Since this is a free post where we can discuss any topic we want, I have chosen to share my experiences with my cooperating teacher. This week I have had to do a math assessment interview, science demonstration and a literacy lesson. I really enjoy my 4th grade classroom and have already had some rewarding experiences with them. My cooperating teacher is very wonderful to work with and she was a Meredith graduate so she understands some of the work I am having to do.
For my math assessment I worked with a very vocal child who loved the attention he received from me when doing the math assessment. It was a pleasure to work with him because he was very bright and told me how much fun he was having the whole time I was assessing him. For this assessment I gave him several math problems that Dr. Gleason gave us to ask them. I had to pay attention to his thinking while working the math problems. I really enjoyed listening to his thinking and explanation of the problems. I learned a lot about his thinking process from watching and listening to his explanations. He was not scared to answer and he was very sure of himself which made me proud to see. I belive Mrs. Shaw is really doing a great job in the classroom with making them feel comfortable explaining and talking in front of their peers about answers. I know I would've had a hard time doing that when I was that age because discussion was not integrated into our activities as much as Mrs. Shaw puts it in her activities. He understod almost all the problems and was able to explain them effectively
Today during my science demonstration I struggled a little because students had not previously talked about the different types of rocks. I was very nervous so I looked down at my notes a little and did not ask questions while I was demonstrating how to form the different rocks. Other than those few things, students listened to the demonstration well and enjoyed learning about the different rocks and seeing the rocks go from igneous rocks to sedimentary to metamorphic rocks. I believe students understood the different types of rocks because when I asked them questions they seemed to understand. When Mrs. Shaw asked students questions about the different types of rock and the rock cycle they seemed to understand as well. Before I began the demonstration, I told students what type of a rock granite was that they had been studying. This way students were able to see an example of an igneous rock. Overall, this was a good experience!
My literacy lesson overall was good. We used a Social Studies book as our nonfiction text and practiced locating information for specific purposes. I really enjoyed this lesson and think the students got a lot out of it. I was much more comfortable teaching to a small group and not being videotaped. It was easier than the Science demonstration. The only problem was that there were some behavior issues. Some students talked while I was talking and while their peers were talking. This was a little expected because some of the students that I worked with had attention deficit disorder. In the end the students were able to successfully complete the evaluation and seemed to understand the concept I was trying to teach. I did realize however, that while teaching you have to repeat yourself a lot and scaffold the students.
Overall, this week I learned a lot about myself and about being a future teacher. It is not easy whatsoever and you have to be prepared all the time. You never know what comment or answer a student will give. In my literacy lesson one student brought up the fact that you can use the glossary to locate information. I did not know this and so not only did he learn from me but I also learned from me. I am learning some exciting things and can't wait until I have a classroom on my own!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Integration of social studies into other curriculum
It is important to try to incorporate different subject areas into other areas in the curriculum. I have heard over and over again that social studies should be incorporated into literacy, science should be incorporated into math or vice versa. I personally believe that the subjects are not watered down when they are incorporated into other subjects. I believe students almost get more out of social studies when it is integrated with literacy. It is being used for another subject, so students are able to see how it is more relevent in their lives and see how it affects other parts of their subjects and lives.
The other day, my cooperating teacher incorporated social studies into the literacy time by informing students that the social studies textbook they use is an informational nonfiction text. In the students literacy time my cooperating teacher was talking about nonfiction text and made sure to mention the social studies text as a part of the nonfiction text. She had students make predictions about what they thought would be in the book by looking at the pictures on the front of the book and looking at the title of the social studies book. After they made predictions students read some of the headings and some of the text to see if their predictions were accurate. Also, for my read aloud for my literacy class I read a social studies level reading book to my students. They really enjoyed this book and were able to learn more about geography of North Carolina. Students were able to answer literacy questions and use sticky notes to answer them. These are usually techniques that are used in literacy but they were used with a social studies reading book. In this case, students were learning a lot of social studies concepts while using literacy skills to reflect on their reading. Social Studies content was NOT watered down in anyway. For my Science Unit, one of my activities had students collect the high and low temperatures for a week and then find the average for each day and week. Once they were done they plotted the data on a line graph. For this assignment students are fully learning math and science concepts. They are learning how to measure temperature and how to find the average and plot those points on a line graph.
