EDEL 1010

  There have been many things I've been able to connect between the course topics and the Service Learning. Somethings I noticed were applied in the classroom and somethings I noticed the teacher did not apply. This class is brief and not intensive, but it has made me very excited for going into the Secondary Education program and learning more about these topics in depth. I have appreciated the things I've learned and have even applied somethings into my children's education (like a 504 plan for my son, after learning about them in this class!). The blogging assignments are a very interesting way of reflecting on the application of topics in Service Learning. I'm not sure how often teachers use blogs for their educating and education, but it has been a nice change to just submitting on the canvas text box. This class's purpose was to help me know if going into education was something I really wanted. I have learned that I do want to go into education. My service le...

  Standards are the end goal of learning. Curriculum is the way to get to the standards. In my service learning classroom I have seen the teacher focus a lot on the Math standards. Because of the time frame I was there I really only saw the classroom work on Math. Often the teacher would discuss with her 5th grade class the Standardized tests they would have to take and the work they did each morning would help them do well on those tests.  It seems like this type of learning can go two ways. One is that it's successful and the other is that it's not. Due to the crowded classrooms in our schools, I worry that this type of testing doesn't meet each child's needs appropriately. The teacher mentioned to me once that my daughter used to be good at Math until I started attending the classroom, which confused me because my daughters testing and scores since 3rd grade have shown she's always behind. I don't think the teacher was able to focus on my daughters needs beca...

 I have noticed some diversity in my classroom. There are students who have learning disabilities that make reading and writing more difficult for them. Without being able to actually diagnose students, I can tell there are some students who probably struggle with ADHD. The teacher addresses some of the learning disabilities by having some of the students meet with a resource teacher each day. Some students with ADHD, or at least it seems they may have symptoms of ADHD, don't seem to have a lot of help for the short time I'm in the classroom. Most mornings I attend this classroom the instruction is exactly the same. And it's mostly sheet work. After reading the article on teaching students with ADHD this week, I realize that this morning work is probably not very helpful for those students. Occasionally there will be a different activity by a guest teacher. I believe these types of switches to the rote classwork help make learning knew and interesting for students who strug...

 The school I am working in has a program for children with disabilities. I see them in their own classroom where they are free and able to learn according to their needs. They have access to the lunch room and the playground at their own specific time. This allows them to eat and play safely and each teacher can appropriately watch her students. All of this would be a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, which makes sure they have appropriate and accessible education. It's also a result of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with says that students with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations.  Because of Brown v. Board, the school I coordinate teaching at has zero segregation issues. Every child is being taught in the same classrooms with the same equipment and supplies. Every student is given the same access to all facilities. It is really painful to imagine there was ever a time when students were led to feel inferior because of the segregati...

 My cooperating teacher engages the learning of her classroom in various ways. Mixing up teaching styles is a concept on I have listed on my map. One way the teacher has done this is by allowing me to run some of their math problems in the morning. Having a new teacher, a new face, can help the kids because they may be paying more attention due to the fact it's a new teacher, with a new teaching style.  Another way she helps her students engage their learning is by having student led discussions. During the time I'm there, it is usually math that she is working on. Sometimes she will have student volunteers run the class through a problem giving the student a chance to teach and solidify the techniques as well as engage the students with the use of a student leading the discussion on the problem.  Sometimes the teacher will pass out a paper with questions on it regarding a science film they will be watching. The students are to fill out the paper while watching the film. ...

 This week I noticed something special in my cooperative class. The teacher I observe moves the students desks around almost daily. She does this for a few reasons. The first reason is obviously because sometimes students get to sit next to each other who distract one another and moving their desks is best. Another reason is because the teacher sees students who struggle with feeling isolated. Moving the students to new tables is her way of finding students who may connect better in an attempt to help them feel more accepted. Sometimes she may keep students near each other who help another student feel part of the group. This was a great example of encouraging a positive classroom community.  I walked into the classroom one morning to witness the teacher spending a good amount of time loving tell her students she loved them and they were needed in this world. I'm in a 5th grade class and being this age can bring a lot of anxiety for children, since they are going through puber...