See you all, when I see you

     When I first started this class, I had no idea what to expect. When I saw the agenda with the work load, I remember thinking to myself, shoot me now. At the same time, I told myself...I really need this class to graduate, I can do this. Now that the course is over I'm sad to say goodbye. I feel like we have become a family, and I don't want to say goodbye to everyone.
     I learned so much from this class. I can honestly say this methods class, was the first method class that I have taken that I can walk away with so much knowledge gained. I learned so many great strategies and ideas. It was refreshing having a methods class not all about creating a lesson and carrying it out. I actually learned content. Every time I had a writing assignment, all I could think was why do we have so much writing assignments? But I'm glad I did, I feel like my writing has greatly improved, including my speaking. It was nerve-racking every time I had to share my opinion, but after doing it so many times in class it became easier.
     I loved and enjoyed every assignment given, but my favorite one by far was the three positive things about my classmates. I really enjoyed it because it touched my heart. I could not have survived this class without all of my classmates.

 Friends,
I learned so much from each and everyone of you. You are all so great in different ways, and I feel like I have a little bit of all you that I will apply in my teaching. You all enlightened me with the way you view teaching and education, and I'm so grateful for each of you.

With all that said goodbye everyone. Good luck next semester with classes and student teaching. I hope we still keep in touch. For everyone still taking classes, I hope you all continue to help each other. Lets all promise to keep blogging. It will be nice to get advice on what we're doing and planning.

Take care everyone!!!

This is Amanda signing out :)

LAST DAY OF CLASS

Today was our last day of class, and I cannot believe how far we've come. I remember the first day like it was yesterday. I was doubting myself lol, but I  knew if I just focused and kept up with everything I would succeed. I just want to thank you all ladies for being such great classmates and helping me out through this journey. I have made a lot of new friends and I'm glad I took this reading class because I  have learned so much since day one. I also liked how we had moodle sessions and blogs because it has made me a better writer and it kind of keeps me in check. I also want to thank Dr. Rivera for all the strategies and tools that she has taught us. I'm walking away with a new perspective on reading and a whole lot of knowledge . I will definitely take what I've learned and apply it when I have a class of my own. Thank you all again and we will definitely see each other around! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Last Day of Class

       Looking back at the first day of class, I would have never thought I would finish all of the requirements for this class. Everything we did in this class was worth it. Being in this class has made me become an effective scholar in teaching reading to children. I have gained so much knowledge in this class that will benefit me in the future.  I believe that once I become a teacher I will be ready and can teach my students what I have learned in this class, such as the effective strategies, online resources, tips, and tools. It is up to me to help them learn that reading is not difficult, and it can be fun and enlightening no matter what. I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of my classmates and Dr. Rivera. They have made this learning experience a fun journey I will not forget. As Dr. Rivera always says, “Learning is Ongoing”.

Have a safe, great, & fun summer everyone!!!!!

Farewell...

Today was our last day of class. We had a little breakfast potluck provided by our class. Thank you to Ms. Kelcy for blessing the table and saying a little speech.

I really liked how we all shared our experience of the class. Alot of us mentioned the many strategies and skills we learned in the course throughout the semester. Even though at the beginning of the semester, when we took that first look at the syllabus, we felt overwhelmed by the many required assignments, we all got through it as a class. I enjoyed this semester and would recommend Dr. Rivera to continue teaching this elementary method course. Awesome job to our professor, fellow classmates, and ourselves for getting through the semester and learning from eachother!

Last Day :-(

In today's session we were able to listen to each other reminisce about the semester.  I cannot believe that it is already at it's end!  It was definitely fun working with everyone and making new friends!  As I mentioned this morning, I only knew Evin from math class, but now I know everyone!  And everyone is so nice and sweet!  I have learned a lot from this class and I will definitely use all the knowledge that I have gained from this class in my own classroom.  Thank you all for being such great classmates and great friends!

Last Day...Bittersweet!

Wow...we are done. Thank you everyone for such a great semester. I have learned so much and I am so happy that we were able to get through it together. I can now say that I do have a bag full ready for any event my classroom may run into. All the information we have shared has allowed me to really think about the future. The activities we have done were so fun and interesting. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER FRIENDS!!! Fight for what you believe.

Final Celebration

Congratulations everyone! Today was our last day of class and it was a great get together! Thank you for all the food donations and for your wonderful words of wisdom. This semester definitely went by very quickly. Some of us felt a bit intimidated when we first started the course. The aspect of online and in class sessions was new to many of us. But, the workload and hybrid characteristic were some of the reasons why we have learned so much. I also truly learned from all of you. Thank you for being such great peers, resources, and friends. We have become a very close group and family. Let's keep in touch and stay close. And remember that the class blog will still be up and accessible for us. Continue to post and comment. It is important that we share our ideas and experiences with each other throughout our educational and teaching journey.

A big thank you to Dr. Rivera for being a phenomenal professor. She has been an awesome mentor and teacher. I will always remember what we've learned and I will advocate our motto: "Learning is ongoing!" See you all and keep in touch, even if it's only on our blog.


Love you all, Rachel

Last Day :(

          I cannot believe that the semester is over! It was really fun learning and growing with all of you. I'm glad I was able to share this experience with close friends and to also make new friends at the same time. What I loved most about this course was how much information and strategies that we have learned from Dr. Rivera and each other. As for the Moodle sessions, I felt that it helped me digest the material and discussions more, being that I'm a visual learner. I also love viewing everyone's views on the topic being discussed because it shows me other's perspective and gives me something to think about. When I first viewed the syllabus for this class, I was not sure if I could handle the work load, but as time progressed, I realized that these assignments and discussions really helped me and has offered me so much knowledge about reading. I'm really glad I was able to work with Dr. Rivera and all of you. I will miss this class, but I know we will all see each other around!

Literacy is Everywhere!!

