Final Blog Reflection

Bon Voyage 

Well, social studies methods is coming to a close and I can honestly say that I have produced the most work for this class than any other methods course. The heavy work load was both a positive and a negative. At times I grew exhausted, stressed, and anxious about all the work that had to be done in the course. Yet as I looked over my edTPA portfolio and was able to see all of my work from the course put together I knew that this course made me very prepared to be a future teacher of social studies. 

I walked out of this class a different person than when I started the course. In the beginning of the course I had the mindset of a student, but after the course was over I developed the mindset of a teacher. I adapted new skills and knowledge that I would not have gained if it weren't for this course. Learning about the different forms of assessment as well as practicing delivering direct, inquiry, and cooperative lesson plans have all contributed to what I am able to take away from this course.  I was unaware of the three different types of lessons before taking this course, and as it went on I was still a little confused. However, after delivering each lesson and reflecting on them, I could say that I grew confident in my knowledge and ability to teach these lessons. 

Collaboration was also a big part of this course. As teachers, we encouraged the students to collaborate with each other and work cooperatively in groups. As students, we ourselves had to also work cooperatively in groups in order to complete projects and deliver lessons. This course taught me so much about working with others as it called for the most group projects I have had to complete in any college course thus far. However, in the professional world I will be collaborating with my peers throughout my career and therefore it was important to learn this skill. I also learned how to collaborate when it came to relying on my peers for support. If one of us had a question on an assignment, chances were that others were confused too. This allowed for us to bounce ideas off each other and overall help each other with this process. 

Ultimately, I am grateful for what this class has taught me and all that I am able to take away from it. Though it was a bit of an uphill battle, I know that I will be constantly referring to the course material when I am one day teaching in my own classroom. 

Mock Job Interview

Role Play: Job Interview

I found this mock job interview very helpful in practicing for a real job interview after I leave college. The four administrators (Jen, Matt, Taylor, and Nicole) came prepared with very thought-provoking questions. One of my favorite questions was Nicole's which was "If you could go back and witness any event in history which would you go to see and why." I thought this was a very intriguing question which I was able to answer with "the Boston Tea Party."

I thought that the administrators and my peers took this mock job interview very seriously which helped prepare us for the real world as it even made me nervous at times. I thought the administrators were dressed very professionally and asked important questions for prospective employees. 

When the roles were reversed and we were to ask the administrators questions as if they were the interviewee, I was pleased with the responses. When Matt was asked why he chose to become a teacher I was impressed with his response that teachers are the most influential when it comes to shaping society. 

In the end the administrators picked a student from each group to "hire." Being hired for group three was a good validation that I was perhaps not as nervous as I thought I was. 

Current Events

Current Events Presentation 

My partner Jennifer and I were the second group to present the current events project and I believe we did it successfully. We chose the NewsELA article "Saving pieces of history, one bullet or belt buckle at a time”  which was about a man finding artifacts on an old Civil War battleground. My partner and I found this article to be very interesting and decided to accompany it with a "5 W's" chart. As a form of diagnostic assessment before the article was discussed, we reviewed the 5 W's with the class. The majority of the class knew what all 5 W's were. Then, as part of the lesson, each fieldwork group was to read the article individually and then come up with one Who What Where When Why. They were to then fill this information out on a chart on the PowerPoint. I believe this step was a good way to make the presentation interactive. Overall I think this project was an interesting activity in order to study what is going on in the world today. This activity can be used in a variety of grade levels as currents events are a topic that should always be implemented. 

Choose To Be Grateful

Choosing to be Grateful 

The New York Times article brings up the topic of gratitude and giving thanks. Around this time of year, with Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years soon to follow, people become more aware of the blessings that surround them. They become more grateful for family, friends, and food on their table. However, the article also talked about how it is hard to be grateful sometimes in a world full of deprivation and depression. With the recent tragedies that have effected our world, it is only cause to reflect more on what we are thankful for. The article's main point is that even if you are nit grateful, even if you think you can find nothing to be grateful for, if you act the part you will eventually grow grateful. Simply by choosing to be more grateful, we will raise our happiness. 

