Greenhorn Blues

I am so excited about the possibilities for the wetlands unit I am writing. But I have a few concerns related to its implementation. There are eight teachers on the first grade level at our school. I have the least actual classroom experience of anyone on our team. Two have been teaching 19 years and one will retire after 30 years in two months. We plan collaboratively. We give the same tests in the same order. We all give the same grades for the same curriculum. I have spent the last 20 months learning from these colleagues. Their way produces good readers and "on grade level" students. I have a lot of respect for them.

I am nervous about presenting my unit plan to this experienced team. I plan to share the steps with them as I develop them. I am not going to lecture about backward design or try to explain "understandings". I am just going to share the neat plan I have for doing the unit everyone has done since time began. I know I can count on them for support. Even if they think the ideas are far too ambitious, they will be kind. But I also hope they will give me some constructive criticism. What I ultimately want is for them to incorporate some of the ideas into their own unit plans, ala Taba. But I feel like the "greenhorn" trying to tell the old cowboy how to brand his steers! Still, one of my goals is to be a leader who facilitates change through technology and constructivist practices. There will be no better time to take the plunge into this adventure than during my "Wet and Wonderful: First Grade Dives into Ponds and Wetlands" unit!

Unit Overview

I am preparing a unit for first grade science. I will implement this unit as soon as possible. Our grade level always finishes off the last month of school with a unit on ponds and wetlands. With 80 lakes and even more ponds in our county, there are lots of wetlands around. The students may have some idea of what types of animals live there from personal experience.

I started with the Sunshine State Standards listed for this unit on our curriculum map. The overarching questions are adapted from two standards within the Processes of Life strand. I chose assessments that will give students a chance to demonstrate true understanding of the subject matter. I will have about 12 30-minute periods to devote to the unit. I will have one ESOL student, two ESE students, one student with both ESOL and ESE designations, one gifted student, and 13 regular ed students. Accommodations will be made according to students’ LEP levels and/or IEP requirements.

“Wet and Wonderful: First Grade Dives into Ponds and Wetlands”
At the conclusion of the learning activities, students will understand there are patterns of structure and function in living things. (SC.F.1.1) Also, students will understand survival of living things depends on their ability to coexist within their ecosystem. (SC.F.2.1)
Assessments:
Give a true/false pre-test to measure background knowledge.
Use teacher observation to monitor misunderstandings.
Have students create a model of a wetland food chain.
Have students prepare a written report on the life of one wetland animal or plant with illustration.
Give a modified true/false post-test (Restate false sentences to make them true.)

Stay tuned for more details as they develop…

Curriculum Models and Technology

Curriculum Models

When considering the curriculum models discussed in this week’s reading, I am fascinated with Wiggins and McTighe’s concept of backwards design. This makes wonderful sense to me as it gives reasons to everything that is done in the classroom. As I said last week, curriculum is everything that I teach in my classroom. So I would have a reason for everything that I teach. The shortcoming to this method is the amount of detail and time necessary to complete each stage.

I found things I liked about Taba’s model, too. Although this seems to be exactly opposite of backwards design, the same elements drive the instruction. Taba allows for formative evaluation as the units and curriculum develop. In this way, a teacher can test out what methods and activities really develop understanding. The resulting curriculum has been fleshed out and is ready to share with others on the grade level, school, and district level.

I like this approach because it fits better into the time constraints of a typical teacher. With six subjects to teach, developing UbD’s overarching questions, objectives, lessons, and evaluations is just out of the question. I personally am using a Taba-type approach to introduce lessons to the other teachers on my grade level. In the next year, I hope to have a presentation for the regional teaching exposition.

Tyler’s model is extremely detailed. At first glance, I thought there was way too much involved for an individual teacher to be able to utilize it. Then I began to see the Plan/Do/Check/Act concept (that our district preaches) unfold. After examining the data gathered through various means, plans are made to meet the needs. After the activities, the evaluation gives us another set of data to begin the next unit. I think teachers are screening data through the philosophical and psychological filters Tyler describes all the time. In the end, I found this method quite intuitive. Many teachers are employing some variation of this method, even if it is not as finely delineated as Tyler’s.

Technology in My Curriculum

In my classroom, I have included some elements of technology in nearly every subject. During math, I project the workbook pages from the e-book online onto the screen so we can work the examples together. I use the publisher’s intervention exercises to reteach and for remediation. I give re-takes of tests using the publisher’s software. Our daily math warm-ups come from the e-book site. See the Harcourt e-book previews.

During reading, I present explicit phonics lessons using PowerPoint. We use cassettes with poems, stories, and background lessons for more phonics and fluency. I have a listening center just for fluency practice. I use computer assisted instruction for phonics practice and remediation in phonemic awareness. See SuccessMaker Enterprise and Earobics.

In Social Studies and Science, I project websites with relevant information onto the board. When I find activities online, I demonstrate using the projector, then take the class to the computer lab so everyone can participate in the activity.

I have recently introduced “e-mail” in SuccessMaker Enterprise to a small group of students. The students can only send messages to me. They really got into the spirit of things when I told them the first message we sent would have the subject “test”. I meant this just to see how it worked. They took it literally and sent me math questions and geography questions! I’m still waiting to hear if I passed the test.

