SDAIE / CALLA unit
uploaded to Cougar Courses

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Literature Circle - Choice Book Presentations            

Students present the book of their choice   

 

While reading your book, you should keep a series of notes (margin notes/annotations, post-it notes in the book, separate paper notes, etc.) that you can use for later discussion, both on-line and face-to-face, with your colleagues who have read the same book. When meeting face-to-face, you will complete one specified “literature circle role” for each assigned section of reading (ex: summarizer, connector, etc.). This major assignment includes: on-line and literature circle participation. You will write a one-page reflection about the literature circle process, e.g. what worked, what didn’t work, how this would work with high school students, and how this “fits” or “doesn’t fit” with your own preferred learning style. Finally, your group will do a class presentation. Each presentation will include:

                     

. Each presentation will include:

• 1 page handout (with APA style book reference, key concepts & book review)
• Skit (either directly from book or created by group to illustrate a main idea)
• Presentation Visuals (poster, PPT, overhead, and/or props).

Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima.

  The first thing that came to mind after reading this book was the amazing similarities Antonio, one of the characters from the book and myself.   Antonio goes through various different stages in his life; Sometimes he would go through some difficult times just  to reach his goals. That is how I identify with him, I'm going through some very difficult times myself but that does not mean I'm going got give up and reach my dream; If I need to overcome major challenges in my life just to reach my dream, then that is just a part of my journey to reach my goal. 

One of the major themes throughout this book is religion,  
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TPE 16

 NEED
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Outcome Assessment

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Reading Reflection on Darder's Article

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Cultural Presentations 

need to upload (pair presentation)
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Historical Essay

need to upload

http://laprensa-sandiego.org/stories/community-notes/father-of-chicano-theater-to-speak-at-csusm/

  ‘Father of Chicano Theater’ to Speak at CSUSM

April 27, 2012

Community Notes

San Marcos — California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will welcome internationally-renowned playwright, director and social rights activist Luis Valdez for a guest lecture on Tuesday, May 1 at 6 p.m. in Arts 111 to discuss the birth of the Chicano theater movement and its continued relevance nearly 50 years later. Held in honor of International Workers’ Day, the event is free and open to the public.
Born in Delano, California in 1940, Valdez is the founder of the El Tea-tro Campesino (translation: The Farmworkers Theater) and is revered to be the father of Chicano theater in the United States. In 1965, he joined César Chávez in his effort to educate and organize farmworkers into a viable union, where Valdez wrote and performed brief satirical sketches and plays relevant to the civil rights struggles of migrants. His plays deliver powerful social or political messages and frequently infuse humor to attack the opposition. His published plays, actos and films include Zoot Suit, La Bamba, La Pastorela and I Am Joaquín, among others. He is most notably known for Zoot Suit, which debuted on Broadway in 1979 making Valdez the first Chicano director to premiere on the Broadway stage. The play was later adapted into a film in 1981.
Valdez’s visit to campus is sponsored by CSUSM’s Arts and Lectures series, the Theatre Arts Program, Social Justice & Equity Project, Center ARTES and National Latino Research Program. Admission is free and open to the community.
Where: California State University San Marcos, Arts Building, Room 111, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos.
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 Lesson Plan 

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Final Outcome Assessment

 Uploaded to Cougar Courses

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TPE Reflection Artifact

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Cultural Presentations

 

Students, working In groups, choose a topic relevant to their culture of choice and research it to present it (in a Power Point format) to the class

Each presentation will include:  
1 page handout (with APA style book reference, key concepts & book review)  
Skit (either directly from book or created by group to illustrate a main idea)  
Presentation Visuals (poster, PPT, overhead, and/or props).                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Power Point Presentation

 

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 Unit Plan

 

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Outcome Assessment  

Reading Response # 16

Reading Response # 16

Read all the ITUs from both cohorts. USe the provide rubric to guide your feedback. Make sure your feedback addresses Tasks 1-17 for each ITU. 

RR16: Provide feedback to each team:

PRAISE: Identify what the curriculum authors did well.

QUESTIONS: DESCRIBE what questions came up when you read their curriculum.

POLISH: ARTICULATE specific suggestions for polishing the curriculum.

Reading Reflection 13-15: 

 

Read: The Co-Teaching Resources.

RR13: IDENTIFY what co-teaching approaches were modeled this week.

RR14: DESCRIBE the co-teaching approaches you will use in you ITU (Task 5).

RR15: DESCRIBE in your lesson plans who, what when, how and why in reagards to the co-teaching approaches (Task 7)

Reading Response # 12

Read former ITU Model Projects in first cougar courses module.

