Artifact 6B
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Chapter 1
Response Writing
Date: October 17th
Chapter 1
Response Writing
Date: October 17th
MA Frameworks
Grade 4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Learning Goal
Students will be able to practice
writing paragraphs by being given prompts.
Student Objectives
·
Students will use the story of Island of the Blue Dolphins to support
their ideas while writing.
·
Students will learn what a good paragraph looks like.
·
Student will use their knowledge of what a good paragraph looks like to write
their own.
Implementation
·
Read chapter 1 of Island of the Blue Dolphins
·
Ask students what they think a good/strong paragraph includes
·
Write all of their thoughts on the board, but not where the overhead projector
will be
·
Turn on overhead projector to show transparency of a sample question
·
Read over sample responses and discuss each one: one of the responses is weak
and the other one is strong
·
Go over the strong response and check off each of the qualities that the
students had on the board that were present in the stronger response.
·
Introduce the questions they are expected to respond to
·
Pass out response journals and rotate around the room and help students that
need extra support
Differentiated Instruction
Students that finish early can read
or do math puzzles silently until the period is over/everyone in finished
(whichever comes first)
Students that need extra
clarification can receive help from Mr. Sugarman or me. They can use the
overhead projector to look at the sample questions if necessary.
Reflection
This lesson was a strong
introduction to our class book Island of the Blue Dolphins. I felt that
the students were engaged because they were all able to participate in the
discussion about what a paragraph is and what it looks like. I was able to call
on students randomly and they were all able to come up with some sort of
example of what a strong paragraph would include. The focus on the lesson was
also strong. I think this may be because we hadn't been using the overhead too
often and they were excited we got to turn the lights off. I also think it was
helpful that the students saw examples of what their writing should look like.
After the students completed their
responses I took a look at what they wrote. About half the students included
what we had talked about in their paragraphs. It was a little frustrating after
thinking that the students really understood the writing lesson but I was able
to gain information about what they really understood, and what needs some
work. I decided to go over the format again during my next lesson so make sure
everyone was on the same page.
Artifact 6C
Math Lesson Chapter 3, Lesson 7
Time and date: October 20th; 10 AM
Time and date: October 20th; 10 AM
MA Frameworks
4.NBT
6. Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
6. Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
Student Objective
·
To separate shipments into equal groups
Headline Story
Karly had 2 dozen eggs to give to her friends. She wanted to share them fairly,
so she kept any eggs that were left over. Another time, she began with 23 eggs.
How could she have shared the eggs in both cases?
If there is time:
To review mental multiplication, say a number and have a student multiply the
number by 10. Say numbers and call on students quickly to keep the activity
fast-paced. Record the numbers and answers in a chart. Repeat the activity,
asking the students to multiply to 100.
Purpose of lesson
·
To introduce division notation
Do these problems with the class:
0342 divided by 3 (use these numbers
to represent the crates, boxes, and packages from the eraser store).
0652 divided by 4
2474 divided by 2
1464 divided by 3
Assign for independent work:
pgs. 49-50
pgs. 49-50
Reflection
This lesson was my first math lesson
I taught to my class. I used the math curriculum, Think Math, to help me plan
my lesson. I found that the lesson went fairly well but there were some things
that I could improve upon. First off, this lesson was somewhat of a review for
what the students had been doing the rest of the chapter. I do not think that
this lesson was challenging enough for the students that fully understood how
to divide. One thing that I could have done is have the one lesson for the
whole class then have more difficult problems for students that needed a
challenge.
From looking at their lab pages I
noticed that many students did understand the lesson which was relieving
because I was not sure how effective my teaching was. The students' attention
during the lesson was not great, but I think it is because the majority of the
class understood the lesson and was not challenged through my examples. For my
next lesson I plan to pick some more challenging examples or activities so my
students can be engaged in the lesson.
Artifact 6D
Alanna Pihl
Dr. Joeritta Jones de Almeida
EDU 316
18 April 2011
Dr. Joeritta Jones de Almeida
EDU 316
18 April 2011
Educational
Philosophy
My time at Wheelock has enabled me to develop ideas
about my character and the things I believe in as a future teacher. Coming here
as a freshman I was not sure how I would go about teaching or what kind of
environment I thought would work best in my future classroom. What I have
learned is that I should create my environment around my students instead of
change my students for the classroom environment. My educational philosophy is
a twist of a couple different ideas. I mainly see myself having a multicultural
or sociocultural philosophy. I also see myself incorporating items from a child
and community centered schooling philosophy.
I believe that my classroom should be a supportive place
where students are able to recognize and accept different cultures different
than their own. I think it is vital for students to bring what they know from
home to the classroom to support diverse learning experiences. When children
are exposed to different ways of learning and cultures they will be more
versatile. Students will benefit from a diverse learning environment because it
fosters more bilingual education, anti-racist surroundings, and a community that
incorporates life experiences into the curriculum. I also think it is important
to create an environment in which students have many opportunities for
student-directed learning. This aspect is a part of the child and community
centered schooling because it allows students to be involved in a rich learning
environment that enables the students to be responsible for their problem
solving skills.
I also believe that I have a holistic approach to
teaching. I am not only concerned with students’ learning, but also their
development and their well-being. For most students I think it is important
that they receive encouragement for doing their best in all aspects of their
lives. I know that it will be important for me to modify my teaching style for
students based on their home life, personality, learning style, and cultural
backgrounds. As a future educator I have found that I have many different
approaches to teaching. I believe that having a supportive environment for
learning is one of the most important concepts to have in a classroom because
it allows students to trust one another and learn their best.
