Senior Project Reflection

1)      Positive Statement:  I am most proud of my service learning for my senior project.  I feel like I’ve dedicated a lot of time for my service learning, and I feel like my work there was significant.  I loved helping and working with the struggling learners in Mrs. Naccara’s first grade class.  Also, I felt good about my work with Ms. Horwitz students on the Read it! Read it.  I did not only test them, but encouraged them to work hard and be prepared.  I also help those who get a little more frustrated with reading the sight words and give them whatever they need to study.

22)       A.  I would give myself a P+.  I should have kept a better track of time with my presentation overall, so I’d be able to have the class finish the last activity, but I do feel like I met all the requirements. 

B.  For my senior project overall, I’d give myself a P+ because of my independent component one being a little late and having more trouble with it.  However, I feel like I did work really hard in that component and I continued to go help Ms Underwood’s kindergarten class after I finished.  I feel like I tried my hardest in every other component within the senior project.

33)      What worked for me was my topic in general.  I was able to find research and service learning on it.  Most importantly, I really enjoyed working on my senior project since it was such an interesting, fun topic for me, but what worked for me the most was my service learning.  I went above the required hours and gained a lot of work experience with students.  

44)      What didn’t work for me in my senior project was my independent component one, only because I didn’t gather the required amount of hours by the due date.  Though, it was a great experience (observing and helping a kindergarten class) and helped me a lot with getting my answers and getting examples to work with.

55)  If I ever want to work in other schools after high school or different programs to help children, I'd have more experience that can help me easily transition and apply new techniques that I've learned through my senior project.  I've also made connections through my senior project; so, if I ever need recommendations I know who to go to.  

2- Hour Presentation

Here is the link to my 2- Hr template:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1juGpliv4J2PhO6Ht654AjgneVM2HmnqtDXjeNw-EETc/edit

Service Learning

1) Literal:

Here is the link to my Service Learning Hours Log (also found on the side of my blog):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufLznWoxxvGdHM2dGdfcTBVclNWQ2hidHNWSmYtamc

Total Hours: 72 and 50 minutes  (14 hours and 35 minutes also part of Independent Component 1)

Description:  I work with small groups (usually struggling learners, ELL students) in Mrs.  Nacarra's first grade classroom.  If they require help with a certain assignment or need catching up, I help them in doing so.  I work on Read it! Read it! with Ms.  Horwitz students (program on reading sight words).  Thus, I help the teachers when they need assisstance in anything else, whether it's with their students or correcting tests. 

Contact Name and Number: Mrs. Nacarra & Ms. Horwitz (first grade teachers),  (909) 397-4670

Interpretive:

The most important thing I've gained from this experience is knowledge on how to work with children (specifically Kindergarteners and First graders).  Through my experience, I've learned many behavioral aspects on children and why they may behave in school a certain way.  I see that they want to have fun, but they are also willing to learn if you incorportate the correct methods/techniques.  It's made me realize that it doesn't just require patience to work with children. 

Applied:

My experience in service learning has helped me get people to interview, people who helped me receive answers I have now and inputted their personal experience with those methods.  Also, when I observe the first grade classrooms, I can see the teaching methods/techniques I've researched in action.  Through my service learning, I now have examples of how certain methods work or are applied to the lesson. 

Helping 2013

Interviewee:  Salvador Gutierrez
Interviewer:  Diana Gutierrez

Q:  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

A:  I want to play soccer.  Why? because I love soccer.  I was playing since I was eight years young, and it runs in the family. 

Feedback:  I believe you have to fill out some paperwork by May this year if you want to do a sport.  You can check up on that with one of the senior teachers.

Q:  What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?  You also have to do 50 hours during the school year.

A:  Working with an expert.  I just don't know what expert yet.

Feedback:  I think you can do your service learning with a coach you've worked with before or find some connections.

Q:  What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

A:  Effort.  Quality work.  Games and activities, where they interact with the audience.

Feedback:  Observe the room and when you watch the presentation start getting ideas of what you probably want to do for your senior project.  You may discover a new topic you'd want to work on.

