Hi Jane,
I started working on my weebly and have added other things not related to this quarter, so I thought it would be easier if I put everything you are looking for under one tab.
I started working on my weebly and have added other things not related to this quarter, so I thought it would be easier if I put everything you are looking for under one tab.
If you want coursework you've come to the right place!!!
_______________________________________________________________________ Google for Educators
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Studies
Teaching Through Images_Google Presentation
Instructional Design
Rocks Totally Rock Thematic Unit_Google Document: This is a unit plan revolving around Earth Materials. Earth Materials is a topic present in the 3rd grade curriculum for most schools.
Lesson: Mock Rocks_ Google Document: Mock Rocks is the first lesson in the Rocks Totally Rock Thematic Unit.
Lesson: Observing Minerals_Google Document: Observing Minerals is fourth lesson in the Rocks Totally Rock Thematic Unit.
Rocks Totally Rock Google Site: This site has all the information for the entire Earth Materials unit including links to my lesson plans as well as those of my group members.
_______________________________________________________________________ Wiki Work:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Literacy
Book Review #1
Non-Fiction / K-3 / Multicultural
Polacco, Patricia. (1988) The Keeping Quilt.Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers.
This book is about a long family heirloom that is very important to Patricia and her family. Patricia's great grandmother Anna made the long journey from Russia to America bringing only a few of her belongings; such belongings included a dress and her favorite babushka ( a triangular folded handkerchief for the head.) Once Anna grew out of her dress her mother decided to incorporate it and her babushka into a quilt. They decided to put pieces of all family member's clothes to help them remember their family in Russia. So with her Uncle Vladimir's shirt, Aunt Havalah's nightdress, and Aunt Natasha's apron, Anna and her mother created a quilt that ends up being passed down through her family for many years; almost a century. Each generation incorporated the quilt into a meaningful family function such as a tablecloth for a sabbath, a wedding canopy, and of course a blanket to welcome a new child into the world, even Patricia herself.
The Keeping Quilt is a great multicultural book. The main character is of a Russia and Jewish descent. I chose this book because it makes a powerful and interesting read aloud due to the fact that it allows children to think about the cultural traditions they have within their family. It allows students to make a connection from the book to a personal experience. It also allows the children to learn and accept other cultural traditions different from their own. I also love this book because of the amazing artistic quality. Patricia Polacco not only wrote an amazing book, but she does all of her artwork. The Keeping Quilt has a unique theme in the artwork. Patricia Polacco wanted to highlight the importance of the quilt, so all of her artwork is in black and white except the quilt, which is in color. Finally, the book may have shorter text, but it has a meaningful message. The shorter text also allows for an increace in student learning, especially with reading comprehension. It will also engage the children in a healthy discussion about different cultures and the meaning of family heirlooms.
Reviewed by Tessa Heyer Cohort 15 Member
Book Review #2
Fiction /K-3 /Social Studies-Language arts:Family
Rylant, Cynthia. (1993) The Relatives Came. Aladdin Books.
The Relatives Came is a book about a family that waits all year for summer to come because that is when all the relatives come to visit. The relatives’ arrival creates hours of hugs and a huge family dinner. After a huge family dinner, all family members are faced with sleeping quarter. Family members are sprawled all over the bed and floor. After weeks of family time, the relatives must leave to go back home to Virginia. While the relatives are sad to leave, they know they will back the following summer.
I chose this book because it was the book my Master Teacher wanted me to use to teach the students about schema. Along with The Relatives Came, I used Debbie Miller’s Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades to help guide my read aloud and introduce the students to schema. Debbie Miller recommended the use of The Relatives Came to allow students to be able to make a personal connection to a book; this is referred to as a text-to-self connection. Debbie Miller, my master teacher, and I all found this book to be great when considering students’ experiences. We thought about how the students would be able to make a connection to their own lives. This book also has shorter text which allows the reader to be able to stop and engage the students in a meaningful discussion. There are spots to stop and have the students make predictions and there are spots where I was able to stop and make a text-to-self connection. I was able to stop reading and show the students an example of what I was teaching them.
Reviewed by Tessa Heyer
Response to Cohort member book review
My response was to Gretchen Oates review of Princess Grace.
Thanks for a great review and book choice, Gretchen! Princess Grace is an amazing multicultural book. It presents multiple facets for children to relate to and learn from. For starters the main character is a strong African American girl who has the ability to go after her dreams and make them her own. Along with creating a strong multicultural, female character, Hoffman also was able to portray women in strong leadership roles, which is very important for women’s civil rights. I agree that the author did a good job at also diversifying the characters and making the boys have a place in the story as the princes. I appreciate the author’s subtle mention of Grace’s father living elsewhere and married to another woman as this is a reality for many children. This book would be a great read aloud in general, but also could be related to a 3rd grade social studies since most district cover the community and diversity in 3rd grade. I also really like the illustrations; they portray the characters differences without stereotyping them.
Tessa Heyer
Resources:
Teacher Vision website: Family Education website
Family Education: A website developed for families, but can give teachers activity ideas for classroom activities as well as a resource to give to a family if needed.
Love and Logic Book by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. Teaching children responsibility.
Photostory Vingette:
The Infamous Photostory...
The story I chose to do is very emotional and a time in my life I am sure made me who I am today.
_________________________________________________________________ Blogs, blogs and more blogs:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Blog:
tessietech.blogspot.com
Blogs in my blogging circle:
Waiting for wonderwoman by Samantha V.
1st comment was on blog "Are Regie and Bill Friends?"
2nd comment was on blog "How to Teach Writing"
My Purple Crayon by Alison T.
1st comment was on blog "Winding Ways"
2nd comment was on blog "edutopia"
Curious Gertie by Gretchen O.
1st comment was on blog "Math is Fun"
2nd comment was on blog "This Week's Adventure..."
Outside Blog Comments
Learning is Messy- Blog by Brian Crosby
This is a screen shot of my comment I made on the blog "Learning is Messy"
Learning is Messy- Blog by Brian Crosby
This is a screen shot of my comment I made on the blog "Learning is Messy"
The Tempered Radical by Bill Ferriter
Reflection:
I rather enjoy technology and really enjoyed this quarter. My feelings for technology haven't changed really, except I am even more exicted to bring it into my own classroom. This quarter has opened my eyes to other forms of technology I did not know about previously. For example, the way I knew how to make a video was through FinalCut Pro on my Mac; a program that is extremely awesome, but very frustrating at times. Photostory is a very simple program to make good videos. It is also a program many young students will be able to use with having any major problems.
I have always known about Google documents, but hadn't used them until this quarter...I clearly have been missing out! I found it extremely easy to create and super convenient to use with a large group; especially on snow days when all of us couln't leave our house and needed to finish a project.
I rather enjoy technology and really enjoyed this quarter. My feelings for technology haven't changed really, except I am even more exicted to bring it into my own classroom. This quarter has opened my eyes to other forms of technology I did not know about previously. For example, the way I knew how to make a video was through FinalCut Pro on my Mac; a program that is extremely awesome, but very frustrating at times. Photostory is a very simple program to make good videos. It is also a program many young students will be able to use with having any major problems.
I have always known about Google documents, but hadn't used them until this quarter...I clearly have been missing out! I found it extremely easy to create and super convenient to use with a large group; especially on snow days when all of us couln't leave our house and needed to finish a project.