Artifact 6E
Alanna Pihl
Linda Banks-Santilli
Edu 306
May 4th, 2010
Linda Banks-Santilli
Edu 306
May 4th, 2010
Annotated
Bibliography
A history of Native
American Schooling and some Modern Perspectives
Bigelow, B. & Peterson, B. (1998). Rethinking Columbus: The next 500 years. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson
created this anthology to express the importance of teaching children the truth
about Native Americans and their culture. They gathered pieces such as poems,
essays, lyrics, and stories. The anthology discusses why we as educators should
rethink Columbus by creating new ways in which we can teach students the truth
about the discovery of our nation. The sources within the book give light to
how vital it is to educate students about classic stereotypes of Native Americans,
common misconceptions of the Native American people, and how European
discoverers tortured the native people in order to take their land. The
anthology also communicates the importance of teaching about Native Americans
not only through history, but also about contemporary issues that Native
Americans face today such as stereotypes, reservation life, and environmental issues.
Spring, J. (2010). American
education, (14th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
The author Joel Spring is a
well-known writer of racial issues within the United States. He graduated from
the University of Wisconsin with a Ph.D. in educational policy studies. He is
now a professor at Queens College in New York. Joel Spring’s books are reliable
sources on information about Native Americans because his
great-great-grandfather was the first Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation in
Indian Territory. His book discusses American education starting with the
initial history and goals of education, ending with more contemporary issues
within public schooling. He touches upon multiple aspects of education. Some of
the aspects that go along with my topic are equality, student diversity, and
multicultural and multilingual education. Within the student diversity section,
Spring presents a short history of Native Americans dealing with American
schooling, the Self Determination and Education Assistance Act, and goals for
the future education of Native Americans.
Spring, J . (2007). Deculturalization
and the struggle for equality: A brief history of the education of Dominated
cultures in the united states, (5th edition). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Joel Spring wrote this book in
hopes of exposing people to the struggles of oppression that the many ethnic
and racial groups in the United States experienced. Within the text he
discusses the history of racism towards minority groups. In the Native American
section, Spring discusses the deculturalization and segregation of the
indigenous group. Acts of discrimination were discussed such as the denial of
citizenship, the Indian Removal Act, and the Meriam Report. Through Spring’s
work, the reader is able to gain a basic knowledge of the struggles that the
Native Americans have experienced.
Spring, J. (2008). The
American school: From the puritans to no child left behind, (7th
edition). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
In Spring’s book he discusses the
Native American fight for equality. After years of experiencing
deculturalization, Native Americans began to fight for their freedom from
federal supervision and control. In this piece, Spring also wrote about the
self-determination of the Native American people to gain control of their
schools. They wanted to create a multicultural and bilingual program which is
explained in this source. Through this book, the reader is able to learn about
how the Native Americans were deculturalized, but then fought to resurrect
their language and traditions.
Gilliard, J.L. & Moore, R.A. (2007). An investigation of how culture shapes
curriculum in early care and Education programs on a native American
Indian reservation: The drum is considered the heartbeat of the community.
Early Childhood Education Journal, 34 (4). Retrieved from ERIC.
This article was written by
Jennifer L. Gillard and Rita A. Moore. A study was done to see how the presence
of family culture shaped the curriculum in Native American schools. The study
was done through three early childhood programs. It took place on the Flathead
Indian Reservation. Through the interview questions and observations of early
childhood teachers, the data collectors found that there were two issues. The
first issue they found was that children’s achievement is directly related to
how their personal, social, and cultural literacies are shown through school
culture. Therefore, the more comfortable they feel in their surroundings, the
more positive their learning experience will be. Second, the researchers found
that many educators were unprepared to work with cultures different than their
own. This article is a great source to use while trying to enlighten yourself
about ways in which you can make Native American children more comfortable in
their school surroundings.
Artifact 6F
Morning Meeting Organizer
Greeting:
Welcome back from your weekend 4th
Graders! I am very excited to start off our week together! We have a lot
planned for today so it will be important for everyone to be ready to learn, to
be a good listener, and to be focused. It will also be VERY important to keep
these expectations up for the rest of the week because we have a new system for
behavior that we are going to use for the next 5 days. Before I explain this
new idea to you, I just want to let you know I have great faith in our class to
work hard all week, learn a lot, and most importantly… have lots of fun!
<3 Ms.
Pihl
News and
Announcements:
Go over
classroom rules
Go over new
expectations
Show them
the teacher ticket, expectations, and warning system
Answer
possible questions
Schedule:
Written on
board
Share:
I will share
then I will pick two kids who want to share. These kids will then share and
then pick two questions or comments.
Artifact 6G
OBSERVATIONS IN THE FOUR
DEVELOPMENTAL DOMAINS
DEVELOPMENTAL DOMAINS
You need to
make at least three observations in each domain for this submission.
1.
Social-Emotional
10/4/11
Morning Meeting
8:10-8:30 AM
Sam
is still at his desk talking with Dom and Doyle after Mr. Sugarman has asked
them to form a circle on the rug. He makes his way over to the rug and sits
next to Doyle and Ms. Dalton. Sam begins to talk to Doyle and Ethan but stops
when the class begins to greet each other. He says good morning to Ms. Dalton
and Doyle and shakes each of their hands. As morning meeting continues, he
listens attentively to Mr. Sugarman as he speaks. Sam then looks down at his
watch and fiddles with it. He looks over at Dom when Dom throws his sweatshirt.
Sam becomes refocused but instead of sitting up straight, he has his elbow on
his lap and has the palm of his hand on his chin. Although he is listening, he
stares at something other than Mr. Sugarman. He then refocuses back to Mr.
