2-26-2016 EDEL 1010 Intro to Ed: Blog Post #4

My service learning so far has been in a Special Education Resource Room so I have not seen as much of the big picture yet. In two weeks I will be starting to work in a regular education class and so will hopefully be able to relate to more of the Engaged Learning ideas that were discussed in this Module. Nonetheless, a lot of Engaged Learning takes place in the Resource Room where I observe! Some of the things I observed this past week: 1. Games that teach: reading groups sometimes play BINGO with word cards from their current reading booklet. Pretzels are used to mark the words called out. Kids love Bingo of any kind! After the game, they eat their pretzels and they enjoy that too. (One would have to be careful if you had a student with wheat intolerance.) 2. Students are given choices: even though the teacher may know what two activities they "must" cover that day, they usually ask the students which activity they choose to do first. 3 Sometime "technology" doesn't have to mean fancy computers: these teachers use a lot of laminating so students can do any worksheet as a "white board" and easily erase their work, so the worksheets can be used over and over. Magnetic strips on the back of letters, used with cookie pans make another great individual "work board" for students to work on putting together vowels, consonants, and blends. Still, smartboards, computers, and dot cameras are important tools for teachers too. 4. I am getting familiar (again) with how much students need to move--of course some more than others! Especially with students on the Autism Spectrum, sometimes they need movement; sometimes they need just a 5 minute break to bring their frustration back down to a level they can manage.

2-25-2016 EDEL 2200 Tech in Ed: Symbaloo

Today I added to my Symbaloo pages and finished my First Grade Core Standards page on Measurement & Data links. Symbaloo is a great, colorful way to save internet bookmarks on various subjects, with a Page for Home, Tools, and whatever else you want to make. It will be a great way to keep track of websites used for different subjects in teaching, as well as frequently used site for research, shopping, and more. I have embedded a link to symbaloo on the blog (at right) or you can visit my First Grade Math page at https://edu.symbaloo.com/mix/utcorestandard-1stgr Happy Learning!

2-18-2016 EDSP 3400: Intro to Spec Ed: service learning

Both EDSP 3400 and EDEL 1010 classes have requirements for Service Learning: so I have 10 hours to observe/ participate in a special ed setting and 20 hours required for the special ed class. The ELED department kindly lets us count the 10 hours of special ed observation for both classes, so I am doing it first. I am observing in a Resource Room at an elementary that is part of the Wasatch County School District The school has over 600 students in K-4 and three "special ed" classes, with two being resource rooms and one self-contained room. I am in one of the Resource Rooms. This experience has been especially interesting because in addition to the classes mentioned above I am taking a class SW2500 which is Understanding the Autism Spectrum-- and the teacher works with two students who are on the Spectrum. One is in a lower grade and I have not seen him, but the other is in a higher grade and I have seen him each time I have been there to observe. It is so interesting to watch the teacher work with him, using techniques that I have read about and seen in both the EDSP Class and the Autism class. Many years ago I worked with students with Autism and it is so wonderful to see that "we" understand their situations so much better now than we did then! So now I wonder, is general education really where I want to be or do I have what it takes to work in special education again? In the past I worked primarily with severely disabled students as a related service provider. I know the burnout rate for special ed is higher than any other field in education. But I am fascinated with the possibility of really making a difference in the lives of students who may go on to be fully functional in our crazy world!