This post is for last Thursday. I did not realize that we were suppose to blog. However, I am please to say that I am finally done with everything. It was pretty interesting to look for online literacy sites. Some sites were very acceptable others not too much but it was a great experience. I also turned in my book review on the Little Red Hen which is another classic. I really hope you all are having a great wrap up and see you all on Thursday!!

The semester is almost over!

Hello everyone! I hope your week has gone well! This week's assignments includes the book review and effective literacy website reviews. I am sure that you all have found great resources to share. Just for your information, check out my three websites that I found that will help us as teachers: Reading Rockets, ReadWorks, and ReadWriteThink. Perhaps some of you chose the same websites. When searching for websites, there were so many that I found to be useful. It just goes to show how technology can help us as educators (and students, of course). Don't forget to work on your final self reflections. I know that we all have great things to say about this course! See you next week!

Book Review/Literacy Website

Hey everyone, today we were supposed to upload our book review #2 and our effective literacy website #3. I didn't know we were having a party, but I'm looking forward to it! Have a great weekend ladies!

CHECKING -IN

Hey everyone,

So today we were suppose to upload the book review, effective literacy paper, and blog. I hope everyone is doing well. I can't wait for our party..I love eating :)

Ok see you all next week.

Philosophies

          Today everyone presented their teaching philosophies. It was so surprising how everyone had similar ideas, such as acceptance, collaboration, preparation, inclusion, and keeping lesson plans new and fresh. After hearing what everyone had to say, I am so proud to say that we have all came a long throughout the course of this class. For the last part of class we wrote 3 positive things about each other, and we shared it. I really liked how we did this. This was the first time I have ever done this activity. I want to do this in my future classroom. This activity ended today's class session on such a positive note.

Thank you everyone for all your positive notes, it truly meant a lot to me!!

Great Philosophies! Call Of Duty!

   Todays class we presented our major beliefs on the teaching reading and how it is important for students. I really enjoyed everyone's philosophies and everyone made a lot of really good points. Understanding that we as teachers need to ensure that our students acquire the proper reading skills and knowledge so that they can succeed not only in school, but also out in the real world. Everyone did a great job and it has opened my eyes to all the different aspects to teaching reading. I also enjoyed the evaluation of our classmates and how we had to mention three positive attributes. Made me realize how awesome everyone is and you are all great friends!

Thank you Ladies :)

Major Beliefs in Teaching Reading

Today we presented our Philosophy on Reading. My major beliefs was to have a positive and fun filled environment, be creative when creating lessons so that students will stay engaged, be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all our students and use their strengths to accomplish the skills needed to learn, and to use the strategies we learned in college in our future classrooms.

I really enjoyed all of the presentations, it is a good way for us as future teachers to be aware of the different beliefs and how we can relate. I liked how Rachel had a presentation on the board on her major beliefs on reading. I liked how she mentioned that we should not only use the books but we should find other ways that worked to teach a lesson.

I noticed that most of our beliefs were similar but were presented in our own way. I know I was nervous, which I always am in front of adults. When I teach little ones, I don't get nervous. Oh, how I wish I could just not be nervous.

Philosophy Presentations

   In today's class session everyone presented on their philosophy on teaching reading. It was interesting and refreshing to hear everyone's beliefs on the subject and I found that my philosophy is similar to most of my classmates'. I found that I agreed and support all the philosophies that were presented because there were points that I definitely agree with and others that make me wonder why I hadn't thought of including in my philosophy. Some points that were mentioned was how reading occurs and is important in all content areas. Another that stuck to me was how we as educators need to be open-minded on the different strategies and tools that is available for us to utilize in our classrooms with our students. I enjoyed hearing everyone's presentations today and has reassured me that we all have the same mentality and beliefs, which goes to show that UOG has great teachers in the making.

Philosophy in Teaching Reading

     Today was a fun filled day full of presentations of philosophies in teaching reading. As a future educator, I believe that the goal of teaching reading is to give students the skills, strategies, and knowledge to read fluently and understand various texts. It is important that we, as teachers make reading a fun learning experience that students can enjoy. Everyone had great key points in teaching reading, such as integrating reading to content areas, technology, and making the learning environment positive and fun. It was interesting to listen to everyone's philosophy, because I know we will be great educators when we have our classroom. Everyone did a great job!!! I also liked how we ended the class with "Dr. Rivera's Pea". It was a great way to end our class with saying 3 positive things about our classroom.

Philosophy Presentations!

Today we all shared our philosophies about the teaching of reading. It was nice to be able to rate and comment on the presentations. It offers us the chance to read feedback from our classmates, which will help us for future speaking tasks. Everyone had great points to share, many beliefs were similar in nature. Kelsey mentioned that reading is a life skill, which is absolutely true. I also liked Rhea's ideas about early childhood reading strategies. Amanda recommended that our philosophies should not be just beliefs, but actions that we all need to perform as teachers. She is completely right on! I truly enjoyed each person's views about the teaching of reading. We all want the best for our students so no matter what our individual views are, we all have a common goal. I know that we will be reaching out to each other throughout our teaching careers. Thank you everyone for all that you have shared with me throughout this semester. And even though the semester is almost over, remember that learning is ongoing!

Words of WISDOM!!!

What a day! We shared our philosophies, and boy don't we have great minds. Many of us focused in on many of the same things and I thought that was really neat. I really thought everyone made it special by adding a pinch of themselves weather it is their specialties or focusing in on our majors. Now that the semester is coming so close to the end you can feel that we are all trying to get things done and stay on top of all our classes. YOU ARE ALL A GREAT BUNCH!!! Thank you for being such great classmates and friends. Dr. Rivera you have taught us many things that I will bring with me where ever I take my bag of tricks. Since we also focused in on positive I just wanted to add that too.

