Application to Teaching
I believe that education is the key to success for young people. One of my main goals as a teacher is to help students realize their inner strengths and abilities, and most of all, discover what truly inspires them as individuals. Through my master’s degree coursework I have learned many ways in which I can enhance the learning experience for my students. I know that I must provide a stimulating learning environment that encourages students to build confidence and realize their full potential. Kids cannot learn much if they are not socially and emotionally comfortable in their classrooms (Routman, 2000). It is also my duty as a teacher to keep a constant and productive line of communication between the parents of my students and myself. According to Cunningham and Allington (2011), “Effective teachers have authentic and open communication with parents” (p.5). I have come to realize that education is vital in preparing young people to achieve success in all endeavors set before them. Because of this, I have decided to create weekly updates that I send to all off my students and parents every Friday. These updates include tips for success in an online high school setting, lists of student who need to contact me for various reasons, students of the week, semester completers, literacy tips, book lists, and birthday notices. The feedback that I’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive. The parents and students both love having a weekly email communication and oftentimes they will respond with questions or thoughts that they might not normally have shared.
Literacy is one of the most important factors in a child's education. With a strong literacy background and great reading and writing skills, a student is fully equipped to take on other subjects with confidence. If you have ever tried to read a science textbook, you know that it can be challenging. Imagine trying to read said textbook without good literacy skills. I can imagine that you would become frustrated with all of the unknown vocabulary and feel that you did not comprehend what you read. This is why it is so important for me, as a teacher, to arm my students with an arsenal of strategies that they can apply when conquering difficult texts.
Vocabulary:
Throughout my coursework I have learned a great deal about teaching vocabulary. During my Vocabulary and Word Study course with Dr. Crayton, we were given the opportunity to really explore some different vocabulary strategies. According to Blachowicz and Fisher (2010), “effective vocabulary instruction consists of providing a word rich environment, developing independent strategies, developing academic and content vocabulary, developing general vocabulary, and using assessment to match instruction” (p. 2) The assigned text for this course has proved to be a great tool for me in my day to day teaching. I definitely found that, through the vocabulary and word study project, I was able to explore what I’ve learned about vocabulary and how I can apply it to my teaching. My favorite vocabulary strategy, that I now use often with both my students and my own daughter, is semantic mapping. Semantic mapping is a strategy that not only deepens a student’s understanding of a word or concept, but it also extends his or her ability to classify. According to Baumann & Kame’enui (2004), “classification is a basic mental process, one that underlies vocabulary knowledge as well as other cognitive processes” (p. 72). Therefore, it is important for students to have practice with categorizing and classifying and this strategy provides them with a tool for doing so. This strategy has shown to be quick and easy to administer but also very valuable.
Action Research:
Introduction to Educational Research and Seminar in Action Research were definitely two of the most difficult and challenging courses that I was required to take. Both challenged me to learn new vocabulary and write in ways that I had never done before. With that came an empowerment that I would never have imagined. I was thrilled with the idea of being able to research something that I believe will work, and maybe bring a new strategy, idea, or concept to light. Action research is one of the most practical, effective, and economically efficient ways to help teachers become more knowledgeable and create conditions wereby they are able to make informed, research-based decisions (Johnson, 2008)Through creating my action research proposal, I learned a great deal about the process of conducting and analyzing research. As I began this course I was overwhelmed with all of the new vocabulary. The steps to creating a research plan were quite challenging and I found that I had to emerse myself wholeheartedly into the text and read sections over multiple times in order to gain meaning. It actually helped me to identify a little with my struggling readers! Also, being given the opportunity to critique others' research articles, really helped to solidify my understanding of how to put together a proposal. Now that I have the experience and I feel confident in my ability to produce a quality action research plan, I know that I will be more likely to take on this task in a classroom setting. In fact, I look forward to having that opportunity. More than that, I feel empowered by having learned how to conduct an action research project. I feel that in the future if I encounter an issue in my classroom, grade level, or school I will be able to successfully take the steps to produce conclusive evidence for whatever change needs to be made.
