Module 6

The information provided in this Module about presentations was something very useful and helpful to us as educators. Presentations are not only an important part of teaching but they are also important with collaborating with other teachers. Because of this, we need to make sure that we are creating presentations, mostly Power Points, that effectively get our point across without too many distractions. Many of the slides and videos in this module spoke to how this can be accomplished. They brought up ideas such as keeping slides simple and basic without incorporating too much color. Other ideas included choosing the best photographs or animations as well as how to best utilize tools the program gives you.

The module also included a website that showed how programs for students can be coupled with presentation programs like Power Point. Using these programs, students can create their own work that presents what they have been learning about or will be presenting about. I have always thought this gives students a great sense of ownership.

Lastly, I really liked the pyramid of Web 2.0 tools. These are things that often come up with buzzwords, so it was great to have a visual in mind from now on when I hear them. These are tools and resources as educators we cannot forget are available to us, and ones that we need to make conscious efforts to incorporate into our classrooms.

Module 5

Example of Effective Classroom Management:

This video showed different ways that Word Work could be used in a classroom during centers time. It spoke to the importance of children working together. It also focused on not overwhelming students at their center and only giving them enough work that they could handle in the time allowed. It also talked about how the work they do in centers will help them accomplish classroom assignments later. I have found many of these ideas to be true in my own classroom. I seek to create engaging centers that will prepare students for further work on the topic or subject.

What is Literacy and why is it Important?

This video reminded me how truly important literacy is in our lives. It is often something that we take for granted. It is also something that we lose value in. However, we cannot let this happen to literacy. It is up to us as educators to instill in our students the weight that literacy carries in their lives. Without literacy, things cannot be understood or appreciated. This is true of literature and books. But it is also true of everyday things such as road signs and restaurant menus. Literacy is all around us, so we need to make sure that our students acknowledge and understand it. It is something that is needed and used in every day life. 

Using Literacy Centers:

In a balanced reading program that includes whole group, small group and individualized teaching, literacy centers are a key component. Literacy centers are what students are doing while the teacher is working with these small groups or individuals. I really liked how the video pointed out that they are not to be busy work. Instead, these centers focus on students directly practicing what they have been taught, usually in a hands-on manner. Literacy centers should focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening. They use the teacher and students’ time effectively. Even in my Pre-K class I have found ways to implement literacy centers. I have really seen the benefit of them for both my students and myself. I really believe in literacy centers.

Balanced Literacy:

I was really interested by the environment that this teacher works in. I would be very challenged by that type of children in that type of setting. However, the teacher had some great ideas for making a classroom ideal and welcoming for reading. I liked how she noted the ways to organize your classroom. She talked about making books and materials available for all children to use and share. She also talked about how she took special consideration into the ways and places the carpet and tables were laid out. This is something I pay attention to in my classroom, but perhaps not close enough attention. I completely agree with what she said about kids craving structure. I continue to find this to be true and try to accommodate my classroom accordingly. Lastly, the point she made about setting expectations but then providing the tools to meet these expectations really resonated with me. I will keep this in mind.

Spaces and Places:

Wow, I had no idea that there books out there like this to help us with our classroom designs. I really like a lot of the ideas that the author brought up. There are so many things to consider when designing a classroom, but sometimes that first step of simply taking a step back and deciding what you want to do is the best way to start. I also like how the author has tried these different classroom options in the field and really knows what is effective or not. The point that she brought up about walls being underused is something I really believe. I try my best in my classroom, but I am just not sure if I am doing it correctly. Lastly, I really like the part in the book that she talked about that gives you different classroom designs and ones to try if other ones do not work out. 

Module 4

RTI Articles:

RTI is a program that is rooted in helping our students. Like any program it is surrounded by people who question if it is working and what problems it presents. However, I like the overall goal of RTI. The tiered idea is especially interesting to me. The pyramid break down seems very logical and ideal. In addition, as one of the articles pointed out, RTI seeks to be preventative. In other words, it seeks to detect which students will struggle and how we can help them before it is too late. I was also glad to see that Georgia is taking action when it comes to using RTI and are making efforts towards making it a main stay in classrooms. Reading these articles, I couldn’t help but think of the direct impact RTI has on reading instruction.  The power point was interesting because it allowed me to see how schools view the connections between RTI and their teachers. Teachers are where RTI starts so it is important to make sure everyone has a common understanding before bringing it to their classroom. Like we say so often, the ultimate goal is to make students successful. If educators can use RTI to make this happen, then I think it is something we should strive to implement.

Strategic Reading Instruction Power Point:

This power point provided so many memorable visuals. It served as a great reminder for many of the ideas that we have been discussing all throughout our reading endorsement. Since I teach young children who are just beginning to read, many of these ideas really hit home with me. Ideas such as reading for comprehension, reading with children at a young age and types of assessments served as great refreshers. I also really liked the part of the power point that addressed what the rest of the class should be working on when the teacher is in small groups. This can so often be a challenge, so it was nice to have the ideas as a reminder.

