Final Reflection

So this is the end of my course time here at Mount Saint Mary College.. perhaps for now?   This has been an incredible semester filled with a lot of work. Social Studies  is more than just a subject. Calling Social Studies a subject is an injustice. Social Studies is state of being.

What I mean by that is this: Social Studies in the classroom is an experience. This semester, we learned firsthand teaching the 5 E's of teaching. In order for a lesson to be more than just a lesson, it needs the 5 E's to be incorporated.

When you incorporate, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate, you take and ordinary lesson and make it extraordinary. I  learned this firsthand this semester teaching Social Studies and Science for my other course.

   

Lessons take an interesting twist where students are engaged, listening, actively answering questions. It's a beautiful sight to see and empowering to experience it firsthand not only for myself, but for my fellow student teachers as well. I cannot thank our host cooperative teacher enough for volunteering her personal time to help and guide us through this semester. 

I know this reflection sounds repeated but I do have to make a reflection that only my blog may understand. After teaching two subject which I personally find exciting, I learned something about myself and my comfort level. Here is what I learned: I found myself more comfortable teaching material that I'm unfamiliar with but excited about. I was less comfortable teaching material I knew, but was less exciting. So what does this mean? Well, I'm not 100% sure but my interpretation is this: as we have learned this semester, no lesson is a lesson without the 5 E's. By adding the 5 E's, it certainly helps to elevate the lesson to another level. I'm still learning and certainly learned a lot this semester not just about teaching Social Studies and Science, I also learned more about myself. 

Finally, this reflection would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of Dr. Smirnova.  Thank you for the learning experience and helping me to grow.  :)

- MW

Today was our fieldwork experience.

Here's my take:  I think I talk too much... Period I said it. That and maybe perhaps I could of been more energetic. I thought I was energetic but after hearing my peers talk about the lesson, perhaps they are right. I need more pep in my step. I accept my faults... for now. .... Because the only place to go is up. Falling off the horse IS an  option and the human response is to get up, dust off the knees and get right back on the horse.

What I learned is I tend to go off on tangents and deviate to some degree. My focus has to remain on the lesson at hand which is something I need to master. For example, todays lesson was taught in three parts, Direct Instruction, Inquiry and Cooperative. For Direct Instruction, the task is relatively simple, keep the instruction direct. My tendencies pull me away from teaching directly and deviate onto other topics in the curriculum.

For me, the subject area is exciting. Social Studies and History has been a subject that I have always embraced. Embracing a subject area seems dangerous. 

So note to self. Stick with the intended lesson. The students will stay on task and eventually have the same excitement that I do on the subject area (hopefully). 

-- MW

Fieldwork is around the corner. So Ancient China is our topic.

We will be doing our fieldwork at Bishop Dunn Memorial School. We briefly met with the students and will be the first group to do our lesson. It seems weird because I am from a political science and history background but I have a lot of anxiety right now. 

I can't seem to peg why I feel this way as I would think I would feel comfortable teaching a subject I enjoy. I can only wonder if the unknown is taking over and making my mind think of several things that could go wrong. I'm confident that the lesson will be fine and the students will be great. 

Practice makes perfect and I firmly believe in that. The craft can only be mastered through trial and error and error IS an option so long as we learn from where we fell. 

--MW

reflection

This semester has been a challenge from the gate. Today's reflection is really more about growth.

Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been learning about teaching Social Studies and method involved in the study. We have been using the 5 E's of teaching to employ in the lessons to create lessons that incredible content. 

As I sit here, I feel overwhelmed but at the same time, thankful. I'm not the most reflective person so any kind of reflection is huge for me. I see personal growth in my craft which is something I certainly need in the classroom. 

This semester, for the first time, we video taped our lessons. I'm not a big fan of self pictures or video and often shy away from the camera. In preparation for the edTPA, being shy will have to take a back burner. So for the first time, I began viewing the videos from our lessons in my Social Studies class and Science. I'm still formulating my own opinion but I can see how I perform in the classroom. It's almost surreal to see myself teaching. -  thanks for listening blog. - MW

So we are preparing for our fieldwork experience. Colleen is my partner in crime and we are tasked with giving a lesson on Ancient China. 

