This Week In Education

So I don't know about you guys, but Student Teaching is rapidly approaching and as the days grow shorter, my homework nights are growing longer! Attending all of these orientations (especially at Cleveland County Schools) has pumped me up with the fact that exciting things are headed our way. I have definitely learned the value in a good night's sleep, though. 

As I was perusing the world wide web for something new, flashy, and exciting, I came across a Scholastic blog. I know I've mentioned Scholastic before but this is a blog dedicated to current events that directly affect education in the United States. There are tons of videos, Twitter feeds, articles, quotes, and other features. Right now, a great deal of the content is related to the election and new shifts that will occur because of new presidential authority. I thought this resource would be a great way to stay up to date with things that are going on in the country, while also seeing how they affect education. Since it is a blog, the information is constantly rolling and new things are being posted. 

While all of the content may not be targeted towards a classroom of children, I think it is definitely worth a look for us classroom teachers. That's a mindset shift I have had to make ever since I got heavily involved in my major, and furthermore, career. There are real world decisions being made that are not only going to affect my life, but the lives of my students in and outside my classroom. 

Along with you, I want to be fully aware of my surroundings as I go about pursuing this thing called teaching, and I want to do it to the best of my ability. Being a classroom teacher encompasses so much more than just showing up at 7:30 every morning and leaving at 3. It is coming in extra early and staying extra late so you can make the best instructional decisions for your students. Just like that, this blog has made me realize that if we want education to be our future, we also need to make it our present. What we do now affects what we will do later. Whether that is voting for a candidate that has the most sound standpoints regarding education or choosing to link your Harris Teeter card to your school to raise funds, everything we do affects our career. I think that was made blatantly clear at the Cleveland County Schools orientation tonight, and I plan to make some minor tweaks and adjustments accordingly. That is a connection to NCTCS standard 1D (advocating for schools and students) and standard 1E. 

After having said all of this, I would like to think that I have been examining those professional aspects of teaching a bit more lately as I prepare for the field. I would also hope this blog would be able to educate me a bit more on it as well. 

Princess in the Castle (Or Something Like That)

Once upon a time, there was a princess who dreamed of being queen of the school. She had visions of tidy desks in a row, and a class full of smiling, happy students who were ready to learn. She had been warned of the "little Anitas" and other "less appealing" aspects of teaching, but she shook it all off and just knew she would never have a student that she could not manage. She would just have perfect students. After all, in all of her classroom simulation lessons over the years, no one really could phase her. So that meant she knew it all, right?

Fast forward a few months later, and this princess who dreamed of a castle in which she would teach is still in shock. There are no tidy desks, and the vast majority of her students come from desperate situations, and she spends a lot of her time herding cats (not literally). 

In case you haven't picked up on the analogy, I'm the princess who expected this whole thing to be gentle and easy. I will be the first one to admit that I follow tons and tons of teachers on Instagram. Many of them are sponsored by Teachers Pay Teachers and other educational sites. But I know we all go on those teacher feeds and see what other teachers have going on. 

I'll never forget how, over the summer, there was one teacher who literally posted hundreds of pictures of her classroom on Instagram. She spent the. entire. summer. working on what her classroom looks like. She had the most amazing activities and units designed, ready to go for the upcoming year. She had all of her desks in a row (which is symbolic of having your ducks in a row for teachers) with cutesy decor everywhere. Looking back, she probably spent $1000 on that classroom and I watched (with excitement) all summer long. And when her students arrived in August, they were probably perfect little angels. 

After I did a little more research, it seemed like all of these teachers on Instagram were living fabulous lives of Starbucks and an unlimited line of credit at Hobby Lobby. They held their position in an area of influence which allowed them the extra luxuries of not needing to worry about some of the things that impoverished schools worry about on a daily basis. Their students come from backgrounds that support education. Their students' parents are involved in daily operations of the classroom. I know this and can see this in NCTCS 2B and 2C. 

So you could imagine my surprise when I came to the realization that poverty really, really affects a child's ability to learn. I've found that there are several basic needs that every student has in order to fully learn. Those are:

• trust
• respect (from self and others)
• a voice that matters
• love

With that being said, that is one of the biggest things I have learned so far this semester. I had these big plans of a cutesy classroom with perfect students who never talk out of line...and boy....was I wrong. I've learned strategies on how to truly reach out to my students and meet them where we are. We might not have the flashiest center materials or the best ability to stay on task, but when my students make progress, I make sure they know it. When I find one of my students building another student up, I make sure they know it. When I realize that the four walls of that classroom may be the only place that some of my students experience trust, respect, a voice and love, that changed everything for me. 

I found an article that I believe profoundly states what I've been thinking on for the past few weeks. This article talks about the effects of poverty on children in public education, and is definitely worth a read! 

If I can't be the queen with the neat desks and perfect students, I want to be the teacher who shows my students they have a right to education, because knowledge is power (NCTCS 1D). 

#ElectionDay2016

Well, this week just keeps chugging along and I'm still along for the ride so I guess there's something to be said for that!

Recently, I've been trying to make the election relevant in my classroom without creating an environment for students that is not conducive to learning. Some of my students have brought up the election, which leads me to believe that they are interested in learning about it. I mean, the election is responsible for shaping the next 4-8 years of the United States' future! So naturally, I think we are all interested/curious/invested in the American election process.

I found this really cool Scholastic page that provides a plethora of resources and activities you can use. There are many resources for a variety of grade levels, although its seems that the upper elementary grade levels might be able to benefit the most from this kind of lesson. I think that is because more concrete history and government concepts are taught; especially in fourth grade. 

When I was reviewing these resources in hopes of finding one to use in my clinical classroom, I noticed that there was a great deal of integration to be done with election day festivities. For example, there is obviously a history tie-in, but you could easily do something with math when talking about numbers of votes and such. You could also integrate the election in with language arts studies by having students write a campaign speech. If you're not using a prescribed spelling/vocabulary program, you could even incorporate election terminology into weekly vocabulary for students to learn that way. This idea of integrating the election is especially good for me, because we don't have a prescribed time slot to teach social studies or science.

You also have to be careful not to stray too far from the original intent of your lesson/unit. For instance, I'm teaching fourth grade. North Carolina's social studies curriculum contains a  lot of history standards pertaining to North Carolina, so I it might be a really good idea for me to teach about the election when I'm teaching 4.H.1.3- Explain how people, events and developments brought about changes to communities in various regions of North Carolina. This would be an excellent way to help make students see that connection of how the standard affects them as a person. 

Once you've got your ideas down and they connect with what you're teaching, another step that it very important is to never, ever, ever push one political affiliation over another. I think sometimes we can get carried away and not realize that our ideologies that we have in the classroom mimic those of a political party, but it is okay for our students to disagree with us as teachers. Many of my students like to talk about the candidates and what their parents, media, and other outlets tell them. I want to use classroom time, even if I'm not teaching a social studies lesson, to educate them on the political process of choosing a candidate and how it affects the whole country. I feel that this connects with NCTCS Standards 2(respecting values of diversity) & 4 (facilitation of learning).

