Description of the community

H Elementary School, where I am student teaching, is located in north Salem, Oregon, just east of the Oregon State Fairgrounds. The population in Salem is 136,924, where 68,752 are males and 68,172 are females. Salem, Oregon has 50,676 households, and the average household size is 2.53. The average family Size in Salem is 3.10. Salem’s unemployment population is 5,496, and the median household income is $38,881.The community surrounding H Elementary School is made up of mostly low-income families. The vast population is composed of Latino’s and White’s. The neighborhood consists of mostly apartments, in which families rent. Moreover, the few home-owners in the area are elderly people who have lived in the same neighborhood for a long period of time. Instructional decisions may be influenced by the community because there is not a lot of financial support from the community members. This affects the supplies the students bring in and the amount of field trips the students can go on because the school does not receive extra funding.

Description of the school

  In the 2010- 2011 school year, H Elementary School is made up of 350 students, in which over 90% of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Furthermore, about 70% of the student population is minority students, and over 50% are English Language Learner (ELL) students. H Elementary School offers a bilingual program, which is part of their literacy model (literacy squared). Since the majority of the students are ELLs, the school is using the literacy squared method for teaching students to be bilingual and biliterate. Highland has a gym, a music room, a computer lab, and a library. Every teacher in the school has an instructional assistant for literacy. There is also a school counselor and an instructional coach. Having a well staffed school provides the teacher with a lot of extra help. Our classroom has an IA in the morning, which allows the teacher and me to plan more labor intensive lessons.

Description of the classroom

The second grade classroom I am student teaching in has 4 student learning tables (with about five students per table). Each learning table has two baskets with pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue, and scissors. Fortunately, these baskets do not seem to be a distraction to the students. The classroom has a document camera in the front center of the classroom next to a long white board (the white board almost covers the whole wall). The document camera has a laptop hooked up to it, but it does not receive internet signal. The classroom has one corner designated for read-alouds in the front of the classroom, and a “Number Corner” (part of our math curriculum – bridges) which is located in the back of the classroom. The tables, the book corner, and the Number Corner are the only three places the students need to move to during the day, however, they are allowed to move anywhere around the room during daily 4 (read to self, read to someone, reading response journals, spelling). There are charts, Venn diagrams, chants, sentence strips, posters (some with daily routines and some with content knowledge), and students’ awards hanging all over the classroom. This allows students to find information at any time of the day. I have seen these posters help students with writing, because they can look around the room to find the spelling of specific words. Since the classroom is set up so conveniently, the teacher and students usually have a quick transition time. This allows more instruction to take place during the day.

Description of the students

 Mrs. M’s home-room class is made up of ten females and nine males. The age range of these students is between seven and eight years old. Out of the 19 students, three are English Language Learners. There are three children in the classroom that have been in and out of foster care, and many students who live in single parent households. There is also at least one child who has a father in jail. Additionally, five children need special attention, three who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, one who has been diagnosed autistic, and one who has autistic tendencies. In the afternoon, some of our English speaking only students go to the bilingual classroom for math, and we receive six more English Language Learners. In the afternoon, we have a total of nine girls and ten boys, where eight are English Language Learners. Because of the dynamics of the classroom (some students in foster care, some parents in jail), we do not have any parent volunteers. We do, however, have an instructional assistant during our literacy block, and a foster grandparent who works 15 hours a week in our classroom. So, at times, our teacher to student ratio is 5:1. This allows students to have special attention, which in turn, decreases the amount of distractions in the room.

Since my pre-student teaching (in September and October), Mrs. M. has had twelve students in and out of her classroom. In the last two months we have received six new students, and four students have moved out of the area. This impacts instructional decisions greatly. Mrs. M. constantly has to test new students and place them in guided groups. It also means we need to set time aside to learn about the different ways each student learns best, and about their interests.   Additionally, new students need extra support in building relationships and fitting in with the rest of the class. They also need to learn the classroom routines and the daily schedule.

Because I have a huge range of diversity in my classroom, I modify my activities to support students’ learning at the ability they are at. An example of this is having different spelling lists for each student. I also have students at different reading levels, which allows each student to work toward their specific goals in reading.

