Differentiation Reading Response

Differentiation in Practice, by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson

These units as an example of differentiation really appeal to my linear nature. I love how every thing is step by step and the overview show what differentiation strategies are being used. Because my field is in 1st grade I really focused on the first two units, All About the ABC’s, and What Plants Need.

I like how the ABC unit includes a station where the students use the same materials to engage in tasks that are differentiated for readiness. I really like that the unit works toward an authentic product- individual ABC books.

I like that the science unit engages all the students in reading, writing, and creating at their readiness. This unit is so rich, with students observing, recording, experimenting and researching.

It seems like it could be complicated to plan like this but the unit overviews make it seem more doable.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, p.g. 120-162

From my Ch. 6 response:
I love the things from the toolbox. They are great examples of scaffolding and differentiating for readiness and interest. But the coolest thing is the can be scaffolding tools for my task of becoming a differentiating teacher.

I really like the graphic organizers. I especially like p.g. 124, Developing Clarity About Learning Goals. Some of my classmates and I were observing that sometimes it seems as if what's on the test is a mystery or a secret. I love that the students can see exactly what the goals are.

I love menus. I love how students have choices. I like that the deserts are things that kids will want to do. In the example the deserts are writing activities. Students who choose these can work on them in writers workshop if they don't have during science. I like how the side dishes have such a variety of ways for students to "consume" information: with a friend, on the computer, watching, and reading. I like that the responses for the side dishes are simple- only what will fit on an index card, but very specific.

I'm not sure I understand complex instruction all the way, but I like how everyone in the group is responsible for understanding all of the tasks, but they divide up the tasks and work on the tasks that best utilize their strengths. Then they have to make sure that everyone understands it.

As a student and a parent I love rubrics. As a teacher I like how they let you ensure that your task is aligned with your objective. I also like how they help you narrow in on what to grade of projects and keep you from grading based on your "favorite."

I like how the contracts guide a teacher in developing differentiated tasks, Think dots provide variety and multiple entry journals provide structure and guidance for student responses.

I'm so glad I have the toolbox as a resource.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson Ch. 7

Much of this chapter reminded me of the things I blogged about last week.

"If we allow ourselves to fall in love with what we do, we will be reborn countless times, almost always in a form stronger and more fully human than the one that preceded it." (p.g. 92-93)

This made me think of my own analogy to go along with how I've been feeling about differentiation and teaching. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by, C.S. Lewis, Eustace has been positively yucky, very selfish, and inconsiderate. These traits lead him to a choice of which the consequences are being transformed into a dragon. After he has learned many lessons from this experience Aslan comes to him. He is afraid of Aslan without really knowing why. Aslan is lit by moonlight even though there is no moon. Aslan tells Eustace that he must undress and bathe in the pool he has been taken to and Eustace knows he must tear off the dragon skin. He does so, again and again. Finally Aslan assists him. It hurt more than anything else but it was such a relief at the same time. At first the bath smarted in his new skin, but then became delicious.

Sometimes as teachers we need a mentor or friend to remind us to shed the old and begin again. Sometimes we are in the dark, but answers and ideas can still come. Often we are afraid of what the answers might be or how we might implement them or if they will succeed. Sometimes we remove the old over and over and are uncertain of the effect and sometimes we need extra help to find ourselves more human. Becoming more human, reaching every student, taming the fox, is nearly always a struggle and sometimes it smarts, but eventually it becomes "delicious," if only for a moment before we begin the process again.

I feel for certain that many of my tries to differentiate will fall short of my ultimate goal, but it doesn't matter if I "just begin" and keep looking for new beginnings.