Update re: Roller Coaster

So back in August, I stepped onto this roller coaster that is basically the longest, steepest roller coaster in the world. I mean, Carowinds or Six Flags has nothing on this behemoth. Anyway, so I got on, pulled the harness over my head, and the ride attendant buckled me in, telling me to have a fun 9 months, as well as to keep all limbs in the ride at all times. I was super pumped to be riding this shiny new roller coaster! As I waited for the "all clear, enjoy the ride", I was getting pumped with my friends who were also super excited to ride this huge, new roller coaster. The coaster started moving and before I knew it, we were going up this super steep hill that I had never experienced before in my life. I mean, the view was amazing, and I could see so much that I had never seen before. It really was beautiful. It's beautiful, but this is also the part of a roller coaster where most of your fear kicks in. You get that feeling of, "Oh my word, what did I step onto?" "How in the world have people rode this and survived?!". 

You know how sometimes you'll get up to what you think is the top of the hill of a roller coaster, only to dip down a little and then continue on the climb up? Well, that's what I've been doing lately, and I'm sure a lot of you can also identify with that. I'm not going to lie, everyone gets scared and wishes they could go back down at one point. Just ask Hannah...she's my roller coaster buddy and I usually scream the whole way up. Things have gotten very real and the view has been insanely amazing, but part of that new view includes taking in everything that education is behind the scenes, or above the clouds if you're still interested in keeping up with the roller coaster reference. I'm pretty sure a roller coaster that tall is very illegal, but whatever. I've seen so much that I never even imagined before hopping aboard. However, it's still an amazing view and no one has convinced me to jump off yet!

To segway away from the roller coaster reference until further necessary, I also want to talk about just how great being in my school has been. My CE recently gave me a reference that has been a lifesaver for not only helping our students learn, but helping me learn new strategies to teach them. The resource is called LearnZillion, and it is an instructional resource aligned with Common Core standards and more. The premise of LearnZillion is that it provides free resources, which are all standard based. 

LearnZillion also offers instructional videos that aid students within your own instruction time. I've used several of their videos in my own instruction, particularly within mathematics instruction. While they are not the most flashy videos, they are rich and strong in content application, and really keep things simple so students can understand. 

The other main resource that LearnZillion has to offer is lesson planning materials. Now, I'm not saying that you simply pull one of their lessons that meets the criteria for whatever standard you're teaching, but seeing the way they have structured their lesson helps me to plan my own. I see myself as stronger with ELA instruction than mathematics instruction, so this resource has really helped me to strengthen my instruction, not just give more videos for my students to watch. Using LearnZillion or something similar would definitely be a connection to NCTCS 3A and 3B, because using this resource is all about making your instruction richer and more relevant for student connections. 

I hope you enjoyed my roller coaster update and can identify with my experiences/laughable moments!

Reading Resources

If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for new resources to keep students interested in reading. I've experienced firsthand how some reading programs and assessments have destroyed a child's interest in reading. It's not the student's fault; we as educators just need to find a way to show students a healthy balance between reading for leisure and for informational purposes. 

So I was so excited when Dr. McKinney shared with some of us a great tool. For those who have not heard of Epic!, it is somewhat similar to NewsELA. The platform offers free access to ebooks for a small fee, but access is free for all teachers. This includes those of us in student teaching. Basically, there are 814,965,341 (not really) books that you have instant access to. The great thing is that though the book is offered via a digital device, there are still pages that students can flip through when reading. The biggest complaint from me as a teacher when approaching ebooks is that students won't have the experience of flipping through a book, so this feature really excited me. 

Also, there are books on Epic! that you have probably heard of, and students will definitely be interested in. I almost fell out of my chair when I realized that the entire series of Big Nate was on there, because my 4th graders absolutely love that series. In addition to the ebooks, there are quizzes with each ebook that students can take after reading. I think this would be interesting to use to see if it could help students become more confident in both taking AR tests and reading in general. I have mixed emotions about AR as I feel like it teaches students the game of simply gaining points by reading books at the bottom of their level, so they're not trying to challenge themselves. I wonder if using Epic! quizzes in conjunction with AR would make them think differently. 

Literacy integrated into all of the content areas is so important, and I've quickly found out this semester through clinical experience that it is hands-down the most concentrated content area. I want to use this to my advantage and help students grow to love reading. It was one of my favorite subjects growing up, but my mom can testify that after about 6th grade, I probably haven't picked up a book for leisure since. Using Epic! is a connection to NCTCS Standard 1D (advocating for students), 3D (relevance), and 4C (variety of instructional methods). If I can get one student to read because they actually desire to, then I consider these efforts a success. 

Where In The World Am I?

So I don't know about you guys, but this past week has been moving at a really weird pace for be, and I can already feel graduation quickly approaching even though it is only October. I've tried not to wish the days away because it is only a short matter of time until we begin the wonderful world of "adulting", but I'm not going to lie and say this education thing is a cake walk. Being in the classroom is like night and day...you see a lot of things you never imagined you would see. Before you know it you'll blink and we'll be there! 

This week, I have noticed in my clinical experiences that we've gone through several seating arrangements in desperate attempts to curb behavioral issues we are having. This has been an equally yoked initiative between my CE and I. Our school encourages mixed-ability based grouping, which I've found to be somewhat hard when you are trying to examine the behavioral dynamics. It is true that behavior can be linked to academic ability, but I've found that it is not fair to the student to make a judgment of academic ability based off of their behavior, which can stem from many different things. So, we've been trying several different strategies to make the classroom more well-balanced in terms of behavioral management. 

There is an interesting blog that talks about the pros and cons of using mixed ability grouping; this blog has allowed me to formulate an educated opinion on how to directly apply a variety of strategies. Now, the article also talks about how a mixed-ability group setting would encourage a healthy exchange of ideas and thoughts, which is something that I would be interested in trying. That is, however, if students are going to behave appropriately. After all, that is the sole purpose of this experience. 

However, there is the issue of balance. I don't want to discourage my students who have shown me that they already have good behavior. That would create a negative effect. On the other hand, I don't want to create an atmosphere where my students with consistently bad behavior do not have any motivation to improve. 

I think that our students could handle one more seating arrangement, and I am up to the challenge of using a more strategic plan when placing students. That is a work in progress...something that I hope to see an improvement on soon. 

Here is the link to the blog: http://creativecurriculumisabella.weebly.com/limitations-and-benefits-of-mixed-ability-classes.html

Assessment

The time has come for grade level meetings to determine how we can help our students improve skills that could make or break their understanding of content. The improvement of these skills can also make or break integral test score, such as the EOG. Now, I have mixed feelings about testing, and the planning that works itself around it. But I've seen how a healthy balance between scrutinizing test scores and working as a team to determine what to translate them into can do for the student's overall success.  We've met as a grade level to go over each student's scores for assessments such as EOG (End of Grade) and DORF (DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency). 

