Reflection on Learning

This class has taught me a variety of concepts about teaching in English, assessing students learning as well as a variety of technology that can be implemented to make material and assessments effective and engaging for students. I have always felt that technology is important in the classroom and found that students are engaged and want to use and learn more about technology. Therefore, I will always try and remember this and implement everything from blogs, to podcast and PowerPoint presentations to assess student learning in a variety of ways. Changing the types and forms of assessments will be effective for keeping students engaged, but also helping students will different learning styles of exceptionalities to  effectively show what they have learned. Therefore, for each unit, I plan to implement different types of assessments ranging from those that are more traditional to those that use new and upcoming technology, so that students are learning a variety of concepts and skills, including the English standards.

Field Experience Reflection

After completing an entire lesson with a groups of 25 students, it is clear there are parts that went really well and areas for improvement. I started with the short video on Abigail Adams. I asked the class if students knew who she was and there were minimal responses. This made the video even more important at helping contextualize the reading students were going to do. This reminded me the importance of not assuming what students already know and making sure you assess their prior knowledge before getting started.

Students were very interested in the short 5 minute video. They appeared to like that is was visual and also face paced, so they stayed engaged. After the video, I asked questions of the group and this led to a good discussion with lots of participation. Some students retained significant detailed information and others were not sure, but the information was reiterated by their peer responses. I think this activity went very well and students enjoyed it. Looking back, it would have been nice to have more then about 15 minutes because students were participating, but it was also important to move on and get to the English content of the lesson.

Students then read individually "Letter to John Adams" by Abigail Adams. The majority of the class appeared to be on topic and working well. They were reading the document and taking notes on the provided graphic organizer. This activity presented some difficulty when some students finished quicker then others. I told them to continue filling in their graphic organizer, but they could not move on to the collaborative portion of the lesson until all students were done. In the future, having students get in their small groups and read together might be a more effective use of time for all, but it is also important for them to read individually. This is something I will have to work on and balance throughout a school year. I also did not want students to start pairing up as they finished, because stronger students were all likely to finish first and then would all be grouped together.  Because this document was short, the amount of time difference between students finishing was not significant, but this would not work with a longer or more complex text because the variation in the time would be greater.

Walking around the room during the group discussions also revealed strong, on topic discussion from all groups. Students and in particular females I noticed were very engaged with the text and supporting Abigail Adam's point of view in fighting for women's voice in voting. After each group discussion, the class came back to do a concluding discussion. The majority of students had a hard time thinking about how John Adams would ignore this letter and women would not get the right to vote. I explained that the point of view people had in 1776, regarding  the freedom and inequality of those of a different race or gender, were very different then they are today. This closing discussion connected the reading back to the theme and improtance of analying point of view. Students were very interested in the discussion and I really got to see them think and step out of their own expereinces and think about a historical text. I think students showed interest and the ability to analyze this text because it was short in length and easy to read, therefore it maintied their interest and attention.
In the end, this lesson was successful. The group learned and really got thinking. What I enjoy most about teaching, I saw take place in the lesson. Students discussing topics and thinking about things they have not previously is why I enjoy teaching. In English class,   we have the opportunity to talk about topics like freedom and inequality as well as others that students are interested in and want to talk about. Getting discussion going can be difficult at times, but when discussion is strong and conducted with a diverse group the discussion and learning outcomes can be very rewarding for students and the teacher. 

Reflection
For the second week of a unit on historical texts and point of view, students will analyze two text that speak about freedom and inequality. To get students thinking about these two ideas, I tested out a Chalk Talk pre-assessment. For this assessment, I first had students think independently about these two words and record their ideas in their journal. Students were free to write down anything they thought of when they heard these two words. Next, I explained to the class how the chalk talk works and that they would have to record their thoughts or words on the Venn Diagram poster at the front of the room. Also, students were required to stay silent and observe what people wrote and must participate when they are handed the marker.

I conducted the Chalk Talk with a group of seven college age students. The Chalk Talk lasted about 10 minutes with directions, so the total activity took about 15 minutes, including individual writing. Looking back on this pre-assessment, it was a very effective way to get students thinking on their own, about complex and controversial topics. Because students had to think individually first, they have a variety of response and thoughts. This led to a strong discussion about freedom and inequality and how these ideas mean different things to different people/ These differences are often influenced by individuals environment and experiences. While giving directions, I also stated that ideas had to be original and could not have already been shared on the board, which made this activity more interesting and led to a variety of responses. In the future, I would keep this aspect because it pushed students to share ideas they might have avoided, for the "safer" or less controversial ideas. This criteria helped produce a diverse and thoughtful discussion between the group of students.

