Blog Post #2

Hey Ashlee,

Don't forget about your blog posting two. We are suppose to write about two artifacts that we can use in our portfolio! :)

Casie

Reflection of 2 Characteristics and Artifacts of the Novice Teacher

Characteristic #1
We believe that the novice teacher should have a commitment to and skills for life-long learning.

Definitions: A novice teacher is a teacher education program graduate entering teaching. Life-long learning is a continuing search for knowledge and understandings.

Rationale: We believe this because learning to teach is an ongoing process. Because we practice our profession and live our lives in a global society and both the profession and teaching conditions change, our sense of self and efforts as individuals and as professionals must evolve. The novice teacher should be able to model life-long learning attitudes and processes and be able to construct an environment that fosters these attitudes and processes.

Reflection: Characteristic 1 discusses the importance of being a life-long learner. I chose to discuss this characteristic, because I feel that it is one of the most important characteristics of the novice teacher. Even when I have been teaching for 30 years, I will be learning new ways to better my teaching methods. Being a life-long learner will benefit my students, make me a better teacher, and show my commitment to my career in teaching.

Artifact 1: I will be completing a mini-inquiry this semester in which I test how hands-on manipulatives and visuals help English Language Learners comprehend content. This will be beneficial to me, because I could learn how to best meet the needs of English Language Learners in my classroom. This will also be beneficial to the student in my classroom, because the study could help me meet her needs. Completing inquiry will aid me in life-long learning, because it will help me learn more about my students' needs. In the future, I will complete inquiry that helps me learn how to best instruct my entire class.

Artifact 2: I also wrote a letter to my students' parents this semester. This can help aid in life-long learning because it shows my interest in the well-being of the students' of my classroom. It will also help the parents or guardians of my students get to know me better.

Characteristic #8

We believe that the novice teacher should be a reflective practitioner.

Definition: A reflective practitioner is one who attempts to make sense of events in the educational environment and who critically examines choices to inform practice.

Rationale: We believe this because being a reflective practitioner empowers teachers. The process of reflection promotes effective teaching, improves the quality of learning, and facilitates the development of teacher as researcher and learner.

Reflection: I chose to talk about characteristic 8, because I feel that it is very important to reflect on instruction. I have learned to reflect on my lessons to help me understand what went well, what I should change if I teach the lesson again, and what I learned about myself as a teacher. I find doing this beneficial, because it helps me improve my teaching skills. I will continue to reflect on my practice, because I have found the reflection can help me better myself.

Artifact 1: I have been reflecting in my researcher's notebook and have found this very helpful. I take observations of my students and reflect on lessons I taught in my notebook. The fact that I can reflect immediately after I teach is great, because I tend to forget specifics by the time I get home to my computer. I like the fact that I can write about my wonderings or observations in my researcher notebook. It is nice to have something to reflect in without having a prompt. I will continue to use a researcher notebook after I graduate, because I like looking back to see how my observations and wonderings have changed over time.

Artifact 2: I have also been reflecting through my practice by blogging. I enjoy receiving comments about my reflections, but I would like the blog to be more open-ended. Sometimes, I do not have as much to say about the prompts given as I do about other things. I like looking back at how my posts have changed since tutor year, because I see how I have grown as a teacher. When I graduate, I will continue to blog to help me reflect on my practice.

Thank you

Ashlee,

Thank you for inviting me to your blog. I look forward to interacting with you in your placement this semester!

Effectiveness of Blogging

So far I have found blogging about my experiences in my PDS beneficial. I will be able to look at these in the future, which will allow me to see how I have grown as a teacher throughout college. I like the fact that I can see comments my partner leaves on my blog. It is nice to see that we are having similar experiences. I also like that my seminar facilitator can leave feedback on my blog. His responses may help me reflect on my experiences and how I can improve my teaching abilities. During the past year I have learned so much at my PDS. I have observed the teaching methods both of the teachers I have worked with use, and I have gotten a lot of experience working with primary students. I hope to learn even more next year at my PDS. I plan to use my blog as a way to reflect on what I have learned and how I can improve my own teaching methods.

Casie,
What have you learned during your time at your PDS so far?

Learning Goals

I've completed one small group lesson in my PDS, and I've read aloud to the class. I have been working toward one of my learning goals, to teach a few small lessons before I teach my large group lesson. The few activities I have completed with a small group or the entire class have helped me become more comfortable in front of the students. I feel that this experience will help me relax while I teach my large group lesson. I have removed the goal to create a grading rubric for a lesson, because the small lessons I will complete will not require a grading rubric. While I've been working toward one of the goals I listed on my practicum plan, I feel that I don't have time to complete a lot of the goals I set, because the 2 hours I am at my PDS go by so fast. I have been working hard to get everything required for my classes done at my PDS and, so far, have been completing these assignments well before the due dates.

Digital Storytelling Ideas

During my time at my PDS this semester, I have observed students working in reading groups. I would like to include these reading groups in my digital story. I would also like to include the saying of the Pledge of Allegience in my digital story, because the principal has a different student say the pledge each day. I feel that it is important for the students in a school to say the pledge each day, because it shows respect for our country.
A story about the history of White Hall Elementary may be interesting to listen to, because the history of my PDS is different than the histories of other schools. A good story has an introduction, a climax, and a conclusion. Good stories are also easy to relate to.
Digital media can help make a story more interesting, because using digital media helps the listener picture what the storyteller is discussing. Videos allow the audience to actually see what the storyteller is describing. A good example of digital storytelling includes movies and tv shows. These represent stories being told, but allow the listeners to see what the storyteller is discussing.

What I Have Learned

Based on my experience so far, I've learned that students learn at different paces. While tutoring, I learned that it is important to learn the different paces of each student to meet their specific needs. Students also have different learning styles, and it's important to vary teaching styles to meet the needs of each individual student. I've also found that parental involvement is very important, because a student's parents can help him/her at home on subjects the student has trouble with. I plan to continue observing teaching and learning styles to help me become a better teacher.