IDENTIFY what you can use from the model assignments and then complete task 7-17. PROVIDE an electronic draft of your ITU to both cohorts.

http://missionhillsitu.weebly.com/index.html

After looking at different the ITUs samples I found several things that I might use and/or incorporate in our ITU.  I like the way Orange Glen's ITU broke down the overview of the unit; it was very specific, something I would like to incorporate into our ITU.  Also, Mt. Carmel's had a space for student courses and offered programs, again, this is something I would look up to incorporate into ITU.
I must say that before I looked at these various examples of different ITU, I did not have a clear idea of what we were supposed to do; now, having gone through them I think I have a place to start the project.

Reading Response # 11

Read Differentiation Readings, Partially Completed Strategy Matrix and Strategy Matrix PPT. See below for electronic reading.

RR11: Complete the Strategy Matrix.

 

Reading Response # 10

Read your team member's ITU Cover Sheet Drafts (Task 2).

RR10: Revise your team's Task 2: ITU Cover Sheet. Make sure you use the ITU assignment template and PPT to guide your work.

http://missionhillsitu.weebly.com/theme.html

Reading Response # 9

Locate and read information about your school site (School webpage, School Report Card, School Newspaper, School Handbook (Rules), Parent & Teacher Association Materials...).

RR9: Begin your ethnographic research on your school site to complete your ethnography for EDSS 530 and to complete Task 3 for the ITU.

Community

http://www.smusd.org

Mission Hills High school is located in San Marcos, California, and is approximately 10 minutes from California State University, San Marcos. It is one of the newest high schools in San Diego, and was opened in August, 2004 to accommodate the growing population of San Marcos. Because the school is so close to the college, Mission Hills and the community have a great relationship that encourages students to attend the university.

School

The mission statement of Mission Hills High School is to provide exceptional learning experiences, with high expectations in a supportive environment, in order to meet the academic and social needs of our diverse community. The teaching philosophy is guided by the core values of the school, which include experiential learning, personal growth, ethical behavior, and individual responsibility.

The principal is new to the school this year, but was Principal at the middle school feeder, Woodland Park, for a number of years. NAME?

The school has a strong reputation for high achievement. The school boasts the highest student achievement level of any demographically diverse high school in San Diego County. In 2011, Mission Hills was named a California Distinguished school. Additionally, the school has many unique programs. They include a  Fire Technology Academy, Culinary Arts Academy , Criminal Justice Academy and  Health Academy, which are vocational tracks for students. One of the other strong programs on campus is a class called PLUS (Peer Leaders Uniting Students). This group strives to make all students feel connected to our school, which would include the student body, the faculty, and the staff through running "forums" for students to share their ideas, hopes, fears, dreams, and problems with other students who are going through similar situations.

On this link you will find some of the activities that Mission Hills High School sponsors:

http://www.smusd.org/domain/1550

ADD MORE !!!

reading Response # 8

List ideas and resources you can use for your Service Learning and ITU (Task 11)

•How will students provide service to the community within this unit?

•How is this related to the ITU theme

Who are the people, places and things that are essential for organizing this service learning?

•Address the key components outlined in Kaye’s 2004/11 book, The complete guide to service learning: Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum, and social action.

•What does a “healthy diet” mean to you?  

How is wellness defined in your culture?  

How does nutrition relate to overall health?  

What are some of the factors that influence our food choices?

Resources and ideas: 

http://missionhillsitu.weebly.com/index.html

*  SMUSD health fair

*   Websites:

mypyramidtracker.gov

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/game/blastoff_game.html

*   Spanish...

National Heart and Blood Institute

Activity;  Portion Distortion Interactive quiz.

*  http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/portion.cgi?action=question&number=1

*  How to read a food label (Spanish/English)

http://www.oldwayspt.org/cómo-leer-la-etiqueta-en-los-alimentos

*  These are some of the some of the community activities that Mission Hills High School sponsors.

  http://www.smusd.org/domain/1550

Reading Response # 7

Identify the key elements and process for Service Learning.

            According to, Cathryn Berger Caye, author of. A Complete Guide to Service Learning,  “Service Learning can be defined in part by what it does for your students.  When Service Learning is used in a structured way that connects classroom content, literature, and skills to community needs, students will:

v    Apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve the community.

v    Make decisions that have real, not hypothetical, results.

v    Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers, and increase civic participation.

v    Experience success no matter their ability level.

v    Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community and society.

v    Develop as leaders who take initiative, solve problems, work as team, and demonstrate their abilities while and though helping others.

