Lessons from Teaching Vocabulary

Lesson Plan

I was tasked with crafting a lesson with the context of conveying vocabulary words that would be critical to my students' understanding of my lesson plan.  I analyzed my unit and selected the key words that I believed would be either confusing or foriegn to my students.  I recorded the teaching of my Vocabulary lesson to my peers as a way to reflect upon my performance.  I believe that I achieved the following Performance Criterion in my reflection:

Performance Criterion 3.1.  Active Engagement.  Candidates design learning environements that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

Performace Criterion 4.1: Communicate Central Concepts.  Candidates accurately communicate central concepts of the discipline.

Performance Criterion 8.1: Accessibility to the Discipline. Candidates use a variety of instructional strategies to make the discipline accessible for diverse learners.


I have learned that analyzing a proposed lesson plan for vocabulary words to teach your students can be surprisingly difficult.  I found it somewhat strenuous to limit the number of words that I wanted to elaborate upon.  Upon review by my peers and my critique of my video, I believe that I should narrow my focus to a more minute number of words for future lessons.  I incorporated the vocabulary into sentences and images to help with comprehension of the words, which I believe is a benifical practice that I will continue to use.  I also need to re-evaluate my approach to teaching, as I feel I have a tendency to resort back to lecturing when I become flustered.

I was pleased with both the scope and execution of my assessment.  I had planned for an interactive quiz at first, but in the moment I adjusted one of my learning opportunities to become my assessment.  The assessment was interactive and it allowed students to see what the summary of the upcoming unit lesson, as well as focused on the new vocabulary words.  The use of the images that accompanied my vocabulary seemed to make it more memorable to my peers.  Overall, I believe that I was successful in teaching my vocabulary lesson as it seemed that it retained with my peers.

Within in my group of Jenna, Meg F., and Meg A, they all had very strong lessons which I was able to draw very good ideas and inspirations from.  They each had a unique experience and had a focus to their lessons.  I must refine my approach and include more student involvement throughout the lesson, not just for the assessment.  I had a lot of information in my lesson, which I need to use as an opportunity to inject conversation or activities.  Finally, I need to perhaps focus on the overall arching objective of the lesson, rather than the historical information, when crafting future vocabulary lessons.

The Importance of Understanding a Technology Contract

Template for letter home to parents:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to announce our new initiative to supply all of our students with new Chromebooks. This letter has been sent out to share with you why we have decided to start this initiative, our resources for creating successful learning environments for your child, and how we will address your concerns with implementing this technology. In allowing for this Chromebook Initiative to take place, it will provide students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the tasks seen in the 21st century workforce. This initiative will also allow us as teachers to integrate engaging and meaningful learning experiences that will not only be memorable, but also a way for students to expand their digital literacy in the technological age.

Why we are starting this initiative:

We believe by starting this initiative, we are creating better opportunities for students to learn in and outside of our school. We believe Chromebooks will increase opportunity for digital literacy, as well as create engaging instruction for students. By introducing technology, we are addressing the ever evolving digital society in which we are helping prepare your child for, which will lead to better experiences that will create future career opportunities.

Resources:

We are prepared to support both students and parents with this new technology. This is a learning experience to prepare and challenge students in the digital world. Rest assured, if you experience any problems with the technology please remember our staff is here to help. Please don't hesitate to contact either myself or IT for assistance. We are prepared to troubleshoot any issues/concerns related to the chromebooks. Students will be attending a session at the start of the school year that will involve an internet safety and proper laptop use workshop to ensure that your children not only know how to use the technology but also understand how to use the technology in a safe manner.

Concerns:

We understand that the implementation of this type of technology into the classroom can raise a few concerns among parents such as internet safety, the hours of usage, classroom distractions, and whether students will create a positive digital footprint. When debating this integration, we took these dilemmas into account and came up with action plans to combat any potential negatives of this initiative.

-Students will be required to take a course concerning Internet Safety, outlining how to stay safe, and what is appropriate to say online etc.

-We understand as well that overuse of technology can be detrimental to students development. Our goal is to monitor the amount of time students spend on their laptop/internet during the school day. Parents will be in charge of controlling the amount of time students spend on the computer each night. Teachers will be required to give students a good balance of homework on the computer, as well as paper homework. Our hope is students will spend a maximum of 2 hours on their laptop doing homework each night.

-Technology is often viewed as a distraction, our school internet server has blocked all websites that are not related to school and all social media in order to limit the amount of distractions available to students.

