The Story Behind "True To Yourself"

True To Yourself
Composed By: Nicole Keeton and Sara Edens
We chose this theme in an effort to capture the essence of individualism. Both of our I Am poems included things that make up who we are, how we feel, and what we believe. We wanted our video to focus on the special things that make us unique individuals. The majority of our video captures the heart of downtown Hattiesburg. We took several still photographs of old buildings that displayed unique characteristics which complimented our theme. We also shot several short videos in selected areas downtown that we felt were appropriate. Our original plan was to shoot most of our video at the train station and on the rail road tracks. Instead, we found a variety of cool buildings, alleyways, restaurants, sculptures, and objects that intrigued us. We also included photographs of children in Swaziland, Africa. These photographs reflect specific lines from our I Am poems. We are preparing to close a chapter in our book that has educated and prepared us for the future. We are now ready to embark upon a new journey. It is so exciting to know that the future holds endless possibilities.

"True to Yourself"

Toward New Media Texts

We live in a world that is dominated by technology. Without technology we would be lost. As a future teacher it is essential to stay abreast of changing technology. New programs, resources, and gadgets are introduced monthly. How can you relate to students if you do not understand the technologies that they use? Children today are technologically savvy; it is a part of their every day life and comes as a second nature. As a future educator I find motivation a key aspect in planning instruction. What better way to motivate students than to allow them to use technology that they can relate to? It makes their experiences personal and memorable. Everyone expresses themselves in different ways. Technology plays a key role in diversity and successfully meeting all students’ needs.
Visual literacy is a great way to encourage students to express themselves in an abstract way. Students do not enjoy writing countless papers about boring topics but they are interested in creating digital texts such as imovies to express their thoughts. Not only does it free students from the traditional pencil and paper routine it encourages creativity. These types of literacy representations help to focus on students as individuals. They can express their uniqueness, creativity, and most importantly individuality. Why ignore something that is changing our world on a daily basis? Although new technology maybe frightening to some it is best to embrace the changes that it brings. Why rule something out before you try it?

Developing Content Area Writers

Good writing to me is like drinking a hot cup of coffee in the morning. It is refreshing and gives you a warm feeling of content. What I described is the feeling that I enjoy when I read good writing. Unfortunately, I have never experienced this feeling about my own writing. I have always wished that I possessed good writing skills. I have taken countless English courses each focusing or incorporating some aspect of writing. However, I do not feel that I have ever received proper training in writing. Some people seem to have a natural writing talent. Then there is the other side of the spectrum which is made up of people like me, terrible writers. When I am assigned a writing assignment I usually go into panic mode. I have endless thoughts and ideas in my head; I just don’t know how to transfer those thoughts to paper. “You should display college level writing.” This is one of the most common statements that accompany almost every writing assignment I have received thus far in my college experience. What exactly is meant by that statement? Generally, I take this statement as meaning that my writing should display proper grammar usage, appropriate word choices, flow smoothly, and display clear thoughts. Instructors set a “college level” writing expectation because they believe that students should have received good writing education by the time they reach the college level. Unfortunately, I think there are several students like myself that have not received writing instruction that is beneficial and sharpens their writing skills. Who is to blame for this deficiency? In my opinion, I think the finger can be pointed in both directions.

Promethean Boards: Seen But Never Touched

My experience with promethean board learning has strictly been an observation experience. I have never had a hands on experience to play with the technology and figure out how it operates. I have seen it used in very limited ways in the classroom. The classroom that I observed during my clinical experience at Petal had a smart board that the teacher often used as a way to review numbers and letter with her kindergarten students. The students could play number and letter games as a whole class and interact with the board. This seemed to be a fun way to review concepts. A speaker came to my Classroom Management class last year and gave a short tutorial and introduction to the promethean board. She showed us several interesting things that the board could be used for such as classroom poles and voting. The tutorial definitely intrigued me but we were not able to have a hands on experience due to time limitations. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to gain more practice and experience with this technology before I start teaching!

Chapter 7: Activating Prior Knowledge and Increasing Motivation

Motivation and prior knowledge are key aspects in creating successful learners. We need motivation to do almost anything. I need motivation to get out of bed in the morning when I am exhausted. Motivating students is an essential part of engaging students in the learning process. Teachers should get to know their students as individuals and find their interests. Once a teacher truly knows their students they are able to easily motivate them by linking the lesson to the students interest. This is especially important for ELL learners. They need to feel included in order to further develop their language skills. I personally am not interested in a topic if it is presented to me in a boring way and I don't know a stitch of information about it or what it relates to. So, why should we expect students to be willing to learn if we never motivate them and capture their interests? Students should be excited about learning they shouldn't have to dread coming to school every day. A classroom of students represents a range in motivation levels. Some students have unfortunate past experiences in specific content areas that henders thier motivation in any content area. It is very important for a teacher to recognize this issue in students and make a point to find a way to interest and motivate the student. Helping the student to build new experiences that are positive will aid in building their motivation level in content areas.
Activating prior knowledge is a very important part of learning. Students are intimidated by unfamiliar topics that seem dull and difficult. A teacher should always activate students prior knowledge when beginning a lesson in order to create a sense of familiarity about the topic. When students can link something they know to something new they develop a much deeper level of understanding. They are able to think critically and find similarities and differences among topics. Sometimes students may have a very limited amount of prior knowledge of certain topics. In this case teachers should present information in very small amounts. Which makes sense to me. If I am learning about a topic that is foreign to me and seems way over my head I have to break it down piece by piece. The idea is to start out small and concrete and build to broader more abstract ideas. Some strategies teachers can use as a way to activate students prior knowledge include: anticipation guides, K-W-L, and PReP.

