Community Student Profile Part 2

Section II: Classroom Description

Every aspect of my host classroom at Walker Elementary school is well utilized. Upon first entering the room, you are greeted with a mailbox on the left. This is where an assigned student will distribute the mail in the morning and the students will pick up at the end of class.

Further right is a long counter with a sink. The sink is utilized for washing hands, as well as collecting a cup of water during snack time or an appropriate time to take a drink. Above and below the counter are cabinets containing supplies such as scissors, construction paper, and other tools that can be used for projects. This area can most likely be labeled as the craft area.

 Just above the sink are three washable posters that contain the homework for the day that students are told to copy down. Next to this area is the bathroom that students are permitted to use whenever necessary, as long as they respect it and keep it in a tidy condition.

Along the back wall are three large bookcases containing a seemingly endless amount of children’s series. Every student greatly utilizes this area because whenever they are given free time between assignments or whatever it may be, they find a book on the shelf or even head to the long table in front of the bookshelves to read quietly and independently. There are six chairs at this table, and although there is usually always at least one student at the table, there is hardly ever a problem where more than six students want to sit at the table at once.

Next to the book shelves is a computer in the corner of the classroom. The computer desk sits in front of one chair, because this space is only utilized by students who are completing a reading exam about a book that they have just recently finished reading.

Along the side of the room are three large windows that peer out to the side of the school and just across the street to the surrounding neighborhood.

Located in the front far corner of the room is the teacher’s “corner” where there is his desk, and a few surrounding tables that store his files, papers, computer, and printer. Students have no problem approaching the teacher at his desk when they are having difficulties with their assignment or whatever the case may be. Above his desk is a TV which I have not yet seen utilized.

Next to his desk is a Smart Board which is cleverly utilized each and every day in order to tally which student is buying or bring lunch, and what item. The board is also used to show work by the teacher for a specific lesson that is being learned.

Adjacent to the Smart Board is the chalkboard which is seldom used, but when it is, it is used to also show work for math problems and focusing on a particular aspect of what is being learned that day. Below the chalkboard is a lab table that is used to instruct where papers should be turned into or to pick papers up from. There is also a small washable board on the table which shows what book each reading group should be reading and up until what chapter.

Throughout the middle of the classroom are twenty two desks that are arranged in two pairs, one set of four, one set of five, one set of eight, and one desk in front of the teacher’s desk. Children spend a lot of time at their desk while doing assignments, but they freely get up to search for a book, read a book independently at the back table, go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, or ask the teacher a question whenever necessary.

Each of these areas in the classroom are constantly being utilized which is always a positive thing because this way, students will not get restless for being in the same area for too long. This is also a good sign that the classroom is not too teacher-oriented because students are conveniently able to access a majority of what is offered in the room. 

Community Student Profile Part 1

Walker Elementary School is located right in the middle of the college neighborhood of Stateland. It is surrounded by rows of suburban homes lining the parallel and perpendicular streets running off of a heavily used road. These regal homes have mostly been built in the earlier decades of the nineteenth century, some being newly renovated and updated to a slightly more modern look, while others look like they have not been closely well kept. Across from the school is a large park including a baseball and football field, as well as small area accomadating younger children towards the back of the fields. Of course, completely adjacent to the school is a large blacktop area where kids can play hopscotch, jump rope, and other fun activities while further from the school is a swing set and playground. Just up the road is where the hospital is located, providing a comforting feeling for parents in the community if they ever have concerns about their child or children. In the opposite direction, up the hill is the University of Stateland which is a well honored university, especially to those in the surrounding area. East of the college is Main Street where local shops and restaurants are located, which mostly survive off of college consumers.

