My class is a Kindergarten class in which students receive instruction on only Reading, Writing, and Math concepts. For my final project, I plan to write a lesson focusing on sorting objects into groups and comparing the size of the groups.
Students will be introduced to the concept of sorting objects by their properties by listening to a read-aloud of the book Sort It Out! by Barbara Mariconda. Then they will have the opportunity to sort objects as a class using the interactive SmartBoard. Next, students will work with a partner to sort objects into two separate groups. Lastly, students will work on their own to use their iPads to take pictures of objects around the school. The teacher will collect the pictures of the objects and print out copies for individual students to sort. Students will work independently to sort picture cards of objects into groups on their tabletops and compare the groups to figure out if the groups have more, less, or the same number of objects. Once students have sorted the objects on their tabletops, they will use their iPads to take a video of themselves with their sorted collections explaining how they sorted the objects on their tabletop and defending how they know if each group has more, less or the same number of objects as the other groups. Here are some possible resources that I found that might work for my lesson: From a resource portal: Name/Title of the resource: Sorting Smartboard Interactive URL: http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=e91da7fd-60b0-45d0-b9c0-c404ac1f78de http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=5ec37786-bb14-4c1b-aaee-c6570aac5106 How I found it: I found this interactive on Smart Exchange. I used the “Standards-aligned” search feature to find an interactive that matched the standards for my lesson. How I might use it in my final project: I would use this in my final project as a whole-group activity to encourage my students to think about different rules you could follow for sorting objects. I would also have my students count the objects after we sort them to get them to practice counting sets of objects. What standards does the resource address?: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count. From my PLN: Name/Title of the resource: Sorting Activities URL: http://mrsriccaskindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/09/sorting- activities.html?m=1 How you found it: I found this resource on a blog “Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten” that I recently added to my PLN. How I might use it in my final project: I really like the idea of sorting with a common object like shoes. It would be really interesting to do this as a whole group to discuss the different observed properties of the shoes, and it would also be interesting to discuss how to decide to sort a shoe that has many different properties. What standards does the resource address?: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count. From a google search: Name/Title of the resource: Sorting Materials Sorting with Hampshire URL: http://www.education.com/game/sorting-objects-materials/ http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/sort-game.html How I found it: I found this resource on google using the keywords “object sort interactive.” How I might use it in my final project: I would have students play these games individually on their iPads or chromebooks during math centers to get individual practice with sorting objects by their properties. What standards does the resource address: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.
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What Are we seeing with this trend?What we are seeing with the trend of virtual schooling is that many schools are implementing online learning into their curriculum, and there are also an increasing number of on-line only schools across the country. The internet is a vast source of knowledge, and through the implementation of virtual schools and online learning programs, students and teachers alike have access to more resources online than they would in an actual classroom. The goal for online learning is that students can receive a more personalized education that can be tailored to meet their individual needs, whether those needs be a more rigorous curriculum, flexibility for a busy schedule, or a feeling of safety that the student may not feel that he/she is getting from his/her traditional school. For some students, online schooling is a better option than traditional schooling, since they can learn at their own pace and have access to more opportunities for learning online. Another trend with online learning is that more and more traditional schools are implementing online learning opportunities in conjunction with traditional classroom instruction, so these schools are using virtual schooling more as an addendum to traditional learning. My Perspective on Virtual Schooling:I am skeptical of the virtual schooling trend especially because of the implications it has for teaching mathematics. Mathematics has a stigma of not being very collaborative. Many people see math as an independent activity, when in fact math can be very collaborative when it is taught effectively. In math, students learn more when they have the opportunity to share their problem-solving with their peers and have the opportunity to construct arguments to defend their ideas and critique the reasoning of others. Though it is possible to foster collaboration in an online classroom format, it is much more difficult to do so than to collaborate in an actual classroom. I fear that teaching mathematics in an online format can make learning math even more isolating that it is already viewed as being.
