Christina Mendez 10/27/08
Blog 8
This week’s discussion on first graders took place from October 20, 2008 until October 26, 2008. One woman was looking for help with ways for students to understand how to sound out words.
A. These include descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues that were discussed.
This woman had a 1st grader who absolutely cannot sound anything out. If she tested him on letters and letter sounds, he got 95% and higher. However, when it comes to putting these sounds together into words, he just cannot do it. For instance, the word path he sounded /p/ /a/ and had trouble remembering the sound and tried to say /t/ /h/, but then he'd look at her and say "little" and we'd try it again and he'd look at her and say "stop" and absolutely cannot put sounds together. She wanted help from people as to what she can do.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice.
One woman responded by saying that she plays a game way ahead of time before she even attempts sound out with the children. She shows the children the 3 sounds, however, she doesn’t so the th, ch, sh, or wh until the students can do three letter words. She shows the child the 3 sounds and says duh awh guh. Then she says it several times and then a little faster and see if they can beat her by saying what word it is. She does this with many different three letter words before they even begin to read. She also makes sure the child knows word families before they ever go to text. In other words, after they have played the sound game she does word families such as dog, hog,
log, bog, etc. Then they do cat, hat, rat, bat, etc. They do the 3 sounds together
with her only saying the sounds, then later they will be able to say and blend them
fine unless there is something else going on. One woman told her to go to Google and search Elkonin Boxes. She said that it was a great technique to implement. One woman replied by saying her son was the same way plus there was not a single word that he said that had the sounds in the correct order. All of his speech was like the sounds popping out in a totally bizarre, illogical pattern. After she took him to a number of educators and specialists, she learned that her don has dyslexia manifesting in an auditorial field. She found a speech therapist through the school district and within one year, the people who reviewed his records and then met him could not believe the records were her son’s. After 2 years with a speech therapist, her son exited the resource program and nobody could ever believe what her son was like before. Today, he will speak a bit slower than the average person but every sound is properly produced in the appropriate order. Another person said they would go back to the beginning to make sure he has phonemic awareness. She recommended doing things that you would do in Kindergarten. How many words do you hear in this sentence? What rhymes with dog? What's this word=dog. Take away the /d/, how would you say it? Take away the /g/, how would you say it? She agreed that the Elkonan boxes fit right in with this since it helps students segment the sounds they hear in words. She said it doesn't sound like he has phonemic awareness and this has been missed because he has memorized sight words. She told her if she was not sure, Google phonemic awareness or ask a veteran K teacher. Another woman agreed with her. She has seen a number of kids do that. She doesn't know if it is that they don't want to try or not. But whatever the reason, if you push them a little, and coach them to slow down and really think about it...ask them to ask themselves if their answer makes sense. If they are pushed a little they will usually meet you there. Make them slow down and really think about what sounds they are making. Another woman agreed, but said she would assess them with DIEBELS or some other assessment to determine if they do have phonemic awareness or not. It won't hurt anything. One woman said to call the child’s parents and get a check up done. Another person agreed that the child should be tested for auditory as well as visual processing difficulties. Her daughter had the same types of problems, but could perform well in school, therefore she could not convince school officials that something was amiss. School finally became extremely difficult in high school and she was diagnosed as having severe auditory processing and integration problems as well as dyslexia and is categorized as learning disabled. She is finally receiving services. She suggested she recommends testing for this child as soon as possible to rule out any processing difficulties. The woman told us that this little one is in speech! He hardly moves his mouth at all when he talks. She said it’s like he’s swallowing the words, because his jaw does not move. If they remind him to open his mouth when he talks, he does. One woman replied by saying it sounds like Araxia. Her daughter has the same problem and struggles when she talks. She does work hard to keep it going, but it does take lots of reminders. She said that there will be gains. Keep reminding them to open their mouths and to use all of their sounds work. She tried to do the first 100 sight words nightly with her, and she had to sound out the word and try to get as many of the sounds as possible. One woman responded by saying when she was a teacher's aide about 8 yrs ago they used pvc pipe fitted together to make "telephones".