Q:  What questions do you have about senior project?

A:  Do we have to take our experts to the presentation?  Do we have to have one expert or can we work with various people?  Does it have to be a professional soccer player?

Feedback:  No.  You don't have to take your expert (s) to the presentation.  You want to start thinking of possible experts to work with right now to be ready for the summer.  Start thinking of what exactly you will be doing for your service learning.  You don't have to work with a profession soccer player, I  believe.  Usually, people work with one expert (mainly one).  Think of other options, just in case this doesn't work out.

Independent Component 2

Here is my Independent Component 2 hours log (starts on Feb):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufLznWoxxvGdERXM0d5MXlQejdmdzl0VHhuOVBSMFE

Here are pictures of some notes and one of the magazines I took notes on for my Independent Component 2:

Literal:

a) I, Diana Gutierrez, affirm that I completed my Independent Component which represents 30 hours of work.

b)  I completed 30 hours of reading, from magazines Ms.  Underwood (teacher from Independent Component 1) let me borrow and from a book called Methods for Effective Teaching.  I took notes on every section that I read, anything that I found helpful to my senior project and/or EQ.

Interpretive:

It took an average amount of 40 minutes to an 1 hour of reading and taking notes for about two months.  It's about 30+ pages of notes/research all together.  It was very useful since it was a book made for future teachers to study off of and prepare them for their careers (I checked out this book at the Cal Poly Pomona library), and so, had a lot of information from lesson planning, to grouping strategies, and handling misbehavior.  The magazines had various information on current issues within education, such as poverty affecting the academic performances of numerous students, start at a young age too, and colorblindess (not accepting diversity within classrooms).  I read about many issues/facts that I hadn't read before in my previous research.

Applied:

It definitely helped explain in greater detail all of my answers, since it talked about all the teaching methods I have as my answers; I got this information from Methods for Effective Teaching.  I read about different examples on how teachers may apply certain teaching methods within the class, and examples I probably hadn't seen in my service learning or first independent component.  Both the book and magazines talked about struggling and at- risk students.  There was information on the reasons why they may be in that position, especially at such a young age, and why certain teaching methods prove to be more effective with at- risk students (which my EQ is about teaching methods that can help increae academic gain of at-risk students in first grade).  The book actually helped me get my third answer and deepened my understanding towards that method, which was Direct Instruction.

Answer #3

EQ: What is the best teaching method to increase the academic gain of at-risk students in first grade?

Ans 3: Total Physical Response is a strategy (teaching method) that best helps increase the acadmeic gain of at-risk students in first grade.

Evidence: 

• In my third interview Ms.  Underwood explained that she commonly uses TPR because it helps with student engagement and allows them to interact with the content.  She said it works really well with ELL students, and a great amount of at- risk students are ELL students (Mrs.  Hansen [4th interview], Mrs.  Nacarra [Service Learnng]). 
• In my independent component, I not only get to work with students, but also observe the class.  I got to observe Ms.  Underwood use TPR with her students in order to teach addition.  It really helped the struggling students catch up with the other students.  What she did was have the students from two lines, sitting down.  She sat on  a chair and held a small white board where she wrote the addition problems.  When she turned the white board, the two students in the front must stand up if they know the answer, and the first one to stand and get the answer right went to the back of the line.  I noticed that the students were struggling did not know how to add (or use their fingers) or they were just doing it at a slower pace.  However, with the teacher's encouragement, high energy of the game, and the multiple opportunities it offered to win a game, the struggling students started to catch on and got a chance to get at the level of the rest of the students.
• "TPR teaching method can facilitate long term lessons retention and make it fun for children to learn and develop their academic abilities."

Sources:

• Underwood, Sherry.  Personal Interview interview.  17, Jan. 2012. &  Hansen, Melissa.  Personal Interview interview.  17, April. 2012.
• Independent Component, Ms.  Underwood.
• Kiarie, David. "First Grade Teaching Methods - Total Physical Response (TPR)." Suite101.com. 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://david-kiarie.suite101.com/first-grade-teaching-tricks-total-physical-response-tpr-method-a353305>.