I believe it is impossible to dedicate enough time in the school day for an ample amount of time for social studies, science, math and literacy so I believe that incorporating other subjects into one subject is necessary. Students might be learning about the regions of North Carolina in their social studies class but there learning about that subject matter does not have to stop there. To receive additional information about the subject areas, students can read or do some activity with the subject matter in literacy. There are many ways in which two subjects can be incorporated without one being watered down. There are many math books that can be shared with the class and students can make predictions with in the reading but also work math problems. Overall, I do not believe that when incorporated into other subjects, social studies is watered down. The subject is only developed more and practiced more by students as they explore the concept integrated into another subject matter!
The other day, my cooperating teacher incorporated social studies into the literacy time by informing students that the social studies textbook they use is an informational nonfiction text. In the students literacy time my cooperating teacher was talking about nonfiction text and made sure to mention the social studies text as a part of the nonfiction text. She had students make predictions about what they thought would be in the book by looking at the pictures on the front of the book and looking at the title of the social studies book. After they made predictions students read some of the headings and some of the text to see if their predictions were accurate. Also, for my read aloud for my literacy class I read a social studies level reading book to my students. They really enjoyed this book and were able to learn more about geography of North Carolina. Students were able to answer literacy questions and use sticky notes to answer them. These are usually techniques that are used in literacy but they were used with a social studies reading book. In this case, students were learning a lot of social studies concepts while using literacy skills to reflect on their reading. Social Studies content was NOT watered down in anyway. For my Science Unit, one of my activities had students collect the high and low temperatures for a week and then find the average for each day and week. Once they were done they plotted the data on a line graph. For this assignment students are fully learning math and science concepts. They are learning how to measure temperature and how to find the average and plot those points on a line graph.
I believe it is impossible to dedicate enough time in the school day for an ample amount of time for social studies, science, math and literacy so I believe that incorporating other subjects into one subject is necessary. Students might be learning about the regions of North Carolina in their social studies class but there learning about that subject matter does not have to stop there. To receive additional information about the subject areas, students can read or do some activity with the subject matter in literacy. There are many ways in which two subjects can be incorporated without one being watered down. There are many math books that can be shared with the class and students can make predictions with in the reading but also work math problems. Overall, I do not believe that when incorporated into other subjects, social studies is watered down. The subject is only developed more and practiced more by students as they explore the concept integrated into another subject matter!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Hello!!! Technology is ingrained into our society...
So when I saw what we had to post about today I thought it was a very interesting and necessary topic to talk about. This issue is heavily debated right now. A boy from Rutgers University committed suicide because of a sexual encounter he had that was posted on the internet. Many children are being harassed on the internet everyday on sites like facebook and myspace.
While there are many dangers and hazards with technology it is important that students know how to effectively use technology. Afterall, technology is our future. Students are going to have to use technology when they go out into the workforce and if they don't know how they will have a huge disadvantage. Students are going to be interested in technology because they are surrounded by it in society. Popularity revolves around who has the latest ipod or cell phone. I think most people today would be lost without these technologies. No one can even remember the last time they weren't able to talk to someone when they were away from home. But there was a time. Technology has progressed so much in the last couple of years and it is only going to progress more. If we do not teach our students how to use these technologies they will become even further behind the country in their education.
Why don't we use technology to enhance our teaching. There are so many lessons that can be augmented with the use of technology. Students are going to be using technology outside of the classroom so why not let them use it in the classroom. A lesson can be built surrounding technology. It is important students be able to search the internet and at least be able to make a powerpoint because these are common tasks they will need to know how to do to be competitive at the workplace. Students need to be taught in the classroom because their employers will not take the time to teach them.
Overall, In order to connect with your students you need to engage them into technology. They already know a lot about technology that many teachers do not know about because they grew up with it. Technology is a benefit of our society not a hinderence. If students know how to properly use technology then they will have an advantage over the students whos teacher did not introduce them to the technology of the time.
