Task 1 Responding to Tragic Events / Hurricanes

There are no "right" or "wrong" ways to talk with children about any natural disasters, however, these are still important conversations to have. I really don't think you should force children to talk about such disasters as Hurricane Irene unless they are ready. All children may not want to talk. They may feel more comfortable drawing pictures. We should give children can't honest answers and information, as well as, use words they can understand. While discussing disasters, let children know they are safe at school but also let them know you can't promise that there wont be another natural disaster. The following sites I found could be the most useful ad appropriate for my grade level and would help to address teaching children about hurricanes.
 

• http://bit.ly/ooStuF
• http://bit.ly/qq9mFA

What Do We Mean By Literacy Now?

What I found most interesting from this week's readings was the explanation of multiple literacies. This article could really change the way you think about literacy. It makes sense to me now to say that different cultural groups have different ways of making meaning. Therefore, different cultural groups teach literacy in different ways to their children. Literacy has come to mean different things to different groups of people. So, my student's parents may define literacy totally different from how I now define literacy. After all, I use to think of literacy as simply being able to read and write.

Goal Setting

My goal this year is to implement more engaging strategies in my classroom  as well as putting more rigor into my lessons across all content areas. I would like to teach so that each student achieves the grade level objectives. Engaging students in learning makes school more interesting and connects learning to the real world. Hopefully, if I can include more activities that engage students, it will help them to think on a higher level and even change the way they process information.

"What I Have Learned"

This summer I have learned that my personality, experiences, and what I learned as a student affects the way I teach. The common core standards are moving us as educators away from traditional schooling. Traditional ways are not wrong, but they need to balanced with other ways. Best Practices allows a teacher to make their classroom student centered. The kids who need Best Practice teaching the most are not getting it mainly because of standardized testing. As reading teachers we must teach thinking and no longer depend on the basal. We must provide students with text worth thinking about, help them think, and give them others with whom to think. Reading is interactive and strategic. Time often interferes with social studies instruction.Therefore, we must teach social studies content in reading / language arts. Through careful planning, teachers can integrate social studies across the curriculum. Integrated units is how teachers pull it all together. These units are student centered and the teacher is a model, and manages the inquiry process. This kind of learning requires big blocks of time. Students do not see the picture when subjects are are  departmentalized.     

Student Achievement and Assessment / Schell & Fisher

Effective assessments measure student knowledge and skills as well as helping a teacher evaluate their instructional practices. Formal assessments should not be the primary goal for teaching social studies. Formal assessments are important but informal assessments are just as important. As an educator, we must decide when and how we will assess  students, but a lot of times it is out of our control. Feedback must be immediate and specific if we want students to learn. we must develop test after we have taught and make sure it is based on what we taught. This helps you and your students see progress.

Assessments / Daniels and Bizar

Standardized test scores correlate with socioeconomic status. Most all schools on probation serve poor children. The economically advantaged kids do better and usually one factor is that they are the kids of the parents who make the test. Teachers are expected to teach in creative ways, however, students will be tested differently. Standardized test results place pressure on teachers and they are hesitate to take risks. In all schools, to effectively evaluate student growth and learning there should be a balance of assessments. Therefore, this may help avoid teachers only teaching to standardized tests.

Exploring with the Red Capes

Today while meeting with the Red Capes on our integrated unit, we had an opportunity to explore the grounds of the John Wheeler House in historic Murfreesboro. Kudos to Susan for setting up the mini exploration. Susan's neighbor showed us around the grounds at the Wheeler House. The grounds were beautiful and he was very knowledgeable about the area. He shared some interesting facts with us. The Wheeler house used to be a hardware store and later transformed into living quarters. Mr. Wheeler was married three times and the father of nineteen children. Another fact I found interesting was that the kitchen and dining area were separated, so if there was a fire it would not destroy the whole house. The cooks had to whistle when they brought the food to the dining area. This way they knew they did  not eat any of the food. We were able to look in the windows but were not allowed to enter the house. It was still a great experience.