Cut and Paste Cont.

The next week we finished up our research with the same activities so that everyone could go through all the children. Alot of kids that went to my group didn't get finished but I got to watch the ones that did, how they colored, if they took their time, how they cut, and how they went about making their objects. It was interesting watching what some would come up with. It made me realize the little things that can make kids stronger. The teacher said she does alot of cut and paste projects because it helps their hands skills that alot of them haven't developed yet, which was new to me. I enjoy every week going into that classroom coming out with new knowledge for my teachings. I really enjoy this first grade class, it seems to be the age I would like to teach.

Block Play and Scribblers

Learning that block play with children is more educated than what everyone thinks was suprising. Knowing block play builds other skills for children and it's statistical that kids who play with blocks seemed to become more advanced in certain areas was amazing. Learning different building ways of stacking and making rows with blocks really made Wednesday want to come sooner. I wanted to see the kids play with blocks and see the creation they made and realize the developmental level they were at for thier age. I was working on another activity with cutting and pasting so they could be creative and cut and make anything they wanted on paper with the shapes. It was interesting to watch some of the kids build what they wanted with the blocks. I noticed one making a wall away from everyone, then some were working together to create something, others we building up to make a building. It was very interesting because every model was described in our teachings about block play. I'm excited to bring that information from the class and putting it into the research and finding out where some of those kids are developed.

Presenting Chapters

I have always known that I am a shy person when it relates to oral presentations with an audience. I have never cared to get in front of a class I don't know and present, I always feel self conscious about myself and wonder what the audience is thinking about my presentation. I really feel like I have opened up more than what I had been, I have noticed me speaking out more in our conversations in class. In class we were to find the main points of a chapter and teach the class the chapter, I became so nervous. I wanted to find a creative way to teach but didn't know how so I just talked to the class and gave the main points of the chapter. It was the best presentation to start out with but I hope to make a better impression when I teach the class about Lawrence Kohlberg on Friday. I'm hoping to get the class interested and interact with my lesson. Hopefully I will become more open by the end of this class and talk freely with my education colleagues.

The Beginning of My Second Education Class

This class didn't start out with a Cinderella activity but was still a good class to start out with. We discussed what we wanted to learn in this class, which ended up us still wanting to go with Bobby's schedule because she knows what we need to know better than we do. This is where we found that we would be doing some field work with first graders every week. I couldn't wait, I haven't had much experience with classrooms so I was ready to get my experience started. We had to wait until Monday to go see the kids but I told anyone I saw how I was excited to see and bond with the kids in our first grade class.
Come Monday the 5 that made up the classroom were ready to hop in the car and visit the kids. We sign in and walk the many hallways to the class that was awaiting the Berea College students. At first they thought we were high school students but then found out we were college students. We got to go to different centers with the kids and notice the different personalities of the kids, we found the girl that likes to talk, the boy that seems to never speak, and the bad boy who wants to do what he wants. It was amazing seeing how much more you realize after having a education class. You start to realize more details of the kids work and see the personalities. I was ready to get our activities together and learn more details of the childrens work. I was waiting for next Wednesday.

Goal 7 "Community of Inquiry"

As people who are committed to thinking together with others in the search for truth, wisdom and beauty, teachers create learning communities grounded in inquiry where students come to understand the critical role of communication in inquiry and where they feel the confidence that grows with the development of their ability to participate in a community of inquiry.

Goal 6 "Incorporating Tools"

As people who understand and appreciate the capacity of tools- informational, technological, physical and intellectual- to extend the reach and enhance the quality of work to be done, teachers incorporate appropriate tools into their own work-lives and integrate their use into the instructional environments they create with learners.

Goal 5 "Planning and Assessing"

As people who see the promise in every person and believe that individuals have the ability and duty to create a more just society, teachers attend to each and every student by planning, implementing, and assessing meaningful learning experiences and systematically engage in critical reflection and self correction.