Journal 4 Domain 4

Describe different ways (strategies) the teacher presents material to the students.
While I have been in the classroom observing and helping out, I have not been around for a new introduction in any of the subjects. The Tuesday schedule, the day which I am mostly there, the students are performing the same activities. However, when explaining a worksheet that the students will be working on, the teacher will have the children open up the worksheet, or have it passed out before beginning to speak about it. This is so the children can use visual and auditory senses to understand what they are about to work on. This helps to incorporate different types of learners. I feel that this helps most of the children in the classroom to grasp the concepts that they are being introduced too.

What type of student groupings does the teacher use? (one-on-one, pairs, small groups, whole class?)
The teacher in the classroom most often gives the children in the room individual activities to work on. She will also have the children sit on the carpet and they will act as one group. While in the classroom this week and for the first time I have seen, the teacher told the students to look to the person next to them on the carpet and discuss what they thought about the book that was just read. I felt that the children were able to stay on task and discuss what they thought about the topic. Other than this, I have not witnessed any small group activities. The closest that the students are to group work is the tables that they sit at. The children share many items such as pencils, erasers, glue, scissors and the bins that they keep their books and notebooks in. They have learned to hare with one another. This shows that they are able to work efficiently as a group within their table. The tables, as a group are also used when calling the children up to the door for any reasons that they may need to leave the room.

What techniques are used to assess and evaluate learning? Describe any assessment technique you have observed.
In the time that I have spent in the classroom, I have witnessed the teacher assessing the students reading skills. This was done by having each child individually sit at the teacher’s desk and she would have them read a book or a passage. While she listened she was able to evaluate the reading skills and progress of the child. She documents the progress of the child to show how they have grown as a reader, or to see where there is still room for improvement.
Also, the children have a packet that they work on each week. This is filled with the children’s penmanship sentences and words for them to practice writing. The teacher, and I will check the writing each day. This will help to keep the children on track. There are other items that the children complete throughout the day that the teacher or will check on to make sure that the children will do things correctly.

What are you learning about this age group?
I have dealt with children this age before, but each time the children are different. It is amazing to see how children of the same age can be so different from year to year. The teacher that I have been working with had told me that she felt the same way. In the 23 years that she has been teaching, she said that it still fascinating to see how the children will surprise her.
I have found that the children are all at their own pace at this age. Some of the children are great at reading and math and can complete their own work at a fast pace, and understand what is going on. There are other students that are the same age, in the same class, and will struggle to complete the same assignments. I feel that this is due in part to the amount of help that the parents or guardians at home help out.

What do students enjoy and dislike most?
The students in the classroom stay true to the mentality of their age group. The more time they are able to play, or have free time the better. I agree that they should have the extra time at the young age to have the time to play. The idea of the importance of play was stated by Vygotsky, and I believe that this was rightly so. Children need to expand their imagination, and use play as a tool to deal with different problem solving strategies through play. The children in this classroom have shown that they are imaginative through play by pretending to have a pizza shop, and asking what kind of pizza I’d like them to make for me.
The children are also very eager to impress both the teacher and myself. When they are proud of their work, they are excited to show what they have completed. They enjoy doing their work when they are able to use their creativity and/or color on the pages. A special treat to them is when they are able to use marker on the sheets they are given.
With the age group that I have spent time with, they don’t seem to dislike anything about school. I feel that the students are very eager to learn and advance their status in the community. Learning to read and write is such a huge accomplishment, and I feel that the students are eager to catch up to others in the class, in their home, or any other person they may look up too. This concept can also be related to the other subject in which they learn information that is valuable to them.

Do you see technology being used in the classroom?
In the time that I have spent in the classroom, I have not seen much technology being used. The teacher will sit at the computer in the morning while she takes attendance. The school has it set up electronically. Other than this, the teacher has not used any other technology from what I have seen. However this will all change very soon. The class will have a Promethium board installed. The teacher has gone through training in preparation for the new addition. She has also told the class what to should expect. She is very excited to find ways to incorporate the new technology into her lesson plans.
The board will not be installed until April, so I won’t have the chance to use it. I have seen and had a brief opportunity to work on a board in another classroom. I think that the new addition to the classroom will be useful for both the teacher and the students.

