Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Blog Phase III: Comprehensive Reflection


  • Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
    • A) How changed based on your experiences (Both your teaching and assessing others' teaching) this semester 
      • Facilitating and inspiring students learning creativity has changed my perspective a lot in teaching. The use of implementing technology in the classroom is going to improve my lessons and my classes overall learning. During my lessons as well as being a part of my classmates have been more engaging than I would have expected. Having to use technology in every lesson has aided me in thinking of ways to engage my students during class to a subject that would have most likely not been as interesting. Rather having them interact with the technology to support their innovative thinking and creativeness will surly make class more enjoyable. Assessments based on this new experience has helped in a sense that I can use technology as an assessment whether students are interacting with the smart board, ipad, or an application on the computer assessments do not have to be pigeon-holed to a multiple choice or essay test.  
    • B) How this might impact your future teaching experiences.
      • This will definitely impact my future teaching experiences because I will be able to engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using the internet and resources. I will now make sure to incorporate technology in to every lesson possible to make that memorable experience for my students. I will also be able to learn from them and what drives them to learn from different digital tools. 
  • Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
    • A) How changed based on your experiences (Both your teaching and assessing others' teaching) this semester
      • Designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity my self, I have found challenging. Practicing more than one lesson plan and observing other students has really inspired me to want to be more creative. Tracy had a wonderful lesson with Art and Pointillism, where she incorporated moving around, technology, and questions that each student would answer to their partner or to the class. She had each of us do our own work of Pointillism to appreciate the artists work. Using technology is extremely important because as teachers, we are competing with video games. Designing and developing digital-age learning I now need to provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching. 
    • B) How this might impact your future teaching experiences.
      • Developing technology-enriched learning environments I've learned will enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. As a future teacher, I will need to customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. I think technology is a great tool to use in the classroom because kids know how to work computers, even if they have never seen one before because as adults we are fearful what might happen if we click on something, where as kids they will play around with the computer, familiarize themselves, and know how it works. I believe in universal design, and I believe that technology enhances it. With screen enlargers, voice readers, larger buttons, the possibilities are endless. 
  • Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
    • A) How changed based on your experiences (Both your teaching and assessing others' teaching) this semester 
      • Model digital-age work and learning will communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. As an upcoming teacher, I will have to model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning. I take that for granted because I know what is right and wrong to do on the computer, so that has changed my experiences in a sense of self-awareness with technology and my students. 
    • B) How this might impact your future teaching experiences.
      • Model digital-age work and learning I will have to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. By building background knowledge with my students for different programs, they will be able to use a variety of digital tools for applying the same information. By applying this as a teacher I will be able to model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate and use information resources to support research and learning.  
  • Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
    • A) How changed based on your experiences (Both your teaching and assessing others' teaching) this semester 
      • By promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility I will advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources. I will also as a teacher promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. 
    • B) How this might impact your future teaching experiences.
      • Becoming a teacher I have to develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness. To do this I need to be engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools. I will need to address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Phase II : Reflections on Micro Lessons Implementation Part 2


  1. Assessment of Learning: Describe the evidence you have that indicates
    • your students' level of success in achieving the lessons goals
      •  I collected my students checklists they filled out, and they have emailed me their neighborhoods as well so I am able to look over and see what my students need help on for next class.
    • the level of success you had in teaching the lesson
      • How do your individual reflections support this?
        • The assessments I had the students fill out supported their knowledge and how the lesson went well because they each scored 100% fulfilling out the requirements of the map activity.
      • How do the comments from your classmates support this?
        •  They both stated they enjoyed the Kidspiration activity, transitions, and how I was moving around the class to assess their needs. One of the students mentioned that Kidspiration was a little frustrating, so I am thinking if there is a more basic or "2nd grade friendly" version we will work with that one next time since these were college students. 


Student #1

 Student #2

Micro Lesson Phase II Part 2

2.   Assessment of Learning: 






  • My students achieved the lesson goals/objectives with 100% accuracy. They filled out their scavenger hunts with all the requirements as well as put one or two things they learned during the lesson. My students filled out their admit tickets with one or two things they learned from the lesson to reflect back on. I think the level of success that I had with my students was mostly because they are actually college students. I do not know if I am giving myself enough credit or not, this could be a result of not ever really implementing a lesson with actual students before. One improvement I can learn is going through my lesson more thoroughly and attempted to do it myself before I have other students do this. The students stated, "You did a great job of engaging your students. You made the lesson interactive by allowing us to write on the SmartBoard and go outside to investigate." as well as, "You let us participate in your teaching by letting us use the smartboard to label lines and angles. Also, you were available to help us when we needed it. You were energetic and used good resources."






