In my future classroom, I plan on using a blog where the students can post items. Sometimes, students in first grade struggle to write letters and sentences; however, if we teach the students how to type on their iPads, they can keep a blog at the end of each day with one or two sentences (length depending on the time of year) of what they did that day. Then I will send their blog URL's home so that their parents can see on a daily basis how their students are progressing with typing, spelling, and what they have done in school that day. It will be a good way to get students to summarize their thinking of the day, as well as a good way for the parents of my students to see what is happening in the classroom.
I will use blogs myself to gain information and for lessons to help me teach my students. I will also follow blogs in order to keep up with updates in curriculum. Many blogs contain information for teachers such as worksheets, advice, and helpful hints on teaching; therefore, I will use blogs in order to get new ideas and become a better teacher.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Learning Traits
My students are in first grade. Their attention spans are extremely short, so in order to get them to focus on a lesson we need to have the students sit for a few minutes and then also allow them to move around. I will be having students sitting quietly, as well as having them move to the floor to chart our information on a classroom bar chart. At this age students have to be exposed to the information several times before they are completely able to understand and remember what they are learning. That is why I will expose my students to the information and processes we will use in this lesson several times before we actually perform the lesson.
In first grade, most students are still very interested in school and are motivated to learn; however, students will be more motivated to listen and pay attention if the lesson has to do with something that interests them. In order to make students more interested in this lesson, each day we review the weather, I will ask one student to come to the bar chart and graph the data of the weather on the chart. First grade students get very excited to come in front of the class and help the teacher. I expect a lot from my students, but they need little breaks in order to concentrate the rest of the time. Therefore, to maintain students' work habits I will allow my students to have small breaks throughout the day so they can release their energy.
In first grade, most students are still very interested in school and are motivated to learn; however, students will be more motivated to listen and pay attention if the lesson has to do with something that interests them. In order to make students more interested in this lesson, each day we review the weather, I will ask one student to come to the bar chart and graph the data of the weather on the chart. First grade students get very excited to come in front of the class and help the teacher. I expect a lot from my students, but they need little breaks in order to concentrate the rest of the time. Therefore, to maintain students' work habits I will allow my students to have small breaks throughout the day so they can release their energy.
Specific Entry Competencies
The students in my classroom are at several different levels as far as their prior knowledge. In order to complete the lesson on organizing, representing, and interpreting data, students will need to be familiar with a bar chart, plotting points on a chart, and how to organize different types of data into categories.
Students will need to know how to read, write (copying words they see around the classroom, talked about previously where they can find them), and log on to iPads. The students will need to be familiar with how to use an iPad.
The students will be asked to check the weather on the weather application. While they pull up the weather on the weather application, I will pull up the weather on my computer and display it on the projector screen. Once we have all looked up the weather, we will decide what the weather each day is and have a bar chart in our classroom where we will keep track of the weather patterns, similar to the one below:
Earlier in the year, I will have gone over how to create a bar chart and graph data on a bar chart with the students and will review it to refresh their memory. They will know how to use an iPad from several previous lessons that I have taught during the school year.
Students will need to know how to read, write (copying words they see around the classroom, talked about previously where they can find them), and log on to iPads. The students will need to be familiar with how to use an iPad.
The students will be asked to check the weather on the weather application. While they pull up the weather on the weather application, I will pull up the weather on my computer and display it on the projector screen. Once we have all looked up the weather, we will decide what the weather each day is and have a bar chart in our classroom where we will keep track of the weather patterns, similar to the one below:
Earlier in the year, I will have gone over how to create a bar chart and graph data on a bar chart with the students and will review it to refresh their memory. They will know how to use an iPad from several previous lessons that I have taught during the school year.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
My Classroom (Introduction/ General Characteristics)
I have recently started my teaching experience in a first grade classroom. I will be teaching the
subject of mathematics to the students in my class. We will be focusing on the topic of measurement
and data. The main Common Core State Standard that we will be focusing on is:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4
My classroom is in a Title 1 school, which means over 40% of the students in my building are on free and reduced lunch. My classroom consists of approximately 60% white, 20% Hispanic, 15% mixed race, and 5% African American. There are roughly the same number of males and females. The students range from the age of five years old to seven years old. The economic status of the students in my classroom range widely. We have some students whose families are in the middle to upper income, a majority of my students are in the lower income, and we even have a few students who are placed in foster homes.
While many of my students have a great attitude towards school at this age, I also have a few students who have so many other distractions at home that school does not seem to be their first priority, unfortunately.
subject of mathematics to the students in my class. We will be focusing on the topic of measurement
and data. The main Common Core State Standard that we will be focusing on is:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4
- Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.
My classroom is in a Title 1 school, which means over 40% of the students in my building are on free and reduced lunch. My classroom consists of approximately 60% white, 20% Hispanic, 15% mixed race, and 5% African American. There are roughly the same number of males and females. The students range from the age of five years old to seven years old. The economic status of the students in my classroom range widely. We have some students whose families are in the middle to upper income, a majority of my students are in the lower income, and we even have a few students who are placed in foster homes.
While many of my students have a great attitude towards school at this age, I also have a few students who have so many other distractions at home that school does not seem to be their first priority, unfortunately.
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