One curved piece at the bottom to talk into, a straight piece and another curved piece that went to the ear. The whole class (22) would practice specific sounds and then sounding out words by talking into the "telephone". It cuts down on outside noise and allows them to hear themselves without the use of tape recorders and such. They were only press fitted together so the "telephone could be reconfigured with other types of connectors to allow the teacher and student to take turns speaking and both of you could hear the difference. She warned that kids cannot work on this together as they find it funny to yell into the telephone and blow out the other kid's ear! On the other hand...it was quite inexpensive, easy to clean and the kids had a blast "building" their telephones. It could also be used in front of a mirror so that mouth movements can be compared. One woman agreed that the telephones worked and were a great idea.
Last Posting
A. What would you tell others when joining a teacher listserv, blog, or discussion board?
The only one that really worked for me was the listserv. The teacher listserv was good because it gave a lot of helpful information and scenarios about a vast amount of topics in education. People responded to my questions helping me gain more insight into the field. It was constantly moving from topic to topic so you got used to the same people and felt comfortable responding to people. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.
B. How did the experience compare to your expectations.
The experience was more than what I expected. I really did not think that I was going to learn and interact with people that much. I would definitely recommend someone to join one in their field and get as much experience as they can.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Blog 7
Christina Mendez 10-20-08
Topic Headings
This list serve is classroom management and the discussions take pace from October 15, 2008 until October 19, 2008. The issue that was being discussed was the noise level in the classroom.
A. Include descriptions of classroom activities, resources and issues that were discussed.
One woman started the discussion be saying that she has 18 4-5 year old children and during center time the noise level gets increasingly louder. She asked for any suggestions.
B: Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
One woman said to go back and reteach the appropriate behavior for each center and center time. She also said to evaluate your centers to see if they are too noisy. I agree with her. 4-5 year old children need to be reminded constantly of their behaviors. Another woman agreed with her by saying sometimes you need to keep teaching them the difference between outdoor and indoor voices. She told her to try teaching them the 1, 2, 3 sound level by using your voice or music to demonstrate the difference. 1: indoor voice, 2: talking with your friends, 3: playground voice. I thought that was a fabulous idea, the 1, 2, 3 method. I had never thought of that. Another woman said she has a class of 17 4/5 year olds and she understands the situation about noise escalating during work time. She explains that there is going to be noise whenever a large group of preschoolers are talking at the same time, but they tend to get louder and louder as center time goes on. She uses the "Give Me 5 method" for getting the children's attention. If it gets too noisy, she stands in the middle of the room where she is visible to all of the children. She puts her hand in the air and says "Give Me Five". She explains that the children have been taught what to do when this happens early in the year. The children are to immediately stop whatever they are doing, put their hands in the air like the teacher, look at the teacher and listen to the teacher. She then tells them that the noise is too high and they need to talk quieter. She only gives them 2 chances during center time. If it gets noisy a third time, they have to clean up. She then has them sit at the tables and with the remaining time, does a table toy with no talking. During that time she reminds them of the classroom rules and why we have to talk in a softer voice when we are inside the building. She goes over the difference between outdoor and indoor voices. Another woman had just been at a conference for reading and writing proficiency. At the meeting they were talking about ways to get students to read better. They have a device which looks like a handless phone set: earphone with a wraparound microphone. The benefit beyond helping the child to hear what he or she is saying is that they cannot talk loudly as it will hurt their ears. The teachers that have used them in the room allow the kids to have center time with them. She says it reportedly has kept the noise levels lower. One woman asked how many at a center at one time. She suggested that maybe there are too many. She agreed with the other posters to review and practice the rules for center time. After 1-2 warnings, time to clean up letting them know that they can try again tomorrow.
Rsponses to Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer that particular question or make a particular comment?