Connections:
In the seventh chapter of the book, the author discusses the idea of a learner-centered teacher. The idea is that the teacher can tell how the students learn and interact with their school material to gain from what they are learning. I feel that this is shown in the class when she checks in on how the progress of the penmanship and other papers are coming along. This helps the teacher provide different scaffolding to the different students. She can help them in a way that is beneficial to them, without taking away from what they need to learn themselves. I have seen how the students are able to interact with the teacher in a comfortable manner to have help with their work. This is important to have in a classroom so that the learning environment is a safe place for the students to learn and grow. I feel that building this connection is also very important for all aspects of the classroom. This idea, which is talked about in chapter 1 is called rapport. This will help the classroom both in the immediate and far future.

Journal #3 Domain #3

How is the day planned? What is the teacher’s daily schedule? How does it relate to the age level of the group?
Each day is planned in the same manner. The children know their schedule for each day is the same week to week, unless there is a school assembly or any other type of event that disrupts the day. The morning is started with the announcements and the pledge recited over the PA system. Then the students all gather on the carpet in the front of the room and the star helper of the day beginning the morning routine. He or she adds a straw to the day’s in school count. They then tell the class how many days they have spent in school. They continue with the day of the week, the month, year weather and change the schedule chart to the current day. This process goes on each morning, and the star helper is always very excited to recite the morning routine.
The students know their schedule because it is posted on yellow laminated paper for them to see. Like mentioned, they flip the chart for the class to see what they will do for the day. They also mention what specials they will be going to for the day. Tuesday’s, when I’m usually there, they go to art from 2:05-3:05. Monday’s are the only day of the week that they don’t have any specials to attend.
What I feel differentiates the schedule from an older class are the breaks that they students are given twice a day. The young students need breaks more than the older students. They 1/2 classroom are between 6 and 8 years old. They need the extra break time to release the energy of sitting in the classroom. The students have a morning and an afternoon break for 15 to 20 minutes. This gives them the necessary time to let off steam so when they return to their work they are able to concentrate.
How is the classroom time used?
The students have been in school for 112 days (as of February 23rd 2010). This means that they are familiar with the schedule that they have had during their time in school. While they are in the classroom, they know what they need to complete in their different subject times. There are also consequences if they do not use their time well. The teacher that I work with gave me the authority to tell two students that they were not able to take their afternoon break because they did not complete the assigned work. They were able to play once they had completed the work.
The schedule for the day is always posted in the front of the room, and the children are aware of the schedule, and can check it at any time they need. The children know when they return from their lunch hour, they are to sit down at their tables and begin silent reading. Most of the students will sit down quietly and begin to read their books. However some students won’t always be so diligent. If the teacher finds that most of the class is doing this, she will add time onto the reading time, and knock it off of their free time.
To help the time it takes to get around the classroom, the teacher has devised a traffic-plan for the classroom. The children know that if more than one or two people are walking around the room, they must walk around the room on a certain path. This is to help the children so they don’t bump into each other. This saves time, and also helps the children avoid collisions. Also, she will make sure to call one table at a time to do things such as visit their mailbox, line up at the door, go to their lockers and other such activities. This is to save time by having the children not clustered in a small area. This helps with the organization of the children during the day, and even though it may only have a minute here- or a minute there- it definitely adds up.
What presentations were made to start and conclude various activities?
The teacher in the classroom has different ways of getting the classes attention to end an activity. I have heard her try the following: She’ll yell “1,2,3” and the class responds with “eyes on me,” she’ll begin to speak quietly and say “I won’t raise my voice any higher than this, if you can hear me, stop what you’re doing…” , or she will set off a kitchen alarm, or blow a train sounding whistle. The children know that when they hear the following it is time to follow instruction to begin the next activity.
