Chapter 19

Jenna's Statements

• “You should be well aware of the content taught in the special areas."
• I am in music for elementary teachers right now, and we are leaving how to support what the students are learning in music in our classroom. There are so many ways to allow students to use their artistic thinking to increase the learning within my classroom. I think this is an important aspect of teaching I did not think about before this semester.
•        “Passing your findings along to special area teachers is very helpful so they can maximize what instructional time they have with the students."
• This is also something that I have not thought of, but that would be extremely important in order for students to have optimal learning in their small amount of time in special areas classroom.
• “One simple but effective way to find time together is for the classroom teacher to stay and participate in the special area class occasionally, perhaps once a month."
• I would have never thought to try this, but I like this idea. I think it could be fun to see my students in a different environment. Obviously I would have to make sure that it is okay with the teacher, but sounds fun to me!

Courtney's Student

• "Also, knowing details about your students' entire school day is a way to connect with students and build a strong learning community."
• I need to know what is going on in my students' lives so if something happens and they come in one day upset I will know what is going on. Also, I can anticipate what my students will be like in my class if I know they have been doing a very active activity in one of their other classes. 
• "Students with IEP's and 504 plans are not the only ones who have special needs. . . all students have strengths and needs when it comes to their leaning."
• I need to keep in mind that even though a student does not have a formal, documented disability they still may be struggling in a particular area. It is important that I help all students in any way that I can.
• "Physical education allows students to expend energy that is built up while seated at desks, provides time to work with others and learn about teamwork, and develops understanding about the importance and impact of being physically active."
• Although some schools are moving away from physical education and the other special areas I believe that it is important that students be given the chance to be active. This allows their minds to reboot because developmentally children are not ready to be cooped up all day with little to know physical activity. 

Tori's Statements 

1. "This chapter discusses the importance of strategies for branching out beyond the four walls of your classroom to connect with all teachers and professionals in the school building to ensure that students are supported every minute of the school day." 

I really enjoyed this chapter in talking about the importance of going into special area classes. When one that does not necessarily think of inclusion students when thinking about teaching the future thinks of schedules, I know I forgot about this part and the transition it can be. While it can be a transition, the positive benefits that come from the situation of releasing the student from one single classroom are outrageous! 

2. "As a classroom teacher, it is important for you to connect with all of these special area teachers for several reasons..."

This is a thought that I have discussed in previous classes. When a general education teacher is reinforcing ideas and curriculum from special areas, it is helping the students learn new knowledge, know that the teachers are one (for behavior and attendance reasons), etc.

3. "Essentially, you will need to find as much time as possible to connect with special area teachers so everyone is made aware of student needs and consistent support can occur across settings."

I found this thought simple but intriguing. In the hustle and bustle of school, it is important that we take the time as teachers to create a bond of support for all of our students so they learn the most information as possible while also knowing we care. 


Alex's Statements:
"Some students need to be closely observed for behavior patterns in various settings."
It is important to find consistency in all areas of the child's behavior. If they are acting one way in a classroom that teaches reading, then chances are they are acting a similar way in a special areas class. If the behavior changes then the teacher needs to evaluate why that is happening. 

"Special area subjects may be areas of great strength for students."
I really liked this quote because it is important to make sure every child feels like they excel at some things. Some students will be great athletes and excel in gym. They need to be encouraged about that. Some students will be extremely gifted in music, and they need to be encouraged with that as well. 

"IN the beginning of the year, use a small notebook and start by journaling as much as you know about the student's strengths, needs, interests, likes, dislikes, and so on."
This idea was really interesting to me because it requires a lot of work for the teacher, but it is a very beneficial thing. This is something that could be passed from teacher to teacher and it would help prepare the future teachers for what they need to know about the student. 

Chapter 18

Alex's Statements: “It’s important to provide responsive instruction and learning opportunities to help all students develop these essential social behaviors.”

-Developing social skills is an important part of a child’s education. If a student does not learn how to properly work with a group and develop appropriate social skills then they will not be successful when they have finished school. Teachers need to provide opportunities for students to grow in this area. School is where they spend most of their time, therefore teachers need to enforce collaboration between the peers.

“Stocking your classroom with well-chosen board games is a great way to use indoor recess or if-you-finish-early-time as skill-building time.”