I answered this woman’s post by saying that she should stop the center time after 3 warnings and have them clean up. Then they should go back to their seats and have a class discussion of the rules during center time.
Topic Headings
This list serve is classroom management and the discussions take pace from October 15, 2008 until October 19, 2008. The issue that was being discussed was the noise level in the classroom.
A. Include descriptions of classroom activities, resources and issues that were discussed.
One woman started the discussion be saying that she has 18 4-5 year old children and during center time the noise level gets increasingly louder. She asked for any suggestions.
B: Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
One woman said to go back and reteach the appropriate behavior for each center and center time. She also said to evaluate your centers to see if they are too noisy. I agree with her. 4-5 year old children need to be reminded constantly of their behaviors. Another woman agreed with her by saying sometimes you need to keep teaching them the difference between outdoor and indoor voices. She told her to try teaching them the 1, 2, 3 sound level by using your voice or music to demonstrate the difference. 1: indoor voice, 2: talking with your friends, 3: playground voice. I thought that was a fabulous idea, the 1, 2, 3 method. I had never thought of that. Another woman said she has a class of 17 4/5 year olds and she understands the situation about noise escalating during work time. She explains that there is going to be noise whenever a large group of preschoolers are talking at the same time, but they tend to get louder and louder as center time goes on. She uses the "Give Me 5 method" for getting the children's attention. If it gets too noisy, she stands in the middle of the room where she is visible to all of the children. She puts her hand in the air and says "Give Me Five". She explains that the children have been taught what to do when this happens early in the year. The children are to immediately stop whatever they are doing, put their hands in the air like the teacher, look at the teacher and listen to the teacher. She then tells them that the noise is too high and they need to talk quieter. She only gives them 2 chances during center time. If it gets noisy a third time, they have to clean up. She then has them sit at the tables and with the remaining time, does a table toy with no talking. During that time she reminds them of the classroom rules and why we have to talk in a softer voice when we are inside the building. She goes over the difference between outdoor and indoor voices. Another woman had just been at a conference for reading and writing proficiency. At the meeting they were talking about ways to get students to read better. They have a device which looks like a handless phone set: earphone with a wraparound microphone. The benefit beyond helping the child to hear what he or she is saying is that they cannot talk loudly as it will hurt their ears. The teachers that have used them in the room allow the kids to have center time with them. She says it reportedly has kept the noise levels lower. One woman asked how many at a center at one time. She suggested that maybe there are too many. She agreed with the other posters to review and practice the rules for center time. After 1-2 warnings, time to clean up letting them know that they can try again tomorrow.
Rsponses to Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer that particular question or make a particular comment?
I answered this woman’s post by saying that she should stop the center time after 3 warnings and have them clean up. Then they should go back to their seats and have a class discussion of the rules during center time.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Blog 6
Christina Mendez 10-14-08
Bog 6
From October 9 to October 14, 2008 I was in a behavior management list serve. During this period several people were discussing the issue of students falling asleep. People were addressing the issue and commenting to others how they handle it. The students were at the high schools level and even though I am not certified to teach high school I am always interested to find out what areas they have issues in and how people handle them.
