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.