Micro Teaching Comes to an End

Throughout the semester, our class was given the task of Micro Teaching the students in our class. We were to choose from topics that would be covered in class, and present giving the "anticipatory set" of the lesson. After each student completed their micro teaching presentation, we were all asked to give professional feedback in the form of "3 Pluses and a Wish". Here is my feedback for each student's presentation.


Kira:
+ the wordle that you used was a creative and unique idea. I really liked it!
+ I liked how you had each student pick out a word, it was a good way of getting the entire class to actively participate.
+ I also liked how you used words that we've already learned about so far, it was a great review.
wish: no wish, great job!


Katharine:
+ You were very enthusiastic about the topic, you already sound just like a teacher!
+ I like how you had each table do a different activity involving the rocks.
+ Great conclusion, I like how you summarized what the point of the lesson was.
wish: no wish, great job! 


Amanda G and Alicia:
+ you were both comfortable and confident
+ you both spoke at a good volume
+ you both maintained eye contact with the class throughout your presentation.
wish: no wish, great job!


Veronica:
+ This was such a great idea! I love that you brought a live animal into class
+ You encouraged students to ask questions
+ This was an engaging activity.
wish: no wish


Jessica and Catherine:
+ great way of introducing this week's topic to the class

+ I loved that you prepared the lesson on the smart board, great use of technology!
+ you were both comfortable and confident with talking in front of the class.
wish: no wish 

Dana and Nicole:

+ I loved that technology was incorporated so the lesson was more interesting
+ I also really liked the vortex activity on the SmartBoard, I think that elementary students would really enjoy it.
+ Great wrap-up at the end. I liked that you asked if anyone had questions or further explanations of anything.
wish: no wish, great job!

Stephanie and Clarisa:

+ good knowledge of the topic and great way of introducing what we were doing for the day.
+ kept eye contact with the students the whole time
+ great use of technology with the SmartBoard
wish: more confidence! you both seemed a little nervous but still did a great job!

Alyssa and Amanda B:

+ Great enthusiasm
+ You projected your voices really well
+ Concept cartoons were a really cute idea and attention grabber
no wish

Jess and Jackie:

+ great use of the puzzle.. it served as a good problem for the students to solve
+ I liked how the puzzle was interactive
+ cute way of introducing life science
no wish

Amy and Ashley:

+ good eye contact and volume
+ I liked the games that were provided, especially jeopardy. Students would really enjoy this!
+ good use of smart board
no wish

Joyce & Stephanie:

+ I like how you had the students partake in a class discussion
+ Really liked the video.
+ You provided good questions
No wish, great job!

Kaitlin:

+ I loved the video!
+ You kept the class engaged throughout the length of your presentation through asking questions
+ I liked that your presentation served as a review.
No wish


Sandra & Jennifer:
+ Very informative presentation!
+You were both very knowledgeable of the topic
+ You had the class engaged and paying attention the entire time.
wish: I wish the powerpoint worked for you guys =/


Nicole & Kathryn:
+Great way of tying everything from the course together
+ I like how you incorporated a prezi, they're so much more interesting than just a regular PowerPoint
+ Kept the class engaged through questioning
wish: I wish you could have spoken a little bit louder and confidently at times, but overall great presentation!



Overall, I really enjoyed the micro teaching experience. I learned so much this semester from just micro teaching alone. I can't wait to use all of the tools that my classmates showed me throughout the semester in my classroom in the future! :) 

Seeds & Earthworms!

What experiences, if any, did you have with planting seeds, indoors or outside? 

I don't really have many experiences with planting seeds recently, but I do remember planting seeds in styrofoam cups in elementary school! (Just like in the picture below). I have also planted seeds in a few of my mom's gardens over the years but nothing ever turned out to be too exciting.

What do you think it means to be “ alive”? 

In order for something to be alive, I think it has to be able to breathe. A lot of living things also move, but I think the true basis for something to be living would be the ability to breathe.

What is the point of a class science exploration that takes days or weeks to complete?

I believe that the point of a science class exploration that takes day or weeks to complete is to allow the students to observe how things change over time. I used to love doing experiments like these in elementary school! 

How does working with a partner or small group affect your learning experience? 

I really enjoy working with partners or small groups. Working with others enables the group to come up with a whole wealth of information, rather than just one person's opinions or observations. Its a great way of seeing other people's points of view.

What is your reaction when you encounter earthworms? 

When I was younger, I was actually quite fascinated by earthworms. Well, not by the earthworms themselves-- but the fact that they would show up right after rain! Now, if I see them on the sidewalk or in the street while I'm walking, it doesn't really bother me but I suppose if I were to get real close to one I would be pretty grossed out. I wouldn't want to touch one either, ew !

Have you ever handled a worm? what was your reaction?

