My 21st Century Classroom

This I Believe...

          My belief statement video was about me finding out what kind of teacher I want to become. I want to be a teacher who does not let students get away with bullying and I want to create an atmosphere where students will feel safe and are able to come to me with their problems. I want parents and students to know that anyone can be a bully and also anyone can be a victim. My ideal classroom would be bully-free and for students to know that everyone is unique and special in their own way. 

Here is my video:

Also for more specific details on my Belief Statement video, check out here.

My Classroom:

          My classroom is set up to be in the format of a Kindergarten classroom. I would place huge importance on centers in my classroom, as seen in the picture above. All of the centers include: reading, math, art, music, electronics, dramatic play, science, sand and water, and the morning activity center. In these centers, there would be collaboration that would be expected to occur among the students . While working with one another, they are able to develop perspectives other than their own. They will also be able to discover more and new things, because two minds is usually greater than one. Each different center would give the opportunity for collaboration to occur. For example, they could work together while in the reading center to help each other out with words that they do not recognize or in the dramatic play center, they could develop different ideas that could go along with their imaginary play. 

           The centers would be, at the core, student centered learning. The easiest way for a child to be genuinely excited and want to learn is if they are learning about things that interest them. I would want to get to know them well enough that I could know and understand the different areas that bring the curiosity out of them. The centers would be based off of their interests. For instance, whatever specific interest a child may have, they could find a specific book for them to read in the reading center. The centers would also provide me with knowing the different levels of difficulty that the students may have.  

         

Rituals and Routines

For my daily rituals and routines I would incorporate them in a Kindergarten classroom.  The routine would be standard and fairly similar for the students every day, so they would know what to expect on a daily basis. Each day when they first arrive, they would have a coat rack area where they could hang their jackets or boots, depending on the weather. They would also have small cubicle areas where they could place their workbooks and homework that they might have. After they were all settled in, they would be allowed to have free play time until the morning announcements came on. After the morning announcements, we would have morning activities where a various amounts would be covered, such as learning about fun and unique components about one another, different factors of the calendar, learning about the alphabet, reading different stories, having show and tell, etc. After the morning activity, there would be two different learning centers, math and science, until lunch and after lunch there would be a different activity each day, like art, music, or gym. After the daily activity, there would be a snack and after there would be two more learning centers, reading and writing.                

         As mentioned before, Collaboration is a very important factor I believe needs to be incorporated into my Kindergarten classroom. Working with one another is very imperative because all throughout someone’s life there are going to be instances where it is required to work with one another and it might as well be incorporated earlier on, so they become more comfortable with the idea. Other than it being something they can become more comfortable with, collaboration allows for students to come up with more and better ideas. The way I would integrate collaboration into my classroom is by having partner activities or group activities that allow them to work with one another.  For example, in the science center there could be an activity where they could both have a plant and both would remind each other to take care of it and think of the best ways to make sure it can live the longest.

       I also find that communication is a very important component that needs to be effectively used in my classroom. For the most part, communication and collaboration go hand In hand. When students are working with one another well there needs to be communication. Talking with others is another part of life that most people have to encounter on a daily basis, so might as well develop it properly now. I would try to incorporate not just communication, but communicating well with one another and with respect, as well. A specific example of how I would integrate communication into my classroom would be during the morning activity meeting during the beginning of the year. I would have them all sit in a circle and introduce themselves to one another and have them say something they like to do. I would also incorporate good communication skills, such as listening respectfully and making eye contact with the person talking.

Instructional Glimpse

       A typical lesson would vary each day, depending on the learning material set for that day. A specific lesson plan that I created for class was developed around the book "The Cat in The Hat" by Dr. Seuss. Specifically, this lesson plan would be used in the electronics center. 

Here is a summary of what the lesson plan would be:

State Standards Addressed:

      Kindergarten: Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Literature – Fiction and Nonfiction

          1.3.K.C: Identify literary elements (characters, settings, and problems) in stories 

     Who is your Audience?

         This project is prepared for a Kindergarten classroom. 

     What will the students do? (Objectives)

•          Students will watch A Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.
•          Students will listen to the story being told and pay attention to the specific literary elements (Characters, Problems, and Settings.)
•          Students will point out the picture that they think is the appropriate answer to the question by clicking on the PowerPoint. 
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• What competencies will the students need to know prior to completing this task?
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        Prior to completing this task students will understand the basics of literary elements. They will be read other stories and be taught how to be able to identify the characters, settings, and problems within a story.  
  
  
  What will they learn?
  
  
  Students will learn that the core individuals in the stories are the main characters.
  Students will learn that the different places that the characters go within the story are called the settings.
  Students will learn that the obstacle(s) within the story are called the problem(s).
  
  

  How will you know?

            The teacher will monitor and evaluate by having a rubric based off of the student’s answers. The students will be allowed to answer questions with the guidance of the teacher’s help. Overall, they will be assessed in three different categories: Above-Average, Average, and Needs Assistance. 
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  What Risks did you take in the creation of this project?

            A risk that I am taking with this project is introducing technology to such young students. While I think the positives outweigh the negatives, certain parents might not think that it is hundred percent appropriate at this age. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For more specifics check out my blog post about my Narrative and reflection here.  

My Technology Integration

      Technology is a very important tool to have in our society and integrating it in schools should be important. Although in my case, it would be a difficult component to add. There is a lot holding back younger students from incorporating technology in to their school days, whether it be from funding or parents disapproving, there is always going to be negatives to any situation. I do, however, believe that younger students should be able to at least start to be comfortable around technology since it is such an important part of our society.

      Specifically, I would use PowerPoint as I did with my lesson plan, as shown above. PowerPoint has so many components to it, that it does not have to be used specifically for lectures. PowerPoint can be a learning tool that can be interesting for them to view and can also provide different ways in which they can be interactive, while still learning. Here is a website I found to be helpful when incorporating PowerPoint into your classroom.  For specific ways to incorporate technology into classrooms for younger students, you can view this website.

      While for older students, connecting with others all across the world seems like a fantastic idea, but with younger students, I feel it is too dangerous. Children are curious beings and them understanding and knowing that they can chat with others via the internet just seems too hazardous to even try. As a teacher though, I could use my twitter account to find other teachers and collaborate to see if we could come up with better and more effective ways for developing our classrooms.

PLN

      As a teacher, I feel as if I should be constantly learning and what better way to learn than to find the best resources online. The internet is a great place to discover new information and also a place where you can communicate with others to come up with new ideas. For me personally, I would find others either via twitter or Facebook that could really help me grow as a teacher. I would also leave my blog up to see if anyone was interested in talking with one another about different aspects of teaching. A helpful website that helps you find other teachers that are willing to communicate and collaborate on twitter can be found here.

Feedback

    Here is my e-mail address, if needed to be contacted: ky082029@scots.edinboro.edu

Annotated Bibliography 




"Classroom Architect." Classroom Architect. University of Kansas, 2000- 2008. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://classroom.4teachers.org/>.


Kneas, Kimberly M. "Using Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom." Using Technology in the Early Childhood Classroom. Scholastic, 2012. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/using_technology.htm>.


Paul, Krish. "Importance of PowerPoint." Ezine Articles, 11 Apr. 2008. Web. <http://ezinearticles.com/?PowerPoint-Presentation---Uses-and-Importance&id=1105064>.


"Twitter4Teachers." Twitter4teachers. 2012. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/w/page/22554534/FrontPage>.