Image retrieved from Curtis Palmer on flickr
While there are many dangers and hazards with technology it is important that students know how to effectively use technology. Afterall, technology is our future. Students are going to have to use technology when they go out into the workforce and if they don't know how they will have a huge disadvantage. Students are going to be interested in technology because they are surrounded by it in society. Popularity revolves around who has the latest ipod or cell phone. I think most people today would be lost without these technologies. No one can even remember the last time they weren't able to talk to someone when they were away from home. But there was a time. Technology has progressed so much in the last couple of years and it is only going to progress more. If we do not teach our students how to use these technologies they will become even further behind the country in their education.
Why don't we use technology to enhance our teaching. There are so many lessons that can be augmented with the use of technology. Students are going to be using technology outside of the classroom so why not let them use it in the classroom. A lesson can be built surrounding technology. It is important students be able to search the internet and at least be able to make a powerpoint because these are common tasks they will need to know how to do to be competitive at the workplace. Students need to be taught in the classroom because their employers will not take the time to teach them.
Overall, In order to connect with your students you need to engage them into technology. They already know a lot about technology that many teachers do not know about because they grew up with it. Technology is a benefit of our society not a hinderence. If students know how to properly use technology then they will have an advantage over the students whos teacher did not introduce them to the technology of the time.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Social Sciences... now thats my idea of Social Studies :)
Discuss each of the social science disciplines in a way that helps you identify/remember/analyze what makes each important. What are your areas of weakness in regards to these topics? What are your areas of strength? Did you learn SOCIAL STUDIES or SOCIAL SCIENCE in your elementary school days?
Immediately when I hear social science, I get excited because I am very intrigued by the study of human behavior which is what social science focuses on. I mean after all I am a psychology major and I really enjoyed my sociology class I took freshman year and considered majoring in that. Humans have always fascinated me and I really am fascinated in how all of our differences shape us into who we are. When I think of Anthropology I think more of the study of old cultures. I believe anthropology investigates more about how cultures came to be and how they have developed. Anthropologists go back and look at the traditions and mores of older tribal groups. When I think of economics I think of resources in particular money. Money is not the only resource though, land and labor are also. Economists look at time, capability, and interest people have in these resources. They look at consumers and producers and usually deal with business more. I usually believe they work hand in hand with business. Geography is the study of place and space and mainly deal with maps.Geographers attempt to explain why places are where they are. When I think about history I think about more dates and records of events that have taken place. Historians ask more questions about human interactions in current time and in the past. Sociology is another social science that deals with the study of social life, social change, and the social causes of human behavior. When I think of sociology I think more about the study of groups and their behaviors in society. In my sociology class I remember looking at men and women in the workforce and who made more income. When I think of Political Science I think of government and the study of the way it is run and public policies and political policies. There is a huge emphasis on systems.
My areas of weakness in the social sciences is probably geography and maybe economy and political science. I know I am not as strong in geography because I am not good with the location of places. I have trouble locating many places on the map which I am working on because I have to know them for my midterm. I haven't really studied economy or political science very much but I feel like I would not be as strong in these subjects. I am more into the study of the people then the study of locations, resources or institutions.
When I was in school I feel like I learned more social studies than social sciences. I never would've even heard of some of the social sciences like anthropology, sociology, economy, or political science if I hadn't have gone to college because none of these subjects were incorporated into our curriculum.
Immediately when I hear social science, I get excited because I am very intrigued by the study of human behavior which is what social science focuses on. I mean after all I am a psychology major and I really enjoyed my sociology class I took freshman year and considered majoring in that. Humans have always fascinated me and I really am fascinated in how all of our differences shape us into who we are. When I think of Anthropology I think more of the study of old cultures. I believe anthropology investigates more about how cultures came to be and how they have developed. Anthropologists go back and look at the traditions and mores of older tribal groups. When I think of economics I think of resources in particular money. Money is not the only resource though, land and labor are also. Economists look at time, capability, and interest people have in these resources. They look at consumers and producers and usually deal with business more. I usually believe they work hand in hand with business. Geography is the study of place and space and mainly deal with maps.Geographers attempt to explain why places are where they are. When I think about history I think about more dates and records of events that have taken place. Historians ask more questions about human interactions in current time and in the past. Sociology is another social science that deals with the study of social life, social change, and the social causes of human behavior. When I think of sociology I think more about the study of groups and their behaviors in society. In my sociology class I remember looking at men and women in the workforce and who made more income. When I think of Political Science I think of government and the study of the way it is run and public policies and political policies. There is a huge emphasis on systems.