Educational Philosophy & Curriculum Definition

One’s educational philosophy affects many of one’s professional choices. From the choice of what to teach to the preference of where to work, people draw on the framework of their personal educational philosophy. I tend toward the essentialist approach, where education is based on cognitive and intellectual skills. Students should be taught to understand and observe the world. However, there is a pragmatic side to my philosophy. That is, I want to teach in a way that is relevant and leads to authentic problem solving. I think these philosophies merge well because the next step after observing and understanding is to apply the knowledge to solve real problems. We should do everything we can to produce higher level thinkers who can work out solutions to unique problems. These problem solvers will be productive citizens. Thus, the merging of the essentialist and pragmatist philosophies.

Of all the curriculum definitions in our assignment, the best I found was Evelyn Sowell’s: Curriculum is “what is taught to students, both intended and unintended information, skills, and attitudes.” This encompasses everything we do at school. The curriculum includes the phonics, number sense, comprehension, and map skills and their corresponding state standards codes in our lesson plan book. But the curriculum also includes the social skills of getting along in groups, standing in lines, taking turns, respecting authorities, and valuing learning. This set of skills is sometimes referred to as the “hidden curriculum”, a term first used by Philip Jackson in 1968. In some ways, the hidden curriculum is as important as the skills and facts. I want to make sure that the message I am sending in my hidden curriculum is that all students can learn, everyone should try to work to the best of his/her ability, and no one should settle for less than they are capable of. I do not want to be guilty of teaching students they are only good enough for a particular place in society, whether it be on the top rung of the ladder or the bottom.

To sum it up, my personal definition of curriculum is everything I teach, whether explicitly, through modeling, or discussion. This includes all the standards and benchmarks for content as well as attitudes towards school and learning.

My Experience with MySpace

I have joked around about my daughter knowing more about blogging than I do. After all she has had a MySpace for more than a year. Then I read some of the comments and stories about this site and became concerned. So I went to look at her site. I was very relieved to find she has a decent site, although it is devoted entirely to her boyfriend. No porn, no bad language, no objectionable stuff. She has links to some friends from school, some bands, and some people she knows who have graduated. It is nice that she can stay connected with people who have moved away. While K’s site is rated G, that is not to say that there are not vulgar and shocking things on some of the hundred or so friends’ sites she has links to.

After checking out the pictures and the profile, I read the post she wrote the day she was so angry she planned to leave home. I read the wise reply one of her online friends posted. I shut down my computer and went to find my daughter. Without telling her why, I gave her a hug and a smile. I’m glad she decided not to leave. And I am glad she has the blog where she can vent her frustrations. And I am sure I will not tell her I know her web address.

Shelly

Howdy!

I'm probably the only person in Florida that uses that old greeting. But I'm from Oklahoma, so it is understandable. I've lived in Sebring for the last 10 years. I am in my second year of teaching full time in public school. Before that I was a DJ for 10 years and then a hotel guest sales assistant and guest services manager for 5 years. During those 15 years, I home-schooled my children and substituted at the school they eventually attended. Yes, I was busy. I tend to keep it that way. This new class will definitely keep it that way!!

We are supposed to be introducing ourselves. One good way for me to do that is to invite you to read the previous posts here. Another way is to have you take a look at my profile on the right. I want to tell you just a bit more about my family. My daughter is 16. She has a MySpace (which she won't let me see) so when I get stuck on this blogging thing, I get her advice. She is very smart. Of course when a 16 year old knows they are smart, they often assume that Mom is dumb. She is anxious to spread her wings and fly when she graduates in 2007. She wants to get married and go to medical school.

My son is musically and mechanically talented. He just started trumpet at the beginning of this school year. He practices all the time and is getting very good at it. He has practiced more this year than I did in my 7 year school band career! He set up a surround sound system in his room using stuff from the pawn shop and a cheap stereo. He's really a neat kid.


My fiance is a customer service manager for a delivery company. He is very understanding when I spend all my nights and weekends working on classwork.

Professionally, I am working as a first grade teacher. I am pursuing my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with Emphasis on Teaching, Learning and Facilitating Educational Change with Technology. I hope to become a tech resource teacher, and eventually to teach at the local junior college. I have been on the curriculum mapping team at our school. I currently am involved in our District's pilot program for online curriculum mapping software. I want to take this course to understand more about curriculum design and technology integration. I want to learn practical ways to use technology to teach. More important, I want to find more ways to help my students learn with technology.

So howdy, everyone! I look forward to working with you!
Shelly

Sharing with Friends

Yesterday in the copy room, I talked with a first year teacher who was beginning a new unit on space and the solar system. She was there copying worksheets for students to do about the planets and the sun. "I want to do something different. I'm tired of lecturing."

"You should send them to Space Place from NASA," I said. I went on to explain the activity I did with my class that explores wants and needs of astronauts on a long space journey. I felt it was a very worthwhile project. Post-activity writing revealed comprehension of zero gravity environments as well as the need to work together with others.

"What was that website again?" she asked as she left. "Just check my website for First Grade that links from the our school site," I said. "Click on 'Rocket trip to Mars'". All this made possible through my adventures in EME 5405 Internet in K-12 Instruction.

This class, and particularly the annotated bibliography on best technology practices for emergent readers, has opened my eyes to the possibilities. I look forward to collaborating with other teachers to find activities and resources that support our curriculum and goals for higher level thinking. I also hope to be able to give input to my district's technology policy, especially in the areas of web publishing and professional development.

So as this class is coming to an end, will I continue to use this weblog? Yes. I plan to use this as a place for posting my ideas. I can send colleagues here for details, links, and results of my forays into the land of technology integration. Hopefully, their comments will help me the same way the comments of classmates have.

A previous blog talked about "stealing" ideas from other teachers. For the most part, teachers have big, generous hearts, and they are glad to "share" what works. I hope to be able to continue sharing with my friends nearby and in cyberspace.