Reflect on your work in your PDS this semester. How have you benefitted from the mentoring relationship you have with your mentor teacher? What actions have you taken to be sure that the mentoring relationship is beneficial to you both?
From the beginning of the semester until now, I can tell that I have grown a lot as a teacher and am on my way to becoming an even better teacher. My mentor teacher definitely has a lot to do with my progress so far. I have been able to create and teach lessons that I know I wouldn't have been ready to teach last year and I have better classroom management skills than I ever have. Although a lot of my lessons don't always go as planned, I am able to learn new skills from the mistakes that I sometimes make.
My mentor teacher is very friendly and helpful. She gives me confidence prior to each lesson and provides very nice feedback at the end of each lesson. If I seem to be struggling during a lesson, she always steps in or makes a comment which is beneficial to me and the students. I always know that she is going to be there to help me and I believe that helps me relax and teach a great lesson, along with it benefiting the students. She really has taught me how important it is to be a caring teacher, and that is something I hope to always carry with me.
Although my mentor teacher is very helpful and prepares me in a lot of ways, I do believe that I make great contributions to the class and provide opportunities to make our mentoring relationship beneficial to us both. Mrs. McQuain and I have about 40 minutes of planning each day with one another. She often talks to me about children in her classroom and, because of the knowledge that I have gained from my studies, I am able to provide educational feedback to her. I often help her with certain situations with children and often find other means of solving those situations. I believe our relationship is very beneficial to us both and hope that we can continue to help each other in future semesters.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wiki Assignment
In your blog posting, describe 2 things you've learned in completing this assignment about using a wiki as a collaborative tool for building a PDS web site.
In your blog posting, direct your partner to view the parts of your wiki you're particularly proud of and talk about why.
I've never used a wiki before so I had no idea what to expect with this assignment. I've learned that it is such a great collaboration tool for building a PDS web site because everyone that is involved with the PDS can make their own comments on the web site or add information to others' comments. I've also learned that it is a great collaboration tool because of the several different pages that can be connected to the initial homepage of the wiki. Schools have a lot of things going on that viewers are interested in. Viewers may want to know extra curricular activities, the school calendar, information on staff and students, or statistics of the school. All of the pages that can be hyper linked to the homepage provide great space and access to important information. Staff members can collaborate to form some of the different pages, or they may just need to view information on other pages that peers have created.
My PDS group divided different pages of the wiki and gave a particular job to each member. Once we individually created our pages, we got together and created our entire wiki. My job was to find information on the community of East Dale Elementary. I found information about the history and geography of the school, along with the history and geography of Fairmont, West Virginia, the town in which East Dale is located. I'm proud of the community page because I was able to find so much information. I found a lot of great pictures and learned so much about Fairmont and East Dale Elementary. I think the community page is very descriptive and will give you a sense of exactly where East Dale is located. I would love for you to view it!
In your blog posting, direct your partner to view the parts of your wiki you're particularly proud of and talk about why.
I've never used a wiki before so I had no idea what to expect with this assignment. I've learned that it is such a great collaboration tool for building a PDS web site because everyone that is involved with the PDS can make their own comments on the web site or add information to others' comments. I've also learned that it is a great collaboration tool because of the several different pages that can be connected to the initial homepage of the wiki. Schools have a lot of things going on that viewers are interested in. Viewers may want to know extra curricular activities, the school calendar, information on staff and students, or statistics of the school. All of the pages that can be hyper linked to the homepage provide great space and access to important information. Staff members can collaborate to form some of the different pages, or they may just need to view information on other pages that peers have created.
My PDS group divided different pages of the wiki and gave a particular job to each member. Once we individually created our pages, we got together and created our entire wiki. My job was to find information on the community of East Dale Elementary. I found information about the history and geography of the school, along with the history and geography of Fairmont, West Virginia, the town in which East Dale is located. I'm proud of the community page because I was able to find so much information. I found a lot of great pictures and learned so much about Fairmont and East Dale Elementary. I think the community page is very descriptive and will give you a sense of exactly where East Dale is located. I would love for you to view it!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Incorporating Technology
What are some benefits and limitations of incorporating technology into a teachers' instructional day?
Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in schools and it is a large part of the world today. Technology seemingly makes activities easier for people, and in school it's role is the same. Teachers can use a variety of technology, from CD players and televisions to Smart Boards and lap-tops. It is important for students today to acknowledge these technological tools and learn how to use them properly.
Technology in schools has many benefits. As previously said, it is important for students to learn how to use the new technological tools in order to have an understanding of the world around them and to better their future. Technology also provides teachers with different strategies of teaching. If the students in the early grades become restless, the teachers may need to turn on song and dance music for a brief moment. In some of the older grades, students gain much information from watching documentaries and movies on historical events. By using a Smart Board, teachers can provide students with thousands of different ways of learning, such as with games, word puzzles, concept maps, and any activities on the web. Technology can also be more time efficient. Today, assessments can be completed by the students and graded by the teachers by the use of computers. This provides organization for the teachers and fast feedback for the students.