My areas of weakness in the social sciences is probably geography and maybe economy and political science. I know I am not as strong in geography because I am not good with the location of places. I have trouble locating many places on the map which I am working on because I have to know them for my midterm. I haven't really studied economy or political science very much but I feel like I would not be as strong in these subjects. I am more into the study of the people then the study of locations, resources or institutions.
When I was in school I feel like I learned more social studies than social sciences. I never would've even heard of some of the social sciences like anthropology, sociology, economy, or political science if I hadn't have gone to college because none of these subjects were incorporated into our curriculum.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Diversity.. can be an uncomfortable topic :/
Last Wednesday's class on diversity was very difficult. There were some uncomfortable moments for me especially when we had to blurt out what first came to our heads when Dr. Duncan said a phrase. I couldn't believe what came out of my mouth and I think others were just as shocked about what had come out of their mouths. I felt bad about putting stereotypes on a certain race, hair color, profession etc.. I was really scared that I would offend someone in the classroom. When Dr. Duncan said lazy so many people said black people and I felt bad because I have so many friends who are of that race who are certainly the opposite. When Dr. Duncan said "astronauts are.." and "doctors are.." everyone said smart, but it was crazy that no one said smart when Dr. Duncan said "teacher's are..". This really got me thinking and made me feel sad that we weren't even advocates for the profession we are going into. I was so intrigued by this game that Dr. Duncan played with us that I went back and told all of my roommates and talked to my boyfriend about it.
I was really not surprised by the classes responses because I believe some of the same responses are found in our society. Media portrays black people in a negative light most of the time and teachers are very under appreciated and believed to not be as smart as maybe astronauts or doctors. I really liked the fact Dr. Duncan pointed out that someone has to teach those doctors and astronauts.
After this class I did reflect on some of my thoughts, ideals, and practices and found out that I need to try to stereotype a lot less so that I do not hurt some of the students in my classroom. I also need to figure out where I stand on issues and have an opinion. I need to let my students know that I have an opinion but not try to force my opinion on them. I guess I always thought teachers couldn't really have an opinion because if they did they might try to push that on their students. I have had teachers who have done this and I felt like the only thing I was learning in their class was their opinion. I believe much of my thinking has changed since freshman year of college because I had a korean roommate. She made me change some of my stereotypes and see the way we were alike instead of our cultural differences. I guess I realized that even though people come from different cultures they still are alike in many ways and have the same kind of feelings as I do. This lesson was great, because it really made me stop and think about how I was stereotyping people because they were different from me.
I think these kind of discussions can be hard in the classroom. If this exercise was challenging for college students then of course it would be hard for elementary students. I think the best way to address this is like one teacher I observed did. Somehow different types of families came up and she said having one dad or two moms is not the traditional way but it is fine. She modeled the accepting behavior that is important to model for younger children so that they understand that every family might not look the same. It is important to get students to accept all different cultures so if there is a person from another culture in the classroom, you might can ask the parents to come in and share a little information about their culture. When having a discussion on diversity it is important to make sure that all students know that everyone has similarities and differences and those differences are what make the world interesting. During the discussion I will make sure everyone is respectful and accepting. This discussion should be a learning process and not a time to be judging or stereotyping.
I was really not surprised by the classes responses because I believe some of the same responses are found in our society. Media portrays black people in a negative light most of the time and teachers are very under appreciated and believed to not be as smart as maybe astronauts or doctors. I really liked the fact Dr. Duncan pointed out that someone has to teach those doctors and astronauts.