      Admit Tickets: 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Phase II Micro Lesson 2 Part 1


  1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching: 

      • With these shortened lessons of our bigger lesson plan, I usually describe what their prior knowledge is as if they have been in my classroom. Then I go through and do the anticipatory set as if we were in the classroom. We then go to the first part of class where I am teaching the basic knowledge that would help them with the assessment. I skip the parts where we do the reinforcement as a class and go to the assessment so there is enough time. I walked around and made sure the students were on task and was there for them if they had questions. Alignment goals and objectives were maintained by supporting activities of the objectives (recognize and draw shapes using their specific attributes by number of angles and sides, in addition identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.) The students had to create, draw, and label the different types of shapes. For students who are below and ELL, my differentiated instruction will consist of a lot hands on manipulation using their vocabulary words to describe objects they cannot see as well as forming the shapes out of play-dough and working in groups. These students will also be exposed to pictures and application to real-life with the support of the power point in the beginning of class of objects consisting of things in real life that are the shapes we are talking about. In addtion, the scavenger hunt has the students looking and drawing the shapes in their own environment. Students who are ahead of the class, can look at the shapes and how they are composed of different shapes put together. For example two triangles put together make a square. They can then manipulate different shape blocks in to as many other shapes they can. If they want to share their findings with the class, they are encouraged to.

Phase I - Micro Lesson 2


  1. Assessing Prior Knowledge:
      • Prior experience would be assessed by asking the students questions with a KWL chart. I would expect to learn what the students know, want to know, then what they have learned from the KWL chart. This information would be useful in the planning process to know where exactly my students are in their base of knowledge of the content I will be teaching. 
  2. Plans Instruction: 
      • My goals, objectives, and outcomes are clearly stated in my lesson which follow the Arizona state standards for 2nd grade math. 
  3. Designing Instruction:
      • The instructional design of my lesson is logically organized because we start with the basics of learning what each shape's characteristics, sides, angles, then to identifying, labeling, molding, then a scavenger hunt. I discussed if a student is ahead of the class, they will work on putting shapes together to form new ones, then introducing their findings to the class. Technology is utilized in this lesson with a power point to show pictures of the shapes in real life. Smart board for students to come up and label the sides, angles, and draw their own shapes. 
    • Addresses or does not address:
      • Safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology
        • Does not address 
      • Digital etiquette and responsible social interactions
        • Does not address
      • Meeting diverse needs of learners through learner-centered strategies and equitable access
        • Does address
      • Global awareness and digital-age communication
        • Does not address
  4. Planning Assessment: 
      • The assessments will be linked to the objectives by incorporating them with a scavenger hunt. The students will draw a shape they see in the environment that correlates with the name. They will also write an "exit ticket" at the end of class stating one or two things they learned during that lesson, and if they have a question they may write that as well. I asked a few questions as an anticipatory set asking the students, where they have seen these geometric shapes. The scavenger hunt has the students walking around and looking for the specific shapes in their environment, as well as the exit ticket at the end of class. Meeting my students needs throughout the assessments allows them to draw, write, move around, and express their answers through assessment. 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Phase II : Reflections on Micro Lessons Implementation Part 1

  1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching: Discuss the implementation process and describe
    • What you did and learned from the teaching/facilitating process
      •  I learned from teaching and facilitating this process that it takes a lot of practice to write a lesson plan and "covering all your bases". For example making sure that the students already know how to use the applications that are in the lesson. I have also learned that I cannot assume that my students know what I am trying to say rather than making sure I thoroughly explain myself. I think that was the hardest part of teaching this lesson was finding that balance of talking to my colleges as adults, but keeping in mind that this was for a 2nd grade class.
    • how alignment to goals and objectives was maintained
      •  Alignment to goals and objectives were maintained by supporting the objective (SWBAT create a picture of a neighborhood using map symbols (key symbols, compass rose, title) on Kidspiration) with demonstration, class participation on a smart board, individually identifying symbols on a map, working on Kidspiration creating their own neighborhood maps, then presenting to the rest of the class.
    • modifications made for individual needs
      •  Modifications included students who have special needs should already have the necessary aids to help with their learning. if there is a student who is above grade level, they can name the streets and if they finish they can make a map of their room with a key.
       

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Phase 1 - Artifact

Check List -

https://docs.google.com/a/nau.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEhEZ2NSVWNmOHhmUUVqbXRxTDhYaVE6MQ#gid=0