3- Column Chart

Link to my 3- Column Chart:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufLznWoxxvGdFBuN1UyZUtqUEJ3UTQ2Sm9fanFnRXc

Room Creativity

1)  I plan on putting different types of posters on the walls, such as encouragement posters and/or posters demonstrating subtraction/addition.  I am going to try to borrow a few from my service learning and create some of my own.  Also, I will make some space at one the far corners of the classroom to make it like the "reading corner" and have children's books laid in that area.  The tables will be set up in groups and will have pencil boxes containing materials on each table. I will either have name tags on each desk already made or have them make it, if there is time. 

2)  The class will take up the role of first grade teachers and come up with a lesson plan that includes activities/assignments and that uses Differentiating Instruction as the teaching method for the lesson assigned.  They will all work in groups and present their lesson plan to the class once everyone is finished.  A visual should be included in their presentation, it can be a representation (such as in big font 1 +2= 3) of what's being taught or an illustration of their idea.

Answer 2

EQ:

What is the best teaching method to increase the academic gain of at- risk students in first grade?

Answer 2:

Small Group Instruction is the best way to increase the academic gain of at- risk students in first grade, when the groups are made up of mixed abilities.

*By mixed abilities, students who are above average, average, and/or below average in reading or on whatever is being taught.

Evidence:

• "These small groups consisted of mixed abilities in reading with one strong student, two or three average readers, and one struggling reader. This reading instruction experience utilized the four block approach and resulted in 57 percent of the first and second graders reading on or above grade level with 43 percent reading at primer or pre-primer level. There were no nonreaders at the end of the year and the children reading on or above grade level were higher than previous years." -  Vicki Lynn Eastman
• In my service learning, I sometimes am put with the struggling students of the class so I can work with them on their math or reading (usually math).  What I do with them is considered Small Group Instruction.  However, the group I work with is usually made up of the same struggling students, which means they are most likely not improving in the subject area.  Although, engaging them with materials such as flashcards and games really helps them comprehend the material.  However, I noticed when there was at least two students who were at least proficient in the content being taught, the other students engaged more and worked at a quicker pace. 
• In my third interview, Ms. Underwood (a kindergarten teacher who also taught first grade) explained that Small Group Instruction helps in targeting the student's needs and allows the teacher to apply certain techniques that can specifically help those few students with their difficulties, thus enabling them to advance to the next step.

Sources: 

• Eastman, Vicki Lynn. "Small Group Instruction: Reading Instruction Utilizing Learning Style Preferences and the Reading Achievement of First Grade Students." ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, (2010): .
• Service Learning/Independent Comp. 1 with Ms.  Horwitz (first grade), Mrs.  Naccara (first grade), and Ms.  Underwood (kindergarten)
• Underwood, Sherry.  Personal Interview interview.  17, Jan. 2012.

The Product

My product is "became a better first grade tutor/helper", and probably not just first grade, but also for kindergarten.  When I mean better, I mean that I have more knowledge on a first grader's behavior and how to react to their behavior.  For example, if I'm helpig a student with their sight words is discouraged because they cannot read the word, then I must encourage the student to sound out the word and not seem judgemental (Making the Grade, 2003) .  I learned this through my research, but also learned different techniques used to help students understand the concept(s) being taught (such as addition).  Thus, through my experience working with first grade students and observing the teachers, I've learned techniques they use with their students.  Everything I've learned and experienced can be applied to my tutoring with the kids.  For example, Mrs.  Naccara uses a certain technique to help her students with adding numbers that have a two digit sum.  If the problem is 9 + 9, then the students say "I have nine on my head (they put nine fingers on their head) and nine on my fingers (they put nine fingers down, lay them on the desk)."  Then, they start counting the fingers on their head, 1,2,3... and so on.  Then the students continue counting as they move down to their nine fingers on the desk,10, 11, 12... until they get to 18.  My experience working with the first grade students through my service learning (and even with kindergarten students for my independent component) and my research have lead me to this answer.