Topic Headings
A. Include descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues that were discussed.
One man started the discussion off by asking what he should do that he has high school students who are constantly falling asleep during class and not do their work. He needed help as to how to address this issue.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
A woman, who belonged to a program for underachievers at the high school level, responded to him. She was explaining that her and her partner have the person stand up for the whole class period if they need to wake them more than once. She also gave him advice from what she does with students who do not do their work. They have a no zero policy by having the student come during their lunch period to make up the work. If they do not come for that one, than it’s an hour after school. If the student still does not come than the team has a parent teacher conference. She explains that so far the students show up for the 3 H’s—Homework Half Hour. Another woman replied by saying that this is a very difficult thing to deal with. She says that these high school students spend to many things other than school work. Sometimes, parents are working and the students have to watch the younger siblings. If this is the case, she said she would have a parent teacher conference to discuss the issue. This way you at least have an un understanding. She feels that he needs to get involved personally with the issue of sleeping in the class. She feels that talking to them one on one will help with the issue rather than as a whole class. She explains that if there was an aid in the room, to leave the aid in charge of the class and take the student to a place where you can talk to the students without the student feeling embarrassed. She feels that this would work with some students. Another woman had agreed with this woman in the sense that they are doing other things at night, however, she feels that it is due to them playing video games, talking on their cell phones, and watching tv. She feels that he needs to talk to the parent to find out and explain to the parents their child’s status in school and the steps they need to take to resolve the situation. She also recommended when the students fall asleep and you wake them to have them fill out a form saying that they would rather sleep that do their work and show this to the parents, which shows them that there are consequences to their actions. Another person responded that if you see it is a constant pattern with sleeping, that maybe they need to turn their lessons around. She was saying to try to find out what they are interested in and relate the material to their lives. This way, she feels, the students will stay more focused in class because they will be interested.
Responses’ To Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer this particular question or make a particular comment.
I chose to comment on the woman who said to leave the aid in charge of the class and talk to the student about why he or she may not be sleeping. I responded by saying I do think it is important for the teacher to show the student that they care, however, if they leave the class to talk to the students they are failing the other students. This man has a responsibility to teach the students and he can’t just forget about the rest of the kids. He can do it at a time when neither one of them will miss out on teaching and learning.
Bog 6
From October 9 to October 14, 2008 I was in a behavior management list serve. During this period several people were discussing the issue of students falling asleep. People were addressing the issue and commenting to others how they handle it. The students were at the high schools level and even though I am not certified to teach high school I am always interested to find out what areas they have issues in and how people handle them.
Topic Headings
A. Include descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues that were discussed.
One man started the discussion off by asking what he should do that he has high school students who are constantly falling asleep during class and not do their work. He needed help as to how to address this issue.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
A woman, who belonged to a program for underachievers at the high school level, responded to him. She was explaining that her and her partner have the person stand up for the whole class period if they need to wake them more than once. She also gave him advice from what she does with students who do not do their work. They have a no zero policy by having the student come during their lunch period to make up the work. If they do not come for that one, than it’s an hour after school. If the student still does not come than the team has a parent teacher conference. She explains that so far the students show up for the 3 H’s—Homework Half Hour. Another woman replied by saying that this is a very difficult thing to deal with. She says that these high school students spend to many things other than school work. Sometimes, parents are working and the students have to watch the younger siblings. If this is the case, she said she would have a parent teacher conference to discuss the issue. This way you at least have an un understanding. She feels that he needs to get involved personally with the issue of sleeping in the class. She feels that talking to them one on one will help with the issue rather than as a whole class. She explains that if there was an aid in the room, to leave the aid in charge of the class and take the student to a place where you can talk to the students without the student feeling embarrassed. She feels that this would work with some students. Another woman had agreed with this woman in the sense that they are doing other things at night, however, she feels that it is due to them playing video games, talking on their cell phones, and watching tv. She feels that he needs to talk to the parent to find out and explain to the parents their child’s status in school and the steps they need to take to resolve the situation. She also recommended when the students fall asleep and you wake them to have them fill out a form saying that they would rather sleep that do their work and show this to the parents, which shows them that there are consequences to their actions. Another person responded that if you see it is a constant pattern with sleeping, that maybe they need to turn their lessons around. She was saying to try to find out what they are interested in and relate the material to their lives. This way, she feels, the students will stay more focused in class because they will be interested.
Responses’ To Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer this particular question or make a particular comment.
