Christmas and Goodbye

Today marked the last day in Exploring Teaching. We began the hour with our ornament swap and Secret Santa reveal. Students created ornaments either for themselves of their secret Santa yesterday in Exploring Teaching and got to give them to each other today. This was a fun craft project and helped students learn about managing materials, maintaining a safe environment, and incorporating holidays, arts and creativity into a classroom.

Students with their ornaments

 

Sadie Long and Lori Wilson presented an interesting Christmas activity today; where students were required to complete Christmas movements. Tyler was the winner, doing a fantastic impression of a snowflake falling, reindeer prancing, and twisting like a candy cane. Cassie, Madison and Jordan had students create party hats to ring in the New Year and students reflected on their favorite quote, project or memory in Exploring Teaching.

This has been a wonderful semester and I am excited to see what Teaching Internship and the future brings for everyone.

Exploring Teaching Last Class Picture

Santa’s Helpers

Yesterday and today students in Exploring Teaching served as Santa’s helpers. We partnered with Nike elementary to write back to students in Kindergarten who practiced writing by writing a letter to Santa.  Students in Exploring Teaching were able to get into the holiday spirit and see how teachers can use resources in the community and school to accomplish projects. We enjoyed creating a postcard template using publisher, coloring in many candy canes and using glitter glue to personalize everyone's letters. We had an assembly line and each student helped to ensure all students in Kindergarten will have a letter written back to them.  

 

            Students are also celebrating their second day of Secret Santa. On Thursday students received letters and today secret Santas' brought in everyone’s favorite drinks. The poor weather put a damper on our celebration and we hope everyone has a safe weekend.

You're the Teacher: Assessments

Students in Exploring Teaching have been busy at work completing their last major assignment, “You’re the Teacher: Assessments.” Students divided up into groups and had to become the expert on one type of summative assessment. For this project, students had to put together a lesson plan, design the lesson, activities and notes handout and teach the class. We took this lesson one step further and students had to create an assessment assessing the class over their assessment lesson that followed all the assessment guidelines (try saying that 10 times fast).

            For example, one of our groups taught about True False assessments. For their assessment, they had to come up with at least 5 test questions over True False that were written in True False format.

1.      True or False? One strength of true/false tests is that you cover a lot of content is short period of time.

2.      True or False? One weakness of true/false tests is that they’re hard to write because you can’t have any true evidence in a false statement.

3.      True or False? On a true/false test the statements should be complex and hard to read.

4.      True or False? On a true/false test you should keep the sentences short.

5.      True or false? One strength of true/false tests is that they’re easy and reliable to grade.

Yesterday Casey and Kaylee presented a lesson over Authentic Assessments, which assess students’ knowledge based on actually “real world” tasks. They created a rubric and had the class split up into two teams to create poster about Christmas that demonstrates helping and how you can incorporate holidays into your room decorations and character education. This was a great way to assess Teachers, because teachers are responsible for decorating their own classroom.

Check out what students created below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students took the large assessment test today, having to write an essay, complete completion, short answer, true/false, matching, multiple Choice and High Order Thinking questions. Overall, I think everyone is glad to be done with assessments in Exploring Teaching.

Student Bulletin Designs Project Six

Happy Mini Series Monday!
            We wrapped up our sixth and last Monday Miniseries projects. Check out our newest door decoration and mini bulletin board below.

A frosty penguin created by Alexis and Tristan. Tristan and Alexis were inspired by a bulletin board on Pinterest and recreated their very own adorable penguin to grace my door.  

“Ms. Valvero’s” Reindeer” created by Jordan, Madison and Cassie by having students trace their hands and then creating reindeer antlers using their school photos.

“Just another School of Fish” created by Erikson and Catie. Catie and Erikson got the class involved by having everyone create their own unique sea creature.  

Stocking Fireplace created by Stefani, Shelby and Erika. The girls used wrapping paper and rolled traditional construction paper to create a 3-D fireplace. Each student has a stocking hanging.



Assessments

On Tuesday we began our Assessments unit. Assessments are a vital part of a teacher’s job whether it is preparing students for state and standardized assessments, creating assessments for a course, adjusting instructional strategies based on informal assessment feedback or interpreting data from assessments.  Assessment and Instruction are Inseparable!!

Students shared their feelings about assessment using the cell phones and PollEverywhere. Students also had many discussions about the purpose and necessity of grades, testing and assessments.

On Wednesday students took notes on the difference between formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are thought of as the steps up a mountain and summative occur when you are on the top and finished.