Evidence:



This is a time where I helped a group of first grade students (in this picture I'm helping one student) with their math in Mrs.  Naccara's class (service learning).



Fourth Interview Questions

1) What is the best teaching method a first grade teacher can use?

2) What do you think of using Direct Instruction with first grade students?

3) In what subject or skill does Direct Instruction help with the most? How?

4) What do you think of using Differentiating Instruction with first grade students?

5) In what subject or skill does Differentiating Instruction help with the most? How?

6) What teaching method do you believe helps the most with first grade student’s reading comprehension skills? Why?

7) What important quality should a teaching method have, in order to help the majority of the students with their academic performance?

8) How can a teaching method be proven successful? What is successful in this situation?

9) What is a subject area first grade students need most help in nowadays, based on your experience and knowledge?

10) What teaching method do you believe helps ELL (English Language Learners) students learn the required grade one content more efficiently (as in quicker and knows the content well)?

11) What do you believe are some significant reasons that make an at risk student at risk?

12) What can you tell me about Total Physical Response? Give examples of how you used it in your first grade class?

13) In what areas is Total Physical Response more effective, with first grade students?

14) What do you know of Small Group Instruction? What are important features that distinguish it from other methods?

15) How often do you use Small Group Instruction? Why?

16) What teaching method (s) have you commonly used within your time teaching (not just with first graders)? Why?

17) How does the diversity of students affect the way you teach, your techniques, and such?

18) What has proven to be the best way to engage students and keep them motivated? Why do believe this is so?

19) How do you manage helping the students who are scoring below average within a class advance, while keeping the advanced students in their place?

20) What credible sources do you know of that may help me with my topic Teaching First Grade or specifically with teaching methods?

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

1)  I'm not completely sure, but I'm stuck between two options.  What I'm planning on doing for my second independent component is either to read a certain book or books that are about the same topic (teaching methods) or watch documentaries/videos on teaching and teaching methods.

2)  If I decide to go with the reading plan, then I would have to split up the hours.  If I only do weekdays, then I can have my deadline for having my hours completed be a day before the Independent Component 2's deadline (if I end earlier, it may be more hours of reading each weekday).  I can include weekends, and take a break on one of the days of the week.  I believe that it's about the same plan when it comes to watching documentaries.  However, it would probably take more time to get hold of documentaries, depending where I go to look for them.  If I do it every day of the week for one month, I would watch a documentary (ies) for at least an hour/day. 

3)  Both plans include sources that explain and talk about teaching methods. It may include information on other subject areas in teaching (such as student- teacher- behavior), but extra information would help me gain a deeper understanding and clarification on my EQ. 

Independent Component 1

Here is my log of hours on a calender.  Is from November 30, 2011- December 6, 2011 [This is for the first Calender]:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufLznWoxxvGdDFjQkNEVnBGVEczM0ZZNnU2QlUzdHc

Here is the 2012 calender.  Is from January 10, 2012- January 31, 2012:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AufLznWoxxvGdGpBQ0E2M2VrX2dDTkx4Q2Yzc1NTTnc

Evidence

I don’t have any pictures available at the moment.  However, I will post a picture of me working on my independent component by next week.

Here are a few of the notes that I have taken on my observations of the class:

LIA:

Literal:

a)  I, Diana Gutierrez, affirm that I have completed the independent component, which represents 30 hours of work.  

b)  I go to a kindergarten class (also two other first grade classrooms) for my independent component.  I observe the class and at times, assist the students with homework or in any other area they need help wih.  When I observe the class I take notes on the student’s behavior, the classroom’s environment, the teaching methods, the teacher’s behavior, the types of activities the students do, and so forth.  When the teacher is working with a small group of students or testing each individually, I help the other students with their homework or what they are working on.  