I chose to comment on the woman who said to leave the aid in charge of the class and talk to the student about why he or she may not be sleeping. I responded by saying I do think it is important for the teacher to show the student that they care, however, if they leave the class to talk to the students they are failing the other students. This man has a responsibility to teach the students and he can’t just forget about the rest of the kids. He can do it at a time when neither one of them will miss out on teaching and learning.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Blog 5
Christina Mendez 10-9-2008
Blog 5
Topic Headings
The list serve that I joined is classroom management. I have been a part of this blog since September. There are many issues that have been addressed and for this week the issue was on grouping of kids in a classroom. This discussion took place from October 2, 2008 to October 9. 2008.
A. Include the descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues that were discussed.
One woman was explaining that she feels that grouping needs to be flexible and has to be used as a mixture. She feels if you do not make it a mixture the kids will get used to the idea that they are in set groups. In her classroom she makes it as spontaneous as possible for the kids and they get a kick out of her looking over them and picking students for groups. One method she has done to group them was to use magnets with their names on them or colored numbers. She also explained that she only uses peer tutoring on an as needed basis. If students are struggling it is helpful, however, if it is used frequently the struggling students will become frustrated.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
For this week’s discussion there were many agreements between people. One woman commented by saying that she believes in homogeneous grouping. She feels that some students benefit from the leadership role and other students learn from someone on their level because the material is explained better. Sometimes the lower functioning students ask questions to a peer that they may not ask to the whole class because they are afraid of getting made fun of. Another woman agreed by stating she places the top students with the lower students. She uses peer tutoring when she has tried everything else and nothing else seems to work. She agrees that students can say things to each other in ways that adults can not. For example, the students may not use the right terminology or the terminology of the state based standards, however once the child has a foundation the terminology will come to them. She also says that she doesn’t use it frequently, but only on an as needed basis. For example, in science labs she will make the groups mixed levels. She feels that it is helpful for both levels of students. She finds that the lower students are more tactile, visual and hands on learners. She feels that by using their natural curiosity and questioning natures along with the tops students’ ability to organize and record seems to work well in this type of activity. Lastly someone responded by saying that she just started teaching science and she was wondering about multiple level grouping assets.
Blog 5
Topic Headings
The list serve that I joined is classroom management. I have been a part of this blog since September. There are many issues that have been addressed and for this week the issue was on grouping of kids in a classroom. This discussion took place from October 2, 2008 to October 9. 2008.
A. Include the descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues that were discussed.
One woman was explaining that she feels that grouping needs to be flexible and has to be used as a mixture. She feels if you do not make it a mixture the kids will get used to the idea that they are in set groups. In her classroom she makes it as spontaneous as possible for the kids and they get a kick out of her looking over them and picking students for groups. One method she has done to group them was to use magnets with their names on them or colored numbers. She also explained that she only uses peer tutoring on an as needed basis. If students are struggling it is helpful, however, if it is used frequently the struggling students will become frustrated.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, advice, etc.
For this week’s discussion there were many agreements between people. One woman commented by saying that she believes in homogeneous grouping. She feels that some students benefit from the leadership role and other students learn from someone on their level because the material is explained better. Sometimes the lower functioning students ask questions to a peer that they may not ask to the whole class because they are afraid of getting made fun of. Another woman agreed by stating she places the top students with the lower students. She uses peer tutoring when she has tried everything else and nothing else seems to work. She agrees that students can say things to each other in ways that adults can not. For example, the students may not use the right terminology or the terminology of the state based standards, however once the child has a foundation the terminology will come to them. She also says that she doesn’t use it frequently, but only on an as needed basis. For example, in science labs she will make the groups mixed levels. She feels that it is helpful for both levels of students. She finds that the lower students are more tactile, visual and hands on learners. She feels that by using their natural curiosity and questioning natures along with the tops students’ ability to organize and record seems to work well in this type of activity. Lastly someone responded by saying that she just started teaching science and she was wondering about multiple level grouping assets.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Blog 4
Journal Directions
From September 29, 2008 until October 2, 2008 the listserv was discussing different ways to address the students.
