Welcome to my PLP! - Alyssa

Professional Responsibilities

Practicum II

Goal: To continue to learn and work with multiple applications to enhance or track student learning. This includes: Google Classroom, Blueprint, Blooket, Powerschool, etc.

This semester I was able to learn so much. I had the most amazing Mentor Teacher that supported me and my learning. We would put comments and marks into Powerschool every few days. This allowed me to become familiar with RTR (Real time Reporting) and how outcomes looked in the program. This was a great experience. I got to write comments, input them, and use Powerschool to monitor student progress. This was tricky occasionally since half of the outcomes were from the new curriculum while the rest were from the old one. This often meant the sections and subsections would not line up completely, and my MT and I would have to do some digging in order to match up the students grades with the outcomes in Powerschool.

The students used Blueprint to record reflections on their simple machine playgrounds. I had them do a 2-5 minute reflection on what they would change, their process, and what they enjoyed. This allowed me to collect evidence for my Capstone project. Some of the students got really into the process and pretended they were Youtubers. This was an accessible way to have the students share their thoughts without writing. Many of the students either struggled with writing stamina or spelling. By giving the students the option to verbally reflect, I was able to more accurately understand where my student's learning was for their marks.

The students also used Live Worksheets and Google Classroom to submit their work for grading and feedback. We used Google Classroom almost daily in our room. Most of the student work was collected through this program. I became proficient in posting assignments, marking assignments, and viewing student work. This was a great hub for me to post resources and examples as well, which would help the students improve their work. My MT was the one who introduced me to Live Worksheets as a part of my fractions unit. This program allows students to complete questions online and submit them to a teacher's email. What was even better, they were automatically marked before being sent off. This saved me a lot of time on general skill check-ins.

I am confident in my ability to work with all of these programs again. I am also confident in my flexibility to learn new systems or applications.

Google Classroom

Here you can see some of my final assignments that was posted to Google Classroom in my final practicum. The health inquiry was to assist students with a task for Human Sexuality. The Shark Tank Pitch was a project that had students plan, build, and present their own invention that included a type of energy for science. The comic backstories was for an ELA unit where students created and planned their own comic strips! They had fun making charecters and learning about elements of comics and graphic novels. This assignment had the students focus on creating backstories for their characters. Finally, Word Work was a daily task that students engaged in. They worked in focused groups on different levels of spelling, word use, and identification. This was in hopes of raising students scores.

MyBlueprint

This was the first time I had heard about MyBlueprint. RVS uses this program as a digit portfolio for student work. Students can post photos, videos, and other formats to collect over their whole schooling career. The students were excitedly looking at their past work as they logged in for the first time. It was successful, and I loved the concept of it! You can see the reflections of one of my students in the top left. They will continue to add and build a portfolio while in school.

(I have permission to use her face!)

Live Worksheets

This is a worksheet submitted from a student who was in Malaysia for two months! Using a program like Live Worksheets allowed me to stil mark, assess, and assign them work while they were halfway across the globe. Technology like Live Worksheets should not be used for every lesson, but it is a great tool to have in my teacher toolbelt!

Being in Grade Four during this practicum allowed me to get used to technology use in the classroom. In my five-week practicum, I had been placed in Grade One. We did not use technology as much, and if we did it was always teacher-led. Being in an older grade allowed me to experience technology use in the classroom and become comfortable with different applications that were used. I feel prepared to use technology to mark, teach, and learn with my students wherever I end up next.

Practicum I

Goal: To be able to teach and experience many lessons while reflecting on the successes and struggles of the lesson in order to change it for the future. Also being able to receive real-time feedback from my Mentor Teacher and students.

This semester was certainly hectic, however, I learned so much from being in the classroom! This goal is still one I am working at, however, I became very good at reflecting as I was expected to do so for every single lesson! Believe me when I say I gained quite a collection of lesson plans! One of my favourite reflection methods was taught to me by my Faculty Supervisor, Deirdre Bailey! The method was Keep, Tweak, or Ditch. This allowed me to pick what went well, what I could modify, and what needed to go completely. My supervisor was amazing and offered us many prompts to follow while reflecting on our lessons, I included the list below as I feel it is one of the best I have seen before! All of the questions prompted responses out of me, some I had not thought about.

At the beginning of the semester I was placed in a Grade One classroom and was present every Friday. Just as I was starting to get into the groove with the students, and not even a week after teaching my first math lesson, I was faced with adversity. A couple weeks before the five week practicum began I was informed that I would have to switch classrooms as my previous mentor teacher would be going on an extended leave of absence. Luckily the school wanted to keep me and they placed me one door down from my old mentor teacher. This new class welcomed me with open arms and I was quick to form bonds with them! Moving from one class to the other I had a golden opportunity! I was able to teach the same lesson to two different groups within just a few weeks. This lesson was designed as an introduction to patterns by reading an interactive book on the Smart Board which required the students to circle patterns or act them out. This book was Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris!

