Differentiation Reading #8 - Unit 2

I LOVE science. There are so many fun activities in the second section of Differentiation in Practice. I was so excited as I read through some of the material. The more I read the more I realize there are some great teaching methods and ideas that I would have never though of on my own. I love learning from others. I love how this section has a pre-assessment by going around the classroom and finding people who know certain things about plants. What a FUN activity. What I really love about this unit is there are so many fun, active, engaging processes that help students learn about plants. It does not appear dull and boring, where students read through a science book and answer questions on a worksheet.

Differentiation Reading #7 - The Tool Box

As I get more involved with my texts and other teaching resources, I feel secure knowing that when I teach I will have the tools I need to be successful. I am competent that if I need something I will be able to find resources that will help me, as a teacher, meet the needs of my students. This toolbox is another resource I will use to help me reach my teaching goals. I think using graphic organizers to understand topics better is good teaching. I also like using rubrics. I like them as a student and I know I will use them as a teacher. I have had the opportunity to use rubrics in the past. I think they help students understand what is required of them. Mostly, I like knowing that I have tools, such as the ones in the toolbox, to help me find success as a teacher.
One of the tools I found in the toolbox that I like is the learning menus. When using the learning menu, students get to make selections on the activities they participate in. All students have to complete tasks in the "main course". There are "side dishes" that students must complete an assigned number of, and desserts.
Students must complete all of the required tasks before moving onto desserts. This seems like a fun way to teach something specific with options all supporting an outlined curricular goal.
Another idea I like in the toolbox is the think dots. This idea is similar to the cubing. Students use the dots to extent their knowledge on a specific topic. This is a great way to differentiate.

Differentiation Reading #6 - Chapter 7

I like at the end of this chapter where the book asks, "How do we begin when there is no paved road for us to travel?" I think one of the key words mentioned in this chapter that may help answer this question flexibility. Teaching is a tough job. I believe that teachers have to adapt to a variety of circumstances. We must be responsive as teachers. I also believe that teachers must be intuitive in regards to students needs. The book describes several things we must do to become good teachers. Repetitively the phrase, "It's really quite simple," is used in this last chapter. I am not sure how simple this is going to be. Maybe the author is trying to reassure us that we are going to make it as teachers. I loved the metaphor of the young man who grew up with his mom making him the best spaghetti sauce ever. Later in his life he wanted to make his own so he got the recipe from his mom and made some "gravy". It never tasted the same. He explains that his mom's gravy tasted great because it was made with love. I believe this can make a huge difference in our instruction. It must be delivered with love. I love children and I love learning. I want to become a positive influence in students lives. I know that focusing on simple things will help me accomplish big things in my classroom. What I really hope to achieve is students will feel important in my class. They will want to learn because they are valued and loved. I want to teach and can hardly wait for the opportunity to have my own class!

Differentiation Reading #5 - Chapter 5 & 6

This chapter discusses many details about curriculum and instruction. I liked the example of the teachers at the beginning of chapter 5. One teacher knew math. That is exactly what she taught. She felt her job was to deliver the material, and the students were supposed to "get it". The other teacher learned about the students. She would do whatever she had to in order for the students to learn. I believe this is true. If I, as a teacher, invest my time in my students to the point that they know I care about them as individuals, they will want to learn. The author of the book explained that there were five characteristics of curriculum and instruction that helped her learn: the work was important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffolded. I especially liked how the book explains the importance of focused work. The students need to understand that the activities in class are focused on goals that are important and are designed to help students progress. It is important for both the teacher and the students to understand why specific curriculum is covered. In teaching it is important for the teacher to use what the students already know to help them learn more. The book explains, "teach them to activate prior knowledge, to see their lives and experiences in the lives and experiences of others, to be inquirers, to make meaning of the subject, to build conceptual frameworks, to grapple with thought-provoking questions, to make sound judgments, to develop authentic products that have meaning to themselves and others, to be active learners, to work hard, and to strive for quality."(p.66)

In chapter 6 I really enjoyed how the book describes how students need work that is important and focused. I think it is easier to accomplish a task when I know what I am supposed to be able to do in the end. The book talks about how students need to know, understand, and be able to do related to the topic being studied. The book also explains how providing scaffolding is critical in students success. Also, tiering is important in differentiating for students needs. I have children of my own, and I know that they all perform differently in different situations and with different tasks. As teachers, we need to provide a situation for each student that will make it possible for them to be successful in the classroom.