My favorite was towards the end of the article when the author quotes Epictetus with "He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has." It is true that in order to live a more fulfilling life it is important to appreciate the beauty around you and all the good within your life rather than focusing on what goes wrong or what you do not possess.  It is also important to appreciate the little things as Brooks says, on top of the usual family, friends, food, and a job. It is simple things such as good coffee and laughing with friends that I am grateful for. Specifically around this time of year I am grateful for Christmas lights, Christmas cookies, and giving presents to family and friends. 

Professionally, the article is applicable to the classroom and having a job as a teacher. Often times there may be stress placed on a teacher, but it is important to be grateful for all that the students did achieve rather than pinpointing what was not accomplished or work that needs to get done. As a teacher it is important to simply be grateful that all the students stay healthy and safe. Also in relation to the article, a simple "thank you" to those who appear more tense can always be effective so they feel appreciated. It is important to tell students "thank you" and praise them when they do something correctly rather than focusing on what they do wrong. 

Economics in the Classroom

Learning about Economics in School

In my experience during elementary school there was not too much focus on economics, unfortunately. There were a few projects with money, especially when applicable to math class. We also learned about trade as a part of history between colonists and Native Americans. In high school, economics was much more prevalent when we learned about government spending and taxes. In college I learned about school districts and budgets and trying to cut costs within a school system given a strict budget. 

Learning about Economics from this Project and Peers 

This project helped me realize that there are many different approaches to teaching economics. This website was very informative when it came to suggesting different lessons to teach students ranging from K-5 the various concepts of economics. I had not known before this project the many concepts of economics such as trade, budget, personal finance, exporting, income, and supply and demand. I also did not know the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Thanks to my peers I now understand the many facets of economics and how they can be teachable and broken down for elementary students. 

Here is the link to my slide "Introducing Economics to 5th Graders" 

Artifact Bag Activity with Colleagues

Artifact Bag Activity with Colleagues

     I found everyone in my group's artifact bags to be very creative and interesting. Each group member had a variety of artifacts as well as a variety of people and places the artifacts were about. I liked Dorian's use of a spoon in order to show the silverware the colonists used. I was impressed with Nicole's use of paint with her artifacts, especially with the log cabin which showed the types of houses the New England settlers lived in.  I also liked Emily's old map of North Carolina as a primary source. 

     Overall I thought this was a very fun activity in order to find out more about certain people and places of the past. I was impressed with my colleagues and their creativity with their artifacts. This activity will flourish in the classroom as students will have fun making the bag and finding artifacts. The students can also learn more about history based on their peers different artifact bags. 

Dr. Smirnova's Artifact Bag

Artifact Bag Activity 

November 17, 2015 

     The artifact bag activity was very enjoyable and interesting. The project allowed for collaborative learning and allowed for the group members to work together in order to figure out what each artifact meant. The project allowed for us as a class to learn more about Dr. Smirnova as well as her home country of Russia. The activity was intriguing for the college class and would go over even better among elementary school students. This would work in a lesson in order for the students to get used to working with primary sources and feeling as if they are a part of history.  As a model, the teacher can make artifact bags based on himself/herself in order for the students to practice and also get to know the teacher better. 

Making History Alive 

Sometimes teachers may find it difficult to keep students engaged during a history lesson. Utilizing all that the internet has to offer is important in order to make history more enjoyable for students. 

History in the Raw 

     Primary sources such as drawings, diaries, and letters are important to show students as they show a different perspective than a textbook or other secondary sources. Primary sources also allow for students to connect with the author and feel closer to that part of history. They also develop key analytical skills when given primary sources. Utilizing these sources in the classroom can help keep students interested in a lesson rather than memorizing facts and dates. Primary sources allow for them to personally connect with history. 