Though you may learn the same things content-wise in a virtual school and an actual school, the way you interact others is very different. I think that one downfall of virtual schooling is that you don’t get the opportunity for in-person social interaction that you get in an actual school. When you attend school online, there is an obstacle of both physical and literal distance between every other person in your class, since you don’t meet face-to-face with your class or your instructor. In the younger grades especially, human social interaction is so important in the development of social skills. Another drawback of virtual schooling is that low-income families might not always have the option to attend a virtual school, as they don’t have access to a computer or some other device with internet access at home. While I agree that there is so much information available online that you can learn using a virtual schooling format, there is also a lot that you can learn in an actual classroom setting. For this reason, I favor traditional school over a virtual school setting. I think that virtual school is the best option for students in certain situations, but it is not ideal for everyone. Since I am skeptical of virtual schooling, I am interested in learning more about the benefits of virtual schooling. I am especially interested in how a proponent of virtual schooling would defend the critique that virtual schooling can inhibit social interaction. LearniNg Styles: An Educational MythOf the educational myths linked to in the Unit 2 agenda, I found the myth about learning styles the most surprising. In many of my teaching classes, I was presented articles about how students have different learning styles and they learn best in different ways. In all of these classes, I took part in some sort of activity in which I was encouraged to try to figure out what type of learner I am and describe what type of activities helped me learn the most in the past. When I was designing lessons for these classes, I was also expected to create a lesson that would “engage many different learning styles” so that my lesson was one that all students would really learn from. Before reading the article about how learning styles are an educational myth, I never once questioned the validity of the supposed research supporting the theory of different learning styles, and I never thought to look for research about it on my own.
Reading the articles about educational myths really opened my eyes to the value of being a critical learner. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to create the best environment for learning for my students, and a huge part of that is thinking about my own philosophies on education and reflecting on which of those philosophies are supported by actual research. I want to be the best teacher that I can be for my students, so it is my professional responsibility to make sure I am reading up on the most current educational research and instilling practices in my classroom that will ultimately benefit students. If I encounter a critic in the future, the best way that I could convince them that learning styles are a myth is to explain to them that the most current research suggests that students do not have specific learning styles in which they “learn the best.” I would explain that I see the value in allowing students to learn from different representations, because students can gain a deeper knowledge of a concept if they are exposed to different representations. For example, an article about snakes can tell students the information they need to know about the reptile, but a picture of the snake in its habitat can give a student more information, and a chart about the different species of snakes around the world can give students even more information. Students need to know how to collect information from many different representations because being exposed to multiple representations and using the combined information from all of the representations can help students learn more than if they were just exposed to a single representation. Post #1: About Me |
My name is Rebecca Wittebols, and I am studying Math and Elementary Education at GVSU. When I am not at my placement or in class, I work as a preschool teacher at Orchard Hill Christian Preschool & Learning Center in Grand Rapids. I really have a passion for working with young children. My hometown is Warren MI, which is just outside of Detroit. During the summer months, I live there with my three sisters, my mom, and my cat. |
Some of my interests & hobbies:
In my spare time, I like to binge watch shows on Netflix, go out to eat, hang out with my friends, and go see movies at the theater. Besides working with kids, another passion of mine is painting. I’ve been painting since I was very young, and my favorite medium is acrylic on canvas or ceramics.
I also love to spend time with my family. My mom, my sisters, and I love to go to concerts. Every Summer, we go to at least 10 concerts in Detroit. Some of my favorite concerts that I’ve been to were The Backstreet Boys, Matchbox Twenty/ The Goo Goo Dolls, and Brad Paisley.
Experience using Technology in the Classroom:
I have not had very much experience using technology in the classroom. At my current placement, we have a Smart Board in the classroom, so I have been learning how to use it. We also have access to an iPad cart, so I am really excited to start working with those soon.
From my school career, I have some experience using Prezi, Microsoft Office, Google Docs, YouTube, Geogebra, Google Slides, Weebly, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
From my school career, I have some experience using Prezi, Microsoft Office, Google Docs, YouTube, Geogebra, Google Slides, Weebly, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Post #2: Learner Analysis
09/18/2016
My character is Shawn Hunter from the show "Boy Meets World." He is very popular, is a trouble maker, and has a ‘bad boy’ reputation. Shawn comes from a lower-class family and lives in trailer park with his father, who is an alcoholic and really struggles to make ends meet. His mother left him behind when he was young.