Philosophy Presentation

          In today's class session, we presented our philosophy papers.  Although I only discussed a snippet of my paper, I found it difficult to stand up there and try to remember everything from the top of my head. I really enjoyed listening to everyone else's philosophies on their teaching of reading because we all had different beliefs.  Overall, we all believe that reading is a very important skill to master and that can only be beneficial to our future as well as our students' future.
          We also did a little activity where we had to write three positive things about each of our classmates.  I found the activity easy to do simply because I have nothing but nice things to say about my classmates.  I have grown to know each of them better than I did at the beginning of the semester, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn and grow with them.  I also hope that we will not become strangers after we all have obtained our degrees.
         

ED357 REMINDERS AND MORE

Dear ED357 Students,

I'm pleased with the work that you've accomplished, knowledge that you've gained, literacy strategies that you've learned, and so much more!

In any event, it's that time of the semester again wherein we need to finalize all remaining course requirements. By now all assignments that you've submitted throughout the semester should have been graded. If I missed anything, please let me know as soon as possible.

If you haven't caught up, it is imperative that you communicate with me immediately. I have made considerations on a case-by-case basis with the understanding that quality work will be submitted.

Keep in mind that this Thursday we will be meeting in class. Be prepared to present your philosophy on the teaching of reading.  As a recap, the following are the remaining topics for our class:

MAY 2:                     

-Present philosophy about the teaching of reading

-Post Reflection in Class Blog at www.blogger.com  (http://ed357spring2013.blogspot.com)

MAY 7:                      

Moodle Session:

-Philosophy Paper Due

-Effective Literacy Website #1 Review Due

MAY 9:          

Moodle Session:

-Book Review #2 Due

-Effective Literacy Website #2 Review Due

-Post Reflection in Class Blog at www.blogger.com  (http://ed357spring2013.blogspot.com)

MAY 14:                    

Moodle Session:

-Final Self-Reflection Due

-Effective Literacy Website #3 Review Due

MAY 16:                    

-LiveText Presentation

-Learning Log Due

-Post Final Reflection in Class Blog at www.blogger.com    (http://ed357spring2013.blogspot.com)

----------

Be sure to also keep up with your blogging, as it is part of our online collaboration. You must reply/comment on your classmates' postings/entries as well.

I modified the lengthy LiveText Portfolio designing/submission in order to meet the needs of those who require additional time to complete the rest of the course requirements. Therefore, with regards to LiveText, you will only be required to submit the main artifact, namely the write-up for the presentation of the teaching aid, as this will be evaluated with an oral presentation rubric in LiveText.  You may submit this in LiveText now, if you haven't already.

Good luck, keep me posted, and I’ll see you on Thursday!

All the best,
Dr. Rivera

Book Reviews & Much More

      I really enjoyed today's class discussions, which were different children books, students with special needs, and classroom management. Reading different types of books to students is important, because it allows them to learn and be engage in the story. Everyone's choice of book was very diverse, i.e. fables (Jen's book: Doctor De Soto, Evin's book: The Ant and the Grasshopper), philosophical (Kelsey's book: The Giving Tree), science fiction (Amanda's book: A Wrinkle in Time), and child friendly (Rachel's book: Mouse Mess and Rhea's book: The Artist who Painted a Horse Blue). All of the books that were mentioned in class were great books that any teacher can incorporate in his/her classroom. I will definitely use these books in my future classroom, because they are fun and it will make the students learn.

     The next topic that we discuss in class were students with special needs and classroom management. I believe that students with a disability are capable of succeeding in life the same way a “normal” (as society perceives) person can. They are capable of doing what other people can do; the only difference is that individuals with a disability have a unique way of learning and living life. It is important that schools provide awareness or training to those who are working with individuals with disabilities, because it will allow them to understand their disability and provide accommodations.

     Classroom management is one of the most important functions in a classroom. It ensures that students are staying on task and continually learning material that is being taught. How a classroom is managed is a  reflection of the teacher and their ability to prepare for any situations that may occur in the classroom. 

Accommodating disabilities and classroom management

          In today's class session I shared my practicum experience from this morning, and my book review.  I shared the book Doctor De Soto with a second grade class at Price Elementary.  After reading the story, the students completed a story map that included the title, characters, setting, problem, and solution.  When they were finished with the story map, I asked them to write their own story continuing from where we left off with Doctor De Soto and his wife taking the day off.  I asked them to draw a picture to illustrate what they think the De Soto's did.  The students' stories were very interesting, some of them wrote about going shopping at Macy's and going to the beach.
          We also discussed disabilities and how we can accommodate our students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment.  Some disabilities we discussed were speech impairments, visual impairments, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and emotional disorders.  I believe knowledge about how we can accommodate these students are very important because they are mainstreamed into our classroom.  I like how Rachel and Amanda shared their ideas on how we can solve the problems that regular classroom teachers are faced with when teaching or dealing with a student with a disability.
          The last topic we talked about in class was classroom management.  It is very important to have strong management skills when it comes to your classroom.  It not only will encourage student learning, but it will also help the teacher as well.  Overall, I absorbed a lot of information from today's session as far as disabilities, classroom management, and the integration of technology.  Today's session also added more titles to my book list!

Special Needs/ Book Review

   Today in class, we discussed our book review #1 and explained how it will impact student learning. I thought all the stories were great and I will definitely keep them in mind to use in my future class. We also discussed how to approach students with special needs and what strategies work best. Inclusion is a critical part when teaching and allowing all students to be a part of the mainstream classroom is very important. We went over accommodations and modifications and the possible training that teachers need to be well equipped in the classroom. Our role as a teacher is to facilitate and we have create an environment that students will feel comfortable in. Providing a print rich environment is one of the many things teachers can do to make the classroom more inviting. Learning about all the different strategies and approaches to include all students, especially students with special needs is something that I will definitely keep in mind, and hopefully in the future I will take more courses on special education to enhance my knowledge.

