Learning From the Past

I had the opportunity to read through advice left behind from Dr. Smirnova's previous students, which could be found here. This was interesting to read because it gave me an idea on what to expect and how to succeed in this class. It was really reassuring to read the previous students comments about the course because they all emphasized that this is a learning experience. It was nice to read other students state that, although it stressful teaching for the first time, it is something to learn from and it's okay if you're not perfect! The students also stated that Dr. Smirnova understands that we are still learning and that we should feel comfortable talking to her about any questions because she wants us to be the best we possibly could be. I have learned that the best way to complete this class is to finish all tasks as soon as possible. The students wrote that time flies by in this class and it's necessary to not lose track of it. A lot of previous students explained how important it is to stay on top of your work so it does not pile up. They explain that the work isn't necessarily hard but it is time consuming so it is best to not stress yourself out and spread it out. I have been trying my best to finish all my assignments as soon as possible so I don't feel like I'm drowning in work. After reading through these letters I have learned that this is an experience that will make me a better teacher in the future. 

Video Reflection

This video is a way for people to learn how to optimize technology in a classroom. I really enjoyed watching this video. I liked the format and how informational it was in a short amount of time. When videos are set up in this way I find them easier to follow and more interesting because it is quick to the point. This video taught the viewer different ways to teach new information to students in an efficient way. The video made sense to me because I agree that all learners are different. Some students benefit more when there is a picture to go along with the new information presented to them. The video mentions that personalizing topics and connecting the curriculum to the student's real world makes much more of an impact. I also like how the video explains to not overload the students with a ton of information. I feel like that is an issue a lot of teachers may have, off of personal experience, I remember the topics I had trouble with in school were often taught all at once with a lot of information. I think this is a good video to show future teachers and college students because it provides a lot of helpful tips. When I am teaching in my future classroom, I want to make sure I'm teaching my students in the most efficient way possible. 

Interactive Teaching - Group 3 FW

Today in fieldwork I have learned how crucial it is for the students to have fun while learning! I was able to observe the students and I noticed how thrilled they became when kahoot was introduced. Group three conducted two experiments with the students today and it went great! The lesson started by the teachers pre-assessing the content from the last class through a kahoot that asked questions about plant morphology and reproduction. I thought this was a great idea for the students to get engaged, they were really excited to compete in kahoot! Once the teachers told the students in the class that they were going to play kahoot, the energy in the room shifted. Kids were eager to begin the lesson!I think it is so important for the students to have fun throughout their day. School should be a place of learning but also enjoyable! The students were ready to compete and show how much they remembered from the last class. I thought this set the tone for the entire lesson because the students were now enthusiastic about the lesson and were motivated to learn! I have learned that if students are engaged from the very beginning then the outcome of the lesson will be more meaningful.  I think it is very important to have creative and different ways to pre-assess because it could be very boring if a teacher just hands out a worksheet of questions to see what the students already know.  Throughout this course, I would like to learn other creative ways to pre-assess my future students.

How Do You Settle Down a Class?- Group 3 FW

Is there a way to grab the attention of a group of students all at the same time? During fieldwork today, group three taught the students today about plant reproduction. The teachers grabbed the students attention by telling them to touch their face, then cheek, and mouth to "shhhh". I really liked this because the students caught on quickly and it made them focus on the teachers. I have learned through this experience that it is important to have different ways to catch the students attention. It is difficult to control twenty-five or more children and have their full attention, so it is important to have some techniques that could settle them down and make them focus throughout the day. I learned that students respond better when different methods are used rather than just one. For example, when my group and I were teaching we tried clapping and having the students repeat. This technique worked the first couple of times, but became less and less powerful as it was used. The teacher of this fourth grade class has a button in the room that begins to play classical music at it is pushed as a way to have the students focus. I was intrigued by this because I've never seen that in a classroom and I thought it was a good idea. I also noticed the teacher assistant in the room had a different way of grabbing the students attention. She would say clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me and so on, I thought this was another cool way to quiet down the class because all of the students quickly catch on.  It is so important to have the classroom quiet and on track before the lesson begins because then the students and teacher are all on the same page. I was interested in this aspect of teaching so I found this article about 25 different ways to obtain children's attention in a school setting. I really liked this article because I was able to see the different and unique ways teachers can gain the attention of the students in the classroom. Although it could be tricky getting the attention of a room full of 4th grade students, there is a way to do it! Through this session at fieldwork I have learned some new ways to help the students settle down and have observed what students respond better to.