To my knowledge, I have never handled a worm. I might have when I was really young, but I can't remember. In 7th or 8th grade I remember having to dissect worms, but the smell was really grossing me out and I was afraid so I let my lab partner do all the dirty work.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

The popular saying, "April showers bring May flowers", definitely came into play this month. As we're nearing the end of the month, I noticed that although it is still raining a bit, it's not raining all day every day like it had been earlier in the month. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! I spent my Easter Sunday at my Aunt's house in Long Beach, New York, and it was so nice out that we were able to walk the boardwalk along the beach. It did rain at night, but it was nice to not have it raining all day like it had been all month! It's been really nice out all day today too, and is definitely starting to look a lot like May with the warmer weather and some flowers blooming a bit early. I love days like these :)

21 Things That Will Be Obsolete by 2020

Read the Article Here!

This article was so interesting! Dr. Smirnova posted a link to it on our Science Teacher Lounge Forum, and it caught my attention right away. The article listed 21 things that will no longer be used 9 years from now.


Of the things that are going to be obsolete by 2020, there were a few things listed in the article that didn't really surprise me. A few of these things are desks, the role of standardized tests in college admissions, paperback books, education schools that fail to integrate technology, paper, and differentiated instruction as a sign of a distinguished teacher. These aspects didn't really come as a shock to me because a lot of classrooms that I have observed have tables rather than desks, and if they do have desks they're never really in the traditional row set up. Standardized tests like the SAT aren't as important anymore, paperbacks aren't being used as much anymore due to E-readers, and differentiated instruction is extremely important so it makes sense that teachers who do not differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of individual learners will not have jobs. The part about paper becoming obsolete didn't surprise me either because getting rid of paper is an essential way of "going green". Everything that's integrated in our Science Methods class that would normally be on paper is all integrated online through technology. Although it was a lot to get used to, I definitely like this method because its a great way of "going green" and helping the environment.

One part that particularly stood out to me was the section on homework. The article said that by 2020 homework will not exist! I truly can't imagine a world without homework. I also found the section on computers to be interesting. It said that because computing has gone mobile , most computing will be via handhelds in the future. I never really thought of that before or put that into perspective, but its truly amazing how far technology has come!

Astronauts For The Day!

On Wednesday, April 20th I was given the task to micro teach the class with Bridget. Even though it was only a short presentation, I still always get nervous when I have to get up and talk in front of the whole class. We decided to base our presentation on space, and we found some really cool websites to go along with our presentation!


Before we showed the class the websites, I asked the students a few questions about space to pre-assess their knowledge! Some of these questions included:

• "Who are astronauts and what do they do?"
• "Who are some famous astronauts?"
• "Who was the first man on the moon?"
• "What is space?"
• "Can you name all or any of the planets?"

After I heard the students discussions about these questions, Bridget led the students by playing a game ! This was a game all about space sense, and the object was to get the rocket to blast off by answering the given questions correctly. Judging by the students' peer feedback, I think they really enjoyed the game! All the students actively participated, and it was a lot of fun. Sadly, we couldn't get the rocket to blast off because every time we got a wrong answer the game would restart. One thing Bridget and I could have done differently would be to get the correct answers prior to playing the game, that way we could enter the correct answers and get the rocket to blast off.

We also showed the students a website of a 3-D view of the solar system. This website was awesome! I really enjoyed it because you could see all different views of what the solar system looks like, and you could fast forward the time to see what the solar system would look like at a specific date and time. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the micro teaching experience. Thanks to each student's feedback in the form of Three Pluses and a Wish, we were able to see what they liked about the lesson, and what we could have done differently. Everyone seemed to really like our resources and how we delivered the lesson. This is something I will definitely use in my future classroom to get my students excited for learning about space!

Saying Goodbye to Mrs. Benfer's 5th Graders

Over the course of the past 3 weeks, our class was given the pleasure of working with a 5th grade class at Bishop Dunn Memorial School, right on our college's campus. At first I was a little nervous that we wouldn't have a fieldwork placement, but thanks to Dr. Smirnova everything worked out in the end! We all worked one on one with a student, and then during the last week we were given the opportunity to work in our groups and teach the class as a whole. Overall, the entire fieldwork experience was extremely beneficial and worthwhile! I was partnered with a student name Joaquin, who was very self sufficient and barely needed my help with anything. He was a bright kid who was very sweet, and I really enjoyed observing and working with him. Mrs. Benfer was extremely welcoming, and was always willing to help. I learned a lot about the different ways in which students learn, and was given tips for how to incorporate accommodations for exceptional learners. I truly enjoyed working with all the students; I'm going to miss Mrs. Benfer's class! 

Here is a picture of the class on our last day!

The MST Maniacs Take On Teaching!

On Monday April 4th, my group, the MST Maniacs, taught Mrs. Benfer's 5th graders a lesson on chemical reactions. We designed an experiment in which the students would combine seltzer and baking soda and observe the reaction taking place. The students used inquiry and the scientific method to determine which kind of reaction took place. It was great to see the students work together collaboratively and share their ideas with one another, and have fun while doing the experiment. I have to say, I was so nervous to be teaching for the first time. But once I got up there with my group, it wasn't bad at all. I really enjoyed the experience, and it was great to go around the room and work with each of the groups. This definitely gave me a feel for what I'll be doing in the future, and I'm glad Dr. Smirnova had us partake in this experience!