Along with benefits, technology also has limitations. Technology is fast and provides students with easy access to all sorts of information, but students should not be taught to rely on the use of computers. If students become accustomed to looking up information on the computer because it is the easiest way, the students may not have the proper education to look up information in an encyclopedia. It is the same way for calculators. If students learn to do math on calculators, they may never properly learn how to do math on paper or in their minds. Technology can also be a distraction in the classroom. In my Kindergarten classroom at my PDS when the students are at different stations, the students not at the computers are always interested in what is going on at the computers. Although computers are fun and interesting for the students, they often distract the students from other learning activities.
Peer Question:
What types of technological tools are present in your PDS and do you think the benefits of technology are greater than the limitations?
Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in schools and it is a large part of the world today. Technology seemingly makes activities easier for people, and in school it's role is the same. Teachers can use a variety of technology, from CD players and televisions to Smart Boards and lap-tops. It is important for students today to acknowledge these technological tools and learn how to use them properly.
Technology in schools has many benefits. As previously said, it is important for students to learn how to use the new technological tools in order to have an understanding of the world around them and to better their future. Technology also provides teachers with different strategies of teaching. If the students in the early grades become restless, the teachers may need to turn on song and dance music for a brief moment. In some of the older grades, students gain much information from watching documentaries and movies on historical events. By using a Smart Board, teachers can provide students with thousands of different ways of learning, such as with games, word puzzles, concept maps, and any activities on the web. Technology can also be more time efficient. Today, assessments can be completed by the students and graded by the teachers by the use of computers. This provides organization for the teachers and fast feedback for the students.
Along with benefits, technology also has limitations. Technology is fast and provides students with easy access to all sorts of information, but students should not be taught to rely on the use of computers. If students become accustomed to looking up information on the computer because it is the easiest way, the students may not have the proper education to look up information in an encyclopedia. It is the same way for calculators. If students learn to do math on calculators, they may never properly learn how to do math on paper or in their minds. Technology can also be a distraction in the classroom. In my Kindergarten classroom at my PDS when the students are at different stations, the students not at the computers are always interested in what is going on at the computers. Although computers are fun and interesting for the students, they often distract the students from other learning activities.
Peer Question:
What types of technological tools are present in your PDS and do you think the benefits of technology are greater than the limitations?
Monday, March 1, 2010
Describe at least 3 types of assessment practices that you as a student/learner have experienced throughout your own schooling and explain the benefits or limitations of each type of assessment.
During the chapter readings for Education 400 I was introduced to three primary assessment strategies for teachers. As a child, I thought of assessments as only tools for grading for the teacher and ways to stress me out as a student. The chapter on assessments made me realize that I have experienced, first hand, all three of the different assessments. I realized that assessments are used very often and that they have a greater purpose than I ever imagined as a child.
The form of assessment that I remember being more prevalent in the primary grades was diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is used primarily for the teacher to determine the students' prior knowledge before beginning a lesson. I can remember in Kindergarten being asked to count as high as I could and I believe this is a form of diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is very beneficial for the teacher, but can also have limitations. If a teacher were to produce a diagnostic assessment and the students' abilities varied greatly, it may be difficult for the teacher to know where to begin with the instruction.
The second form of assessment, formative assessment, was used very often throughout all years of school. For me, these tests usually consisted of quizzes or spelling tests. Sometimes these tests had a large impact on my life, but most of the time they did not. This type of assessment is used for both the student and the teacher. It provides the student with an idea of what needs to be worked on and provides the teacher with an idea of how he/she can continue with the instruction. This form of assessment is very beneficial for that reason alone, but also because it provides more grades for the students. One large limitation of this form of assessment is that these assessments may sometimes be too difficult for the students and if graded too often, can hinder a students grade.
The last type of assessment that I remember the most is summative assessment. These assessments were usually unit tests or tests on books and stories. I can remember these tests the most because I studied for them often and most of my grade was dependent on these assessments. This type of assessment is more about the students and with early feedback, can be very beneficial in a student's learning. The limitations on this assessment would have the most to do with the information on the assessment. I believe it would be difficult as a teacher to decide how much information to put on a test.
I'm very glad I spent a lot of time on this chapter because I would not have realized that all of the tests I took as a child were also beneficial to my teacher. As a teacher, I will now be more prepared and understand how to grade each different assessment. I will make my students feel comfortable when testing and will use the tests often to determine what I need to do as a teacher.
Peer:
What are some examples of assessments you can remember as a child and how, as a teacher, will your grading depend on each type of assessment?
During the chapter readings for Education 400 I was introduced to three primary assessment strategies for teachers. As a child, I thought of assessments as only tools for grading for the teacher and ways to stress me out as a student. The chapter on assessments made me realize that I have experienced, first hand, all three of the different assessments. I realized that assessments are used very often and that they have a greater purpose than I ever imagined as a child.
The form of assessment that I remember being more prevalent in the primary grades was diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is used primarily for the teacher to determine the students' prior knowledge before beginning a lesson. I can remember in Kindergarten being asked to count as high as I could and I believe this is a form of diagnostic assessment. This type of assessment is very beneficial for the teacher, but can also have limitations. If a teacher were to produce a diagnostic assessment and the students' abilities varied greatly, it may be difficult for the teacher to know where to begin with the instruction.