-This statement stood out to me because I have never thought about how important it is to have well chosen board games in your classroom. Good games cannot only help with building knowledge, but they can also help with social skills.

“Rather than wait until they are ready, provide them with a safe place to make mistakes and learn from them, just as you do with academic skill.”

This was really interesting because it puts on emphasis on making mistakes outside of the educational realm. Giving them a safe place helps them learn how to react in social circumstances as well as how to fix their own mistakes. If they feel comfortable enough to mess up and fix it then they will be more ready for the real world. Social skills need to be taught in accordance to academic skills.

Tori's Statements:

• "There are many components to communication."
• The chapter was all about communication: receptive, expressive, social skills, and other types of language. I think the biggest way of communication between students and teachers is body language. One can say so much without saying anything at all. I am challenged by this chapter to speak in all aspects with positivity to show that I care about my students and their growth.
• 'The hidden curriculum  is a set of rules or guidelines for social interaction that are not typically directly taught because it is assumed that student already know them or that they will pick them up..."
• I think that this is a part of school that we fail in. Although I do believe in a moral code, I think we need to always teach students, and never assume they know. I believe that this is why there are so many little ticket item disciple problems. If we teach all rules up front, we would not have to address them as much on a day to day basis. 
• "The answer to supporting students who have trouble with any of these social skills to directly teach them the "hidden curriculum."
• We need to teach the students that do not get the "hidden curriculum" just that. I believe that it makes sense to teach the whole class the rules that way no one feels singled and everyone is made aware.

Tyler's Statements:
"One important way that communication and social skills are engaged is that, when effective, they lead to positive connections with others, reduction, in conflicts and misunderstandings, better advocacy for self and others, the achievement of goals, and friendship."
The way I would use this in the class is to encourage the students to talk to one another (not during instruction time) of course there would have to be volume rules as well. I would have my students seated in groups facing each other to help with this objective and this would also make group work easier because they would not have to move their desks.

 "Some students may need direct instruction in recognizing when others are no longer interested in the topic of conversation."
This is one of the skills that many of us take for granted. We as adults have had this skill for so long that we forget that some children do not know as much about being social as they need. most of the time students learns this skill on their own, however, some will need to be taught the social cues.

"Another low-tech example is cards for many different situations: break cards, choice cards, "all done" cards, and "I need help" cards. The student holds up the card to indicate his or her need to the teacher or classmates."
I really like this idea. it gives the students a chance show what the know without having to blurt out something. this is a great way to gauge where all of the students are at all at once.

Jenna's Statements

• "In general, remember that students with social-skill difficulties will not pick up on subtle cues or unspoken responses. It is important to be direct and to address fax pas right away."
• This is definitely something I need to keep in mind with students struggling with communication because social cues is something I never struggled with. I need to remember that it does not come easy to all students and teach directly how to better communicate.
• "One of the most important skills we need to help our children develop is to learn how to 'listen.' We do so by listening to our children as an example."
• Modeling good listening skills when students are talking is so important because they will reflect what they see. Just like the narrative in this chapter says, the answer to why being "because I said so" is over. Additionally, listening is more than just listening to words. I need to be aware of gestures, body motions, and technology in order to best listen to my student.
• "Social difficulty affects the whole community--whether that is the family or the classroom."
• This is why the social difficulties need to be addressed and taught how to redefine them. Ignoring the issues will not benefit anyone.

Chapter 17

Courtney's Statements

Science is not free from cultural influence; science textbooks are not free from racism and the history and development of science should not be solely attributed to European culture. 

> It is important to keep in mind that science is racist too and to be aware that this may have an adverse affect with my students of different backgrounds. 

For science this means making sure that lessons, activities, and assignments that accompany the curriculum incorporate all students' needs and backgrounds. 

> Science is difficult and it is important that lessons are modified so that everyone's needs are met.

Rather than calling on a student on the spot, provide them with a question card in advance with the instructions to write the answer on the card. 

> Sometimes when a student is put on the spot they are unable to recall information because of anxiety. If they are given the question in advance however there is a greater likelihood of the student being able to recall information. 

Alex's Statements:

“There are great benefits for all students when they have opportunities to talk about processes and discoveries, engage all of their senses, and question and interact with each other, the materials, and the instructors.”

