Category II: Clasroom Environment

Library Orientation

Book Talks

iPad eBooks Tutorial

Computer Lab Time (Expectaitons), such as The Wave group project

Library Orientation

I spend a great deal of time at the start of the year really setting up the atmosphere, rules, procedures, and expectations for my classroom. When going to the Library Orientation, it is the first time that I am taking the students outside of the classroom with the expectation that they will still behave accordingly. Mrs. Antonuccio is also able to explain her own expectations and procedures for the Library. Mrs. Antonuccio clearly stated her rules, procedures, and expectations. She reminded students about the rules from the previous year in order to check back into the kids' background knowledge. She also worked with our own Literacy curriculum by tying into different types of genres and reaching the students on their own levels through different types and levels of reading materials. She and I interacted with the students to show them how to behave in the Library while learning new things.

Book Talks

Mrs. Antonuccio and I are able to continue expecting appropriate behavior from our students during Book Talks. The students are specifically prepped for each Book Talk before arriving at the Library. They are reminded to always have their heads up and turn their chairs to face the front of the room. They also know that Mrs. Antonuccio will bring materials to their attention that are appropriate for their levels and meet their interests. I always speak with Mrs. Antonuccio before each Book Talk to ensure that the books presented will be interesting and appropriate for each group of students. The time the students spend browsing for books is always an exciting time because teachers and students get to share about what they have read and enjoy reading as equal partners in learning.

iPads and eBooks Tutorials

Students who were able to explore iPads and eBooks were more accelerated in the Literacy course. They will read many types of books. Instead of focusing on reading materials that are available to the kids, we focused our instruction on how the students read. Many of these students have eReaders and have expressed interest in using them at school. We put iPads in their hands to foster that engagement and love of reading. The students really understood on their own level how to use technology to explore reading. We partnered with the kids to create a community of 21st Century Readers. They grew their interest in reading by learning about new procedures for eBooks and using technology at school.

Computer Lab Time and Expectations (Example: The Wave Final Project)

Each time that I take my students to the Library or computer lab, they are prepped with expectations. Students are aware that they are not able to go anywhere online. They know to only work on their assessment. I provide incentives, such as listening to music, when students work quietly and quickly. This gives the students respect and acknowledgement of their appropriate behavior. The students working on The Wave Final Assessment really followed my expectations while in the computer lab. Students were asked to work in groups, so this changed the way that they interact with the technology in the lab. They were unable to just put headphones on and work independently. They needed to communicate with one another at an appropriate tone and with respect. They also needed to share the work and explore their options together. This group assessment helped to solidify our class as a dynamic and cohesive unit.