Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project?

• I'm most proud of having 2 activities that my audience really understood and learned from. 

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

• I made time and met all the requirements, but I also feel that my presentation flowed very well to make the audience follow along and stay engaged. 

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

• I hardly missed any of the assignments overall. Not only that, but I have gotten A LOT out of this experience. Many of my peers didn't take advantage of this project, but I did and I fell in love with my topic.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

• The hands on experience that I got working with my mentor and the kids was definitely the highlight of the entire project for me. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?

• To improve I would've rehearsed my presentation.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

• This project has greatly influenced me in deciding what I want for my future. I now plan to attend La Verne University and get a degree in elementary education and become a teacher so I can continue doing what I learned to love in my senior year. 

Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

• How can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment?
• answer 1: Physical classroom set up
• answer 2: Positive reinforcement reward system
• answer 3: Constant class assessment
• My best answer is the third one because it helps both the teacher and the students improve.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• I arrived to this answer through the research I've done for this project and through the observations I've made of the class during mentorship.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

• Problems I faced were narrowing down my answers because there are so many general answers as to how a teacher can create a positive learning environment.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• Resource #16, #37, #57, #64
• These sources each had valuable information that helped me narrow down to my three main answers 

Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a)“I, Miriam Leon, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 33  hours of work.”
(b) My Mentor, Mrs. Sosa, helped me complete the independent component.
(c) Updated Independent Component 2 Log link
(d) I completed 33 hours of hands on work with a small group of students as well as with the rest of the class. I taught a small group of four students during math time. These students had specific limitations, so my mentor thought it would be best for them to do their learning with me. Diana only speaks Spanish, Itzel is extremely shy and distracted, Eric has trouble paying attention, and Julio has a difficult temperament. Smaller groups mean more one-on-one and individualized teaching for them.    

INTERPRETIVE 
(e) Defend your work and explain the component's significance and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.    

                                                         

Keeping the classroom clean.

                                                        

Class watching example before they go work on their own.

                                                        

Diana, Itzel, and Julio. The kids I mostly worked with.

APPLIED
(f)How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped.

• My EQ is; how can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment? My mentor has done just that througout her years of teaching, so spending time helping and observing her methods gave me insight. I actually came up with my answers to my EQ based off of what I saw in the class and from interviews i had with Mrs. Sosa. I taught one small group of kids math for most of my independent component hours, but I also did assessments, projects, and basic lesson prep. Working with the same kids helped me learn a lot about each of them individually. I took what I saw and then tailored the way I taught them to meet their needs. For example, Diana doesn't know much English, so I translated. Itzel is shy and disracted, so I would encourage her by keeping her attention on me with hands on learning such as using blocks to count or white boards to write her answers. Julio has a difficult temperament, so I would offer rewards to reinforce good behavior. Overall, all this hands on work really helped me. 

Blog 21 - Interview 4 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

• I learned about the importance of observation with little kids because different behavior can tell you a lot about them. 

2.  How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

• It will affect it because it actually has to do with one of my answers for for essential question about how to keep kids engaged and making sure their learning. 

Interview 4 link

Fourth Interview Questions

1. Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

I will be interviewing another teacher where I mentor with whom I have worked with in the past. Her name is Ms. Monroy and she was a sixth grade teacher before this year. Now she teaches kindergarten and she loves it. 

2. Twenty Questions 

Intro Questions

• Where did you go to school and what did you major in?
• What motivated you to pursue a career in this field?
• What would you say was the first hands on experience you got in teaching?
• After completing your secondary education, did you feel prepared to enter a classroom setting?

Legit Questions

• What are some challenges you've had to overcome as an elementary school teacher? 
• How did you overcome these challenges?
• How can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment?
• What methods have you personally found to be most effective in the classroom? And are the students engaged?
• What is the most important thing to keep in mind when teaching younger kids?
• Which teaching relationships do you find most important?
• How do you deal with children that you find have a difficult temperament?
• What do you find most effective in correcting a behavioral problem?
• How can a teacher ensure understanding among their students?
• How do you respond when you see a child struggling in class? 
• How are assessments designed to promote learning rather than simple measurement?
• What learning models do you use (e.g., project-based learning, mobile learning, game-based learning, etc.), and what do you see as the primary benefits of that approach?
• What are the most common barriers you see to academic progress in your classroom?
• How is education changing?
• How do you see the role of the teacher in the learning process?
• What am I not asking but should be?

Blog 19: Third Answer

• EQ
• How can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment?
• Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)
• A kindergarten teacher must be constantly assessing and setting goals for her students in order to create a positive learning environment.
• 3 details to support the answer
• many requirements that make the teacher leave the class and focus on assessments have increased
• teachers need to continuously monitor the student in order to be aware of any difficulties 
• communication between student and teacher serves as a connection and helps there be a better atmosphere
• The research source(s) to support your details and answer
• Schickedanz, Judith A. Strategies for Teaching Young Children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1977. 36-49. Print.
• Strauss, Valerie. "Kindergarten Teacher: My Job Is Now about Tests and Data — Not Children. I Quit." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2015. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/>.
• "The Positive Teacher-Student Relationship." The Positive Teacher-Student Relationship. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <http://www.csun.edu/~acc50786/Education.html>
• Concluding Sentence
• According to the article Why Is Assessment Important?, "Assessment is an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the goals of education are being met. Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in some cases, funding. Assessment inspire us to ask these hard questions: "Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?" "Are students learning what they are supposed to be learning?" "Is there a way to teach the subject better, thereby promoting better learning?" This is basically why I chose my answer.