Differentiation Reading #4 - Response to Jaremy's Journey

Wow! I am amazed. I had to check out Jaremy's blog and I found myself unable to stop reading. What a great committment he has made. I am sure Jaremy has moments of feeling inadequate. What a tough job. I am also surprised to read about Jaremy's lack of resources. It saddens me to think about children who are not given a fair opportunity to be educated. I believe Jaremy is being a great teacher to his students. He loves them. As I read his posts, I could tell he is influencing his students to achieve because of his love and concern for their well-being. I think he is doing exactly what will benefit his students.
The text talks about how the curriculum needs to be important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffolded. Jaremy sounds like he is trying to accomplish these needs in the curriculum as well as fulfilling the students needs of affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge. He is truly doing the best he has with the resources that he has been given. I admire people like Jaremy. I would not be willing at this point in my life to commit to such a huge responsibilty. Maybe someday. Hats off to you Jaremy and I wish you the best in your adventure!

Differentiation Reading Assignment #3

I love any assignment that helps a teacher understand students better. One of my favorite parts of teaching is getting to know and love the students as individuals. I believe the students also love telling about themselves. I think that writing is an excellent way to get to know each student and it also provides an assessment for teachers. By looking at this writing I believe that there are many things a teacher can learn about the students abilities. I think by having the student be a topic of writing, they already have an interest in the subject. I believe these surveys on interest can be conducted throughout the year regarding different topics or subjects. For me, it is hard to be specific about how I will use these surveys. I believe that everything I do for my students will be a direct result of an observed need. I feel that these interest surveys need to be another way to inform instruction. This, to me is differentiation. I believe as teachers we use observation in order to meet the needs of the students. That is my job. I want every student to feel that his/her needs are important and that I will do the best I can to ensure that these needs are met.

Differentiation Reading #2 Fulfilling the Promise 1&2

There is some great information in the reading this week. I really liked the metaphor about Taming the Fox. The fox tells the prince that taming takes time, patience, and listening. There are two truths discovered in the tale which are, what is essential is invisible to the eye, and you become responsible forever for what you have tamed. Students need us to give them time, be patient, and listen to what they are saying and displaying in their actions. The book claims that if we take the risk of taming the fox, days in school are no longer monotonous, this facilitates change and growth. In this situation the teacher and the students all take on the role of educators and learners.

I specifically enjoyed chapter 2, the topic of addressing students needs. Figure 2.2is helpful by describing the needs of students. There are elements of students needs that we are trying to meet as educators. Students need affirmation. They need to feel that they are accepted. They need to feel like they matter and are a positive contributor to the learning community. Contribution is another need that must be met. Students must feel that they make a difference in their contributions to the class. That there presence in the class makes the community and educational experience better. Students need to feel they have power. They must understand that what they are learning is useful to them now. Students must see the purpose of school. They must see the significance in education. Students must see that the work they do makes a difference in the world. Also, students must be challenged. They need to know they are capapable of working hard and producing a quality product. Knowing these needs makes it easier for a teacher to validate all students. I know that there is no one way to meet the needs for all students. I know that I will constantly be learning how to meet the needs of my students.

Differentiation Reading Assignment #1

I was really excited as I read about morning meeting. I definitely want morning meeting to be a part of my daily schedule. All evidence provided in the reading gives positive support of the meetings. I have been in several classes and have been able to observe how the meeting works. There are so many ways to conduct the meeting. I want to learn more about how to create a meeting that is beneficial for all students. What I am especially interested in is observing how the class community is affected over time by holding the morning meeting. I also want to learn many different ways to conduct the meeting. I loved how the reading suggests that students become the conductors of the meeting. What a great way to teach students skills and responsibility. The reading was great. I have many thoughts and ideas that I want to examine. I am so excited for this class. I feel it will really help me become well prepared to teach.

WebQuest Learning

WEBQUEST ADVENTURES!!!!!

Let's discover something new together. Have any of you students ever heard of a WebQuest? This is a fun new way to learn and it is just like going on an adventure. One of the fun parts about this activity is that we get to use our computers. You will be presented with an adventure and will be traveling around the World Wide Web in search for information related to your assignment. Here you will discover things that will help you accomplish the task assigned in your adventure. A WebQuest is a fun new way to learn through exploration. The websites listed in the WebQuest will be teacher approved and ready for you to enjoy. Learning can be so much fun! To help you understand more about how WebQuest work I am making a list of websites to visit. They are listed on the top right of my blog. Check them out and be prepared to learn. Over and out.

Field Experience Week 3

Well, it is over now and I can't believe how fast the last three weeks went. Well, Kara and I finished up teaching our lessons yesterday. We taught a unit on Native Americans. It was interesting because we were placed in a extended day school in a core class. The core class is where math and language arts are taught. The teacher was able to meet our social studies needs by having us teach the students how to write a research paper on Native Americans. We were able to get a glimpse of what we will be learning in our language arts class next semester. We were also required to teach some language arts. I feel like I learned many new tricks and found some fun educational games I would like to use in my own class. I really am going to miss working with students. I am not real excited about writing the 1,000 page papers (or what seems like 1,000 pages) we are required to finish the semester, but I have a lot to write about so I better get started! See y'all on Monday!