When students have the opportunity to be active in their learning then they will learn more and grow more as a student and a person. If schools began to stray away from worksheets and more towards hands on activities then students would not only learn the standards and objectives, but they would also learn useful life skills such as cooperative teamwork.

“Another effective way of engaging students in the concepts of science to incorporate music and art.”

Today in schools, music and art are less appreciated. They are viewed as lesser curricular areas. In most music, gym, and art classes those specialty teachers are having to teach curricular areas such as math, reading, and English while students are suppose to be learning about the arts. This statement suggests that science should include music and art to teach it effectively. This is an interesting idea that I have never heard before. It gives appreciation to back to the arts which is constantly being taken away.

“Once the students have worked intimately with equipment and formed questions to ask about various phenomena, the vocabulary will be more meaningful to them and thus more readily learned.”

I really liked this thought because a lot of times we are told to memorize vocabulary before actually using it. It is easier to learn new words when you see their functions and what they contribute to different situations. Especially when it comes to science. Labs are a great way to teach vocabulary. In order for the student to learn the vocabulary they will have to figure it out by using hands on methods. 

Tori's Statements:

• "The current state of affairs regarding U.S. students and science competency is a call for high-quality science education."
• This quote shows that science is not to be put on the back burner. Because Common Core does not have specific "Science" standards that are a big chunk of Common Core like Math and Reading, I wondered if it has changed the way it is taught in schools. 
• "The strategies for engagement are presented in four categories: literature, music, and art..."
• I liked the section on engagement in chapter 17. I thought it was interesting the tie-in of other components of learning that would appeal to students that may not like science. Any kind of creativity in any subject is very good for all students because it appeals to everyone some way.
• "Opportunities to share observations, compare findings, and brainstorm inquiry questions are extremely important for students who learn through interaction."
• This quote stuck out to me because I was one of those students that learned a lot through the eyes of others. I always loved working in groups at school and I know there are students like that still too. I think that I will try to make lots of opportunities to use group work in my classes to insure these opportunities are taken advantage of.

Tyler's Statements

• "One of the best to facilitate input in information for students is to make text more accessible for various learning needs"
• Every student has different learning need so it is important for the text to reflect that. Textbooks need to have plenty of pictures and examples to appeal to the visual learners, questions and labs at the end to put what they have learned to the test, and the text itself has to be written well for the students that learn best by reading.
• "Mnemonics are useful for reminding the many different sets of information in science units, especially when paired with a meaningful visual image."
• Mnemonics are great because once the brain makes a connection it is a lot easier to withhold the information. An example of this would be how some children learn to tell how many days there are in the month by using their knuckles.
• "Each lesson needs to have visual images, auditory discourse, movement, and hands on material. Then the students will have an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills."
• It is the teachers responsibility to get the lesson to each student in the most efficient way possible. If one student gets more out of the lesson then another then it was not efficient enough. Once teachers account for many various learning styles the success of the class will go up.

Chapter 16 Statements

Alex's Statements

“Teachers must find ways for ELL students to make sense of mathematical language.”

It is very important for teachers to understand all of their students and their individual needs. ELL students tend to fall behind in many areas and teachers need to make sure the students understand mathematical language. If they do not understand mathematical language then they will not understand other mathematical concepts.

“Another way to offer choice to students is to allow them to work in different group sizes.”

Working in different group sizes offers the chance for differentiation. Choice can come into play when it comes to groups if the students get to pick their own groups as well. The book also talked about how there are many different kinds of groups the students can be in. They can be whole class, half lass, small groups, teams, etc. Every lesson I have taught with groups has been very successful. The students get to work closer to each other and they are more involved in their own learning.

   “Once students learn new information, they need to express it in some way so their progress can be assessed and further technology can take place if necessary.”

When students learn something new they need to be able to show off what they learned. Technology is a great way for students to show what they have learned. It can be expressed in three categories: tools, toys, and movement. Once teachers realize what they have learned then the teachers can find technology that furthers their learning. 

