Thursday, September 27, 2012
Unexpected!
I found my blog today on accident!! I will continue writing in this beginning today or tomorrow! The journal I've been keeping in class has been very beneficial in providing a communication tool with my current mentor teacher.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I am so thankful with how teaching has been going so far this semester! I was very nervous to start out running by co-teaching last Thursday (Aug. 16) and Friday (Aug. 17) and full-time teaching last Monday (Aug. 20), but I think the lessons I am learning and have learned since the beginning have been VERY valuable for my teaching career!
However, I am experiencing some technical difficulties with Blogger. Would someone be able to help me remember how to invite viewers to my blog? I would like to include my mentor teacher in this one for her input and opinion, if possible, but I cannot remember how to add viewers. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
However, I am experiencing some technical difficulties with Blogger. Would someone be able to help me remember how to invite viewers to my blog? I would like to include my mentor teacher in this one for her input and opinion, if possible, but I cannot remember how to add viewers. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Blog Post 3
Hello everyone,
So I am not sure what the prompt is supposed to be for Blog #3, but I had heard from another student that it is a reflection on the inquiry celebration. I will go with this prompt until I hear otherwise.
The Inquiry Celebration was a very nice event. I feel like I was able to glean much from what the presenters in my seminar had to say about the quality of student work when using daily quizzes, group discussion (QTIP form), and technology integration. I am not nervous about my inquiry because we were able to do much more with action research methods this semester.
The second seminar I went to was also beneficial for me. This seminar discussed the benefits that Clay-Battelle teachers were experiencing from using skype sessions with interactive boards to further their students' education. I was glad to hear the opinions of teachers who were all for the new integration techniques as well as the opinions from less-excited members of the teaching staff. I look forward to presenting my action research next spring at this celebration!
~Claire
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
2 Artifacts connected to the Characteristics of a Novice Teacher
In Education 100, one assignment that I remember was to describe our definition of education using a simile or a metaphor, and then to put this simile or metaphor on a t-shirt. I remember this assignment so vividly because, after hearing some other classmates present before me, I thought I had read into the assignment too much and done it wrong. Most of my classmates used the analogy of gardens to classrooms, where the students were usually flowers and the teacher was water or sunshine and drew nature accordingly, always smiling, on their shirts--or some variant of this metaphor. To me, mine was very different.
On my t-shirt, I had drawn a hand-held mirror with a decorated handle that was tilted in a way that didn't show any particular reflection. My metaphor was, "Education is a looking glass." I then proceeded to defend my reasoning behind this metaphor to the silent class and teacher. I believed (and still do) that being an educator can reflects not only the information you know, or your personality or thoughts, but also your students' abilities, improvement, and reactions to your lesson. I explained that education as a reflection also allowed you to see yourself through your eyes, your students' work, your fellow educators' eyes, etc. The ability to reflect in this manner is what allows us to grow as teachers.
Well, as it turns out, I was far from being wrong with my metaphor, even if it did seem off-the-wall at the time. I have since learned that reflection is a crucial process of the Benedum program collaboration in addition to myself. This knowledge has helped me to hone my own skills and processes as a student reflector. It has also helped to make me aware that I am headed in the right direction as far as my journey to becoming an educator goes.
My second artifact is a technology lesson that I really enjoy. It involves an online program called "Blabberize". I used it once last semester with AP and general education 11th graders at North Marion High and I will use it again, modified, of course, with my 7th grade students at Suncrest Middle. This lesson allows for student choice on how they want to show me that they have comprehended at least 2 different materials and are able to synthesize their knowledge via the prompt associated with the assignment and the technology presentation that goes with it. Students have enjoyed this project in the past and I look forward to seeing how the 7th graders will react to it next week!
On my t-shirt, I had drawn a hand-held mirror with a decorated handle that was tilted in a way that didn't show any particular reflection. My metaphor was, "Education is a looking glass." I then proceeded to defend my reasoning behind this metaphor to the silent class and teacher. I believed (and still do) that being an educator can reflects not only the information you know, or your personality or thoughts, but also your students' abilities, improvement, and reactions to your lesson. I explained that education as a reflection also allowed you to see yourself through your eyes, your students' work, your fellow educators' eyes, etc. The ability to reflect in this manner is what allows us to grow as teachers.
Well, as it turns out, I was far from being wrong with my metaphor, even if it did seem off-the-wall at the time. I have since learned that reflection is a crucial process of the Benedum program collaboration in addition to myself. This knowledge has helped me to hone my own skills and processes as a student reflector. It has also helped to make me aware that I am headed in the right direction as far as my journey to becoming an educator goes.
