Lessons Learned

Throughout my time at the PDS, I have learned a lot of different things... some of them things I did not expect to learn. Because I am specializing in Special Education, I paid close attention to the students who had special needs. I learned different ways to adapt the curriculum in order to benefit these students. For example, one student struggled with spelling so instead of doing the full 20 words, she only did 10 per week. This gave her a better chance at being successful on the tests. Another student had a hearing impairment. The teacher wore a microphone in class and the student also had an aid that used sign language with her to ensure that she would be able to understand everything the teacher was saying. Some of the students had a lot of energy that could have possibly been used to disrupt the class. Halfway through the lesson, if she could see students getting restless, she had everyone stand up and do stretches. This not only helped the students who were physically restless, but also the students who were frustrated with the work because it gave them a break. Although this is something simple, it really helped a lot of the students to refocus.

The second lesson I learned was the importance of incorporating real-world scenarios/ issues into the classroom. When the students first enter the classroom they all use hand sanitizer. They have been warned about the dangers of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. Before the Buckwheat Festival, which most students were attending, they discussed how important it was to apply hand sanitizer and wash your hands thoroughly in order to prevent germs from spreading. Although this did not have to do with the curriculum, it was important for the students to know. She also talked with them about making sure they did not walk alone at the Festival. For middle schoolers, this is very important and probably was not addressed elsewhere. Some days, the students are given the opportunity to read newspapers if they finish early. It was interesting to hear the students discussing the articles in the paper and for me to realize how impressionable they are. For example, one day the students were reading about WVU's football player Scooter Berry getting arrested for fighting with police. They at first thought it was funny. When the teacher began discussing it with them, they saw how it was a problem and that it was not something to be proud of. Things like this build character and life skills which I realize are important, as well as the content of the class.

The third thing I learned was about motivation. We talk about motivation a lot in EDUC 311 and 301. It is always the question of "How?" How can we motivate students in class and keep them attentive? I saw different methods of motivation in the PDS. The schoolwide incentive program used tickets. When a student got a ticket, it would go in the drawing for the prize at the end of the week. The ticket system was not used in the middle school classroom that much. I think this was a good idea because they would eventually become bored with it, unlike the younger students who would keep striving for the tickets. Grades were mostly used as incentive and this seemed to work pretty well for the students. They took Accelerated Reader tests and when a student got a 100% they were extremely proud of themselves. They wanted to tell everyone. Something as simple as the teacher telling them they were doing a good job on an assignment was enough to make them keep trying. One student earned a certificate and could not stop smiling about it. I learned that incentive does not have to be anything big and elaborate. In fact, most of the time it isn't and this works well.

If I can learn to incorporate these three things into my own classroom one day, I will have a good start to classroom management and being a successful teacher.

Instructional Technology Integration

What is the difference between technology use and technology integration?

Technology use is the actual usage of any type of technology. This could mean using a whiteboard, entering grades on the computer, or using the Internet. Technology integration incorporates technology use, but it is more than that. Integration requires that the technology flow throughout lessons rather than being a separate thing. It is something that students as well as the teacher become accustomed to using. For example, during math class the students have the opportunity to work out problems on the interactive white board. During science class, the students research photosynthesis on the Internet and write about what they find. Being able to use the technology is the first step in the process, and integrating takes it a step further to really make it useful in the classroom.

Action Research Wonderings

How has learning about inquiry and creating a 'wondering' influenced the way in which you think about what you see at your PDS? Your responses may include your thoughts about teaching, students, student learning, your own learning, or a combination of these. Make sure you consider your thoughts in light of your understanding of inquiry as a way to study your own practice, your students learning, and your own interests or 'passions' as a teacher.

Learning about inquiry has taught me a lot about what I see at my PDS. I think about the things I observe in a different manner. For example, when I see different strategies the teacher uses, I think about it in relationship to research and why she would be using that method rather than another. I can see how inquiry would be useful to any teacher. It is the practice of trying different things, and studying it to see if it really worked, or if something else might work better.

When teachers utilize inquiry, it makes it much easier for the students. I have seen this many times during my school career. Everyone has had a teacher who does the same exact activities every single year and never changes a thing. Of course teachers would use some of the same activities throughout the years because they are probably good activites. But after teaching the same thing for fifteen years, I would think it would be time to mix it up a little. More than that, the students have changed, and the technology has changed so there may be a better way to go about teaching a particular lesson. I have heard the term "best practice" a lot and I have come to realize that what is "best practice" one year or for one group of students probably isn't the next year or for a different class.

This is where inquiry comes in. The teacher can test to see if what he/she is doing is in fact still working, or if it is need of an update. Teachers who are able to do this are much more effective and interesting to the students. When I see different techniques being used at my PDS, I often wonder if that is something I could incorporate into my "wonderings" and if there has been any research done on it. Inquiry has made me look at everything more from a scientific point of view rather than just guessing or assuming.