addition assesment

The first time i went to Lorri's class I noticed one student who was having difficulty with her self start math facts. She (BC) usually finishes all of the problems, but has few of them correct. They were working on addition facts, adding 1,2, and 3. When I noticed this I asked her to show me how she new the answer and indicated one that was correct. She showed me on her fingers and counted all. When I asked the same question about one that was incorrect she used the number line, put her finger on the first number and began counting up. However she began her count on the first number instead of the next number and many of her answers were one less than the correct answer. I worked with her to fix a couple of her answers, but she tired of it quickly and I didn't persist.
So I knew she was using the number line incorrectly, but it also seemed like she sometimes just put any number so she could be done quickly. I knew from our math methods text book that number line strategies are more difficult. I talked with Dr. Tuft and she said BK probably need more addition practice that is contextual and that possibly she just needed a little one on one instruction.
The next time I talked with Lorri she said I could plan a one on one or small group math activity(this activity was conducted on Fri, Oct 2).
I studied from the text more about developing meaning for the operations. I decided that a math story, or story problem could serve as an assessment and a learning activity. From the text book I chose, "Sandra had 5 pennies. George gave her 3 more. How many pennies does Sandra have altogether?"
I wrote this at the top of a scrap paper for each student and provided pennies and small round counters. Lorri selected four children who she is least unsure of their addition understanding. The students were excited to come to the back table with me. I told them we were going to read a math story and work on the answer. I gave them their papers and read the problem out loud. Almost before I was finished they were counting on their fingers and raising their hands, anxious to tell the answer. I told them i wasn't ready to hear the answer. I wanted them to think about how they could teach a kindergartner to figure out the answer. I also wanted them to write or draw on their paper how to teach someone else to figure out the answer.

MK drew a picture of his family and wrote, "I culd teach my little brothre and hes in kidnergarden." When i asked, "how would you teach him?" He replied, "I would teach him to be good." He did eventually count out pennies but when he counted the initial sets of 5 and three an extra was hiding under his sleeve and he didn't notice when he slid the piles together, so he had 9 pennies. HY helped him separate them into 5 and 3, and identify the extra, then he counted 8.

HY talked to an imaginary kindergartner as she counted out pennies. She drew five ooooo, added three more ooo, next to them. She counted them all to make eight then said, "then add 2 more." She drew 2 more to complete a ten frame pattern and indicated that there were ten.

RC wrote on her paper. "you can cat the pienes (count the pennies)" Her drawing shows 7 dots. When I asked her to show us how to teach a kindergartner how to figure out the answer she indicated her counters (5 pennies, 2 red counters, 1 blue counter) and counted up, "5,6,7,8"

HL wrote, "I wunbe hlep theym doow mathe and a storey(I would help them do math and a story)." Her drawing shows us at the table. One figure has a speech bubble: "I wunt to do math." On the table is a group of 5 dots, a group of 3, and the number 8. She chose to represent Sandra's pennies with red and blue counters. She used 5 red, line them up and continued the row with 3 blue. When I asked her why she did it that way she said it made more sense. I wish I had been better at helping her define why it makes more sense, but I felt a little stuck about how to go about helping her with out giving her my words.

What I learned:
MK's paper shows the least understanding of the concept. His work with the manipulatives does show that he understands the story is a joining of 2 sets, and that he can find the "altogether" amount by counting out the two sets and counting all. If i have a chance to work with him one on one I'd do several more stories like this having him show the story with the counters and I would model some ways to represent his work on paper. Then ask him to show how he knows the answer by drawing a picture.

HY's work with the story suggests she is verbal and social. I'm not quite sure what to do next. Possible a few more stories and an assessment of her understanding of these symbols +, =. I'd like to ask her if she can show what she did using them in her drawing.

BC I was surprised to notice her count up as i hadn't seen her use this strategy on her fact sheet. I think she could benefit from the same activity as suggested for MK. This would improve her communication about what she knows and give her contextual practice. I'd also like to work with her to represent joining stories using a ten frame. To strengthen her understanding of the relationship of other numbers to ten.

HL's counters show a strong understanding of joining two sets. I think she could Join HY in the suggested activity.

I repeated the same activity with 5 more students. Most of this group traced or drew circles and made them into number sentences: ooooo + ooo = oooooooo (or 8). TL and ML possible used the + and = sign when they saw their neighbor use them.

SN drew two boxes with a set in each. Then she wrote the fact family for 5,3,and 8.
AN finished before most of the group and asked now what do I do. I remembered HL adding 2 more to get 10 and asked AN, "How much more does Sandra need to buy a candy that costs $.10?" He wrote, "3+8=10" When I asked him to show me how he knows he used the pennies and discovered his error.

I think the whole class could benefit from a math story instead, or alternating with, fact practice each morning.

