Characteristic 2 for the Novice Teacher emphasizes the importance of being an effective communicator. This communication can occur in various forms: a teacher may communicate in a written manner, through speech, or even in a non-verbal way. These exchanges often occur between the teacher and student, but it is also important to note that a teacher must also communicate with parents, faculty, and other individuals in the school community.
My most important artifact associated with communication is the student blog I set up at Taylor County Middle School. I created a blog through a website specifically made for student use to ensure student safety and ease of use in order for students to answer critical thinking questions. With this website I was also able to reply to the blog entries with comments and suggestions. I find this to be my most notable artifact because my students were excited to complete this assignment, and were eager to use blogging again in the future.
Characteristic 4 relates to the essential duty of each teacher to ensure learning for all students. Being a facilitator to learning for each students involves a commitment to meeting students needs in various ways.
I believe I best met my students' needs in a lesson dedicated to differentiated instruction. I designed this lesson specifically to meet the different learning styles in my classroom. In this lesson on the French and Indian War, students used a RAFT to complete a writing activity. I also played traditional Appalachian music to help my students who work better with sound in the room. I find this to be a great artifact because my students were more equipped to complete a writing assignment than in past lessons.
Sara,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. In regards to the communication artifact, I'm really quite impressed by your use of a blog for your students! This is something I've really been thinking about a lot this semester, but in a slightly different medium. When I get back to Suncrest next year, I'd really like to give them an easier way to access me; a medium through which they are really comfortable already. Dun, dun, dunnn..are you ready? Facebook! No, I don't want my kids to be my friends on facebook, but do you think it's okay to create like a Miss Viglianco--English Language Arts profile that can be a profile only for class matters. Kids can message me, write on my wall, or whatever to ask questions. I think it'd be a phenomenal communication tool, but I'm just wondering if teachers will think I'm crazy and say that's going too far. It's not MY page. It'd be one completely separate and unrelated..
In regards to your Characteristic 4 artifact, I think it's fabulous that you've become so comfortable and efficient at tailoring your lessons to the kids in your classroom. I was having a discussion with my Coordinator the other day and you might find it interesting. When dealing with student learning differences and planning lessons that address their needs, on the Benedum lesson plan we're supposed to explicitly state these differences. When I do this seciton, I never use names, but i just talk about the disabilities or overall different learning styles in the classroom. My coordinator was telling me, however, that in "real life" you can't even ALLUDE to any disabilities or anything like that on lesson plans. She said she (and another teacher agreed) only puts something like "refer to Modification sheet" or something like that. I was surprised. Going through this grueling lesson planning for Benedum led me to believe that that was an ESSENTIAL part that you must include in a lesson plan. I guess not though. I guess it could actually get us in a lot of trouble..
So, sorry that last part didn't exactly relate to your Characteristic 4, but it's just a thought you happened to spark in my mind!
Well, Sara, I'm going to go ahead and give a little bit more input on this comment since we weren't aware of the guidelines before when i initially commented on this. Looking over your artifacts again, I think your blog could be used for Characteristic 5. If you used this blog for something other than communication, like maybe for a lesson, that could definitely work. Students could respond to literature from the class, talking and responding with one another on the blog.
ReplyDeleteFor your second artifact, this could easily fit into the Characteristic 8. It sounds like the lesson went really well and hopefully you completed a thorough, enthusiastic reflection. Even though it went well, I think it'd be really beneficial for others to see how you are STILL thinking about improvements that you could make during the lesson.