Initially, it was amazing for me to see how my CE and the other teachers were taking into account each test score and how it would affect the way we could "serve" the students within tier intervention. Out of roughly 125 students in the fourth grade, approximately half of them require either Tier 2 or 3 intervention. That sounds extraordinarily discouraging, and especially nerve-wracking for me as I prepare to quickly assume the role of their full time teacher. However, I'm thankful that my grade level is willing to break this all down for me so I can understand everything jumping out at me before January 2nd. 

With the group of students who require some kind of intervention (whether that be comprehension, fluency, or mathematics), we have a plan to divide them equally among the grade level and any teacher assistants who can help. I was going to lead a group as well, but my schedule wouldn't allow for it. It just amazed me overall how intense all of this assessment analyzing really was...and it wasn't for the benefit of anyone but the students. They seemed to really just want to help the students. 

I'm really excited to see how the plans we made as a grade level will affect our students' understanding. Regardless of their assessment scores, I consider it a win if they have learned something. I think a healthy balance in assessment data and student ability recognition is a goal to work towards, moving into this season of life known as teaching. This connects to NCTCS 1C, 1D, and 2D...all which deal with adapting education for the benefit of the student.

Home Is Where You Make It

It's been interesting for me to observe all of the progressions I've made so far this semester, and right now I'm feeling a little amazed and nauseous. But...it'll all turn out great because I've learned that I have the best PLC in the whole county, and maybe even the state. 

From the moment I first stepped into my clinical school, everyone made me feel not only welcome, but important. I think one of the biggest grievances that preservice teachers and first year teachers can probably have is the feeling of not knowing what to do in this new setting, or how to jump right in and be a team member. My CE is always making me feel like I am part of the fourth grade team, which is such an honor. Not only that, but I work with some of the smartest, funniest, and most kind educators you could have handpicked from Cleveland County. 

And it's not even just fourth grade. At our Open House/Title I/PTO Meeting, our principal was introducing teachers by grade level, and me being my awkward self, didn't know what to categorize myself as. She ended up introducing me as a student teacher, which spoke volumes about welcoming me into the school. I kind of freaked out a little bit, but it was okay. Having said all of that, we are a really close knit group that works hard to improve as a whole. Not only as a grade level, but as a school.

These relationships, I've learned, are really crucial when it comes time to get copies made for that killer lesson you've been working on, or when you're wanting the media specialist to do a special presentation for your class. It could also be that you've broken a table in your classroom and need to send out an SOS to the custodial team.

This experience has been awesome for me and I can only hope the rest of you had similar days as well! I came across an article on Twitter that discusses what life as a preservice teacher is like vs. what it should be like. I know I'm biased, but I really am so lucky to have a team that is willing to get back down on my level as a preservice teacher and teach me their wisdom. The knowledge of your CE will 110% make your experience that much better, I quickly found. 

I've been learning just how important it is to start teaching with the right kind of mindset and attitude towards not only your instruction, but your students, coworkers, and leaders. The connections to NCTCS are endless, but some of the most relevant standards, I believe, are 1b(leadership in school) and 5c (dynamic environment).

**http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2016/05/what_should_we_expect_pre-service_teachers_to_know.html

Finding Technology

One of the aspects of my classroom I've been observing lately is the use of technology. My clinical site school is a Title I school located in Cleveland County. Having said that, we do not have loads of money to spend on new technology, and are certainly not a 1:1 ratio school. My classroom utilizes 5 desktop computers for assessment pieces such as Accelerated Reader, AR Math, Reading Eggs, and other center-based activities. My CE uses a laptop, which is connected to our SmartBoard, along with an Elmo. In addition to all this, she also uses Plickers to assess for multiple content areas...primarily during ELA. 

Having said all of this, I think what my CE is able to do with the technology that she does have is great. It is one of my biggest goals for this year to, in addition to learning from my CE, to in return teach the class some of the up and coming technology pieces she can use. Every time it comes down to last minute planning for activities or centers, I try to suggest a few simple activities that, even if students don't have the technology, they can still get an adaptation. This has a direct connection to NCTCS 1c (Teachers lead the teaching profession), because even the suggestion of a new activity could lead to a change in curriculum and improvement in instruction.

For example, we have quite a few students interested in the Robotics Team and other STEM concentrations. I have talked to my CE about utilizing a coding center during ELA or SMART time, and she is really excited for the direction that can take. Even if students don't have access to the technology instrument, they can still learn about coding via other activities. This connects to NCTCS 3d (Teachers make instruction relevant to students). 

I found an interesting article when doing my research that outlines some really shocking (and not so shocking) statistics about how income level affects how teachers can or cannot teach students via/about technology. As much as I give it a hard time, technology can be a segway that transforms a students mindset about learning, and specifically, inquiry-based learning. Apparently, there is a technology gap between the "rich" and "poor", particularly in America. This gap not only affects instruction, but moral. Teachers see other schools perform higher, which may be attributed to all of the snazzy technology they have. 

One of the biggest pieces of advice I've learned thus far and can share with you guys is to not be afraid to make suggestions in your classroom. If you know a cool SmartBoard feature that will enhance learning, throw it out during planning period. Don't be afraid to stay after school when the real grade level planning happens. You'll learn a lot. 

Preplanning

For this week in my fourth grade classroom, I have been getting more involved as far as teaching lessons and taking charge. My CE has been cautious to not overwhelm me with this new teacher life, but I'm thankful that she really trusts me with much more than I could have hoped for. There is never a dull moment for sure.

Something in particular that I have caught on to in my classroom and have been able to research a little this week is how it is important to plan, but it is also important to preplan! This sounds a little redundant, but it's something I've not considered until this semester's clinical experiences. Preplanning is also known as the habit of taking into consideration all of the unexpected things that could happen while you are implementing your planned instruction. That could be anything from the copier being out of ink to a student repeatedly needing medical attention. If we can nip those little discrepancies in the bud, then imagine how effective our use of time in the classroom each day could be. 

I found an article on Twitter that I think can be beneficial to use when talking about planning and planning to plan, so to speak. The bulk of the article talks about how to strategically plan for not only a successful, but an effective school year. What I really like about this article is that it is targeted towards new teachers, which is a season of life we are also upon!! I recommend reading over it, because there are some things that I never would have thought about, and will definitely be reassessing myself and my capabilities to rise above whatever attempts are made to take away instruction time. 

I found a connection to NCTCS Standard 4b, which hits on teachers being able to plan appropriate instruction. I felt this definitely went hand in hand with the concept of preplanning, because you want your students to receive the best, most appropriate instruction you can accommodate for. However, standard 5c is so important also-- 5c evaluates teachers on their ability to function in a complex, constantly changing environment. This is what preplanning is all about; expecting the unexpected. 