The process of service learning; the essential and interdependent five stages of successful service learning:

v    Investigation

v    Preparation and planning

v    Action

v    Reflection

v    Demonstration

Reading Response # 6

Watch 2 videos on Youtube: Vision of Students in the 21^st Century7 Vision of Teachers in the 21^st Century

Reading Reflection:

While watching these videos I could not help but feel a bit intimidated about the important role technology plays in this 21st Century.  Our students are all too familiar about video games, television, computers, blogs Ipods, email, text, IM, etc.  In some instances, like mine, technology is something I have been learning, so you might say it is something fairly new to me.  I'm very excited for the opportunities that technology offers me to incorporate it into my teaching practices.  I know many of my students are visual learners and with the use of technology you can be sure that their learning abilities will only get better. I will use technology to help them learn, create, analyze, apply and THINK.  

As a future educator I will adapt and utilize technology to accommodate the diversity of my learners.  I am a 21st century teacher and learner.

CREATE a Personal Learning Network (PLN).

Gmail account
Twitter

Blog
Grouply

Reading Response # 5

 

As a school team, IDENTIFY a theme for your ITU and SHARE ideas and a draft for a Cover Sheet with your ITU team. 

ITU Team: PE, Biology, and Spanish

Theme: Wellness:  Nutrition, Health and Culture

http://missionhillsitu.weebly.com/index.html

 

Reading Response # 4

RR4: IDENTIFY what tasks you would be well skilled at leading and contributing to for the ITU assignment.

I’m interested in various tasks but it does not mean I’m skilled at these tasks, but I will contribute to the ITU assignment.

Task 5. Overview of Activities

a. Student-Centered Activities

            May be discipline or interdisciplinary specific.

b. Major Teaching Strategies used 

c. Manner in which students are organized in these

    activities (direct teaching, cooperative learning, dyads, independent study etc.)

d. Specific Resources (People, Places and Things) 

e. Description of how Technology will be integrated in the ITU

f.  Art Component

g. Social Justice and Equity addressed in content, process & product (remember “Focus On”)

h. Service Learning Component

*Highlight with headings above for easy review.*

Task 7. Task 7: Unit Calendar
& Lessons

Task 9: Art Component

Task 10: Social Justice & Equity

Task 11: Service Learning

Task 12: Student Descriptions 
1. Whole Class Strengths & Needs

 a. Number of students in class

 b. Demographic Information: Ethnicity, Gender, Free and reduced lunch, ELL, Bilingual, IEP, 504, Gifted

 c. Developmental Needs: Readiness, Interests, Learning Profiles (learning styles/dispositions), Affective-Management Strategies & Classroom Learning Environment

   Task 12: Student Descriptions Cont. 
2. Five Individual Students Identity Information

 a. Name (What is the students’ name?)

 b. Level/Label (What is the level of your English Learner? Or What category does the student qualify for special education services? 13 IDEA categories or 504)

 c. Student Information (Describe student’s grade level, developmental readiness, interests/talents, learning profile, culture, language, SES, family, affect …) 

 

Reading Response # 3

READ Roberts, P. & Kellough, R. (2004). A complete guide to integrated thematic units. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 
RR 3: MAKE a list or highlight models & resources to share with your ITU team. Bring hard copy to next class meeting. 

A complete Guide to Integrated Thematic Units   NEED BOOK!!

 Reading response # 2

Activities 7.1 (BKB) Ch. 7 1.
 Your team must decide which sources you will consult prior to selecting an appropriate theme.

 Use this checklist to guide your discussion.

 These are some of the sources we would be utilizing on our ITU:
 World languages standards and/or frameworks for a particular subject. Local curriculum guides and documents. Student textbooks and teacher’s guides for adopted textbooks. Student’s interest and questions. Resources on the Internet.

 2. Working individually brainstorm as many word and phrase associations about the theme from your own discipline as possible and construct a visual web. Wellness: health, nutrition and culture

 3. Share and discuss both the product and process your team used as you developed the initial pieces of the ITU. We got together and started sharing some ideas and deciding what would be the best way to communicate and keep in touch throughout this project. We decided that we would get together
whenever our schedules allowed us to do so. We also have a Google doc to update and add our work. 

Activity 7.2 The next step in this process is to develop your skills in identifying essential questions and in selecting specific resources related to your emerging ITU. Use the ideas you developed in step 2. 

What influences your food choices?
Why do we choose to eat the foods that we do?
What are some of the factors that influence your food choices?
Does culture has anything to with do with your food choices?

 

Reading Response # 1

As a future educator I was required to read and respond to a variety of topics. Reading Reflection 1:

READ the "Focus On" Research-Based Teaching Practices.

