January 2018

This has been an interesting first quarter in social studies methods. Dr. Parker has provided us with more than enough assignments. I will say that the assignments have been very helpful in understanding how to deliver and design purposeful social studies instruction. During the month of January, I had the pleasure of visiting Coddle Creek Elementary again. I had not been to the school since last semester, so I was eager to see my former clinical educators and their students. When I came through the door, they were eager to see me as well and embraced me with a big hug. I had emailed Mr. Booth prior to visiting to see if he was interested in being interviewed for the Wisdom From Experience project. He agreed to the interview but unfortunately his schedule would not allow the interview. I did, however, sit and observe some of his teaching practices. In accordance with Universal Design for Learning and 21st century learning concepts, teachers are required to adjust their schedule to the needs of the students. This requires the schedule to be flexible and changeable if necessary. I was fortunate to see this theory put into practice when I entered Mr. Booth's 4th grade class. I also admired the fact that he was responding to the needs of his students. I was able to interview two of my clinical educators from this semester at East Elementary School. They gave me very insightful information to use during my clinical experiences and as a future classroom teacher. North Carolina Teacher Candidate Standards 1b requires that teachers work together with other school personnel to address the needs of all learners. I witnessed the teachers meeting collaboratively during their planning periods to discuss comprehensive effective academic practices. For example, Mrs. Lee, the English/Language Arts teacher is teaching students how to cite text/evidence when answering questions about reading. Ms. Culp, the science teacher uses the literacy strategies that the students learn in Mrs. Lee's class, when reading passages and materials about scientific concepts. They were meeting to report that after trying this strategy the first week, student achievement has improved in both classes. Students were also able to see the connections themselves. I realized that if teachers collaborate consistently, students stand a better chance at receiving a high quality education because teachers are using formative data to drive their instruction. The Systems Management Plan was the next project I completed. I was able to observe Mrs. Cooke's 5th grade students in their student leadership roles. North Carolina Teacher Candidate Standard 4f demands that teachers allow students to work in teams and develop leadership qualities. I was ecstatic to see that all of the teachers practice collaborative activities throughout the school day. They were aware that there were certain students who enjoyed working by themselves. Ms. Cooke gave those reluctant students a choice or paired them with a friend. The Leader In Me Character Development program also distributes leadership roles to students. This program is designed to build successful and productive members of society. It divides the roles of the classroom teacher, excluding instruction, to the students. Students are trained and educated about jobs, laws, rules, and how an adult's role in society. Giving your students' classroom jobs exposes them to real-life roles and responsibilities. The most interesting student job was the Student Transition Leader. When students are in small group or center-based activities, it is the job of the Transitions leader to control the volume of the student and ensure that they are on task. If students are conferring with the teacher in small groups or individually, the transitions leader directs them to their next activity upon leaving the teacher. The students knew to keep the noise level at zero. I could easily tell that students had practiced these procedures repetitively because things ran smoothly. There are 7 habits that also govern student behavior. These habits are designed to motivate students to become leaders in learning. Habits such as "Putting First Things First", and "Begin with the End in Mind" are practiced in every classroom, during every activity. Social development is just as important as intellectual development. East Elementary school provides the best illustration of how effective social/emotional instruction can impact academic instruction and student performance. When students are given high expectations, this forces them to exercise maximum potential. One of our learning experiences required us to meet support staff such as custodians, cafeteria workers, and office staff. I'm still working on this project. I was able to meet the administrators, the instructional facilitator, and the custodians. Fortunately, I have worked at East Elementary before six years ago and some of the familiar faces are still currently employed at the school. In EDU 350, Dr. Clark has been talking about Universal Design For Learning. This approach to learning requires that students have multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. The materials that Dr. Clark gave us to acclimate ourselves with this topic was very useful. I was able to find some outside resources that were very beneficial, in addition to the UDL handbook. Understanding how to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment was a difficult concept for me in the beginning. I watched YouTube videos to get a better understanding of evidence based strategies that are used in classrooms today. Creating learning experiences around universal topics are a great way to involve all students. Collaborative grouping seemed to be the most common in my clinical educator's classroom. I was glad to see that research supports this technique. Another essential component to UDL is flexibility and the use of technology. UDL seeks to create expert learners and to respond to the cultural desires of our students, it is beneficial to incorporate technology into your lessons. Students that were born in the new millenium were exposed to technology from birth. It only makes sense to use their "prized possessions" such as tablets, phones, and computers in the classroom. In SST 307, we have been learning about concept-based instruction. Dr. Parker helped me realize that Concept-Based instruction is abstract, universal, timeless, and is the "Big Idea". Although these resources were helpful, I had to watch YouTube videos to gain a better understanding. Concepts are indeed the "Big Idea". I call Concepts the "umbrella" and the related facts or topics are the people under the umbrella. Concepts help students make real-life connections from learning. We have been developing the unit plan which I am struggling with. I am using the language within the common core standards to guide the development of my product. I have settled on using the topics: change and culture as my concept ideas. However, I am now at a stand still. I will be seeking the counsel of Dr. Parker for clarity on this issue. While on twitter, I was able to locate some information on Culturally Responsive Teaching. This encompasses the idea that lessons are appropriate for every student regardless of their backgrounds. The article gave three tips for ensuring that instruction is culturally responsive: Gamify it, Make it Social, Storify it. Students from various cultures play games, whether its a video game or a computer game. Using games as an engagement tool in the classroom is a great way to create an inclusive environment. Allowing students to work collaboratively in groups and share ideas and opinions is an excellent way to respond to cultural needs. If students are bashful or dislike group work, give them a choice. Students enjoy writing and creating stories. Explain to students that their background is an asset in the classroom and allow them time to express themselves orally or through written expression. In addition to the blog, I joined a teacher's blog that I found online. They were hosting conversations about inclusive learning environments so I tuned in. The blog address is http://2thinkis2learn.blogspot.com/. I have completed very little on the Apps project. My partner and I have been discussing Apps that would be great to evaluate and are meeting later this week to finalize the details. The Virtual Museum project is also coming along. My group and I have decided to go to Fort Dobbs in Statesville, NC and tour the site the third week of February. The Today's Learner project has helped me to understand how children learn. It also confirms why the components of UDL are so important. Due to the various learning styles, it can be hard to accommodate the needs of all learners unless teachers adhere to the principles of UDL. This has been a great beginning of the semester. In the beginning, I was a bit overwhelmed but as time progresses, I can see the finish line. I look forward to the rest of the semester.