I've also been really lucky to see some of this in action, as my CE has definitely mastered the "calm, cool, and collected" look when something unexpected rises. It's like she has a "Plan B" for anything that could need one. One of my goals over the next several months is to develop and inherit those skills. Instruction time is structured so that every minute of the day is precious to student learning, and I want to be able to maximize that. That's not to say that I always make the best use of my time every day I'm in the classroom, or up front teaching the class. Like I said, it is a goal of mine to get there. 

**Article link: http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2016/08/10/a-teacher's-guide-to-surviving-preplanning?utm_content=1471257732&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter#.V7GceTq-1-A.twitter

Busy Week!

To piggyback off of last week's blog, here's an update of some of the challenges I have recently overcome in the classroom. Our class has been able to get into a more set routine, which also includes the appropriate protocol for behavior. It's not perfect, but we are getting there! Every day in the classroom is a new improvement and blessing. We are also continuing to look at data in order to adjust our instruction for this year. 

This week, I've determined that data interpreting is equally important to many other aspects to teaching. It allows teachers to see which students stand where in terms of achievement on several different levels of tests. With this data interpretation also comes a great deal of researching these tests. All of this is covered in NCPTS #5. The primary data that I've spent some time on is the School Report Card for my clinical site school. At face value, it looks a bit discouraging. However, the school has met grown requirements which is a good thing! 

I've been spending the majority of my time this week looking at the data, and seeing how it affects our students. While the data can give us so much intel about where our students are academically, there is no way that it can tell us that Johnny's parents were fighting all night before the test and, so, Johnny had other things on his mind. It can't tell us that Susie is a genius pianist and Gary defended another student after the top scoring student bullied him repeatedly. With that being said, I've found that it is important to take testing data at face value, and not allow it the privilege of making decisions for you. 

Having seen the data for my school, it was exactly that: discouraging. However, I know that my clinical site school is a wonderful school full of administration, staff and teachers who all care. That's also something that I have been talking with my clinical educator about. Being in a Title I school, many of the students come from a variety of backgrounds. Needless to say, you have to want to make an impact on these students in order to effectively teach and see positive improvements. You cannot come to a diverse classroom full of woes and expect it to be easy. This is NCPTS #2 at its finest! The kids are broken, and it is your job to help them put the puzzle pieces together. And while you do that, you will need to teach them a thing or two! 

I am both excited and nervous to embark on this new phase of data analysis, and hope to take what I've learned this week to improve my practice. I will be able to look at data without drawing conclusions about my students' capabilities whilst doing so. 

Have a great week!

Carowinds Can't Beat This Ride

This week, 23 hilarious, amazing fourth graders stole my heart and I'm not looking back. I have had so many new, wonderful experiences in the past 72 hours that I probably have forgotten half of them and could never forget the rest! I feel well prepared to take on this season of learning and practicing. As I was telling the face to face EDUC 435 class earlier, I feel like I've been strapped into this huge roller coaster that has been slowly approaching the top. Of course, there's no taking the restraint off and peacing out. Lately, I've noticed that the hypothetical ladders/steps are gone and it's nothing but me, strapped into this hypothetical roller coaster, at the top, about to take off at any moment. And there is nothing I can do but take it all in and enjoy the experience! 

One of the things "trending" most on my mind right now is how to transition while teaching. It sounds so very simple, and yet it is hands down one of the most difficult things to master as an educator! In a real classroom, you have students who are not going to abide by every rule you lay before them on the first day of school. They will test the limit and try to get the class off track. Initially experiencing this had me doubtful about my classroom management skills, but Dr. Clark said something really impactful this week in class. While discussing transitions and such, she made the point that our students will try to test our limits, but it is not at all because of a mean-spirited attempt or other negative intention. Students need to be shown the limit early on, because it can save you a year's worth of discipline issues that take away from instruction and learning. I am so glad we had this conversation, because transitioning is something I have honestly not considered a great deal. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense that it can make or break your classroom. 

I firmly believe that transitions and discipline are directly correlated. That is a direct connection to NCTCS Standard 4a! If all of the day's content is not seamless and perfectly aligned, students could hijack your plans and derail your schedule. Why is that? Because they found wiggle room and went with it. Now, what could have been a smooth transition back to the classroom from the cafeteria could turn into books in the floor and papers strewn everywhere. 

I have yet to experience this, so I'm really thankful for that. I was luckily able to see some of the awesome methods my CE uses to transition students between activities, which has been pretty seamless. I liked that she seemed to have a natural knack for making sure students don't lose motivation between activities. In fact, I have been picking the brains of the teachers in my team and on my hall at school, and they have given me some great ideas that I can't wait to use! It's also good that my team all uses similar transition cues and behavior systems, which is a connection to NCTCS standard 4c.

If I have learned and reflected on anything this week, it is definitely that the negative behavior students might display while transitioning is not a sign of hopeless negative behavior. If anything, correcting this behavior early on can lead to beautiful things. It will create an atmosphere of respect and good intentions.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To School We Go!

I feel that it would be inadequate if I did not kick off this semester's season of blogging without writing about my first clinical experience! As any pre-service teacher would, I anxiously awaited my final clinical placement that would take me all the way to graduation. I am thrilled to be working in a fourth grade classroom this year. 

Today, I attended the Back to School Night at my school placement. From the moment I stepped into my school, I felt as if I had began a new stage of life; one of a professional. I met my teacher and we quickly began to connect as a team with a common goal in mind. I really felt invested in from the beginning, before students and parents even came to visit. I met all of the teachers on my team and before I knew it, I was literally becoming a human sponge. My CE and I talked a lot about how we wanted to balance observations and lesson presentations, as well as precautionary measures I would need to take to best serve the students in our class. Many of the things that we discussed began to make me realize that this "education thing" was more than lesson plans and assessment. 

I think that all of the research and preparation I have done could not do justice for what I was watching at school. In our education classes and prior research, no one touches on how to greet your students for the very first time, or how to get them to crawl out from under the table because they are scared of school. Or, on the flip side, how to address a student who begs to stay at school because they will do anything to stay away from home. I have been reading up on students who come from unsightly home situations and tried to apply my findings to those situations of my students. 

It was truly a sight to see in those short four hours I was able to spend with my teacher. The point in this blog is to say that this is a very crucial moment in many of our lives that will most likely impact our futures forever. Now is the time to be a human sponge. 

Blogging Reflection

As this semester (and #SSED307) comes to a close, I can say I have learned a few things. But even more so, I think I have learned a lot just by jotting my weekly thoughts and feelings down in this blog. Believe me, this semester in SSED 307 has been one for the books. Never in my life have I learned so many new ways to do things in an efficient manner. I am glad that I got into blogging. The things that I have been learning this semester correlate directly to the North Carolina Teacher Candidate Standards, which will prepare me further for Student Teaching. I figured that the most efficient way to summarize the learning, reflection and practice I have done over the months is to go through each of the NCTCS Standards and reflect on what I've learned for each one.

