One with Buffalo

This week in class we conducted our Native American tribe project. I got the pleasure of working with Kendra. Our tribe was the Lakota tribe. Through this project I learned so much about my given tribe and all the other tribes. I truly enjoyed this jigsaw project. I feel that the jigsaw assignment was very beneficial and informational. I had to become an expert on my tribe and teach my peers about my tribe. The same for my classmates. I enjoyed all the presentations and some of us even brought in props. I decided to dress up as a Native American for class and bring corn muffins as a little treat. 

Jigsaw enable all of us to learn about a variety of tribes in a small amount of time. I like that we also have a group processing sheet to fill out. Each person in the group was responsible for the overall outcome and success of the project. If each person didn't do their part, then the group processing form allows for comments concerning group and partners to be made.

Overall, I really enjoyed this experience! I will definitely implement similar jigsaw activities in my future classroom!

It is a Puzzle: Jigsaw

This week in class we worked on our cooperative learning presentations using the jigsaw method. I really enjoyed this. At first I was hesitant to the success of the assignment and method, but after personally experiencing it, I understood the purpose and method of using jigsaw. I personally would implement jigsaw in my classroom. Many teachers are resistant to using jigsaw, but if it is used properly, it can be a successful way for students to become "experts" in a topic and take charge in their learning. Jigsaw seems very similar to a research project. Rather than calling it a research project, which sounds very overwhelming, especially for children, it is a fun, hands-on cooperative project. I also like that jigsaw allows the students to take a firm role as "teachers" of their topic within the project. We taught the cooperative method, PIGS. One person from each group took on a specific letter of the acronym, researched it, became an expert, and created a presentation with the other group member who had the same topic. Then we each taught our letter/topic. This made me feel more responsible to fully understand my topic. Jigsaw does not leave much room for any student to fall under the radar. Each student is equally responsible for their topic and it is very clear for the teacher to observe to see which students do not fully complete the assignment. We were assigned another jigsaw project based on various Native American tribes. I am excited to see jigsaw in practice again. 

Procrastinating=Stress/Panic/Ahhhhh..Catch Up

Everything is always easier said than done. As expected, this class has been a lot of work, but keeping up with the work rather than procrastinating can relieve a lot of stress. I have been trying my best to keep up with everything. I have allowed for some assignments to slip into my procrastination section of my brain even though I have written close to 20 "to do" lists for myself. 

Chapter 7, the age preference inventory and several videos on the eclass have been included in my procrastination list. I actually have read, completed and viewed the above assignments, I just have put off my blog about them. Oops! So, here is my catch up blog.

Chapter 7 I felt was very valuable to read. I learned that having Social Studies Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is powerful for a Social Studies curriculum and goals. Five planning activities for PCK include:

1. Choosing important essential questions for your students.

2. Matching the instructional strategies to the chosen questions.

3. Identify different strategies that support and help students develop Social Studies concepts.

4. Identify different strategies for the understanding of Social Studies language.

5. Match the instructional strategies to the depth of the concept.skill taught. 

As suggested above, there are several strategies that support meaningful learning: questioning and cooperative learning.

Questioning: learning begins with questions-types of questions (open/broad questions, key questions, narrow/closed questions), need to wait longer for students to answer questions rather than answering for them. Questions should be planned ahead in relation to the lesson/activity.

Cooperative: student cooperation. Cooperation should be integrated into the lessons, and you should explicitly teach group process skills (as we did in our fieldwork).

There are several dimension that support meaningful learning: clarity, variety, task orientation and student engagement. If students are not engaged, then they are not learning. I feel that student engagement is one of the most important pieces of any successful lesson. I would also like to add classroom management as a key component to meaningful learning. If the classroom is managed properly, learning can occur. Classroom management includes: planning ahead, giving directions, distributing materials in different ways, being organized, how students are grouped, identified and taught classroom rules, lesson smoothness, and assessment. 

Chapter 7 was very insightful and highly suggest everyone reads it!

What age do you prefer?

I took the age preference inventory. I first thought that I knew exactly what age group I preferred, but this inventory told me a differently. I have always wanted to teach second grade since I was in second grade, and I was positive that I would never want to teach middle school, then I became a substitute teacher. I have recently found a new found love for 5th and 6th grade. I was shocked, but it was good to learn that I did not fear middle school as I originally assumed. Also, after years of being a camp counselor, subbing for preschools, babysitting younger children and volunteering at preschool events, I thought I would love to teach five and six year old's, but lately I find that I sometimes lack the patience for that age group and anything younger...yikes! So, I go into this age preference inventory believing I am meant for the 9-14 age group to only find that I scored the highest on the 5-8 age range. I scored a 72.9% for 7-8 and 68.57% for 5-6 age group. I was a little shocked by the 5-6, but not the 7-8 because that was the age group I always originally wanted to teach. Okay, so some survey thing told me I prefer 5-8 age group, but does it mean anything? I do not personally believe that this survey holds massive value over our personal preferences of age group. Every year we get a new class, and each year that class will be different. Some good, some awful. Just take the good with the bad. I would consider taking additional surveys and inventories like this one to get a more finalized idea of what I prefer. I can not wait to read my fellow classmates results for the survey! I hope all of you decide to take it and blog about your results.