Sounds simple enough, only problem is I do not know much about Ancient China. I know it was the Chinese New Years recently but I need to read up on exactly what the New Year means. This will take some time and research. 

What I have learned so far is  that it  is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calender. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first day of the New Year falls on the new moon between the 21st of January and the 20th of February. In 2016, the first day of the Chinese New Year is on Monday, February 8th.

The New Year festival is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. Much like the dragon in Chinese culture. Dragons are very respected and considered good luck in the culture. Dragons protect the land.  More to learn -  MW

 

So  today we had a chance to participate in  mock Interviews. My co-teacher and crime partner, Colleen  and myself were the administrators for the day.

For the day, or least 3 hours, I had my doctorate from Harvard. Exciting as it sounds, the task to interview teacher candidates is not easy by any means. Dr. Smirnova gave us some interviewing tips to help lead the charge. For my interview candidates, I posed as an educator, administrator from a behavioral background. 

The task was simple, at least on paper. Our job was to interview our candidates for teacher positions and determine the best candidate. Sounds simple but not quite. The teacher candidates all performed very well in their responses and answers. Colleen and I were both very impressed with the caliber of answers and knowledge from the group. Questions were constructed by Colleen and myself in the area of education. Some questions were based on place and setting while others were questions of behavior and knowledge of theories in education. 

All in all the candidates did very well. We sorted out the candidates and decided to hire all the teachers for our schools. The experience was a first for me considering I'm usually the interviewee. But this experience also gives me a greater respect for the profession and how we want to fulfill our positions in the classroom. Making such decisions is not nearly as easy as it seems and all teachers are not created equal. Well done to all my fellow teacher candidates. 

- MW

Classroom Debate

Current Events    

For my current events Article I decided to go another route away from Ancient China and choose a new topic. This time, I added a twist and went outside my comfort zone to do the lesson. For my article, I chose to discuss the topic of discipline in schools. Specifically in question, the use of resource officers or police officers. 

It comes with no surprise that the topic of discipline and behavior in schools is yet again in main stream media. We've seen the images and videos of defiant behavior but, what exactly is the right and wrong when it comes to dealing with behavior. Is the use of resource officers considered excessive or do the schools need more protection?

Sadly, in this time we live in, schools have slowly transitioned to a fortress that is almost impossible to penetrate. The fear is there of students or strangers causing harm to students and staff. So, what is the right answer. 

To help answer my dilemma, I decided to hold a mini classroom debate on the topic. 

To help guide my debate, I determined the topic of which to debate about. The classroom was split into two groups. I acted as moderator, or Anderson Cooper for the day. My role was to simply guide the debate into a argument and fact based dialogue. 

The rules were simple, after being given time to read and watch a video (neutral to the support of the topic) groups had a few minutes to prepare their opening arguments and allow the opposing to do so as well. The format continued for arguments, counter arguments and finally, a closing statement by both sides. 

The result in my opinion was a success. Classmates did not hurt each other following the debate however they were committed to their cause. Using the Current events article tied to the Classroom Debate helped the classmates (and myself) gather information on a topic that in this case, is personal to our profession. 

- MW

Artifact Bag

For the first time, I tried doing an Artifact Bag lesson. What is an Artifact Bag one asks?
 Much like a Mystery Bag, an Artifact Bag is designed to serve as a springboard for brainstorming ideas. Students then write down their ideas freestyle without editing them on their own notebook paper.  The Artifact Bag lesson can take several forms. 

For my lesson, I decided to fall back on my lesson on Ancient China. This lesson is part of the The Exploring the Scientific Method Unit. The goal of the unit is to introduce the Scientific Method to the students and allow them to apply the method in the classroom through experiments and inquiry.  I will introduce the final lesson by giving the students a mystery bag. Inside the bag will be 3-5 items related to science. The brown bag or box will remain closed. Based on the class size, I will have multiple mystery bags floating the room. Before I circulate the mystery bags, I will ask the class what have they learned up to this point. What do they know about the Scientific Method?