Web Quests Power Point:

I like how this power point introduced the idea of web quests and then went on to break down how they can be implemented. I also liked all of the tasks it introduced and I enjoyed spending time thinking about how these tasks are being used and can be used in my own classroom. As far as web quests go, I really enjoyed looking over the links and considering how students can use them in the classroom. Projects such as these give students ownership of their work and I think make them put forth more effort and excitement while doing it. Also, as the power point states it is good to tell students how they will be evaluated so that they know exactly what is expected of them. In this way they will stay on task and more engaged.

Phonemic Awareness 3-Tier Model Power Point:

This power point was especially interesting for me to look through because of the young children I teach. It was great to see what they should be doing at what point and when. The benchmarks were also great and I will be turning to them as a resource in the future. I also really liked how the power point spoke to the importance of assessment. Assessment is one of the best ways for us to determine how much students know and how much they still need to know. It also helps us become better teachers because we can meet students where they are. The explicit learning ideas at the end also served as a great resource to be used in the classroom, especially since it touched on a variety of grade levels.

Conquer the Code Power Point:

This power point opened up with the connection between research and practice. This is always something we should be reminded of and a way to guide us in our teaching. It also spoke to the connection between decoding and comprehension. One cannot happen without the other and they both must happen during reading. This power point was full of vocabulary that we need to pull from when teaching students how to read. I like how it broke down all of this vocabulary into simple, basic terms. Another connection it made was the one that exists between reading and writing. Students need to have a strong foundation in reading in order to accomplish a strong foundation in writing. I also liked how this power point did not discuss the debate that exists about teaching students to read, it simply laid out all that needs to happen in order for them to be successful.

Word Study & Vocabulary Power Point:

The beginning of the power point seemed exhausting thinking about how many words students need to learn each day and each year. However, when you think about how important words are it begins to make a little more sense. The power point goes on to describe how we can assist students in learning these words and how to teach them their importance. It is our job to create opportunities for students to learn these words in a way that is meaningful and they can pull from later. Many of the ideas brought up in this power point were ones that are too advanced for my young students, but are ones that I will store away for later to pull from in future classrooms.  

Writing Express Video:

I really liked this video. I think it introduced a concept that could be used with a variety of grades of students. I really like how the idea of writing sentences was visual for the students by having children come to the front of the class to represent each part of the sentence. It also allowed for a lot of collaboration among the class, which was great to see. I also like this idea for sentence writing because it allowed for many extensions of sentence writing that could be adjusted for each class and ability level.

Module 3

Development of Literacy Strategies Power Point:

I really liked how the power point opened up with the two definitions. It helped set the tone for what it was going to discuss. The Seven Pillars diagram was a great visual and one that I believe I could turn back to when working with informational literacy. This power point did a good job of pointing out all of the issues that surround informational literacy. I never knew how many elements played a role in informational literacy. After viewing it, I will now carefully consider just how I incorporate the idea into my classroom.

Text Structures & Signal Words:

I really like the way this diagram was broken down. It was in a form that is both easy to turn back to and something you could even use with students. My favorite part of it was the signal words that indicated which type of structure the other was using. This is a tool that could be beneficial to both teachers and students alike.

Encouraging Enthusiasm for Reading Video:

The quotes in this video were extremely powerful. They went along with what I already passionately believe in, that children should be introduced to reading even at a young age. If parents value reading, then their children in turn will think it is something to be valued. Often times reading is an experience. Parents should make efforts to create these experiences as often and as effectively as they can. This is true of both children before school age and during school age.

Smart Table for Collaboration Video:

The Smart Table looks like an amazing piece of technology! While I have seen a Smart Board and all of the hands on and interactive experiences it brings, this looks like an even better way for children to work side by side to use the technology. I believe the possibilities with something like this are endless in reading and all areas.  Students could use it for reading texts, spelling, vocabulary, and graphic organizers and beyond.

Social Studies & Technology Video:

The use of the document camera along with the Smart Table seems like a really effective way for students to learn. I believe in the area of social studies, teachers could enlarge and interact with maps, graphs, etc. on the document camera and the students could manipulate them using the Smart Table. The same would be true of any resources that go along with literacy. Again, I am amazed at all that can be done using the Smart Table!

Science & Literacy Video:

I especially connected to this video because I teach young children, similar to those seen and described in the video. This video reinforced the idea of how important it is for students to understand and be exposed to reading at a young age. It is also important for them to be a part of listening and speaking elements of language since they are a precursor for their future in areas of reading. All of these children contribute to children’s ideas of reading. I liked how the video pointed out that things such as animal sounds, numbers, colors, sequencing, organizing, memorizing and cause and effect are all aspects connected to math and science. However, students are first exposed to these in the stories they read or have read to them as children. The video went on to describe why it is important to use informational texts in the classroom, even with young children. I have personally seen this to be effective and often do so in my own classroom.