Reflective Analysis

The classroom community I am student teaching in has a broad range of skills. This classroom will offer me the chance to work with all different kinds of children. It will also give me an opportunity to practice English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) techniques. The challenges I face in this classroom will help me grow as a teacher, and I will learn new skills for teaching children of different ages and different backgrounds/languages.

An example of how I embrace students’ diversity is integrating diverse children’s books into the classroom. Every Wednesday I read a book to promote the students’ self-esteem. I choose books that have diverse characteristics and books that promote respecting one another. I choose books that include multiple races, socio-economic classes, abilities, and so on. Diversity in the classroom creates opportunity for children to see outside the confines of their own lives. Exposure to diversity teaches children to accept others that may look or act differently than their self.

National Relocation. (2007-2011). Salem demographics and household information. Retrieved March 11, 2011, from http://profiles.nationalrelocation.com/Oregon/Salem/

Adaptations

            I believe that to educate children with special needs, teachers should have realistic and attainable expectations. Individuals with special needs should be welcome in the classroom and be given necessary attention and modification of activities as appropriate.  

            Children with special needs may develop at a slower rate than children without special needs. The developmental process is different for every child. Because of this, teachers need to modify and/or adapt lesson plans for the child with special needs. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a student with a disability should always be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The LRE is the educational environment with the least amount of limitations, and in many cases this is the general education classroom. In any case, the teacher needs to be aware of the child’s needs and have the necessary tools and techniques to teach the student as his or her Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicates.

            Individuals with disabilities or unique circumstances often need modified activities to encourage their own development. This might require developing more challenging activities for the Talented and Gifted children, or it might involve adding appropriate aids (i.e. visual, aural, etc.) for children with disabilities.

            To accommodate to my students’ individual needs, I used visual aids and gestures when talking to the class. I had eight ELL students, and two students who were on IEP’s. Additionally, I had one student who is diagnosed autistic, and two students who are diagnosed ADHD. To address my students who had special needs, I put my classroom materials in the same spot everyday and I tried to keep the classroom free of clutter. This illuminated distractions in the classroom. For my ELL students, I made sure to model everything I expected of my students, I added visual aids (such as pictures of objects they would be measuring), and I had multiple strategies to check for clarification (for example, having the students show me with their fingers how big a centimeter is). I also wrote all my directions and instructions on the board, as well as saying them aloud, to differentiate my teaching for visual and auditory learners. I color-coded any activities that we wrote on poster paper, so the students could see the different sections from the back of the classroom. I often had my students work in pairs or groups of three, this allowed my ELL students and my below grade level students to work with peers above their level to scaffold their learning. These simple modifications to my instruction helped my students succeed during my measurement unit.

Literacy

Rationale for Literacy Integration

            The foundation of my learning philosophy is based on Vygotsky’s Social Interaction Theory. This theory emphasizes collaboration in learning. Vygotsky believed that children learn best by interacting with each other- speaking and listening to one another. Students not only need to speak and listen in order to learn, but they also need to be able to read and write well. Much of learning comes from reading- reading factual information to enhance learning. When students write after they read, they are reinforcing what they learned, and they are clarifying their understanding and any questions they may still have. This is a very powerful tool in schools and out.  In order for students to become outstanding readers and writers, they need the opportunity to read and write often. Integrating literacy – which includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening – into all content areas is essential for students to get the practice they need to reach their full learning potential.

            By allotting time for students to read individually, with partners, in small groups, or as a whole class, students are able to discuss questions, write and reflect, listen to what others have to say, and collaborate with each other. Having students experience literacy in all of these different ways will increase student involvement in the classroom and keep students engaged for a longer period of time.

            In my classroom, I will allow students to choose their books during independent reading time. I believe self-selection (or choice) reading will foster children’s love for reading. Furthermore, when students are able to read with a reading buddy they are more likely to be challenged and to understand what they are reading. Being able to discuss what one is reading is important for reflection. Also, reading buddies allows for scaffolding to take place. If one student does not understand something, the other student can help make sense of the issue. This allows students to practice problem solving and social skills.  

