Reflection 4 - Due Not Later than December 13, 2011

Classroom Learning Center at Warfield Elem. --- an Internet Photo

A classroom learning center is a place where one or several students at a time can conduct activities independently using materials and directions found at the center.  The center must be organized so that the students can choose at least some of the activities and work at their own pace and learning level.  Open-ended experiences usually will serve best for these purposes. (Science in Elementary Education, p 163).  Learning Centers are the mainstay of the EC-6th grade classroom environment, providing students the opportunity to explore and inquire--- really learn something in a purposeful setting.  Chapter seven in Science in Elementary Education, pages 137 - 142 has provided an extensive backdrop of how to design a learning center:  purpose and objectives, activity cards and worksheets, materials and their re-supply, record keeping and evaluation, the physical setup (p. 137).

You have recently been charged to prepare a five-day integrated lesson plan thematic unit incorporating a narrative describing a learning center using the theme.  Post at least a 400-500 word (you may include your narrative from your thematic unit) narrative describing your learning center.  Include how you would use the center in the lesson(s), if or how the center has been/is being used in your PDS 1 rotation placements.  Post your responses individually.  Note:  For larger postings (more than 500 words), break them into two and post a first and second part.  Don't forget to spell/grammar check your posting in Word first, then copy/paste it to this blog.

Reflection 3 - Due November 10, 2011

Assessment is no longer something we do to students, but something we can do with students.  Assessment should be reflective and not reflexive.  With changing assessment procedures, we are no longer looking at what students do not know.  Instead, we want to know what opportunities they have had to learn and what they do know or have achieved (Reference:  Science in Elementary Education, Chapter 5, p. 85). 

Post individual reflections on one of the following topics from chapter 5 in the Science in Elementary Education text, as assigned:  Group 1 (Dyads 1, 2) - Assessment and the 6E Model/Backwards Design; Group 2 (Dyads 3, 4) - Characteristics of Good Authenic Assessment; Group 3 (Dyads 5, 6) - Performance Based Assessment; Group 4 (Dyads 7, 8) - Project-Based Science and Assessment; Group 5 (Dyads 9, 10) - Portfolios and Journals as Assessment Tools; Group 6 (Dyads 11, 12) - Concept Maps as Assessment Tools.  Post a synthesis-response describing a situation (per your assigned topic) where you would use authentic assessment in the Integrated Curriculum (Science plus other subject areas).  How will your philosophy of teaching and learning affect your use of authentic assessment in the classroom?  Describe a current lesson using authentic assessment in one of your PDS field placements.  Provide three website links (references or resources) using authentic assessment tools and describe how each of those web sources are useful for inquiry-based lessons and authentic assessment.  Post your responses individually (not as a group response).  Note:  For larger postings (more than 500 words), break them into two and post a first and second part.  Don't forget to spell/grammar check your posting in Word first, then copy/paste it to this blog.

Reflection 2 - Due September 22, 2011

How comfortable are you with technology?  Matthew Koehler describes Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) as a form of knowledge that goes beyond the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge of the teacher (Koehler, 2009).  It is an understanding that emerges from an interaction of all of these elements.  TPCK involves representation of concepts using pedagogical techniques that rely on technology in constructive ways (Koehler & Mishra, 2008).  Web 2.0 tools are the second-generation  Internet technologies that promote collaboration.  Some examples include social networking, video broadcasting, social messaging (Chat features), photo sharing (such as Flickr ), Wikis, and Google Apps .  Describe a situation where you will use Web 2.0 tools to effectively teach a concept using the Integrated Curriculum (science plus other content areas).  How will your philosophy of teaching and learning with technology affect your use of technology in the classroom?  How could you use Web 2.0 tools in your current field placement classroom?  (Reference:  Peters, et. al, Science in Elementary Education, page 56).  Post your responses here [Note:  for longer postings, break them into two and post a first and second part if you exceed the 500 word per posting limit]:

Reflection 1 - Due Sept 8 2011

EDEE 4330.003 Pre-service teachers:

Science in Everyday Life (web discussion, p 18).

Google Nova Science Now videos or visit the Nova link  and watch a video news story. In a 500-1000 [or 3/4 - 2 page] reflection, post your response to what is the scientific credibility of the story?  How will this story influence your life? What personal position will you take or change you will make related to the story?

Don't forget to print a copy of your reflection to include in your PDS Portfolio.