The NEA’s Focus On: Closing the Achievement Gap is a group of studies that analyzes 6 different groups in American schools; Within these studies are different strategies to guide us as teachers on how to help and support our students so they can succeed.
1. Asian/Pacific islanders. One of the things I need to do as a future educator is to make sure that I, as well as the rest of my students develop a sense of cultural competency. We need to educate ourselves about the diverse and linguistic backgrounds of ALL students. Also, we need to make a more inclusive curriculum and make the students part of it by teaching them how to examine the gaps and perspectives of what they are learning.

2. African Americans. One thing: make sure I practice the same teaching standards with ALL my students as well as to have the same high expectations for ALL.

3. Latinos/as. The challenging curriculum as well as the academic expectations is not different than that of Asians/Pacific Islanders, African Americans, latinos, LGBTQ, Native Americans, or Girls. This is the reason I would not expect any less of latino/as students. One thing I would make sure of is that whatever I'm teaching them I would always relate it to their real-life experiences. Most of all I would challenge them the same way I would challenge any other of student.

4. LGBTQ. When I read about the LGBTQ there were two words that caught my attention: safe and support. these are two aspects that I would take seriously in my classroom. Students need to know that they are protected, that they are safe and supported in any aspect of their personal life.

5. Native Americans. Again, here the topic of educating and creating culturally and diverse students. One aspect I'm really interested and love the idea is that of making an effort to preserve their native language and build literacy. As a bilingual educator I know the importance of maintaining your L1; I learned that it is easier to learn a second language when you have a complete control of your first language (L1).

6. Girls: Treat ALL students EQUALLY. Use inclusive language, do not make a difference. Regarding of their gender, they all are STUDENTS. Over all, I found many instructional strategies that I would use in my ITU.

By combining the student's cultural diversity and their participation on a community service learning project would only make them better person and more educated students.

Journal # 5:

Educational Philosophy/model integration

I have learned in my Clinical Practice I and the beginning of my Clinical Practice II how important it is to keep you students engaged throughout the whole lesson.  As I saw some of in-class presentations I felt that all the presentations were very engaging and as my classmates presented their model, I could not help but think on how I would incorporate each one of them into my classroom.  How some of these models might work in my subject area or with my high school students.   There was one model that really stood out to me the most; the memorization model.  We start to memorized new things, events; mainly, we memorize what came before something and what came after it.  We learn on how to use cues, to help us memorize certain things or specific aspects of something in particular.  As a future Spanish teacher one of the things students s are required to learn vocabulary words that look and sound familiar.  One of the aspects of learning another language is to memorize certain aspects of it.  For instance During today's model presentations, one of the things Mrs. Brandenburg had us practice was the use of memorization and the use of rhymes to help us learn the names of the Presidents of the United States of America.  I thought this was a really neat idea and it also incorporated fun into it, so it is a win-win learning experience for the students; because they may be learning something while having fun  at the same time.  When you combine learning and fun, you can not go wrong, especially if you have active, very interactive, social high school students. 
Being able to memorize requires certain skills, skills that need to be put into practice in order to increase our learning power.


What I Know and What I Believe About the Development and Learning Needs of Adolescents.

Student Diversity

     "Students in today's classrooms are far from homogenous.  They come with ethnic and racial differences, exhibit learning abilities and styles, and speak languages other than, or in addition to, English.  they come from different social classes.  They may be gay or lesbian, or may come from gay families".  (Grant & Gillette, 2006, p. 14)

      In order for us future educators to develop the best educational program for our students we need to understand their diverse backgrounds.   

Attach rubric !!! 

Reflective Response.
Here I am sitting on on the couch and my two little ones next to me.  I'm struggling to find the words to reflect and express my feeling about my experience this semester.  To be completely honest I did not feel like I got as much as I had hoped to get from this semester.  I wanted to learn so much about how to become a great teacher, techniques, strategies and from personal experiences others might share about their Clinical Practice/Observations.  Most of all I think I needed that interaction with my teachers, with my classmates; I'm not saying I did not come out with a great experience and a lot of learned lessons which I did.  I must say that my main struggle is based on the kind of learner I am.  I considered myself to be a 'visual" learner .  Most of the time in order for me to "do" I need to "see" how it is done then I would practice and eventually learn how something is done.  I did not get that collaboration or interaction with my fellow classmates and instructors.  Our courses were mainly on-line.  For the first few weeks of the semester I was unable to have internet connection at home, so most of my homework/assignments I had to go somewhere where I can get internet access to get them done.  This issue held me back a little bit and made me feel a bit stressed.  Not to say that our teachers were not available for us if we needed help, which they were, it was more of an option if we needed to come and seek help.  I know that we should take responsibility of our learning, and do what is best for us; but just for me, at this time in my life this kind of instruction did not seem to work that well.   Perhaps, the thing that  learned the  most about this semester is that it is ok to seek and ask for help if you are struggling. I am the kind of person who is a bit shy when it comes time to ask for help; I usually try to solve the problem myself, but if I see that I cant, then I will "think" about seeking help; then I'll "decide" to ask for help, then  I "will ask" for help.  I know I need to change my way of thinking and seek help if I need to.  This past week was one of the hardest weeks of my life, i learned a valuable lesson.  I asked for help when it was too late, this is something I will regret for the rest of my life.  I thought I could do everything myself and solve my own problems, I did not know the consequences of my stuburnes and my