After this class I did reflect on some of my thoughts, ideals, and practices and found out that I need to try to stereotype a lot less so that I do not hurt some of the students in my classroom. I also need to figure out where I stand on issues and have an opinion. I need to let my students know that I have an opinion but not try to force my opinion on them. I guess I always thought teachers couldn't really have an opinion because if they did they might try to push that on their students. I have had teachers who have done this and I felt like the only thing I was learning in their class was their opinion. I believe much of my thinking has changed since freshman year of college because I had a korean roommate. She made me change some of my stereotypes and see the way we were alike instead of our cultural differences. I guess I realized that even though people come from different cultures they still are alike in many ways and have the same kind of feelings as I do. This lesson was great, because it really made me stop and think about how I was stereotyping people because they were different from me.
I think these kind of discussions can be hard in the classroom. If this exercise was challenging for college students then of course it would be hard for elementary students. I think the best way to address this is like one teacher I observed did. Somehow different types of families came up and she said having one dad or two moms is not the traditional way but it is fine. She modeled the accepting behavior that is important to model for younger children so that they understand that every family might not look the same. It is important to get students to accept all different cultures so if there is a person from another culture in the classroom, you might can ask the parents to come in and share a little information about their culture. When having a discussion on diversity it is important to make sure that all students know that everyone has similarities and differences and those differences are what make the world interesting. During the discussion I will make sure everyone is respectful and accepting. This discussion should be a learning process and not a time to be judging or stereotyping.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What will you be caught doing on Facebook?
Media plays a significant role in everyone's life today. We get news fast about things that are going on around the nation through the television, internet, radio etc. We can be connected to people around the world and celebrities through Facebook and Twitter. A lot of information about people can be viewed on their facebook or twitter. Sometimes people can get in trouble with what they put on their social networking site. We all have heard about the teacher who got fired because she had a picture of herself drinking a glass of wine and her students saw it.
Because Media is so instantaneous and it is so easy to connect with people all over the world, we are able to see how one country affects the nation. Our nation no longer sees each country as an individual nation but as a whole nation that affect one another. As a nation we are more together than we used to be because we are all connected and we all receive the same news. When 9/11 happened in New York City, everyone around the world knew and everyone was able to discuss the implications of the attack and were able to mourn for America. If other countries had received the news really late it might not have been as catastrophic as it was viewing it that same day as more and more information kept appearing. It seemed like everyone around the world was tuned in to see what was going to happen to the towers and the people in those towers. Countries rallied around America when we were in such turmoil as a nation.Support was very encouraging for our nation in that troubling time.
Much of the news now is negative so sometimes we can stereotype things and people negatively because of the way the news is portrayed to us. Because our news is instantaneous, sometimes we make our decisions faster and we are able to make more informed decisions because we get our news faster and more detailed.The news used to be more for adults, but now there is news that is written for children so that they can understand what is going on in the world. More and more, we are trying to get children to learn about the nation as a whole and make decisions about what they think about issues.
Because Media is so instantaneous and it is so easy to connect with people all over the world, we are able to see how one country affects the nation. Our nation no longer sees each country as an individual nation but as a whole nation that affect one another. As a nation we are more together than we used to be because we are all connected and we all receive the same news. When 9/11 happened in New York City, everyone around the world knew and everyone was able to discuss the implications of the attack and were able to mourn for America. If other countries had received the news really late it might not have been as catastrophic as it was viewing it that same day as more and more information kept appearing. It seemed like everyone around the world was tuned in to see what was going to happen to the towers and the people in those towers. Countries rallied around America when we were in such turmoil as a nation.Support was very encouraging for our nation in that troubling time.
Much of the news now is negative so sometimes we can stereotype things and people negatively because of the way the news is portrayed to us. Because our news is instantaneous, sometimes we make our decisions faster and we are able to make more informed decisions because we get our news faster and more detailed.The news used to be more for adults, but now there is news that is written for children so that they can understand what is going on in the world. More and more, we are trying to get children to learn about the nation as a whole and make decisions about what they think about issues.
Students have learned to believe that we are all citizens in the world and need to be respective of other nations. We as a country are going away from egocentric feelings about our country to caring more about the nation as a whole. By being culturally diverse and celebrating these different cultures children are able to see how our country is a part of a much bigger nation.
Students today have a much more accurate portrayal and perception of the world today than what they had years ago because they receive news from all over the world and are also introduced to many different cultures all over the world. Students are also working together to take care of the environment because they realize that everything they do affects the nation as a whole. Overall, Students are much more knowledgeable about the nation than they used to be.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
How Children Learn!
