Bonnie

March 12, 2010

Reflection Community in the classroom
 * This year I've begun letting the students stay in and play a game or visit with me prior to 9:00 to help them get into school mode. It's been working well for those that come prior to 9. Most of my students arrive at the bell or are late.
 * I try to reinforce empathy for others periodically through the day as things come up. It is usually a positive recognition of an action that shows empathy that is short in duration (no formal or lengthy lesson on empathy). I also try to emphasize how negative behaviors impact others in the classroom and that we all have the right to work in a calm respectful place. I'm trying to help them become internally motivated to behave rather than behave to avoid punishment...which doesn't transfer well to low supervision areas.
 * I've begun sending out a newsletter periodically to the parents where I include information that I've found helpful when dealing with kids. I also include information that keeps them in touch with what we're learning in the classroom. I haven't had any complaints so I assume they either aren't being read or at the very least they aren't taking offense to the sharing of information.
 * I still struggle with what expectations are reasonable for the age of students I teach. Kindergarten students are at a different stage than grade 2 students. Their ability to sit and work quietly for a period of time is very different. I struggle with how to balance their need to talk with training them to work quietly in a desk, which is what the sending teachers are hoping for.
 * I take the kids into the hallway to chat when I see that they are having difficulty.
 * McKitrick has a 70% counsellor in the school. She tries to take them at least once a week and more often when they are having specific issues. In the past my students haven't had that much access to the counsellor because they were only in the school one day a week or less.

1. online educational websites such as www.starfall.com, www.raz-kids.com, www.pbskids.org, www.funschool.com, etc 2. blogging (when it works) 3. art on tux paint and www.kerpoof.com 4. self behavior checklist
 * Laptop usage:**
 * 5. Photostories, videos, keynotes etc

1. printing and saving notes 2. daily calendar and weather (students do calendar with teacher) 3. demonstrating websites and online activities 4. completing worksheets together 5. printing practice using either their finger or the pen 6. keynote/slideshow presentations 7. watching videos (from discovery video, dvd's) 8. sight words as a group 1. It is hard to plan for a sub when they aren't comfortable with the technology 2. Finding time to work with each child on a project. The children are fairly young and are unable to figure things out on their own. Candace is still getting comfortable with the technology so it falls to me to be tech support for all. 3. Teachers hand out the computers and pick them up for the safety of the laptops. This sometimes takes time. Logging on can take several minutes for some students so we must log them on prior to needing them. (Small inconvenience most of the time)
 * Smartboard usage:**
 * T****echnology Challenges so far (relatively few):**

1. Motivating and engaging 2. use less paper 3. Using certain online reading programs provide me an opportunity to work with individual groups. One group is on Raz-kids for example while I am reading with group 2. 4. Easy to integrate videos, slideshows, online tools, and notebook software into lessons. 5. Laptops provide greater opportunities to integrate technology as a learning tool because lab time doesn't have to be booked. We can work on a project for as long as the teacher chooses rather than having to log off and hand the lab over to the next group. 6. Our classroom is pretty small so removing the desktop computers and using the laptops has increased table space for hands on activities. 7. Students can all see the smartboard. 8. Easy to demonstrate how to navigate a website or show step by step instructions. We often play an online game together which provides an opportunity for students to learn from each other.
 * Technology Benefits so far (lots):**

http://www.disciplinehelp.com/ - has some tips for handling a wide range of behaviors. Includes some possible causes or needs that they are trying to fulfill.

Learner Profiles:
What have I learned? Looking at learner profiles reminded me that I have to be mindful of the different types of learners I have in my classroom. It also reminded me that I have a responsibility to the integrating teacher to give them more information on the students prior to beginning integration. How am I using it? I have started filling out a student profile to give to the integrating teacher prior to the student entering their classroom along with information regarding their current academic performance. Feedback so far has been positive. What do I have left to learn? I think that I just need more experience using the learner profile.

Assessment:
What have I learned? I have learned that I need to do more frequent assessment for learnings screens. I'm more familiar with different types of assessments but now need to decide on what best fits for me and my students.

How am I using it? For/As/Of...I try to incorporate all.

What do I have yet to learn? LOTS! There's so much out there that I need to try before settling on assessment tools that work for me.

Direct Instruction: What have I learned? There are many programs out there to investigate.

How am I using it? I have a few programs that I use or have used. They are helpful in that they are ready made and sequential. I find that I do have to supplement them from time to time.

What do I have yet to learn? Once again...LOTS. It will be a matter of try it and see if it is a fit.

Routines: What have I learned? This is an important area for me to look at in my program. I have many routines in place but feel that perhaps I haven't spent enough time directly coaching them in following them. I have learned that these routines have to be explicitly taught and reinforced many times before they will be successful.

How am I using it? Routines are very important for the students to experience success. We have routines for many things like how to get permission to go to the washroom, how to get a drink of water, how to get help, etc. Routines are the structure part of the structured success program.

What do I have yet to learn? How best to support the students in learning the routines and how to help them transition from my program back into the regular classroom where the routines are different.

Instructional Structure: What have I learned? There are many ways to structure a multi-grade classroom that I haven't tried yet.

How am I using it? I have tried a few different things each year that I've been doing the program. This year I integrated more technology in. Each year I have a different make up of students. Last year I went from mainly grade 2 to mainly kindergarten. This year I'm mainly grade one.

What do I have yet to learn? I have to keep trying different things. There are a lot of technology pieces to try.