Field Experience Week 2

We just finished up the second week of our field experience. We will be back on campus at UVU before we know it. I have been having a great time in the classroom. Our cooperating teacher is a great example for us. He show great respect to his students. It has been really fun to see how respect contributes to a synergetic classroom. We have been teaching some lessons, having a great time, and learning a lot in the process. I am looking forward to another week of field work. I know I am learning things I couldn't learn sitting in lectures. I hope things are going well for everyone else. I am really looking forward to hearing about your experiences. Have a great week!

Field Experience Week 1

It is the first week in the field and I am having a blast. I have always loved being able to observe other teachers. I get great ideas that I can't wait to use in my own classroom. I love kids and spending more time with them confirms what I have believed for so long, I want to be a school teacher. It is beginning to feel real. It won't be long and I will get to have a class of my own. I am so excited!
Kara and I have spent the first week mostly observing and helping students. Next week we will start teaching some lessons. There is so much to do as a teacher and I am just trying to learn as much as I can so that I can be a successful teacher.
Hello to everyone in 10-2 cohort A. I miss getting to see everyone. Hope everything is going well for ya'll. I can't wait to hear all of your cool experiences.

Steps to Creating Your Own Digital Story

Students, it is time to get excited. We are going to be starting our Digital Stories. You might be asking yourself, "What is a Digital Story?" A Digital Story is just that, a story comprised of images, text, music and/or voice designed by you. Doesn't this sound fun? The fun part about this is that you get to be as creative as you would like. I have a couple of examples below this post that you can check out.

The first step in creating a digital story is deciding on a topic that interests you or a topic that you would like to learn more about. This is the easy part. The sky is the limit. Be creative. I would suggest creating a story on Thanksgiving or a story about the things you like to do for fun. This is where you get to decide what kind of story you want to share with the class.

After you decide on a topic it is time to start creating a storyboard. A storyboard is used to organize what you want to appear in your story. There are several different formats for storyboards. I will give you copies of the storyboards in class. On the storyboard you want to sketch ideas for the images and the text/voice that will tell your story. The images can be stick figures or simple sketches. Don't spend too much time on making your drawings look perfect. We will discuss in class more specifically what will be involved in creating your storyboard.

Next, you find images to use to tell your story. Download images from the web or use pictures you have taken. Make sure if you get images from the Internet that you give credit to the person or website that you borrowed the picture from.

When you have found your images decide on the voiceover and/or text.

We will be using the program Photo Story 3. This is a very simple program to use and I will walk you throught the program during class. You will be importing your images into the program. Here you will begin arranging the images in the order your story is being told.

After you arrange the images it is time to record on a microphone the story being told. This will probably take the most time. We will work through these steps in class so don't worry.

Finally, when you feel you have your story in order we convert it to a movie. Don't stress. This is going to be fun, and remember, I am with you every step of the way. :)

I am going to provide a list of links that you can surf to learn more about digital stories. Make sure you check out at least 2 of the 3 links I have available for you.

Fun With Digital Storytelling

Students, watch this fun digital story. We are all going to create a digital story of our own!

Drug Abuse

Click To Play

It's Time To VOTE!

Students, it is your turn to vote. You need to go to this website and vote. This gives you an idea of how the representatives are elected.

http://www.lbkidsbooks.net/america/vote.php

COOL FINDINGS!

I hope all of you enjoyed your Fall break. I had a great time in Southern Utah. I found some cool petroglyphs and I wanted to share them with you. For class on Friday I would like you to come to class prepared to tell me the difference between a petroglyph and a pictograph.

Welcome to Mrs. House's Class

Hello students. My name is Christy House and I am your new school teacher. I am so excited to start a new school year!!! First I would like to tell you a little about myself. I have been married to a great guy named Matt for twelve years and we have three awesome boys ages 10, 7, and 3. I love to spend time with my family. Below is a picture of my special men. My Grandpa, my Dad, Matt and our boys.

I love to learn and I love to teach. Exploring is one of my favorite things to do. This summer I had so much fun hiking, biking, rock climbing, and reading. The coolest thing I did this summer was travel to Alaska. While I was there I went fishing and I learned a lot about the life cycle of salmon. They are really cool fish. I can't wait to share what I learned with you. On my vacation I was able to see Orcas in the wild and black bear walking along the banks of rivers. It was fantastic! I am sure all of you had your own fun this summer and I want you to share it with us in class during the first week. Please bring pictures or any other summer memento and be prepared to have fun and learn.

Insanity

Still not sure how much I like this sport. Once I get past the urge to vomit it is an awesome rush. I have never participated in a sport that is as difficult for me as rock climbing. I love spending my time learning new things and testing my strength and determination. I just headed back to school last week and feel excited and a little overwhelmed. Start the balancing act. I am sure my strength and determination is going to be a huge benefit in the education department.