Innovations:
The innovations that I created for my Google site during my Language Arts 6-12 course were applied instantly to my online classroom. Not only did I share my innovations with my students, but I also shared them with the other instructors on my team. Because of my work on these innovations and because of my introducing my co-workers to them, my online class became a Model Literacy Classroom for my science team. The innovations that I chose to create are as follows:
1: Course Read-Alongs (Listening and Reading): I created a Google page with course read-alouds for my students. I created these pages to allow my students to listen as the lesson from our online course is being read to them, as they follow along. I gave detailed instructions to the students about how to open both their lesson and the audio file so that they can do a read-along with the course. In short, the students will open two browser windows, one with the read along links, and the other with the lesson. Students can then press ‘play’ on the recording and follow along through the lesson. If at any point they need to pause or rewind, they can do that as well. I created this page because a lot of the lesson content and website sources within my course are above grade level for my students. I wanted them to have the option of listening to a recording and following along so that they can focus on comprehending the text. We also have ESOL and ESE students who take courses online with Florida Virtual School. Differentiating instruction is difficult in an online environment. However, I feelthis would be a valuable resource for these students. Student feedback on the course read-alouds has been very positive. I found that my students with Autism or Aspergers have found this page to be especially helpful. Their parents have also mentioned that this page is of great use to them.
2: Bulletin Board (Reading, viewing, visually representing): I created a Google page that serves as bulletin board for my students. It has many features that are designed to help students be successful in the course. First of all, the top of the page has my contact information and a link to my online classroom (or Elluminate office). In the center of the bulletin board is slide that I created that goes along with one of our lessons. My plan is to change this slide weekly, featuring a new topic each time, much like a regular classroom bulletin board. The left-hand column contains a link to my appointment scheduler so that students can make an appointment to speak with me, links to pace charts so that students can stay abreast of their progress, a link to the workfiles so that students can download them quickly and easily. This column also displays the name of the student of the week. The right-hand column contains links to helpfiles for some of our more difficult lessons as well as flashcard reviews for both of our semester exams. One of the neatest elements on this page is toward the bottom where students will find a chat box. As long as I am online, students will be able to chat with me to ask questions, make an appointment, or just simply say hi. I have also added a Jing presentation to better demonstrate how this bulletin board can be used by students. This page has become a great resource for students in a variety of ways. It has served as a catch-all for questions so that students can complete assignments independently. It also allows them immediate access to me through the chat box for urgent matters. Parents have also given me positive feedback; they seem to especially like the helpfiles because they often allow them to help their children with assignments without having to contact me.
3: Word Wall – Semester One (reading, listening, viewing): I created this Google page to be a word wall for my online students. Science vocabulary tends to be difficult at times so I have created a page that contains the most difficult words and definitions from our first semester. These word walls were created using Glogser and then embedded into the Google site page. I have also provided the students with a link so that they can access the full-sized version for easier viewing. For each word, I have also recorded my voice saying the word and then the definition. This will clear up any pronunciation questions that student might have. At the bottom of the page, I have included an example of a Word cloud and some links to vocabulary websites for practice and games. The purpose of this page is to aid all students, but especially struggling readers, with the difficult content area vocabulary in our course. I feel that students will find this to be a useful tool when coming across and unknown word in the lessons. They also will be able to use the websites that I have provided to explore vocabulary even further. My ELL students have benefitted from the word wall the most. They often use it when they come to a difficult or unknown word. Some of my other, more proficient, students have sent me word clouds that they have made for extra credit using wordle.com.
4: A+ Work (Viewing, visually representing): I created this final Google site page to show off students’ work that is exceptional. My thought is that this would be motivational to the students and that they would enjoy checking each week to see if their assignments appear in the slide show. Each week I will take a snapshot of any and all outstanding assignments and compile a slideshow with those pictures. In order for students’ work to be chosen, they will need to get an A+ on the assignment, and meet all requirements of the lesson. I have also included some of the student examples of online presentation tools. This will allow students to see what online presentation tools (like Jing, voicethread, and Prezi) their classmates are using. In order to protect the privacy of students, I always confirm with them that they are okay with me using their work as an example. I am also careful not to use and last names. The purpose of this is to encourage students to have pride in the work that they submit. Having this kind of positive feedback has really pushed my students to hand in quality assignments, in hopes of having their work posted on the website. Parents have also found this encouraging!
My Teaching Philosophy
Science is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Even when I taught 4th grade and I was responsible for instruction in all subject, my students could see my special passion for science. Teaching science is a delicate matter. A science teacher has the ability to either inspire or discourage a student. They can either set them on the path toward a lifetime of curiosity and inquisition, or turn them off to new discoveries. I have found that students either love science or they hate it. My goal in teaching younger students was to not only teach them skills to become young scientists, but also inspire them to LOVE science. I did this by making science fun, interactive, and low-stress! On any given day a person could have walked into my classroom and seen me dressed up as "Professor Mildred: The Mad Scientist." This was my alter ego, a British scientist who would do experiments with my students and make science an interactive experience. I would dress up in my lab coat, mess up my hair, wear safety goggles (even to walk them to recess), and talk with a British accent. They loved it!