The school itself contains large hallways that are fit to accommodate several rows of children to conveniently pass by. If needed, the main office can be a helpful resource in guiding a visitor or teacher where to go, any messages that need to be relayed, or an update on the school’s status of activities. In the actual classroom that I have been observing in, the most useful resources are the large bookshelves located at the back of the classroom. These are great because they contain numerous series of books that the class can partake in reading, and provide a great environment for wanting to read. Kids in the class have already become accustomed to constantly using this resource and it is positively affecting the way they utilize their free time. There is also a bathroom located in the classroom which is convenient for children, instead of leaving the room to wander down the hall which can cause further distractions. The bathroom also serves as an additional responsibility in the room, and the children have to learn that it is a privilege to have such a resource in the room, and if it is not taken care of it, they can no longer make use of it during class time. Another resource that could be used would be part of the Stateland’s campus where teachers can receive an extra degree, enroll in an extra class, or have children tutored in a particular subject.

Walker Elementary is made up of eight grades ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. Each grade contains two classes, except for pre-k which only has one class. In addition to each of these classes’ teachers there are a number of specialty teachers for subjects such as music, art, physical education, etc. Since the school is so small, the entire faculty knows almost every student, and it is clear that it is a very close-knit community. Many of the children live in the immediate surrounding area, while others have to travel ten to fifteen minutes to commute to school. Out of those that live close by, they for the most part live in similarly furnished homes. I have come to find that among the students, it is not that common for their parents to be divorced or live in another state. Almost all of the students also live with at least one sibling and occasionally a grandparent. The students that attend Walker Elementary school play a variety of sports and their interests range from drawing to writing to dancing to athletically performing. In my classroom, the number one similarity between all of the students is their high level of interest in reading, most likely because it is so heavily enforced. 

Digital Age vs. Actual Age?

               More than half of children ages 5-8 have used a mobile device such as a smart phone, iPod touch, or iPad. The Teacher Preparation Council finds that research-based training is key for early childhood educators in order to achieve high-quality early learning programs. Fewer than half of all early learning programs in the U.S. are considered high quality and promote significant learning among underserved students. In light of recent reports—such as Common Sense Media’s “Zero to Eight: Children’s Media Use in America“—revealing that today’s children consume up to 7 hours of media daily. Some organizations, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, are updating their professional practices to guide learning and development for today’s digital-age children. It also recommends that early learning programs take more advantage of free digital assets created by public media (such as PBS) to reach a new generation of digital-savvy learners. In the report, the council identifies several goals for the nation to meet by 2020 to integrate digital media into early learning programs and help the nation’s underserved students become current with 21st-century skills. 

Those goals include:

• Advance technology integration and infrastructure: The Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council recommends that President Obama and Congress expand broadband policies and technology integration efforts to cover publicly supported preschool programs.
• Modernize professional learning programs and models: The report urges states, local districts, Head Start programs, and other early learning programs to develop curricula and training resources for teachers and parents on the appropriate use of technologies with young children. It also recommends specific reforms to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to integrate the use of technology in both preparation and ongoing training programs for early childhood educators.
• Expand public media use as a cost-effective asset for teachers: Given the low cost, research-based development, but currently limited use of public media assets in early childhood education settings, the council recommends the creation of more public-private partnerships to create and distribute public media assets more widely.
• Create a Digital Teacher Corps: The council recommends a new public-private partnership be designed to support a corps of teachers whose goal is to integrate digital learning, modern technologies, and best teaching practices to address the “fourth grade reading slump” that afflicts over one million young children annually. The challenges facing education today mean that teachers must come up with new and creative approaches to engage their students, especially younger students, Darling-Hammond said. “Quality early learning programs in our digital age will be led by highly prepared, flexible teachers who can effectively integrate what they know about healthy child development with the resources of an always-connected, thoroughly modern environment,” she said, noting that the report demonstrates how educators can design new pathways for their youngest students. The report also highlights current best practices in integrating technology into early learning programs, including online professional development courses, statewide technology innovations such as the Maine One-to-One Laptop program, and technology integration through applications such as Building Blocks software and university-based programs introduced by Tufts University. If teachers of children ages 3-8 can integrate emerging digital technology into their own professional development, the nation can move toward “a cost-effective and productive pathway for learning in the 21st century,” the authors wrote.

Week 7!

