Because of Me

I hope that I have had an impact on students and that they remember what I have taught them. There have been people like that in my life - you know...that one sentence or "Aha" moment that sticks with you. Most of my observations up to this point have been only observing, but I love being able to teach students something that they can use to make their learning easier. I always try to get to know the children that I work with. I like to know their background. In the video that Dr. S provided to us, and the title has escaped me at the moment, the speaker who was a professor, said that he had no idea one of his students was sleeping in his car. He asked, in essence, how can that be good for your focus, concentration, your ability to do well in school? How can you not learn about your students? They all bring something different with them. You have to have an interest in your students.

In addition to getting to know the students, I have introduced a great deal of strategies and activities from dipthongs to comprehension. I love seeing the looks on the students faces when they get it. You just know you've done something wonderful. The most recent lesson I taught was called "Get the Gist." It is a comprehension strategy that I worked on with a student who is having trouble comprehending text. At the end of the lesson, he said, "That was hard, but it was fun!" He worked really hard on this strategy and we applied it and repeated it until he got it, and although I made him work at it, he enjoyed it and he learned. It was hard for me during the lesson because I didn't think what I had planned was "good enough," but after hearing his response I knew it did!

I believe that I have helped my peers with technology questions both in Curricular Planning and General Methods. I love to show people what I've found out because I remember how I learned it. I was asking the same questions and now I can teach others!

I am so excited to Student Teach in January. To actually be in a classroom where I am responsible for the creativity, learning, growth in order to make a difference in these children's lives is what I have worked so hard for.

A Day in the Life of an Information Processing Chid

After reading and watching the posted video-clips, it is obvious to me why Direct Instruction isn't enough in the classroom. The Long Island Children's Museum video actually brought tears to my eyes for some reason. I loved the look on the children's faces when they could touch, smell and be a part of the learning. Unfortunately, when I was a child I don't ever remember many places like that. It seems to me it was more like, "Do this because I said so and don't touch that." What amazing discoveries children can experience today! By allowing children to actively construct their own knowledge, they learn! The teacher's role as a guide on the side as they engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate together with the student, allows them to build on prior knowledge and experience new understandings. We all learn by modifying our knowledge. However, when we use the IPM, learning becomes an evolving process that we build on. There is no way that Direct Instruction could touch or affect children the way the IPM does.