Eclass Videos

If you are having difficulty understanding the different types of lessons (direct, inquiry, cooperative) or the efolio, edtpa tasks, look at the videos on eclass. I found them to be very beneficial. They are examples of what we should be doing. This is new for most of us. Utilize the examples!

Procrastination? I do not think so. It is an evil that can cause you to go insane all because you put something off for hours that turn into days that turn into weeks. I am finally caught up on blog posts for required readings, eclass videos, reflections on class, reflections on fieldwork and just general thoughts. I could not imagine waiting till April to complete all the blog posts and I am looking procrastination in the face, with the weather slowly getting warmer, sunnier and nicer, and I am telling procrastination adios! 

xox,

Christie 

Done with Fieldwork...Feeling Accomplished!

Fieldwork has come to a close! Everyone can now relax and reflect on their experiences. I really enjoyed the entire fieldwork experience and I learned a lot from my own teaching and the teachings of my peers. I chose this quote because it ultimately sums up how I felt from the fieldwork. We were teaching the students, but in return they ultimately taught us how to be better teachers. It was a beneficial learning experience all around!

As we do in class, I will give three pluses and a wish for each groups teaching as part of my reflection.

Group 2: Dan, Christine & Tara
Topic: 3 Branches of Government
Group 2 I really enjoyed your unit. I was fully engaged and I learned a lot from watching all three of you teach. I would use your group as the model group for teaching to the Direct Instruction, Inquiry and Cooperative lessons. 

+ All three of you worked exceptionally well together. You helped each other when necessary and jumped in to support the students learning.
+ All three of you modeled/provided examples and incorporated several techniques we have learned in other classes together such as choral reading. Good job.
+ Your unit tied all together. It was consistent with your topic of the three branches of government. You all also had cute little teacher ideas within your lessons that I want to "borrow" for my future lessons (branches of government sticks [Dan], example of food in relation to inquiry [Christine], and the GROUP acronym for cooperative lesson [Tara]).
* My wish: I wish I could watch you three teach again for a different topic so I can see all of your skills transfer across subjects. 

Group 3: Brittany, Kendra & Jess
Topic: Industrial Revolution
Group 3, I really enjoyed your topic, it has always been one of my favorite topics in American History. Your topic flowed nicely into the three lessons. 

+The students were fully engaged in the topic. I liked that all three of you constantly asked questions throughout teaching. I want to steal your "stop and ponder" question slides for my own lesson!
+ All three of you were aware of your use of "guys" which has been a topic of discussion throughout fieldwork. Even when "guys" was used, you three were aware of it and corrected it shortly after. 
+ I loved the cooperative lesson idea! The kids definitely enjoyed coming up with their own inventions and presenting them as a commercial to the class! All three of you were very involved in helping the students during this lesson.
* My wish: I wish you girls had more time for your lessons, because almost all three of you seemed rushed.

Group 4: Kate, Dan and Tara
Topic: Civil War
Group 4, under the circumstances, I really learned the most from watching this unit because of the flaws. Dan and Tara, thanks for volunteering to help Kate with her unit plan. It was nice to see that our class is willing to take time from their hectic busy schedules to work with peers. Kate, for your first time teaching, you were of course obviously nervous, but this was a great learning experience for you!

+ The topic chosen was very interesting to the students. They were really engaged in the North vs. South.
+ The students really enjoyed the inquiry lesson. They chose their hypotheses and had a lot of fun proving them through exploration.
+ Tara, you jumped in to ask questions during Kate's "direct instruction" which was a great teaching moment. You realized the need for questioning and the need to give Kate a break because she was struggling. It is moments like these that makes us great educators and team members.
* My wish: I wish Kate had the opportunity to work in a full unified group and was able to construct and conduct the full unit plan.

Overall, fieldwork has been a memorable experience. I learned a lot from watching my peers teach. I really enjoyed working with my group, Mrs. Perk at Bishop Dunn and especially with the students.

xox,
Christie

Yo! Academic Language...It's all good.

Academic language is a very important topic to discuss. It is crucial to use academic language within the school and in life. After viewing the PowerPoint Dr. Smirnova placed on the eclass site and conducting fieldwork, I really opened my eyes to the importance of academic language.