A. These include descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues discussed.
The discussion got started by one woman saying that she calls the kids to the carpet by even/odd numbers. She said that she taught first grade. She felt that it was helpful to the students to call them by numbers that were even and odd because 1—it was like a game for them and 2—because it helped them with number recognition.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, and advice
Throughout this weeks discussion there were mixed views on this woman’s approach to classroom management. One person severely disagreed with her because she thought that it completely desensitized the relationship between the teacher and the student. Another person also disagreed and said that the students were not being addressed in a human way and she would not want her child to be called by a number. She also added, by addressing them in a human way it teaches them respect. Some people were in the middle by saying that what works for one teacher does not work for all teachers. They also said that the strategies you use in a classroom depend on the type of kids that are in your classroom. I completely agree with them. A couple of people said that they can see where it might give added practice in recognizing things like even/odd numbers, color recognition, skip counting, categorizing, etc. Some people thanked her for the idea. They thought it was a cute way to get the students motivated to become involved in the lesson. In addition, other teachers thought it would help the students develop a sense of order or learn how to organize. It sounded like a way to keep good structure. Another teacher commented by saying the personal aspect is not lost with reinforcement of the praise in using their names. Lastly, a teacher added her opinion by saying that she also calls kids to the carpet by saying whosever name begins with the letter “T” come to the carpet.
C: Explain any follow up activities that you have tried that you learned from the list serve.
I tried the strategy of calling the students to the carpet by the rug and it was successful. The students did think of it as a game and no child felt out of place
Responses to Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer this particular question or make a particular comment?
I chose to respond to this woman’s post because I felt it was a new idea for me to use when I sub. I commented by saying that it was a good idea. It was a different style and the kids would probably love it since it was something that was new to them. I then proceeded to tell her that the way I call kids to the carpet is by seeing which table is sitting the nicest and has the best posture. That usually motivates them to act the way I see is fit for them.
From September 29, 2008 until October 2, 2008 the listserv was discussing different ways to address the students.
A. These include descriptions of classroom activities, resources, and issues discussed.
The discussion got started by one woman saying that she calls the kids to the carpet by even/odd numbers. She said that she taught first grade. She felt that it was helpful to the students to call them by numbers that were even and odd because 1—it was like a game for them and 2—because it helped them with number recognition.
B. Explain areas of agreement, disagreement, concerns, and advice
Throughout this weeks discussion there were mixed views on this woman’s approach to classroom management. One person severely disagreed with her because she thought that it completely desensitized the relationship between the teacher and the student. Another person also disagreed and said that the students were not being addressed in a human way and she would not want her child to be called by a number. She also added, by addressing them in a human way it teaches them respect. Some people were in the middle by saying that what works for one teacher does not work for all teachers. They also said that the strategies you use in a classroom depend on the type of kids that are in your classroom. I completely agree with them. A couple of people said that they can see where it might give added practice in recognizing things like even/odd numbers, color recognition, skip counting, categorizing, etc. Some people thanked her for the idea. They thought it was a cute way to get the students motivated to become involved in the lesson. In addition, other teachers thought it would help the students develop a sense of order or learn how to organize. It sounded like a way to keep good structure. Another teacher commented by saying the personal aspect is not lost with reinforcement of the praise in using their names. Lastly, a teacher added her opinion by saying that she also calls kids to the carpet by saying whosever name begins with the letter “T” come to the carpet.
C: Explain any follow up activities that you have tried that you learned from the list serve.
I tried the strategy of calling the students to the carpet by the rug and it was successful. The students did think of it as a game and no child felt out of place
Responses to Others Questions
A. Why did you choose to answer this particular question or make a particular comment?
I chose to respond to this woman’s post because I felt it was a new idea for me to use when I sub. I commented by saying that it was a good idea. It was a different style and the kids would probably love it since it was something that was new to them. I then proceeded to tell her that the way I call kids to the carpet is by seeing which table is sitting the nicest and has the best posture. That usually motivates them to act the way I see is fit for them.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Blog 3
Questions You Posed With Responses
From September 23, 2008 to September 28, 2008 I was discussing with one teacher how she differentiates her instruction and how she breaks her class up into groups.
