Graphic Organizers

I have learned over the years that there is only one way I will be able to retain information,


and this is by seeing it with my own eyes. I am a visual learner. When I have an idea and / or am trying

to stick something to memory, jotting it down it down in an organized fashion is the only way I will be

able to recall the information at a later date. This brings me to Graphic Organizers: the easiet way for

a visual learner like myself to express ideas. These organizers have several advantages in the classroom. They

are a way for students to see and think about information in a create way. I think I can speak for many when I say

that constantly writing sentences, paragraphs, essays and reports gets old. It's easy for students to get frustrated

when trying to come up with ideas that fit a given topic. With graphic organizers, students are able to focus on the

connections between the information and its content.

Although graphic organizers are helpful for most students, I believe that teachers need to take a

auditory approach to the information as well. By just going over the organizers with the students gives them

a visual representation as well as an auditory explanation.

Since every student learns a different way, graphic organizers may be confusing. If constructed the wrong

way, the organizer may not allow students to report all the information that is needed. This brings me to my question.



Is it a good or bad idea to allow the students to construct the graphic organizers?

(or)

Is it better for the teacher construct the model, provide the information and allow the students to copy it?

Text Talk Article

 “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We have all heard this saving several times throughout our life, for it’s literal meaning as well as life situations. The saying can also be used to describe what this article is about. The idea that children are not getting the most out of texts or stories because of the pictures that are provided gives me mixed emotions. I understand that pictures can take away from concentration of what is being read. From past experience, however, the kindergarten class I read to was very receptive to the questions I asked. Not only did I show the pictures to the class as I read, I also acted as an entertainer by changing my voice for each individual character. The students loved it and were able to give thoughtful answers, for their ages, to most of the questions I asked throughout the story. By showing the students the pictures as well as acting, enabled them to think of more creative answers to the questions I was asking. For example, in the story, A Balloon for Isabel, Isabel is a porcupine who is trying to figure out a way to make her quails less dangerous. Half of my class did not know what this animal looked like, therefore, they would have had no idea how to think of ways to cover up the animal’s sharp quails if I had not shown them the pictures. I understand what the article is trying to state, but I feel like the kids are too young and have not experienced enough to have to create mental pictures of what is being read to them. This brings up my questions.

1. How can you get a student who has no experience of reading or being read too to make a mental picture of a story? 

        2. Isn’t the ages 4-7 too young to not show pictures of information being read to them? 

Writing to Learn Across the Curriculum

This article has made me question my past - big time. All of the writing evaluations such as the checklist and the reading log were not really used when I was younger. I have always believed that the more writing assignments a child is given the better the writer he or she will be. I have also heard the following saying a thousand times:  "Practice makes perfect". But, does it really? The problem with this statement is that it is not entirely true. If you practice a bad habit over and over again it becomes natural. So, practicing something COULD end up in a perfecting the perfect wrong? Hmm...
I agreed with what the article said that, "Sometimes, the prospect of grading an avalanche of papers prevents teachers from encouraging extensive student writing." From personal experience, I never remember having problems with my writing in my early education. Like I said, we did not use the reading logs and checklists; we had a prompt or topic and were told to write. Thinking about all of this has made me wonder a few things.

1. Was I really a good writer when I was younger?   (or)
2. Did my teacher overlook many of mistakes/faults because of lack of time and / or laziness?

If number 1 is right, then why throughout highschool, college, and present time did/do I HATE writing papers?
If number 2 is right, then is that the reason I have struggled in writing throughout my years, and in sequence, HATE writing papers?

"Making A Case and A Place for Effective Content Area Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades"

This article was very interesting to me. The concept has really never crossed my mind, and looking back in my elementary years, I cannot recall ever being overwhelmed in my later elementary years. A time that does stick out in my mind is the year I had Miss Arrington as my third grade teacher. She would  read to us in the beginning of class every single day. What made it so memorable was that she did not just read out of a story book; she would read from magazines, newspapers, and a variety of other prints. After she would read, we would be asked to write in our journals about the "Text of the Day". Each day she had a different prompt such as "If you could change the ending of that story, what would you change and why?"  It was always a fun and entertaining, and it caused us to think about several different topics that we probably would not have been introduced to for several more years. She must have known what she was doing because I have no bad memories of reading and understanding information during my elementary years.