Expository Text Structures – Moss:

I found this article to be very relevant to the things we have been learning about expository and informational text during this course. While it sometimes presents challenges to educators to teach such texts, it really enhances students’ learning when we take the time to use them properly. One of the challenges they present is their unique structure. Taking time to learn each structure will help us better use the texts when working with students. Retelling is another challenge teachers face, but an essential component. The article gave the resource of a rubric to use with retelling of expository texts. One of my favorite quotes in this article is, “The best informational books make even the most difficult terms and concepts comprehensible.” I think this quote alone supports why we should take efforts to use these texts in our classrooms.

Virtual Field Trips to Atlanta:

Since my Content Area Unit was focused on Atlanta, I had already viewed some of these videos. I was also glad to see that there are even more resources available to me for virtual trips to Atlanta. It is such a shame that sometimes we do not take advantage of all that lies within our own city. Atlanta is a city of rich history, excitement and constant change. Videos like this remind me, that even if we cannot get out there and see everything, there are ways to open up students eyes to what exists in the world around them.

Module 2

Learning Theories Power Point:

This power point served as a reminder about how much education has evolved over time. It also made me think how much education is still evolving. As teachers, this is something we need to constantly be aware of and carry into our classrooms. Since we know all students do not learn the same, we need to be careful to take the time and find ways for all of our students to be successful. Also, I had never heard of the 6 A’s approach before. I really enjoyed looking through it and considering ways that I could apply these 6 A’s in my current and future classrooms. Lastly, I like how the end of the power point laid out a simple plan to start using these learning theories in a way that was not too intimidating or overwhelming.

Planning Strategic Reading Lessons:

I liked how the beginning of the power point started with a clear definition of what strategic reading is. This gave me a better idea for what I was about to learn about, who it is used for as well as what it is used for. I also liked how the power point broke down the format of making a lesson using strategic reading. Now that we are familiar with it from the power point and other readings, we can begin to bring it into our classrooms. Much of strategic reading is based on what we have done in the past such as collecting texts, stating objectives and assessing students. The same is true of what happens when reading including pre-reading, initial reading and reflection, Because of this, I feel that it is something I could confidently carry out.

Literacy Content: Reading & Scaffolding:

Again, I liked how this power point began with a clear definition to lead into the material in the slides. Scaffolding is something I have always liked using in my own classrooms. I think the idea of the teacher assisting students at the beginning of learning and providing them with tools they can use on their own is a really great concept. I liked how this power point incorporated how scaffolding can be used with content area texts. The power point did a good job of laying out all teacher responsibilities that must occur in order for this scaffolding to happen. These included taking reading levels, vocabulary and text structures into consideration. I think with careful practice, scaffolding could be a very strong way to teach in our classrooms both in reading and other subjects. Scaffolding at its best is changing instruction from “I do” to “you do”. Lastly, the helpful links and resources at the end of the power point are ones I plan on saving so that I can turn to them later.     

Bloom’s Taxonomy Wheel:

The way this wheel was broken down really allowed me to grasp and understand the Taxonomy in a whole new way. I have previously defeated and intimidated when trying to incorporate it in my lessons. However, I think this is a valuable resource I can come back and turn to often. Part of what makes it so great is the breakdown of verbs and then further break down into student products. This makes it very useable for us as educators and something we can now use time and time again.

Differentiating Instruction Video:

Differentiation is something that we should always be striving to use in our classrooms. After learning much about it in both undergrad and graduate classrooms, this power point video served as a strong reminder. However, it also shed new light on how I can use differentiation in the reading setting. One thing that stuck out to me was the importance of diagnosing students’ needs. It went on to state the importance of coming up with different learning lessons and designs in order for the most effective differentiation to take place. Some of the terms that seemed key to me were striving for learner responsive, teacher facilitated classrooms, learning preferences, scaffolding and matching interests and developmental levels.

The Story of Differentiation Video:

I thought that this video was interesting because it was a raw, real life explanation of what differentiation is at its roots. I really enjoyed hearing what Tomlinson had to say and how she began using what we now called differentiation. When she saw the lack of “middle class” in her classroom she decided to adjust her teaching to fit the needs of all her students whether they were high level or low level. She was able to do this by relying on things such as the background skills and knowledge students came to the classroom with, flexible grouping, addressing diversity and strong classroom management. I like how she admitted it can be hard, especially starting out. Yet, she was sure to note that it is a way of teaching that allows all students to learn and does not leave anyone behind and does not leave anyone bored.