This pre-assessment was already over 5-8 minutes, but I think additional time would have been beneficial. Everyone was involved in the concluding discussion and had some very passionate ideas that developed an educated discussion about topics that are complex and would help them develop a clear point of view on these concepts, which would be helpful for the remainder of the unit. In the future, I would allow more time to complete this activity. Also, I think clarifying and spending more time on the directions, prior to the activity, would be helpful for some students, especially the first time this activity is used. Clarifying that it continues and some people will share multiple times would keep the room silent during the activity and clarify this point prior to starting.

In looking at the on going assessment rubric I created for the unit plan, I think a more effective and clear one could be developed for this activity. I think assessing students meaningful contributions on the Venn Diagram and during the class discussion, would be effective at assessing who is on board and has meaningful thoughts regarding the topics. I have recreated the rubric and it is displayed below. Using this rubric, I would use a tally system to asses the whole class and give myself a picture of those participating at each level on the four point scale. This rubric is more general, but would provide me a tool to quickly assess students while they are participating. At the end of the assessment, a general picture could be developed based on the tally marks in each category. This could be used to assess the effectiveness of the activity, as well as student participation and engagement with various topics. This activity is one that I plan to use multiple times throughout the year and therefore, this rubric would be an effective tool to assess student performance sharing ideas and participating in discussions.

New Chalk Talk Rubric

Sharing of Ideas
4	3	2	1	0
·       Significant ·       Well thought out ·       Added new idea	·       Meaningful ·       Developed ·       Added on to another idea	·       General idea ·       Something already shared, but used different words	·       Very General ·       Repeated Idea ·       Not Clear	·       Did not participate
Contribution to Discussion
4	3	2	1	0
·       Idea is original ·       Well said and composed	·       Idea is developed ·       Thought out and planned	·       General idea added ·       Rephrases or summarizes previously said idea	·       General idea added ·       Uses previous ideas, does not add depth	·       Did not participate

Introduction
This blog is intended to chronicle my experience as a new teacher of High School English. At this time, I am working to complete my credential with National University and student teach in the Spring of 2016. I grew up in a household with two parents as high school teachers, education was important and every vacation had an educational component. I even attended high school where my parents taught and was in my fathers class one year. I came home from the first day of kindergarten saying I wanted to be a teacher, both of my parents looked at me and said, "no, do something else". I have done a variety of jobs over the past 27 years and have now returned to the goal I identified after that first day of Kindergarten, to the surprise of myself and my parents.

I was born and raised in Long Beach, California. In March of 2007, I made the scariest of decisions and decided to leave to attend Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Today, I look back and for a variety of reasons, from education to the fun times, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I graduated from Willamette in 2011 with a Bachelors in Rhetoric and Media Studies. Through an expedited and intensive 3-2 program, I graduated the following Spring with a Masters in Business Administration. From there the crazy journey of figuring out what I wanted to do began. I did everything from work as a Quality Assurance coordinator, to a server at a bakery and nanny. The I decided to try and be a substitute teacher in Long Beach Unified School District. Through this experience, I was shown a career that was challenging and enjoyable. Each day is different, unexpected and often chaotic, but I loved it! I have worked as a Long Term Substitute at Jordan High School, where I taught 9th and 11th grade English for a semester and decided at that time to pursue my credential. From there, I have moved in Long Beach Unified School District to be a Job Developer, assisting students gaining the skills and experience to attain direct hire employment.

Team technology Questionnaire

The personality test categorized me as ESTP and states, "you are an action oriented problem solver. You enjoy getting things done, and taking action to solve practical problems. You are in your element when there is a crisis requiring urgent action, which you are able to resolve. If you have any particular skills (e.g. sports, crafts or sales) then you enjoy applying those skills to reach a tangible goal (winning a game, making a sale, or building something tangible)" which I think develops a clear snapshot of who I am . I enjoy overcoming challenges and started my own knitting business, which I think are two examples that speak to this correct analysis of my personality.On the other side, I was categorized as extroverted, which I do not believe to be true and many of those around me would agree I am not a very extroverted person. 

Second Personality Test

It was interesting to see the second personality assessment focused on introverted compared to extroverted. This assessment characterized me as extroverted, which is a characteristic I have known about myself. I prefer time thinking on my own, before working with groups. I have been told I am often difficult to read. I think balancing these two characteristics will be important in the classroom to make a connection with students, but also main professional. Making sure to always be aware of this and make sure to maintain a balance at all times. Completing these personality tests, helps educators understand how they work and think, which we must remember will be different then their students. Making sure to use strategies and activities that reach all students is necessary to be effective and intentional as a teacher. 

Thank you for taking the time to read, you now all know a lot about me. The introverted side is saying maybe too much!