Congratulations everyone! We finished the book! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Books To Share

     Today we shares all our book review books. I really liked the books everyone selected. Some of the books shared was the Mouse Mess, The Lourax, Doctor DeSoto, The Giving Tree and the Wrinkle in Time. They are all great stories to put into our classroom library. I am excited to get a chance to read the books I haven't read yet.
     We also talked about SPED and having children with disabilities in our class room and classroom management. We discussed ways we can accommodate them in our classroom such as giving children more time or following BMPs. I am disappointed that not all education majors have a chance to be introduced to the basic information of SPED situations. I really think it is something important and we should be given more opportunities to gain some knowlege on the children with these special needs.
     As for classroom management I think it takes a good teacher a couple tries to get something down packed in their classroom. As we know every year is a new set of children and we are not always lucky to have the same method work with a new bunch. However we do need to always be ready with a back up plan the event plans A, B, C, and D do not work. Being prepared is key.

Book Reviews, Special Needs, and Classroom Management

   In today's session everyone shared their book reviews with the class. There was some books that were familiar like The Lorax and Dr. DeSoto, then there were others like The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse and A Wrinkle in Time. I was pleased to hear about all the new stories that were discussed today and to also reminisce with those that I have read before.
   After everyone presented their books, Dr. Rivera started her lecture on special needs. She touched base with the different acronyms and laws that were associated with special needs and followed after were the different accommodations we can provide students, whether they have disabilities or gifted. The next discussion we had was about classroom organization and management. Things we discussed were how teachers are facilitators and decision maker and that it is our responsibility to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment. some factors that can create such an environment are to have age appropriate furniture (sink, toilets, counters, etc) and to also make it print rich. I feel that a classroom should be in a sense animated and eye-catching for students so that they will enjoy being in the classroom, but not to the point where it would be distracting during instruction.

Readers with Special Needs and Classroom Management

Great discussion today! The focus was on students with special needs and classroom management. It is very important to understand that students with special needs need to be included in instruction like everyone else. I truly feel that more training should be required of teachers regarding strategies and accommodations. We, as college students aspiring to be educators, also should take courses that emphasize this issue. Classroom management is also essential. Unless a teacher has a good hold of their class regarding behavior, learning will be affected. Behavior is becoming a big reason why students are struggling in school. I also enjoyed everyone's book discussions. There are so many wonderful books that we can use in our class so it was really hard to choose. What's important is that we utilize books that engage students and can help them meet learning objectives. Good job to Jen who did her practicum today. It sounded like the students enjoyed it!

Classroom Management

Today after all presentations, we discussed classroom management. I wanted to focus on classroom management for the blog because classroom management is very important for a conducive learning environment. Dr. Rivera gave us a lot of tips for good classroom management.

- positive and negative reinforcement
- using buddy systems
- arranging desks properly
- making a comfortable learning environment
- keeping your classroom safe
- using paraprofessionals
- good relationships with stakeholders

There are so many ways we can practice good classroom management. As teachers, because learning is ongoing, we should always take extra training courses.

Besides this great classroom discussion, I just wanted to tell everyone that I truly enjoyed all your book reviews. Have a great weekend!

Practicum Experiences and Tech Tools

   Last class session was filled with so much great resources and practicum sharing. Everyone had awesome technology tools that I could see myself using in the classroom. I would love to use the tool Rachel had shared with us (Raz Kids). It seems like a good way to keep track of students' progress/grade, plus a fun activity for them to do for computer time.
   I enjoyed hearing everyone's practicum experiences and how successful they were in executing their lessons. I most especially proud of Angela and Evin for keeping such a huge class engaged and entertained. Having the same class and teacher as them, I know how challenging it can be to keep the class on track and to control the noise level of over 30 5th graders. Bravo!

Great Tools and Experiences!!

Wow! Last class we shared so many great tools. I am so excited to try them all out. I really hope to use technology in my class so many of the tools shared will really come in handy. I like how the tools shared ranged in price, age group, resource, and accessibility. The Raz-Kids, EZ School, the IPad and all the other tools are so great to hear about and how useful they all can really be. 

We were also able to hear most of the practicum experiences. Everyone pretty much had a great turn out. It was nice to hear that everyone was able to get something out of the practicums. It was funny how Kelsey, Angela and Evin each had the same teacher and how they had to work around the great number of students in their class. Jessilyn was able to see the teacher extend her lessons and stayed the whole day. I had a great time with my students and was happy with the outcome. Overall it was a great turn out for everyone.

Technology tools/ Practicum

   Today we finished up our practicum presentations and we also presented our technology tools and resources. I enjoyed listening to everyone’s practicum experience and it really gave me ideas and made me realize how many different ways we can approach students with lessons. I had fun doing my lesson at Price and I know that the students were really engaged. Although it took me two days to do my lesson, I know the students learned something in the end. We also talked about the different technology tools and resources that can be used in the classroom. I think all the tools that were discussed today were very useful and I wrote them all down so I can refer back to them when I start teaching. Everyone did an awesome job and learning is ongoing so I can’t wait to see what other great tools and ideas are coming our way!

Technology Resource

Today's class focused on technology resources.  The technology resource tool that I chose to share was the iPad.  I believe that the iPad would be a good tool to use in the classroom because it is so convenient.  The iPad is portable and can be easily connected to the internet through wifi. I would use the iPad mostly for ebooks and comprehension.  Everyone else had a chance to share their technological resources as well.  I thought the sites were very interesting and useful, many of them I have not had the opportunity to work with but now that I am aware of them I would definitely use them in my classroom.  Although they were very good resources, the only downfall with some of the websites is that you have to pay in order to access the full feature.

I also had the opportunity to listen to some of the practicum experiences.  I thought all their practicum experiences were interesting especially since I had not done mine yet.  It gave me an idea of what to expect when I actually start teaching my lesson.  As I listened to Kelsey, Evin, and Angela's presentation I thought to myself how overwhelming it might have been to teach a class with over thirty students!  Great job to the three of you!  In Rhea's presentation, I like how she integrated technology to help carry out her lesson.  I also liked the idea of comparing two stories that have similar elements.  Jessilyn's adjective lesson was also interesting.  I like how the children were able to describe the apple as being red when the instructions were to feel the object!  Overall, we had a great class that I thought was very informative and full of potential resources!  Keep them coming!