Biography Maker 

     This was an interesting tool in order to make students experts on one particular person. Often during a history lesson students learn about multiple people who have impacted the world but the life and accomplishments of each person may not go into much depth. By each student creating a biography on a specific person, they can make in-depth discoveries about them and then share withe the rest of the class. Once completed, the biographies can be shared with the class, allowing for the activity to turn into a Jigsaw activity as well. Then, each member of the class with know more about each person in history that the students researched. Questions such as "What human qualities were most influential in shaping the way this person lived and influenced his or her times?" allow for a more in depth look at each person rather than simply "what did they do?"

QR Treasure Hunt Generator 

      This treasure hunt game was used in class on Thursday. This is a great tool to use with students as an indirect instruction lesson. The game can be played with multiple grade levels depending on the difficulty of the questions. Students will be interested in the game because it is an exciting treasure hunt, yet they will be answering questions pertaining to the lesson along the way and therefore furthering their knowledge. Using the treasure hunt as a cooperative lesson is great way to get students to work together as it takes individual input and patience in order to find multiple questions and answer them as a group. In class the activity was fun and was a great review of different Native American Tribes. If it worked in a college classroom it would only be even more effective in an elementary classtoom to be used as a review.

 

 

The Fieldwork Experience: My Discoveries and Insights

The Fieldwork Experience:

My Discoveries and Insights

Going into fieldwork, I felt somewhat prepared because I had known the fifth graders since they were in third grade as I have been working at the school since my freshman year of college. Walking into the fifth grade classroom, I knew it well because I watch the fifth and sixth graders in extension in that very room after school. I believe going into fieldwork with this knowledge and experience, allowed for me to be more comfortable when the time came for me to teach in front of the class.

As a group, I am confident that we performed well when it was our turn to teach in front of the classroom. Our group rehearsed over and over again until we were able to recite our lesson in our sleep. We made sure to practice every little detail, from the content, to "if you agree put your finger on your nose," to even possible answers students might have. This allowed for us to be very prepared when it came time to teach our lesson.

What I discovered about the students is that they are very eager to learn which often led to the class as a whole getting a little too loud at times. The students also were very competitive with each other which was evident throughout each lesson but came out in full force during Jeopardy.

What I discovered about myself is that I do enjoy teaching and am not as nervous in front of a class as I thought I would be. Granted, I knew most of the students going into fieldwork, which allowed me to call them by name and ultimately make me more comfortable during the lesson. I also learned that as a teacher, it is important to know your students well in order to put them into groups where they can work together cooperatively as well as delivering a lesson tailored to the students's needs. I also experienced for the first time the satisfaction of students who complete work that exceeds my expectations. With the Mayflower Compact homework assignment, students went above and beyond with making the letter appear to be from colonial times. I felt very proud as a teacher when I received this homework assignment.

I discovered that team teaching works very well as it allows teachers to bounce off of one another and rely on each other for support. The team teaching was very helpful when it came to covering multiple bases at once. In this aspect, one person might be teaching or giving directions, while another teacher may pass out papers, while the other teachers go around the room to make sure students stay on task.

Jigsaw Method

Jigsaw Method Reflection

I found that the Jigsaw Method was very effective. Everyone in both the expert groups as well as the base groups did their part and held themselves individually accountable. When each expert reunited in the base group, they were knowledgeable about their topic and were willing to go into depth to explain it to the rest of their group. I liked the Jigsaw method because it allowed for everyone to become experts on a certain topic and yet still learn about everyone else's topic. 

Before this project I had limited to no knowledge of the Tlingit tribe, nor the other three tribes which included the Muscogee, the Lakota, and the Dine. After watching everyone's presentations I found it interesting to compare what I learned about my own tribe to that of the other tribes. My assigned topic was culture, so I found myself mesmerized by the culture of other Native American tribes and comparing and contrasting them. 

This is a very effective project to implement in the classroom because it allows students to practice the skills of working together in groups. It also allows for students to build their research skills which is very important. 

How to Teach Geography

More than 100 Creative Ways to Teach Geography 

I never realized that there were so many different and creative ways a teacher can approach the subject of Geography. Out of all the 100 creative ideas shared on eclass, some of my favorites were: 

v  "Google Earth Trip" -Box/tub/bucket full of slips of paper, each with a world city, landmark, or destination...first student to pack away gets to pick out a slip of paper, and you fly there as a class in Google Earth. 