The second form of assessment, formative assessment, was used very often throughout all years of school. For me, these tests usually consisted of quizzes or spelling tests. Sometimes these tests had a large impact on my life, but most of the time they did not. This type of assessment is used for both the student and the teacher. It provides the student with an idea of what needs to be worked on and provides the teacher with an idea of how he/she can continue with the instruction. This form of assessment is very beneficial for that reason alone, but also because it provides more grades for the students. One large limitation of this form of assessment is that these assessments may sometimes be too difficult for the students and if graded too often, can hinder a students grade.
The last type of assessment that I remember the most is summative assessment. These assessments were usually unit tests or tests on books and stories. I can remember these tests the most because I studied for them often and most of my grade was dependent on these assessments. This type of assessment is more about the students and with early feedback, can be very beneficial in a student's learning. The limitations on this assessment would have the most to do with the information on the assessment. I believe it would be difficult as a teacher to decide how much information to put on a test.
I'm very glad I spent a lot of time on this chapter because I would not have realized that all of the tests I took as a child were also beneficial to my teacher. As a teacher, I will now be more prepared and understand how to grade each different assessment. I will make my students feel comfortable when testing and will use the tests often to determine what I need to do as a teacher.
Peer:
What are some examples of assessments you can remember as a child and how, as a teacher, will your grading depend on each type of assessment?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Describe some factors you would use in planning for instruction for your current placement. What experiences or difficulties have you had in lesson planning?
What methods have you used or observed to differentiate instruction?
I chose to reflect on these questions because when this assignment was given to me in Education 400, I did not have decent answers to these questions. I had difficulty with these questions because I have never actually made any sort of lesson plan nor have I had lesson plans described to me in detail. I did have an assigment to write a lesson plan for a Kindergarten Art class but because our class had no previous experience with lesson planning, the professor never provided feedback on our final assignment.
If I did have the opportunity to plan for instruction for my current placement, I would have to consider many factors. Of course, and most importantly, I would need to consider the students' ages and grade level. With that knowledge, it would then be a great idea to look up the West Virginia CSOs pertaining to the subject I wish to plan for. I would also need to consider the students' strenghts and weaknesses, the students' diversity in learning and behavior, and I would also need to consider different strategies in which I can perform the teaching. Once all of this information is gathered, I would also like to incorporate group lessons, technology, and assessments into the plan for instruction.
Differentiated instruction is a great way to get students involved in groupwork and it also helps teachers monitor and assist students with their strengths and weaknesses. I have not used or observed differentiated instruction since I have been in elementary school myself, but my host teacher is gratefully going to show me her differentiated instruction period on Monday. My host teacher, Mrs. Koski, has her Kindergarten classroom set up with tables in a U shape. This is a great way to have the students sitting in groups in a unified manner. I also believe that in these groups the students are placed according to strengths and weaknesses, which is a form of differentiated instruction. From my education classes at WVU I do know a lot about differentiated instruction, but I believe I will gain much more knowledge on Monday when Mrs. Koski shows me her different stations and groupings of the students.
Peer Question:
Have you experienced differentiated instruction in your current placement and if so, what did you learn that was different from what you already know about differentiated instruction?
What methods have you used or observed to differentiate instruction?
I chose to reflect on these questions because when this assignment was given to me in Education 400, I did not have decent answers to these questions. I had difficulty with these questions because I have never actually made any sort of lesson plan nor have I had lesson plans described to me in detail. I did have an assigment to write a lesson plan for a Kindergarten Art class but because our class had no previous experience with lesson planning, the professor never provided feedback on our final assignment.
If I did have the opportunity to plan for instruction for my current placement, I would have to consider many factors. Of course, and most importantly, I would need to consider the students' ages and grade level. With that knowledge, it would then be a great idea to look up the West Virginia CSOs pertaining to the subject I wish to plan for. I would also need to consider the students' strenghts and weaknesses, the students' diversity in learning and behavior, and I would also need to consider different strategies in which I can perform the teaching. Once all of this information is gathered, I would also like to incorporate group lessons, technology, and assessments into the plan for instruction.
Differentiated instruction is a great way to get students involved in groupwork and it also helps teachers monitor and assist students with their strengths and weaknesses. I have not used or observed differentiated instruction since I have been in elementary school myself, but my host teacher is gratefully going to show me her differentiated instruction period on Monday. My host teacher, Mrs. Koski, has her Kindergarten classroom set up with tables in a U shape. This is a great way to have the students sitting in groups in a unified manner. I also believe that in these groups the students are placed according to strengths and weaknesses, which is a form of differentiated instruction. From my education classes at WVU I do know a lot about differentiated instruction, but I believe I will gain much more knowledge on Monday when Mrs. Koski shows me her different stations and groupings of the students.
Peer Question:
Have you experienced differentiated instruction in your current placement and if so, what did you learn that was different from what you already know about differentiated instruction?
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