Interpretive:

I went about once a week for only an hour or so (still go, but not to complete my Ind. Comp. 1; it's a great learning experience).  I've gained a lot of knowledge and experience.  I do not only get to observe the class and see how both the teacher and students work together and individually, but also, I get to work with the students and experience the difference of working with kindergarten students to working with first grade students (which I do for my service learning).  Having a few teaching methods in mind already, it’s important for me to make the connections and see how they are put to work with the students.  The teacher that teaches the class I work with for my Independent Component, gave me examples of how she uses certain  methods in her class, helping me get a clearer idea of the teaching methods I’m researching.  As I help the students, I learn what catches their attention and keeps them enganged, what qualities a teacher or anyone must have to teach a child.  

Applied:

My independent component did not exactly give me exact teaching methods, it was Ms.  Underwood who did in my third interview.  However, my independent has helped me see how the teaching methods (the teaching methods I know of at the moment) work.  For example, I was able to see Ms.  Underwood use TPR (Total Physical Response) with the kindergarten students one time I went.  She did a sort of activity that required physical movement from the kids and quick thinking.  TPR is a language teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical (motor) ac- tivity (Widodo, Handoyo Puji, 2005).  As I mentioned before, Ms Underwood did an activity in order to teach the students adding.  She created two lines.  The two students at the front were against each other, and the one who answered the right answer first got to go to the back of the line while the others stay, until they win.  She had them stand up once they got to the front of the line and knew the right answer.  Once they stood up, they knew they had to answer quick and think clearly.  This is just an example of what I observe and take notes of.  In all, my independent component helped me and is helping me give detail and examples to the answers of my essential question.  

Presentation 2 Rough Draft

Here is the link to my 20 minute Lesson Plan:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W3Qw0OiPSooRN7NbT8I3-dAy3hoqDiNs5H7wP8ntdBs/edit

Answer 1

1)  Differentiating Instruction is the best teaching method a first grade teacher can use with her students by enganging multiple types of learners due to it being a variety of methods in one method itself.

2)  I observe a kindergarten class for my Independent Component 1, and not only them, but also the teacher.  Ms.  Underwood is presently a kindergarten teacher, but also was a first grade teacher years back.  I see this method, Differentiating Instruction, at work when I observe her and the class (so what I see are examples themselves).  She was the one who introduced me to this method in the interview.  Differentiating Instruction is 'an approach that assumes there is a diversity of learners in every classroom and that all of those learners can be reached if a variety of methods and activities are used.  The article, "A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction" states that 'Carol Tomlinson (2000), a noted expert on differentiation, points out that research has proven that students are more successful when they are taught based on their own readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles.'  This teaching method does not ingnore the needs of the different types of learners there is, and recognizes that there is a variety of learners.

3)  As mentioned before, I was introduced to this method by Ms.  Underwood from my third interview.  She is a Kindergarten teacher and was a First Grade teacher.  Also, my First Independent Component has allowed me to observe this method in action; then, there is the article "A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction".

Service Learning

1) I am working at San Jose Elementary School.

2)  My contact is Ms.  Horwitz, first grade teacher at San Jose Elementary School; also Mrs.  Naccara who is another first grade teacher I work with in San Jose Elementary.

3)  I have helped two first grade teacher with different tasks.  I have been tutoring and helping the first grade students with different subjects such as reading or math.  Then, I have helped with (and still do)  testing the students in different subject areas.  Lastly, I have helped and still help correct work and even fix up/decorate their classroom (for like open house and such).  

4)  I have worked about 41 hours in my service learning.

Third Interview Questions

1)  What is the best teaching method a first grade teacher can use? Why?

2)  What teaching methods do you presently utilize with your kindergarten students?

3)  What do you believe makes a teaching method successful?  Why?

4)  What teaching methods have you commonly used throughout your teaching career?

5)  What significant aspects on teaching first graders differ from teaching kindergartners?

6)  What is generally different about a kindergarten student and a first grade student, behavior wise?

7)  How does this affect the methods you utilize when it comes to teaching first grade students?

8)  Is there any new methods you have heard of, that are more current, through research, or other sources?  If so, which are they?

9)  Name important quality you think a first grade teacher requires in order to successfully project and utilize any teaching method?

10)  Do you have anything, such as research or resources, that may be useful towards my topic, more specifically my essential question?