How Important is Organization? - Group 2 FW

During fieldwork today I have learned how important it is to have an organized lesson plan. Group 2 began their lesson plan on vegetative organs and plant tissues. Today was a direct instruction lesson plan, therefore the teachers gave the students a note packet to help follow along with the notes. The packet seemed well organized which helped the students write their notes and understand what they were learning. I liked how the notes had a pencil in the corner of the page to let the students know when they should be writing. After seeing how well an organized note packet kept the students in order and on track I realized how important this truly is. I have learned that students work better when it is clear what is expected of them. Having an organized note packet will benefit the students learning experience.  I  also really loved how this group had a plant waiting for each student at their table. The students were able to observe their plants and could write down all of the things they noticed(smell, touch, size, parts, etc. ). I thought this was a great way to peak the students interest in the topic and have them stay engaged. The students were able to have a visual aid right in front of them to help them learn about this topic. In my future classroom, I would love to bring in as many real-life examples for my students to help them have a better understanding. These are definitely some concepts I would like to incorporate in a classroom. I thought this group did a great job overall and the students seemed to really enjoy what they were learning. It seemed like the group was well prepared to teach this lesson and it was very interesting!

Teaching an Inquiry Lesson

The second day my group and I taught to the fourth grade class, we prepared an inquiry lesson plan. During this lesson we wanted the students to solve a problem with the help from their classmates. We told the students that our friend Mr. Alien came to earth and had never seen a plant before. Mr. Alien was so confused by the plant and wanted the fourth graders to explain to him what makes up a plant. Before the students began the activity, we went over the inquiry process with the students. Reflecting back on my teaching now, I would have liked to give the students a visual representation of what is expected of them when working in a group. The students had to tell Mr. Alien all of the cell organelles that made up a plant. We thought the students would enjoy making their own plant cell diagram. The classroom was set up with different stations that had riddles for the students to answer and pieces of the plant cell. The alien only spoke in riddles, therefore each organelle was described through a riddle and the students had to figure out which organelle was being talked about. Once the students figured out what organelle matched the riddle they were given a cut out of the organelle and was asked to glue it to their paper. We tried to keep the class under control by having the teachers move from table to table with the different riddles and plant organelles. I learned a lot through this experience. It was difficult trying to not help the students with their ideas but just letting them talk to each other and discuss. I thought the students enjoyed this activity because they all wanted to figure out the riddles. After all the students were done with their riddles and gluing the plant organelles to their papers, we asked them to write a letter to Mr. Alien about what he needs to know about plants. If I could go back I would definitely want to be more organized, but I thought my group and I did a good job being the first group.

Teaching a Class for the First Time

My group and I were the first to teach the fourth grade class at Bishop Dunn about plants. We had to teach the students about botany and plant organelles. I was anxious because I wasn't sure what I was walking into, being the first group to go. This was going to be the first time I taught to an entire class, and having my peers watch me was a little nerve racking as well. With all of that being said, I thought the lesson went well and I learned a lot from this experience. We started the lesson by introducing ourselves and going over the classroom rules and expectations with the students. We then showed the students a word wall and asked them if any of the words were familiar to them to access prior knowledge. Following that, we began to explain to the students what botany was and what organelles help make up a plant. I introduced three organelles to the students, endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplast, and nucleus. I had the students repeat the vocabulary words I introduced to them and checked on their understanding. After all of the new organelles were taught to the students, I had three volunteers come up to the board and show the class were the organelles were located. Looking back at it now, I would definitely want to ask the students if they agreed with the students placement of the organelles as they were up at the smart board. My group and I then showed a rap video reviewing all of the cell organelles they just learned. We let the video play through once without interruptions, then once again but paused the video and asked the students questions. Every time the rap video introduced a new cell organelle, we paused the video and asked the students what the function was. The students really enjoyed this video and I thought this was a great way to review in a way that was interesting for them. Unfortunately, the day my group presented the students had to pack up early because of an emergency dismissal drill. The slides had to be rushed through quite a bit, but this was a good learning experience. Schools often has drills or interruptions throughout the day and teachers must work around these issues and stay on track. Although everything did not go as planned, I thought my group and I did a good job. I learned new things through this experience and have learned what I need to work on as a future teacher. I am excited to learn more about teaching and observe others journey as well!