Sugarman and simultaneously stretches his arms out in front of himself. When
the class is asked a question Sam raises his hand straight up into the air so
that he can share. He communicates with the class with a loud voice and makes a
joke that makes everyone laugh. He then resorts back to listening and puts his
hands together as if he is praying. Again he stares off into space then moves
his body so that he can hold his knees. He then moves around to get comfortable
and puts his head back and yawns loudly. Next, Sam moves his foot close to
Dom’s to get a reaction from him. After he is denied a reaction, Sam looks at
his watch again and yawns. When Mr. Sugarman takes out the newspaper article
about a young woman in high school that plays for her male football team he
becomes refocused. The next newspaper article gets him very excited because it
is about a man that flies with a jet pack. When Mr. Sugarman reads the article
aloud Sam calls out, “What is a daredevil?” Mr. Sugarman replies, “It’s someone
who takes risks.” While listening to Will make a connection to the article Sam
says, “Whoa!” As he continues to listen to others share during the morning
meeting he looks at his watch a few more times. The students are then allowed
to go back to their desks.
10/4/11
Snack
9:50-10:05 AM
At
the beginning of snack Sam is asked if he wants to play a game. He replies,
“No”. Sam eats his snack with Doyle then walks over to the computer. He stands
next to Doyle and continues to eat his snack. After a few more bites he walks
over to Mr. Sugarman, then back to Doyle again. Jack comes over and gives Sam
and Doyle a difficult time about whose turn it is at the computer. Sam ignores
Jack and continues to watch Doyle play a game. He then says to Jack, “No! It’s
an online game! It’s boring. I’ve played it and it’s boring.” When asked to
return to his desk because snack is over, he hesitates but then goes to his
seat.
10/5/11
Morning Meeting
9:00-9:15 AM
As
Mr. Sugarman calls the class to the rug for morning meeting he sees a squirrel
outside the window and calls it out to the attention of the students. The kids,
including Sam, run to the window to see it. When the children are redirected,
Sam is one of the last students to join the teachers and the rest of the class
on the rug. As the morning greeting happens Sam says good morning to the people
he is sitting next to and shakes their hands. Sam then notices that Isak has
left the room, so he goes to sit in Isak’s spot on the rug. Isak asks Sam
politely to give him his spot back and without hesitation Sam moves back to his
original place. Morning meeting continues and Sam attentively listens to Mr.
Sugarman speak. He then makes eye contact with Mr. Sugarman. Sam is still
sitting on the rug but movies his hands around to make a shadow the ground from
the sunlight coming in from the window. After a few moments he looks at his
fingers and starts to chew his nails. Henry then spills his water which distracts Sam. He looks at Henry cleaning up the
mess. He then continues to make shadows again on the rug.
● Developmental
Implications
In the first observation Sam shows
that he is able to act with responsibility and independence. He notices when he
becomes unfocused and directs attention back to the teacher. Although Sam looks
off into space sometimes and occasionally fidgets, he is able to keep attention
on the subject at hand. As The Omnibus Guidelines state, “By nine years of age,
children can be expected t be more self-reliant, having internalized school
behaviors such as following rules and routines, managing transitions, and using
materials carefully.” The fact the he is showing signs of self-reliance proves
that he is monitoring his learning by refocusing on what he should be doing
(which is listening during the routine of morning meeting).
During snack in the second
observation Sam can’t seem to find an activity that he wants to participate in.
Finally he ends up at the computer with Doyle. As he continues to eat his snack
another boy named Jack comes over to give the boys a hard time about whose turn
it is for the computer. Instead of inviting Jack to join in the activity, Sam
ignores him. One area that Sam could work on is not excluding others. The
Omnibus Guidelines state, “At times they may find themselves in situations that
exclude others. Their own need to feel as if they belong can leave others
feeling left out.” This may explain why Sam was unable to allow himself to
invite an outsider into his game with Doyle. Something to keep in mind as Sam’s
teacher is to plan activities where the students are able to learn more about
people in the class that they do not normally socialize with. Not only will
this help students find what their classmates are interested in, what their
family is like, or what their favorite subject is, it will also allow create a
safe environment for students to include others without feeling insecure with
where they fit in.
The third observation shows how Sam
is able to be distracted by something funny or interesting and can eventually
settle himself down when it is time to focus. When the squirrel is brought to
the attention of the class everyone runs to the window and starts talking and
laughing. When Mr. Sugarman redirects the students Sam is one of the last
students to join the circle, but when he comes back he is calm and ready to
learn. Something that he could work on is training himself to be more
collected. If Sam is given support in this area he will be able to “begin to
use coping strategies” in order to redirect himself.
2.
Physical/Functional
10/3/11
Recess
11:00-11:20 AM
Sam
gets a basketball and dribbles it to the outdoor court. He runs around the
court to keep away from Doyle. He shoots the basketball and Doyle rebounds it.
He runs after Doyle and steals the ball away from him. He then runs over to the
next basketball hoop and shoots. He continues to play basketball with Doyle but
then shortly runs off to the field to play soccer. He doesn’t end up playing in
the game but picks up two sticks near the field and walks back to the field
with them. He runs for about five seconds with the sticks in his hands with
Doyle. He runs some more then drops the sticks and climbs underneath the fence.
He returns to the other side the same way but then immediately runs over to the
big group of kids playing soccer. He runs along with the group. Sam runs for
about a minute without even stopping and keeps up with the others. After he
finishes playing soccer he walks over to the jungle gym to find Doyle. He grabs
onto a swing and tries to fit into the baby swing. He eventually gives up and
moves on to another swing that another child is on. He then grabs the handles
of the swing and pushes the other student with Doyle’s help. While pushing his
friend on the swing, Sam forms a fist with his hand. He lightly punches the
other child in the back—the child seems to be unaffected by what Sam had done.
Sam runs off and chases another child before he lines up to go inside to lunch.
