birthday QUIZ OCT 29

Today's class brought back many memories for me. Today we planned and recorded a video that will be used to preview a concept of She Stoops to Conquer. This brought back memories because in high school I was in a TV broadcasting class and we were constantly video taping, interviewing, etc. For our assignment today we encorporated other people. Some people were very responsive and other people looked at us like we were crazy..but that's ok.

When this assignment was introduced I was nervous our group would not come up with a good idea. I wondered if making the video was going to be really difficult. Turns out, we had a lot of fun planning our video and taping. The picture of the "Ugly Truth" will relate to our video..you'll see soon!

I noticed that every group had a very different idea and were taping at different locations around campus.

Next class I am looking forward to watching the videos from all groups and viewing our finished product. We will also have visitors from Opportunities Unlimited.

I have not interacted with someone with a cognitive disability.

I googled...
CAST

Quiz Week 7 con't-She Stoops to Conquer

Act 1-
Follies (p.1)

Discretion (p.2)

pewter pitcher (p. 3)

superfluous (p.4)

squire (p. 9)


Act 2-
militia (p.15)
attentive (p. 16)
quarreling (p. 16)
extravagant (p.17)

impudent (p. 18)

Act 3-

confounded (p.37)

timidity (p.38)

sullen (p. 39)

bureau (p.40)

fidget (43)

Act 4-

Constance (p.51)

elopement (p.51)

rogue (p.52)

prudently (p.53)

entreaty (p.54)

Act 5-

explicit (p. 77)

rustic (p. 78)

mercenary (p. 78)

faltering (p.79)

console (p.80)

Mr. Hardcastle- Sweet Old Fashioned Girl

Mrs. Hardcastle- When You're Good to Mama

Kate Hardacastle- Single Ladies ---> Halo

Tony Lumpkin-Bad Boys

Canstance Neville-Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

What kind of activity is this?

For this activity we worked in small groups. To fully complete the assignment we had to find some characteristics of the characters and encorporate music. This assignment appeals to all kinds of learners. Students could look up words or find definitions to vocab, look at pictures, or listen to music. This is an example of differentiated instruction.

How does it challenge me?

It challenged me because it forces me to think about what kinds of things students take from a lesson developed around this blog.It was a challenge because we were working in one big group at first, before dividing up into smaller groups. We weren't really getting anywhere at first. Adding music was really fun--I know this would have helped me learn.

What is our audience like? What interests them?
Our audience is high school students. High school students are rarely interested in plays. They generally believe them to be boring and old fashioned. They are interested in relationships, current events, sports, music, etc. Luckily, we have encorporated pictures and music into our blogs. The play also revolves around relationships (both romantic and parent/child). High schoolers need to get hooked on something before they can really focus their attention to it. I think they would enjoy hearing some recognizable music and they would also learn about the characters before seeing the play.

Week 8

Before we watched the online video I thought of some important things to share with parents at parent-teacher conferences. Parents are always excited to hear that their child is doing well in school. Something positive can come from everyone. It is important to share the strengths of a student. Some strengths would be leadership, working well independently and with others, or progress a child has made. It is also important to share the student's weaknesses with their parent. Most parents want to know where their child is struggling so that they can help them.
At a parent teacher conference it is important to treat the parents with respect, be understanding, and address any of the parent's questions or concerns.



After we watched the online video Home-School Communication:The Parent-Teacher Conference, a few more specifics came to mind. The teacher in the video asked the parent how the student was behaving at home and how she was treating her siblings. To show the parent how much their child is progressing the teacher coul show a sample of work from the beginning of the year and then show a recent sample. If a student is difficult to "read" the teacher can ask the parent if the student is enthusiastic about coming to school. Parents may share that kind of information with the teacher, especially if their child loves coming to school. The parents also might say that their child does or does not tell them what they are doing in school. Typically, parents ask, "What did you do today?" and the child says, "Nothing." If a child is excited about learning they might share what they did in school more readily.

The video came from Wadsworth Cengage Learning




Wadsworth Cengage Learning: Home-School Communication: The Parent-

Teacher Conference. 22 Oct 2009.