Standard 1- Teachers Demonstrate Leadership

• I've had lots of practice this semester in the task of displaying leadership, with anything from leading in SNCAE to finding our way through the depths of DC. However, in terms of this blog, I think that I have been able to reign in on my inner commandeer when I'm blogging. I feel like I have a different tone of voice that is more serious and hopeful in terms of education. Blogging has also made me realize that every good teacher should blog. It is a show of confidence in our abilities if we are able to talk about them to the whole world on a blog. 

Standard 2- Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students

• I feel like something that has been heavy in my blogging this semester is talking about how differentiation strategies affect our instruction. I think differentiation is so so important, especially coming out of this class and having so much more familiarity with it. I also rememmber in Hannah's blog when she was talking about disciplining your students. I think there is a fine line in how we treat our students, and I was glad that she shared those experiences she had in her clinical classroom.  I really also liked Benjamin's blog on the reality of special needs students, because I think that is something that needs to be addressed more within the mainstream classroom. 

Standard 3- Teachers know the content they teach

• It obviously helps to know your stuff, but I think that blogging has helped me to understand that if I cannot write a solid blog about it, I need to do some more research because I obviously do not know what I need to know. I think this would be a good method to assess student knowledge. If they cannot blog on it, there is obviously a missing puzzle piece somewhere. That is why I want to do everything on my part so that I can read some of the best content-heavy blogs my students can give me! Also through this process of blogging, I have learned that we should enjoy writing about this content! That means that not only can we understand it, but we can make it appealing to our viewers, who will be our students! 

Standard 4- Teachers facilitate learning for their students

• There have been so many learning facilitation blog moments this semester that it is impossible to talk about them all, but if I learned one thing from the "teachable moment" blogs that my classmates and I wrote, it is that relevancy is key to facilitation. Like I said previously, if you cannot meet students at their level, then you will lose them. I think we all have learned from each other, primarily in our blogs. Even though some of us are not on-campus students, I think we have still maintained that sense of community through blogging and such. Of course, I don't think I could have made it without my best friend Hannah by my side!

Standard 5- Teachers reflect on their practices

• Obviously, your blog should be a safe place where you are not afraid to talk about your weaknesses or strengths. I know that, personally, I have used this blog as a method to look back on what I have learned this week and let it sink in. For instance, many of us would begin a blog with a recap of what has been going on during that particular week. Some great, some not so great. But like I said earlier, the community that we were able to rally around got us through those good and bad times. Not only that, but we have reflected and moved on to correct our mistakes and become greater educators through the suggestions of each other. 

In saying all of this, I think I have become quite the blogger. Prior to SSED 307, I had a blog, but wrote sparingly. I did not really have much to write about. But taking time to reflect and talk about education once a week on a digital platform has changed me. I have grown so much through blogging in every aspect that an educator could grow. I am more susceptible to peer advice, I am able to critique myself to make positive change in my instruction, and I am proud of the journey that I have been able to record as life passes by. 

It is my goal to continue blogging. Of course I will continue to blog in EDUC 435, but I want to be able to continue the process and take that with me to student teaching. I want to make it my goal to blog once a week in reflection of the weekly highlights. The good, the bad, the downright funny. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming a community with you all, and wish you the best of luck as we keep calm and carry on into the world of education. It's been a pleasure learning, growing, and stretching minds with you all! 

Edcamp & Other Motivational Things

It's safe to say that this has been a crazy week, but much better than the past few! I am beginning to see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel...

It may or may not be corny, but I have already picked the song I want to use in my student teaching portfolio presentation. The song (Difference Maker by Needtobreathe) has been one of my favorites for the past few years, but I was recently listening to it while driving back to Gardner-Webb one weekend. 

Some of the lyrics include: "...he climbs on up the hill on the rock on which he stands/he looks back at the  crowd/he looks down at as his hands and he says/ I am a difference maker". This song really spoke life into me the past few weeks when I was questioning why I was bothering to pursue my degree in education. April 2016 has not necessarily been kind to me so I was about ready to throw in the towel. But this song reminded me that I can be the difference maker with my own two hands. Education is amazing and challenging and beautiful and difficult I can be a part of that. And you can too! 

On a slightly less emotional note, I attended #EdcampWNC this past weekend! It was a great experience and I am so thankful I went! For those of you who are not sure what edcamp is, be sure to check my last blogs as I've written on them before. This weekend's edcamp was really great for several reasons. For one, I got to meet some really awesome teachers and professors in the area of education. During edcamp, we alternated between sessions that discussed various topics; anything from social media to gamification. 

One discussion in particular that I LOVED was gamification (using games in the classroom for learning purposes). In this discussion, someone brought up the teaching app/tool "Class Craft". A spinoff of Mine Craft, this tool allows students to work collectively as a "village" to maintain behavior, overcome challenges, and solve problems. Not only are you able to give unique content delivery, but you are able to work on classroom management at the same time. There is a cost to this classroom tool but I will most definitely be investigating this program in my own classroom. 

NCTCS Standard 3d (teachers make instruction relevant to students) connects to this practice and could help me with hooking my students. I also see a connection to NCTCS Standard 4a (Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students). This use of 21st century technology will allow me to reach my students. As I was told at edcamp, all K-12 students will be digital natives as of the 2016-2017 school year! 

Take My Hand, We'll Make It I Swear...

I think many of you can relate to me when I say that week 14 has and will be one of those "little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus" weeks. It's like I came back from DC and was swept up by a giant education tidal wave. No... but really.

Anyway, this week I have been doing a lot of prepping for the final moments I will be spending in my clinical classroom. Though it is about 40 minutes one way (not everyone can avoid the speed limits), this has by far been my most enjoyable clinical field placement of my two years in the School of Education. Not only was my teacher voted Cleveland County Teacher of the Year (I can see why), but the team that Mr. Propst works with is amazing. There is so much synchronization and transfer of expectation that I have yet to see in any of my other placements.

Being at little 'ole Fallston Elementary School has taught me so much in just a short amount of time. If it has taught me anything, however, I have seen firsthand how a true PLC coexists. Mr. Propst allowed me to work with his other team members on other content areas, and I was really impressed with their ability to coexist as a team. Not to be sexist, but part of me thinks that this could be because there is a male teacher on the team. Typically, a group of all women have a harder time with acquiring different perspectives. Also, a male team member can probably break up any drama that may occur (which is entirely likely in any profession).

Another thing that I noticed about this clinical experience was that, in Fifth Grade at Fallston, students have two seperate ELA classes: Non-fiction ELA/Social Studies and Fiction ELA. Mr. Propst told me that test scores increased tremendously because there was that integration of Social Studies and ELA.