2-18-2016 Intro to Ed: Service Learning: student choice

Mrs. Lay's Resource Room at Midway Elementary is a place where students feel safe. She greets each student by name as they arrive (in groups of 4-6, or as an individual) and says "Welcome" or "Glad you could come today", or something similar. She continues to call them by name or calls each one "Friend" as they are working. In the (language/reading) groups, each student has a laminated card with their name on it that they pick up as they come into class and then STARS are added throughout the class period for such things as good listening, waiting their turn quietly, helping other students, etc. The stars are written on the laminated cards with white board pens: when a students card is filled, they choose a reward from the Reward Box. (This way the cards can be wiped off and re-used). If students are not following instructions or causing other students to be distracted, they are given two warnings. A third offense results in a STOP SIGN being placed on their Star Chart, and no more stars can be given during that class session. Routines I observed included the teacher holding her hands out, and the students responding by holding their hands out to indicate they are ready to listen. Each group of students does three to four activities during their 30 minute time slot. One of the activities they choose, based on two choices offered. Another very cool thing I observed is in reading together: the students and the teacher read a book out loud together (they call it choral reading). Then each student reads it individually with the teacher: but while one is reading, the others are given "phones" and they read into the phones. This helps the students read clearly (as if speaking to the teacher on the phone). The "phones" are two elbows and a short piece of PVC pipe put together like an old fashioned phone receiver. The kids like them and they keep the students from "just mumbling along" when they are supposed to read out loud in practicing, before their turn to read individually with the teacher.

2-11-2016 Intro to Ed: Service Learning

Yesterday it finally worked out for me to spend some time with Trish Lay, one of the Resource Room teachers at Midway Elementary! Because I am in EDSP 3400 Class (Special Students in Gen Ed Classrooms), I am going to do the 10 hours of special ed first and then do at least 10 more hours in regular ed. I was impressed with Mrs. Lay: there are many little things that she did that I now recognize were not just hand movements but were cues and prompts to help the students stay on task. So far I think the primary learning theory she uses is Behaviorism. She seems very aware of antecedents and is careful with the consequences she allows to happen! I liked her friendliness to the students and I could see the students responding to that. Some of the activities I observed today included: small group practice with Fry phrase cards; work on listening to, writing, and reading ending blends (with erasable sheets); and individual work with a student on the Autism Spectrum for math skills. Midway Elementary (in Midway, UT) is part of the Wasatch County (Heber) School District. Midway has a population of about 3000 people, yet the school has over 600 students in K-4th grade! That seems large to me! Of those 600 students, about 100 receive some resource room or other special ed services, yet only about 22 are on IEP's. Cool! this way students who are struggling a little can get special help without the stigma of a label!

2-11-2-16 EDEL 1010 Intro to Ed Class: Twitter Chat

Today we had to participate in a live chat on Twitter. I didn't want to do it! But I'm glad we did as it forced me to use Twitter and realize how useful it could be for an online class's discussion. Several "Classroom Community Building" ideas were shared that I wrote down in my "Teacher Ideas notebook" including more ideas for Morning Meetings; a compliment box where students can put anonymous compliments for other students that the teacher could read (some or all of) at the end of the day or week. I also liked the idea of using Morning Meetings as a time to get to know other students' culture. This could include sharing family traditions. A Class Pet (stuffed animal) is another idea that I think would be comforting to students and help them feel like a team. I think it's interesting that we used to say TEAMBUILDING or teamwork and now we say collaboration or community-building and "small group activities." I plan to check into this Twitter chat (is it a site or a place or a page?) frequently to see what others are Tweeting!

2-9-2016 Tech in Ed Class: Pinterest

Several months ago my daughter helped me set up a Pinterest page. I confess I hadn't looked at it since! However, I am glad this class made me get back into it and develop a place to KEEP great ideas I run across on the 'net. I now have a UVU Elem Ed board on Pinterest and have it embedded into my blog: COOL. I can already see that I am going to need more than one "Board" on Pinterest related to education!

2-8-2016 Tech in Ed Class: Infographic

Infographic! That assignment went well I think. Infographic works much like InDesign and Photoshop from the Adobe family so it was not difficult. So now I have done an infographic for my ED 1010 class and my ED 2200 class. The second one is on the blog under the new "Pages for Parents" tab at the top.

2-6-2016 EDEL 1010 Intro to Ed: Service Learning

This week I was supposed to write about "Which learning theory does the teacher in your service-learning placement seem to use the most?" but my service learning, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd, was postponed twice this week and is now set for Wed. Feb. 10. I will be working first with the Elementary Special Education teacher at Midway Elementary. If this position doesn't work out this week, I will get started on a Regular Education classroom observation either at Midway or JR Smith Elementary.