Another part of this article that struck my attention was the section from the Carnegie Reporter that stated, "Nearly half of 17-year-olds are unable to read at the ninth grade level".  This is a very disturbing statistic, and causes me to feel naive since I had no idea this was even possible when I was in high school. This brings up my question.

--- How can we discover if children's inability to read later on in life is a result from the "systems" used to teach them, or if it was actually a reflection of a year or years of poor teaching?

Final Course Reflection

      IT365 has been a very enjoyable class. I loved that we did not have to constantly write notes and take quizzes and tests. I have learned a variety of things and will use this new knowledge as I continue school and move on to my career. One of the most important things I have learned is to always back up your work on a jump drive. You never know when you computer will crash or freeze up. It is best to be prepared and have a saved copy of your work. 

      In my opinion, my stronger points were creating the website and movie maker. I am a creative and organized person and those tasks brought out my good side. I enjoyed them so much and had so much fun creating them. I made sure that I paid close attention to the different aspects of these programs because I knew I would use them again someday.

      I would have to say my weak points dealing with technology is that I am a very impatient person. What I mean by this is that I get frustrated easily when things do not work or take a long time. When I don't know how to correct the problem it makes it that much worse! Technology has a way of putting me in a really bad mood. This is because I know so little about it. I am thankful that this was a required course so that I could strengthen my horrible skills and become more patient in the future. I will definitely work on my patience as well. I can benefit from technology as an individual as well as a professional. The only way I can improve on my weak areas are to get help and practice them routinely. This way I will be familiar with the programs I am required to use and will not get so frustrated when things do not go as smooth as I had hoped. I plan to integrate technology in my classroom with the use of the webpage for sure so that parents and students can retrieve information about whats going on in the classroom, upcoming assignments, etc. Another project that I plan to share with my class is the concept mapping assignment. It is a fun and creative way to organize notes, thoughts, and ideas. It is also a wonderful study technique. I’m excited about my journey to becoming an teacher, and I hope one day I will be a roll model to a bunch students!

Standard #5

Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership - Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. 

Teachers:
a.) participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
b.) exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
c.) evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
d.) contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community

Reflection:
The last standard deals with teachers growth and leadership. It is important, as future teachers, to constantly improve our professional practice. Just graduating from college with a degree and passing the praxis is simply not enough. I really do not believe you become an actual teacher until you are in your own classroom teaching by yourself.

A teacher’s growth is very important. With growth comes experience and that is what makes the best teacher. A teacher needs years of experience to see what works for students and what doesn't. A teacher also needs years of experience to see what works for the teacher and what doesn't. It is important as a means of authority to exhibit leadership. Most students look up to their teachers and need to see them as a leader. Teacher also need to exhibit the diverse needs of learners by differentiation. Like I said earlier, no two students learn alike. All students learn in their own unique way and it is important that the teacher sees this and allows time in planning to foster each child’s need. Teachers need to stay in touch with current and upcoming technology. They need to do so on a regular basis so they can use the technology effectively. They also need to keep their students informed. I feel like I have mastered a part of this standard by using the assistive technology artifact. I have explored the web and certain links to keep up with the technology for certain disabilities. Teachers need to do so periodically so they can keep up with the disabilities of students they might have and stay up to date on the latest research and technology.

Artifacts:
Website
Concept Map
Assistive Technology
Turnitin.com

Future Goals:
My future goal as a teacher is to stay in touch with the outside world. I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students by engaging them in the content and making them want to learn. I can do this by means of technology. I can also extend beyond the classroom and be an active member of the community. I love staying busy and being involved, so I do not think this will be a hard goal to reach.

Standard #4

Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility - Teachers  \understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. 

Teachers:

a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

Artifacts:

· Turnitin

· Assistive technology

Reflection:

As a future teacher, it is important for me to try to always set an example for my students. By using technology, I can enrich lessons to fit levels of understanding for students who are above the normal teaching instruction. I can also use technology to modify lessons so students who don’t understand completely can go online and take quizzes that will help them to work out misconceptions and learn by doing on their own.

Future learning goals:

In my classroom, I will teach proper ways to use technology as well as teach ethical and cultural ways of using technology. It is important to model for students what is morally right in society and in the classroom. We are taught everyday to do our own work and be honest. The turnitin assignment will teach students exactly what it looks like to cheat and then how to cite information, and use your own words to make it your own.