Generally in the afternoon, the teacher will write a list of items on the white board that the students are to complete in the given time. She will recite them while she writes them on the board, and will have the students read the direction out loud. This is to help know that the students understand what is expected of them.
When the teacher begins a new topic, she will use different methods to keep the students attention. While I was in the classroom, I had watched as the teacher had gone over groupings of 10. She began by explaining that when you count to 10, that you can group that, and begin another group of 10. She used different manipulatives for the students to count out groups of ten. They also compared and counted as a group at their tables. This gave the students the opportunity to use their new skill to count to 100 and more using the grouping method.
Also, while in the class on 3.2.10, the teacher had incorporated a Dr. Seuss book into the curriculum. This worked very well because it was Dr. Seuss Birthday. She began by reading The Foot Book. After the book, she asked the children who sit at the green table to stand at the front of the room. She asked the class how they could count the feet at the green table. The students stated that they could count by one’s, or by two’s. The teacher was going for the idea of counting by two’s to go along with the on-going topic of counting by groups. She posted the findings for all four tables in the room. The class was then asked if they could add the number of feet that were represented by the students in the room. The equation on the board was 10 + 12 + 10 + 12. The children were given the opportunity to give an answer that they found was correct. I found it interesting to see how the children explained how they came to their answers. The activity ended by reminding the class that it was Dr. Seuss’s birthday. This wrapped up the discussion in a rounded way.
Can you identify the purpose or objective of each activity?
The directions and activities that happen in the class are very clear for the children to understand. The children will often perform many repetitive type worksheets that help them with their studies. Such worksheets include their daily-writing worksheet, which helps them with their penmanship and different spelling worksheets that make them write their words many times. These activities help further the necessary skills they need to learn in the primary grades of elementary school.
There are many other activities throughout the day that pertain to the topic that the children are learning about. For example, the children were given a worksheet that contained the first half of a yil-iga-yalk, which is a made-up animalistic character that relates to Dr. Seuss. The children were asked to fill in the back end of the character. This was to have them use their imaginations. I feel that children need the time to think creatively during the day rather than just learning hard facts. The children loved the activity. (I hung them all in the hall!)
How are cultural differences considered and needs met?
The cultural differences are not discussed while I have spent time in the classroom. The differences are definitely clear when you listen to the children’s names, which I have previously discussed. I can see how the needs of the English Language Learners are being met. The children who need extra help with their English and reading leave the room to meet with different specialists that can help them on a smaller group or one-on-one basis
Connections:
The events that I have written about in this journal relate to the ideas in chapter 5 about personal bests. By posting the Yil-iga-yalk photos that the children had drawn on the wall, it was showing them that their work is important. The students were very excited to see their creative work posted for them, and the entire school too see, right outside their classroom. Showing the children that their work is important gives them the pride that they should have about what they can do while in school. I feel that schools are focusing too harshly on strict academics and forgetting to let children run wild with their imaginations. Also, as Dr. Freedman has mentioned many times, it is not fair to waste the time of the children throughout the day. The teacher that I work with is very good about staying on task, and making sure that they children are not sitting around or waiting. Their daily schedule is set, and rarely changes. The children know that they have the specific time in the day to complete the tasks that are asked of them. I also like how the teacher will have the children work on their worksheets during their break time if they didn’t do so during the time that was previously given to them. This shows the children that if they don’t use their time wisely, or waste the time of others (example: the teacher or other classmates) that there are consequences. I feel that this is very important to teach the children as an academic and life lesson.

