Five picture story podcast

The first part of my story

Week 8

A teacher needs to know how to interact with not only the students in their classroom but their parents as well. Before we watched a video clip of parent/teacher conference, we had to write down three things we thought were important that parents would want to know and what as a teacher we need to know. When a parent sends their child off to school they want their child to do well in the classroom. So how their child is doing is important for them to find out when they come to the parent/teacher conference. Also, to show this as a teacher, we should have a the student's work their to show the parents so they can see their child's progression. Something important a teacher should know is the families background because this is important in knowing what to say and how to interact with the family.

After watching the video, we had to write about three things we learned from the video. I learned that parents want to know where their child is compared to the rest of the class. Even though, I know my parents have always asked the teacher that when it came to my reading; it just never crossed my mind. Secondly, parents want to know how their child is interacting socially. This is probably a major question if they don't hear from their child about friends at school or if they have received calls from the teacher about their child's social behaviors. Thirdly, parents want to know how the student behaves in the classroom.

Link to watch video

Kirk, S., Gallagher, J, Coleman, M., & Anastasiow, N. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed.). Kentucky: Cengage Learning. Retrieved October 22, 2009, from http://college.cengage.com/education/kirk/educating/12e/resources/video_cases.html

Learn and Serve #3

Over the years, I have visited many wonderful schools and classrooms. At each location I have learned a great deal from the teachers I have been with. The lessons I have learned from these teachers have been both good and bad. I have learned new ways to interact with the students and different styles of discipline. Even though I may have not agreed with all the styles of teaching; I have enjoyed my time in each of the classrooms. That is until now.
The classroom I am in is a fifteen – one contained classroom. In this classroom, there are fourteen boys and one girl. This classroom does not have any in class help for the teacher or students. For the students who do need extra help in any content area or anything else, they leave the classroom and meet with another teacher.
In the time I have spent in the classroom, I have not seen the teacher teach the classroom yet nor have I seen any lesson plans unfold. What I have witnessed though is the students catching up on worksheets, the students’ outbursts, and their Friday afternoon movie ritual.
The first day I walked into the classroom, the students were out of their seats yelling at each other and the substitute teacher was standing at the front of the classroom, looking as if she could pull her hair out. The substitute teacher was trying to catch the students up on science work which consisted of steps in an experiment, meanwhile the students yelled at each other and pick on the only girl in class. The classroom commotion continued in this manner until the students were able to watch a movie. This class scared me at first but I thought, “Well, if I get through today when the teacher comes back it should be better.”
Unfortunately my optimism never became reality. The days never became easier or better. Once the teacher came back, she put me next to individual students to watch what he or she was doing. I watch for about ten to fifteen minutes while each one actively anticipated going to another room to watch a movie.
These movies are rewards for the students who have completed their work and have been good all week. Honestly though, I watch as the students just race through their work to get it done. I do not think they are learning all they can from their work because I watch as they are required to redo work over and over on mistakes that I can tell they know.
The hardest part of my Learn and Serve is witnessing the over all intensity of student disrespect. The students yell out, threaten other students in the class, and make menacing comments to the teacher such as, and I quote, “I want to watch you die.” Experiences like these in the classroom scare me. I know these situations may occur for me one day in my own classroom but I believe these circumstances can be handled effectively and not be heard every day.

A link for classroom management strategies 

Quiz Week Seven

 The Old School Blackboard

~What kind of activity is this?
This activity is an independent thinking activity. The students need to think outside the box and draw a picture to help represent their metaphor. It helps the students think outside the box and form new ways to remember the information they learn in the classroom.

~How does it challenge you?
It challenged me to remember the information I have learned over the past few weeks and find a way to correspond the information to a picture and metaphor that I can explain and remember. Then it forces the students to pick out a few main ideas behind each of the four topics they are comparing.

~What background knowledge are you using to complete this activity?
I am using the knowledge I learned in class about each of these four learning disabilities. Also, I am using knowledge I learned way back in middle school about how each river is different, just like each student is different. Even though if they have the same disability as another student does not mean they are the same.
   
~How much do you love this blackboard compared to the other blackboard??
I love the old school blackboard because it does not stress you out and change everyday you get on it. It is always there are reliable unlike the internet blackboard. 

The Hallway Video Stress

~What kind of activity is this?

The video activity is an uncomfortable and pushes the students to over come the uncomfortable and awkwardness of being on camera and hearing their own voice. It is a different way then the usual pen and paper story that the students are use to. 

~How does it challenge you?

It challenge the students to be creative and learn how to figure out the video technology. Also, it forces the students to become comfortable with an unusual way of learning, then the pen and paper.

~What background knowledge are you using to complete this activity?

I am using the little background knowledge I have with using a webcam and the little bit of what I know about my five picture story, which isn't fully created.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
What kind of activity is this?
This activity made us evaluate the play from a different perspective. It made us take each part step by step to learn about the characters and relate with them in a different way. Also, it was fun to find pictures that not only were of the play but also about the play. This activity helps the students you have a hard time relating to something just through text. It gives them a chance to have visual and auditory relation to it.

How does it challenge you?
It challenges you to think outside the box about the text, characters, and scene through music and visuals. When you can not visualize it or hear it on your own.

Who is our “audience” and what do they like? What kind of music, images, sounds?
Our audience are teenagers. They like music that ranges from hip-hop to rock to the classics. They like scenes that are action and romantic. The sounds need to be fun, lively, and interesting.

Learn and Serve #2

So this learn and serve has been hectic and troublesome since the very beginning. At first my teacher was out of class for three weeks because she was sick. My first day, the substitute never introduced me or spoke to me about the classroom or what to do. From then on, I waited for the teacher to finally call me back about changing the days of my learn and serve. She never did, so I missed one learn and serve and decided to just show up the next week. Now, I go every Friday from twelve to two. During this time, the students who completed all their school work, which is normally all of them, are able to watch a movie on the SMART Boards. So I help the students who didn't finish their work complete it and then we all go watch a movie. By the time the movie is over, it is time for me to leave.

Class 10/1/09

So during class on October 1st, we went on an early hike through the gorge. It was a lot of fun, except for the stairs. haha The walk started out great with us trying to get across the road and almost being run over and getting flipped off. After that though, everything went smoothly. We had a great walk and learned great facts about our reading. It was a different experience but I loved it. Personally, because I love being outside and the gorge is one of the most relaxing places to go. =] Anyways, the 5 picture story was a great idea. Very creative and gave us something to think about as we walked. For me though, it is still a challenge to narrow down my pictures to five because I took 85 pictures that day. It's going to be great once I choose the five pictures. =]

Learn and Serve #1

I have had my learn and serve for two weeks now. I attended the first week but not the second. The reason being there was a problem with the day I had to attend, so I asked to switch. There was a sub that day so I left a note with the sub to have my teacher call me to talk about switching the day I go. I have not heard from the teacher yet. I have called for a week now. I finally got through to the classroom today to find out that the teacher has not returned. So we will see what happens.