The heart of my teaching Philosophy is that every child has the right to learn and the right to a first-class education. It is up to me, as a teacher, to determine how best to help that child reach his or her full and complete potential.
Literacy is one of the most important factors in a child's education. With a strong literacy background and great reading and writing skills, a student is fully equipped to take on other subjects with confidence. If you have ever tried to read a science textbook, you know that it can be challenging. Imagine trying to read said textbook without good literacy skills. I can imagine that you would become frustrated with all of the unknown vocabulary and feel that you did not comprehend what you read. This is why it is so important for me, as a teacher, to arm my students with an arsenal of strategies that they can apply when conquering difficult texts.
Vocabulary:
Throughout my coursework I have learned a great deal about teaching vocabulary. During my Vocabulary and Word Study course with Dr. Crayton, we were given the opportunity to really explore some different vocabulary strategies. According to Blachowicz and Fisher (2010), “effective vocabulary instruction consists of providing a word rich environment, developing independent strategies, developing academic and content vocabulary, developing general vocabulary, and using assessment to match instruction” (p. 2) The assigned text for this course has proved to be a great tool for me in my day to day teaching. I definitely found that, through the vocabulary and word study project, I was able to explore what I’ve learned about vocabulary and how I can apply it to my teaching. My favorite vocabulary strategy, that I now use often with both my students and my own daughter, is semantic mapping. Semantic mapping is a strategy that not only deepens a student’s understanding of a word or concept, but it also extends his or her ability to classify. According to Baumann & Kame’enui (2004), “classification is a basic mental process, one that underlies vocabulary knowledge as well as other cognitive processes” (p. 72). Therefore, it is important for students to have practice with categorizing and classifying and this strategy provides them with a tool for doing so. This strategy has shown to be quick and easy to administer but also very valuable.
Action Research:
Introduction to Educational Research and Seminar in Action Research were definitely two of the most difficult and challenging courses that I was required to take. Both challenged me to learn new vocabulary and write in ways that I had never done before. With that came an empowerment that I would never have imagined. I was thrilled with the idea of being able to research something that I believe will work, and maybe bring a new strategy, idea, or concept to light. Action research is one of the most practical, effective, and economically efficient ways to help teachers become more knowledgeable and create conditions wereby they are able to make informed, research-based decisions (Johnson, 2008)Through creating my action research proposal, I learned a great deal about the process of conducting and analyzing research. As I began this course I was overwhelmed with all of the new vocabulary. The steps to creating a research plan were quite challenging and I found that I had to emerse myself wholeheartedly into the text and read sections over multiple times in order to gain meaning. It actually helped me to identify a little with my struggling readers! Also, being given the opportunity to critique others' research articles, really helped to solidify my understanding of how to put together a proposal. Now that I have the experience and I feel confident in my ability to produce a quality action research plan, I know that I will be more likely to take on this task in a classroom setting. In fact, I look forward to having that opportunity. More than that, I feel empowered by having learned how to conduct an action research project. I feel that in the future if I encounter an issue in my classroom, grade level, or school I will be able to successfully take the steps to produce conclusive evidence for whatever change needs to be made.
Innovations:
The innovations that I created for my Google site during my Language Arts 6-12 course were applied instantly to my online classroom. Not only did I share my innovations with my students, but I also shared them with the other instructors on my team. Because of my work on these innovations and because of my introducing my co-workers to them, my online class became a Model Literacy Classroom for my science team. The innovations that I chose to create are as follows:
1: Course Read-Alongs (Listening and Reading): I created a Google page with course read-alouds for my students. I created these pages to allow my students to listen as the lesson from our online course is being read to them, as they follow along. I gave detailed instructions to the students about how to open both their lesson and the audio file so that they can do a read-along with the course. In short, the students will open two browser windows, one with the read along links, and the other with the lesson. Students can then press ‘play’ on the recording and follow along through the lesson. If at any point they need to pause or rewind, they can do that as well. I created this page because a lot of the lesson content and website sources within my course are above grade level for my students. I wanted them to have the option of listening to a recording and following along so that they can focus on comprehending the text. We also have ESOL and ESE students who take courses online with Florida Virtual School. Differentiating instruction is difficult in an online environment. However, I feelthis would be a valuable resource for these students. Student feedback on the course read-alouds has been very positive. I found that my students with Autism or Aspergers have found this page to be especially helpful. Their parents have also mentioned that this page is of great use to them.