Technology Tools

Today's class focused on different technology tools and resources that can impact student learning. There are so many different software programs and devices teachers can use so picking one was really difficult. It was great to see the different ideas from everyone, especially because of the variety of uses. I definitely would utilize all the suggestions from the class. I introduced the website, Raz-Kids (http://www.raz-kids.com), which is a great literacy interactive tool for use in the classroom. I also enjoyed hearing about practicum experiences. Everyone did such a great job! I plan to note down their lesson ideas and use them in the future. It is always fun sharing and learning at the same time!

Technology Tools

Today in class we all presented our technology tools. Majority of all our tools, were tools that had multiple uses. For example, students can read, take tests, review, etc. on the site. All the tools were also versatile for more than one grade level.
My tool was studysync. Its so unfortunate that it's specifically for middle and high school students, I hope they decide to target elementary so I can use it. However, Rachel's raz-kid is similar but for elementary. So maybe I'll use that instead. I wish all the tools were free, but Dr. Rivera mentioned grant writing.
Overall, everyone's tools were excellent. I'm glad they shared them with us. Good job everyone! Great tools and great microteaching practicums!!!

Professional Articles

   In today’s class we presented our professional article #2. It was great to hear about all the different articles and how we can relate and learn from them. Understanding what works and how we can help students succeed in reading is what we as teachers should do. My article is called “Reading in the Digital Age: Using Electronic Books as a Teaching Tool for Beginning Readers” by Katia Ciampa. My article was about the use of eBooks in the classroom and to see if it has a significant difference from regular reading instruction. I think introducing new ways to motivate students to read and to keep them focused is something that teachers should be always looking out for. Technology is becoming more and more advanced and I think we need to be familiar with all the new stuff that is coming out, especially if it will benefit students in the classroom. Today’s class session was very informative and I hope to hear more great ideas next time we meet. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Professional Article

Today's sharing of professional articles was very interesting. I enjoyed listening to everyone's articles, especially because it was good to keep tabs on current research. My article was: "A Breakthrough for Josh: How Use of an iPad Facilitated Reading Improvement" by Barbara McClanahan, Kristen Williams, Ed Kennedy, and Susan Tate. The article is about how the iPad helped to improve reading skills for a 5th grade student with ADHD. I thought it was important to think about different ways to help students with disabilities. Evin and Rhea also shared similar technology articles, which shows that technology is becoming more and more a part of educational environments. With all the articles, we were able to share our ideas and thoughts. It was a really good class discussion. I look forward to next week's class when we will share technology tools and hopefully hear about some practicum experiences. Have a good weekend everyone!

Professional Article Presentation

In today's session, we presented our professional articles to the class. I really enjoyed hearing everyone's articles and how they would either apply it and their personal reaction to the article. The presentations have really given me a lot to think about, most especially the strategies on what we can utilize in the classroom, such as technology (ipads, ebooks, etc) and developing open-mided students by providing critical thinking and open-ended questions for books and other reading material.

Articles Worth Reading!!

This class time we went over some great articles dealing with many tools and strategies to use in our classes. I really think that these articles are such great ideas and tools. Personally, knowing about what we can be ready for puts some relief in having my own classroom. From the great technology tools to use in the classroom and techniques to help our students think critically are all very important. I am sure we will all use these ideas one way or another.

My article is First Graders with iPads? by Saran Getting and Karin Swainey from Learning and Leading with Technology.

Professional Article Presentations

Adolescent Literacy: More than Remediation Gina Biancarosa Educational Leadership 2012

Today everyone presented their professional articles, there was so much information that I can't summarize everyone's presentation. Thankfully everyone is going to blog their articles so that I can go back and read them.

In general, all the articles presented today were very helpful. I can see the importance of integrating all the ideas from them in my classroom. I noticed that most of the articles integrated the use of technology. I really appreciate that Rhea brought up that point how we're scared to have our students work with gadgets because they are expensive, and we don't want them to break it. However, Kelsey pointed out that there are so many accessories to keep our gadgets safe. This is the age of the digital era, most of the children can operate these tech tools better than we can...so we just have to give them chance.

Integrating Technology in a Classroom

     Technology has evolved throughout the years and has been an important tool in today’s society, especially in education. The integration of technology in education is no longer a "new" idea. Because technology has become such a vital part of society, it is necessary to integrate its use in education in a variety of ways. Today's technology can provide teachers and students with opportunities for teaching and learning that were impossible in the past.
     The class discussion on using technology in a classroom was very informative. I really liked how several of our classmates gave examples of websites for our future reference. Some of the websites included teacherspayteachers.com, share my lesson, and weesing.com. There were many technology tools that were mentioned in the class discussion, such as Prezi (online presentation tool), a Smart Board, Elmo, instructional transparencies (overhead projector), television programs (PBS, Reading Rainbow, Mister Rogers, etc.), and audio recordings (CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-Rays, and cassette tapes, etc.).
     Using technology in the classroom has many benefits, such as improving overall skills in reading, math, and writing, motivates the students’ interest in learning, and prepares students for the future. Technology can be beneficial in a classroom, but it also has its negative impacts. Technology can distract some students and can be expensive. Another negative impact of technology is not all teachers are comfortable using technology and they are not properly trained. As future educators, it is important that we always remember that “we are the teachers, not technology”.

Technology in the Classroom

On Thursday, Dr. Rivera lectured on technology in the classroom.  We discussed how important it is to evaluate the technology you would like to use in your classroom, to be sure that it would be effective for learning.  We also discussed the different levels of technology such as computers/laptops, the iphone, smartboard, and ELMO.  These are all very useful technological aids to help assist in student learning.  These days, the students are so technologically in tune that they may know how to use a tool more effectively than the teacher!  So, it is very important for teachers to be updated on the different tools and uses.  I was also very happy to learn about new resources that are available to us via the internet.  Sites that were shared by Amanda and Rachel such as Share My Lesson and Teachers Pay Teachers, are very useful resources for us students training to be teachers, as well as seasoned teachers.  I liked how we had blast from the past moments discussing Barney, Reading Rainbow, and Steve & Greg!  It really brought back memories of when I was in elementary school.  Although they are considered medium technology, I really learned from them then, I might revive them in my own classroom!  Another part of the class I enjoyed was Amanda's recap on her practicum lesson.  I really liked her parody of Sleeping Beauty and I loved the way she read it!  She was so excited to read her story and I am glad she shared it with us!