While he is at school, Sean often distracts his classmates with humor. He often makes jokes in class, which could be an attempt to distract from his lack of effort in school. He really struggles in school, and he doesn’t see the value in participating in class or in doing his schoolwork.
One of Shawn's interests is sports. If he were in my class, some strategies that I would use to assist him are to let him read about things he is interested in, like sports articles in the newspaper or online. I might also let Shawn do projects about sports or try to explain things to Shawn using sports metaphors so that he better understands them. Since Shawn has been through a lot in his life, I think that allowing him to write about his experiences can serve as an outlet for him. I also think that letting Shawn read books about characters with adverse experiences that are relatable and reading about how they cope with their problems can help show him that he can survive the struggles in his life. Shawn doesn’t have any strong relationships with any of the adults in his life, so I would really try to get to know him and build a relationship with him so I could become a trusted adult figure in his life.
I think that the best thing to do for Shawn is to get him involved in his own learning. Instead of telling Shawn that he has to do his schoolwork and listen in school, I could ask him what he would be interested in learning about. If I can let him learn about something that he is interested in, he will likely be more engaged in class and he will feel like he has a voice. Since Shawn is popular and loves social interaction, I can also incorporate opportunities for interaction into class time. Shawn likes to be heard, so I will give him the opportunity to be heard in class or group discussions.
Many wouldn’t view Shawn as being “college ready”, but I do see a lot of potential in him if he puts more effort into his school work and finds something that he is really interested in and passionate about to pursue.
Post #3:
Blog Use in the Classroom
09/15/2016
Thoughts Using a Blog in my Own Classroom:
I think that blogs can be a very useful classroom tool. I can see myself using a blog in my future classroom as a classroom webpage. On my blog, I would include information about myself and my classroom, including an introduction to parents, a picture or video tour of my classroom, and a description of classroom expectations and procedures. I could include a resource page for parents that I could use to share a weekly newsletter, updates of hat we are doing in the classroom, homework help videos, a classroom calendar with due dates and school events, and important other resources for parents like how to access grades online, links to articles, and links to other useful resources.
I might also include a student page with links to fun educational activities that students can do and other educational websites they can visit at home to practice core content. If I teach older grades, like upper elementary or middle school, I can create a classroom discussion blog that students can use to share and discuss their ideas. I could see something like this being used for an English class as a book club discussion page.
I might also include a student page with links to fun educational activities that students can do and other educational websites they can visit at home to practice core content. If I teach older grades, like upper elementary or middle school, I can create a classroom discussion blog that students can use to share and discuss their ideas. I could see something like this being used for an English class as a book club discussion page.
Advantages:
One advantage of using a blog is that you can do more with it than you could a Google Doc or Microsoft Word. What I like about a blogging format is that is a lot more user-friendly and interactive than a Word Document or a Google Doc. I think that a blogging format helps you keep things more organized so that all it takes is a click of a button to access what you need. On Weebly, for example, you can create different pages, and all you have to do to access a page is click on a tab. I think it would be harder to find what you need on a Word or Google Doc document because you would have to scroll through the pages to look for it. What I also like about having a blog is that it is easy for your audience to access. With a blog, you wouldn’t have to email a link or attachment for parents to access your document. Parents could access your blog by simply typing the address into their browser’s search box.
Possible Constraints:
There are some possible constraints with using a blog in my classroom. If I teach at a school with limited technology resources, I might not have the necessary resources for students to write their own blog posts in the classroom. Another possible constraint is that families might not have access to a device they can use to access my blog. If I decide to let my students blog in the classroom, I would also have to teach them things like how to create, post, and edit a blog, and I would also have to set some ground rules about how to safely use a blog and the internet.
About This Blog:
I am a student at Grand Valley studying Elementary Ed and Math. This blog is a collection of my reflections on topics in EDT 370.
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