10/3/11
Physical Education
1:40-2:00 PM
In
P.E. the class is playing capture the flag outdoors. Sam is in the middle of
the field with Henry laughing. Sam walks around and then chases a girl that has
crossed the line. He does not tag her. He then falls over on the ground then
gets back up without using his hands or arms. He talks to Doyle and Madison
then runs after Madison and tags her jokingly because they are on the same
team. Madison hits Sam on the arm and both of them laugh together. He hears his
teammates on the other side of the field in the jail. They have created a line
so that they can be tagged free easier. He runs to the other side to free his
teammates. During the game he is very energetic and excited. Sam then calls out
to one of his teammates while running back to his side. He yells, “Help me!” He
crosses the boundary line and lingers around it searching for someone to chase.
Sam then runs to the other side of the field where he jumps into the free zone.
He and a few others then form a human chain that will be used to free their teammates
from the jail again. Looking frustrated, he breaks away from the chain and just
runs over to the jail and frees all of his teammates. He then sprints back to
his side before the whistle is blown to go back inside.
10/6/11
Recess
11:00-11:20 AM
Sam
rushes out to the playground onto the field where other students are playing
soccer. He runs over to Matt who is the QB and asks if he can be on his team.
Matt says yes and Sam crouches over into a football stance. When he sees the
ball being passed to one of his teammates he runs towards the sideline to
receive a pass. His teammate does not pass to him, so he runs back towards
where his teammate was tagged. He then decides to leave the game and runs away
to find Doyle. He finds him on the basketball court with two other students
from another class. Sam runs with the boys trying to steal the ball. He gets
the ball away from Doyle and dribbles it past the two other students towards
the basketball hoop. He tosses the ball at the net and misses. The whistle is
then blown to signal that the fourth grade is going back inside for lunch. Sam
runs over to his place in line and plops down on the ground and waits for the
rest of his class to join him.
● Developmental
Implications
Sam’s physical development is one of
his strengths. He enjoys running around and participating in activities that
are kinesthetic. Throughout the three observations for this section Sam shows
that he has skills that are discussed in The Omnibus Guidelines. Sam shows the
“ability to move with balance, coordination, and control.” When Sam runs it is
almost a constant activity except when he takes short breaks. Although he
allows himself to catch his breath, he continues to jog or walk. Sam is able to
run for a long period of time and can change directions easily. From the
observations is it clear that he is able to move past his friends by dodging
and swerving and has great endurance.
During the recesses when Sam is
playing basketball with his peers it is evident that he is able to apply gross
motor skills to sports and games. As the Omnibus guidelines explain, “Fourth
graders are learning to integrate their physical skills into more complex
sports.” Sam is capable of dribbling a basketball with his friends during a
basketball game, and is also able to use his balance to run and steal the ball
at the same time. Sam’s physical development is one of his strong points. It
would be useful to use this knowledge to create lesson plans that support his
kinesthetic strength. One thing that he could improve on is controlling his
anger while at recess. In the first observation Sam punched one of his friends
in the back while the boy was swinging. Although Sam may have punched the child
in good fun it is important for him to know what he did was wrong. His anger
was something that his third grade teacher was addressing with him, so creating
activities to follow up on that issue would be beneficial.
3.
Language/Literacy
10/3/11
Reading/Literacy
12:15-1:00 PM
As
a class we are reading The Kid in the Red Jacket. As the students read
along, Sam follows along with the words by using his finger. He looks up and
gets lost. He turns to Doyle and whispers “where are we?” Doyle points at a
place on Sam’s page. Sam continues to read along and when I ask if he would
like to read he says yes. He begins to read and stumbles on a few words but
self corrects. When I ask a question, Sam is hesitant to raise his hand, but
eventually does when I give enough wait time. When I call on him Sam is
expected to describe the character and how he has changed from the beginning of
the book to how he is now. Sam then says, “Howard in the beginning of the book
was mad at his parents. Now he is alright with being the new kid because he has
made a couple of friends. He did not like Molly in the beginning, but he thinks
she is alright now.” The students then move on to individual work.
10/5/11
Science
12:15-1:00 PM
During
our science lesson we worked with six different powers and added water to them
to see what would happen to each of the substances. Throughout the lesson Sam
was very engaged by participating in adding the water, using the new vocabulary
in his writing, and recording what he saw. At the end of the lesson we met as a
class to discuss our findings. When I asked the class what they found
interesting about adding water to the substances Sam said, “When we add water
to sugar, it becomes translucent. What that means is that it is sort of see
through.” Another student then asked how Sam was able to see through the sugar
because he wasn’t able to. Sam explained himself by saying, “When you add water
to the sugar it uhh… it kind of disappears. Like… it sort of dissolves.” The
class then continued the discussion.
10/11/11
Morning Meeting
8:10-8:15 AM
While
in morning meeting Sam is discussing what happened this weekend at the park. He
uses the wrong verb tense in a sentence by saying, “he leaved”. Dom corrects
Sam by saying, “a person doesn’t leaved, they left!” Sam looks at Dom and
repeats himself by saying, “Ya, the kid left the park.”
● Developmental
Implications
In the first observation Sam is
reading along during a class read aloud. Every student gets a chance to read if
they would like and Sam volunteers when it is his turn. As an ELL student
speaking Chinese primarily at home, it can be difficult to switch languages
while at school. The book we were reading was at a fourth grade level and was
between Sam’s instructional and frustration levels of reading. Something that
Sam did was use the strategy of sounding out a word and then self correcting
his errors. In the Omnibus Guidelines it states, “Nine year olds become more
fluent readers as they use a combination of strategies to comprehend text
(structural analysis, predictions, phonetic cues, context clues, prior
knowledge.)” In the case of the first observation Sam was able to recognize
that he had mispronounced a few words while he was reading, but he self
corrected. It is a possibility that he used context clues to help him realize
what the correct pronunciation would be.
The second observation took place
during a science lesson. The class had been introduced to a new vocabulary.