Technology tools

   Today’s class focused on technology on how it has evolved throughout the years. We went over all the new devices that we have today, like the ipad, tablets, smart boards, etc. These tools help enhance learning, but are something that teachers should not rely on. We also went over devices like av-projectors, and Velcro books.  We hardly use these types of technology today, but they are still very effective.  We as teachers have to be prepared and familiar with both teaching students the manual way and also teaching them with technology. Remember we are the power in the classroom and we are there to share our knowledge. We also went over the different websites that teachers can benefit from, such as pbs.com and sharemylesson.com. These sites can help teachers with lesson plans and activities for students and it’s free of charge.

   Amanda also shared her practicum lesson with us today. She read the story Waking Beauty, which is a parody of sleeping beauty. I bet the kids really enjoyed the story. I also liked her activity that she had the kids do. It helped me out and gave me ideas of what to do for my students when I do my practicum.

Amanda's Lesson

Technology and Literacy

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful spring break! Today's session focused on technology and how it is a teaching tool. The discussion included different types of technology tools that can aid us in meeting our teaching objectives. It was fun talking about the "old" gadgets in comparison to what we use now. Since I am an older student, I can definitely relate to the more simpler technology. I have to say that I don't believe that the lack of technology in my school days impeded my learning at all. A good teacher should be able to successfully teach regardless of how many (or little) teaching aids and tools he or she has access to. We must remember not to be reliant on technology to do our jobs. Still, technology has been proven to enhance learning and build motivation and interest. Thus, it should be used whenever appropriate. And great job to Amanda, who shared her lesson with us today! I truly loved all her ideas and her story was hilarious. I look forward to hearing about the practicum experiences of the rest of the class! Have a great weekend!

Technological Era

Hurray, I finished my lesson practicum. Today, I presented my lesson I carried out at Price Elementary. The lesson focused on character mapping for the story Waking Beauty. Overall the practicum was very successful, and the students really enjoyed the story.

In class we also discussed different online resources. Here is the link for my resource: sharemylesson This website allows teachers to share lesson plans they've developed for free. It has lesson plans for grades K through 12. It's user friendly because you can search by features (i.e. grade level, subject/content, topic, standard, etc.)

Finally, we touched up on integrating technology in the classroom. There are so many pros and cons to the technological era. I can see both sides to this debate. I can't really say whether I am for or against it. I think that we should focus on what the goal is for the lesson we're teaching, and let that dictate whether or not to use technology. For example, in writing a research paper if the goal is how to look for  information using books then don't allow them to use computers. If the goal is how to properly format your final draft of the paper, then allow them to use computers. Whether you love or hate technology its inevitable that technology is here to stay, as future educators just make sure you evaluate your tech tools.


  

Self Reflection

   Today we had to turn in our midterm self-reflection, which was not an easy task. It took quite a while for me to write because assessing myself was something I don’t do every day. It really helped me understand where I need to improve in this class. I have learned a lot since day one and it has been a great experience. From learning the different approaches and aspects of reading, it has given me a better understanding of what students need to become proficient readers. I want to be able to teach reading to students in way they can understand the material, and also make it fun at the same time. We’re half way through the semester and it feels like everything is happening so fast. I’m excited to learn more on the different approaches and tools used for reading and I can’t wait for all the great ideas! Hope everyone has a great Easter break!

Reflecting

   Today's assignment was to produce a midterm reflection of ourselves in this course based on the guidelines Dr. Rivera has provided us. Before writing my reflection I thought it was going to be an "easy squeezy" assignment to do...boy, was I wrong! I found it quite difficult to self reflect, only because I do not do every so often. After 10 minutes of staring at my computer screen I started, then it became easier and easier as I went. Once I completed my reflection, I felt so refreshed seeing my thought and feelings in text rather than just cooped up inside my noggin. I am really glad that we were able to do an assignment like this.

My Midterm Reflection

     Looking back on the first day of reading methods, I remember I was scared and nervous. The course requirements were overwhelming for me and I thought to myself, “How am I going to keep up with all these assignments?” But as the days went by, I was able to keep up with all the requirements for class, such as attendance, participation, and assignments.
      This course has made me grow into a better student and person; because I am able to take the knowledge (i.e. basic theories and different approaches in teaching reading to children) that I have learned and apply it one day in my classroom. I will continue to do my best to keep up with all of the assignments, participation, and attendance. I look forward to what the rest of the semester has to offer and cannot wait to learn more about teaching reading to children.

Wow it felt like yesterday...

   I don't believe we are already writing our mid-term papers. Time goes by so fast and I can not imagine how much quicker the end of the semester will come after I turn in this blog. I am happy about all the new things we have been learning and excited for more to come. But as I mentioned in my reflection there are some things I still need to work on before the end of the semester. I am happy I was able to think about how it has been so far. Sometimes you don't stop and think when you are so busy going.
   This class has been a great experience but I do hope everyone else is having a great time too. Besides practicum I feel very confident in our class and how much we will all miss it when we are done. I am ready to finish my practicum but it still take some time. Great work everyone keep it up!

Midterm Self Reflection

Hello everyone! As you are all aware, our mid-term self reflection is due today. For me, it is much more difficult to reflect on oneself than on other topics. It took me quite a long time to complete my reflection because I really wanted to focus on aspects of myself that I thought helped me throughout the course. I also talked about what I have learned so far and what I liked best about the course. Reflection is important for teachers because it allows us to step back and assess our own attitudes, behavior, actions, and feelings. Doing this will help us realize what is not working, what is successful, and how we can improve. I am thankful that we have the opportunity to reflect on our performance in this course. For sure, it will help us complete the semester with satisfaction and pride. Have a great Spring Break everyone!