Tyler's Statements

• “Memorizing the steps to follow in one prescribed way to arrive at one correct answer is not always enough to engage the student in math enough to truly understand it, enjoy it, and want to learn more.”
• Some students do like having only one way to attack things, they need more choice. While there is only one way to add and subtract, you can use things like dry erase boards, blocks, and other manipulatives that will allow them to experience it differently.
• “Cultural influences and societal expectations contribute to girls beliefs about their math abilities and their interest in the subject. If teachers believe that both girls and boys are competent in math and provide a multitude of strategies for mastering the concepts, the performance gap will continue to decrease.”
• All students have the ability to learn any subject. As a teacher it is our responsibility to make sure that each student reaches their maximum potential (regardless of stereotypes)
•  “Anytime that a student can make his or her own choice about learning, engagement is increased.”
• If a student chooses to do something they feel a lot more invested and are more likely to do well. The key to this is to only give them choices that are acceptable to me as the teacher.

Jenna's Statements

• I think this chapter provides many good websites to provide resources to better differentiate math instruction and make it engaging. One that it gave I really liked is: "Math in Daily Life at http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/playing.html that describes how mastery of math concepts can help you in daily life situations, from leasing a car to playing at the casino."
• It is important to use these types of resources when planning to better differentiate.
• "Fitzell (2005) wrote that emotion makes curriculum meaningful, and this applies to math as well."
• Connecting the math concepts to real world situations is something that we learn about all the time. I really like however that this points out that connecting to emotions is a further way to make the curriculum meaningful to the student. 

Courtney's Statements

• ". . . as a teacher is that you need to be prepared to teach mathematical reasoning and thinking, how to use technology, and how to use visual skills regularly."
• It is important to always be prepared to teach all these math skills. Math is not my strong point so I need to work on all these skills. 
• "Music is an effective way to engage learners in math lessons."
• This is a neat way to get my students to pay attention and connect with math. 
• "For any math problem, provide options of increasing difficulty from an introductory level to a more sophisticated level."
• I feel that it is extremely important to increase the difficulty level gradually. That way the student does not get discouraged and can grow as a student. 

Tori's Statements

• "There is a growing need in our work force for problem-solving and critical-thinking skills."
• I liked that the authors included this in the reading because it really does need to be mentioned to explain the change in math today from math that used to be taught. Questions are more open-ended, there is more than one way to do problems, and teach them. We need to be reminded that rule-driven knowledge, while still important, is not paramount anymore.
• "...These standards are in place to ensure that students are college-ready or prepared for the workplace."
• The standards that were listed in the reading were interesting to look at. They really do lay out a fitting map of what students need to know about math to survive in the world or to go to college. I liked the standards because they seem like good things to know. I always remember when I was younger thinking, "Why do we need to learn this?" I think these standards justify themselves.
• "An important issue in achieving this goal is the consideration of culturally relevant teaching."
• I really like the idea of culturally relevant teaching. It seems, like I stated above, to be helpful in showing students "why" we need to learn what they are asking in these standards. For math, this means ensuring that all cultures, races, genders, etc realize and understand how the concepts apply to daily life.

Unit 3

2-5-8 Activities

8 pt

2 Thinking Maps for IRIS Pals Reading Strategy Grades 2-6

5 pt

2 pt

I chose to do First Grade and I used the McGraw-Hill Reading text book. I tested a sample from Unit 3. The Lexile for this book is 460. According to Frye’s Readability Level, the X equals 137 and the Y is 10.8. On the grid the grade level is between first and second grade.

Crew: Check in and Support Video:

The idea of a “crew” makes it very consistent and helps maintain relationships. They share their problems and academic progress with their peers. They attend this for at least 30 minutes a day. Kids get credit for the crew and it helps them share goals. This would be a hard thing to incorporate into a single classroom. However, I could take this idea and adapt it. One way to incorporate this would be to do something like morning meetings. During the morning meetings the students could be open about their struggles either personally or academically. We could also really practice goal setting. It would be good for each student to have a goal and then we work all year to try to meet it.

School as a Living Museum:

Students are able to communicate what they are learning. It helps to “show off” the students. It helps encourage students and motivate them. It is pretty much student led. This idea really makes the students work harder. Symmetry, repetition, and surprise are the three main elements from this video when it comes to art. It adds a lot of diversity to the school.

This would be a really cool idea to incorporate into my future classroom. If I have students work really hard on performance based projects, then I should be more than willing to show it off. I want them to feel accomplished and proud of the work that they do. Not only will I display their work in my classroom, but I will also display it in the hallway to brighten up the school. I can collaborate with other teachers and we can work to start a living museum like then one mentioned in the video. This would really give the students some ownership of their work.