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