Weekly Reading
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-apple-co-founder-who-transformed-computers-and-culture-dies-at-56/

I read an article from eschoolnews.com. I thought it was a sad topic but at the same time one that would be relative to our class. This article was about the death of Steve Jobs. For those that don't know who Steve Jobs is, he was an important man for technology to this day. He was the creator and inventor of Apple Incorporation. These products include the Mac Computers in our class to Iphones that some people use frequently each and every day. He co-founded this product back in 1973 and these products have come a long way to being arguably the top product on the market. Steve Jobs always spoke about wanting to "make a dent in the universe." He certainly has achieved his goal. I'm sure even though Steve Jobs has passed, people of the company will always try their best to keep Apple Products to be the best that they could possibly be.

Technical Skills

This week I put my standards on for Project 1: Come to the Edge. I didn't know how to do it but got some help from one of my peers. She showed me how to do it. It was good knowing that my peers are there for my help and of course I would help hem with the knowledge that I know. I found it to be very convenient that the link was automatically posted and all you had to do was just click which standard you wanted.

Field Observation
Today was my second field observation and technology was completely disregarded. Technology can't be used too much because teachers need to go back to the basics of teaching certain lessons at times which I found to be very understandable and reasonable. Since I observe twice a week, there is a possibility that they try not to incorporate technology too much when I am present, so that I can interact more with the class. I'm sure they use technology daily because my host teacher does think it is a helpful resource for students to use to advance their learning abilities. My favorite activity using technology that the class uses is tallying what everyone is eating for lunch on the SMART Board. Its very clever and creative and the kids love it.

Field Experience #1

Low and behold, I had my first field experience today! But after six exhausting hours of my fifth grade class, I can't wait to go back! It was amazing to see how much fifth grade had changed since my day, but also how many similarities there were. Technology was definitely promoted more in this classroom, where students were instructed to take out their literacy textbooks, listen to a recording based on artists, and answer a set of questions. There was also a designated computer in the back of the classroom, and after students finished their assigned reading, they were to proceed to the computer to a complete an online quiz relating to what they had just read. This action ensures students to comprehend what has been read. One of the most intriguing or original ideas that I saw in the room was the way in which the students signed up for lunch. On the SmartBoard, there were pictures of different lunch options, and students were instructed to drag their name to which lunch they wanted that day. It was very quick, easy, and hands-on for the kids, not to mention fun. I also noticed that the students had a lot of freedom, where they would sporadically wander throughout the classroom at any time during the day. I recall that in my fifth grade classroom, we usually had to be somewhere, and that was either in our seats, on the rug, or lined up somewhere. Another aspect that I really loved about this room was all the books. There were at least three, huge bookshelves of every childhood book series. It was very appealing to me, so I imagine it must be greatly as appealing for curious young readers.

Hope everyone else is enjoying their field placements!

Cheers!

Bloggin' ?

When I was first introduced to the blogging experience years ago, I thought it was nothing more than another forum to strictly organize full comments on whatever topic one wished. Now, in our very classroom, it has been proven to be so much more than that! Kids are the future, and technology is the future, so if we combine the two, will we get to the future... faster? Who knows but its a great way to incorporate several different mediums of expression for kids to use. some kids like to run around, some like to draw, some like to write, paint, play music, whatever it is... but now kids are able to virtually explore education and express the ways in which it effects them. 

As a teacher in the classroom, I would utilize blogs very similarly to how Principal Mario Asselin of Insitut St. Joseph in Quebec City uses it in his school everyday. He refers to it as "an extension of the classroom" which I believe is a great way to think of it as. This virtual space is composed of three sets of blogs; a classroom Web space, where announcements are displayed and common interest work is posted; a public, personal communication zone, where students post their work and reflect upon it; and a private personal space, reserved for students’ thoughts and guidance from the teacher. 

"I think it’s the most beautiful tool of the world and it allows us the most magic thing..."

—Florence Dassylva-Simard, fifth-grade student

Blogging is like a virtual diary and what kid would not love to include pictures, stories, assignments, music, and even drawings in their very own blog? Its a new fun way to express the information that they know and have learned in a safe and educational way in the virtual world.