A. Included descriptions of discussions you have participated in and any consequence of your teaching
As the blog was talking about differentiating instruction this woman had told me that she uses reading inventories and pretest to group the students in a certain way. To me that seemed logical, however, I was not sure what she meant by either of them. I figured with pretests that she was referring to tests that she gives and groups the students according to their marks. She said that she groups kids of the same ability together so that the work is on the same level for the different groups. Another woman was also inspired by her comments and replied to her by saying that she admires her ability to manage a class in small groups
B. What Questions Did You Pose
“What are pretests and what is a learning inventory?”
I chose to ask that question because I liked how that sounded. It sounded reasonable, and it seemed like she was comparing data in making her decisions. I wanted to know more about how she went about doing it and what tools you needed to do this. I need to learn more about how to group kids and how to differentiate instruction.
C. What Did You Learn From Her Responses
She explained to me that a learning inventory is a series of questions that you ask each student. They choose how they would prefer to do whatever the activity is. As for the pretests, she said she creates a simple pretest for the unit or standard that she is teaching. She gives it to the kids to assess what they know before she starts teaching. This helps her know who needs what the most and who needs to be challenged the most. It helps her know how to plan her groups and what skills to target with each group. This, I felt, was a wonderful way to find out where the students are at the beginning of a lesson. This way, the teacher knows where each of her students are in the lesson before she even begins teaching. She is tapping into prior knowledge which will give her an idea of maybe how she could even group students together with different ability levels. She could encourage peer tutoring.
Responses to Other’s Questions
A. In response to what she wrote, I am asking her if she ever puts students in groups so to encourage peer tutoring. I think that peer tutoring is important because I do feel that kids learn from each other. I want to see what her reaction is to peer tutoring and how and when she implements it.
From September 23, 2008 to September 28, 2008 I was discussing with one teacher how she differentiates her instruction and how she breaks her class up into groups.
A. Included descriptions of discussions you have participated in and any consequence of your teaching
As the blog was talking about differentiating instruction this woman had told me that she uses reading inventories and pretest to group the students in a certain way. To me that seemed logical, however, I was not sure what she meant by either of them. I figured with pretests that she was referring to tests that she gives and groups the students according to their marks. She said that she groups kids of the same ability together so that the work is on the same level for the different groups. Another woman was also inspired by her comments and replied to her by saying that she admires her ability to manage a class in small groups
B. What Questions Did You Pose
“What are pretests and what is a learning inventory?”
I chose to ask that question because I liked how that sounded. It sounded reasonable, and it seemed like she was comparing data in making her decisions. I wanted to know more about how she went about doing it and what tools you needed to do this. I need to learn more about how to group kids and how to differentiate instruction.
C. What Did You Learn From Her Responses
She explained to me that a learning inventory is a series of questions that you ask each student. They choose how they would prefer to do whatever the activity is. As for the pretests, she said she creates a simple pretest for the unit or standard that she is teaching. She gives it to the kids to assess what they know before she starts teaching. This helps her know who needs what the most and who needs to be challenged the most. It helps her know how to plan her groups and what skills to target with each group. This, I felt, was a wonderful way to find out where the students are at the beginning of a lesson. This way, the teacher knows where each of her students are in the lesson before she even begins teaching. She is tapping into prior knowledge which will give her an idea of maybe how she could even group students together with different ability levels. She could encourage peer tutoring.
Responses to Other’s Questions
A. In response to what she wrote, I am asking her if she ever puts students in groups so to encourage peer tutoring. I think that peer tutoring is important because I do feel that kids learn from each other. I want to see what her reaction is to peer tutoring and how and when she implements it.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Thanks for the invitation
I am not sure whose blog this is, thank you for inviting me to join your Blog.
Dr. S
Dr. S
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