Friday, November 28, 2008

K.I.T

Just want to drop by and say Happy Blogging to all. I've been MIA from my blog for a few weeks and wanted to drop a line and keep in touch with everyone. Between report cards, final projects, and the holidays, I hardly have the time to relax. Hope all of you are safe and non-stressed. Remember, study hard and play harder!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

1 Month To Go!

Although we have about a month to go, I just to want to express how much fun this course was. I felt it was one of the most convenient and organized classes I have had. The communication was great, the guidelines were detailed, and the assignments were informative. I learned without stress and completed my work with ease. I really look forward to taking another long distance class like this.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Kids Count Too!

Hey guys, I just wanted to say that my middle school has been working all marking period on an Election Theme Unit. They have done projects, charts, mock elections, articles, collages, etc. Well you name it, they did it. We will have a display day of all their work coming up soon. If your interested, let me know. I'm so proud of them and what they have learned. Hopefully I will be able to display some pictures of my class and their projects soon. Take Care and Vote!!!!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Miss Martinez's Class

Since "student choice" was a blog topic during a module, I chose to write about my 6th grade class. I, alongside another teacher, teach Language Arts to the sixth grade. This year is full of trials and tribulations because for the first time we are not using basals. Our LA curriculum is literature based. I love it this way. We have a daily journal called a daybook and then we go right into our book of the month. So far far we have read two books and based our lesson plans on novel guides that we create. I have to say, it has worked very well. I love it and the students love it as well. Let me know if you have any questions on this approach or would like to see a novel guide. So far so good in Miss Martinez's 6th grade class.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Guided Reading Case Study


The case study held at Lindisfarne North Primary School discusses how teachers use guided reading and small group work to share ideas and create activities to go along with their lessons. I like the idea of working in small groups and combining discussions and projects with the group. We use very similar practices in my classroom. My class is divided into two groups (about 12 students or so) and we read a novel together. We currently just finished reading The Skin I'm In. We included projects such as collages, novel guides, portraits etc, alongside group discussions. Its a great way to maintain control of your group and their progress. I love the way guided reading has worked in our class. I would definitely recommend it.

iTeach with iPod

I think that teaching via ipod is such an innovative idea. After reading this article, I was taken back with all the uses of such a little gadget. People instinctively think music, movies, and itunes. I would of never thought of using it as a teaching tool. As a teacher, I would use the idea of podcasts for a college and perhaps a high school classroom. Although the idea brings us right to the 21st century, it does have certain setbacks such as availability to an ipod and learning how to use it. In theory, teaching with ipods is a creative interactive way to keep students engaged. In a perfect world, every student can have one and perhaps take an elective class on podcasts and ipod usage. Podcasts are a great way to incorporate blogs, interviews, project, etc into a lesson. I loved the way the professor used the ipod to teach the Cuban Revolution. (I'm Cuban so I loved that part) In the end, I am all for teaching via ipod, i just wish it is as accessible and affordable as it is user friendly.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Knowledge Box / Brain Pop



After reviewing the educational websites mentioned above, I found them to be very useful for computer lab assignments. At my school, the children receive a one hour computer lab class per week. They also are allowed to use the in class computer when finished with an assignment. These are great tools for both these time periods. They are great for practice and review in most subjects. Not only are they creative, they are a fun way of studying or introducing a lesson. I passed these sites along to my vice principal and the computer teacher as well.