Journal # 5:

Journal Writing 5: Respond to the following prompts :

• Looking back at your teaching last semester, what did you discover about the needs of students in your classes? What kinds of “needs” surfaced that surprised you?

• To what degree do you think you really understand the needs of your students? How wide is the “gap” between them and you?

• What might have surfaced in the reading or in your teaching (about the realities of students’ needs) that triggered a negative response in you? Try to identify why this response was triggered and how it relates to your biases. 

Last semester I started CP I,  very excited and full of ideas and strategies I would like to incorporate or practice in student teaching practice.  

One of the things that I discover the very first few days of being at school was the fact that not many of the students had textbooks, paper and pencils.  Other students were separated from their parents and were living with other relatives.  These are some examples of the things  I learned about my students the first couple of weeks of my CP I.

The first issue was very surprising to me, students,  came unprepared for the class.  How do you expect t to teach a class when half of your students don't even have the book to work with.  I asked them, "why don't you have books? what happened?  My students came up with a variety of answers:

  - they lost the book

  - it was stolen

  - they share a book and their partner forgot or did not come to class that particular day

  - some students said that they could not afford the book, that it was very expensive.  

Needles to say, teaching a class with out a book was a challenge I faced every day of my CP I.  I know my students could have benefited from having the right resources to at their reach.  I was very surprised to learn that some of the teachers were aware of his situation and yet, they did not do anything about it.  

I know I was very frustrated and I often felt helpless but I think I did the best I could due to the circumstances.  I would often print out material for all students, and present them with copies of all of the activities we had planned that particular day.  
One of the things I can remember affected me the most and triggered a negative response in me was the fact of lack of respect students had for their peers, their teachers and sometimes even themselves.  I guess I expected everyone of my students to behave the way I was raised, to be respectful of others, my peers and myself.  I did not not stop to think that some of my students did not grew up in a safe, grounded and loving environment.  So, to have such expectations from them was a bit unfair of my part, something I knowledge and will take into consideration for my CP II. Not every student is created equal, there is a diverse group of students and learning how to identify their particular needs and my job as a future educator is to address those needs.  The problem was that I "assumed" that everyone had parents who where there for them, encouraging, loving and very supportive of their child's education. I have to think of the student's needs and specific circumstances before I make this type of assumptions.

Journal # 4: 

Respond to the following prompt:

What are your biases and how do you mitigate your behavior when working with students?
 I don't think I have biases, but  I do think I have certain expectations from my students. I have a strong opinion on the importance of raising respectful and educated human beings.  To me respect starts in the home,with your parents, and that should carry on to your classroom and any other environment where respect for others should always be part of you.

One of my struggles have been classroom management  I considered myself a very respectful human being: My parents taught me to respect others the way I want others to respect me.  In another words "you get what you give".  So, whenever I'm in a classroom, giving a lecture, instructions or simply talking to another student, and another student is talking, interrupting, I found this to be extremely rude and disrespectful.  I try not to show it, or let my students see that I get upset and disappointed.  I try to immediately address the issue and talk to that particular student as soon as this behavior occurs.  I think that if a person is capable of interrupting someone, either the teacher or another student must have no rules or has not been taught how to show or to have respect for others.  I know I should not judge the students' behavior and make anyone else responsible for the way they behave other than  themselves, I know it is not right and I'm trying to learn on how to deal with classroom management in better was so that I don't judge or blame others than the one responsible for that particular behavior.  This is an issue I need to work on and separate it form my own personal beliefs, and as a new teacher I know  I will need to adjust my way of thinking in order to be unbiased towards my students.

Journal # 3

To what degree do you think you really understand the needs of your students and what they need for the 21st century? How wide is the “gap” between them and you? In what areas are the gaps? What can you do to make connections?