Learn and Serve 10/21

This morning I went to Learn and Serve. There was a book fair at Gaskill Prep today. We took the class to the book fair and spent about fifteen minutes to look around and purchase things. Only a few students purchased books. Then there was a mini lesson on Gary Soto, the author they are studying. Before they read "Envying the Children of San Francisco," another poem by Gary Soto they brainstormed the things they already knew about Gary Soto and his literature. They volunteered answers readily. There were three extra "teachers" in the classroom today (I put teachers in parenthesis because I am including myself). They had one question to answer in writing about a poem. The number of adults in the classroom helped the students stay on task and there was always someone available to answer questions. They accomplished a great deal today and class went smoothly. I think this is because they had some time to unwind and talk at the book fair. There were only two boys that were having trouble focusing, they were drawing pictures instead of participating in class. Some of the aids in the room were there for these two boys and they did not do much to encourage them to stay on task. The two boys are part of the special education program. I am not trying to assess them, but they could have been struggling due to mild IDD or a cognitive processing difficulties. "The most obvious characteristic of children who have mild or moderate IDD is their limited cognitive ability-the ability to process information. The is a limitation that inevitably shows up in their academic work. These children may lag two to five grades, particularly in language-related subjects (reading, language arts.) (Kirk et. al., pg 156). Almost all the students, special education or not, are struggling in English Language Arts. Some students are at a very low reading level.

The Gary Soto poem was about his childhood, growing up in San Francisco. I think it would have helped to show the students a picture of San Francisco because many of them probably did not know what it looked like. Another problem with imagining San Francisco, or any image, could be a student's inability to do so. This is a type of processing difficulty.

Learn and Serve #4

Thursday, October 15 I completed two hours of learn and serve in the afternoon. I usually have learn and serve on Wednesday mornings. I had never seen these students before, due to the change in time of day. Mrs. Burkett was off-site doing some type of training. There was a substitute in the room...again. It seems like there is a substitute frequently and I wonder if that is best for the students. I realize that whatever training she is having is necessary but the students ask for her every time she is gone and seem disappointed that there is a sub. Sometimes Mrs. Burkett is also out of the school due to IEP meetings. They started class with twenty minutes of independent reading. They had a test to complete, they read a poem titled "A Different Christmas Poem" and then had to answer questions about the poem. Some of the students found the test to be very difficult, they did not know what some of the words meant. Some students looked worried about the test. It is common that students get stressed out or anxious during a test. On a website I found a picture of the ABC's of test taking. The picture and rules could be enforced in any classroom. "One of the most stressful experiences for students with learning disabilities can be test taking. The level of anxiety that is often associated with testing compounds their problems with learning and exacerbates their learning difficulties" (Kirk et. al., pg 137). Our text book offers ten ways to help students become more successful and ease the tension they may feel during tests.

The substitute said there had been an incident with cheating earlier in the day and I wondered if it was the same two girls I spoke to about cheating. She also said that the students were rude and disrespectful, earlier in the day. There were no major problems in the two classes I was there for, later in the day. It was nice to see a different group of students and how they behaved. These students were very mild tempered and respected the substitute, for the most part. There were either many students missing or these classes are smaller than the classes earlier in the day. The only disruptions were bathroom breaks. Hopefully on Wednesday, October 21 when I go to learn and serve Mrs. Burkett will be in the classroom.

QUIZ WK 7: Class 10/15 Chalkboard Assignment

What kind of activity is this?

This activity requires us to think about the information/characteristics we know and incorporate a new element. We had to develop a metaphor of our own and then illustrate it with a drawing and words. This engages different parts of our intellgence. This could be a useful technique in a classroom because it could be thought of like a list for students who are less creative or it could be seen as a picture with each part contributing to the whole. This is an example of teaching to multiple intelligences.

How does it challenge me?

I think the most challenging part was thinking of a good metaphor and something to draw. I picked sneakers because they have many parts: the sole, the shoe, the laces, a bow, etc. Another challenging aspect was trying to make it clear to anyone who looked at it. I feel as though I am a somewhat creative individual because of my experiences with music, dance, and art so it was challenging because I felt as though I needed to make it perfect.

