SST 307/EDU 435 Monthly Blog Post #2 (February 2018)

Learning Experiences:

This month has been very busy and it has been extremely difficult to manage time and complete the learning experiences with quality efforts. Thankfully, the good Lord and our professor feel our pain and find ways to ease the stress for their students. In SST 307, we are continuing to develop the Apps Evaluation, Today's Learner and Unit Plan projects. The Apps Evaluation project is most important because it provides teachers with additional teaching resources that impacts student learning. These apps connect to the principle of Universal Design for Learning which provides multiple methods of engagement and expression for students. It is also culturally relevant because students of today's generation are technologically literate and find intrinsic value in the exploration of technology. The Today's Learner Projects was also an interesting task. Throughout my college experience, we have discussed the various learning styles of people. I even had the pleasure of exploring how I learn. This is especially important because effective instruction addresses the learning needs of its learners and understanding how one learns is essential to lesson design. Universal Design for Learning mandates that multiple methods of presentation be evident in lessons to combat this issue. Ensuring that these components are present in your lesson plan minimizes the chance of student learning deficits.  The Unit Plan project has indeed been the most challenging learning experience for this class. The components of the unit plan are very specific and detailed and requires much effort and attention. I have drafted something to start from but my draft requires lots of editing and modifications. I have scheduled time to meet with my Clinical Educator regarding the construction of the unit plan, but the overwhelming amount of PLC's during the week limits the amount of time available to confer about my assignments. In 435, the edTpa lessons are also quite stressful. As I was preparing Lesson 1-3, I was quite apprehensive about submitting these lessons for review to my peer because of my limited understanding of the format of the lesson plan template. I do realize that I need to dive into the edtpa handbook thoroughly and familiarize myself with the protocol and guidelines for lesson plan development. Understanding the true meaning of the central focus was also a struggle for me. After I submitted my lesson plans for review to my professor, the feedback obtained from my professor afterwards was overwhelming, yet extremely helpful. I did not have time to adjust my lesson plans according to the feedback but I will make arrangements to do so in the upcoming week. After conferring with my classmates, we all shared the same sentiments about the edtpa assignment. On a good note, I have enjoyed the time I have got to spend in my clinical placement. Getting to know my students and my Clinical Educators has been the most fulfilling experience as a future student teacher. Learning the ropes of the school and getting to personally know the faces I'll soon see on a more consistent basis is a thrilling experience. Lastly, the most beneficial assignment that I completed this month was the Leadership/Collaboration Project. This project allowed me to discover intimate details about the school regarding the quality of teachers, the school's demographics, and detailed information about how cultural diversity affects the school's report card grade.

Outside Research:

During the construction of my collaboration/leadership project, I had to research the school's report card grade. This required me to navigate through the school's website to obtain this information. To get a better explanation of how the information on the report card is accumulated, I had to navigate through the NCDPI website and read descriptions about the composition of the state report card for schools. The differentiation topics have also required additional research to fully understand how to accommodate the needs of our learners. In EDU 350, we had a discussion about educational statistics regarding poverty in schools. The resources revealed shocking statistics about what our students from low socio-economic backgrounds experience outside of school. These factors had a drastic impact on student learning. The information that I found was directly linked school demographics at my clinical placement.

Relate Learning Experiences to NCTCS:

During the development of the Collaboration/Leadership project, I found an abundance of value from this assignment. My clinical placement provides a great example of a welcoming and productive diverse community. I believe it is important that we embrace the diversity of students. NCTC Standard 2b demands that teachers embrace diversity in students and regard cultural diversity as an asset to the learning community. 
Through the principles and practices of the “Leader in Me” model (FranklinCovey, 2009), students are taught to be leaders. The roles that students maintain within the classroom that extends beyond instruction makes them feel part of the classroom and take ownership of their learning environment. This is a schoolwide approach to enforcing NCTC Standard 2a where teachers must create an inviting, welcoming, flexible and inclusive environment. Collaborative activities are also a comprehensive practice of teachers.

Through Blended learning, instruction and practice is centered around technology. NCTC Standard 4d mandates that teachers integrate and utilize technology in 21^st century classrooms. This approach to teaching and daily small-group remediation builds a personal relationship with students and ensures that every student gets individualized attention once weekly at minimum.

Connecting Learning To Future Classroom:

As I have said before, the principles and ideals of the "Leader in Me" model will definitely be implemented in my classroom. The 7 habits can be life-long lessons that are used to foster success and leadership in students who will soon be adults. The teachers also participate in PLC's often. Typically, these meetings occur once a week but teachers on grade-level teams meet informally to discuss student performance data and plan cross-curricular activities. This is definitely a practice I will adopt. Not only does the NCTCS require that teachers collaborate with colleagues to improve the learning of all students, but teachers should want to collaborate with colleagues especially beginning teachers. This is a great way for veteran teachers to share experiences about the trade and provide instructional assistance to improve learning. Blended Individualized Learning is also something that I would like to implement in my classroom. Integrating technology into everyday lessons reaches students culturally and increases the likelihood of full engagement.