-We would like parents to be aware that all the Google Chromebooks are set up with Parental Controls that Parents can access. These can control what sites are visited, what is downloaded, and how much the student is able to
use the device. I.e. They can be set up to shut off after 9pm and can not used again until 7am the next morning. Our hope is that parents will be involved in their child’s technology journey.


Advantages to all of your students will be beneficial and visible in an immediate capacity.  Students having individual access to the internet while in the classroom will allow them to    conduct research personally.  This is a necessary skill in the digital age that we live in today, one which will improve your student’s ability to succeed now and in the future.  Implementation of technology in the classroom will also make your ability to view your student’s classroom much easier, as we will share it via email to you.

Technology Contract

1. I will use all classroom devices carefully and respectfully to avoid damaging them. If a device is damaged when I receive it or becomes damaged while I am using it, I will notify the teacher immediately.

2. I will not change the settings on any classroom devices.

3. I will return classroom netbooks and Chromebooks and plug them in before leaving the classroom.

4. I will not use classroom devices to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

5. If I bring my own device, I will be completely responsible for it. I will not use it to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

6. If I borrow a classmate’s device with his/her consent, I will not use it to play games, surf, Tweet, text, or use applications other than those designated for a specific educational purpose by the teacher.

Furthermore,  I understand that to have technology rights, I have to be responsible in my actions as well.

1. I will remember that not all people have access to or utilize technology in the same way. I will treat all of my classmates respectfully and kindly no matter what their options and access to technology are.

2. I will tell my teacher if I come across any information online that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or make me feel uncomfortable. If I receive any messages like that, I will tell my teacher right away.

4. I will not share or publish my last name, address, telephone number, or other identifying information online.

5. I will treat others the way that I wish to be treated when using technology. I will keep in mind that my technology use affects others.

6. I will be a responsible online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

7. I understand that using technology in the classroom is a privilege that may be revoked.

By providing these signatures, the student and parent are both agreeing that they have read and accept the conditions of this contract.

______________________________                       _______________________________

Parent Signature                  Date                            Student Signature                   Date


In crafting the letter home, we wanted to create a document that addressed the positives of ultizing technology in the classroom.  We also wanted to validate parental concerns and help to alleiviate any issues that they may form in there mind.  The technology contract was created as a way for the students to understand that technology in the classroom is a privilege that can facilitate their learning.


Performance Criterion 3.1: Candidates design learning environments that support individual learning marked by active engagement.

Performance Criterion 10.1: Candidates are prepared to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure student learning.

These templates are an example of the above criterion.  They help construct a positive learning environment that is driven by the responsibility of proper technology use.  Active engagments through technological initiatives, such as Chromebooks, iPads, and internet use can be used to engage students in entertaining lesson plans.  The template for the letter home to parents and guardians shows how I would collaborate and inform families in the future.  Conveying my teaching vision to families and community members is a crucial aspect of an educator's job and must be done in a professional manner.

One of my fears in utilizing technology in the classroom is that I do not want it to take over every lesson.  I feel like it could easily become a crutch to properly planning my lessons.  I also am weary of how distracting technology can be in the classroom, drawing the students' attention easily.  I am also aware of the positives of technology, such as how it can enhance a lesson through audio and visual means.  It can also be used to take polls of the class to see what works for students and what does not.

I want to incorporate technology in my classroom sparingly.  I believe that it can serve a very unique and unmatched purpose, however I want to stress human interaction in my classroom.  I need to better develop the ability to transfer in and out of technology quickly.  I also believe that the development of a friendly and respectful classroom environment is needed to reach the full potential of technology in the classroom.

The Link Between Literacy and Curriculum

What is Constructivism

Literacy in the Digital Age

Using two different types of technology (Explain Everything and SparkPage), I was tasked with identifying, researching, and explaining my curriculum philosophy.  I was also tasked with defining literacy in the digital age. Upon reviewing of my assignments, I believe that they can be defined by Performance Criteria 4.1 and 5.2

Performance Criterion 4.1: Candidates accurately communicate central concepts of the discipline.

Performance Criterion 4.2: Candidates accurately address common misconceptions of the discipline.


When I began work on these two assignments, I viewed them as two separate entities and ideas.  Both are used in the confines of the classroom to teach and educate students, but it was not until completion that I was able to identify the similarities that they share.  My curriculum philosophy is the foundation of my teaching style and agenda, which also impacts the role of literacy in my lessons.  The methods and value I place on literacy are dictated by my philosophy of Constructivism.  In order for me to scaffold my students properly, I must be certain of their ability in all fields of literacy.  Literacy and curriculum philosophy must coexist and thrive together, as each will fail without support from one another.