Several of the characteristics that stuck out to me thus far at Fallston correlate with several NCTCS Standards:

• 2a. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.
• 2d. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.
• I noticed that Mr. Propst and his team members genuinely cared about their students. There is one student in 5th grade who has physical disabilities, and they did not hesitate the differentiate every activity for this student. Their confidence in this student resonated from within, which allowed the student to see they were capable of learning through anything. I want to adapt a mentality of like this for my own classroom.
• 5c. Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment
• I saw this specifically in my PLC at Fallston. My CE set a great example for how to work within a team to accomplish a common goal. They made it very simple; have fun while learning. They always made sure students were up and doing things periodically. I want to bring this attitude to my future PLC. It was definitely a learning experience. 

Additionally, I did some research on male elementary teachers just because of what I got to experience with my PLC at Fallston. I came across this article: 

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/mr-teacher

After reading through, I strongly believe that male teachers can be a positive influence for students, especially those who lack a father figure. My experience at my clinical placement school, combined with this research, has me drawing the conclusion that more male teachers are needed in our schools!

Lessons Learned From A Washington DC Trip

This week has been an absolute whirlwind. Our SNCAE group at Gardner-Webb University loaded up and took off for Washington, D.C. I had never been before, but the goal of the trip for many of us was to gain insight that will help us a future teachers. I have to say, I have learned a lot about ways I can enrich my teaching on politics, history, and culture. I have also learned so much in regards to field trips in general. But overall, I just learned a lot this week.

We peeled out early, early Monday morning. I can't say that Dr. Parker was doing anything near the speed limit, but hey, we got there with plenty of time to spare. We took that whole day of Monday activities to explore and pay tribute to Arlington Cemetery. There is rich history behind the property and it's relevance to prominent figures such as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee; I did not previously know this. If you have not been before, I really think it is important for all Americans to go and experience. The property was absolutely beautiful, and we actually go to witness a changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For me, it put into perspective just how many lives have been laid down in honor of the United States. It was overwhelming, really, but I am so glad we went.

After visiting Arlington, we took a short Metro ride to kind of get the lay of the land of the National Mall. We did a lot of walking around and observing for the coming days, where we would do much more walking. At this point, we decided to take the Metro down to a restaurant favorite called Tortilla Coast. However, Dr. Parker succumbed to some sort of illness/disease and had to leave his favorite restaurant. We enjoyed the food for him, though, so that's what really matters.

Day two consisted primarily of Capitol touring and Smithsonian shenanigans. We rose early in the morning so we could make it for a staff led tour of the Capitol, including entrance into the House Chamber. It was pretty cool to see where all of the legislature either gets enacted or shot down, Lunch at the Capitol was a lot better than I expected, but here is one piece of advice I can offer anyone wanting to travel to DC. Food is anywhere from double to triple what you might pay anywhere else!

I have to say, I was really surprised with everything that they had put into the Smithsonian museums. To be free and open to the public, everything was really up to date and captivating. My favorite museum has to be American History, even though we didn't end up going through the whole thing. After touring all of those, we made our way to Union Station for supper.

Wednesday was a day full of walking and adventure. We set out early to make the trek to the World War II memorial, as well as several others, before making the long haul to the White House. Long story short, we got a lovely shot with the backside of the White House, but I'm not complaining. When we leave, we get into quite a bit of shenanigans trying to make our way back to the Mall for our Library of Congress tour. Let's just say we finally saw all of DC. The Library of Congress was interesting, and I never knew it was that simple to get a card and use the resources there.

After that we ventured back to Union Station for some lunch, as well as a Metro mishap. For future reference, never use a Metro day pass for the Metro bus. Doesn't work. After lunch we were fortunate enough to get tickets into the Holocaust Museum, which was absolutely humbling. I am so glad we got the opportunity to see unbiased evidence of such an intense historical event. After that, we did some more memorial touring, including Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam, and Korean memorials.

Our final day/hours in Washington were spent recapping history we missed and, of course, buying mass quantities of cupcakes from the world-famous Georgetown Cupcake. Expensive, but worth it.

All in all, I was so glad we were able to make this trip work this year, and I am very grateful for everyone who went along for the ride. This whole week has been a learning and research experience for me that I will be forever grateful for. All of this wraps into:

• NCTCS Standard 3d: Teachers make instruction relevant to students.
• NCTCS Standard 4c: Teachers use a variety of instructional methods. 

Man In The Mirror

So something that I have been doing a lot of lately has been reflecting on the lessons I have taught this semester. Prior to being in Social Studies Methods, it never actually occurred to me that it might just be useful to watch myself teach! It turns out, when I paid attention to all of the little mannerisms and particular tendencies I have while teaching. There were some things I am really glad I did, and some things that I cannot wait to, well, correct.

Even the littlest of things such as my enthusiasm and movement in the classroom are two big factors that stood out to me. So, I made a plan to rehearse or write in (my lesson plan) several ways to get myself excited about the subject at hand). It wasn't anything big, but I am sure it will make a world of difference in my students' minds.

To expand on this, I think it is important to say that all teachers should go back and take a look at what is working and what is not working in their daily routine instruction. I was able to attend several Student Teaching Portfolio presentations this week, and one of the candidates described her best pedagogical technique is to evaluate what does well in the classroom. If it works, great. If not, toss it and find a new way to do it. 

This idea of reflection does not have to be as complex as recording your lessons to watch and dissect. If we set aside 15 minutes each day to think about the highs and lows of our instruction, we would probably be amazed at the great things our classroom can do. This is why I am very excited to get in the classroom and experience firsthand how to run and keep running a classroom. 

NCTCS Standard 5 (teachers reflect on their practice) is a direct correlation in regards to professional development, and I cannot wait to implement these practices into my future classroom. If nothing else, I will become a stronger teacher and maybe even inspire the teachers within my PLC to refine their own practices. I am excited to implement reflection in my classroom. 

In The News

As part of my Global Citizenship Project, I have been doing my research on current events, both locally and nationally. One topic that has really stuck out to me has been the presidential election! As any American would, I am entrusting the government to lead our country in the right direction. However, as a future educator, I have found myself paying special attention to what candidates have to say about education!

At the moment, I have gathered that several candidates have strong opinions on where the country should be in terms of being educated. It is interesting to me to see that some candidates are very "gung ho" on abolishing Common Core and doing more to relinquish local schools from national control,  while others want even more central control. 

This combination of the presidential election falling in a pivotal moment of my educational career has allowed me to grow; not only as an educator, but also as an informed voter and a more active advocate. Transitioning into the professional field of education has allowed me to see advocacy in a whole new light. 

Of course, this all ties into NCTCS 1d: "Teachers advocate for schools and students". I am excited to venture into this new role of an educator. During this upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., I plan on seeing how the government plays a role in public education (no pun intended), and what changes could be coming into the picture following the 2016 presidential. Regardless of party affiliation, keep education in mind!