        As we have been talking in this semester, it is not longer about how much you know, or how fast you can cover the material.  It is about using those materials to enhance your teaching abilities.  I can honestly say I understand the needs of my students and what they need for the 21st. century.  This for me is the first step towards helping my students achieve success.  The question is: do I know how to meet those needs?  Honest answer, would be, no. I'm learning so much as to how to help my students and how to fulfill those needs.  As a future educator is up to me to provide them with the necessary tools as well as to show them the different ways they can utilize those tools/resources in order to facilitate learning and creation.  

          The  "gap'  I think lies on the fact that education is now utilizing a lot of technology resources and tools that by the time you learn to use one them, they become old, and you have to learn the "new version'. Now students seem to be more knowledgable than the teachers when it comes to technology resources; The gap is not that wide if we keep up with the changes and the new technology.  I have always encouraged my students to express and to explore the world (in my case, Language) around them.  With the use of technology we can go anywhere we want and learn from different Spanish speaking countries.  Technology is so big and offers lots of opportunities to learn from so many different ways; variety is one way of keeping students engage in the learning process. Do not be afraid to learn and to ask; I'm a learner, and always will be.

Journal # 2

Quote from the text/ video	What it means	Deeper thinking
"kids do well if the can."	If a child could do well, he would do well.	As adults it is our responsibility to figure out what is the cause of such behavior;  a child knows what is right and what is wrong.  Do not punish them  for something they do not have control of, or the necessary skills to "do well".  If you know what skills are needed to better that particular behavior, than you know what skills you need to teach that child so he/she can do well.  Teach them how to do well!
"education is meant to take us into the future that we can not grasp."	We do not have a clue what education is going to be in the next 5 years.  .	I believe that the future of education lies in the hands of our students. Education is constantly evolving along with technology; Technology now in day is changing rapidly, and the things that teachers and students can do with it are so vast.  The future of our classrooms should not be about how much technology we have, but rather how teachers and students are able to use that technology to facilitate learning and creation.
"abundance."	The storage business  is a big and million dollar industry.	We have too many unnecessary things; I believe we are capable of living a more simplistic kind of life.
"employers value workers who can think critically and solve problems."	If you have the capability of thinking critically and solving problems, employers are looking to hire you .	As parents and educators our job is to provide our children/students with the best education to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.  As we have seen many companies/employers are now more interested and value those employees that have the ability to think critical and solve problems.  Education is a key aspect on developing such skills.  We need to make sure that they receive a strong and effective education.

Journal # 1

Reflecting on your CPI teaching, respond to the following questions:  What is it like to be a student in my class?  What is it like for a student to move through classes in a day at our school?  (Use your CPI school as reference).

CPI in a nutshell was one of the most incredible challenging and rewarding experiences I have had as a Teacher Candidate.  This being said, every time I went into "my classroom" I would always get excited to try new things , to put into practice a new lesson plan, a new activity, to experiment, to find out who needed help, who needed differentiation, etc.  One of the things I remember telling my CT about a lesson plan that did not go so well, was that I feel like I let the students down, I felt like a failed them.  My CT was extremely supportive, and my US, was nothing but words of encouragement and positive feedback.  My CT used to tell  me that in this profession you do not get it right every time, she said that sometimes you miss the mark and sometimes you just know you made it.  That the important aspect of it is to know what you did wrong, what did not work and try something new to make it work.  I had some great times as well as some really down ones.  Some of the greatest are those where I felt like I connected with the students and made a positive impact in their learning achievement. Some of my low times are those where I felt I failed them completely.  I wanted to find out more about what it was like to be a student in my class, and they responded that I gave them too much work, and that they liked the games and the different activities we did in the classroom.  They told me that they were not used to do so much work and that I pushed them too hard.  Now, looking back at my CPI experience I can see what they mean when they say " I pushed them too hard".  I remember being very specific on what my expectations were and telling them that they were more than capable on completing any assignments I would give them.  I had confidence in them, but some of them did not have that confidence and those are the ones that I did push a little.

What is it like for a student to move through classes in a day at our school?

I remember asking this particular question to a couple of ELLs.  They said that it was very difficult and sometimes very confusing.  They were not used to changing classroom every time they had a different  class.  They said that were they came from teachers are the ones that come into the different classrooms. This was something I could relate to; I remember back when I was in high school, it was the exact same set up.  Students would go into just one classroom and the different teachers would come to that classroom.  Over all, they just said that it would get some time to get use to the new schedule and the new system.  But they were not complaining. 

A vision of students today

My digital reflection

http://screenr.com/CJK8

#ELLCHCHAT Monday, May 14. 2012.
6:00-7:00 pm.

#ELLCHAT - tonight I "observed a chat in a twitter educational chat ( #ELLCHAT) tonight they were talking about new and different technology ideas for teaching ELLs -supporting home lang and Eng.

