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EDUC 280 - MODULE 8 Timecard and Journal Entries

Task 1. Timecard
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Task 2. Journal 2
Do you think your teacher has successfully created a productive learning environment? Why or why not?

Yes I do think Mrs. Riley has successfully created a productive learning environment. She has organized her class such that each section of her class is
supportive of the type of work she expects her students to be doing. Desks are arranged in groups facing each so students can work together easily on
group assignments and to hold each other accountable., the space where the class gathers together for class-wide instruction/conversation is free of
distractions, and math and reading areas are filled with tools and resources to support those subjects.

What techniques does the teacher use to keep students actively involved in academic activities?

Mrs. Riley regularly engages different students in question & response activities, redirects distracted students, encourages collaborative projects, and
rewards students for completing classwork with game time which consists of game-style learning apps on the class iPads.

How is your teachers "withitness?"

Though she doesn't always appear to be paying attention, little gets by Mrs. Riley. Even when she didn't actually witness something, a severe look from
her elicits admissions. Mrs. Riley is a whirlwind who seems to be everywhere at once, transitioning from one topic to another without missing a beat.

What types of "punishments" are used in your classroom?

Mrs. Riley does not use punishments, at least in my observations, and I never observed her threatening negative consequences. The closest I've seen to
a punishment is a "reset" which is similar to a timeout, however it rarely lasts more than a few minutes and the student is provided small objects with
which to fidget, or paper and crayons to draw. Students are expected to identify how their actions required a reset and what they should do instead
before rejoining the class

How or where are the rules posted in your classroom? How were they created? By the students or the teacher?

The class rules are posted right beneath the white board at the front of the class where students gather for their morning meeting each day. Every day
Mrs. Riley quickly reviews the few rules and points them out to read together. Mrs. Riley encouraged a classroom discussion regarding appropriate
behavior and led her students to these rules.

Give an example of when the teacher used integrated curriculum across subjects (i.e. combining science and language arts)

As part of their science unit Mrs. Riley's class went to the zoo. The next day in class the was assigned a writing assignment to tell the story of their visit
and what they learned.

Give an example of when the teacher used hidden curriculum?

Every day Mrs. Riley greets her students as they enter the class offering them a handshake, high five, or hug to model appropriate social interactions.
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Does your teacher used differentiated instruction?

Mrs. Riley integrates several methods of instruction including collaborative projects, video presentations, verbal lectures, and independent study/reading.

Can you tell what kind of learner the teacher is from his/her instructional preferences?

I can tell that Mrs. Riley learns best by doing as most of her classwork involves practice and a lot of repetition.

Do you think the teacher adapts the curriculum to the types of learners in the classroom?

It seems that the curriculum is pretty strictly set by the principal/district. Each lesson is determined ahead of time with little curriculum planning by Mrs.
Riley, though she does have leniency to present the content in different ways. I know that she separates students who may be struggling for more
individualized instruction, but I don't know that she makes changes to her lesson plan for the whole class based on different learning styles. That said,
she does present each lesson from multiple angles, as described above.

Does your teacher like the curriculum he/she is teaching?

She does seem to like it. There are no indicators that she is frustrated by, or tired of, the curriculum such as skipping lessons, reducing time spent on a
subject, or showing anything other than excitement to her students.

What would they like to see added in the future?

Mrs. Riley never commented on frustrations with the curriculum nor what she would like to add to it, but she was adamant that all teachers, but especially
those teaching the very young grades with a lot of energy and not quite used to a full day at school, should have at least one teacher's aide to make sure
some one is available to help, especially when introducing a new topic or subject that the students are not familiar with. Even with me in the class helping
out with assignments it seemed that the questions didn't stop and I imagine this could be overwhelming to a teacher.
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Task 3. Journal 3
1. What kind of technology was used in the class(es) you observed? Was it effective?

The class had a set of iPads to use. The teacher used a digital white board coupled with a projector and presentation software. The class had a set of
clickers which was used for attendance and choosing lunch options. The teacher also had an overhead projector, but I never observed its use. The
presentation software was used adequately, though the digital white board was not used to its full potential.

2. What type of technology might you use when you start your teaching career?

I would likely use all of the same technologies in my future classroom as they are becoming the standard. I would want to receive training in the use of
the digital white board, however, because I do not have any personal experience with them aside from my few hours in this first grade classroom.

3. Do you think it is harder or easier to incorporate technology into your classroom?

I think the difficulty experienced in incorporating technology is proportional to personal comfort and experience with the technology, similar to teaching
new subject matter. I grew up using computer software like PowerPoint and would be comfortable implementing its use to its full potential, while I would
likely struggle with a digital white board as I have no personal experience with it.

4. How diverse was your class(es) you observed?

I was actually very surprised at how diverse this class was. About 1/3 of the class (22 students) was non-white and two spoke languages other than
English.

5. What did your mentor/teacher do (or not do) to create a diverse classroom?

Keeping in mind that I only observed a small (30) number of classroom hours, I did not observe any efforts to create a diverse classroom. The teacher
had one student on her roster that spent 90% of their school day in the resource (Special Education) room. While there were diverse students present in
the classroom, there was no discussion regarding cultures other than American. I spent a lot of my time working with the Spanish speaking student, using
my limited Spanish ability to help her complete assignments and reading dual English/Spanish books during reading times.