’s easier to store electronically because teachers and students can take it anywhere without having to worry about missing pages. It will also increase their confidence and technological skills.

Tech Tool Link: Survey and Poll Resources and Apps

In this class, we have used poll apps before with our cell phones. Surveys and polls online are ways to generate discussions in classrooms and conduct instructional preassessments. The article provides some websites and apps for teachers to look up. SurveyMonkey is an online survey tool that can be used to formulate questions and collect information. Poll Everywhere is a texting app that is used to submit responses to questions using cell phones.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter examines on the role of assessment in teaching and learning. Teachers evaluate the students learning by using assessments. Assessments have three interrelated elements: new teacher assessment, student assessment, and student self-assessment. Student assessment is how teachers will assess students’ learning while new teacher assessment is how supervisors will assess the teacher’s work. Student self-assessment is when students are active in the evaluation of their own learning. Assessments let teachers’ know where they need to change and what other strategies to use. Digital portfolios is a way for teachers to see their own growth and development over time.

Students involved in their learning and assessment will motivate them more to complete the assignment. Students have little or no influence on curriculum topics in many classrooms. It’s an opportunity lost when a teacher fails to give students a voice in decision-making. Students can use digital portfolios to learn more about how to use computers and other tools. It can also increase their confidence. This chapter also explains with how online surveys enable students to self-reflect about their learning.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: How can assistive technologies be incorporated into instruction to support teaching all learners?

Assistive technology enable students to become more independent in school and throughout their life. It allows teachers to “differentiate instruction and pursue universal design” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Disabled children use assistive technologies to learn and function more effectively. Individuals with hearing, sight, mobility, or cognitive challenges are able to translate text and understand spoken words. AT can be communication boards, special purpose computers, prosthetics, attachment devices, positioning devices, screen-readers, communication software, educational software, specialized learning materials, and curriculum aids. Teachers need to be actively involved with the child, in addition to using technology.

A software that displays written text from a person’s spoken words is speech recognition. Individuals with fine motor disabilities and dyslexia use this software. Some individuals prefer to speak than write or type their ideas. Users need to train the system to recognize one or more major voices by speaking into the microphone for speech recognition programs. The software learns to recognize the individual’s speech patterns and tonal nuances. The software provides students a new way to record their thoughts. Although it transfers spoken words to written text, it still needs to be revised by teacher and student.

Text reading software are available in many versions, which enables users to “hear written text aloud by a computer” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). When I observed elementary classes, I noticed that students can listen to stories on the computer. They have the story in front of them, but they have the option of having the computer read the story to them. It’s a wonderful tool for students who learn better through a multimodal experience that supports decoding letters, sounds, and words by listening to text read aloud. Screen reading software is a type of text-to-speech software. This software is like a translator for the visual page. It has features that allows the user to know the whereabouts and actions of the mouse. The screen reading software reads the text that was scanned on the computer screen. Some examples include JAWS, VoiceOver from Apple, Google Chrome, and TalkBack.

Tech Tool link: Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are mounted on a wall or whiteboard. It’s connected to a computer and a projector, which allows “teachers and students to access a computer’s desktop directly at the board using a finger, pen, or other touch device” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Interactive whiteboards show any material on your computer screen in large size. It creates instructional opportunities for students as a class, groups, or individual. Teachers can use it for visual, auditory, and hand-on learning activities.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explains about how teachers have opportunities to meet the learning needs of all students through computer technologies. Diversity students show more interest in U.S. history when they see that teachers have integrated stories and histories of multiple peoples. Technologies such as interactive websites, online videos, and web-based primary source materials bring names of individuals or groups that are not mentioned in books and lesson plans.

Teachers and students are able to access resources from the internet to explore multiple languages. These resources provide opportunities to English speakers and students that are learning English. An example of a helpful resource is online language translation service. Both students and teachers can access Google Translate, which is free and available as a website and app for smartphones and tablets. Teachers are able to translate notes, assignments, letters to parents, and other materials for students of multiple languages. “Technology supports diverse students and multicultural education” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011).