Students participated in 11 formative assessments and received a “Making Assessments Fun” packet for future use.

Student Bulletin Designs Project Five

Happy Mini Series Monday!
                We wrapped up our fifth Monday Miniseries projects. Check out our newest door decoration and mini bulletin board below.

Tyler, Sabryna and Caitlin designed a mini bulletin board and had each student in the class contribute to their tree by making a present or ornament.

Jacklyn, Sierra and Sam created a fun wintery door decoration incorporating snowflake coffee filters.

Happy Thanksgiving Break!!!

Today students wrapped up the curriculum unit and turned in both units they developed themselves.  Our class is looking forward to Thanksgiving break and had a mini celebration with Oreo turkeys, pilgrim hats, turkey cookies, Jell-O, rolls and soda.  I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful break!!! Make sure you check out our newsletter that was emailed out today!

Unit Planning

Students have been hard at work developing two units for their future classroom. Students were given the task of decided what grade level/class they were interested then and creating 2 units, each consisting of 3 lesson plans (following the Madeline Hunter model).

Students developed lessons according to the standards on www.ksde.org, the new common core standards (http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards) or the national standards for science, religion and Family and Consumer Sciences. After determining standards, students gained more practice writing learning objectives for their lesson. They then brainstormed a hook and planned each lesson. All materials, worksheets, tests, quizzes, worksheets, scorecards, power points, notes, and handouts are being created by students. Students then included a modification for specified special need identified in each lesson to optimize student learning.

Students are gaining a better understanding of the work involved in lesson planning and discovering a variety of lesson planning resources they can utilize in their future.

Modifications and Adaptations

Today in Exploring Teaching we discussed Special Education, IEPs and teachers' responsibilities as educators. We began our lesson with a test I created with different modifications and adaptations. Students were each given a modified version of a test and told to complete the test with no assistance. This was a frustrating experience for many, and offered different feelings and results depending on how modified a test each student received. After completing the test, we discussed how modifications enable all students to be successful.

Students were able to read through a sample IEP and create an IEP snapshot that a teacher may use to help determine adjustments in instructional planning based on learner performance. Students also began brainstorming modified instructional strategies they will be able to incorporate into their Unit Plans which we will be working on the until Thanksgiving break.

Thankful Door Decorations

On our Manic Monday I was unfortunately out with tonsillitis. Exploring Teaching divided into two groups and came up with two Thanksgiving Door Decorations to brighten up our classroom. Students did a great job working together, managing their time and coming up with a cohesive design.  

Check out our two newest door decorations:

 

 

 

Outside Observations

This past Friday and Monday students were given the opportunity to get outside of the classroom and observe teachers practicing instructional strategies and classroom management in their own classrooms. Students spent one manic period observing a freshman level course.

            Students arrived before the bell rang and acted as a silent observer, a process that is often done by an administrator when evaluating teachers. Students completed a Teacher Observation form and Behavior Management Checklist while in the classroom.

     This experience outside of the class helped student’s synthesis what we have been learning by providing them the opportunity to:

·         Explain ways to make the physical environment safe and conductive for learning.

·         Evaluate multiple teaching methods.  

·         Explain various instructional models.

·         Explain evidence that participants’ understanding of the topic advanced

·         Explain appropriateness of instructional models in terms of context and learner results.

·         Explain the importance of monitoring student understanding, giving feedback and adjusting instruction as needed.

Thank you to the many teachers at GEHS who opened their rooms to our students!

Instructional Strategy Packets

When creating a dynamic lesson plan, it’s important to incorporate instructional strategies throughout. Today students worked on their Instructional Strategies Packets, these packets can be used when they are creating lesson plans in the future and are full of ideas and strategies teachers can use to be an effective teacher.

Students worked to compile 30 strategies of their own, using district provided resources, internet based resources, Pinterest ideas, ideas from teachers and courses they have experienced and students own modified ideas.

Instructional Strategies

Students experienced a blast from the past the last three days by observing Instructional Strategies USD 231 produced from 2007-2009. Our Exploring Teaching course was able to take advantage of district provided teacher resources by watching instructional strategies performed by teachers.

Each instructional strategy video featured the name of the strategy, how it works/what it is used for, steps to carry out the strategy, film of the teacher using the strategy and variations/ideas for using the strategy in another subject or different way. We watched 30 instructional strategy clips, discussed the benefits and disadvantages of each and how student can implement them in their own classroom.

Students will be utilizing an instructional strategy of their choice to teach our class lesson and film their own instructional strategy video using a camcorder, IPad, or cell phone on either Friday or Monday.

