Posted by: cummia on: November 30, 2009
This weeks reading from the book, “On Common Ground” was great at really showing me some great points about action plans. You can’t just look at the plan but you also have to look at the action that goes along with it. In Chapter 12 it showed a lot of the problems that could arise from the implementation of this action plan. So it made me think about how much planning you need to do but also make it simple enough that it is doable and the school will buy into acting upon the plan. “The culture of any organization is found in the assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and habits that constitute the norm of its people, but these elements of culture tend to go unexamined” (pg. 235). I think this can really be an issue when implementing an action plan. So many people go with the attitude that “we have always done it this way.” They never seem to question it or look deeper to see if there is a better way. I think this is an important point to look at when developing an action plan and be prepared for many people to have that reaction. By reading this chapter it really helped explain the problems that could come from an action plan while in the planning process as well as taking action. I hope with this information I can eliminate many of those issues while planning and implementing this action plan. I also hope that my school culture will be open to the change.
Posted by: cummia on: November 24, 2009
I really enjoyed reading this weeks article by Mitchel Resnick, “All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking) I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten.” Since I taught kindergarten last year it really made me miss kindergarten and made me think of how I can use some of those same strategies in my 3rd grade classroom this year. I also found an article, http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/succeed.html, this article was for parents called, “Helping Your Child Succeed in School.” It basically told parents that children need to use their curiosity and imagination to learn and that as a parent you need to awaken that within their child by encouraging them. I think this really explained it perfectly. Parents seem to always want this big answer of what to do to get their child reading and to be ”smart.” So this article really shows that just let children explore and learn through their own creativity. So it went right along with what the article in class talked about. I want to continue to do this more in my own classroom to allow my 3rd graders to be more creative and explore new things across the curriculum.
Posted by: cummia on: November 21, 2009
This weeks readings about lesson study was so informative. Before reading a few of the articles from the lesson study resources from the NWREL Lesson Study Leaders Symposium I didn’t have a clear understanding on lesson studies. This really opened my eyes to how beneficial they can be. I like the idea of having late arrival or early release to conduct these studies. The outline “Tuning Protocol” developed by Joseph McDonald and David Allen would really help the facilitator conduct these studies. It allows everyone to stay focused and know what the objective is and how the process will be handled. In the articles many talked about how much collaboration and feedback really helps the teachers plan better lessons and get constructive feedback to teach lessons. Since I think most teachers are out to do their very best this is a great way to collaborate and be given the time necessary to have a great discussion and collaborate with others in your profession. Many teachers will agree that collaboration is key but for some reason the time runs out to make these things happen. If ran effectively I think lesson studies would be a great tool for teachers to be most effective in the classroom but also while collaborating with others. During the discussion it made me think that it might be a little difficult to shift teachers attitudes to allow for this great benefit to be a part of a weekly study each week. Most teachers already have so much on their plate that it might be hard for them to realize what great benefits this would be so it might take awhile but I am confident that they will have a change of attitude when they see how beneficial it is.
Posted by: cummia on: November 17, 2009
It was great to read about mentoring and the different coaching that is available while reading “Professional Development What Works” by Sally Zepeda. I like how she breaks down and defines each coaching role and purpose. It made me think a lot about how great of experience my first year of teaching was and how a lot of it had to do with the support I received from my mentor. It was great to have that trust built from the start and to know that I had someone that I could confide in and help me with anything I wasn’t sure of. It wasn’t intimidating and was definitely a great support. Zepeda says, ” mentors can coach beginning teachers to connect theory to practice” (Zepeda, pg 185). I think this is a crucial part of teaching because in school you learn all of these theories and what you need to know to be a teacher but once you are transitioning into putting it into practice it’s nice to have support and someone to guide you through the process.
Posted by: cummia on: November 9, 2009
I find that assessment for learning is the way we should strive as teachers to assess. It gives teachers great information on where their students are at and how to make changes according to the data. If students are understanding the concept based on the assessment given then you can move on. If there is parts that many aren’t understanding you can make changes in the instruction to help students understand the materials. This is a better way to make sure that students understand what is taught and to help teachers to better know their students. Assessments of learning just let you know what students have learned and not learned. It’s pretty much after the fact so you can’t make changes and reteach at that point. So assessment for learning is the way to make sure that all students get the most out of their education. A teacher can know immediately where there students are. They also don’t have to be big formal assessments that take big prep work and a long time to take the test. Formative assessments can be MAPS or other assessments for learning that will help give the teacher data to help drive his or her instruction. This information helps in the decision making process of what to teach and how to teach it.
