Professional Conference Observations

I recently attended the New England Regional Genealogy Conference here in Providence.  The workshop I attended was about Genealogy and the Core Curriculum State Standards.  The conference speaker was Catherine Zahn, a New Jersey elementary school educator of over 25 years.  Ms. Zahn is considered well read in her craft according to the NERGC write up.  This session stuck with me because of the newness (to me) and relevance it has in social studies.  Genealogy has never quite hit home with me as I’m adopted.  The fact that it is an important component of social studies amazes me that I have not seen genealogy in the curriculum. 

According to Ms. Zahn, “Genealogy is history’s other sister.”  Social studies encompasses history and genealogy, but we often don’t use the latter.  The expectations today are that we need to prepare the children for a global economy.  Ms. Zahn’s argument for this was based on a faulty foundation of the student’s own culture.  “How can we prep our kids today for cultures if they don’t know their own?” 

Ms. Zahn went on to discuss how teachers and librarians could incorporate genealogy into their domains.  There were many great suggestions made.  My favorite was to try to get a grant for archaeological digs with a professional or even use the grant to pay the professional to come speak to the class.  Google maps and pinpoints were another really great tool expounded upon.  Ms. Zahn showed an example of the town map near the school and she was able to pinpoint historical places.  One student found out that they were residing on a historical site.  Census Records was another big tool the conference expanded on.  Ms. Zahn uses them to show comparisons, what jobs were relevant at the time, and any big changes recorded. 

One main project I enjoyed hearing about was to create an archives notebook.  This can be a binder of photos, documents, and information.  This can be kept in a hardcopy format or created on Google’s Digital classroom. 

I was fortunate to be placed at Catherine Zahn’s table because I was able to discuss secondary strategies for using genealogy.  Ms. Zahn suggested several books as resources for lesson plans.  We also discussed boundaries in the class.  Some students and parents will not feel comfortable with having their own backgrounds researched.  Ms. Zahn suggested that I have alternate local people available that would enjoy participating in having their background researched.  The powerpoint she used was also made available to everyone.  I spoke to almost everyone at the table and found out they were librarians.  Some of the focus of the conference was placed on ProQuest and Ancestry.com.  These are good tools to utilize and have many primary and secondary sources for viewing. 

I found this to be a valuable conference that I never knew existed.  I spoke with the chairwoman about advertising on college campuses about the next NERGC in Springfield, MA in 2017.  I hope you will take a look at their website and consider this conference for future SED/ELED students.  I know that I can’t wait to incorporate some of the ideas into my classroom.  This will help bring the community and history alive and into the class. 

Microlesson plan Reflection 2

The link to my 2nd reflection.  Thank you for participating and being constructively positive.  I appreciate all your feedback and it's been a pleasure being in class with you all.  I've learned so much from everyone.  Have a wonderful summer!


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nOXiOH_Q3R9cNrC4G4Ykocsk7IFUfJDKqHcevtncAKM/edit?usp=sharing

Observation #4

1)  The objective is to examine cases of liability law and a flowchart as an example.

2)  The Bloom's Taxonomy level for this task is Knowledge #1.

Assessment:

Directions:  Please read each question carefully.  There are 3 short essay questions.  To get you started you will get 1 point for filling in your name.  This quiz is worth 10 points with each question worth 3 points.

1)  Explain liability law to me in your own words as you understood it.





2)  Create a flowchart with examples relevant to your life.  Don't use the example I gave you in class please.



3)  Create a quick cartoon strip of a situation involving liability law as you understood it.  Stick figures are fine.  Remember to include dialog bubbles or descriptions.

Observation #3

     The class observed was the Health Careers Budget Class.  This meant that all the students in Health Careers and the Certified Nursing Assistant program were put into this class.  It was comprised of 8 senior girls who have all been together since 9th and 10th grade.  The moment they walked in they were very chatty.  I had two students sandwich me in at my desk toward the back of the room.
They were very curious as to why I was there and what was I doing.  Some of the girls sat on top of desks.  It seemed to be a free for all.  I spoke to the teacher during lunch break before this class was due to arrive.  She explained to me that this was her least favorite class and she didn’t understand why the administration put all the Health Career students in one class.  The teacher explained that this class was just not interested in learning and more interested in doing their hair and makeup.
     Once the class started, students were busy handing in work that was late.  The teacher did not care that the work was late.  All she cared about was that the students hand in the work when they could.  The students could hand in the work through their Google classroom or a hard copy.
     The late arriving students were brought up to speed from the teacher.  The students came to the teacher at her desk.  They had a conversation about what was missing and what they needed from the teacher.  The students were very receptive to any advice the teacher gave.  They also realized that the onus was on the student to be responsible enough to get the work turned in.  They knew the teacher would not chase them for work.
     The teacher wanted to show Sharktank episodes on Youtube.  The class had to be directed maybe twice.  The teacher accomplished this by yelling “Yo!”  The teacher was also able to redirect by turning and talking toward the student who was being chatty.  During the videos, there were a few that didn’t really pay attention.  For the most part, the class did watch.  It seemed interesting and relevant to the class.
     The teacher would pause the videos to focus the group on a particular section.  I didn’t really see the teacher correct any misbehavior.  I felt that the teacher wasn’t as invested in this group because this group wasn’t invested in the class.
     The way the class is managed allowed for a lot of autonomy.  The class was full of seniors that were able to decide to invest time into the class or not.  The teacher was very flexible and available for help.  I’m not sure I would allow this much autonomy.  Give a kid an inch and they take a mile…  However, discussion took place and the work somewhat got finished.