My second artifact is a technology lesson that I really enjoy. It involves an online program called "Blabberize". I used it once last semester with AP and general education 11th graders at North Marion High and I will use it again, modified, of course, with my 7th grade students at Suncrest Middle. This lesson allows for student choice on how they want to show me that they have comprehended at least 2 different materials and are able to synthesize their knowledge via the prompt associated with the assignment and the technology presentation that goes with it. Students have enjoyed this project in the past and I look forward to seeing how the 7th graders will react to it next week!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Two Characteristic of a Novice Teacher
The second characteristic of a novice teacher encourages a belief in the novice teacher's ability to communicate effectively. I share this notion wholeheartedly and have been trying to increase my ability to give commands and instructions to the students I teach at Suncrest Middle School this semester as well as North Marion High School for the past 3 semesters. Something that I had trouble with was getting everything out that I needed to say without being wordy--much like that sentence. So, I can take this need ability to communicate effectively to and with students to a personal level in my teaching career so far. Thankfully, because of feedback from various mentor teachers, substitutes, and coordinators who have observed me teach, I am actively dispelling this qualm.
Artifacts that could support this effort would be my attendance to faculty senate meetings, workshops, and seminars. While at these gatherings, I have collected hand-outs, itineraries, and reflected on the experiences and how they have impacted me as a learning teacher. These would connect to the enhancement of my ability to communicate effectively by providing tips for me to try--such as using direct, concise verbs and nouns when speaking--as well as examples of what has worked or failed for other teachers. Every effective teacher has to have some idea of how they communicate with his/her students, so this is a universal topic in which everyone can improve.
The eighth characteristic of a novice teacher explores the novice teacher's ability to be a "reflective practitioner." This means that the teacher needs to reflect on various aspects of his/her teaching styles, experiences in and out of the classroom, as well as, communication operations with students, parents/guardians, and staff. With this in mind, this characteristic suggests that by being a reflective practitioner, teachers will constantly give themselves the opportunity to grow in areas they are weak and spot-check questionable territory for future references.
Lesson plan reflections are an excellent artifact for this characteristic because it allows the teacher to not only reflect on what happened each day in class, but it also allows the future-version of that teacher to take note of progress--hopefully--made over time. A teacher-researcher's notebook would also be a great artifact to show recorded thoughts, trials/errors, and motives of that time. These aspects of this characteristic are important to me because they encourage me to continue my education outside of college--something I had hoped to do anyway, but now have more of a guideline of how to go about this.
Artifacts that could support this effort would be my attendance to faculty senate meetings, workshops, and seminars. While at these gatherings, I have collected hand-outs, itineraries, and reflected on the experiences and how they have impacted me as a learning teacher. These would connect to the enhancement of my ability to communicate effectively by providing tips for me to try--such as using direct, concise verbs and nouns when speaking--as well as examples of what has worked or failed for other teachers. Every effective teacher has to have some idea of how they communicate with his/her students, so this is a universal topic in which everyone can improve.
The eighth characteristic of a novice teacher explores the novice teacher's ability to be a "reflective practitioner." This means that the teacher needs to reflect on various aspects of his/her teaching styles, experiences in and out of the classroom, as well as, communication operations with students, parents/guardians, and staff. With this in mind, this characteristic suggests that by being a reflective practitioner, teachers will constantly give themselves the opportunity to grow in areas they are weak and spot-check questionable territory for future references.
Lesson plan reflections are an excellent artifact for this characteristic because it allows the teacher to not only reflect on what happened each day in class, but it also allows the future-version of that teacher to take note of progress--hopefully--made over time. A teacher-researcher's notebook would also be a great artifact to show recorded thoughts, trials/errors, and motives of that time. These aspects of this characteristic are important to me because they encourage me to continue my education outside of college--something I had hoped to do anyway, but now have more of a guideline of how to go about this.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Supreme Court Form. Assess. 4/29/11
The federal court system is supposed to present a fair way for citizens to receive justice in this country. However corrupt or questionable certain branches may seem to be to certain people, there are still 3 levels that are to remain coherent with specific rights, responsibilities, duties, and privileges. These courts are the: District Court, Court of Appeals, Supreme Court.
The District Court is more local--set up to cover local cases that reside within their district.
The Court of Appeals is involved if there is a problem with or questionable outcome of a case that occurs in the district court and then they assess what to do with that case.
The Supreme Court is the highest of the tier. This court is involved when there is great discrepancy between the other two courts. This court typically gives ultimate judgment to cases that have already passed through the other courts.
The District Court is more local--set up to cover local cases that reside within their district.
The Court of Appeals is involved if there is a problem with or questionable outcome of a case that occurs in the district court and then they assess what to do with that case.
The Supreme Court is the highest of the tier. This court is involved when there is great discrepancy between the other two courts. This court typically gives ultimate judgment to cases that have already passed through the other courts.
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