Journal Sharing
"A student who is made aware of their self-talk and how it impacts their learning will have been given a powerful lifelong learning tool."
--Super Teaching Page 83
Please share one of your Personal Super Teaching Journal entries with us.
Click on comments and cut and paste the entry
Monday, July 9, 2007
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14 comments:
I have spent a few hours trying to figure out how this online class and blog work. Still, I do not know if I finally figured it out. It is frustating!!!
On the other hand, I have read to page 53, and the material seems interesting so far.
However, the amount of information overwhelmes me. Too much to know and do in a little amount of time.
I am anxious about the class because I have not taught in over five years, and I have not taken any classes in about seven years. I have never taken an online class.
Mari, I agree about the blog work. This is all new to me as well. As of today (Wednesday)I have not received the book, so I am anxious to receive it and start reading.
I agree that this blogging is different! I thought my daughter would be able to help me out to figure it out...she doesn't blog only does the instant messengers. So, this is taking a bit of time.
I did find out that you can delete your comment that is posted. I was experimenting...and had made a copy of my note to repaste it.
I don't know about you ladies, but the times it post are off 2+ hours from my home computer. Strange!
I am waiting to receive materials in mail too. It is Thursday!
My thoughts and feelings at the moment are that I need to get working on this class! The past week I was vacationing at my cottage doing some boating and fishing with no access to a computer.
I am looking forward to this class and I am familiar with blogging. I took the online class "Fun in the Classroom" last spring and found it quite interesting so I am hoping this class is too!
My husband and I just returned from a mini-vacation visiting his family in Indiana. It was such a relaxing trip, with the majority of our time spent listening to the sounds of summer in his parents' screened-in back porch. It occurred to me that (dare I say it) we are on the downward slope toward the end of summer.
I had fun looking through teacher catalogs at his parents' house; my husband's parents are teachers, too. I always like this time of year when the thoughts start churning about things I'll do differently this year, ideas I want to incorporate, etc.
The book for this class was in the mail upon our return. It looks great. . . very practical and filled with usable tips. I love those kinds of professional development resources! I'm looking forward to digging in to it.
I have spent quite a bit of time reading through the book and appreciate the reflection and reaction sections for making notes. The blog work is interesting and very easy to follow.
Journal Entry
I read the chapter on music in the classroom and I have been thinking about ways that I can include music in my curriculum. It can be a very powerful tool in helping students to feel a sense of belonging and excitement for the class. I like the idea of using music at the beginning and the close of each class and also during group activities and transitions. The chapter taught me about which types of music to use and when, this was very beneficial! I am now in the process of gathering music from my own collection and putting it all on one cd. I am feeling excited about the next school year to see how my students respond.
I've had two interesting experiences this week that made me think about the first chapter in 'Super Teaching.'
Yesterday I spent time with my nieces and nephew. The oldest is 6 and the second oldest is 3.5. I am *amazed* at how savvy these kids are on the computer. . . already! They know how to pull up bookmarked Web pages, how to operate their family's laptop, and how to trouble shoot if there is a problem.
Additionally, I am on a local parenting group mailing list server. A couple of days ago, a flurry of postings from area parents gave all kinds of recommendations to other parents for Internet learning games used and loved by their toddlers.
These students will be entering our classrooms in a few years, equipped with a baseline of knowledge that helps create their foundation for learning. We are part of the Information Age!
After reading chapter 8 titled 'Learning Environment' in our text, I've reflected on and become more aware of the environments I'm in and how they affect me. For example, we went to a pizza restaurant today that is primarily directed toward families and young children. Upon walking in, we had an immediate sense of the audience by what was on the walls, the monthly features, games in the entrance, etc. I've been to many a conference or meeting where I am the learner, and I know first hand what a difference the learning environment can make. Things like temperature of the room, natural light and windows, and seating arrangements have a huge impact on how I feel when I'm in those environments. All things to consider when beginning to make plans for my classroom environment this year. . . .
Journal Entry
Things I want to incorporate in the future to help students learn… I like the way Jensen’s book gave many examples of the Multiple Intelligences and what to do with them. I would like to use these examples in my future classes. For each of the 7 MI there is a description, what this MI looks like in the classroom and finally how to further develop the MI by listing dozens of useful examples. Mind mapping, clap and slap memory games, and rearranging the room are just a few examples of developing MI.
Being able to meet the needs of your students is the main reason why a teacher would be using MI. Students do not always learn something by using the same method or model. As teachers we need to be able to meet the needs of our students and by using MI this can be a helpful tool. I like to use music in the background while students are working in the classroom. Do I use music 100% of the time? No…because not all students like it. Some like it a lot and some get more distracted and lose focus on their work. But at times it does help some students focus and get their work done.
I have been working on organizing around our home. I am proud of how much my husband and I have done this summer in slimming down our belongings and getting our house in order. We've always been quite organized people, but it seems like no matter how hard we try, there still is some creep in of non-essentials.
This has made me think about organization in the classroom. I like to keep things tidy and organized, especially things that have to do with the students' space. My closet at school right now, however, is functioning under the end of the year "shove and shut" method. There are a few other areas of storage and the like in the classroom that I'd like to better organize by the beginning of next school year. I feel so much more at ease when I'm organized. When I feel at ease, I can be a better teacher, which in turn benefits the students. Classroom space is such an important part of the learning environment. Incorporating this, even to "my" areas at school, makes sense and is a goal for me this summer.
Rituals and affirmations was a chapter(14) of my interest. It reinforced to me that many of the things I do in my classroom are appropriate.In the my room I do use affirmations using visual, auditory and kinesthetic ones. The chapter also gave me many affirmations that I will make and run off to hang on my walls.
The other part of this chapter dealt with rituals with my students. I do well with rituals at the beginning of the day and with the globalization rituals.It became more apparent however that need to do some ritual to refocus on what was taught before recess breaks and at the end of the school day. I want to try using the song "Wonderful World" at the end of the school day.
During the summer, I love being able to nurture my friendships. It's so nice to be able to spend more time with my friends at a more leisurely pace. I know the value of friends and family in my life, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them.
I have this in mind when I'm thinking about a classroom of students. I try to build a sense of family in the classroom and feel it is so important for students to establish positive relationships with their peers. These relationships need not be "best friend" relationships but rather are ones of mutual respect and appreciation. I aim to focus more on this area in the fall. I intend to use more role-playing to show what being a respectful class citizen looks like.
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