I tried to scan their papers but couldn't get the scanners in the labs to work :(. I will try one more time. Sucess with the scanner! Student papers added.
The next Friday I spent in Lorri's class I taught a math lesson in the launch, explore, explain format. I'm anxious to blog about it but this blog has taken me awhile, so I think it will have to wait :(.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ch 5-6

I was really drawn to the authors description of her two classes, math and German. This affirms what I've been starting to believe since I began the UVU teacher ed program-The teacher makes all the difference.

So much of this chapter is what we've been learning in our other classes, from Social studies methods to Math methods. Important, focused, engaging, demanding and scaffolded. Some of these I feel like I can accomplish easily. Work that is demanding AND scaffolded I don't feel like I have the knowledge or skills yet. The end of the chapter says that we can't focus our efforts on the whole class if we want to be differentiators, we have to focus on individuals. This is what I wrote in the margin when I finished the Chapter:

I can teach in general ways I believe children learn best, by using a variety of methods and models , including movement, integrating art, using children's literature, designing authentic tasks and assessments, using group processes, creating a class community, BUT I don't have a clear idea of how to scaffold for individuals.

The more I explore and learn the more I'm not sure how to do what I know is best. I know it may take several years for my teaching to start to be truly differentiated. I know I will always be almost there, always decreasing the distance between where I am as a differentiating teacher and where I want to be: always striving, never arriving. However, I feel empowered by what I am learning and know that giving it my best shot, though far from what I aspire, will reach students. Will touch, empower, validate, and help them become more.

Then I reach Chapter 6. The scenarios in chapter six made me feel like I have a better grasp of how to scaffold! I haven't quite left the point where I know what it looks like but I can't yet create it. I can look at the scenarios in the book and see how the different tasks support different readiness and are all important and challenging. I still feel a little fuzzy about how I will accomplish it. But overall I feel a lot more comfortable having a go at it.

I love the things from the toolbox. They are great examples of scaffolding and differentiating for readiness and interest. But the coolest thing is the can be scaffolding tools for my task of becoming a differentiating teacher.

Differentiation Reading Response

Dear Jaremy,
When I read about your experiences as a Teach for America teacher on Jamie's blog (http://futuresuperteacher.blogspot.com/) it seemd your situation was pretty dismal. In class our instructor asked Jamie to read her blog post and told us our next blog assignment would be to write to you, hopefully offering advise about differentiation and definitely referring to our next assigned chapters. As I read the chapters I composed in my mind the things I might tell you about them. A lot of the time I thought how trite my advise might sound. After I read our assigned chapters I looked up your blog (http://jaremysjourney.blogspot.com/) and read many of your posts. And guess what I discovered! You are already doing many of the things we are learning to do and thinking about many of the things we are hoping to think about as teachers. So as you read my advise (based mostly on ch 3-4 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson) I hope you will see many things you've already thought of, or are attempting to accomplish and maybe there will be something new that will help you a little farther down the path of making a difference in your students lives.

At the core of differentiated teaching is making meaningful connections with your students and meeting their needs. This you have begun to do; you are seeking ways to connect with them and ways for them to connect with their own education.

A first way to meet student needs is to affirm their worth and belonging in the classroom, providing way for them to contribute and feel essential to the class community. An element of this is sharing ownership of the classroom. You are showing them that you value their contribution and that you are willing to learn from them when you listen to their suggestions about your teaching.

Another way to meet student needs is by giving them challenging, important, and worthy things to do that can help them to be all they can be. "Simply put, opportunity is more closely related to exhilaration than drudgery" (p.30). It seems to me that this is something you are thinking about--you are worried about how much copying they have to do. I also see two things you have done to begin to address this: the marshmallow models and having them act out concepts.

Two more important things are being invested and persistent as a teacher. I can see your investment in your willingness to take on dance club, give students rides and expend all your energy on trying to reach them. Your students will begin to see it too. You will show your persistence as you continue to search for new ways to make connections and meet needs; as you try something new when your first idea fizzles.

The last thing the text talks about in this chapter is being reflective. Your blog shows that you are reflecting and adjusting. Think of these ideas as you continue to be a reflective teacher:

" --I watch you and listen to you carefully and systematically.