Journal #2 Domain #2

What is the student body diversity and how is cultural diversity recognized in the school?
The student body is very diverse. From one look in the classroom you can tell that most of the student body is from an origin that is not necessarily American. The names in the classroom range from Ethan, Josh, Michael, to Citlali, Saleh, Wisam and Nabil. Some names that are also common to me, but not necessarily American are Reema, Kamil and Karim. I am used to some names that are of other origin. I also overheard two children talking in what I believe could have been Arabic. When speaking to the teacher, she said that out of the 24 students in the classroom, that 22 speak another language at home.
How are children involved in the classroom; how do they relate to one another?
The fact that the children sit at community tables makes them inter-act with each other at all times. Each day, each of the tables has a table-captain. This helps the children to lower the amount of movement in the room when they get their belongings. Each table has a bin that contains the children’s folders and work books for the subject. The table-captains names are posted for the day. Each child knows their place, and knows that they will have their turn. There is also a star-helper for the day. This child is able to lead the class line for anywhere the students need to go too, and pass out papers for the day.
How are the needs of students with exceptionalities met in the classroom and at the school?
Due to the fact that most of the students speak another language at home, reading English is sometimes more difficult. This is not the case for all of the students. However, different students need extra help with some of the subjects. Usually during reading or language arts in the classroom, different students are pulled either out of the room, or to a different area of the room. The one-on-one time or small group setting gives the students the extra attention that they need.
There is also a student in the classroom that is thought to be on the spectrum. This is not definite, but is thought to be true. This specific child is given private instruction so that he can stay focused in the classroom. He is one of the children that leave the room during different times of the day for extra help. The teacher also keeps a special eye on this child during the end of the day or when the class leaves the room.
How do teachers and other school personnel work together?
The ½ cooperating teachers meet every Thursday morning when the students are in their specials. They talk about the students and any trouble some students. This includes any write-up’s or children that have acted up. This can result in conferences or any type of notes home.The teacher meetings are also to discuss the curriculum for the grade and to help all four classrooms at the same pace.
How are families and other community members involved in the school?
The local library will often have different activities at night for the students. While I was at the school this Tuesday, the librarian had mentioned during the morning announcements that there would be a meeting at the local library that Friday for creative writing. Also, there are times when the student’s parents will come and volunteer at the school. This usually consists of re-shelving the books on the shelves in the library, or reading to the students.
How does the teacher keep track of student progress?
The teacher in the room keeps track of both the student’s progress educationally and behaviorally. As for educationally, the students’ scores are kept in a grade book. She will check different worksheets and tests to accumulate a score for the student. The scoring system is on a rank that consists of EMG. This stands for Exceeds standards, Meets standards, and Goal. This would be related into the equivalent of a high, medium and low grade. As for the behavior progress, the teacher will keep track of the chips that the child has for the day, week and overall school year. There are also students that are on their own personal behavior plans that are kept track of.
What extra duty tasks does the teacher perform? (meetings, busy duty, etc.)
The teacher is responsible for the child that needs special attention after school. She walks him to the door, and waits until his mother comes and meets him. She also makes sure that the other students that don’t take the bus are escorted out the door. She wears an orange reflector vest. She also is part of the after-school program that is through the township’s education foundation.
My Personal Thoughts:
The school has a very diverse atmosphere. I think that it is important for the children to know that everyone is different and unique. The students are aware that they are all different and come from different origins. I feel that the knowledge could be furthered if they were to talk about it more-so, like in chapter 1 in the class textbook. If the children are able to learn as much as they can about the other students backgrounds, it will make it less likely that they children will tease each other about origin. They could do any of the activities that were talked about in the chapter.In chapter 4, the text discussed how the students need to have a sense of belonging. This is shown in the classroom by their names posted around the room. The students are also expected to use their own mailboxes for their papers and student planners. Also, the star helper for the day is expected to change the date on the board and show the weather for the day. This gives the students a belonging and a hand in helping around the room. This instills responsibility and a feeling that they have a say in the classroom.

My ulter-ego the famous rock star... Stefania.

Blog, Wiki, Blog -> Whats going on!?

Although very similar, a Wiki, Blog, and Ning is different from one another. Each are online based sites that offer a means for information. A Wiki allows for an individual to write and correct information posted. Anyone can access and edit the information. A Blog, coined from the word Weblog, is a site that one may write what they feel. Unlike a Wiki, only the author can access and change the posted information. People who read the blog are able to comment the listed text. Blogs can also be used as online journals for those who use it in that manner. A Ning is a social network that people can use to connect with other people on their common interests.

Each of these sites can be used in an educational setting. Like we searched and discussed in class, a Blog can be used to post personal opinions about their classroom and experience. I was able to find information about how to help a classroom from a teacher’s standpoint. A wiki can be a source for finding information about a subject. For example, I used Wikipedia.com to find information. The down side of this would be that anyone can post and edit the information. This makes it difficult to figure what information is legitimate, and what is false. A Ning could be useful for find other teachers. This would help a teacher struggling with any problems in the classroom. They could use the social networking site to share tips or help on any questions or concerns.


*I found my information on Dictionary.com and Wikipedi.com.

Journal #1 Domain #1

I started to observe this week at an elementary school near my home. I have been with a first and second grade multi-age classroom. I have observed in a multi-aged classroom before and it is not drastically different from any other single level classroom. The following questions are answered relating to the classroom that I have been spending time in.

