Kindergarten vs. Third Grade

As a blog discussion of my choice, I want to reflect on my field work that I completed previous to this semester. For my EDU classes last semester, I was required to complete twenty hours in a Kindergarten classroom, and twenty hours in a third grade classroom. I knew from previous knowledge that these two age groups would differ in several areas. My experience in both of these classes with a difference in age was quite educational. In particular, I realized that the attention span of a five year old is quite shorter than the attention span of an eight year old.
 I had to complete two, full lessons within the Kindergarten classroom, and I had to remind myself to limit my time. I noticed that Kindergarten students need to constantly move around and perform new, spontaneous activities in order to stay focused. For example, one of my lessons required me to read a book, and discuss parts of the book with the class. I was able to keep the class focused by consistently asking each student questions, dramatizing my voice, and allowing the students to ask questions that suddenly came to their minds. Once I started to notice that some of the students were becoming "antsy" I decided to add on a new activity to the book reading. The book I read, Sweet Little Potato, contained several characters that were vegetables in a garden. So, I decided to make copies of the main character, Sweet, Little Potato, and allowed the students to individually draw and make designs on their own worksheets. After the students completed their drawing, each student shared their drawing to the class. In conclusion, I realized that these young children can't sit for long. It is important to consistently keep them entertained and on track so that they are successful and learn.
During my fieldwork within a classroom filled with third graders, I realized that these students had a longer attention span. Working in small groups with these students, I realized that these third graders enjoyed projects, and activities that consisted of several parts. For example, students were placed into groups to work on a science project. These students had to grow their own plant, study it, and use their knowledge of data to record any physical changes within the plant over a span of two weeks. I watched these students work together in groups, and the majority of students stayed focused during the block of time that was dedicated to this project. Overall, I have learned that age is a factor that needs to be considered during lesson planning.

Spring, 2013: A New Semester, New Classes, New Knowledge

I can't believe I have started the spring semester of my junior year of college. Where did the time go? This past winter break was short, but I was excited to return back to school. I look forward to new classes, familiar faces, and eventually warm weather. Academically, this year has been a challenge, but I was able to achieve my goal of being announced to the Dean's List for Fall, 2012. Hopefully I will be able to achieve this goal again this semester. 
So far, my classes have been interesting, and I'm looking forward to learning new information. In particular, EDU 414 is my first hybrid course at Southern Connecticut State University. I'm looking forward to this class due to its large involvement of technology. As a future teacher, it is important for me to understand technology. Everyday, a new invention is being developed. Computers are functioning faster, touch screen gadgets are evolving, and most important, children are learning with these new devices. As a future teacher, it is my responsibility to keep up with the latest technology. I need to think of ways I can incorporate lessons and activities with computers and Smart Boards to make learning enjoyable and fun. Furthermore, the internet contains several helpful websites that can help me develop successful lesson plans to teach in my profession. Technology has and still is changing the world. As a future teacher, it is important for me to use all of the tools I'm provided with.
I'm looking forward to this semester, and I will work hard to continue my knowledge within the Education field.

My Language Arts Memory

I have several memories of Language Arts that have helped me write and read successfully. However, one memory, in particular, is very vivid in my mind. In six grade, my Language Arts teacher made reading and writing entertaining and exciting. For example, instead of just learning vocabulary from the texts, my teacher created competitive games that allowed the students to participate, and learn new information in an enjoyable way. I remember the struggle that I and many of my classmates had in relation to the proper use of "its" and "it's", as well as when to use "is" and "are". After a few days of review for these words and learning the proper use for each, my teacher developed a game called, "Do You Want to Be a Grammar Star?" This game was very similar to the popular game show, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" Also, the class was split into two teams and each team was mixed evenly. Each team would work together to answer questions about the particular words we have studied. So, for example, a question was, What form of "it" is used in this sentence, "The beetle was an interesting shade of blue.    x     color was eye-catching." Each team worked together to come up with the answer, and once a minute, or sometimes half a minute of time expired, we would have to present our white boards. Furthermore, before our teacher would give us the correct answer, one representative of the team had to thoroughly explain their answer. I vividly remember this memory because the game was enjoyable, my classmates and I practiced team work, and since that experience I have never struggled with deciding which form or word to use in my writing. My teacher was successful in teaching me grammar. Also, I have enjoyed reading and writing, and I'm successful when completing it. As a future teacher, I would like to use my own experiences and memories as a student to develop learning that is fun and enjoyable for my students.