--I make sure to use what I learn to help you learn better.

--I try to see things through your eyes.

--I continually ask, 'How is this partnership working?'

--I continually ask, 'How can I make this better?' "(p. 34).

The next chapter touches on these topics: the classroom environment, communication in the classroom, classroom operation, routines, supporting student success, and shared responsibility. I believe that the most important of these is classroom environment. The text points out the importance of studying student culture which you have begun to do. Also pointing out students' contributions to the class, helping the students know each other, and celebrating success.

We have been learning a way to facilitate these outcomes and more. In elementary classrooms it's called morning meetings. As i was reading this chapter i thought over and over again, "Morning meeting addresses this.v If you choose to implement something like this in your classes you will undoubtedly have to modify some things to fit into a secondary environment. Morning meetings usually last 15-30 min and contain these components:

Greeting: Greeting activities can be simple or complex but the important thing is that each student hears his name and is greeted in a respectful way by one or more of his classmates.

Activity: Can be game, song, chant, cheer, or academic activity--helps to build common ground and community.

Sharing: Students share based on teacher guidelines, then they ask their peers for comments or questions. Comments show interest in the sharer's news, not become a second share. Sometimes a quick share is used where every one answers the same inquiry quickly, moving around the circle, with no questions or comments. Sometimes only a few students share each day.

News and announcements or message: Teacher message is read, contains things like what we're going to do today and transitions into the academic part of the day.

I'm really excited for the sense of community and belonging that morning meeting can build. This is especially important because students can't learn until their basic needs, such as belonging and power, are met. Oh I forgot, after you introduce your class to meetings and establish a routine and expectations you can have the students take turns running the meeting.

I hope you will find something in this note that will help you along your way in this awesome, challenging path you've chosen.

Rebecka

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson, pg 100-103

I think it's helpful that one of the surveys gives answers for the students to choose from and one is open for the student to respond. I think both are important because some students will not know what to tell you and having prompts is helpful, but also hearing their open responses is useful.

The responses from the learning profile survey could help you begin to see how students learn best. It would make you more aware of preferences so you can plan for them. Just having this in the back of your mind would make you aware of which teaching strategies you are planning and who might need a change or a choice. Sometimes you may want to use this info to form groups. I didn't think of anything I would want to add to this.

The about me survey provides lots of info. This could guide you in helping children make connections with others, lesson planning with a variety of strategies, and pairing children to help each other. Knowing students interests can be valuable as you look for ways to integrate what's important to them with what's in the core. This is a great survey. There's one question I would consider adding: "Is there anything about school that worries you?" I want to know if their worried so I can help them find ways to fix, cope, and conquer.

"File of Inventories/Pre-Assessments"

I could see myself using any of these tools. I especially like the idea of students self assessing. A self assessment tells the teacher where a student is, but it also reminds the student of where he can go. I like the checklists for teacher observation because they give the teacher a place to start. My biggest question would have been "What should I look for?" Even if these checklists turn out to be not exactly what I need they can be built on as I experience more teaching and assessing. A method, besides these resources, for pre-assessing the class is the "what we know, what we want to know, what we've learned" strategy. I love how it can show what the students already know, what the have misconceptions about, and what's important to them about a topic.

Differentiation Reading Response

Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching, Ch. 1-2


Favorite parts and thoughts

When teachers "invite students to invest their time and energy in the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and skill" by differentiating for their interest, students "are more likely to be engaged and to persist in learning." (pg. 3)

I love thinking of teaching as an invitation. We can't choose for a child to learn. He must choose for himself. If I can be the kind of teacher who understands her students interests well enough to help them find a bridge to the things society expects them to learn.......

The teacher must find a way to entice the child into the room of learning because the child who is dragged in takes nothing with him when he finally escapes. The child who enters because he sees something valuable to himself will stay, explore, grow, and never want to leave.

But there is more. The child must be more than in the room of his own choosing. He must be engaged with the content found in the room. He must find something to occupy his thought and cause him wonder. He must find thing he wants to grab a hold of. Then the child is engaged, then the child is learning.

