It was a difficult week in terms of planning due to Eckstein taking the MSP test. For some reason, the way the schedule turned out, we had 1st,2nd, and 3rd periods one more day than we had 4th, 5th, and 6th periods. Luckily we still had some presentations that didn’t get finished in first and second periods that allowed us to make use of the time. The rest of the periods were used as review of the moon phases and eclipses. It is difficult to try to plan around disrupted week schedules. To add to the scheduling difficulties the band was allowed to schedule a field trip for one of the days. This means that every student who goes on the field trip will have to make up the test on Monday. Situations like these make planning difficult. They also highlight the need for well thought out plans and the need for alternative plans. This has been a weakness for me not only throughout this internship but in my life. I have always been someone who lives a bit spontaneously. I have found myself on several occasions this year trying to be spontaneous in my lesson planning. As one might expect these lessons didn’t always go so well. It feels bad to have a bad lesson and even worse when the lesson is bad due to your lack of planning. i have gotten much better in my lesson planning as the year has progressed. Not just the lesson for the next day but for subsequent lessons.
Model Students May 8, 2010
Throughout the year we have had our students use modeling to help see and learn various concepts. During the Earthquake unit the students used their bodies to model the movement of P and S waves as they moved through the Earth. Currently in our space unit the students have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of modeling. The planets and stars are fascinating topics, but we can’t bring them into our classrooms and we can’t see them moving enough in one day to for it to be effective for a lesson. We can, however, model the movements of the planets and stars. That is what we have been working on for the past few lessons. After a brief intro reviewing the movements of the Earth and moon through space we gave the students these two task cards: task card 1 and task card 2. The students then worked in their groups to come up with a way to model the answers to the task card questions. Each groups needed to model the answer for me in order to get credit for the activity. I know I enjoyed the activity and I believe the students enjoyed it also. The modeling required students to apply higher level learning in understanding, applying, and then creating the modeling scenario. Students had some props to work with but I highly encouraged them to get out of their seats and use their bodies as the models. Several groups took me up on that offer. The questions on the task cards required some deeper thought than just how the moon and Earth move in relation to each other. Especially task card one which asked if the same side of the moon always face the Earth, does the moon rotate on it’s axis. Towards the end of class I asked each student to write and draw what they learned that day during the modeling activity on a sheet of paper and turn it in for me to look at. I believe a lesson like this is so much better than a simple lecture or video. This got the students up and moving. It got them working on answering questions rather than simply listening and taking notes.
Long Term Projects May 2, 2010
Our science students were assigned long term science experiments around mid February. This year the projects had to be science experiments, not just science projects as in the past. This was decided due to the requirements of students to know and identify experimental components on the MSP.
This week has been presentations of those experiments. Those who were on top of things and prepared volunteered to present early in the week. Those less prepared tried to put their presentations off till later in the week. This has led to a distinct downward trend in presentation quality. We have had several well done projects including a home made calorimeter and the effectiveness of different types of detergents on stains.
Many students are learning that theses were more than just assignments that were due in 2 months. After the presentations are finished this week I think it will be a god opportunity to look back on their progress reports and allow the students to evaluate how honest they were on the progress reports. In addition I think it will be a good opportunity to reinforce the idea that the projects are not only about science but about personal responsibility and accountability. In most cases the quality of the experiments were directly proportional to the amount of effort put into them. As these eighth graders go to high school next year they should be held to higher and higher standards in regards to quality of work and responsibility. For many it could be a rude awakening. I have seen some of the students change and mature over the course of the year while others have changed little. It makes me feel good to see those who have matured while I worry a little for those who have made little progress in their maturity and responsibility.
First Period Can Be Tough April 26, 2010
I am sure everyone has experienced it throughout the year. You decide how much of the text you might want to use, you try to add some more interesting content, and you plan your lesson. At some point or points in during first period you notice something that didn’t work quite like you thought it would. The questions you ask get only blank faces, or confused looks; the activity you planned is hard to follow, or you don’t quite reach the objective of the lesson. You make some adjustments for the next period and try them out. By sixth period you’ve ironed out most of the kinks and the lesson goes mostly the way you want. I can’t help but feel that first period gets a little short changed over the course of a year. For a first year teacher, first period get to see every lesson the first time you teach it.