“Today boys and girls, we will become scientists once more. Inside these bags is a collection of mystery items. The bag is to remain sealed. I will pass the bags around the class. Each one is labelled a certain number. As you receive the bag, chart the number and note any characteristics of the item in the bag without opening it. Is it heavy? Light? Is it hard?  As you observe each mystery bag, I ask you make note of the observations and record them in the graphic organizer.”

Students will have anchor charts posted in the room where they can refer back to.

The students will use their graphic organizers to complete the 5 W’s. Each group will be given a mystery bag to analyze and record. Students will be allowed to open the bag and record their observation of the mystery items. As the students are recording their observations, I will circle the groups for any questions or concerns. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and formulate opinions on their graphic organizers. The organizers will be used to present in a google presentation.

A Google Classroom will be setup so the students can display their work. 

Link to the presentation on Artifact Bag  

- MW

The Lakota Indians

For  a group project, our class was assigned to create a classroom lesson and presentation on the American Indians. For my topic, I chose the Lakota Indians of the Great Sioux Nation.
To begin,   I took to the internet to find out what I could about the Lakota's.
What I found was truly interesting and learned a lot doing the project.

To begin, the Lakota's lived on the plains with other Indians such as the Cheyenne and the Oto.

They originally lived in the Rocky Mountains but migrated to what is now North and South Dakota. The Lakota named themselves Lakota which means 'friend.' Like most early tribes, the Lakota's lived off the land and truly used all the resources available. They were smart and very spiritual. Around the time of the Louisiana Purchase, westward expansion was continuing forward. The expansion lead to years of infighting and defense of the land. The Lakota's were very good at fighting. One notable figure in the Lakota's was Crazy Horse. 

Crazy Horse was best known for leading the Sioux against the the U.S. government. 

In 1876,  Crazy Horse led his men into battle against Colonel George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse earned the reputation of a brave and fearsome warrior.

Besides being excellent warriors, the Lakota's were excellent hunters. They were well known for their skill of hunting and utilizing all of the resources available from the land. Bison was their main hunt, often using every bit of the Bison with efficiency. Skin was often used as breach cloth or the use of tee pees. They often hunted deer and were very skilled at fishing.

Besides live game, the Lakota cultivated wild grain and rice. 

Because the Lakota's often migrated, they learned to live in temporary shelters known as tee pees. Tee pees were made of animal skin, often with a hole at the top to allow smoke to billow out if they had a fire inside. The tee pee was designed to fold or roll up and be made portable in case the Lakota's moved again. 

What I found most intriguing was the passing down of customs and traditions. Elders did not write down but rather passed down customs and traditions through story telling. This tradition has continued to the present with the current tribe of the Lakota's.

See our presentation here.

The project was very an eye opening experience. American Indians are an important part of our history and social studies curriculum. It is critical that the history and American Indians remain an important part of our core education in teaching history. 

Dear Blog,

This chapter marks the beginning of a semester long journey into ED 5535, Research in teaching Social Studies. The world famous Dr. Smirnova leads our class on this journey for the Spring of 2016.

What marks this journey significant is multiple things. Firstly, it brings closer to the end my run at Mount Saint Mary College. I've been honored to be in the presence of such remarkable staff and student body. In many ways, I'm saddened to see my time at the college end however, before I make that jump, I need to press through this course.

What is Social Studies? In the classroom, why is it important? Are we teaching enough and do we as educators provide enough?

Social Studies is a discipline. It's about us, who we are, why we are, and importantly, where we are going. As a history and sociology major, history always intrigued my interest. In school, that wasn't always the case. It wasn't until college that I developed a fond interest in history.

History in today's elementary classroom needs to be in the "know and now." Like all subjects, History needs to be interactive through  active engagement. This is accomplished through discovery and exploration of the content. Lesson plans come to life. The 'old days' of history books can remain history. As educators, it is our role to write our own history for ourselves and students that will soon embark on the same vision.

This course will help bring these principles full circle for us to apply in our own classrooms. Stay tuned, this social studies lesson is about make some serious history.

M.W.