Many of the students including Sam had never read or used some of the words
before so it was great to observe them using these words in their writing and
speech. At the end of the lesson there was a class discussion where they were
asked questions about what they saw during the lab. Sam incorporated the new
vocabulary into his discussion and was even able to explain the definition of
the word in a different way for another student. One of the ideas from the
Omnibus Guidelines says that fourth graders should be able to make relevant
contributions to class discussions. Sam was certainly able to learn the new
words and the definitions in order to contribute his ideas to a class
discussion.
The third observation happened
during morning meeting when the students were discussing what they did over the
weekend. Sam volunteered to share with the group. He told a story about how he
went to the park with a couple of his friends then one of his friends left. The
Omnibus Guidelines states, “When presented with ongoing opportunities to engage
in discussions and conversations, children will become more willing to speak in
larger classroom groups.” Sam was able to tell a story from his weekend, but
used the wrong verb tense. He was corrected by one of his classmates and
immediately corrected himself. He did not seem upset that he had made a
mistake, but instead felt comfortable enough with the group to take the
criticism.
While introducing new vocabulary to
Sam I found it useful to have the definitions written out on large graph paper
for the whole class to refer to. As a visual learner,
manipulatives and pictures work well for Sam because he is able to look back at
them and use them as tools. Another thing that would be useful in the classroom
is to preview the new words with Sam before they are introduced to the rest of
the class so that he is able to have some prior knowledge that the others may
already have just from speaking the language a bit longer than Sam.
- Cognitive
10/3/11
Geography
10:30-11:00 AM
Sam
is sitting in a group of four with three other boys (Dom, Doyle, and Ethan).
Sam is trying to focus by looking at his paper, but the others in the group are
talking and standing at their desks. Mr. Sugarman goes over to the group and
tells Ethan to turn his desk around. This helps Sam focus more on his work. He
continues to look down at his packet trying to find the answers. Sam calls me
over to help him. He asks, “Can you help me?” I ask him to read the first
question to me. He says, “What is the capital city of Connecticut?” I then
reply, “How can you figure this answer out? Is there a key to the map?” By
looking at the key he notices that the star stands for the capital. The next
questions involve the directions on a compass rose. He looks around as if he is
going to ask for help, but he ends up doing the work on his own. Sam continues
his work, picking up his head occasionally to react to his neighbors. At this
point Sam has his feet under his bottom so that he is kneeling in his seat.
Ethan has turned around from his chair and is singing and communicating with
the group. Sam is now refocused but is still chatting with the others. He
shakes his pencil in his hand, looks at his watch, and then looks at his
neighbor’s paper. Sam then reads the questions aloud to his group and it seems
as if they are solving the questions together. He asks for help again. He is
confused about what a province of Canada is and where the borders of Maine are.
One of his group members helps him by drawing a circle in the middle of Maine
and then tells him to look at the compass rose to find where northwest and
northeast would be. Sam continues to have a difficult time deciphering what
Canadian provinces are northwest and northeast of Maine. He does not find the
answer to the question and gets distracted. He begins to socialize with his
group members and looks at his watch a couple of times. The third time he looks
at his watch he says, “It’s 10:56. Almost time for recess!” Mr. Sugarman hears
the boys talking and goes over to their group, and tells them to focus for
three more minutes. Sam and Doyle continue to socialize for another thirty
seconds but then Sam looks back down at his paper. He then looks at his watch
again and plays with the buttons. He tries to refocus on his paper. He reads
the question to himself and uses his pencil to look for things on the map. He
writes his answer in and continues to read the paper. When Mr. Sugarman holds
up a lunchbox looking for the owner Sam says, “That’s Maya’s!” He then closes
his packet and puts his name on it. Sam then lines up with the rest of the
class for recess.
10/4/11
Mathematics
8:30-9:00 AM
Sam
sits cross-legged on the floor and listens to Mr. Sugarman explain what the
class objectives for the lesson are. The student looks around the room as
people answer questions that Mr. Sugarman is asking the class. Sam looks over
at Dom then starts chewing his fingers and fingernail. He then looks up at
Henry. Next he puts his head in the palm of his hand then looks back up at Mr.
Sugarman. Sam inches closer to Mr. Sugarman when he starts to read the
book
,Remainder of One. He listens to the
story very attentively. From being in a laying down position, Sam sits up then
puts his head on the rug. Quickly he sits back up. Sam then raises his hand
then immediately puts it back down. He then puts it back up twice and is called
upon by Mr. Sugarman. Sam gives an answer of, “three columns.” He continues to
look at Mr. Sugarman’s example then yawns. He continues to listen while Mr.
Sugarman explains individual work. Sam returns to his desk and begins to talk
with Doyle and Dom while Dom is trying to explain a problem to Doyle. Sam then
asks Mr. Sugarman a questions about what he should be doing for his individual
work. He flips to the assigned page before anyone else in his group. He is
focusing on his work.
10/5/11
Mathematics
9:15-9:30 AM
Sam
moves closer to the board so that he can see the lesson. He sits up straight in
the front of the classroom. Sam is called upon for the KenKen and gives the
number 4 to start the puzzle. He raises his hand again and waits patiently to
be called on. He lowers his hand then lays down on his stomach. Timmy listens while others respond to
questions and claps and smiles with others in the classroom. While Mr. Sugarman
explains what they will be doing individually Sam plays with his own hands. He
then returns to his desk and promptly begins his worksheet.
● Developmental
Implications
Throughout the cognitive
observations it is evident that Sam is a student that knows what to do to stay
focused, or become refocused. There were multiple times within each observation
where Sam became distracted but was able to recognize that and find a way to
listen again. As the Levine text states, “this form of control is responsible
for distributing for the fuel needed for competency, productivity, and a
well-controlled behavior.” Sam knows what is expected of him in the classroom
and self-motivates. He does become distracted at moments just like any other
student in the classroom but is able to settle himself. In the first lesson Sam works diligently on
individual work. When he is confused he asks for clarification and also allows
another student to try to help him. At the point in the observation when the
other student tries to help Sam, it is obvious that he is ready to move on from
the activity. Knowing that Sam is a self motivated learner it could be said
that he was satisfied with the both the amount of work he had completed and how
long he focused for.