Having 4 periods of science allows me to see the effects of my lessons and to make adjustments. If I had my own classroom the final lesson of the day would be one to take note of and think about how to improve for the next year. My one period of math is a little tougher. I have to reflect on that lesson and make note of any changes I would want to make for other similar lessons for the current year or for next year. I imagine this might keep some first year teachers from making big changes or trying new things with a new curriculum. A lesson that flops can take up time and set you back in your schedule.
Power of the Poster April 19, 2010
Never underestimate the power of a poster. I have come to be a fan of the constructivist method of instruction. I like the idea of students doing activities that allow them to discover the learning objectives on their own. With science, like many other subjects, there are times when students simply need to memorize. Parts of the cell in biology, important dates in history, and in my case features of volcanoes. In this case we decided to have the students make posters of volcanoes with a given list of vocabulary words. We gave the students free reign of any materials in the classroom from which to get their information and set them free. The students were free to design and draw the poster however they wanted as long as they had the required information. It was great to see and hear the amount of work and discussion the groups engaged in. I don’t think the students would have been that engaged and active had the material been delivered through lecture or readings. Giving the students the control of how to gather and display their information I think gave them more of a stake in their work and learning.
Teaching ELL: Teaching Strategies April 15, 2010
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in the Curtin book dealt with teaching strategies for ELL students. An important aspect of the strategies covered is that the variety of strategies suggested are no different than those recommended in well run classrooms without ELL students. Visual aids, demonstrations, graphic organizers, interactive and cooperative learning, are all strategies and tools that should be present in every successful classroom. I have been trying to integrate as many of these strategies and tools into my classroom as possible. In both science and math the students spend a majority of their time engaged in cooperative group work. I feel like it has been successful for the most part. With the exception of a couple of students, the levels of student discussion on topic has been good. A recent activity had the students acting out the motions of the Earth-moon-Sun system with certain questions in mind. It was great to hear students planning their demonstrations and to hear some “ohhhs” when someone saw something they didn’t before.
The reading provided some useful resources that I think could help me in the future. The planning chart on pages 74-75 (Curtin 2009) provides a good outline to think about. Often time my plans are simply written out in a way that I think may work. The book says I should expect to plan 2-3 times the amount of time the lesson will take. (Curtin 2009) this is a daunting task. In this case I am glad to be a middle school teacher with only 2 subjects to plan for. I know I need to work on my planning. I have learned that just understanding the content I am trying to teach doesn’t automatically allow me to make my students understand it. I am really trying to work on guiding the students to understanding rather than simply telling them the information, which is not learning at all.
I think the concept of learning English by learning subject content is an excellent one. For myself, and perhaps anyone who has tried to learn some of a language for a foreign trip, sitting at home and trying to memorize vocabulary and random sentences doesn’t really work. The words and phrases that are learned without context have only so much use. ELL students learning the language in pull out classes don’t develop the scientific or mathematical vocabulary needed to be successful in normal classrooms. So even when they reach a point where their language skills are good, they are starting for behind other students in scientific or mathematical knowledge and skills.
As for my teaching, I am luck to have an ELL co-teacher in my math class for support. We try to use several of the strategies covered in the the Curtin book. Lots of group work with think-pair-shares and mini jig-sawing. We have gotten them up on several occasions to act out graphs or geometric shapes. I try to read directions or introductions aloud as students follow along and I try to keep the word wall up to date. Even with our efforts, some of the ELL students are having trouble keeping up. We have to keep the pace of the class up because we have many high level students also. This is an issue in many classes and not just with ELL students and one I have a lot more to learn about.
