Classroom observations

1.     Arrange a visit to your cooperating teacher's classroom. 2.     Observe the technology being used by the students. 3.     Interview the classroom teacher, ESL teacher, SpEd teacher, or Tech teacher by asking the following questions: o     What is the digital divide? The digital divide is the difference of those who have access to technology and those who do not. I really focus on those who have access to a computer and internet than those who have access to a device such as a phone or an iPad because I feel that students really need to learn the skills that come with using a computer, and a fair amount of my students do not have access to computers. o     Is a digital divide occurring in this school? Explain. The digital divide is occurring at our school. We are a title one school, and have many low-income families here. Not all of them can afford technology, even though it is more affordable....

1.     Obtain an assessment or assessment tool from your classroom teacher – this could be a rubric, quiz, or checklist. Also ask to see the teacher’s grade book. Notice how it is organized, how many grades are present for each student in each content area, and what the teacher uses to keep track of grades (i.e. computer, paper) I saw quizzes that were given to the students on history. They were doing a unit on religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The students created a map of important components of each religion (Gods, holy books, place of worship, import figures) that could be studied and used for the tests. These tests were paper copies, created using Microsoft word. I also saw the rubric and how many points each question was worth. The teacher uses both a paper and a digital grade book. She records the grades on paper, divided by assignments, quizzes, and tests, then transfers the grades to the digital grade book. This is also divided into homework, quizz...

Interview the teacher and ask for: 1.     the top three websites he/she uses for lesson planning and resources, and The top three websites I use are; Pinterest ( http://www.pinterest.com ) Teachers pay teachers ( https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ ) Class tag ( http://www.classtag.com ) 2.     the top three websites he/she uses for students. Epic books ( http://getepic.com ) ABCya ( http://www.abcya.com ) Storyjumper ( http://www.storyjumper.com ) Be sure to ask the following questions: 1.     What are your favorite teacher resources? What are your favorite student resources? My favorite teacher and student resources are the websites I gave you above. I like using teachers pay teachers for the ideas I get for instruction, as well as the resources I can find there. It is also why I use pinterest. I can find ideas to incorporate into my own classroom on any subject I can think of. I like to try and changes things up...

For your field experience this week, interview the classroom teacher and get a copy of your teacher or school's newsletter to share with the class. In your journal, post the answers to the interview questions, listed below, along with a digital version or link to the newsletter. Interview Questions: 1.     What information do you communicate in the newsletter? We communicate what the upcoming week has in store for students. What they will be learning, important dates, and reminders. We also remind parents of what the character word of the month is, the saying, and the literature story. We include important dates, and any other reminders that need to be given. 2.     How often do you publish your newsletter? The newsletter is published every Friday. Because we create these digitally for the whole grade level, we rotate who is in charge of the newsletter. Teachers can email each other if there is something they think needs to be included, but ...

For your field experience this week, observe students using learning tools. These tools do NOT need to be only technology tools. They can be any tool that aids in the learning process. Explain what learning tools you see in action and justify why these tools are learning tools. I saw many learning tools this week in the classroom. I watched students using manipulatives in math. They were using pattern blocks. They first used these block to name each attribute of each shape. They then used the block to talk about the size of blocks, and how other blocks could be used to cover a bigger shape and how many of the blocks it would take to cover the shape. The students were learning about equal parts, and the blocks provided a nice visual for the students, and a way to make meaning of dividing a shape into equal parts. I also saw the students complete a lesson worksheet in math. I feel this is a learning tool because it gives the students a way to show what they have learned, and t...

I watched a lesson in science on the human body. The teacher had created a power point presentation for the students to view, as well as used a link to a digital video from Epic books that taught about shots and their importance. The focus of the power point was Edward Jenner (the creator of vaccines). 1.      What standards did you observe? How did the teacher meet this standard? The ISTE standards that I observed were: Facilitator: 6b- manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field. I saw the teacher meet this standard by creating a lesson that incorporated technology and then implemented it in a way that engaged that met the needs of the students and the digital devices they were using. The teacher used the power point to create an engaging presentation that informed students about Edward Jenner. She then used the video at Epic books to show students a video on ...