The chapter further discusses about differentiated instruction (DI) and universal design for learning (UDL). The purpose of DI and UDL is to address the needs of diverse students with curriculum and instruction. It benefits students with special educational needs, gifted and talented learners, or ELL by meeting their needs and differentiating classroom activities. Teachers create different educational experiences to meet students need called DI. UDL is “the application of universal design principles to educational settings” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). In order to serve the needs of the widest range of students, teaching and learning situations are created. Students with disabilities use assistive technology to learn and function in society.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: How can teachers create PowerPoint presentations for maximum teaching potential and learning impact?

PowerPoint is a presentation software that is a standard feature on computers. PowerPoint presentations is a powerful way to engage students in classrooms. It displays visual information such as colorful graphics, pop-up or slide-in windows, texts, images, and videos. Teachers can “transform still photographs and scanned images into movie-like viewing experiences by adding narration features and text” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011).

PowerPoint can be used for any grade level. When I was in history class, my teacher created a PowerPoint Jeopardy game. It was a great way to engage us by learning history through a game and having us participate. Teachers can also use images to generate class discussion, promote visual analysis of discussion topics, display questions or comments for short writing assignments, use slides as attention-getters, and develop learning games.

Most of my classes require me to create a PowerPoint and then presented to the class. This a great way to put the students skills to use and get them to participate in class. Teachers can also just use images throughout the slides with only a short title. It’s a way to get students attention while you discuss the picture, tell stories, provide essential facts, and explain concepts.

Photo credit to Wikimedia Commons.

Tech Tool link: Digital Projectors and Document Cameras

During my observation hours, I noticed that many classrooms are equipped with a digital projector or a document camera. These two technologies are very helpful when it comes to engaging the students. A document camera allows the teacher to project material onto the whiteboard and students to share their work. For example, a teacher is reading a book that contains images, the document camera will allow her to show the class the images. A digital projector displays materials from a computer onto the board. It projects websites, pictures, and videos. The teacher can also make notes on the computer for the students to view.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explores about using multimedia and digital technologies to present and share information. Students often multimodal learn, which means that the teacher combines spoken words with visuals, written text, audio, simulations, or models. Schools today consists of multimedia technologies.

PowerPoint presentations has many advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include providing short summaries of key points, visual dimension, easy to use, available on most computers, and text can be combined with pictures, charts, and graphs. Teachers can use a digital projector or a document camera to display images and material content. Teachers can also use videos for classroom instruction, which offers ways to present information. YouTube, handcrafted videos, TeacherTube, PBS learning media, The Futures Channel, and SnagLearning are all video websites that teachers can utilize.

The article further discusses about podcast, which can be used to listen to audio recordings. Podcast can be accessed from computers or portable media players. Students can create an alphabet book or a concept book by using digital cameras. Teachers can invite students to make digital videos and tell digital stories, which are exciting teaching approaches.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: How can teachers use email or text messaging to foster information exchanges with and among students?

Teachers can exchange information with students not only by phone or meetings, but by emails and text messages. Emails are messages sent between people using the Internet. Text messaging are “real-time typed text interactions between people using computers or mobile devices like cell phones or personal digital assistants” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Emails are mainly used for business networking, family talk, recreational pursuits, and workplace communication. Emails are used more among adults and text messaging is used among teens. Teachers have the opportunity to exchange information through text messages and get the student’s attention. They will be able to read about it, instead of just ignoring it when the teacher sends it through email.

Adolescents use textspeak or digitalk, which are abbreviated words for quick communication. Personally, I dislike when people use textspeak all the time. I find it unnecessary to shorten words such as for, together, you, today, great, and other ones. Researchers in England found that the use of textisms was positive, which was related to gains in reading proficiency among youngsters. According to the researchers, youngsters will develop phonological awareness, use of printed words, and standard literacy in English.

Teachers have a record of what they wrote and what was written back when they send out emails. Everyone will have a reason to respond with school-related questions and comments with standard spelling and appropriate language. Emails allow teachers to revise and compose a reply or message. Students have the opportunity to ask questions and get responses from experts using Ask a Historian and Ask an Earth Scientists. A teacher can hold online office hours where they respond to questions that the students have asked. They also use it to discuss homework or class assignments electronically. Teachers can use text messaging to teach about spelling. Instead of banning the use of cellphones, some educators see it as an opportunity to build better relationships, cooperative environment, and meaningful educational experiences.