Curtin, Ellen M. (2009) Practical Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
EDU 6139 Teaching ELL April 7, 2010
The first three chapters of the Curtin book dealt with the history of ELL and stages of english language acquisition and initial teacher considerations when dealing with ELL students. There are lots of topics included in these chapters. The hot topic in chapter one is No Child Let Behind. We’ve all have our own opinions and have heard the opinions of others about NCLB. From what I have heard, I have few good thoughts about NCLB. One of the few good things I have heard of is the disaggregation of student data making schools accountable for all students not just certain groups. There seem to be more downsides than up. The expectation of 100% success, while naively noble, is impossible, and to hold a teacher up to that standard is ridiculous. Standards are left up to states and can vary from state to state. My understanding of the Washington standards is that they are ceiling instead of minimum requirements. Instead of expecting students to reach a minimum level of proficiency we are expecting students to reach nearly honors level in their grade to be deemed successful. The last thing of NCLB is the tenets. The consequences listed in Tenet one seem to have some problems. Holding teachers accountable is good. It doesn’t seem to hold the students or the parents accountable. It seems that a great teacher at a poor performing school is at a distinct disadvantage. The tenet states that teachers “contributing” to student failure are to be replaced. (Curtin 2009) What incentive do teachers have to take jobs at poor performing schools when they can be fired for not bringing students thatthey, or perhaps no one, could bring up to standard.
I have been experiencing ELL first hand. The eighth grade math class I am teaching is an ELL inclusion class. We have 6 ELL students (which I know isn’t a lot in some schools). I have seen the challenge of trying to teach these students. The greatest challenge to me seems to be the expectation that they be taught at grade level. The students are placed based on their age but only one is within one year grade performance wise. I know two of the students read at a 1st grade level. On page 41 the Curtin text states that the reading level of classroom texts may need to be adjusted, but content must be similar. (Curtin 2009) Perhaps this is referring to language arts classes because I am curious where I am going to find an 8th grade level math book written for 1st, 4th, or even 6th grade readers. I am lucky, in that the class is designated as an inclusion class so it is co taught with an ELL specialist teacher. I think the curriculum we use is tougher for ELL students. we are teaching the Connected Math curriculum which focuses a lot on student led activities, group work, and reflections. A math teacher I know of has experienced success with her ELL students by going back to older text books and learning with numbers, formulas, equations, and repetition. It may not be the “new way” of doing things but often ELL students can do 2x=10 but may not understand “Mark has 10 Widgets and wants to give them as presents to 2 buddies, how many widgets does Mark need to put in each gift box?”
I am grateful for the ELL teacher in the class. I have a hard time seeing how we could get anything done with the ELL students without her. We do a lot of group work and the groups are expected to help each other. Many of the students do a good job with this but there is only so much they can be expected to do. There are deadlines for assignments that they have to meet also and we can’t expect them to miss a deadline and a possible learning opportunity while trying to help another student. One of us can spend the entire class helping a few of the ELL students while the other splits time with ELL and other groups questions. A great concern is pacing of the class. I know we are going too fast for the ELL students. The ELL teacher even takes extra time with them during other periods of the day to work on their math, but they are often behind and missing work is a big problem. I feel we have to be fair to the other students also. We are already a couple of weeks behind other 8th grade classes. Slowing the pace down to accommodate the ELL students penalizes the non-ELL students. We make accommodations on exams and give them as much help as we can during class. It is a topic that I feel I definitely struggle with.
Standard V Project EDU 6613 March 15, 2010
Project Overview
This is the Standard V project for the Standards Based Assessment class at Seattle Pacific University. For this assignment I was to take one assessment my students had completed and have a group of students reflect on it using some provided reflection prompts. I was then to determined what strategies would help my students improve their performance on a 2nd assessment of the same concept as the first assessment. The students would then reflect on their performance on the second assessment using the same reflection prompts as the first reflections.
I conducted the assessments in one of my 8th grade science classes. The subject of the unit was rocks and minerals. The goals of the lessons were for the students to know the types of rock that comprise the Earth’s crust and how they are formed and how they can change from one type to another through the rock cycle. In addition we looked at what minerals were and how to identify some of the common minerals. This unit took about 2 weeks, however, my assessments dealt with only the rock portion of the unit which took just over a week.
Meta-Reflection Standard T January 1, 2010
Knowledge of teaching
Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is:
1. Informed by standards-based assessment. All students benefit from learning that is systematically analyzed using multiple formative, summative, and self-assessment strategies.