Although Sam is able to refocus, he
also shows signs of inconsistent alertness. For example, when Sam is sitting
during the last math lesson he is able to contribute answers to the KenKen
puzzle. He is able to do this because he is sitting up straight and is focusing
on what Mr. Sugarman and is classmates are saying. He then lays down and
fidgets with his hands and body. In the first math observation Sam yawns and
chews on his fingers. The Levine text states, “they may yawn, stretch, and
appear tired…They seem more exhausted when they are required to sit still. It
has been said that nothing a child does requires more energy than sitting
still!” In Sam’s case this is completely true. Sam seems to be “tuned-out” only
for short periods of time during a lesson. It should just be something to keep
an eye on to see if these moments happen more often as the school year
continues.
One thing that may help Sam is to
make eye contact with him when he begins to lose focus. He is a child that is
able to understand consequences and knows what is expected from him at school.
He is also a child that is able to refocus which is sometimes difficult for
fourth graders. Another thing that could help Sam during individual work is to
give him a timeline to follow. For example if he is completing a packet of work
he should take about ten minutes on the first page, and be able to finish the
rest before recess. Every five to ten minutes the teacher could do a check in
with Sam to see if he is on track for completing his timed goals.
Artifact 6H
Lesson
Observation #4 - Alanna Pihl
Date and Time: November 14, 2011 from 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Grade 4 Curricular area: Writing (Letter writing)
Post Conference: November 14, 2011 from 1:45 – 2:30 with
Alanna and Jay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lesson Summary:
This writing lesson was a continuation of a previous lesson in which students
generated ideas for a letter to a serviceperson serving in Afghanistan,
put the ideas into a graphic organizer and, in a later lesson, would write the
letter.
Learning Objectives:
Ms. Pihl listed the following learning goals in her lesson plan: (i) will be
able to refer to their ideas from their brainstorming paper to plan and write a
first draft of a letter; (ii) will proofread their own work and correct
mistakes that are found. All students were engaged in taking brainstorming
ideas and turning them into a first draft of a letter. Most students were not
able to complete the draft in time to proofread, though Ms. Pihl conducted a whole-class
mini-lesson in which a sample letter was proofread. Given the amount of time
for the lesson, it was totally appropriate that students did not get to
proofread their own letter.
Essential Question/Understanding:
Ms. Pihl noted the following essential understanding: Students will learn that
letters are a means of communication and will learn how to write a proper
letter to another party. “Letters are a means of communication” is a splendid
essential understanding. Ms. Pihl is to be commended for working hard to write
essential understandings given that she has not had much instruction in that
skill.
Lesson architecture:
As has been the case with each observation lesson, Ms. Pihl created a very
organized sequence of activities. The lesson began with a review of the
previous lesson about Veterans’ Day; it continued with the mini-lesson in which
Ms. Pihl and students proofread a letter with errors. Following that, Ms. Pihl
reviewed the elements that would make a letter interesting to read and, for the
body of the lesson, students engaged in taking their brainstorming ideas and
putting them into a graphic organizer or rough draft of a letter. The lesson
began with referencing what had happened in a previous lesson, continued with
guided instruction, and concluded with practice.
Instruction Strategies: Ms.
Pihl made effective use of numerous instructional devices.
Reviewing/Referencing
the previous lesson: The lesson began with a review of
Veterans’ Day and why we observe it. Ms. Pihl brought several newspaper
articles from the weekend that described community events related to the
observance, to increase student awareness of the holiday.
Teaching
a mini-lesson: Strong teaching practice indicates
that short skill lessons are appropriate to review previously-learned skills.
In this instance, Ms. Pihl used the overhead projector to show a letter that
needed proofreading. She guided students to find and correct errors in the
letter. Ms. Pihl had a rubric of proofreading tips to look for and students
were able to apply that list of tips to the model letter.
Use
of graphic organizer for planning the writing:
The graphic organizer allowed space for students to note their opening, what would
go into the first and second paragraphs and the closing. Because there was no
expectation of spelling/grammar/etc. on the organizer, students were free to
jot down ideas without being hampered to use “correct English”.
Providing
examples: Ms. Pihl provided examples of topics that would make
interesting reading for the servicemen and women receiving students’ letters.
She referenced specific topics and she explained that jokes would be
appreciated. She specifically referenced several students’ work that included
jokes. By providing examples of topics, students who struggled to find things
to say were able to use others’ ideas.
Personal
engagement: Ms. Pihl exhibited genuine enthusiasm
as she spoke about how pleased the servicewomen and men would be to receive the
letters. She explained that the people students would be writing to know a
friend of hers and that is why she knows they will be so pleased. Injecting
one’s own commitment and personal life, as appropriate, allows students to understand
the importance of the project to you.
Provisioning:
Ms. Pihl provisioned the lesson well: she had a copy of the book she had used
from the previous lesson; she had the overhead projector ready and the sample
letter on a transparency; various sheets that students would be using were
organized into packets and stapled together.
Because the many supplies were easily accessible, the lesson could
proceed smoothly with minimal time taken to deal with materials.
Differentiation:
Ms. Pihl accurately identified several students who would have difficulty with
their writing and asked them to bring their work to the rug for individual
support. By closely following their work, Ms. Phil was able to provide more
guidance than had they stayed at their desks. Another student joined the small
group and it is good practice to encourage students to self-identify their
needs and seek extra help when necessary.
Several suggestions when doing this
sort of differentiation.
1.