They were discussing tech ideas for teaching ELLs and how to use ipads, ipods, smartpens in the classroom.  One of the members of #ELLCHAT is working on national survey of tech in #EARLYED and she was sayingnt at they were finding very few teachers use iPads in class, despite all the news items; also she said that they were surprised that over 90% of classrooms have computer, but other devices are not common, and teachers want prof development; another member of this chat said that they recently had a workshop and that a number of people said they use their smartphones in school often ( against rules!).karen nemeth @KarenNemethEdM, one of the members of this chat said that it "seems many programs have computers, but need other devices because district doesn't let them go online with computers". So - does anyone have example of using smartphone in class (for education purposes. Also, KarenNemethEdM said that  "often a classroom does not have enough computers. There are other devices which are cheaper.

I thought that was interesting  that teachers find so much ed value in smartphones, they are willing to sneak around to use them!.  that's funny, Judie! Because they know they're not supposed to use it, would hide it from a visitor ;) but they are.  and actually there's a way to use smartphones to cast votes or participate in discussion so teacher does control the use .  yes teach them to use Smartphones well AND safely!.  Isn't it great when students ARE the resource.  karen nemeth @KarenNemethEdM

#ELLCHAT I do think that internet access of some kind is necessary, specially for ELLs , if we want our ed system to stay ahead!.

I think it's a shame that phone use is limited in classrooms. .  Had a great discussion today about using phones in class/Facebook. Students agreed it is about responsibility/respect.  Smart phones can also be used as cameras. That lends a whole different dimension to lessons.  I think it is the responsibility of teachers to demonstrate their effectiveness by pre-planning and showing results Don't forget phones can be used to immediately find videos to help clarify info you are trying to convey to ELL. 

@KarenNemethEdM agree still many teachers resistant, too much curriculum to cover too many new initiatives too little time, said Karen Nemeth at the end of the chat.

I liked this chat. I learned that technology is changing the way we teach in the classroom.  Even though some of the technology has not been approved to be used in the classroom, it seems like teachers think it is worth risking to use it in their classrooms. One of the things that still puzeld me is the fact that while doing my CP II none of the teachers would allow the use of a cell phone, they were very strict with the students; if a student dared to take our his/her cellphone to look-up a word, that student would be penalized and punished.  His/her cell hone would be confiscated for the rest of the day.  So really to me is a matter of knowing where and which schools allow the use of technology as an educational tool.  What are the rules? the expectations? 

Answers anyone ???




Visitors and Residents.  Technology Assisted Lifelong Learning by David White.

Juve Rocha  is now a VISITOR; soon to become a RESIDENT.

              The question I asked myself, am I a visitor or a resident?  I can easily answer this question, I am a visitor.   The reasons I am a visitor and not a resident are a few.  One of the reasons I'm a visitor is that by being a visitor I'm in a my comfort zone, I have control over who do I talk to, who do I want to share my thoughts,  my ideas, my concerns with.  When I first started to be more open about the use of technology to create blogs, to twitter, I did  not feel so  much "at home" I felt like my comfort zone may be compromised the  minute I shared my thoughts and everything I put out in the open for others to see and read.  I mostly feel like by being open, I'm allowing my self to be judged by others.  Do not get me wrong I know that technology is the way to go in this day and age, I know I need to change and to move along with it and embrace it and use it to my advantage.  Although, it is out of my comfort zone I think I'm on my way of crossing over the other side,  I'm becoming a "resident".  So, in other words being a visitor to me means safety, comfort, control; while being or becoming a resident means that I need to come out om my comfort zone and explore. Engage in a new way of learning and experience what technology has to offer. I'm very interested, open and excited to explore online learning tools and everything that technology has to offer in order to help me grow in a personal and professional way.

Learning in New Media Environments (read post, watch video, create your own post)

A vision of students today

I would like you to watch this presentation, "Learning in New Media Environments." and write a reflection (as as new blog post) based on this idea: What does this video mean for you as a person, a parent, an educator, and a leader? You can answer any or all of the ideas that apply. 

After watching the video A vision of Students Today I could not help but feel overwhelmed by all the thoughts/comments from the students.  

As an individual this video means that I have to be a multi-tasker in order to address every day challenges.

As a parent it is very uncertain and scary to imagine that probably the teachers that my son has now and might have in the future may no be fully prepared for the challenges of students of the 21st.Century.

As an educator it scares me and most of all it inspires me and challenges me to continue learning to offer students the education they deserve according to the 21 Century. I need to think outside the box outside the walls of a classroom and open the doors to a new world, a world where students can learn about things that they can actually relate to their real life.