What To Do When Technology Isn't Cutting It

Here in the 21st century, we like our tablets on our wrist and our conversations through a screen. It is inevitable that technology is creeping into every aspect of your life, whether you like it or not. For some little people in elementary school, this means a monumental change has occurred, especially in the public schools.

In an "ideal"classroom today, every student has their own Macbook or iPad, along with unlimited access to the school's wifi connection. The district IT department has seamlessly set up everything so that there is no room for error or crashing. The teacher of said classroom is fully educated on the latest and greatest means of classroom technology integration.

But...

What if the district has yet to accumulate enough funds for students to have that technology?
What if the school has yet to been equipped with internet that can handle 500-1000 students?
What if budget cuts have forced the IT department to cut back on their services?
What if the teacher has 30+ students, and something goes wrong with the technology?

That is a question I have been reflecting on quite a bit this week as I experienced a situation like this first hand. While teaching a lesson, something went wrong, completely out of the blue and unexplained. There was nothing I could have done to ensure that this would not have happened. It just happened.

I was not the only one who experienced this type of mishap. I watched many, if not most of my peers experience the same types of unexplained blunder. This has to be happening in the real world classroom, which must be unappealing for many teachers.

Now, this is not to say that technology is evil and we should throw it in a corner and forget about it forever. Technology has opened a magical door of learning to many students who, otherwise, would have slipped through the cracks. There is so much we can do with technology. The advancements are great for some. I consider myself slightly up to date on technological advancements, and am very pleased with where we have come as a society.

Back to "but".

As educators, I do not believe we should ever find ourselves fully reliant on technology in the classroom. Something will go wrong, I like to believe strongly in Murphy's Law, which states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. As educators, we should always have a healthy combination of teaching strategies, whether that be technology and pencil/paper or not. Technology might be the future, but that does not mean we have to forget about everything else.

North Carolina Teacher Candidate Standard #3d is a primary example of how I want to lead in my classroom. It states: "Teachers make instruction relevant to students". I want my classroom to be up to date, but not overboard when it comes to teaching. If I have a group of students who prefer pencil and paper, then we will do a little of that. But I will not neglect technology, appropriately.

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe...

...Catch a lesson plan by the toe.

I feel like that's all I've been doing this week! I think it is safe to say that those of us in Social Studies Methods have been exposed to many different, new ways of teaching and delivering content. For myself, the biggest change in my pedagogical practice has been the lesson and learning planning formats we use! Taking a step back from planning for students and actually planning for myself has been a change, and I think I can speak for many of us when I say we are still getting used to it.

The main differences between a lesson plan and a learning plan are pretty simple.

In a lesson plan, many people can master the task of how you are going to fill the students' 25 minutes to cover a standard. You glean all of your resources with the intent to find ways to deliver that particular standard, and to find activities that accompany the standard. You might even do a Pinterest search to get creative.

In a learning plan, you are mapping out exactly what the students will be able to learn from both the standard and your content delivery. It is a much more in depth process, and it forces you to think about how your lesson will challenge your students. For instance, you might ask yourself questions such as, "How will I hook my students" and "How can I get students to connect the hook to the content?". This is a bit more than your standard 6 Point.

Is one plan better than the other? It depends on the needs of your classroom. I have been able to work on a learning plan first hand this semester; usually, I am accustomed to using 6 point. After going through the process, I can see pros and cons from both plans.

For instance, the 6 point template is very clean cut and simple. This is good in that it allows teachers to create a concise plan of what the classroom will look like, While working within the learning plan, I found myself getting lost in what my original objectives were. To be quite honest, I had to do a lot of backtracking quite a few times in order to stay true to my objectives.  But on the bright side, the learning plan allows for teachers to write in more detail and specifics to what will be going on.

Overall, I think that the learning plan is good for professional development. Requiring yourself to write down the extra details will eventually lead to the higher level of thinking becoming commonplace. I think that is the best way I have been able to look at all of the extra detail, and rightly so! This can be backed up with NCTCS 2d- Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. By elaborating in your plans, you are pretty much accommodating for all of your students' needs.

I hope to grow enough as a professional educator to create a lesson plan format of my own; one that fits the needs of my students first. I appreciate the experiences I have gained in writing these lessons and plan to use them when I begin writing in my classroom. I think it will be a trial by error process, and that is a good thing!

Woah, We're Halfway There!

In these short (and yet so long) nine weeks of immersing myself in Social Studies Methods, I have learned so much. Everything from differentiation to SAMR to an app called Canva. These are all excellent tools that I have acquired, and I am so glad that I'm learning "teacher things"! However, It's got me to thinking...

TEACHING CAN BE SO COMPLICATED!

According to my research, someone coined the term "effective instruction" to label, well, just that. It sounds simplistic and obvious, but there are actually four components that experts in the field recommend that teachers abide by when planning meaningful instruction. 

1. Planning instruction

2. Managing instruction 

3. Delivering instruction 

4. Evaluating instruction

Planning your instruction is pretty obvious, right? That's what I thought. But I soon found that every good teacher is using planning strategically. You can have a plan with not projected outcome or goal, so what is the point of that? Plan strategically. 

As a teacher, you have to be able to manage whatever instruction you throw at your students. If you cannot keep up with assignments and content, then they surely cannot either. Make instruction meaningful!

Your instruction delivery is the key to success. It has the potential to sink steps 1 & 2; if you cannot deliver your instruction, whatever that may be, in an appealing and interesting manner, you will lose your students. That is primarily where your nifty tricks and technology comes in! Throw in a snazzy method of delivering instruction.

It is so important to evaluate and reflect on your instruction practices. If something did not work, it will be easy to simply nip it in the bud then and there. No need to subject students to more of the same. 

These components of effective instruction are there to help teachers structure their lessons, etc. I am in the midst of lesson planning like crazy at the moment, and I'm sure it's nothing compared to what a practicing teacher experiences. However, I can tell firsthand that when writing multiple lessons, it can be easy to get lost in trying to cram as much "awesomeness" as you can. 

Now, this is not to say that all of the new strategies and technology are worthless. The essence of effective instruction is to get teachers thinking about the big picture of what they are trying to accomplish. There should be direct evidence as to why students are learning about the Apple/FBI debate or the apple farm.

There is always going to be a lesson or learning experience that another teacher will "one up" you on. There will be days when you feel like you've failed your students. Everyone experiences that; I have, even as a pre-service teacher. But when you get to feeling burned out, just remember the four components of effective instruction to reflect back on. As NCTCS Standard 1c. Teachers lead the teaching profession states, we should strive to be the best teachers we can be. In saying that, I want to take this mini-learning experience (no pun intended) and keep it as a reminder for when I am in my own classroom. 

STEM vs. STEAM

In my recent research, I've found that STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) curricula have exploded in relevance and popularity. We are in an age of constant technological evolution, which has changed the way we structure what we want our students to learn. But an interesting perspective to ponder is...are we pushing the scientific and enigmatic fields onto our young people too hard? To sum up the majority of my Twitter research:

...$4 billion dollars is a lot of money to spend on education, right?