Posted by: cummia on: November 6, 2009
This week we were able to learn all about Wiki’s. It was great to get some background information to learn about them a little more. I had used them in the past in one of my previous classes but didn’t really have the background information. In the article it talks about how using the Wiki system really helps with many different learning styles. I found that it really worked well for me when I used the system and I think I could gain so much more by doing more projects using this system. I looked online and found a book called “The Wiki Way” by Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham. This book explains how to install and work in a wiki system. All of my questions that I had after reading the assigned reading seemed to be answered with in this book. It definitely seems do able to include these in the classroom and it’s a book I think would be great to have to start the process of implementing the wiki system into the classroom projects.
Posted by: cummia on: November 2, 2009
This module talked about bridging the divide. It was very interesting ot read the article, “Bridging the Divide” by Mike Bogle. The part that really struck me in the article was the issue of time. I find that in my own classroom I don’t have as much time as I would like to integrate technology. I think as we move in the direction of more technology it will save us time but the transition seems to be difficult and the time allowed for teachers to understand the technology is very limited. We learn so much and get all of this new technology in our own classrooms but don’t have the time to get comfortable with it before using it with our students. If we were able to not only take training classes but also have time to just try out the technology I think that people would be more comfortable to use it in their classroom. Once we are able to do that the time part will be lessened because students will be more engaged in the technology and might even be more productive depending on the technology piece being used and how it is being used. The article made me think that we just need to be open to trying it. I know many people are nervous to try new things when it comes to technology but if we aren’t open to learning it and trying we are really doing a disservice to our students. With the new age of technology we really need to give our students as many opportunities to use technology in our classrooms as possible so that they will be better prepared for their future.
Posted by: cummia on: November 2, 2009
Sorry this is late I thought I had posted already but it must not have saved so I will try again.
The article, “Distributed Leadership and School Improvement” was a great article. I liked how it pointed out that there is more to leadership then just having the title such as principal or superintendent. We can all be leaders in our expertise area. This made me think that what a great school you would have if everyone became a leader in their expertise area. I know that everyone has different skills and abilities and if we all use what we are best at we could really make a difference. So many people get hung up on the point that they don’t have the title of leader but really it’s how you present yourself anyone can be a leader. The main thing to remember though is that the leader such as the principal in the school needs to act as the supporter and the driving force for this type of structure within your school. The distributed leader needs to feel supported and know they can come to the principal with concerns or help they need. If everyone is on board not one person is taking all the work for the school. I think this will lessen the burn out rate and people will do a much more quality job instead of having so much more to worry about that they can’t do just a few things well. If everyone does their part think of how great a school could be and how much the school would improve.
Posted by: cummia on: October 26, 2009
This week it was great to read about leadership in schools. It was interesting to me because I have worked in two different schools and they had two different leadership styles. So reading the article, “Distributed Leadership and School Improvement” really made me think about how important leadership is. Both schools are great and it has to do with the leadership they have because the teachers really step it up and take the leadership role when necessary. One school has a great principal that encourages teachers to lead where they are comfortable and will be successful but pretty much keeps it open to the teacher to decide what that looks like. The other school the principal wasn’t much of a leader so the teachers took it upon themselves to do so. In the article on page 14 it states, “Research has shown that student outcomes are more likely to improve where leadership sources are throughout the school community and where teachers are empowered in areas of importance to them(Harris 2004).” This made me realize that both schools were being effective and making improvements but it does require leadership to allow that to happen and it doesn’t need to be a formal leader to do so.
It was interesting to read about traditional and professional learning communities. As I read some of the discussions, it was interesting to see that almost all of the teachers agreed that a professional learning community was the way to go. It wasn’t only valuable for the students but it was also effective for the teachers as well. During Dr. Lumpe’s presentation, PLC for students found that they would improve their academics, and there was less drop out rates. In the articles, the OEL found that if the teachers had a positive attitude it spread throughout the school community whereas the second article found by having a negative attitude did the same thing, it spread a negative vibe throughout the school community. As an educator, I am glad I can say that my school is more of a PLC yet we have some learning to do. Yet, I am sure there are many schools that can use some learning. This module taught me a lot and I can’t wait to use the OEL!