Social Studies Lesson: Who Is Hitler?

Subject: Social Studies
Grade level of lesson: 3rd
Title/Concept: Who is Hitler?
Approximate duration of lesson: 50 minutes
Unit Title: Courage and Bravery

Standards/Competencies/Benchmarks:
MS Frameworks: 3rd grade Social Studies
2b. Recognize that there are different forms of government in different communities
around the world.
National Standards: People, Places, and Environments – Have learners create, interpret, use and distinguish various representations of Earth, such as maps, globes, and photographs, and use appropriate geographic tools such as atlases, databases, systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

Prerequisites:
The student should know:
The geographical location of Denmark.
How to perform a photograph analysis and make predictions.
Computer rules.
How to use the classroom computers and navigate through teacher approved internet sites.
Students should have read chapters 1-4 in Number the Stars.

Big Idea: People and places around the world have different beliefs and government practices. Who is Hitler and what does he believe.

Objectives:
1). The students will independently create a character analysis by analyzing photographs and listing 3 physical and 3 personal characteristics of Adolf Hitler.
2). The students will work in groups of three to investigate assigned research topics by using teacher approved internet websites to obtain answers to 7 given questions.

Assessment: The teacher will collect and assess the students work:

1. The student will only master the objective if he or she listed 3 physical and 3 personal characteristics of Adolf Hitler.

2. The teacher will use a rubric to assess the students group work. The students were given a copy of the rubric as well as a list of seven questions before beginning their projects. The students will only master the objective if they answered all 7 questions pertaining to their research topic.

Preparation:
* (Review) The teacher will review the geographical locations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Holland, and Belgium.

* (Affective Hook) The teacher will tell the class that she found a package at the door this morning from Annemarie. (main character from the story Number the Stars)
She will open the package and show the class the contents of the package, a swastika symbol. The teacher will ask the class if they know what the symbol represents. She will then ask if they have seen it before and where? The teacher will explain that the students will be learning about Adolf Hitler today. She will tell the students that they may see the swastika in several photographs that they view. She will tell the students that it is their job to help her determine what the symbol stands for and who might wear it.

* (Relevance) The teacher will explain to the students that it is important to understand who Adolf Hitler is and his government position in order to better understand the story and the history of the time period that the story takes place.

The teacher will:

* Display a photograph of Adolf Hitler on the promethean board. She will ask the students if they know the name of the man displayed in the photograph and what his job position is.
* After the students respond she will then ask the students to analyze the photograph. She will ask various questions: Does he look happy, sad, serious, or mean in the photograph? Notice the symbol on his jacket; it is the symbol Annemarie gave us this morning. Why do you think he is wearing this symbol?
* Show a short slideshow of photographs of Hitler and the Nazi party during WWII. The students will look at each picture very carefully and perform a character analysis of Adolf Hitler based on the photographs. They will look at each picture very carefully and make a prediction about Hitler, what kind of person they think he is, noting physical and personal characteristics.
* Go through the slideshow once more and discuss each picture with the students. She will tell the students that each photograph tells a story. First, she will ask for the student’s predictions of what they think is happening in the picture and then she will build on their response.

Guidance:
* The teacher will divide the students into small groups of 3. Each group will receive a research topic pertaining to the photographs they have just viewed. The topics will include: The Nazi Party, the swastika, Hitler’s beliefs, and Hitler’s government position. Each topic will have a specific set of questions listed below it that the students must answer through their research.
* The students will work together with their group members to research their topics on classroom computers. Specific teacher approved websites are listed under each topic. The students will use only these websites to obtain their information.
* Each student will be responsible for filling out a major highlights chart in which they display the information they have gathered from their research.
* Once each group has completed their research they will be asked to share their findings with the class. Each group will present a summary to the class that includes the questions they have answered through their research. All students will actively listen and pay close attention to their classmates.

Application:

The teacher will:
* Ask the students who they noticed wearing the swastika.
* Ask the students what the swastika stands for (one of the small groups had the swastika as a topic).
* Tell the students she is very proud of their observations and research. She will tell the students that although we found through research today that Hitler was a very cruel man and we may not agree with his beliefs or practices it is important that we learn about him because he is an important part of history.