Instead of gathering students on the
rug where they are likely not to be as comfortable to write, find a space in
the classroom where they can sit at desks. Maintain the same standards for
those students as for the others in the classroom.
2. Implement structures with the rest of
the students so they do not need to interrupt you when you are working with the
small group. As discussed in the post-observation conference, you might encourage
students to find a buddy to help them, or display a “I need help” sign on their
desk, or write the question to be asked at a time when you are not working with
a small group.
Classroom behavior management:
Ms. Pihl made use of the following strategies for getting and maintaining
appropriate student behavior:
Chime:
As has been the case in earlier lessons, Ms. Pihl used a chime to successfully
attract student attention.
Specific
description of good behavior: As an example, Ms. Pihl said, “I will know you are ready when you are
looking at me with your pencils down.” That clear direction does not leave
any room for doubt as to what a student should be doing when ready to learn.
Provided
an ultimatum in forceful language: As an example, Ms. Pihl said, “If I have to give you a second warning,
your time at gym will be take away.” Indeed, several students were kept in
the classroom a few minutes into their gym time for behavior violations.
While it is not advisable to take extended
physical education time from students, the expressions on students’ faces and
the rapidity with which they completed their work so as to go to the gymnasium
suggested that they received a significant admonition and, perhaps, will be
more cooperative in future lessons. Likewise, raising one’s voice has limited
long-term effects but elevating the voice makes clear that you are serious
about your intentions and is a perfectly legitimate strategy to gain student
attention.
Listing
behavior expectations: In response to a suggestion, Ms. Pihl
developed a list of behavior expectations which she read to students at the
outset of the lesson. Expectations included such things as: (i) I will work on
my letter to my serviceman, and (ii) I will work individually, and (iii) I will
proofread my letter, and (iv) I will correct my errors. Each of the 8 items on
the checklist was a behavior that good learners employ and was specific to the
lesson; at the lesson’s conclusion, students were asked to rate themselves on a
scale of 0-5 for each behavior and Ms. Pihl reminded students to “act
responsibly” with reference to the list. Ms. Pihl is to be commended for trying
this strategy; it appeared to have some positive impact when Ms. Pihl
referenced the behaviors and students could pinpoint her request for specific
behavior. Following are several suggestions about implementing this sort of
strategy:
1.
If time permits, it is advisable to
engage students in the development of the ideas so they are not the teacher’s
ideas but the class’s learning behaviors.
2. Post the learning behaviors so you and
students can refer to them during and after the lesson.
3. Make a generic set of learning behaviors
that applies to all lessons and aspects of the day. While the specific list
used in the lesson was useful, many items applied only to that lesson; for each
lesson, another set would be needed. Generic examples could include: (i) I check
over all my work; (ii) I work independently until I cannot work further; (iii)
I ask for appropriate help from my peers or the teacher; (iv) I read all
directions before beginning; (v) I use legible handwriting and keep papers neat
and clean.
4. Allow legitimate time to really
self-evaluate/reflect at the end of the lesson. Within the final two minutes of
the lesson, Ms. Phil said, “What you are
doing now silently is to reflect on how you did in this lesson. If you cannot
fill out everything it is OK if you haven’t gotten there. If you have not
gotten to proofreading, it is OK not to fill that in. When you are done, you
will raise your hand I will pick things up for you.” In this instance,
several things happened: (1) permission was given to not accomplish some of the
behavior expectations if students had not gotten “there”; (2) With so little
time provided, students could hardly be reflective, while scurrying to get to
the gym; (3) no follow-up was provided such as a question like: Which
expectation are you most proud of? or Which expectation was more difficult to
achieve? Or which expectation will you work on tomorrow when we write?
Summary:
Ms. Pihl is employing increasingly effective teaching strategies and has made
significant gains with classroom management techniques.
|
Strengths
|
Recommendations
|
Artifact 6I
Lesson
Observation #5 - Alanna Pihl
Date and Time: December 6, 2011 from 8:30AM – 11:00AM
Grade 4
Curricular areas: Geography (Maps and Globes) and Math
(multiples of 10)
Post Conference: None since Alanna was teaching all day
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This report briefly addresses the math
lesson (which was not the official observation lesson), and the geography
lesson – and the transition from one to the other.
Overall Classroom Organization and
Management: Classroom management and organization
during the 2.5 hour session was as strong as has been observed during Ms.
Pihl’s practicum. Students were engaged in the math lesson and, largely,
attended to the instruction and to peers’ contributions. Ms. Pihl smoothly
transitioned students into a snack period, following the math lesson, and
students found their snacks and games with ease; behavior was appropriate for a
free time activity. Following snack, Ms. Pihl again gained students’ attention
and transitioned them to the floor for a geography lesson, As has always been
the case, Ms. Pihl was thoroughly prepared for the lessons with materials close
at hand. She used the snack time to gather what was needed for the following
lesson. The smooth transitioning and quick availability of materials allowed
maximum time to be devoted to the lesson and conveyed the sense that she knew
where she was headed with her teaching.
Specific
behavior management systems: Ms. Pihl had instituted several
strategies which seemed to meet with some success. First, she continued to
refer to the list of “learner expectations” that is posted on the board. By
referring to the list, she had an easy and recognizable way to reference the
behavior she was expecting. Second, she had instituted a system of warnings,
with warnings holding greater consequence as infractions occur. While she did
not always use it (she often gave verbal warnings that did not bring greater
consequences), when she did use it, students appeared to take the consequence
seriously. It was not apparent to the observer which offenses were great enough
to warrant the consequences and which were not; thus, it is not clear whether
students understood when warnings would increase in consequence and when they
would not. When using this sort of behavioral system, it is imperative to make
the rules clear and not stray from them.
Geography Lesson
Lesson Summary:
This geography lesson introduced students to maps and globes and to aerial and
side views (given that globes and maps are aerial views of places).