(This line of thinking has called up a memory of when I was young. I read a book about babysitting, and one of the sections was how to calm a child or distract them if they were upset when the parents left. One of the strategies was to take with you a bag of things that might be interesting to a child. The book suggested to ignore the child's crying, reassure them and begin to focus you attention on some activity from your bag. The child will see your interest, want to watch, and eventually join you in the activity.)

"Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow." (St. Exupery's The little Prince pg. 80,83)

There's something so touching about children who peek at you from their burrows wondering if you will be the kind of person to sing to them, to sooth them, to love them. And something heartbreaking when you can't find the tune they're waiting for.

"The truth is, we will never really do all each child needs us to do. A simultaneous truth is that the first truth is no reason to stop trying." (pg. 22)

It's a little discouraging to think that the ultimate goal cannot be reached. But like Esme I feel I must try. And that just trying makes a difference.

The classroom scenarios on pg 23 and 24 are also a little discouraging. The teacher is doing what we would guess is a great way to help students feel good about their work and being in the class, but they are totally missing the mark. I'm hoping that chapter three offers some advice on how to do better than this. I wish I could read it now, but alas other assignments are calling....

Ceareal Sort Reflection

My friend Lorri is an intern in second grade. She has let me come to her class to help out. She let me prepare a lesson on sorting to get the children ready for spelling sorts. I haven't been able to sleep and thoughts of what to do next time are yelling at me to remember them. Here is a run down of the lesson.

Success: I began by asking the students to stand by their desks. Lori says, "One, stand up. Two chairs in. Three, sit at the rug." I used this routine and said, "One, stand up. Two, chairs in. Touch your shoulders, touch your knees, look at me. Please come silently and join me on the rug." they sat and were ready to listen.

Differentiation opportunity: I began by telling them we were going to sort. I asked, "if you have done any sorting activities before put your hands on your shoulders. If sorting is new to you put your hands on your knees." One student H.L. put her hands on her knees. I demonstrated sorting colored linking cubes. Then i asked the students if the cubes were different. They said yes they are different colors. Then I asked if they were the same. Most said no, but S.T. said yes. I asked her if she could tell the class how they were the same. She said that they were the same shape. We decided that if they cubes were sorted by color there would be four categories, but if we sorted by shape there would only be one category. At this point I had the children go back to their desks, wipe them with disinfectant wipes and apply hand sanitizer. Then I passed out paper and directed the folding of it into columns for separating categories. Next time I will skip the paper--took too much time and was confusing since my demonstration didn't include columns. I gave instructions for each partner to share a dish of cereal and asked them to begin sorting. At this point I wish I had worked a few minutes with H.L. letting her sort the cubes with me since she was the only student who indicated it was her first experience. The students were anxious about dividing up the cereal between partners since each twosome had one dish and two papers. H.L. said she didn't know what to do. I called the students attention to the front, apologized for not giving them good enough instructions, asked them to return all the cereal to the bowls and put one paper away. Each partnership would work together to sort the cereal on one paper. H.L. seemed to do much better when working with her partner.

Sharing and assesment: Each partnership shared thier categories. I think the class understands that a group of items can be sorted by different rules (eg. color or shape), and that the items can be sorted by the same rule and have different categories.

Most partnerships sorted by shape- only one group had a boat shape category, another had a frog-like shape category (for puffed wheat)

A few groups sorted by color- one pair of children had much debate over which were tan and which were brown.

One group sorted by smell.

At this point I should have worked again with H.L., asking her about her sort and seeing if she could think of another way to sort the cereal and asking her to show me.

Things to do different next time:
Omit paper columns or use them during demonstration. (if time is an issue omit)
Plan on giving each student cereal in a cupcake paper. Give only 3-5 pieces of each varriety.
Have students sort then share thier sort with a partner.
(allow to consult each other, "talk to your buddy if you need to.")
Plan for time to do multiple sorts.
Take better advantage of differentiation oportunities.

Overall I think the lesson was a success. Thanks for letting me practice on your class Lorri!

