April 2018 Blog for SST 307/EDU 435

Hallelujah!!!!! This is the last blog of the Spring Semester. This semester has been challenging and overwhelming, but it also pushed me to become the best educator I could possibly be! It has been a long ride, but I am definitely read to take on the battle of student teaching!!!!!

Learning Experiences:

In EDUC 312, we have been working tirelessly to complete our Case Study/Learning Portfolio, EDtpa learning segments, and everything else that is due by the first week of May. I can honestly say that we are blessed to have such a supportive instructor. The learning experiences in this class has required me to invest more time in exploring the depths of literacy instruction. The subject of my case study suffers from a multiple learning deficits; more specifically, his inability to segment and blend words has become the focus of our interventions. He seems to respond very well to the added attention and I capitalize on this opportunity.

In EDU 350, we have completed quite a bit this month. Initially, I had the pleasure of conducting a very insightful interview with the EC Coordinator in my clinical placement. This activity was directly aligned with what we were focusing on in class. The topic of discussion for the past 3 weeks has been Exceptionalities. We have discussed the 13 categories and used a sample class roster to identify the type of exceptionality that each student maybe diagnosed with. We were also required to complete four observations. This assignment equipped me to write effective lesson plans because I was able to physically observe my clinical educator's every move and absorb all that I witnessed.

In EDU 435, I have been working diligently to finish the gazillion assignments that we have in this class. Actually, after completing all of them, it was time well spent. As I review the Edtpa handbook, I realized that I would have many more questions that I have right now had we not have discussed and practiced the procedures and techniques in this class. The Peer reviews are also helpful. It gives us the opportunity to see the perspective of the scorer and communicate with our fellow peers. Any reason that our professors can give us to collaborate is time well spent. Overall, the main benefit from the class came from how acquainted I became within my clinical placement. The Clinical Experience CHecklist, Leadership Collaboration Project, and the Weekly Instruction Module helped me to understand how important demographics were and how the best teachers come prepared for anything.

In SST 307, we have been discussing the social studies unit plan. My professor and I have went back and forth about the content of my unit plan. Initially, every time I looked at my unit plan, I got discouraged. All I could see was a template of 20 blank pages; but fortunately, I was able to polish up the tarnished pieces and out came a decent unit of instruction. I also taught my traditional learning plan within my clinical placement. It was difficult to teach a social studies integrated lesson with so little time, but I managed to pull it off. This assignment helped me realize how schools have shifted their approach to social studies instruction since I was a student in grade school.

Outside Learning Research:

The Edtpa assignments demand that we conduct outside research of evidence based strategies for teaching. Our investigation is not limited to literacy resources. We are encouraged to find evidence based teaching strategies that can benefit students in any subject. I have been consulting the text, In Classroom Instruction that Works: Research Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, (Marzano, 2001) for the best practices for educating my students. The text has given me very useful strategies for things like collaborative grouping, homework and practice, and servicing English Language Learners or groups with special needs. To address some of my struggling reader's literacy needs, I consulted the text, Improved Reading, (Johns & Lenski, 2014), which provided useful strategies for reading intervention and remediation.

Connections to NCTCS:

Standard 1c: I was fortuante to be able to sit in on a PLC meeting. During the meeting, the fifth grade teachers were discussing the progress of students on the NC Check Ins. I recommended that I could facilitate some small group math interventions during the times that I'm at the school. Since then, I have been facilitating small group interventions for Math three times a week.

Standard 2b: The social studies unit plan demands that the content within each segment cater to the cultural backgrounds and needs of my students. The concepts of my unit plan is built around the exploration and identify of immigrants and how their cultural backgrounds benefited and shaped the regions of NC.

Standard 3a: Whether it is the Edtpa learning segments or the lessons from the social studies unit plan, every objective/standard must be aligned with the NC Common Core Standards. This alignment of content with the Common Core standards guarantees that students are learning what is legally required.

Standard 3c: We are encouraged to integrate other content areas into our literacy and social studies lessons. I have learned that it is much easier to integrate social studies and science topics into ELA lessons than vice versa. You can use reading passages that are aligned with both social studies and science topics. The Social studies unit plan requires that we integrate other content areas into our lessons.

Connections to Future Classroom:

After witnessing how a PLC meeting is conducted after a quarterly assessment has been administered and scored, I will definitely continue the analytical process within my classroom. Using data like NC Check-Ins and Benchmark Assessments to inform future instruction drives improvement in student achievement. The use of small group interventions during the school-day to close learning gaps is a great way to ensure that each students has every opportunity for success. My clinical educator also uses centers or workstations during every class. I love how she uses a whole class context to introduce a lesson, and then she gives a general formative assessment. Depending on how the student performs determines what center or workstation the student goes next. While students are in workstations, the teacher is pulling students who need remediation in certain areas in small groups. This will definitely be a strategy that I continue in my classroom.