2: Bulletin Board (Reading, viewing, visually representing): I created a Google page that serves as bulletin board for my students. It has many features that are designed to help students be successful in the course. First of all, the top of the page has my contact information and a link to my online classroom (or Elluminate office). In the center of the bulletin board is slide that I created that goes along with one of our lessons. My plan is to change this slide weekly, featuring a new topic each time, much like a regular classroom bulletin board. The left-hand column contains a link to my appointment scheduler so that students can make an appointment to speak with me, links to pace charts so that students can stay abreast of their progress, a link to the workfiles so that students can download them quickly and easily. This column also displays the name of the student of the week. The right-hand column contains links to helpfiles for some of our more difficult lessons as well as flashcard reviews for both of our semester exams. One of the neatest elements on this page is toward the bottom where students will find a chat box. As long as I am online, students will be able to chat with me to ask questions, make an appointment, or just simply say hi. I have also added a Jing presentation to better demonstrate how this bulletin board can be used by students. This page has become a great resource for students in a variety of ways. It has served as a catch-all for questions so that students can complete assignments independently. It also allows them immediate access to me through the chat box for urgent matters. Parents have also given me positive feedback; they seem to especially like the helpfiles because they often allow them to help their children with assignments without having to contact me.
3: Word Wall – Semester One (reading, listening, viewing): I created this Google page to be a word wall for my online students. Science vocabulary tends to be difficult at times so I have created a page that contains the most difficult words and definitions from our first semester. These word walls were created using Glogser and then embedded into the Google site page. I have also provided the students with a link so that they can access the full-sized version for easier viewing. For each word, I have also recorded my voice saying the word and then the definition. This will clear up any pronunciation questions that student might have. At the bottom of the page, I have included an example of a Word cloud and some links to vocabulary websites for practice and games. The purpose of this page is to aid all students, but especially struggling readers, with the difficult content area vocabulary in our course. I feel that students will find this to be a useful tool when coming across and unknown word in the lessons. They also will be able to use the websites that I have provided to explore vocabulary even further. My ELL students have benefitted from the word wall the most. They often use it when they come to a difficult or unknown word. Some of my other, more proficient, students have sent me word clouds that they have made for extra credit using wordle.com.
4: A+ Work (Viewing, visually representing): I created this final Google site page to show off students’ work that is exceptional. My thought is that this would be motivational to the students and that they would enjoy checking each week to see if their assignments appear in the slide show. Each week I will take a snapshot of any and all outstanding assignments and compile a slideshow with those pictures. In order for students’ work to be chosen, they will need to get an A+ on the assignment, and meet all requirements of the lesson. I have also included some of the student examples of online presentation tools. This will allow students to see what online presentation tools (like Jing, voicethread, and Prezi) their classmates are using. In order to protect the privacy of students, I always confirm with them that they are okay with me using their work as an example. I am also careful not to use and last names. The purpose of this is to encourage students to have pride in the work that they submit. Having this kind of positive feedback has really pushed my students to hand in quality assignments, in hopes of having their work posted on the website. Parents have also found this encouraging!
My Teaching Philosophy
Science is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Even when I taught 4th grade and I was responsible for instruction in all subject, my students could see my special passion for science. Teaching science is a delicate matter. A science teacher has the ability to either inspire or discourage a student. They can either set them on the path toward a lifetime of curiosity and inquisition, or turn them off to new discoveries. I have found that students either love science or they hate it. My goal in teaching younger students was to not only teach them skills to become young scientists, but also inspire them to LOVE science. I did this by making science fun, interactive, and low-stress! On any given day a person could have walked into my classroom and seen me dressed up as "Professor Mildred: The Mad Scientist." This was my alter ego, a British scientist who would do experiments with my students and make science an interactive experience. I would dress up in my lab coat, mess up my hair, wear safety goggles (even to walk them to recess), and talk with a British accent. They loved it!
The heart of my teaching Philosophy is that every child has the right to learn and the right to a first-class education. It is up to me, as a teacher, to determine how best to help that child reach his or her full and complete potential.
vocab_and_ws_project.pdf | |
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research_proposal.docx | |
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article_review_1.pdf | |
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garrick_innovations.pdf | |
File Size: | 310 kb |
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