Ø  I love this idea because it allows the class to see a place anywhere in the world without even leaving their classroom. I especially like this idea since some students may never have the opportunity to travel out of the country, and with this activity they can at least get to see a location with the accuracy that Google Earth allows.  

v  “Go Local”- Ask students to walk for five minutes in different direction from their homes, school, etc. After five minutes, they take a picture of what they can see at their ‘destination’. Students can produce a simple photomontage, perhaps annotated and linked to a map or a class or group could link photos together.

Ø  This is a creative idea as it allows for students to explore geography right in their own neighborhood. This concept also teaches students to observe all that is around them and appreciate local beaut.

v  “Can of Worms”- When a controversial topic is discusses, it is often said that it “opens up a can of worms.” Make a tin and print off thin strips of pink card each one with statement relating to the topic-fill the tin, students take a worm, and have to talk about the contents for 1 minute-vary the difficulty of the worms.

Ø  This is a creative idea as students do not know what topic they will have to discuss which will allow for honest answers. It can also be a literacy teachable moment as the teacher will be able to explain the saying “can of worms” and how it is a figure of speech.

v  “Sing it”- Ask students to adapt the lyrics of a nursery rhyme to fit an issue or the development of a physical feature. For example Old MacDonald updated to reflect current issues in farming.

Ø  This is a fun way for students to think creatively and apply the subject of English. It also offers a way for them to remember a topic easier by applying it to a catchy tune.

v  “Warm Up Maps” – I have a stock of A5 maps of the world, Europe, UK and other continents and countries with up to ten boxes with place names around the outside. These are on desks when students enter the room and they simply draw arrows to connect labels to locations.

Ø  An important part of geography is maps and how to properly label one. This is a good activity in order for students to study locations on a map of a certain country or region.

v  “Adopt a Webcam” –Regular ‘visits’ to the same location give pupils an excellent impression of the changing seasons and a real familiarity with a distant location. Start with S Georgia-seals and penguins from Nov to March, snow and ice as now in the S Hemi winter.

Ø  This is a creative activity that allows students to learn about a location without just reading about it or looking at pictures but by watching live footage of that location in order to actually get an idea of the area.

v  “Before, Before, After, After” – Choose an image and ask pupils to consider what happened before the picture was taken and what will happen in the future. You can choose the time ranges. E.g. 10 years before.

Ø  This is a good project as it allows for students to apply their knowledge of geography and the environment in order to think critically and make predictions.

v  “Throw a Globe” –Use a globe shaped stress ball or a blow up globe for questioning. Throw the globe to the individual you want to answer a question, this student can then throw the globe to another student.

Ø  Not only is this a fun activity to get students moving around but it allows for class participation and sharing.

v  “Produce a Wheel”- Two circles of card, one with a cut-out window, attach together with a butterfly clip in the center. Students can draw images in the window to show change over time- for example the passage of a depression. Remember to move on the window each time.

Ø  Students can make these themselves and decorate them how they want. This project will allow them to showcase their knowledge and they can also use it to study.

v  “Use a Shower Curtain”- A world shower curtain is a useful addition to the classroom, it can be displayed on a wall or used on the floor and annotated with non-permanent pens.

Ø  This is a creative idea as it is not a typical map. It also allows for the teacher to add notes to it as the year goes on and more is learned. In order to get students to participate, they can also add to the map. 

Reflection on Presentation

My First Presentation 

Tuesday I presented in Social Studies methods for the very first time. I wasn't too nervous because I was comfortable with my topic and knew most of the students in my class. I had to present on Glogster which is a multimedia website I had used before in high school. My first choice was Prezi since I had also used that website in school, but it had been taken so I went with Glogster. After my presentation I asked the class if they were familiar with Glogster and none of them said that they were. After my presentation I realized that my high school really was up-to-date on technology and media and I'm grateful that I had knowledge of these various platforms before college. I have used Prezi in presentation here at the Mount and I guess I owe that to my high school. They were always generous with iPads and teaching us how to utilize different media such as Glogster or Prezi. In the classroom I believe Prezi and Glogster will be great tools to use not only for students but to give information rather than a simple Power Point that ma cause them to lose interest. 