It is definitely important to highlight the positives of creating the next generation of a STEM-saavy population. I mean, after all, they are doing amazing things now! Therefore, our students are in for a real treat if we lay the groundwork correctly!

That is where STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) comes in. Many people may be interested and well equipped to dive into the STEM world, but there are always outliers who have talents and interests elsewhere. And you know what? That is perfectly alright as well! It is important to keep the arts in our schools for many reasons, the most important being student interest. If we stop teaching with our students in mind, then we have long since lost them.

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences states that there are 9 ways that one can be intelligent. Not just scientifically, technologically, mathematically, and engineer-like. 

In consideration to content areas such as Social Studies, could this new way of thinking simply be a means to an end for phasing out the importance of the two? I surely hope not, as I believe that all content areas are equally important. 

With that being said, I want my students in my classroom to not feel confined by what the latest and greatest is that is going on in the world today.  If they want to work on coding to create an app, that is great! If they want to work on an artistic piece that signifies an important time in history, that is awesome! This can be connected to NCTCS 1d: Teachers advocate for schools and students. I want to help my students receive what is best for them!

Teaching New Dogs New Tricks

Surrounding me, these past few weeks, has been an urge to develop into a professional version of myself. For the purpose of this blog journey, it would be a wise decision to talk about learning for the sake of my classroom. Last week I touched on professional development and the importance of that.

I attended the Keeping Learning Alive! conference, and it was AWESOME! I learned so much, in ways that as educators, we might not even consider. For instance, one of the speakers held a session about "Social Studies Detectives", and how you can use pictures to help students get thinking about what is really going on during these historical events. How cool is that??

One of the techniques he recommended to the group was to show students 5-10 photos that represent key points within the unit. While looking at this group of photos, they are refreshing their memories on everything that happened, as well as seeing how all of the material flows together. This type of activity would definitely be considered a DOK Level 3 or 4 activity. And it is so simple! Throwing some photos together, and you've got yourself a deep discussion.  I plan to use this strategy in my classroom.

Another technique that the presenter brought to light was, instead of reading and researching the traditional ways, to throw photos up on the projector and ask students to find key details that could have significance to what is happening. For instance, if I held up this photo:



You would tell me you saw a man pointing a gun, sneakiness, and Abraham Lincoln. Now, this is an easy example, but the key is to get students discussing the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It helps students to think for themselves. I could hold up a sheet of paper in front of a particular portion that someone pointed out so we could hone in on what was going on there. Again, I love these skills and cannot wait to implement these ideas.

For social studies instruction, this has huge implications. The simple method of using pictures has a large impact, especially because you are integrating the visual arts standards into your everyday class time. Also, this integration of visual arts provides students time to hone in on differentiating between topics and concepts they might be studying. This is especially important for North Carolina classrooms!

A huge portion of this crazy journey of becoming an educator has been to learn from my peers, professors, clinical teachers, and children in those classrooms. There is so much out there that can aid teachers to better their practices. It would be wise to do so, in accordance with NCTCS standard 4C: "Teachers use a variety of instructional methods" and 4E; "Teachers help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills".

If you have any questions about what went on at the conference, feel free to email me at obouknight@gardner-webb.edu. I'd be glad to share the resources and tidbits of knowledge I compiled during my time there!

We're Not In EDUC 250 Anymore, Toto!

As every professional knows, it is integral to continue to better themselves in their respective field. For Luke Keuchly, that may be attending practice and reviewing past plays. For President Barack Obama, that may be attending a leadership summit with fellow world leaders. For Apple CEO Tim Cook, that might mean attending a technology conference. For teachers, this means professional learning development opportunities.

Teachers never stop learning. At least, they should not. According to NCTCS Standard 5: "Teachers reflect on their practice", it is integral to take a step back and evaluate your pedagogical methods. If you are learning, this certainly helps your students learn. I am looking forward to joining this professional community as I have progressed in the Gardner-Webb University Teacher Education program.

Our students are constantly changing to accustom themselves to a constantly changing world. Five years ago, every student is whole school districts did not have steady access to technology. Today, some districts are providing ALL students with top of the line Macbooks, rendering themselves 100% reliant on technology. How could teachers prepare for this switch without first educating themselves?



This week, I have been preparing myself for my first professional conference. I will be attending Gardner-Webb University School of Education's Keeping Learning Alive! conference on Saturday, February 6th. I am excited to participate in this event and learn from my present and future colleagues. We will be hearing from the current North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Mr. Steve Lassiter, as well as engage in several breakout sessions and edCamp.

Had I known all that being a teacher entailed when I was in EDUC 250, I might have cried a bit and had a few panic sessions. But here I am, in my Junior year, having learned what it means to be a professional teacher. I'm sure all pre-service teachers have also come to this wonderful realization.

I think that overall, the greatest aspect of the field of education is that as educators, we have the type of community that accepts collaboration and discussion as a means of achieving a common goal. This goal would be to better the education that our students are receiving, and preparing them to become global citizens! It is not about who can be the best teacher...it is about what we can do for our students.

What In The World Is A Concept?

Ladies and gentlemen,

I don't know if anyone else struggles with this, but something that has recently been on my mind has been distinguishing between concepts and topics. Going through school, that is something that teachers never really clarified. They were one and the same. So I want to take the opportunity to reflect on what I have been learning this week through several learning experiences.

Initially, I thought that anything could be a concept. I thought that the French and Indian War and Culture could both be topics. Oh, was I misinformed! I was proven very wrong this semester when research and discussion brought me to the conclusion that there are certain requirements that must be met to be considered a concept. After spending time researching this concept versus topic debate, I have seen that utilizing the concept based lesson helps students to make generalizations and connections between topics, utilize higher thinking, and process more material. How cool is that?

I came up with this little visual to help me remember that a concept must be abstract, timeless, transferable, and universal.

It makes sense that we (North Carolina, specifically) are transitioning into this concept-based instructional method. If we want our students to be able to look at the big picture and utilize higher level thinking, shouldn't we provide them with this conceptual lens through which to look? I am so excited to begin the process of looking at the big picture of concepts. Recently, I have begun a concept-based unit plan, and looking at the possibilities that are present when you don't constrain yourself to one specific topic. I am glad that many teachers, especially in North Carolina, are headed in that direction! As NCTCS implies, "4a. Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students."

All of these changes to the instruction process make good practice for myself (and others) as we prepare for a classroom full of students of our own. If you take anything from this blog, I would hope that would be that conceptual learning has so much to offer students. I know it is soooo cheesy (no pun intended), but this visual is a reminder to me that, in the midst of writing a lesson unit, or plan, or whatever it is that you are writing, a concept must me timeless, abstract, universal, and transferable.