Semester Exam

Built For Learning

An ideal learning environment for me would be somewhere I can move around freely when I am working on a project. Also, having tables big enough for me to spread some of my papers or materials on to stay organized. I like to have a schedule in my classroom but I also like to have those days where there isn't a schedule and you just focus on doing things for me. When these characteristics are taken in and put into a classroom for students it helps a lot of the students that have these learning styles. It is always good to pay attention to your students and what makes it easy for them to learn. You have to create an environment in which makes the students wants to learn. In the Ted Talk with Will Richardson he introduces a quote from Seymour Sarason "Productive learning is where the process engenders and enforces wanting to learn more. Absent wanting to learn, the learning context is unproductive." Without the students wanting to learn it adds another difficulty to teaching. I think classes shouldn't last longer than an hour. After a while and after sitting down and listening to the same thing for more than an hour students get bored and start to think about other things rather than listening to who is speaking. If a class is longer than hour then maybe bring opportunities to not sit for an hour. For example, do activities in between the lecture or even do a lecture for half of the class and then finish class with an activity or game, depending on the class/age group. I would maybe take surveys every 3 weeks from the students to see what they like and don't like it the classroom. For their progress in the class and on the material I would maybe create an activity, worksheet or even a test to see where they all stand.

Learning Activity

The subject I am basing my activity on is reading and comprehension for kindergarteners. Students have to know how to use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message. Also, students will have to know how to continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. Their TEKS is that they need to be able to make inferences based on the cover, title, illustrations, and plot. They need to be able to retell or act out important events in stories and make connections to their own experiences, ideas in other texts, and to the larger community and discuss the textual evidence.

My activity I am making is called Story Ball.
The materials you will need:

• beach ball
• permanent marker
• first grade level book (or a story from your child's reading textbook)
• pencil
• lined paper             

To make the activity:

1. Using the marker, grab the beach ball and write one of the following in each of the colored sections of the ball: "Setting?" "Favorite Part?" "What does this remind you of?" "Beginning?" "End?" and "Sight Words?"
2. Once the ball is marked up play a game of catch, inside or outside (whatever suits your class). In the game of Story Ball, each time you toss your child the ball, he/she must answer the question written on the color which lands under his right hand. Where did the story take place? What happened in the beginning and in the end? What was his/her favorite part? Toss the ball back and forth, from student to student—the quicker, the better, since that makes answering in time more fun and silly. If your child can’t recall an event from the story give him/her some clues.
3. The game continues until all the questions have been answered. If you’d like to extend the activity, ask your child to write down what he’s said aloud on paper, then illustrate it. This is another great way to help him recall the events of a story and understand what he’s read.
   

Find the Treasure in Teaching

Ahoy! The criteria I used for my teacher created materials was the alphabet for kindergartners. I used the experiences in my field site classroom to make my decision about this creation. I saw that the students were working on lower and upper case letters of the alphabet. So, I decided to create something that could help them determine which is which. I didn't really encounter much difficulties other than just keeping everything organized and in order. It did take up a lot of my time, but it was worth it. The best thing about my created material was making it. It was fun to make and see it come out better than I thought it would. Going back and doing it all over again, since I used a metal board so it would be magnetic for the magnetic letters I created, I would change putting magnets on the board and just use the magnetism the board already contained instead of "double magnetizing." I would also have entered into the region competition and competed my teacher created materials. I have gained insight into how easy it can be to create something to help your students learn with a cool activity and how making it fun can be easy. I hope to be able to use this in my field site classroom and later on when I become a kindergarten teacher. I also hope that it becomes helpful to the students and helps them know the alphabet and the difference between lower and upper case letters. The TCU field trip was a blast. There were so many different teacher created materials that could be used for learning in a classroom.

My First Day As An Intern

I have been placed in W.A. Porter's kindergarten class with Lauren Filis. She has been teaching for about 3 years. When I went I took my purple and manilla folder. The purple folder had papers that I needed to get signed by Ms. Filis and a paper that she could put her contact information on. When I walked into class Ms. Filis introduced me and I did my introduction that I prepared the week before that had a few of my qualities. After my introduction they had quiet time and we walked to the computer lab where they did assignments based on the 6-weeks curriculum. Then, we walked back to the classroom where they did rug time and read a story about turtles. I was wearing jeans and my teaching and education polo on with my white high top converse with my badge on the left of collar. When I walked in, I was beyond excited. I had excitement in my eyes. After leaving the classroom, I felt happy that I was finally able to experience going to my field site. I can't wait to actually be able to help in the front of the class in front of the students.

This is Lauren Filis

Click here to view explained assignment
Click here to see field site teacher's website

What Do Teachers Make?

"Brianna, as a teacher, what do you make?"

As a teacher, it's not about the money to me. I make a student who didn't know how to add, subtract, multiply, or divide know how by the end of the year. I make things creative and fun for my students so no one is bored. I make my students push themselves so they how to as they get older. My students even make me push myself to be a better teacher. I make my students thrive to be something big and inspiring to the world as my teacher once did for me. I make little Sally feel better, even though she wants to cry because her mom can't sit in class with her everyday. I make my goals based on my students' needs and wants. I make my students happy and excited to come into class. I make my students learn even if they don't want to and not only because they have to but because I want to push them to want  to inspire others like I want to inspire them. So, I don't only make money, but I make futurists, leaders, and inspiration.

Click Here to See Rita's Speech

The Welcome Buzzz!

Here's my Buzzz for today. This blog is going to be all about my interning this year in my Instructional Practicum in Education and Training. I am all about teaching and experiencing new things. Being able to participate with interning in elementary schools excites me. I am all about doing big things to make a difference in children's' life. Hopefully my blog inspires others as well as I blog about my journey and all of my different experience!

"A teacher affects eternity; She can never tell where her influence stops."

-Henry Adams

Click here for Future Educators Association