The last weeks of class we spent learning about how to create a WIKI. We used pbworks.com to create our WIKI and begin working on our Unit Plan. Dr. Smirnova taught us step by step how to go about setting up a WIKI. At this point we already had our cover pages done and we were learning how to construct the rest of the WIKI. We worked on our overview and rationale, the subject matter outline, goals, standards and objectives and different formats we can use. She provided us with different online worksheets, websites, and examples to help us create our UPs. We then had to come up with our culminating projects and make sure they would be able to assess everything the child needs to have learned. Dr. S provided us with a 'template wiki' that we could use to help us create our own WIKIs.
The last few days of class we spent revising, correcting and putting the finishing touches on our Unit Plans. I needed a lot of help from Dr. Smirnova and she was always there to help me! I presented my Micro-Teaching to the class using my WIKI. I used one of my Anticipatory Sets and had everyone pretend to be my fourth grade students to go along with the set. I really liked the feedback I received. Everyone was very helpful by giving me ideas and telling me that I did a nice job. The last three days of class we presented our WIKIs. Everyone had a chance to share their ideas and gain knowledge from others.
Thanks to Dr. Smirnova I have learned a lot this semester. She provided me with all of the resources I needed in order to succeed in her class. I have saved all of the websites she has given us and the resources from other students. I learned how to create a successful Unit Plan and I know that I will use WIKIs in the future. I feel confident with incorporating technology into my life and teaching ideas. Dr. Smirnova has given me the knowledge to become the great teacher that I want to be.
I did 15 observation hours at Montgomery Elementary School. I observed a regular ed. fifth grade classroom, a second and third grade speacial ed classroom, and a fourth and fifth grade special education classroom. I had the best experience of my life these few days!!!
The fifth grade reg. ed. class I observed used a lot of technology. The teacher used the smartboard to welcome the students in to class with a warm 'goodmorning' and the activities for the day. They were a well behaved class and very intelligent. There were 12 girls and 12 boys and three children were ESL students. The teacher was short with the students but they all had respect for her. They had a good system of morning work and the transition into later morning, pre-lunch, work.
The second and third grade sp. ed. class was a very loving group of children. There were two girls and five boys. They were very nice children with short attention spans. Three of the children could not read at all, and the others couldn't read much. This was a very low functioning classroom. One of the boys misbehaved a lot and had a hard time sitting still and keeping to himself. He would cry when he didn't know what to do and he would begin yelling. Immediately after his crying episode he would hug the teacher and say sorry. He was adorable, they were all sweat children and it was sad to see them struggle. The teacher let me go around and help the students when they needed it and ask them questions. The one girl knew what she wanted to write, she just didn't know how to write so I tried to write it with her.
The fourth and fifth grade special ed. class was my absolute favorite class and I will remember those students for ever. There were five students in the class and they were all boys. They were low functioning and one was borderline mental retardation. Two were autistic and one was clinically depressed. The teacher showed them a map and asked them to write three states that 'bordered' New York. The one fourth grade sat there for awhile and the teacher said I could go around and help the students. (She was a very good teacher and she really helped me a lot.) I asked him if he needed help and he said he didn't know what it meant. I read him the question and he said he didn't know because he didn't know what the word 'bordered' meant. Once I told him he was able to answer without hesitation.
It made me feel really good being able to help students learn.
I have learned different methods of teaching from these three teachers and I plan on going back to the school for more of my observations.
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