Observation # 2

SED 406:  Observation Assignment #2

In this observation assignment, your goal is to reverse-engineer a lesson plan. Watch the class, and write the lesson plan that teacher is using.

Do this by OBSERVATION, even if the teacher is willing to share their lesson plan with you. This is about improving your observation skills, not getting ‘the answer’.


Lesson Plan Template for SED 406 and 407
part 1 = planning
Teacher Candidate:
Kristin San Bento Subject:
Current Events Grade(s):
9
Name of Lesson:
Terrorism
Learning Objective(s), including Bloom's taxonomic level: (label A, B, C, *D) *optional
Students will examine  case studies of possible terrorist/terrorism in groups of 2 for 10 minutes.  #1 Knowledge.
Student Standards (GSE or/GLE or Common Core-in draft for math/science- list which):
C&G 5 (9-12) -3
Students demonstrate an understanding of how the choices we make impact and are impacted by, an interconnected world by predicting outcomes and possible consequences of a conflict, event, or course of action.
Teacher Standards (professional society and/or NETS  and RIPTS-list which):
8. Teachers use effective communication as the vehicle through which students explore, conjecture, discuss, and
investigate new ideas.
8.3 use technological advances in communication, including electronic means of collecting and sharing information, to enrich discourse in the classroom and the school.
Rationale: Why this lesson? How does it fit into the curriculum and context?
Is this the introduction, conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of the unit of instruction?
It will demystify an overused topic.  It fits in with civil rights, propaganda, and world events.
Materials/Resources needed, including technology:
Smartboard, handout, computer
Accommodations and Modifications (special needs and learning styles) For example:  Dr. Kraus has poor vision and needs written material to be at least 12 pt. font.  He also reads two grade levels higher and needs appropriate reading material.
Available anytime and through email to discuss further.
What content resources support this knowledge base? (list at least 2)
Howard Zinn project, primary sources, and youtube.
How confident are you in this topic as you start this lesson?
Very confident.




 
Lesson Plan Template
part 2 = action
Bell-ringer: How will you get students seated, and ready for academic work? (without your voice)
Stood silently at the front of the room till students stopped talking.
Anticipatory Set: How will you introduce the material, interest the students, show relevance of topic?
Show a youtube clip of terrorism in action.
Phase (change as needed)/Time Teacher action Student action Questions/Assessments
e.g. Intro/5 min.
Stood in front of room Sat quietly waiting Asked students-for the definition of terrorism


Presentation or
Open-ended/
Lead discussion Raised hands and participated How do we know its terrorism?  Asked for exmaples


Guided Practice or
Convergent/
Handed out numbers and cased studies Read case studies and worked together Walked around listening to groups discuss the case assigned


Closing/
Fill out the exit slip-tweet Answer the Tweet What is the basic element you need for terrorism?


HW/Application/
Secret Homework
“Think about”
Review and Reflection: How will you review for students who are still having trouble?
Google classroom or conference individually.
Extension: What will you offer to students who have mastered this?
Give student an interesting book, article, or subject to discover on the topic.
*Closing: How will you review the material, and draw conclusions? (may be listed above)
Through Tweets from students and Google group forum.


