Cushman EDU614

My Growth Plan

Timers are something that are constantly being used in my room. This year my large visual timer caused more problems therefore we had to get rid of it. It also was hard to set multiple timers at once for multiple students. We have started using our phones for timers with our students. I was introduced to Countdown but Jenn actually in our last class (thanks Jenn!). I find some of my students have a hard time visualizing how much time they have left on their break when they are being told. At times it has caused meltdowns due to the fact they didn't understand how "short" a minute actually was. I started using this timer app with a few of the students and it has been a huge success. You can set the timer for any amount you want. Once you start the timer, the countdown begins. The circle starts out green and as the timer goes on, the color changes from yellow to red. This adds another layer of visual for the student because they can see, as the color changes, the amount ...

All of my students have a really hard time writing and typing on the computer. One student in particular has a visional impairment that makes it very hard for her to focus on small print. In order to help her use/type on the computer, she has a special keyboard to use. It is brightly colored and the letters are larger than a normal keyboard. We also enlarge the computer screen and font when she is typing. Since we have given her access to this keyboard, she has been able to type so much faster than in previous years. She doesn't need help navigating the program either. It is incredible to see the difference when she has access to this larger keyboard. We have also found the other students like to use it as well. They all find it easier to find the keys they are looking for and find it easier and quicker to type up their assignments on the computer.

Parent communication is something that happens daily, if not multiple times a day in my classroom. Usually we use email and/or phone calls to communicate with parents. However, sometimes is it hard to get to the computer to write back or answer the phone during the day; a lot of teachers at my school started using the Remind App this year. I decided to give it a try myself. What I liked about this app was that you could set everyone up in the class but message individual parents or the whole group depending on the message/need. Parents are also able to send messages back or start a new conversation with me on the app. I mainly started using it to send home our daily communication logs. A few of my students go home with charts each day showing their behavior and how they were during each block of the day. I could instantly send them to parents on the app without the fear that a student might be upset by what they see or not even show it to their parents . This way if they have any que...

After playing around with Google Earth in class, I instantly thought about how great this would work in my classroom. There were so many amazing ways and features I could incorporate this into my classroom. When using this website, my mind went to a few of my 5th graders who are currently studying about different countries around the world. How cool would it be for them to see actual landmarks and sites they are studying? First, to get my students familiar with the website, I had them look up their addresses and local places they know on the website. This got them to understand how the website worked and what they could do with it. Then I had them think about how this could be used to help them with their country projects. One of my students was studying Italy. I found a tour of Rome on Google Earth and we used that to explore the city and sites. When doing a tour of a famous place, Google Earth splits the landmarks into multiple days. For my students this was perfec...

Research is becoming more and more prominent within the public schools. Students are asked to research topics for projects and are expected to weed out the good information from the bad. However, most students don't know how to effectively look for information on the internet. When it comes time to research I feel like I'm doing most of the work for the students! The purpose of my classroom is to support students to become more independent learners. How can I do that if I'm spending most of the time researching and looking for the good websites for them to look through? My students wouldn't even know where to start on their own. After reading the chapter on student researchers in Alan November's Who Owns the Learning?,   I was really intrigued by the Google Custom Search. I thought this could be a good way to allow my students more independence while learning how to research a topic. It was extremely easy to use! Once the custom search was created all you had ...

I had a really hard time finding an app that would work for my classroom because of the many different age groups I work with. However, I finally found something I can use that truly works! I decided to go with Miro, an online whiteboard. What I loved most about this was that my students could share their abilities with the others in the class no matter what their level was. I chose to stick with math for this week since a lot of my students were learning new strategies to solve math problems. It was also a great opportunity for my older students to help out my younger ones!  I created a problem on the website and shared it with my class. From there, the students had to solve the problem using one of the many strategies they know (I tried to have the 3 students pick different strategies). I had each of my older students try to solve the problem and explain how they got their answer. Once they solved the problem, the younger students could go and see the same problem I assigned...

Democratic School In a democratic school setting, children have more freedom in their learning. They are able to learn what they would like and how they would like to learn it. They are fully in charge of their learning. Students have a vote in the rules and regulations of the classroom. I like some aspects of this model. I do agree with the idea of the students choosing what they will be learning about. I think students are more engaged when they are very interested in what they are learning about. I also really love the idea of putting the younger and older students together. I truly believe children of different ages learn more from each other than just their peers or other adults. What I don’t love about this model is that I don’t feel like there are many rules and structure to the day. I know many children that this wouldn’t work for. Pedagogy of the Oppressed This was my least favorite educational model. I don’t like the idea that students are just fed the informat...

Explain Everything was the app I explored with for this assignment. What I really liked about this app was that you could use many of the different templates to help get you started. The student could pick what would work best for them. I asked my students to think about something they already know how to do and explain it to the class. They had the freedom to do it in anyway they wanted on the website. I found as we explored together, they could create a drawing or a video to help them (I didn't see video option when I was looking at it myself). They could insert their own drawings or use the clipart on the website. There also was an option to add sound to their creation. I really liked how many different ways and options they had to help them create their tutorial. I felt like there were options for everyone in my classroom to help them play to their own strengths. I also noticed that you could create folders and sort the tutorials that way. For me and the many different age g...

Time management and organization are two important aspects of teaching. In my classroom, each student has a complete different schedule and goals they are working on. I find it hard to keep track of what everyone is doing and the times where I need to check in or work with a student. Sometimes meetings are also scheduled for the students that I need to be a part of. I needed something to help keep me organized and manage my time during the day better. Google Calendar has been a tremendous help in keeping my teaching schedule organized. I have been able to color code everything based on student which allows me to look quickly and know who I should be with. I can also share events and reminders with other students or teachers. This has come in handy when scheduling meetings with other staff members. I have also been able to schedule reminders and goals into my calendar as well. I get text as well as email reminders about projects or lesson plans I need to work on. I can also send remin...

My classroom has 6 students in it ranging in age from 2nd grade (7) to 5th grade (10). The students in my classroom have been formally diagnosed with social- emotional disorders. My classroom is there to help support these children during the school day whether it be with academics or other issues. Typically, the children in my classroom have a hard time regulating their emotions and staying in the general education setting throughout the day. My room provides the support they may need so they can take breaks and do work in a sub separate setting. Sometimes a child is in crisis and need more supports or access to our "chill zone." The teachers are trained in safety care and can help de-escalation students in these types of situations. If necessary, staff will go hands on with a child if they are harming themselves or others. This plays a critical role in how the room is set up. We try to give the children as much choice and space as possible to complete work or just take ...