Tech Tool link: Website and Blog-Building Resources for Teachers.

The article shares some approaches to begin your own teacher website or blog. Approach 1 is about website and blog-building software. You need to purchase and download this type of software. These programs enable teachers to build personal websites from basic to sophisticate. An example of a website and blog-building software is Dreamweaver. Approach 2 is the option of commercially available templates. TaskStream and eBlogger allow users to create many features and functions, but doesn’t produce the variety or quality of graphics. Approach 2 offers the user added features of being password protected and ready-made publication portal. The last approach is open-source software, which is a free online management system for educators.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explores different ways teachers can communicate with students using technology. It shows how teachers can share ideas and information online and in the classroom. Teachers have the choice to use emails, text messaging, teacher or classroom websites, blogs, online discussions, and wikis to teach students. Teachers need to know the similarities and differences between synchronous and asynchronous electronic communication. Asynchronous communications have a time delay such as emails, online discussions, or blogs. Synchronous communications don’t have a time delay, but occur in real time. Two examples include cell phone conversations and text messages.

Most educators engage in educational networking, which is used for educational and professional development purposes. They can use this network in productive ways like teacher-to-teacher discussions about curriculum and instruction, book groups and literature circles, and group editing of projects and writing. This social network can be either public or private. Teachers can use electronic communications to engage students, share information with families, and publish student work.

I understand how blogs and websites work and how they are helpful. Class websites are focused mainly on student work. It gives them a chance to publish their work and pursue any interest they have in the subject. Class websites provides students with information about homework, dates for exams, and dates for school events. Teaching blogs or blogs in general provides users a way to post information and ideas as a journal.

The chapter further discusses on how to create your own blog and design decision in building a teaching blog. Schools use websites to show their mission statement, grade-level curriculum expectations and standards, the names and backgrounds of faculty and staff, and a schedule of academic and extracurricular events. Teaching blogs are used for students and their families about events and coursework. A wiki, on the other hand, is used by a group of people. They are allowed to read, revise, visit, and update the content and structure of the Wiki.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: What are the standard and open-source software applications available on most computers?

Most computers contain standard and open-source software applications. Software is a collection of codes that tells the computer’s hardware what functions to perform. An example is word processing, which tells a computer to do whatever we request such as editing, writing, and publishing.

System and application software are two main types of software. System software is the overall functioning and control of a computer. It is responsible for the operating system, network operating system, database managers, and TP monitor. Specific functions that are performed in specialized ways to produce various services is application software. Application software includes word processing, databases, spreadsheets, slides, presentations, Internet browsing, email management, movie making, DVD burning, and etc.

Open-source software is “open for the public to use, copy, and recreate” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Source codes are free to users and software developers that are made by individuals and organizations. Examples of open-source software are Linux, FreeBSD, OpenOffice, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice Writer, OpenOffice Impress, Xess Spreadsheet, and etc.

Standard software applications are available on most computers and are indispensable tools. For example, Microsoft Word is a standard software. I use this software on a daily basis for assignments. Other standard software are computerized tools, tax preparation software, design programs, real-time data, and interactive models of meteorological patterns. Jobs in today’s society use computers and other information technologies.

Tech Tool link: Discovery Learning Using Squeak and Scratch

The article explores about how teachers search for different open-ended web tools that promote problem solving and inquiry learning by students. These tools will engage students with learning using resources. The article offers two open-ended opportunities for K-8 students to create and explore on the computer. Squeak Etoys is one of the open-source that supports inquiry learning and problem solving. Scratch provides tools which enables students to create their own games, animated stories, and interactive art.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter discusses about how problem solving and inquiry learning is supported by educational software, apps, and learning games. Teachers need to incorporate educational software to engage students in problem solving. An example would be students looking up source documents in history class. It gives students the opportunity to undertake inquiry-based activities similar to the work of professionals in those fields. Problem solving and inquiry learning can be engaging when teachers incorporate the student’s own interests.