1. How is the classroom physically organized? Do children seem to know where things are?
The classroom is very organized in a very communal manor. The students sit at four colored tables, which consist of a red, yellow, green and blue one. Each table had a shelf located in different areas of the classroom that contained the baskets of their items. There were items such as notebooks, workbooks and other loose papers that were necessary for class. Each of the children knows where their tables items are located. The daily table leader is assigned to jobs such as getting the baskets for each subjects for that day. The tables also each contained a basket that had sharpened pencils, glue, and scissors. This created a very community oriented feel to the classroom. The teacher in the room does not have a traditional desk. Her main desk consisted of a moon shaped table that was in the corner of the room with shelves against the wall. The use of the table gave space for the students to sit and have a small group or one-on-one work sessions with the teacher. While I was present in the room, the teacher worked one-on-one with a student to help her with her reading skills.

The walls of the classroom were filled with different signs and posters to help the children. The board behind the alphabet carpet contained contained posters that expressed the many components of the date such as the year, the month, and the day of the moth. there were also signs that contained the students birthdays on the calender. One of the most important pieces on the board was the flip chart that had the daily schedule for the students to look at. I feel that this provides a good consistent structure for the students to see. Throughout the room there are also many different posters that contained information from word and sentence structure, shapes and their names, vowels, how to brainstorm, coins and their amounts and more.

2. How do learners and teachers' use the classroom space?
Along with the four colored tables, there were also two other other tables in the back of the classroom that are used as community tables. They are both used for group activities such as when the teacher was adding guppies to the four aquariums that the class was observing for their science project. The other table contained worksheets.

The students all have their own 'mailbox' in a shelving unit. This area is for the students to put their personal items such s take-home folders. This is the child's own space. There is also another shelving unit that the students stack all of the crayon/marker boxes.

Each of the tables is set in different parts of the room. There is enough space for the oval carpet on the floor in the front of the room. This carpet has a blue base, and the outer perimeter was decorated with a colorful set of the alphabet. The carpet is used for class meetings or other such activities such as reading a book as a class. When I was introduced to the class, the students all sat pretzel style in a group to listen to the teacher.

The tables take up a large amount of the space in the room. To try and avoid collisions, the teacher has given the students 'traffic patterns' for times when the entire class is up moving around. A prime example of this is when the students are moving about the room to gather their items to go home.

3. Is the room more child-oriented or teacher-oriented? Give examples.
The classroom is more student oriented. All of the desks and chairs are smaller and more proportional for the young students. All other shelving units are very accessible to the students.These children are all about six and seven years old. They need the items in the class to be at a height that they can easily grab or get into whatever they need.

The 'mailboxes' are within a shelving unit that is based on the ground. This makes it easy for the students to access their items. If these were on a taller shelf, this would be much harder for the smaller students to get to.

The posters in the room are geared towards the advancement of the students learning skills. These posters are very colorful and large and noticeable. The posters contain basic information that are the building blocks for learning. The posters promote the fun side of education and make it look very exciting for the children to learn. I think that the posters brighten up the room and make the atmosphere feel light and energetic.

4. What resources are in the room? How do children and adults use them?
The room is filled with shelves containing bins that are stocked with books. Some of the bins had stickers with letters on the side. These were to provide a code for the level that the books were placed in. I didn't get a chance to to ask what this meant, but I assume that each letter was code for a level that the teacher in the room assigns for each child to read based on their reading ability. The children in the room range vastly in their ability to read due to their age.

Located on a back shelf in the room are four small fish bowls. They each contain small rocks on the bottom, small plant-like items, water and guppies. These fish tanks are to help teach the students about science. The word that they told me they were learning about was observation. The fish tanks were to help the children and give them something to observe. This also was somewhat tangible to show living creatures in their habitat. While I was in the room, the teacher was adding new guppies to the water tanks. The children were very enthusiastic about the fish and learning to use their new vocabulary.