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

A friend of mine got a family pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. It was in connection with her blog, Because Babies Grow Up. She offered the ticket to our family if I would write a post for her blog telling about our experience. Here is an e-mail, and the post:

Amber,
You know the story telling festival began today, and I am amazed at how blessed we are that you thought of us to take your ticket. We went to the "Look Who's Talking" event. We heard six storytellers. It was the best entertainment we've seen in, well forever. From touching to hysterical we were enthralled, and tonight was only the"taste of what's to come." Steve's favorite was Bil Lepp who told a story of being chased by 5 wild dogs and 500 prairie dogs while he tried to run away on the 12 ft high stilts he'd built to stand on while he painted the second story windows of his home. Every time Bil would say, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you......." the story became more and more crazy and unbelievable. Steve was banging his head on my knee he was so caught up in the ridiculousness of it all.

Heather Forest told a Jewish folk tale that is the beginning of the phrase "words like feathers fly." Her song has the lyrics "cruel words like feathers fly." I hope she has recorded this story. I want to use it in my elementary school classroom.
Barry and I enjoyed all the tellers but were especially delighted with Carmen Agra Deedy. She told a story that could have happened to any of us, parts of which have happened to all of us, with voices and faces that were.......I can't think of a description, partly because her performance was beyond words and partly because my past-bed-time brain is beyond words.
The kids are especially looking forward to hearing Bill Harley tomorrow. I'm excited for them to have an experience so rich. I was teasing Steve and asked if the show wasn't better than playing PS2. He surprised me by having to debate about which he would rather do: Play PS2 or listen to stories. This tells me that he NEEDS to hear stories.Thank you for the perfect medicine.
I will use part of this email in the blog post I promised. Or if you want to post some of it now feel free. It's not to late for your readers to get tickets. And you can see just one event if you want.http://www.timpfest.org/
Thanks again,
Rebecka
PS I hope you are well, miss you and your sweet girls

Hello again everyone at Because Babies Grow Up! You know that Amber gave our family her weekend pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. I'm trying to decide how to tell you how incredible it was. If you read my email about Thursday night's performance and multiply it by 100 you would have the essence of our experience. The festival definitely has something for everyone. Some tellers are funny, some are inspiring, some are both. Some tell stories from their own lives, some tell beautiful folk and fairy tells, and some tell outrageous tales that started from the truth of their own experiences but grew to the unbelievable.

Story telling is a great way to bring your family together. When you listen to a story together you're changed together. Later when a family member sees a connection between your family's experience and a story you heard together they will make a joke or share the connection and you are drawn together by the experience again.

My girls are 12 and 14, and my son just turned 11. The girls wanted to be at every event. They loved everything. Steven however got tired quickly. A few of the tellers just grabbed him and drew him in, but he was not very patient when he had to listen to tellers who didn't. So I let him stay at home for many of the daytime events. The event that is best suited for young children is Friday night's Bedtime Stories. If you have small children you may want to only take them to that event. If you do take children to the daytime events they might like the puppet shows better. This year there was also a mime and a juggler.

The weekend was jam packed and we were totally exhausted by Sunday morning, but it was worth it. A great thing about the festival is that it begins Thursday evening on labor day weekend, but the last event is Saturday night so you still have Sunday and Monday to recover before you have to go back to work and school. A weekend pass is only $100, which for a family of five or six is a bargain. We are definitely going to make the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival a family tradition. We think you'll like it too.

Differentiation Reading Response

Differentiation in Practice, pp. 1-14
Morning Meeting Packet

My favorite part of the Differentiation in Practice section was the hallmarks of differentiated curriculum. Many of the hallmarks are concepts we've been learning all through our courses: strong link between assessment and instruction, clarity about learning goals, using a variety of student groupings, and purposeful planning. I love how this section could be used by the teacher as a tool for self reflection or assessment.

Morning Meetings are one of the most exciting strategies I've learned about. As a parent I've become increasingly aware of the great importance of class unity, but I have been uncertain how to help students develop it. Last Friday I was able to visit the classroom of a friend who is an intern. I joined their Morning Meeting and was so impressed with the feeling when the students greeted each other by saying, "Welcome, Joseph." I love the idea that MM can set a happy tone for the day and get the children ready to learn. I like the idea of sharing and how it lets children practice showing interest in each other. I can see how it can guide them to caring about each other. I'm sold!