Self Reflection

Hello everyone,

          Before I begin, let me forewarn you that I'm in a pondering mood right now. With that said let me begin by reflecting on the midterm. As all of you know, it was not your typical question and answer exam, but instead a reflection.

          I sincerely appreciated this reflection. I really needed to sit down, and think about this. Believe me when I say I did, because I really did. First thing that popped into my head, was wow its already mid semester. It feels like it came out of nowhere. As I was thinking about my professional attitude, disposition, behavior, commitment, and enthusiasm in my attendance, submission of work, competency and willingness. The one thing that really resonates with me was the question on competency. I think I got so deep into the reflection that I was not only thinking about my competency in the course, I was thinking about my competency in education, generally, whether it be the role as a student or as a teacher. Here's what I think. I AM NOT COMPETENT AND I WILL NEVER BE COMPETENT. And I don't say this in negative way. Personally, I think that there is always room for improvement. For this blog's sake I even looked up the definition of competent.

snapshot from my screen

          So yes I am capable, I can do what is asked of me in the class and as a student and teacher, but successfully...I'm not so sure. Let me rephrase that, I'm doing enough to get by, but I can be doing better. It doesn't matter if my work looks pretty, or if every standard is met or surpassed. When I think of success...I think to the best of my ability. And that's where the flaw lies. I don't think we ever reach that point, because it goes back to there's always room for improvement. It's like an never ending circle.  I hope I'm making sense to you all, because its clicking in my head. Now the only question on my mind is how can we be doing something successfully, if we never reach our full potential?

Awesome Presentations

      The teaching tools that were presented today in class were very creative. Amanda's teaching aid, which was a reader's block was very interesting. It was made up of foam and had questions on each side of the block. Her teaching aid is very creative, because the students can answer and make their questions on the block. Kelsey had two teaching aids that I really enjoyed. Her first teaching aid was a decoding tool for word families. I liked how she used paint strips from Home Depot, because that was a clever idea. Kelsey's second teaching tool was a tracking device and I thought that was a creative tool. It was made up of highlighter tape and I thought that was a clever idea. The tracking device can be use for students to track their reading and do not need to use their finger. Evin's teaching tool, which was a bingo game is a good activity for students. Incorporating bingo is a good activity that can engage students in learning vocabulary words. After seeing everyone's teaching aid, I look forward in using them as reference in the near future. 

      After our teaching aid presentations, Rachel reflected on her micro-teaching and did a little activity in class. She briefly explained that she taught her class figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. I liked how she made us do a little activity using figurative language. Even though Rachel presented a little part of a lesson, she did an excellent job. 

More teaching aids

   Today's class was really fun. We finished up with the rest of the presentations for the teaching aids. Amanda's readers cube game was very interesting. It's a great way for the students to get involved with stories and for them to answer questions after. Kelsey's word family flash card tool was very cool. It can help students with vocabulary terms and to expand their knowledge on the different types of words that can be used. I also enjoyed her reading tracker. This tool can help guide students while they're reading and help keep them on track. I also presented my vocabulary bingo game. It's a great way for students to review their vocabulary words and to also help with comprehension. Sorry girls, I was nervous for some reason, but don't worry I'll get the hang of it!:). Angela's puzzle board was awesome. This can help students understand how prefixes and suffixes work, and I think students would really have fun because they're able to move the puzzle pieces around and the board is life size, so it makes it easier for them. We also had Rachel do her microteaching today. I really enjoyed her her activity with figurative language. I can see how students would enjoy the activity and see how they were able to understand the different types of figurative language. Today's class was full of great ideas and I will definitely save all these lessons for future reference.

Oh and thank you Kelsey for letting me use your laptop!:)

Teaching Aids/Microteaching

   In today's session we continued our presentations of teaching aids. Amanda was first with her Reader's Block. There are multiple questions on the block that would assess students' understanding to a story or book that has been read. I presented next with my Text Tracker and Word Family Cards. With the Word Family Cards, students can decode and practice reading different words with the same suffixes. The cards that I have created, touch based on the 3 types of prefixes: consonants, blends, and digraphs. The Text Tracker is a simple tool that can help students track their words, opposed to tracking with their finger. Evin had a cool bingo game that helped students with remembering vocabulary. The teacher would say out the definition and they would mark the term on their bingo card with a marker until they get "BINGO!" Angela presented her prefix-suffix puzzle. I love how huge and colorful it is and how versatile it can be; not only using it for reading, but for other subjects as well.
   Rachel micro-taught her lesson she had used for her reading practicum she delivered yesterday. The lesson focused on figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole. She explained the way she delivered the lesson and gave us a quick review on the types of figurative language. We then played a game where she would say a sentence and we had to determine what type of figurative language it was. She gave us cards that had all four terms written on it and we have to raise the card that best represents the sentence.
   I really enjoyed today class session with all the new teaching aid ideas that was presented. I also enjoyed listening to Rachel's lesson and her experience during her practicum.

Rachel's Microteaching Lesson

Today, I observed Rachel present her practicum lesson to us on Figuritive Language. I really liked her whole lesson from the introduction to the ending activity they did. I enjoyed the mini activity that we did in class as well. In this activity we were in two groups and we were given figuritive language cards such as simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. Rachel, our teacher, would give us a sentence and as a group we would choose the figuritive language being used. Then the teacher would ask us what word we picked up and explain why we chose the it. I also liked how her lesson was on something that her students didnt know about and it felt self rewarding on her part. Great job Rachel!

More teaching aids and micro teaching!

