Blog Post 6

One of the most helpful technology classroom tools I have come encountered with has been the Promethean board at Willow Springs Elementary School. It is an extremely innovative and interactive board for the classroom; the students love it! It includes an immense amount of features that has and will continue to enhance my lessons and strategies to engage my students. My cooperating teacher has been doing a great job at showing me all of the features and how I can incorporate the Promethean board into my lessons. It is a very exciting tool and I have enjoyed using it and learning how to use the features. I have also found the ELMO very helpful as well. It is similar to a projector but smaller, I utilized it during an activity at Covington Elementary School. Fifth grade students worked in groups on a drawing activity and I used the ELMO to project their drawings on the screen. We were all able to view the drawings as a class. It is important to utilize technology in the classroom in order to provide students with an additional instructional technique that would fulfill their learning style.

• When answering questions during an interview we should refer to our student teaching experiences and always provide specific examples. 
• It is important to always research, stay current, and make ourselves relevant. Also, it is vital that we keep in mind that we will always be evaluated no matter the situation.

 I would like to plan a group project with my students, I feel it will be interesting and a learning experience to observe my students working together on one project. My cooperating teachers have both seemed hesitant about it but encouraging when I have asked their opinion about it. I feel that 4th or 5th graders would enjoy working in groups and it would prepare them for any group projects they may need to complete in the future. It will provide the students with the opportunity to utilize their strengths and strengthen the areas that may need improvement. Overall it would be a great learning experience for myself as well as my students!

I have completed the recording portion of the TPA project, however, I would like to record one more segment. Next I will be completing the first part of Task 2 which includes the videos I recorded with the students. As I look over the questions that need to be answered in the commentary section I become overwhelmed and stressed but I know it is important to answer one question at a time. It is important to pace myself and not rush through it. This project has been very challenging but it can be completed. 

If possible, I feel it would be helpful to me to receive feedback on my philosophy of education. I would appreciate your opinion and feedback on what I have written.

Blog Post 5

This past week has been eye-opening!

Everything I have been learning and experiencing during student teaching are the key components I need to be a quality teacher for my students. All of the research that we do, the lesson plans we type, the fun ways we think of engaging our students, the innovative techniques and strategies we try to implement, and all of the effort we put into each and every day is all for our students. The students, their education, and experience should always be our main priority and focus. When I think of what lesson I want to teach I think of the kids and ask myself many questions. Would they enjoy this, what would be a fun way to introduce certain material to them, how will I motivate them, guide, and inspire them? How will I teach them life lessons and right from wrong? As an art teacher, I only have students in the classroom for 40 minutes at a time, which is a very short period of time but my hope is that I will make a long lasting impact on their lives. There are so many takeaways but I feel that as teachers we need to continue learning and growing as educators not only for our benefit but for the benefit of our students.
 
I feel that as teachers we should use the learning process (formative assessment) as the greatest form of assessing student learning along with any summative assessments. It is important to correct for student mastery during this time because it would help them be better prepared for any future summative tests. A final test should not determine whether a student has achieved student mastery or not. Teachers should begin assessing student learning as soon as the content is being introduced to them. Any assignment that is completed, question that is asked, or any question that is answered should be used as an opportunity for remediation and correction and is a clear example of student learning.

I feel that students should also be graded on their efforts during class and progress throughout. I do not understand why grades have to be determined by numbers. (Percentages) Students should be provided with other opportunities in order for them to succeed; to experience academic success. When students know that their whole grade will consist of tests, many of them shut down and already feel defeated. Students should not feel defeated on the first day. They need to understand they are capable of achieving success and that their success will not only be measured by numbers.

I will begin the video portion of the TPA project this upcoming week. I am a bit nervous about it all but I am sure it will go very well. My CT has known about my project since my first week and she has been doing a great job at helping me along the way with resources and ideas. I will be meeting the 7th graders who will be a part of my project. I will be informing them about the video portion of it and how the project will include them.

At this time there is not anything I need help with or feedback on but I would like to thank my supervisor for her positive feedback she always provides me with during her visits, especially during her recent visit. She told me that quite a few of my students will remember my lesson on color mixing because of how I presented it. Also that some students will probably be excited to tell their parents about it when they got home. That is amazing to me! It was so great to hear her say that! Thank you Mrs. Reiselt! I always appreciate your written and verbal feedback.

 

Blog Post 4

The first week at Willow Springs is complete and I have learned new lessons and have enjoyed observing Ms. Jokubauskas' teaching style. Since I have been observing this week I have not been able to write a lesson and incorporate which practices I would utilize within the lesson. However I have been recognizing the best learning practices Ms. Jokubauskas incorporates into her lessons and writing notes on them. As I witness them I am testing myself by distinguishing which practices she is utilizing at the moment such as scaffolding, allowing time for students to practice, collaborating with colleagues, using interdisciplinary instruction, providing students time to correct incorrect ideas, using technology, engaging students in active learning, and using background knowledge. I have witnessed all of these learning practices everyday and I aspire to do the same. It has been great practice for me and the learning practices I have observed have been very successful! I have been taking the time to take pictures of projects she is currently working on with her students and projects she has done in the past that I hope to use in the future with my students. I feel very fortunate to have wonderful cooperating teachers!
As I develop my first lesson for the students at Willow Springs I will be sure to include the best learning practices I will be utilizing. I have been working on learning the student's names and connecting with them. Willow Springs is a close knit school and the students and staff have made me feel very welcomed. I will continue to work on these two goals during the next couple of weeks.

This past week has been refreshing! (New beginnings)

The most recent lesson I taught was at Covington School during my 7th week. I taught 1st graders about Joan Miro, a Spanish artist. A lot of his work was made up of a variety of lines and shapes. What made the lesson exciting for the students was that I was able make a connection between them and the artist. When students are able to make a stronger connection to the content on a personal level they enjoy it even more and they put more effort into their project. They learned that Joan Miro loved art when he was in school and began drawing at a very young age like they did. Through research I have found that when referring to where an artist is from it is important to show students where it is on a map. It provides them with a visual reference and Spain is no longer just a word to them it is something real. These two small adjustments made a significant difference in teaching the students about Joan Miro and their learning process.

I found the principal panel extremely helpful! It opened my eyes to what administrators look for in a prospective teacher. I learned to pay close attention to detail, it is important to go above and beyond because it may distinguish you from the 300-400 applicants, and we are expected to ask them questions as well. Above all it was very reassuring to know that our passion for students, enthusiasm, authenticity, heart, and overall character will set us apart from everyone else. Prospective teachers may look amazing on paper but if they do not have good character and love for children they will not get the position. I was happy to know those characteristics are at the top of their list and to know I posses them.

• The greater the structure of a lesson and the more precise the directions on what is to be accomplished, the higher the achievement rate.
• Standards do not deprive you of creativity.  Rather they form the base point from which to design the lesson.

When developing the three TPA lessons, it is important to build on their current art language and knowledge. The lessons need to build upon one another in order for the students to have enough content to complete their project. It is also important to incorporate many of the learning practices into the lessons and utilize all of my resources such as my cooperating teacher, technology.

As I  continue to work on my TPA project I may need my supervisor's feedback and help when necessary. My college supervisor would be surprised to know that my cooperating teacher has a Promethean board in her classroom. It is similar to a smart board but has many exciting features and the children love it! I cannot wait to incorporate it into my lessons! Here's to technology!