Back to School

So we're back in class. We've been to all of our classes now and here are a few things about the first week:

Dr. Waite, ESL Methods- I've been waiting for this course since I was taking intro to education and exceptional students. I can't wait to know more strategies for helping students who speak a different language. I was hoping to have the same instructor that I had for foundations of multicultural education. I loved the way Dr. Patch let us hash things out among ourselves. He was always reluctant to tell us his personal opinion even though we knew he has strong beliefs. Dr. Wait is much more in your face and I've promised my self not to let that make me feel contentious. The thing I like most about Dr. Wait is how excited he is about his courses. When I had him for into and now for ESL methods he makes us feel like this course covers the most exciting material he's ever taught.

Donna Smith, PE- in the elementary school- Ever since we had art integration methods I've wanted to have more resources and ideas for helping children learn through movement. My favorite thing from the first chapter of the text is about helping children move more during their recesses.

Elaine Tuft, Math Methods- I'm a little nervous about teaching math, but also very excited. I'm looking forward to all of the things we're going to learn in this class. I hope I can be the kind of teacher that helps children be excited about and feel confidant doing math.

Nancy Peterson, Differentiation- It was so much fun to be back in Dr. Peterson's sphere. I bought the Morning Meeting Handbook this summer and couldn't put it down. I believe that fostering unity in the classroom and helping the children to build a community is at the core of being a successful teacher, and I want to soak up everything I can that will help me do that.

Ann Adamson, Classroom Management- "I'm Drat the rat and I wear a yellow hat. If you don't like the color you can change it like that (snap), Because I'm drat the rat...."

Stan Harward, Literacy II- I'm really excited for the professional study groups. Each group chose a book from the list and will read and discuss it over the course and present ideas from the book to the class. My group chose Revisiting the Reading Workshop.

Great Giveaway

Enter to win Free children's museum Tickets at Because Babies Grow Up
http://www.becausebabiesgrowup.com/2009/05/discovery-gateway-childrens-museum.html

Writers Workshop

For our last class periods with Dr. Peterson we had a writer's work shop experience. Here is the book I wrote and published!

I’m hidden underneath the leaves that fell last fall. No longer do they shout for everyone to notice their bold and vibrant colors. Grey as the sky they squish when people pass, a sad murmur compared to the crunching and rustling that filled the air some months ago.

I’m silent and still, no sound escapes my skin. Safe from squirrels and birds, I’m waiting, longing, and resting; dreaming of my secret purpose.

Thoughts fill my mind of warm days to come, bright sun and warm air.

Snow has fallen and melted, fallen and melted, making me worry that it would never be warm. You can no longer tell where last fall’s leaves stop and the soil starts.

The warmth of the sun increases and my body swells as it soaks up the moisture around me.

Roots and leaves come first. I stretch and sigh, finally sharing my secret:

I'm becoming a plant!

Body Bio Ideas

Dr. Peterson brought these examples and ideas for Body Bio projects. Some teachers have the students do body bios of themselves before they do famous people

George Washington with fact or fiction flips


George Washington Carver Grab Bag


Queen Elizabeth I box time line


Eleanor Roosevelt Emotions time line (Left column says Happy, Content, Neutral, Melancholy, Despair)

Abraham Lincoln

Self Selected Activities

For my last 2 hours I visited the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum and checked out thier website. They offer a special program for each grade level that ties into the state curriculem. For each of the programs they have an outline and suggested extension activities. First Grade's can be found at this address: http://mlbean.byu.edu/home/Education/PlantsandPlantGrowthShow.aspx

You can take you class to the museum at no charge or the show will come to you for only $35.

Some interesting things I learned at the museum:
A Giaraffe's gestation period is 450 days!
There is such a thing as a giant clam. It's big enough that it's shell could be used as a small hand sink.
The butterfy collage is made of 1,026 butterflies.

Self selected activities

I searched Orem Public library's catalog for books that go with first grade science topics and add the list of books to my files. I will need to go another time and review the books at the library. I searched for and added more science activities to my blog.

3 1/2 hrs

Self Selected Activiteis

Today I created a digital file of science lesson plans and resources to teach first grade science. I really like first grade, and although I think I will enjoy teaching any grade, first may be my preference. The three main areas of science from the state standards are: Health and Safety, Plants and Plant Growth, and Water. I made a file for each subject and searched on line for lesson plans and resources. I also added a list of links to this blog of science activities and teacher resources for future use. I want to extend the files and add children's literature resources to them.