When thinking about how children learn, I immediatly think about how different and unique each child is. Because each child is unique and different, they all learn in different ways. Some children are auditory learners while others are visual learners. Some students like to do things with their hands and are considered kinesthetic learners.Sometimes as a teacher it is hard to teach to every student in their preffered learning style but it is very important to make an effort to do this to help students succeed. There are many different issues that can be thought about when thinking about how children learn. Some of these issues are interest, motivation, activity, exploration, and collaboration.
As a future social studies teacher, it is important that I make sure the materials I am teaching the students are interesting to them. This might mean letting students have a little more choice and freedom about a topic. If students are younger, you can give them a list of topics they can choose from so that they still have some kind of choice about what they are learning. It is important to get the parents involved so that they know what their child is doing and can also help them get information. The students will draw a picture illustrating something they learned or enjoyed about their topic and then talk to the class about their findings. This way individual learning is left to the student and they are not just reading straight from a textbook and answering questions. It is also important that students stay motivated and as a teacher I need to make sure that students stay aroused and their attention is captured. I am going to make sure I have an interesting beginning to a lesson such as, state an interesting social studies fact to grab their attention. I can also use extrinsic motivators to help students become even more motivated. Another issue that is important is the activity. It is important that I make sure the instructions to my activities are very clear and concise for easy comprehension from the students. I need to be a facilitator of knowledge who moves around the room giving assistance if it is needed, ask questions to make sure students comprehend, maintain order,and reassure students. It is important that I foster students learning and not just tell them the answers in the activity.One more issue is exploration. As a social studies teacher it is important for me to let my students explore the community, state, and nation. By letting students explore, I am making the subject more real and exciting to them. I can take students to museums where they can actually see the history of the state or world. It is important that I let my students figure out what they believe and feel about certain issues as a part of exploration. The final issue that influences childrens learning is collaboration. This is a very important issue because social/moral growth depends on the ability to engage with other students, share decisions, be a part of something, and give them more strength then simply doing things on their own. Collaboration and team building provides students with a real life experience of a democratic community.
All of these issues influence my Social Studies teaching. It is important that I make sure all of these issues are developed in a way to give my students the best possible learning experience. I believe by taking part in these issues, students will have a very good social studies knowledge that will come from many things instead of just textbooks.
As a future social studies teacher, it is important that I make sure the materials I am teaching the students are interesting to them. This might mean letting students have a little more choice and freedom about a topic. If students are younger, you can give them a list of topics they can choose from so that they still have some kind of choice about what they are learning. It is important to get the parents involved so that they know what their child is doing and can also help them get information. The students will draw a picture illustrating something they learned or enjoyed about their topic and then talk to the class about their findings. This way individual learning is left to the student and they are not just reading straight from a textbook and answering questions. It is also important that students stay motivated and as a teacher I need to make sure that students stay aroused and their attention is captured. I am going to make sure I have an interesting beginning to a lesson such as, state an interesting social studies fact to grab their attention. I can also use extrinsic motivators to help students become even more motivated. Another issue that is important is the activity. It is important that I make sure the instructions to my activities are very clear and concise for easy comprehension from the students. I need to be a facilitator of knowledge who moves around the room giving assistance if it is needed, ask questions to make sure students comprehend, maintain order,and reassure students. It is important that I foster students learning and not just tell them the answers in the activity.One more issue is exploration. As a social studies teacher it is important for me to let my students explore the community, state, and nation. By letting students explore, I am making the subject more real and exciting to them. I can take students to museums where they can actually see the history of the state or world. It is important that I let my students figure out what they believe and feel about certain issues as a part of exploration. The final issue that influences childrens learning is collaboration. This is a very important issue because social/moral growth depends on the ability to engage with other students, share decisions, be a part of something, and give them more strength then simply doing things on their own. Collaboration and team building provides students with a real life experience of a democratic community.
All of these issues influence my Social Studies teaching. It is important that I make sure all of these issues are developed in a way to give my students the best possible learning experience. I believe by taking part in these issues, students will have a very good social studies knowledge that will come from many things instead of just textbooks.
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