With both presentations, I was able to accurately and proficiently communicate the tenants of my curriculum philosophy and my belief of digital literacy.  I presented my researched material in a concise manner and had a firm knowledge of the material.  I also addressed misconceptions on the notion of what literacy is and the belief that it merely pertains to the written word.  Finally, I clarified the principles of Constructivism and the key differences that separated it from other philosophies.

My most definite self reassessment came from the redefining what literacy meant in the current world.  I had to address my own misbeliefs that I held to be true.  Identifying my teaching philosophy helped me to research information and familiarize myself better with the discipline.  I plan to continue researching the hallmarks and teaching strategies associated with Constructivism.  I intend to actively incorporate digital literacy into my lesson plans, as I see the potential of the value it can add into the classroom.

Classroom Jobs

School is an institution where students learn academic subjects, communication with peers, and form social relationships that will contribute to their entire life as an adult.  Teachers must encourage and nurture a positive atmosphere conducive to learning, create viable and engaging lesson plans, while also establishing positive relationships with their students.  Many educators and parents rightfully focus on the academic content that schools provide, encompassing large periods of school time dedicated to the memorization and understanding of this content.  Unfortunately, this places social development and responsibility as an afterthought in student development as a result.  Studies have shown that students who feel a sense of belonging and responsibility to their school and classroom are more motivated, have a stronger bond with their peers, and decreases the negative behavior of students (SPAN).  The answer on how to better involve students in the classroom, while at the same time placing emphasis on the positive development of social relationships, must be out there.

One developing strategy in classrooms has emerged to help combat this growing gap in social development, responsibility, and teacher-student relationships has.  Teachers have begun to implement and refine the roles of responsibility in the classroom for their students.  The idea of assigning students jobs and tasks that they are responsible and have devotion for is not overall a new idea, but the strategy of using these roles to help students develop self-pride, empowering students to feel success in a non-traditional school role, and using these roles to establish a more constant teacher-student relationship is (SPAN).  Students want to have a positive relationship with their teachers, yet they often link how their teacher feels about them to their grades.  A student who struggles in the academic content more than his peers, may feel that their teacher does not value them as much as a student who consistently grades highly academically.  As a result, a student may begin to feel disconnected and isolated from their peers and become incorporated in a negative cycle, struggling with self-doubt in the process.

The use of classroom “jobs” can help re-engage students that may feel disconnected, while allowing them the opportunity to reinforce the value of their own self-worth (Beaty-O’Ferrall).  Simple tasks that provide the students the ability to succeed can also encourage them to socialize with one another, establish teamwork and a sense of community, and provides the teacher the ability to evaluate their students in a non traditional way.  These roles allow the student the occasion to demonstrate skills they have worked tediously to develop and affords the teacher the ability to acknowledge it in a productive way.  The teacher must be cognizant of their students’ potential and comfort in social roles, in order to properly assign them jobs where they will excel.  This consistent reinforcement of success strengthens the bond of the classroom community and transfers responsibility to the individual students.  Progress has also been shown to promote positive self-image, leadership, and classroom cohesiveness (Schaps).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l51bP8j9EOE

Triumph of the classroom job system requires proper implementation and constant refinement by the teacher.  The first obstacle a teacher must overcome is to determine how the students will be selected for the jobs.  Teachers can use a variety of factors to assign roles, ranging from volunteering based on previous job performance to randomly selecting jobs from a bowl.  Educators must also take in to account factors that can affect the ability for students to maintain certain jobs, such as students that may leave school earlier than others and those that may require closer supervision than others.  Teachers must also be clear and transparent of the duties that each job holds, establishing the length that each student will hold their respective job.  Proven experience from classrooms has found that creating an interactive job board and displaying each student’s name allows smoother transition of jobs among themselves (Sesay-St. Paul).

Maintaining the order and functionality of job system is the educator’s main duty. This role involves monitoring each student’s performance, shuffling positions so students can experience varied assignments, and ensuring the completion of jobs by the assigned students.  The educator must be the leader of the classroom, assuring that the sense of community and social bonds are being fortified.  Once the students are held to the standard of properly completing their jobs, they will hold themselves and their peers to the same principle.  Positive acknowledgement and public encouragement by the teacher throughout the day will also empower the students and foster community relationships.