Answer 2

1.  What is your EQ?

• How can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

• The physical classroom set up is what promotes a positive atmosphere in the classroom.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

• A positive learning environment can be created by using a reward system to reinforce good behavior.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

• The rewards help students remember the classroom rules and commonsense manners.
• This can be seen when a teacher praises a kid for saying and thank you. then other kids want to follow that example to get praised also.
• By using rewards, we encourage the students to put aside some of their home problems and find a reason to apply themselves in school.
• One of my students was homeless, and on the last day that he attended Berlyn I gave him a shout out, and honestly I think that made him really happy and excited to show it to his mom. 
• The formal reward and acknowledgement systems use tangible items or social recognition to reward positive behaviors which shows the student what is expected.
• The kids have a motto at school that inspires persistence, responsibility, and respect. This is what is expected from them and the positive rewards help my kindergartners understand that. The kids earn points on this class website called ClassDojo, and that motivates them. 

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

• "Classroom Rewards Reap Dividends for Teachers and Students."Education World. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr300.shtml>.

6.  What other source supports your answer?

• "Using Reward Systems in the Classroom." Using Reward Systems in the Classroom. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/using-reward-systems-in-the-classroom>.

• Linson, Michael. "How To Praise Students And Influence Behavior." Smart Classroom Management. N.p., 27 Nov. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/11/27/how-to-praise-students-and-influence-behavior/>.

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

• I've seen how using a reward system motivates the kids at my mentorship. This motivation simultaneously teaches the kids right from wrong and gives them a positive goal. 

Interview 3 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

I learned about the importance of having reward system to motivate your students, not only though academic achievement, but also through social play and interactions.

2.  How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

I'm a lot more relaxed and comfortable with the interviewee than before which alow me to remember certain comments during the interview and follow up with other questions.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/miriam-leon-9/interview-3

Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

My mentor is letting me have my very own group of students to teach. I've already began teaching them at 1:45pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The students I work with are Diana, Itzel, Julio, Andrea, and Eric come work with me on math. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I've already began working with the kids and I can take pictures of them working or take pictures of the worksheets that we do together to show as evidence. I will definitely have worked with them for over 30 hours by the time this second independent component is due.

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This helps me explore my topic more in depth because it is hands on experience. Teaching this small group teaches me skills necessary to keep kids engaged during the lesson and lets me practice being able to make students of different tempers and personalities work together. 

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.

SPH Link  

Independent Component 1

Content:   

• LITERAL
  (a) Write: “I, Miriam Leon, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 32.5
  (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component. 

My source was basically my mentor, Jessica Sosa. 

• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.

Updated Link 

• (d) Explain what you completed.    

I continued going to mentorship and got to be more involved in helping the kids instead of just doing lesson prep. 

• INTERPRETIVE 
  Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work. 

I really got to spend time in the class actually helping out all the kids and getting to know each ones personalities and needs. 

Family Unit

Tis the season

Kids painted Jack o lanterns

I taught a lesson on floating and sinking

"Harvest of the month"

• APPLIED
  How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this.

I got to get a look into what teaching is all about. Just by being in that environment I saw all the challenges that a teacher faces when trying to keep a positive learning environment. These little ones need constant attention and you can't catch a break. they aren't afraid to ask for help which is good, but also very tiring. This independent component has been a very good learning experience, and for my second independent component I am going to be working regularly with a certain group of students. This first independent component is what has prepared me to move onto my second one. 

Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?


I am most proud of how my activity worked out, because everyone participated and had a lot more fun with it than I expected. The people in my advisory house were so happy with their drawings, it was adorable.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC


     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I am pretty sure I met all the requirements necessary to be considered for a P right off the bat. That's 

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

I felt that my presentation was well organized, so that helped me reach the time requirement. Having notecards to help me keep track of giving my information also worked, and the activity worked well.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

One thing that I would change if I could re-do this presentation is maybe sign up to go earlier in the day, or the week, because by the time I presented everyone was looking dead. 

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

I think my answer numero dos is going to have to do with classroom management strategies uch as reward systems, and positive reinforcement to motivate kids. 

Blog 14 - Third Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

• I plan to interview Monica Leon (Isaiah Leon's mom). She was a teacher for eleven years, has been a principal for three years at Pedley Elementary, and she's written a children's book. 

2.  Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview.  What is the date and time of the interview? 

• I'll be interviewing her two weeks from now on a Wednesday at 2pm.

3.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.

• What sources did you find most helpful when you began teaching in the classroom. 

4.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc).

• As a principal, what kinds of sources or advice do you give to your teachers.

5.  Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ.

• How can a kindergarten teacher create a positive learning environment?
• What methods have you personally found to be most effective in the classroom. Are the students engaged?