Learning Objectives:
Ms. Pihl listed the following learning goals in her lesson plan: (i)know the
differences and similarities between a globe and various maps; (ii) be able to
decide which geographic model would be best to use while looking at a specific
area; and (iii) understand the purpose of models. The observer suggested an
additional objective related to distinguishing the difference between aerial
and side views, related to maps and globes.
Lesson architecture:
To her credit, Ms. Pihl requested – and took - feedback, prior to the lesson,
from this observer. In particular, she re-arranged the steps of the lesson to
start with a discussion of models, relating maps and globes as models of the
earth. She followed with student-generated descriptions of maps and globes;
given the ease with which students provided definitions, it did not appear that
these concepts were new to students. Ms. Pihl next discussed and drew various
perspectives (side and aerial) of a book and had students draw two views of a
Matchbox car – as practice. Following this, Ms. Pihl engaged students in
discussion about differences between maps and globes, had students complete a
worksheet and then quickly reviewed differences between maps and globes.
Instruction Strategies: Ms.
Pihl used the following instructional devices.
Posting,
reading and referring back to the lesson goal: At the
beginning of the lesson, Ms. Pihl referred to the posted learning goal:
Students will learn that maps and globes are geographic tools used to get and
report information. At the end of the lesson she asked, “Did we meet our
learning goal?” (referring to the posted statement) and a chorus of students,
in general, said they had. Ms. Pihl is to be commended for using this strategy
because engaging students in purposeful and explicit learning is typically
effective.
Issue: increasing rigor and specificity.
Though students indicated they had met the learning goal, no specific data
verifies that. What kinds of information can be gotten from maps/globes?
At no point in the lesson, or in the summary, were specific examples provided.
What information do we get from the tools? (roads, distance, rivers, population
density, landforms, political boundaries, climate zones, physical properties,
cultural groupings, etc., etc., etc.) In the end, this observer did not know
what kind of information students were supposed to retrieve from maps or globes
because they were not asked to do so.
Use
of models: Ms. Pihl used matchbox cars to illustrate the concept of a
“model” being a miniature representation of the “original” – an effective and
engaging strategy. When Ms. Pihl asked for other examples of models, some
students were not accurate with responses (“bench”, for example), though Ms.
Pihl did not pursue with students why their answers were incorrect. Other
students provided correct answers (for example, army men and Barbie dolls), but
those examples were not described in terms of their correctness. Thus, it was
not clear that all students understood the definition of “model”. Further,
little connection was made between the car models and maps/globes as models.
Once students provided examples of models, Ms. Pihl proceeded: “What do maps
represent?”, never fully tying the models of cars with the models of the earth.
Issue: clarity of purpose and linking
learning. More specific linkage needed to be made between car models
and maps as models.
Extending
knowledge of aerial and side perspective: At the
suggestion of the supervisor, Ms. Pihl increased students’ knowledge base to
include instruction around aerial and side views. Her own drawings provided
examples of both views and students were highly engaged in replicating the
views of cars in their own drawings. At the conclusion of the drawing exercise,
Ms. Pihl collected the drawings and never summarized why students had been
drawing and how it related to their study of maps and globes. Though she
circulated among groups with informal questions about their work, there was no
explicit connection made between the car model perspectives and earth model
perspectives.
Issue: clarity of purpose and linking
learning. At no time did Ms. Pihl explain why students were drawing
different perspectives and at no time did Ms. Pihl clarify that maps and globes
are aerial perspectives of the earth. Without specific linkage, students are
left to their own devices to figure out the connections.
Other observations:
Lack of focus in lesson:
This lesson had many different things going on that appeared to spread the
focus thinly. The following were subtopics in the lesson:
- Models of cars , as well as maps/globes as models
- Purpose of a map or globe
- Different kinds of maps (Disney World, world maps, Google maps, town maps)
- Difference between a map and a globe
- Aerial and side perspectives
- Uses of different kinds of maps
- Choosing the best map for one’s purpose
Because
the subtopics were not always connected/linked and because there was not enough
time to fully illuminate all the subtopics, it was not clear how much students
learned about any of the subtopics. These subtopics should probably have been
taught over the course of 3 classes, starting first with what a map and globe
are and how they differ from one another, moving next to models and aerial/side
views, and finally getting into kinds of maps and when to use what. Breaking
down what students need to know and be able to do helps plan lessons with a
focus.
Accuracy of information and clarity:
Globes were typically defined as 3D representations of the world when actually
it should be “the whole earth”. Maps were never defined, and should have
been defined as a flat representation of the earth or some section
of it. Thus, the very heart of the lesson was not clearly, emphatically, and
correctly reached. Many answers or statements were only partially correct and
were left unclear:
Student: “The
purpose of a map is to show pieces of land or other things.” (what things?) OR
Student:
“The difference between a map and globe is the map is not 3D” (but what is it?)
OR
Ms. Pihl: “If you tried to find east, what
would be easier?” (Students had no answer since they did not know east of what
and, most likely, both the map and globe could be used.)
No
matter the topic, it is critical that students be left with correct information
at the end of the lesson. As inaccuracies are raised (and they will be!), they
must be pursued until they are accurate. When answers are not transparent in
meaning, they must be dissected until they are transparent – and correct. The
teacher is the academic leader in the classroom and must internalize and deeply
understand the content of the lesson as well as the teaching strategies to help
students reach mastery of it. Sloppy thinking has no place in the classroom as
the final thinking; students cannot be allowed to get away with sloppy,
inaccurate, fuzzy thinking.
Summary:
Ms. Pihl is to be commended for her openness to help and coaching. Her
management of student behavior is strengthening. This lesson had serious issues
with accuracy of information and connections between concepts.
|
Strengths
|
Recommendations
|
No comments:
Post a Comment