Cooperative Learning

Teaching Geography and Cooperative Learning 

What is Cooperative Learning? 

• Promotes collaboration and gets rid of competition
• Students become invested in classmates' learning as well as their own 
• Not just "group work"

5 Components/Elements: 

1. Positive Interdependence
2. Face-to-face interaction 
3. Individual accountability
4. Interpersonal and small group skills
5. Group processing 

Different activities to promote Cooperative Learning: 

• Think-Pair-Share
• Inside/Outside Circles
• Jigsaw
• Four corners
• Three-step interview
• Place mat

Class Notes Week Two

Class Notes. Thursday 9/10

Components of Assessment 

1. Evaluation
2. Management 
3. Feedback

Types of Assessment

Diagnostic-Pre-Assessment

Formative- During the Lesson. It is ongoing 

Summative- Happens at the end of the process. 

• some types include: tests, class projects

What is an authentic assessment in comparison to traditional assessment? 

• Students complete projects that relate to real life. 
• Life-oriented, active, students are engaged. 
• There are multiple aspects to measure, it is not just cognitive. 
• It is not a punishment, it is a gift. 

What can be assessed? 

• Readiness
• Interest
• Learning Profile 

Class Notes Week One

In-Class Notes

What is Social Studies?

A combination of different disciplines

Social Studies is....

• Meaningful-When u connect what students are learning with real world situations. 
• Integrative- It is not just a memorization of facts but incorporating different subject areas. 
• Value-Based-  Make the students become involved citizens and hold them socially responsible. 
• Challenging-  Hold students to a higher standard. 
• Active- Hands-on but also Minds-on 

I believe that it is important as a teacher to incorporate these 5 elements into each lesson. If social studies is not meaningful to students, they will not retain the information.  

How People Learn-What is Learning? 

    Knowledge retained when: 

• Reading-10%
• Audiovisual-20%
• Demonstration-30%
• Discussion-50%
• Practice doing-75%
• Teach others-90% 

Structure of Knowledge: by Jerome Bruner

1. Meta-Cognition-learning about learning thinking about thinking 
2. Generalizations 
3. Concepts
4. Facts

Week Two Readings

Important Points From Readings 
What is Social Studies?


Social Studies is an integrated study of the social Sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. 


 There are many different disciplines of social studies, each having a specific perspective to the study of reality. 


  In  order to contribute to the the world you must be an active citizen. Ultimately, social studies helps promote the knowledge of an involvement in civic affairs. 


There is a difference between superficial knowledge and a deep understanding of knowledge. 



Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what you already know.  


Social Studies integrates different areas of study, therefore making school more of a learning place rather than something for students to get "through". 


Reflection- I already had a general understanding of what Social Studies was, but after reading the articles I understand that it involves many more disciplines than I realized. I also never thought of learning about Social studies as a way to be an "active citizen." It is true though, in order to be more involved in out country and our world we need to understand them. 

First Blog Post

Today is the fourth day of my junior year of college. Time has gone gone by way too fast but I am looking forward to this year and looking forward to furthering my journey as an education student. 

I found this video very engaging and eye-opening regarding the youth of today and how much technology they use. As a member of the media-driven generation I know that in the future our world will be mostly driven digitally. As a future teacher it is my job to utilize what the students of today are strongest in. If they are spending most of their time on iPads, the computer, and watching TV then as teachers we should use that interest in order to keep them engaged. 

Although this is a media-driven country and students are interested in learning digitally, I am also still someone who believes in pen and paper and the authenticity of reading a physical book. In my future classroom I will make sure that there is a nice balance in order to keep traditions yet embrace the digital age and take advantage of all it has to offer.