Strategies we viewed:

1.      Alphabet Summary

2.      Answer or Opinion

3.      Backwards Summary

4.      Basketball

5.      Carousel Brainstorm

6.      Four corners

7.      Give Me 5

8.      Inner-Outer Circles

9.      Issues-Values Continuum

10.  Knock Out

11.  KWL Vignette

12.  Last Person Standing

13.  Line Up

14.  Luck of the Draw

15.  Make an Appointment

16.  Mix and Match

17.  One word summaries

18.  Pair Teaching

19.  Partners A and B

20.  Pyramid Show

21.  Save the Last word for me

22.  Sequence

23.  Summary Ball

24.  Take a Stand

25.  Teams Game Tournaments

26.  Think, pair, share

27.  3-2-1

28.  Ticket to Leave

29.  True False Unknown

30.  Who and What am  

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran’s Day from Exploring Teaching! Today we will attend GEHS’ annual Veteran’s Day Program. Thank you to our Veteran’s, current service men and women, and their families.

Instructional Strategies

            Today we began looking at instructional strategies students can use in their classroom. We viewed videos of instructional strategies of teachers in USD231 and took notes on strategies to use in the classroom. Students got to see former middle school teachers in action and will be recording their very own instructional strategy video next week when they must teach a lesson to the class incorporating astrategy.

Next week students will be charged with designing instructional strategies according to learner characteristics and adapting strategies to reflect learners’ needs. They will be creating an instructional strategies packed to help them develop dynamic lesson plans. Students will need to include a minimum of 30 strategies in their instructional strategies packet.

We ended class today by using instructional strategies that incorporate games. We played “hot potato” as a review where when students ended holding the potato when the song ended they had to answer a question. This strategy can be used for review in many classrooms and is a fun and interactive way to go over information.

Student Bulletin Designs Project Four

Happy Mini Series Monday!
            Today we wrapped up our fourth Monday Miniseries projects. This week students really thought out of the box using different materials and a movie for inspiration. Check out our newest door decoration and mini bulletin board below.



Casey Haas and Kaitlyn Williams used the movie Despicable Me for inspiration this week and created "A Minion Reasons to Love School."

Sadie Long and Lori Wilson got creative this week and had each student deocrate their own felt square with their "Fall Favorite." They then patchworked the squares together to make a Fall Favorite Quilt for Exploring Teaching.  

Diverse Learners and Special Needs

     Students spent today and yesterday researching a special need they would like to learn more about utilizing the internet and resource books in my classroom. They then gained practice working with google docs and submitting their findings to a Google form. Google docs is a great resource to use in a classroom because it stores all information in the "cloud", it also enables student to share work and work on a project simultaneously.

       Students then registered and created a PREZI presentation. Prezi is a presentation tool similar to PowerPoint with different features. This can be used to present information to a classroom, or accompany a lecture. Please click on the links below so check out each student’s final Prezi presentation.

• ADD:    http://prezi.com/qqn3io6oz4um/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• ADHD:    http://prezi.com/pzzmvxoorlpr/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Asperger’s syndrome:http://prezi.com/vcuwnzuheqld/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Bipolar:     http://prezi.com/-mscrtapiwlc/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Down Syndrome:  http://prezi.com/afavs47ctsz1/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Dyspraxia:  http://prezi.com/9f7rqhoxzcxm/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Dyscalculia:   http://prezi.com/bhad3xcdvov_/?utm_campaign=share&utm
• Gifted Children:  http://prezi.com/tvv7exqjpl5g/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
• Multiple Sclerosis: http://prezi.com/lgj06eqdbtlt/multiple-sclerosis/
• OCD:  http://prezi.com/tlfuex6kq7ai/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Happy Halloween

 

Exploring Teaching with their Compliment Chains on Halloween

Exploring Teaching celebrated Halloween in style today. Students brought in treats to snack on throughout the hour. We had hoho cakes, acorn donuts, cheesecake, cake balls, cupcakes, chips, Halloween mix and lots of soda.
    Part of our party involved passing back each student’s compliment chain to celebrate National Bullying Prevention Month. Every day in the month of October, each student in the class wrote a compliment to another student to create a chain of compliments for each individual. This activity helped our classroom climate become even more positive and allowed students to point out the good in others.

            While enjoying our treats we finished watching Adam and discussed strategies teachers can use to teach skills to students with disabilities. The movie had an unsatisfying ending for many students and we discussed how instead of portraying a happy ending, the movie reflected the reality of Adam’s life as an individual with Asperger’s who deals with everyday problems we all encounter.