As one of the last students' board said "I did not create the problems...but they are MY problems.  It is so true; so it is up to us as educators, parents, person, leaders leave a better world for our children's  future.

Read Part I of Pink.  You will be writing reflections for EDSS 531, so I do not want repeat I don't want to repeat the assignments.  We will do some work with Part II.

Are Grades Necessary for Learning? (reflect on question in a blog post: either in writing, video, or other means)

Are grades necessary for learning?

 

Are Grades Necessary for Learning?

I found this shortened video of Dan Pink on a Washington D.C. television show from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  As most of you read Pink and I am extremely interested in the concept of learning versus grades (as we have discussed in class), I thought you all might find this interesting. . .

So my question for the class is this:  What would happen if we took grades out of the equation? Would kids learn more or less than they do now? Explain…

            After watching the video of Dan Pink about grades and learning, I found it really interesting because, I believe he is right when he talks about how teachers make grades the point of their class.  As a future educator I would like to create a balance between the performance and the learning goals I have for my students.  Grades should be used as feedback but also, based on that feed back we should be able to know whether or not learning is taking place.  So, if a student (based to his/her performance in class) is getting an “A”, my next step as a teacher is to make sure that student is achieving the learning goal as well.  If we only grade the final product, then we are not giving any importance to the process they went through to obtain it

            Back to your question…If we took grades out of the equation I believe students would learn less.  Grades are like a motivation, a reward for something that students have worked towards to.  If we take that reward, that motivation, that final destination, then I don’t think students have anything to look forward to; therefore, there won’t be any learning. 

Students need to know that there is an objective, a goal they are working towards to. The goal should be a two-part assessment: one, to learn the material and two, to obtain an “A” for their performance. One can’t go with out the other they have to complement each other.  Performance and learning goals as one.

Blog post on Disrupting Class.  The post will be complete by March 12, with peer comments complete before class on March 14.

Chapter 1: Why Schools Struggle to Teach Differently when each Student Learns Differently

1. Explain the difference between interdependence and modularity.  How is education currently organized?  


Chapter 2: Making the Shift:  Schools meet Society’s need

2. Explain the disruptive innovation theory.  What does this have to do with schools?


Chapter 3: Crammed Classroom Computers

3.  Why doesn’t cramming computers in schools work?  Explain this in terms of the lessons from Rachmaninoff (what does it mean to compete against nonconsumption?)


Chapter 4: Disruptively Deploying Computers

4. Explain the pattern of disruption.

5. Explain the trap of monolithic instruction.  How does student-centric learning help this problem?


Chapter 5: The System for Student-Centric Learning

6. Explain public education’s commercial system.  What does it mean to say it is a value-chain business?  How does this affect student-centric learning?

Reflection about the use of iPads in the classroom. 

Write your class visitation reflection.   Students will visit a learning institution that integrates technology into the curriculum and write a blog post (250+ words) reflecting on the experience 

 El Camino High School, Oceanside, California.

March 12, 2012.

Teacher Candidates observe how iPads are integrated in the classroom.  Very excited to learn how I, a could incorporate technology (iPads) into my subject area Spanish.

1.  How was technology integrated into the curriculum?  Do you feel that it promoted student learning?  

           On this day we had the opportunity to observe a math class who was using iPads to prepare for their upcoming California High School Exit Exam (CASHEE). I was not able to see how the iPads were used other than practice and prepare for the exam.  Initially I was very interested in learning how iPads were incorporated into the classroom.; I was not aware of the fact that IPads were only used in math classes, like the one we observed.  Technology, like iPads have an incredible opportunity to enhance student learning.  Looking forward to learn and explore how I can use/incorporate them (iPads) into my content area.

2.   Is there anything you saw that makes this classroom unique?

      What I observed during our visit was the fact that students seem to be comfortable using technology to enhance their learning experience.  I was that students needed little help from their teacher, they were either helping each other or just figuring out a problem by them selves.  

3.  What did you learn and how it relate to the class questions?

      One of the things I learned while visiting this classroom was the fact that the teacher had the opportunity to check each student's progress from his computer; I thought this was incredible, because he could see which student was struggling and which student was doing fine.  If a students was struggling the teacher could come up to him/her individually and see where exactly the student was struggling and offer help and guidance. 

Being able to observe another class was very neat and interesting; but I would have liked to observe class instruction on how to use iPads to enhance student learning experience, other than just seat there and observe them review for a test.  I considered my self a visual learner, I need to see how something is done in order for me learn and understand a new concept or attain new information.  I will explore in more depth the use of the iPads in the classroom, and more specifically, how can I, a Spanish (to be) teacher can use them in the classroom.