Wow! I absolutely loved everyone's teaching aids! Amanda's "Reader's Block" is such a versatile tool. Since it can be modified for different purposes and subject areas, it is something that can be used over and over. I also thought Kelsey's use of paint strips to reinforce vocabulary was such a great idea! I LOVED her text tracker. I want to use that for my younger students. Evin's Bingo game and Angela's puzzle were both good activities to have my students do. I had the opportunity to share my practicum experience with my classmates. I did a short activity with them that I did with my students. I really enjoyed teaching my lesson so it was wonderful being able to share my enthusiasm. I will share my lesson materials with all of you so that you can use them in the future.

Learning is ON GOING!!

    Today we went over the rest of the teaching aids and there were more great ideas that were shared. I loved Kelsey, Angela, Amanda, and Evin's ideas. The reading block is such a universal tool and I am happy Amanda was able to share it. The text tracker and the family cards are also a great way to assist the children we will be working with. I love BINGO so I would really keep Evin's game in mind when introducing new words in my classroom. I love the puzzle of suffix and prefix and how we can change up the ideas when making the tool.
   Rachel shared her microteaching game she in her 5th grade class. It was very interesting and fun. I am excited to try it out in my classroom. I am sure the students had a blast. Great job!

Amazing Teaching Aids!

Rachel Shines in Microteaching!

Teaching Aid

Today in class we finished up presenting our teaching aids. Kelsey, Evin, Angela and I presented. Kelsey presented a tool to help teach students word families and tracker. The tracker is great tool for students to use while read. She created them using paint chips. Evin's aid was vocabulary bingo. I think the vocabulary bingo is great way to review before a spelling test. Angela presented a prefix and suffix board. This tool is great way to have students apply what they learned. I presented a reader's block, which can be used to assess whether the children comprehended what they read.

Lastly, Rachel presented her micro teaching lesson. I really enjoyed her lesson, I loved it so much I would like a copy :) Thanks Rachel! I love how you built up on what they already knew, and at the end  your culminating activity was something they enjoyed. I can't stress how much I loved this lesson. It's genius!!

Good luck with your practicums everyone!

Mini-lesson Experience & Teaching Aid

Sorry for the really late post; I thought I pressed the publish button before I left class.
     I had fun today in class, because it was full of exciting presentations. In the beginning of class, Rhea and I did our little performance from a play we did in a previous semester. Reenacting the scene from our play has taught me that dramatic play is one of the important aspects in teaching children to read. Dramatic play allows children to discover the need to read when they have to recognize words to play the situation (i.e. reading a skit).
     After our performance, Amanda did a read-aloud on a book called Chika Chika Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambalt. Amanda did an amazing job in reading several pages of the book. It was awesome how she had expressions while reading the book, because it engaged us in the story.
     When Amanda was done with her read-aloud, we got into groups and continued our mini-lessons. My group consisted of Kelsey and Amanda. I enjoyed Amanda's mini-lesson, because she made it fun and engaged us throughout the lesson. I liked how she transitioned the two stories that she read to us to introducing adjectives. I thought that was a good idea to introduce students to adjectives, because adjectives play an important part of a story. I also liked how she explained to us that without adjectives, the story would be plain and boring and we will not be able to imagine a picture in our mind. The ending of Amanda’s mini-lesson was a good technique in teaching students how to use adjectives in a sentence. She wrote several adjective words on the board and Kelsey and I had to make up a sentence using those words. Overall, I think Amanda did an excellent job on her mini-lesson.
     After Amanda’s mini-lesson, it was my turn. I was nervous at first, because I thought my lesson was going to be too short or too long. But when I was done and heard positive feedback from Amanda and Kelsey about my mini-lesson, I felt a little better. It was fun doing my mini-lesson on teaching vocabulary, because as a future educator it is important that I know several strategies to teach and engage my students in learning vocabulary words.
     Once everyone was done presenting their mini-lesson Rachel, Rhea, and Jessilyn presented their teaching aid. I liked how Rachel created different types of bookmark buddies for her teaching aid. It was a clever idea, because students can actually write on the bookmark if they need help in a certain area or write notes (i.e. a story’s setting, plot, characters, etc.). Rhea’s teaching aid was very creative and cost-efficient. She made an ABC wipe-out book with a binder, sheet protectors, and worksheets.  Jessilyn’s teaching aid was called “fiddle sticks” and I thought that was a good idea to teach children sight words. All three ladies did an amazing job with their teaching aid. Their teaching aid was very creative and cost-efficient.

Innovative Teaching Aids!



More Mini-Lessons!

 

Special Presentations!

Minilesson/teaching aid

   Today's class was really fun. We finished up our mini lessons and presented some of the teaching aids. For the mini lesson, Rhea read a book called "From head to toe", which was about the different movements you can do with your body. We then named all the body parts that were mentioned in the story. After writing all the parts on the board, Rhea gave us each four pictures to match with the words on the board. She then passed out a worksheet where we had to write and draw what we can do with our body parts.  I thought Rhea’s mini lesson was very effective and her activities were something that I think students will really enjoy. Next was Jessilyn’s mini lesson and her focus was on adjectives. She started off by asking us if we knew what an adjective is, then we did examples on the board. Then she gave us each a bag with an item inside and without looking inside, we had to use all our senses and write down three adjectives to describe the item.  After we wrote three adjectives, we had to create a sentence using one of the adjectives that we wrote down and from there, we each had to guess what our items were. I liked how her activity involved the use of all your senses, which made learning about adjectives even more fun.

   I thought all the teaching aids were very cool, simple, and very effective. Rachel’s bookmark buddy was awesome. Students can use it for so many things and I can definitely see myself using this with my future students one day. Rheas write and wipe board was something I have never heard of and it just seems very cool to use in the classroom and to really engage the students. Jessilyn’s fiddle stick game was really interesting as well. It reinforces the students reading and vocabulary skills and I would like to use this teaching aid with my students someday.

   Today’s class gave me a lot of ideas and it really opened my eyes to all the different lessons and the different ways you can teach those lessons. I thought everyone did a great job and hopefully you’ll enjoy my teaching aid next Thursday!