2 hr

Shannon Hale

One of the exciting things about hosting the "Our favorite books we didn't write or publish" panel discussion was meeting Shannon Hale. I've loved her books since before I even thought to think about the person who created them. They are the kind of book I get lost in, and am totally at home in. Here are three of my favorites:

If you visit Shannon's website you can read about writing the stories, ideas for using her stories in the classroom, Shannon's blog, and a list of books she likes. http://www.squeetus.com/

Where was I when my classmates took this photo? And why didn't I think to ask Shannon for a photo?
Shannon's new book which I can't wait to check out:

http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_austen.html

I've never met an author before and I'm so thrilled to own my first signed-by-the author book:

Coming up next: The books Shannon shared during the panel discussion.

Check out my guest post at:

UVU Forum on Children's Literature

For Dr. Peterson's Language arts methods class we are required to do 20 service learning hours. One of the things we could choose to do was help with the Children's literature conference. My assignment was to coordinate the "Our Favorite books we didn't Write or Publish" panel discussion. I communicated with the panelists to get their three favorite children's books, created a power point presentation so the audience could see the covers of their choices, and moderated the discussion. This was a fabulous experience. I got to work with many fabulous students in the elementary education program, and meet authors, illustrators, educators, and an editor from New York.

When I graduate and have my own classroom I think I may want this blog to be geared to parents and students. With that in mind I plan on introducing you to the panalists and thier work, and spotlighting thier websites and blogs, and the books they talked about during the panel discussion. Eventually I'll have a side bar with links to author's and illustrators blogs and websites.

Coming up first: Shannon Hale!

10-2 B cohort makes ice cream

Jamie and Erica taught us about....something....diferent states of matter? And we made ice cream in ziplock bags, fun and yummy.

Sara, Dianna, Jenny

Patti, Mary, Caitlyn

Lorri, JJ

Heather, Hillary, Sarah

Gaylyn, Kayla

Dr. Tuft

Leslie, Doug

Ashlie, Allie, Emily

Allie, Emily, Michelle

Expository Writing

Wow! We are already in of field experience classrooms. The semester is so close to being over and I'm disapointed to find that I haven't kept up with the reflections I intended to do.

For our genre presentations my group did expository writing. We wanted to have some examples of student work to show. I asked steve if he would help me. He was at first reluctant, but he agreed and was soon enthusiastic. He made a true false flip book based on his recent science unit on erosion.

Language Arts

Today was our first class period with Dr. Peterson. She was our (Brittany and I) field experience supervisor. I'm so excited for the things we are going to learn in her class. I am especially excited to learn strategies for teaching writing that let students create with out being encumbered by mechanics. Not that I've decided the mechanics of writing are unimportant. Just that sometimes the strategies for teaching them inhibit young writers. So I'm looking forward to "Words Their Way."
I've already read "A Writers Note Book" and found myself itching to start a list, ponder a funny thing my kids said when they were small, or record a memory. The thing I'm going to love about being a teacher is participating in the same activities we encourage students to engage in.
We wrote a poem. First we examined items that Dr. Peterson had brought for us. Then we used a formula to get us started. We could write about any or all of the items.

Looks like
Sounds like
Feels like
Smells like
Seems like
Is (or doing)
? (ask a question of the item)

It one of the first things to add to my writers notebook, a rough poem. That's like a rough draft-it's not "finished."

Plain and unadorned
soft, comfortable, familiar
...of home and work.
You seem less than we know you are.
Have you wondered this yourself?

Books

I bought my books today. I've started reading and am so excited for everything we're going to learn this term. When I went back to school I thought I would do okay with my own classroom then. I still think that is true, but also it is not. I'm learning so much and the ideas in my head are getting bigger and bigger. I'm anticipating the stretching and changing that we're on the verge of experiencing as we explore new ideas, strategies, philosophies, content, and viewpoints.

One of the things that makes me be excited to be a teacher is the opportunity it gives, and will continue to provide, to be constantly learning and exploring.