REFERENCES
Beaty-O’Ferrall, Ellen, Alan Green, and Fred Hanna. Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships. Association for Middle Level Education, 2010, https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Allison, Brynn. Caution! Students at Work: Classroom Jobs for Secondary Students. The Literary Maven, 2016, http://www.theliterarymaven.com/2016/09/classroom-jobs-middle-school-high-school.html.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Schaps, Eric, Ph.D.  The Role of Supportive School Environments in Promoting Academic Success. Ceter for Collabortive Classroom, 2005, https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/research-articles-and-papers-the-role-of-supportive-school-environments-in-promoting-academic-success.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.
Sesay-St. Paul, Mariama.  Student Helpers in the High School Classroom.  Scholastic Inc, 2017, https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/student-helpers-high-school-classroom.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Wade, Mary.  How to Set up Democratic Classroom Jobs. HonorGradU, 2015, http://honorsgradu.com/how-to-set-up-democratic-classroom.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Protecting Students: The Importance of Activies for Belonging and Capability. SPAN Idaho.  Accessed 1 APR 2017.

Somalia and Sexuality

Somalia is a country that is trying to keep itself tied to traditional and religious customs.  Somalia is a predominantly Islamic country, with some parts unofficially controlled by fundamentalist parties.  This foundation of Islam still plays a major part in the Somalia customs and views of sexuality to this day.  It can be difficult to gather and collect precise information on this subject, due in large part to the uncomfortable and restrictive nature of sexuality in Somalia.  One study shows that 90% of women in Somalia find premarital sex prohibited and said that they did not partake in it.  These women also reported that there is a very strict view against premarital sex that comes from both traditional and religious practises.

Views of homosexuality differ only slightly throughout the country.  Somalia is one of 74 countries where homosexuality is illegal.  It is also one of 12 countries in the world where the punishment can be death, though usually it is only used as a penalty in the fundamentalist controlled areas.  Any member of the LGBT community can be openly discriminated against and denied employment or housing.  It was impossible to find any information on the percentage of possible Somalia people who identify as LGBT, which is easy to understand due to the horrific punishment they could receive.  These views told homosexuality come from their past religious ties and globalization has done little to alter these views in many countries.

In my observance of a classroom at Winooski High School, a discussion was introduced by the teacher that involved an article about a gay student.  The discussion centered on the civil rights aspect of all people in the United States and many of the students voiced their opinions freely.  Some of the students, including my partner O, were refugees from Somalia and engaged in the conversation as well.  As a civil rights issue, most of the students agreed that basic human and civil rights applied to all people, regardless of sex, race, gender, or sexuality.  I believe that open discussion is the best tool we have as educators to help students understand, think, and contemplate global issues such as these.

The Use of QR Codes in the Classroom

Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement

Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement lists the most effective means for teachers and families to build a long standing and strong connection to best benefit the respective student and child.  The establishment of a sound relationship that encourages interaction from both the teacher and the parents is critical in a student's ability to reach their full potential.  Learning is a constant process that must take place not only at school, but at home as well.  Teachers and parents working in tandem to develop continuous learning demonstrates to students the importance of life long education.  It also presents to students the value that both their teachers and parents place in their success.  The two types I want to focus on as an educator are communicating and learning at home.

Communicating means establishing an effective process to relay information from school to home and back about the student's progress and school activities.  This results in parents being more aware of their child's sustains and improvements, helps teachers understand family views and diversity better, and creates better awareness for students of school programs.  This can be practiced by weekly progress reports sent by students to families or emails directly to parents.  Face to face conferences or Skype meetings can also be an effective way to convey information and concerns to and from parents and teachers.  Challenges can be if the parents do not speak English or if the parents do not respond timely to the teacher's information.

Learning from home works in connection with communicating and provides information and ideas to families to help students at home with homework or activities.  This can result in better homework completion, increased test scores, better understanding by parents of their student's work and learning, and in teachers have better input in the design of their assignments.  Learning from home can be practiced by having teachers establishing assignment calenders for students and parents, having family activities at school, and disseminating information to parents on homework requirements and policies.  The challenge can be in coordinating interactive activities that can be completed at home with families.

When I become an educator, I believe that open communication with parents is the most important commodity I can obtain.  The challenge is to show parents that I value their input, but that I must also be aware of how to best develop their student's education.  I am sure that this can be a fine line to institute, but communication will hopefully establish trust in what we want the student to accomplish.