Academic language is used in school and work. It is the language of text, assessment, power and academic success. It is important as professional adults that we speak using proper academic language. Throughout fieldwork, most of the class used "guys" as a way of addressing the students. This would be considered social language, not language we as educators should be using to address the students. We lead by example, if we speak properly, our students will be more likely to use similar language, but it goes beyond modeling. Academic language is something that needs to be taught. The differences between social and academic language can be taught by providing two passages, one written using social language, and the other using academic language. The students can read the passages and determine the the type of language being used. Based on grade-level, students should be taught academic language in a different context. Here is a break-down by grade-level groups:

Pre-k-4th: Teach age appropriate language through show and tell.
4th-8th: Provide set examples, allow students to develop academic language through practice in groups and as the educator, gradually pull back support for individual ability.
9th-12th: Complicated grammar structure should be taught.

ELL's need extra help with learning academic language. Explicit, specific instruction is necessary for ELL's to use, understand, pronounce and develop academic language. 

I feel teaching academic language is important for several reasons. The first being that using academic language is beneficial to academic success. The second is because the use of technology in today's society. Students are surrounded by a world of technology; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, computers and texting are part of the average student's social world. The language used is often slang, which I am finding to be interfering with language used in schools. Reading papers, I am finding "gunna, wat and goin" as trademarks in papers. As a future educator, I am worried that students will continue this social language into their professional careers. It is important that we as educators teach and use academic language with the students. I will strive as a teacher and professional adult to use academic language and teach it to my students in order to help develop college and career ready individuals. 

xox,
Christie

Social Studies Concepts and Generalizations

Chapter 4 of the text was a little difficult to digest. It discussed concepts and generalizations. There was also information about the teacher's role in teaching and developing these topics.

"Concepts are a basic component of powerful social studies content" (Sunal, p.131). Social studies goes beyond memorizing facts, and when teaching concepts, educators need to provide the factual information and ask questions to focus the students attention on specific information. The factual information can be acquired and understood through the use of the five senses, which have been a reoccurring theme throughout the text book. By creating activities to allow students to work on the concept, they will eventually be able to use the concept taught and develop their own ideas.  The concept must be defines and taught usually beginning with a concept web, map, or analysis. Concepts are more in depth. They have several levels of meaning and take on a variety of identities such as: sensory, concrete and formal. Concepts go beyond observations and into group observations into categories based on attributes. Concepts are useless if they cannot be applied when needed. 

Generalizations are useful and necessary in social studies learning and understanding.They show relationships between concepts, therefore making concepts and generalizations go hand-in-hand. Generalization is developed in elementary and middle school. Forming generalizations is a natural process, but not always the proper process. Inquiry learning "helps students construct meaning and learn generalizations" (Sunal, p.116). Generalizations are NOT facts! They are used to organize facts and concepts by describing relationships between them. Generalizations are useful for creating meaningful predictions and are understood through active involvement. Generalizations are useful in multiple situations, outside the social studies context. Students can use generalizations in daily life and will constantly reconstruct prior made generalizations through experience. 



https://www.google.com/search?q=concepts+and+generalizations&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ep4TU_WxOsLK0gHMuYHICQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1280&bih=899#facrc=_&imgdii=BEGRISuycP_PLM%3A%3Bh9pKlWYYHD62aM%3BBEGRISuycP_PLM%3A&imgrc=BEGRISuycP_PLM%253A%3Blja3fME4Wke7NM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimg.docstoccdn.com%252Fthumb%252Forig%252F40586039.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.docstoc.com%252Fdocs%252F40586039%252FConcepts-and-Generalizations-Teaching-for-Understanding-in---Slide-1%3B1500%3B1125

Here is an example of a graphic organizer that could be used when forming generalizations along with the link from google. 

I highly suggest reading chapter four in order to better understand concepts and generalizations. They are important parts of successful social studies learning and understanding.

xox, 
Christie

Inquiry...A Debatable Method of Instruction

Inquiry is one of the required methods of instruction we all need to use in our unit plans for class. But who knew that this method could be a debatable issue? As I continue on my journey to completing my Masters, I am constantly facing opposing opinions from my professors. To use inquiry or to not use inquiry? That is the debate. 

In one of my classes, the professor provides abundant information against the use of inquiry. Then I come to Dr. Smirnova's class and she has us conduct an inquiry lesson. My mind is confused. So...what do we do? I think that as an educator you need to use what works best for your specific group of students and for your preference. I personally enjoy using inquiry. I believe that if you are confident using a certain method and you are able to make it work for your students, then that is what you should do. The answer: Do what works for you and your students. The end.

Okay, so what is inquiry?




5 E's:
Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate.
Inquiry is similar to the scientific method. A question is posed, the class/students create a hypothesis, they explore, collect evidence/information, form a conclusion and explain. 



Inquiry is a fun way for students to learn...IF...it is taught and carried out properly. With any method, the way it is taught and carried out within the classroom ultimately influences the success of the lesson. 

Inquiry...try it!

https://www.google.com/search?q=inquiry&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=u5UTU6TMEMrB0AGU-YHIDA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=899#imgdii=_ (citation for images from google)

xox,
Christie