Corrine Dumas' page
Week Two - 12 January 2015
I feel like what stood out most to me today was the discussion about explicit, implicit, and null curricula because the ideas behind them are increasingly important to us as interns in the classroom. I find that, more and more, there are things about teaching I never would have considered because they aren't the typical "here is how you should act in the classroom" rules. The morning meeting stood out to me because it was the first one and they did a really great job!
I feel like what stood out most to me today was the discussion about explicit, implicit, and null curricula because the ideas behind them are increasingly important to us as interns in the classroom. I find that, more and more, there are things about teaching I never would have considered because they aren't the typical "here is how you should act in the classroom" rules. The morning meeting stood out to me because it was the first one and they did a really great job!
Week Four - 26 January 2015
1. Today I learned a lot about colorblindness and colormuteness, and the benefits and consequences of both in the classroom.
2. A question I have from class today is more of a generic wondering about Bloom's Taxonomy. I feel like we always hear about it and somewhat discuss it, but I'm curious how this applies in the classroom more.
3. Probably a 3. I'm sorry, I have a hard time sitting in a classroom for three hours and focusing. I get very distracted, but I will try.
4. "In order to treat persons equally, we must treat them differently.” -Justice Harry Blackman. This quote, to me, means that in order to make sure all students are getting the most out of lessons, they are being given the right tools and modes to be able to learn their way. Students learn differently and reserve the right to be treated in the way that works for them.
1. Today I learned a lot about colorblindness and colormuteness, and the benefits and consequences of both in the classroom.
2. A question I have from class today is more of a generic wondering about Bloom's Taxonomy. I feel like we always hear about it and somewhat discuss it, but I'm curious how this applies in the classroom more.
3. Probably a 3. I'm sorry, I have a hard time sitting in a classroom for three hours and focusing. I get very distracted, but I will try.
4. "In order to treat persons equally, we must treat them differently.” -Justice Harry Blackman. This quote, to me, means that in order to make sure all students are getting the most out of lessons, they are being given the right tools and modes to be able to learn their way. Students learn differently and reserve the right to be treated in the way that works for them.
Week Five - 02 February 2015
1. One thing I learned in today's class that I can use are the other ways to develop objects outside of SWBAT--the WALT and WIF.
2. A question from today that I have is what are you expecting from us with
3. My degree of effort was probably only a 3. I get bored very easily and I try to use my time effectively in regards to schoolwork so I was squaring away other things. Unfortunately this isn't much of an improvement from last week.
1. One thing I learned in today's class that I can use are the other ways to develop objects outside of SWBAT--the WALT and WIF.
2. A question from today that I have is what are you expecting from us with
3. My degree of effort was probably only a 3. I get bored very easily and I try to use my time effectively in regards to schoolwork so I was squaring away other things. Unfortunately this isn't much of an improvement from last week.
Week Seven - 16 February 2015
1. Today I learned all about differentiated instruction and how to use it appropriately in the classroom so that my students all benefit and get the most out of the lessons.
2. No lingering questions! Always interested in hearing more, though.
3. My level today was a 4. I was much more engaged, though still very tired. It's just a matter of me always having something engaging to do in order to continue giving high effort.
1. Today I learned all about differentiated instruction and how to use it appropriately in the classroom so that my students all benefit and get the most out of the lessons.
2. No lingering questions! Always interested in hearing more, though.
3. My level today was a 4. I was much more engaged, though still very tired. It's just a matter of me always having something engaging to do in order to continue giving high effort.
Final Synthesis Blog
The biggest thing I took away from this class is what I learned about unit planning in the most effective way possible. One of those strategies is backward design, which is essentially planning in a backwards fashion, by first determining what goals you want your students to reach, then deciding what evidence they would have to provide to ensure they have met these goals, and then finally planning the actual learning experiences. During this type of planning, I also learned how to develop essential questions for a unit plan which help determine those goals you want your student to meet. One of the most important ways to make sure that all students’ needs are met is through differentiated instruction (DI). Learning about your students as people and understanding what they need to be successful learners is what teaching is all about. Differentiation is important in unit and lesson planning because it takes those needs into account, further promoting student growth. One of the opportunities for differentiation is including creativity in rubrics, which appeals to those students who have a more artistic learning style. This type of assessment has always personally appealed to me because I love being able to express my creativity and know how beneficial it is for me as a student, which pushes me to incorporate it in my future lessons so that I can provide the same experience for my students. Also to be implemented in lessons are cooperative learning strategies that allow students to work together to better learn the material. The text taught me that these are a form of differentiated instruction and can be used in many forms, like through partner “turn and talks”, partner reading, partner writing, etc. (Cunningham & Allington, 221-5). I have taught multiple lessons this semester that allowed students to work with their peers, which can often be the difference between a struggling student fully comprehending the material and being left in the dark once the lesson ends. In addition, another key element that goes hand in hand with unit planning and that I felt like I had understood pretty well prior to this course is that of multicultural teaching. Being in a school dominated by minority students with diverse cultural backgrounds, I have become increasingly aware of teaching in a way that takes their culture into account and ensures that their identities play a role in lessons. One of the texts talks about its contents being a resource for fostering intelligence in a multicultural society, but I learned that, “There is no step-by-step process for doing this, however. The design framework…is not linear, nor should it be” (Sleeter, 171). Once these great lessons have been created, assessments must also be decided upon to gauge students’ mastery of the material. These assessments can range from informal to formal, and can be anywhere from anecdotal notes to a standardized test that assesses an entire year’s worth of work.
The biggest thing I took away from this class is what I learned about unit planning in the most effective way possible. One of those strategies is backward design, which is essentially planning in a backwards fashion, by first determining what goals you want your students to reach, then deciding what evidence they would have to provide to ensure they have met these goals, and then finally planning the actual learning experiences. During this type of planning, I also learned how to develop essential questions for a unit plan which help determine those goals you want your student to meet. One of the most important ways to make sure that all students’ needs are met is through differentiated instruction (DI). Learning about your students as people and understanding what they need to be successful learners is what teaching is all about. Differentiation is important in unit and lesson planning because it takes those needs into account, further promoting student growth. One of the opportunities for differentiation is including creativity in rubrics, which appeals to those students who have a more artistic learning style. This type of assessment has always personally appealed to me because I love being able to express my creativity and know how beneficial it is for me as a student, which pushes me to incorporate it in my future lessons so that I can provide the same experience for my students. Also to be implemented in lessons are cooperative learning strategies that allow students to work together to better learn the material. The text taught me that these are a form of differentiated instruction and can be used in many forms, like through partner “turn and talks”, partner reading, partner writing, etc. (Cunningham & Allington, 221-5). I have taught multiple lessons this semester that allowed students to work with their peers, which can often be the difference between a struggling student fully comprehending the material and being left in the dark once the lesson ends. In addition, another key element that goes hand in hand with unit planning and that I felt like I had understood pretty well prior to this course is that of multicultural teaching. Being in a school dominated by minority students with diverse cultural backgrounds, I have become increasingly aware of teaching in a way that takes their culture into account and ensures that their identities play a role in lessons. One of the texts talks about its contents being a resource for fostering intelligence in a multicultural society, but I learned that, “There is no step-by-step process for doing this, however. The design framework…is not linear, nor should it be” (Sleeter, 171). Once these great lessons have been created, assessments must also be decided upon to gauge students’ mastery of the material. These assessments can range from informal to formal, and can be anywhere from anecdotal notes to a standardized test that assesses an entire year’s worth of work.