Chapter 5: Understanding and Using Texts

When I think of text used in a classroom boring outdated text books come to mind. As a future teacher, I plan to encourage and motivate my students read. A good way to do this is by introducing a variety of texts to students that will at some point meet each student’s interest. With in each content area several assortments of text can be used and introduced within the classroom. Not only is it important to use a variety of text but one must also consider the readability of the text, the content, and the interest. Students are not likely to read text they are not interested in unless they are given no choice in the matter. I do not want to be a teacher that forces my students to read.
Digital text has the strongest impact on students because they are surrounded by it daily. Digital text allows students to encounter experiences they would not naturally be around or have the opportunity to see. They are able to view other cultures, lifestyles, see photographs, and videos of people all around the world. Computers can and should be used in every classroom on a daily basis. It enhances learning for students and creates authentic experiences.
It is also important to consider assignment when choosing text selections. Difficult assignments that require extensive thought from the student should not be paired with unfamiliar text. A helpful way to break down a big assignment that involves complex text is to pick out the big ideas from the text. Essentially, what should the student know and understand after reading. Eliminate as much extra information as possible so the student does not become lost in the text. Texts are very important for both teaching and learning; however, they are only effective when used in an appropriate manner.

Journeys: Exploring Life and Learning

Diane Cordell is a School Library Media Specialist in upstate New York. She shares random thoughts, interesting quotes, and findings on her blog. What first caught my attention was a picture located at the top of her last blog posting of an old classroom with antique wooden desks and bench style chairs. She seems to have found a copy of a test from 1985 that was supposedly intended for 8th grade students. The test seems a bit advanced for 8th grade and she goes on to say after doing extensive research she found that the test was actually used for teacher cadidates. I guess I'm a nerd, I found her post quite interesting!
If you want to check out Diane's blog this is the link: http://dmcordell.blogspot.com/

Conley's 9th Principle

9. Ongoing formative assessment of students, which is informal, often daily assessment of how students are progressing under current instructional practices.
I think Conley was conveying the importance of daily assessment through this principle. Teachers can assess students informally on a daily basis in a variety of ways. They may do simple things such as observing students as they work, having a short conversation with them, reading something the student has written from that day. It is important to perform daily assessments not only to see the instructional strategies and approaches that the students respond well to but also as a teacher you can evaluate yourself. Did the students truly understand the content that was taught, do some topics need to be revisited? Ineffective approaches can be thrown out and effective approaches and strategies that students respond well to can continue to be used and developed into stronger methods.

Chapter 4: Assessments

I have always been a very panicky test taker. No matter how much I prepare or how confident I am in the material I always stress to the max. As a child I was easily distracted during tests. I can specifically remember my third grade spelling assessment experiences. Torrie, a girl who sat right next to me, nervously tapped her pencil against her desk during spelling tests. It seemed the less prepared Torrie was for the test the harder she tapped her pencil, maybe it helped her think! No matter how prepared I was for the test I was always very distracted by the tapping of Torrie’s pencil; it was difficult for me to concentrate and focus. I most certainly can side with students who are not good test takers. Accommodations for assessment are a crucial aspect of accomplishing a valid and reliable sample of each student’s performance. Students can easily be distracted when taking an assessment, every noise, pen drop, or pencil tap is heard and often distracts students that have trouble focusing.
Assessments should be used to gather information about student learning. Teachers should design and plan assessments before teaching. This will ensure that the learning objectives align with assessment goals. I think authentic assessment is very important and meaningful to students. It allows students to apply the information they have learned to a real life experience. Classroom tests were discussed in the chapter which I also found to be a wonderful assessment tool. I do not think it’s fair to give students text book based assessments that have been written by a publisher. Classroom tests are written by the teacher who knows her students and can word questions in an appropriate manner for students. Students often get lost in the wording of standardized tests.
The assessment approach that stood out to me most in this chapter is the use of portfolios. I think portfolios are a great way to motivate students and encourage them to put effort into their work. It allows students to have a sense of pride and ownership in their work. It also allows students to view their own personal growth within a specific period of time. Portfolios allow students to add their own little touch of creativity to their work, evaluate their work, and explain their understandings. Portfolios can also be used during parent conferences to display the students work.

Conley's Chapter 3 - Pursuing High Expectations

There are several things a teacher can do in order to set high expectations for his or her learners. Perhaps one of the most important things a teacher should do in achieving this goal is to build a community of learners within the classroom. This will enable students to help, encourage, support, and learn from one another. Critical Literacy is a specific way of helping students read, write, and learn with a critical eye. An example would be to have students compare their life to a character's life in a story they have previously read. When teachers are planning a unit or series of lessons in order to remain organized and help students fully grasp the main idea and content being discussed they can establish a Big Idea which will be the main topic of the unit. Linking to the big idea are subtopics that relate to it, connected concepts. Using a variety of approaches and teaching strategies will help to reach all students. While using a variety of strategies it is also important to help students understand each learning strategy so that they can gain the skills needed to learn from each style.