What backgorund knowledge am I using to complete this activity?

I used my knowledge of what I have read in previous chapters. I am also demonstrating my knowledge with an everyday object, something that everyone knows and can picture (even if my artistic ability is not superb).

I used my own creativity. Chapter 9 has a large section on creativity. Table 9.1 (Kirk et. al., pg 292) gives the dimensions and behaviors needed for creativity. I think the dimensions display exactly what Shelley was trying to get us to do in class. The dimensions listed on the table are: generating ideas, digging deeper into ideas, courage to explore ideas, and listening to one's inner voice. Being creative can cause someone to feel vulnerable- we all need to feel self conscious at some point. A great idea could be hiding inside of all of us.

Do I love this blackboard or the OTHER blackboard?

I personally haven't had much struggle with the OTHER blackboard. oops..I probably just jinx'd myself. It was strange to draw/write on a traditional blackboard because I haven't used one since middle school.

Entry #6-Learn and Serve 3

Wednesday, 10/7 was my third learn and serve. Mrs. Burkett was not in, there was a substitute in the classroom. The students were having a hard time focusing and were not being respectful of the substitute. Some of the students were being "...openly defiant of authority" and "There might be a clear correlation between ethnic background and behavior, this does not mean there is a causation..." (Kirk et. al., pg 193). I noticed that most of the students being difiant and disrespectful were of African American decent. I am not sterotyping or placing the blame on their race but according to the text, there is some correlation between the two. I think another reason for the outbursts and unacceptable behavior was peer pressure. Once one student acted out in class, the other students felt obligated. "As the child grows older, the peer group becomes a major force. Adolescence, with its focus on social development and career orientation, is a special challenge for the exceptional child. Potential rejection by the peer group can have a powerful influence on the adaptation of the child with disabilities or the child with special talents, as it can on any vulnerable and self-conscious adolescent" (Kirk et. al., pg 27). Their assignment was to read silently for twenty minutes, complete a reading assignment, and a worksheet. It was supposed to be silent in the classroom, if they whispered they got "shushed." The substitute told me she was happy that they had to work independently because it, "made an easy day for her." It was obvious that the students were extremely bored, I felt bad for them. 7th Graders do not have the attention span to sit silently and complete tasks for an hour straight. I learned that this is not an effective way for students this age to learn. They have very little self focusing skills. They are still young enough that they need some guidance and something to break up the hour period. They are not going to just magically focus on their own. Effective teaching and learning takes place with a strategy.

Class Oct1 and Learn and Serve Day Two

Class on October 1 was anything but conventional. It was fun to get out of the classroom for the Gorge Hike, even though it was very early in the morning. We took pictures on the hike and eventually we will have to write a story, linking all of our photos together. The picture in this blog entry is one I took on the hike. We also would take breaks and talked about the chapter we would later be taking a test on. This was also a good opportunity to talk to new and different people in the ckass. It is important to develop connections with a variety of people. This can start at an early age. Children with IDD might have a difficult time with social skills at a young age. "Social skills are a critical component of the primary school or preschool cirriculum for children who have IDD, but instruction at this level should be informal" (Kirk et. al., pg 167). A hike like this would probably not be appropriate for preschool children, however it was an example of an informal, social, and educational setting. I think we all had a good time, especially looking forward to muffins and juice that awaited us. Thanks Shelley! That was so nice!
My second day of Learn and Serve was more like the first day because I met my classroom teacher for the first time. From what I have seen, she seems like a good teacher and I like the classroom I am in. The students read silently and then Mrs. Burkett read aloud. They are preparing for a state test. They used the smart board to answer comprehension questions and to make their own examples of similes and metaphors. Mrs. Burkett has a son in the 7th grade and he is in one of her English classes. I asked her what it was like to have one of her own children in class and she said that it was fun. She says she treats him just like everyone else, which must be hard to do. I also talked to a NU student who is doing his TA in Mrs. Burkett's classroom. I found out a lot of experiences that will be in my future and he was very helpful to talk to.