Computers contain system software and application, which are the two main type of software. Most computers have standard software and open-source software. Schools purchase educational software to install on a network. Most schools don’t allow teachers to add their own software or they have to ask permission before using it. Teachers need to evaluate software and apps before using it. They first need to ask themselves, “Will the child program the computer or will the computer program the child?” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). By evaluating the software, teachers understand what happens educationally when students use it. Teachers can use online resources for selecting software such as Edudemic Directory, Entertainment Software Rating Board, EvaluTech, and StopBadware.org. These online resources give reviews and feedback on different educational software.

The chapter further explores about digital learning games and tutoring systems. Digital learning game are designed with educational and entertainment goals. Teachers use digital learning games to motivate students and challenge them to problem solve. Students often tune out teachers and educational games provides them both education and entertainment. There are two types of digital games which are Internet- or browser-based games and desktop-based games. Math Blaster, The “House” Series, Zoombinis, and Raft Race Challenge are examples of learning games and apps. Teachers should minimize the use of games that teach isolated skills, examine games that function solely on points won or lost, and discuss games and their content. ITS, Intelligent tutoring systems, are programs that enable students to answer questions and then the computer records their responses and makes predictions. This program allows teachers and students to see how learning is progressing in real time. Intelligent tutoring systems are very effective with improving student learning.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Focus question: How can teachers benefit from using information management technologies such as bookmarking, social bookmarking, information alerts, and e-newsletters?

Information management means “a business term generally used to describe how organizations and systems keep track of data for making decisions and setting policies” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Teachers and students need to consider information management when using learning resources provided by websites. They need a way to store, sort, select, and summarize information they find.

A teacher is always finding educational information online and they need to store it somewhere. Bookmarking is a great tool for this kind of task. It offers ways to find information and organize it. Web browsers contain bookmarking to save websites that you visit frequently. I have Google Chrome and use the bookmark option almost every day. I’m able to go back and find the websites I have bookmarked. Teachers can use LiveBinders or URList to create lists of URLs and share them with students.

Social bookmarking is another great tool, which allows more than just bookmarking on one computer. It enables users to bookmark online and be able to access it all times. Social bookmarking is a public list instead of a private list. An example of a social bookmark is Delicious. Teachers will find that social bookmarking will be better than using bookmarks from one computer. It enables them to access whichever website they saved from anywhere at any time.

Teachers can use information alert to receive announcements about new information on a topic. An information alert is an electronic notice that announces new information that becomes available online. Google Alerts is offered to users that have Google accounts for free. E-newsletters is similar to information alerts. It appears free in the user’s email on a regular basis once they signed up to receive them.

Tech Tool link: Social Bookmarking Resources and Apps

The article discusses about social bookmarking for teachers, which are useful information management strategies. It offers websites such as Delicious, netTrekker Search, Diigo, and Goodreads. I have been introduced to Delicious and I find it useful in my everyday life. Delicious organizes the bookmarks in one place and allows users to add tags. The tags are supposed to remind the user where something is on the website. Diigo is another useful social bookmarking website. It allows users to highlight portions of pages, add sticky notes, use tags, share resources, and bookmark sites.

Summary & Connection:

This chapter explores about how teachers can benefit from using information management technologies. These are bookmarking, social bookmarking, information alerts, and e-newsletters that teachers can use. This will help teachers organize information that they will need to prepare lessons. Teachers will be able to bookmark websites from any computer using social bookmarking.

Webquests are online inquiries designed and guided by teachers for students. It enables students to follow an “electronic map or take an online tour” (Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, 2011). Webquests are designed for students to access academic information digitally and assess what they find. These online inquiries requires five steps: stage setting, task, process, evaluation, and conclusion. Students will be expected to create while on the quests. Students don’t have to leave their class or school for field trips because they can use virtual field trip. Virtual field trips take students to places all over the world. Some students go on virtual schools while others meet with their professors. Teachers can use videoconferencing for students that are unable to visit.

The chapter further discusses six different types of educational websites that support inquiry and interactivity. Educational websites are designed with K-12 learning goals. For digital content a teacher finds on the Web, they can develop a system of categories. Educational websites are divided into six categories: lesson plan sites, student-to-expert communication sites, real-time and recorded data sites, archival and primary source sites, skills/practice sites, and student work publishing sites.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B.P. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.