I’ve heard a heard a lot of debate about assessment. Some feel testing is biased towards certain students. It is true some students are better at testing than others. I was a good tester when I was in school. For this reason we as teachers can use many different forms of assessment. Our students are not just filling out answers to tests. We have class discussions, we have various small assignments throughout the year, and we are constantly observing our students for signs of understanding or confusion. I argue that there should be constant assessment happening in our classrooms. This is a formative assessment I made up for the students that they did the day after we had an important lecture on the layers of the Earth. This assessment let me see how well I did with the lesson and how well a lecture without teacher written notes would work with middle school students. I was pretty sure that they had never had to take notes from a lecture simply by listening. I think it went well for most of them but also I know that note taking is a skill that they need to work on and that expecting middle schoolers to take notes straight from lecture is probably too much at this point.
2. Intentionally planned. All students benefit from standards-based planning that is personalized.
While the idea of personalized lessons for each student is a great idea the reality is that there just isn’t enough time for us to assign, monitor, or grade so many lessons. The compromise is the development of lessons that are flexible enough to challenge students that need it but are also able to be understood by students who are slower to understand. My multi-cultural journal includes pieces on differentiation and diversity in the classroom.
3. Influenced by multiple instructional strategies. All students benefit from personalized instruction that addresses their ability levels and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Not all students learn the same way. I myself am an example of this. Some students learn best by reading, some by listening and watching, and others by doing. I want to strive to include as many different instructional strategies as possible over the course of the year. As a science teacher I am lucky in that my students often get to see results of lessons by doing labs. I also mix in lectures and visual tools to create lessons that cover a broad base of learning styles. These are three different lessons (Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3) I created and entered into this blog for our content methods class using the various Marzano strategies for creating a better classroom.
4. Informed by technology. All students benefit from instruction that utilizes effective technologies and is designed to create technologically proficient learners.
Technology is evolving at an amazing rate. Some of this innovation has found its uses in education. As the world becomes a more technology dependent students will only benefit from lessons that include and make use of technology. I took a technology elective this past quarter. In this class we learned about new technologies and how they might be used in the classroom. Throughout the class we wrote weekly blog posts and created an educational technology webpage and a digital narrative.
Metareflection for EDU 6535 December 14, 2009
I’ll start my final reflection with my thoughts on the class itself. I think I was one of many who did a lot of grumbling throughout this class. The work load wasn’t particularly overwhelming by itself. I can only speak for those in the ARC program when I say that the workload added to an already busy quarter of volunteering at our internship all day and a very full quarter made for lots of late nights. My hat off to those in the program with families and kids. My only excuses are poor and long unused study skills. I am hoping that by taking this class now I will make it easier for myself later in the program.
Now for my thoughts on the content of the class itself.
This class covered a number of technologies essentially all new to me. Other than watching the occasional You Tube video, the internet for me was just email, news, and shopping. Now I have posted my own You Tube video, created a blog, participated in a wiki, and frequently uttered lots of other funny sounding tech terms. For all my complaining, however, I think my cold luddite heart has warmed to some of the things we learned and worked on. The concept of free Web 2.0 tools available for use by anyone is a great concept and one that I hope continues to evolve and develop. Blogs, wikis, etherpads, and more are all tools we explored that could be used for collaborative projects.
The concepts we learned go towards meeting the Washington State Technology Standards and also our educational standards at SPU. Of particular emphasis are:
Standard S – 1. Content driven. All students develop understanding and problem-solving expertise in the content area(s) using reading, written and oral communication, and technology.
Standard T – 4. Informed by technology. All students benefit from instruction that utilizes effective technologies and is designed to create technologically proficient learners.
Most of our standards could fall here in some way. Technology can help teachers diversify their classroom in both instruction and assessment (Standard T 2,3). Students are given opportunities to connect with theirs and other communities through technology (Standards L 4). Learning about technology will benefit students by making them more marketable in the 21st century environment (Standard L 2). Students also benefit from me as a teacher continuing to improve myself through technological education and innovation (P 2).
Whether I or anyone wants it the world is becoming more technologically oriented. Like any tool, technology only really works when used properly. I think this class has given me some insight into the potential technology has for use in classrooms. Any teacher who wants to educate their students in a relevant manner is going to need to evolve with the changing cultural, social, and technological environment. If I may end with a Star Trek quote “Resistance is Futile”.