            In order to incorporate reading into all content areas, students need to learn how to obtain meaning from text at a young age. Reading helps students to learn spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and it helps students to derive meaning from text. A good classroom integrates shared reading, guided reading, literature circles, voluntary reading, and reading conferences into the curriculum. Integrating literacy into all content areas allows students to experience reading in many different ways.

            I believe that writing is an important tool for students, and if they start writing at a young age they will be able to further their writing abilities. I think having students keep a journal for book reflections will encourage writing. Also, having time for students to free-write will also allow students to be creative with their writing.

            In order to teach literacy, I believe educators should carefully assess students so individual teaching plans can be developed and facilitated successfully. “Workshop” is the process of integrating literacy into different subject matters. It begins with the teacher providing an introduction of the topic or subject matter being studied. After the topic is briefly introduced, students read books or articles about the topic. After the students have done their research, they discuss what they learned in small groups, and subsequently write about what they learned and what they still want to learn. During the workshop activity, the teacher should be watching and listening to ensure that the flow of discussion is going in a direction that will advance student learning. This means the teacher must observe and listen to all of the students so he or she can provide guidance and direction when necessary. The teacher and students debrief at the conclusion of workshop, giving the students an opportunity to ask questions and/or clarify misunderstandings. The debrief portion of the workshop is very important because it is what helps students stay on task during the workshop. When students know that they will be sharing information that they learned, they will be more inclined to stay on task to ensure they have something to share. 

            During my measurement unit, students will be working in pairs or groups of three to measure different objects and distances. This ensures students are speaking to one another and listening to each other. They will also be required to write daily. They will have a record sheet that they will be expected to fill out as they measure different objects and distances. At the end of every lesson, the students will be expected to share something from their record sheet with the whole class, this will hold students accountable for their participation during the activity.

Literacy Goals, Objectives, and Instructional Strategies

            During my Math unit, I will be integrating literacy (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) into my lessons. The literacy objectives I will be including into my lessons are the following:

·         The students will be able to write down estimations and actual measurements on their record sheet.

·         The students will be able to explain why a standard unit of measure is necessary by listening to the book How Big is a Foot. TSWBT record estimates, measurements, and explain which object is longest, and which one is shortest in writing.

·         The students will be able to explain and write down estimates and measurements, and listen to Jack and the Beanstalk while making inferences about the giant’s feet.

·         The students will be able to write 3 measurements and estimations on a record sheet.

·         The students will be able to write down estimations and measurements on a record sheet.

·         The students will be able to explain how big an inch is and what objects we should measure in inches.

·         The students will be able to compare feet to yards by writing on a graphic organizer how many feet are in one yard, two yards, three yards, and so on.

·         The students will be able to write down estimates and measurements on a record sheet and listen to a book.

·         The students will listen/ sing an army ant song. They will also write down measurements and answer questions on their record sheet.

·         The students will be able to write down on record sheets their estimations and measurements in centimeters.

·         The students will be able to write estimates and measurements on a record sheet. They will also listen to the story Army Ant Raids. 

The literacy instructional strategies I will be using include, listening, speaking, reading books, and writing. My students will be expected to write daily, they will listen to children’s literature about measurement, and they will discuss the books. They will also explain why they are using certain tools to measure certain objects.

Technology

                I believe technology is a great way to engage students in topics and activities. Varying technology tools should be integrated into the curriculum for motivation. Children love to make recordings, videos, podcasts, etc, so having technology integrated in the curriculum may motivate children to work. One example of integrating technology is having the students make a podcast that the class can view at the end of a unit (for a final project). A podcast consists of recording a script, and taking pictures. For students to view the podcast as a whole class, the classroom needs to have a computer set up to the document camera. Technology also offers teachers instructional support. Whether the teacher has a smart board in the classroom or a document camera, the teacher is able to give instruction quickly, and use their technology tools to aid their instruction.

                When I observed a laptop hooked up to the document camera in my classroom I was thrilled! I was hoping to make a podcast with my students, but my mentor teacher and I found out that we could not access the internet from the laptop. Instead, I used the document camera daily, and took advantage of the technology I did have in the classroom. This was a quick way to show the kids what we would be doing that day. Before sending my students out to complete activities, I put a copy of the record sheet on the document camera to explain what they would be doing. This helped my visual learners understand the tasks at hand.