 
Lesson Plan Template
pt. 3 = reflection
WHAT? What went well?  
The groups all participated and really wanted to.
What area of weakness needs addressing?
Getting the groups focused a little faster in the beginning.
Which objectives were met? What is the evidence?
The objectives were met through assessment when the groups read outloud and discussed the case.
Which students did not meet objectives?
The last group was not able to go because the time ran out.
Was time managed appropriately?
As best as it could be.
Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson?
No.
*What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management?
The class seemed a little chatty and the teacher seemed ok with allowing it.  The strength of the class is everyone participated without much force.
SO WHAT? Was the lesson engaging?
The lesson was engaging because it was a current topic that the kids realized was very relevant to today’s world.
*What did I learn from my peer observation (address at least one aspect)
I want my students to find the lesson engaging.  I also would like a visually interesting room free from clutter.
NOW WHAT? How will this experience influence your professional identity?
It helped me mentally start planning out my room and what activities may be useful.
How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future?
This experience helped me realize how prepared I need to be to teach my lesson.  I need to be ready to go when the bell rings or the class will play on their phones and chat.  I also need to learn to assess faster.

Observation #1

     I had the pleasure of visiting a social studies teacher at a tech high school in Lincoln, Rhode Island called William Davies.  Mrs. Casey-Rowe has been teaching for many years.  She is also part of EdUnderground and Learnist.  Mrs. Casey-Rowe writes about the importance of technology in education.  This was clear as I sat in her Consumer Economics class while she showed clips of Shark Tank on her Smartboard.

Learnist- you can view one of her write ups.  Just look for Dawn Casey-Rowe.  You can also Google her.  She is very big on education blogging.

         William Davies High School is huge!  Its overwhelming and easy to get confused as to where to go.  They make it a tad easier for freshmen since there is a freshmen wing.  The school displays their Skills USA trophies in the front atrium.  I feel that university and college banners are missing from the atrium.  I also wish they made better use of the huge flat screen they have displayed as you walk in.  The focus at this school feels like it's on the technical then the academic.
     I spent several class periods observing her different periods.  The moment I walked in her room it was bright and inviting.  Although I will say it was a bit cluttered.  The desks were arranged with two four rows with the rows split down the middle facing each other.  This gave access to the teacher to walk down the middle aisle and facilitate discussion more than lecture.


                                              Door          ------   <--Smartboard

}} * {{                        C

}}   {{                         C

}}   {{                         C

                                                         ___

                                                         |    |  <--teachers desk in back

*=teacher path

{=desks

C=computers along wall

     I thought a small visual might help with the classroom.  Mrs. Casey-Rowe has her desk in the back of the room.  She spends little time there during the actual class.  I watched her lead class discussions through her Current Events class.  She walks back and forth down the center of the desks.  There was nothing on her wall above the computers where you could pin up anything.  I saw no real posters pushing writing, economics, history etc...which I'm used to seeing in teachers rooms.  Mrs. Casey-Rowe explained to me that she puts a lot of the information and assignments online through a program like RIC's Blackboard.  It allows students to finish assignments when they can and look up information they may have missed.  I felt this was such a beneficial tool since colleges are using hybrid classes or online formats.  

     Mrs. Casey-Rowe lets her students file in and get themselves settled before starting class.  All she had to do was stand toward the front and start talking.  The students then focused in for the most part.  If she felt students were off task during her discussion she would turn toward them and continue speaking.  The students would refocus and be quiet.  The Current Events class is a mix of freshmen and sophomores.  There were 22 students in total, 10 girls and 12 boys.  It was a pretty diverse class in terms of ethnicity or race.  I could not tell who had a disability.  Most of the girls were chatty or on their phones.  During this time, the class was placed into groups of two.  They had to read one of the cases on the handout and try to figure out what country.  The question asked at the beginning of class was "What is terrorism?  Who is a terrorist?"  They had a few minutes to read the case.  Then each group had to read the case out loud.  One group did not want to.  I figured they did not do the assignment.  But the teacher did not relent.  She asked the group to just explain the case in their own words.  The student explained it quite well and in a way the class understood.  I should never have made the assumption because I was sure wrong!  The assessment taking place for each group was if they could figure out if the case fell under terrorism and were they terrorists.  

     Everyone in Mrs. Casey-Rowe's class was allowed a voice.  The students were encouraged to discuss the issues.  The teacher still maintained the power with a strong and enthusiastic voice.  The teacher was able to bring any student back to focus through redirection.  I felt it was engaging and fun to be in the class.  Technology is encouraged.  Discussion is encouraged.  I would have preferred this method when I was in high school.  I'm not sure I would have felt academically challenged in this school where the focus is on the technical.  There are no honors or AP classes.  I think it's great the variety in the school.  Not all teachers are technological at this school.  Some are still very old school.  They talk, student listens, and regurgitates the information on the test.

Reflection Lesson Plan 1

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nOXiOH_Q3R9cNrC4G4Ykocsk7IFUfJDKqHcevtncAKM/edit?usp=sharing

Please click on the link to view my reflection of the lesson plan.  Thank you!