5. What techniques are used to get students' attention to transition them from one activity or place, to another?
The room is sectioned off into parts that the students can use for different activities. As mentioned earlier, there are four tables for the children to use as their work space, and the oval group carpet. While I was in the room, the students were given a thirty minute free time. About half of the students grabbed games off the shelves, and began to play on the carpet. When the time was up, rather than talk loudly over the students, the teacher set a kitchen buzzer for all the students to hear. The students all knew what this meant. They began to quiet down, clean up and put their games away, and return to their seats. the students all knew exactly how to react to sounds that they heard. There are also similar bells that buzz throughout the day to signal the beginning and end of school and children's lunch and recces break.

When transitioning from one subject to another the teacher will generally give the students a couple minutes warning. This gives them the opportunity to begin thinking about what they will be doing next, and finishing up their current project.

6. What examples of technology are available?
During my first visit there wasn't any technology used in the classroom. There was however one computer located in the front of the classroom. This computer looked as though it was for the teachers use and not for the students. If necessary, there are many computers that the students are able to access in the library.

Connection:
The classroom has many different traditions that they stand by and follow. Each week the students chart their chips that they have kept or lost as a part of their behavioral plan. They keep track daily of how they did during the day. At the end of the week this will either result in a prize for perfect behavior or no prize for anything other than all of their chips. This ritual takes place each week. The children in the class are aware of the system and will mention if they believe that the teacher has forgotten. The children are also aware of the routines during the day, such as reading after lunch, the specials that they attend, and other activities during the day. This is mentioned in chapter 2 entitled Traditions. The principal is also a part of different traditions and building rapport in the school. The students all know when they see him in the hall to give him the peace sign. He will also often remind the students over the intercom the school’s musts. These include being: peaceful, respectful and responsible. This is a saying at the school that I feel that the students feel that they can take a part of and feel proud of.

In the time that I have spent in the classroom, I have come to know and feel a sense of belonging. This is different for the students who spent a significantly greater amount of time in the room than I have. This has given them the time to feel a connection and belonging to the room. The children know that they have a place on the carpet that they can have different area to use in the classroom. In chapter three of the class’s text entitled Place of Pride the author discusses the idea of a community carpet. This gives the children a place to sit when they are talking in the beginning of the day to use the front board introductions, to sit as a class for the teacher to talk to them, or to play on during their free time. The carpet has a homey feel to it, and I think that they children have sensed this vibe, and will often gravitate toward it.

Homework 2-4-10

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T), and What I Think-

As a future teacher, I hope to be able to help my students learn the materials they will need to succeed both in the new age technology and in the textbooks that they read. By using the standards listed in NETS-T, and what I have acquired from my Technology in Education -300 class(TIE300), I hope to be an effective teacher.

I feel that the first standard, Facilitate and Inspire Students Learning and Creativity, can be paired up nicely with using PowerPoint. The idea behind the standard is that students are given the support to be creative in their own thinking about whatever topic they are learning about. The teacher should be able to collaborate the material into a technology to further the learning of the student. She should also give the student leeway to explore their free thinking. I feel that PowerPoint is a structured program that will allow the students to perform an assignment while harboring the freedom to choose how it is presented.

The third standard ,Model Digital-Age Work and Learning, would pair nicely with the use of a word processor. The idea is to relay the information to the students in a way that is using technology. This is to also prepare the students for the world in which they are entering into. Learning to use the keyboard on a computer and being able to make a world document is almost standard for any job these days. The students should learn the capabilities to produce a well though-out out document that they can print off the computer. By using the different tools in the word processor, they will be able to manipulate whatever is on the page to make it their own creative work. I feel that it is important they they learn how to do so to learn how to communicate in a word document.

The fourth standard, Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, is to teach students to own what they have produced. The standard mentions that they students should learn a safe and legal form of their work. They should also learn to understand and be aware of their surroundings when they produce an assignment. For example, using a blog will create a sense of ownership and give the child a tool to let others know what they are thinking. It also should act as a tool to help promote responsibility for the child. They are the writers in a blog and are held accountable for what they post. I think that this is great for students to learn at a young age. This may also help them understand in the future that they must always use their own words (unless cited) and not to plagiarize.

I think that NETS-T and what I have been learning in TIE300 will help me be an effective and resourceful teacher. Technology is so important in school and in the outside world today. Students should learn from an early age how to use such systems to further their educational requirements as well as 'cultural norms' -needs.