October 31, 2013
Week Five
Tuesday
This week, I was able to sit in on a collaborating instructor who came in during class and worked with the class on a specific subject. Someone came in to the classroom to teach math. The students were working on something call missing posters. They were to make stories that described the pictures they were given. They were to use precise language in the summary of their picture. Then they read the stories that were written and they were to vote which picture it matched. If there was any confusion, they put the stories aside. Only two were put aside and she asked perhaps why it was hard to figure out what picture matched those stories. The class concluded that it was because the group had not described enough about the picture or used enough precise language.
It was nice to see how the teacher came up with an interesting way to incorporate writing with math. It got the students interested in math and got them excited to write as well. She found a way to integrate math and language arts and made it fun and exciting. The kids were always engaged and at times hard to control and settle down. she also gave the students a chance to work in a constructivist learning environment. The students wrote their own stories to their own and shared them with the class. They never lost interest and were proud of the work they accomplished. It was a great example of integrating subject areas together.
After the math lesson was over Manny had the class play a little game using precise language. He had one student come up to the front and play "I Spy". the student was to find someone or something in the room and use precise language to describe it or the person. With a detailed description, the rest of the class was to guess what they were describing. The students preceded to describe their best friends, so Manny challenged the last student to describe an object in the room. It was an interesting way to reflect and utilize the skills and concepts the class learned in the lesson that day.
It was nice to see how the teacher came up with an interesting way to incorporate writing with math. It got the students interested in math and got them excited to write as well. She found a way to integrate math and language arts and made it fun and exciting. The kids were always engaged and at times hard to control and settle down. she also gave the students a chance to work in a constructivist learning environment. The students wrote their own stories to their own and shared them with the class. They never lost interest and were proud of the work they accomplished. It was a great example of integrating subject areas together.
After the math lesson was over Manny had the class play a little game using precise language. He had one student come up to the front and play "I Spy". the student was to find someone or something in the room and use precise language to describe it or the person. With a detailed description, the rest of the class was to guess what they were describing. The students preceded to describe their best friends, so Manny challenged the last student to describe an object in the room. It was an interesting way to reflect and utilize the skills and concepts the class learned in the lesson that day.
Thursday
Again, we had another teacher come in, but this time I got to see something called writing circles. The class worked on collaborating with others, listening to one another and giving feedback. We started by gathering in to a circle and sharing our name and something about us. The class then played a game called fact or fib. Each student came up with 3 facts on a sticky note and added one fib. When they were done, they were to share their things with the class but not reveal whether their statements were fact or fib. While one student was talking, no one else was to be talking. They were to be looking and listening as they read. When they finished, each person was to ask one question about what they had read, and then the next person would read and they would repeat the steps. When they were done, they were to pick one thing and write more about it by adding details, whether it was fact or fib.
I was asked to join one group, both to watch over the group, but I also did the activity. My facts and fib were: I have never left the country. I broke my arm when I was nine. My dog bit me when I was a baby. My favorite subject is art.
After the lesson, Manny settled the class down and asked the students to think about what they learned. He had them each reflect and think about something they learned in the lesson by them self for about 30 seconds. He then had them share with the class something they learned. It was a great way to accommodate some of the students with disabilities that require more time to process information. As the students were sharing what they had learned, Manny asked the class if someone could add something to a student's response. It seemed like an insult at first, perhaps as though the student's answer was not correct, however Manny continued to mention that "there is always more to add to a third grade answer". It was a great way to inform the students that there is not a right answer, but also that the students should always be adding more information and elaborating on their ideas.
I was asked to join one group, both to watch over the group, but I also did the activity. My facts and fib were: I have never left the country. I broke my arm when I was nine. My dog bit me when I was a baby. My favorite subject is art.
After the lesson, Manny settled the class down and asked the students to think about what they learned. He had them each reflect and think about something they learned in the lesson by them self for about 30 seconds. He then had them share with the class something they learned. It was a great way to accommodate some of the students with disabilities that require more time to process information. As the students were sharing what they had learned, Manny asked the class if someone could add something to a student's response. It seemed like an insult at first, perhaps as though the student's answer was not correct, however Manny continued to mention that "there is always more to add to a third grade answer". It was a great way to inform the students that there is not a right answer, but also that the students should always be adding more information and elaborating on their ideas.