What a ride it has been in CEP 811, I have learned so much and will be incorporating many resources and ideas from this course in my teaching! Back in October, we were asked to take a picture each day throughout the course. I have to admit I was skeptical at first, as there was no reason given for this. Now, given some directions, we are asked to create a project of our pictures and relate them to things we learned or discussed in class. The first connection I made was to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL, makes sure all students have an opportunity to learn to their potential by providing choice and flexibility. For me, I like to show the final product before I show students the steps of how we are getting there. This way they can envision their plan and what resources they may need. This project didn’t provide that and this caused frustration for me; however, for more creative learners this may have provided some freedom in expression. The second connection I made was to creative commons. Creative commons is how creators are able to share and protect their work. As another student mentioned, I think it would have been a lot easier to see some completed projects as I had no idea where to begin. I asked a couple teachers for their interpretation and received different ideas. If past students were worried about copyright, Creative Commons would have helped in making sure their work would be protected and all the attempts I made to create this project wouldn’t have been a failure. Speaking of failure - my final connection to this class is what I took away from the failure unit. I was able to learn from ways I failed and identify what I needed to change to be successful. For my final project, I choose to create a collage of all of my pictures in a chronological sequence.
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This week in CEP 811, we were tasked with creating our ideal or dream classroom. There were many different design programs available, but I decided to use RoomStyler to create my perfect classroom. Roomstyler allows you to build your classroom using a large variety of 3D furniture and other graphic features and then see the final product in a 3D photo video. When I first entered the teaching profession my classroom looked like a standard classroom; the desks were in straight rows all facing the same way. Due to the pandemic, my county went to desks 6 feet apart and in straight lines, which we all know is not the situation we want. Even though there are a lot of negative ideas and settings, there are some positives in the classroom. I have one of the largest rooms in the school, surrounded by windows, therefore it allows me to have natural plants in my classroom. I feel that plants have the ability to alleviate stress from students and bring a more nature feel inside the classroom. Another positive aspect is the white and grey colors of walls. I feel that these are warm, calming colors, which provides a home-like feeling. My classroom for many of my students is their “home”. A safe environment where they feel they can do anything. Currently, the pandemic doesn’t allow for my classroom to be flexible, but I am trying my best to make sure it becomes an experience. Van Gelderen mentions that “the experience is all about flow and flexibility”, I don’t think he would be too happy with what my classroom is right now, but I do think he would enjoy my re-designed classroom. My re-designed classroom is what my classroom looked like before the pandemic forced teachers to restructure our classrooms. Last summer I sat down with my best friend who is a 7th grade special education teacher and we looked at how we could set up an effective learning experience for every student. I decided to add multiple spaces including wiggle chairs, floor seats, yoga mats, sofas, and other flexible seating options. I also created an area to allow students to stand, where they would be given clipboards so they have something hard to do their classwork on. Students could use this space if they were having difficulties staying focused while sitting down. My walls are filled with colorful posters that talk about US History. Something I added this year was a bulletin board for each class period that showcases excellent student work samples that have been completed in class. I have also set up four learning corners where students can use headphones and face the wall if they need a quieter, calmer environment. Another piece of my classroom is technology. Each student has a chromebook (NO MORE WASTING TREES!); when I decide what lessons to do on the chromebook, I make sure to use what I learned in my CEP 810 class about TPACK how the technology connects to pedagogy and content knowledge. My re-design allows many student choices, students can choose to work individually or collaboratively. I had students setup in 7 groups of 5, with one group a big table for my IEP and other struggling learners. The table allows more room to work with focused groups and an area where I can sit down next to them and provide additional instruction and assistance. There are also two large spaces for an entire group of students to gather. The furniture that was selected can be moved so students can transform the classroom with ease, thus allowing for constructionist learning to happen. Overall, my redesigned classroom allows for students to take an active role in their learning. It lets them decide what is best for them and sets them up for success by being able to learn from the comfort of their “second home”. Sources: Chang School. (2010, February 9). Tedde van Gelderen on experience design. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB4VFKn7MA4&feature=emb_logo Candace M. (2013, April 26). TPACK in 2 minutes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FagVSQlZELY For my advanced 8th grade US History class, I created a lesson plan which involved the usage of Squishy Circuits. In my plan, I used Squishy Circuits to compare and contrast the concepts of the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to display and demonstrate how the Virginia and New Jersey Plans are similar and different. Prior to my lesson, my students used Squishy Circuits in 7th grade Mathematics with measurement and geometry. After creating my lesson plan, two of my CEP 811 classmates reviewed it. My classmates provided me with wonderful feedback in regards to making sure Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and intersectionality is incorporated into all aspects of my lesson. The feedback that was provided to me was amazing. After finishing my lesson plan, I felt that my plan was okay, but that I needed some direction and support to make it stronger. I am teaching a new grade this year and feel at times that I am back as a first year teacher. After receiving insight and feedback from my peers, I felt like I was heading in the right direction. The feedback helped me further develop my lesson plan to help answer more questions and provide deeper connections and understanding. In teaching, peer feedback is a huge advantage and is very beneficial. As the old saying goes, “Two heads are better than one” and with teaching this is correct, you CAN’T do it alone. After taking some time away from my lesson plan and receiving feedback, I came back with a stronger intention of where I wanted to go and what I wanted my final product to look like. There was major room for improvement. I made quite a few changes, but the biggest one I felt was the flow and having more student collaboration. Originally students were going to be working alone the whole time, but I knew I wanted to get students more involved in their learning, so I decided to switch to collaborative groups. One of my peers pointed out that my lesson plan didn’t flow. They mentioned that there was a lot to do with the end result, but that I needed to front load the students with more resources and content in order for them to better understand where they were supposed to be going in the end. The one change I didn’t make but did take into account but did add to was the Venn Diagram and presentation of squishy circuits. For the Venn diagram, I decided to add an example for each topic to help ensure students understand the expectations. For the Squishy Circuits, I planned to provide students with an outline and example of what I wanted the final product to look like. Another change that I decided not to make was the readings in which students would be getting their information from. A suggestion was made to scale back the reading to grade level requirements, so students have more time to focus on the final product. I teach advanced students and a part of Maryland standards require rigor and pushing students by providing them with above grade level readings. They will use skills they have developed and practiced to ensure that they understand the material. Just as my peers were to give me feedback, I was to provide feedback to two classmates. I had to challenge myself to think about how the lessons my peers developed would meet various needs and learning styles of students and lead to understanding of their concepts. For example, I provided feedback that students should be given different methods to assess their learning, rather than a traditional multiple choice formative assessment. Reviewing peer lessons also allowed me to further develop my understanding of UDL and intersectionality as I looked to provide insight for each of their lessons. When I created my Squishy Circuits lesson plan, I didn’t realize the amount of work that it would entail. However, I’m happy that I have other teachers to offer suggestions to help make it a better learning experience for my students. |
CEP-811This blog contains ideas and innovations I have done and learned in class. Please feel free to read and comment! Enjoy! :) |