Growth

This lesson was the first I had taught in roughly two years to a group of students. Having not worked with first graders before, I over estimated their ability to sit still. Not even half way through the lesson the students began talking to one another, despite me thinking the mini ten second movement breaks would help.

The classroom I had been in during my first year was a sixth-grade classroom, so I felt some of my terminology and questions went over their heads. My plan was over-ambitious for what the class could handle. Including the part where I had students use sign language, they were totally lost!

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However, with my newfound knowledge and old Mentor Teachers' advice, I decided to teach this lesson again. This time, to my new class!

Here is how it went...

The Lesson (CLICK HERE)

The second time I taught this lesson I made sure to have the movement breaks go longer, encouraging them to get their wiggles out several times throughout the lesson. I also completely scrapped the sign language sections in favour of having the students identify patterns in the story. I used very similar slides, which can be found HERE, and the students loved searching for the Mini Miss.K Bitmogi I had created in my Education Technology course!

The first time I had taught this same lesson I was not confident that the students had understood what I had taught them, however, this time my students were bouncing at the opportunity to locate patterns in the classroom, on the slides, and even in their days! One student was able to tell me that snack was always after recess, which was a pattern! These students easily answered my questions and had a better understanding of the content just because I made a few minor tweaks. This is why teachers are considered lifelong learners!

The Extension (CLICK HERE)

Because my students were so successful with the first lesson, I challenged the students to use water colors to paint a cut out of fish. After that, each student cut out their fish and dotted primary color patterns onto their fishes scales.

If you look at the picture, one student used the water colors pink and purple to make a pattern underneath her blue and red dot pattern. This showed me that the students were understanding what I was teaching.

While some fish ended up not having patterns, I knew that the students were learning! Each student when the finished had to show me their patterns. If a student struggled to explain their pattern, because most times there was not one, we had a talk about what could make their dots a pattern. Each student received a piece of feedback and a compliment from me. We were learning together!

Shortly after that lesson, my Mentor Teacher allowed me to hang each fish up in a line! Look below for a picture of my students amazing work!

Where Next?

In the future, I would like to plan a lesson that has the opportunity to repeat itself once or twice with just slightly different ideas. This would allow me to see the same students' growth over multiple lessons. I want to be able to take feedback from those around me to help my students be successful. Students will all have different levels, goals, and ideas and it is my job to take their responses in order to plan an even better activity for the students. I will continue to visit my Mentor Teacher and her class and maybe in Spring, the students will do a similar task with the book Pattern Bugs by Trudy Harris and a similar activity! This way I can see their growth and development on the same topic!

Year Two

Goals, Growth, Strategy

This semester was unlike anything any of us have ever experienced before. The global pandemic forced university students into their homes in isolation. Teachers continued to work around the clock to help students both in person and online. It was a struggle to get us second years into practicums, and we were given weekly one hour meetings with a professional in the teaching community, however the discussions in class proved to be just as vital. Despite it all, us future teachers were able to meet and discuss. Working together to come to conclusions. However, while conversations provide some understanding, it is easier to make inferences and observations in person. I never got to interact with teachers, students, or even parents.

Goal: I would like to learn how it is teachers are able to work with their students parents to help foster learning. Do Parent Teacher Interviews help? How can a teacher work with parents effectively? Is sending weekly letters good enough? How do I involve students and parents in the learning process?

Action Plan: My mentor teacher has showed us a home reading program, however she has not discussed much about parents and how they can be assets to a students learning. When I can get into a classroom I will be sure to ask my mentor teacher about how in touch they are with their students parents. I wonder what the benefits and drawbacks are to having informed parents. I would love to sit in on a parent teacher interview when possible. For now, I will do some of my own research.

My Mentor Teachers at "Home Reading Sheet." She has the parents work with their children to accomplish their reading.

MRU Program Outcome: Collaborates with teachers, students, parents/guardians, local community as partners in education to support student learning

Meeting My Goals

While I could not physically sit in on a parent-teacher interview or witness students interacting with their parents or guardians, I did my best to complete my goal this semester. The Education Undergraduate Society, or EUS, works with the ATA to bring us new development opportunities. Since Covid-19 is still restricting gatherings, this workshop was online.

KURULIAK.pdf

This semester I attended the ATA workshop titled Working With Parents to Promote Student Success. The idea of reminding parents that you are both on the same side is exceptionally vital. This workshop taught me how to "collaborate with [...] parents/guardians [...] as partners in education to support student learning" (PR 7). It can sometimes be hard for teachers and parents to share the same mindset; however, reminding each other that you both want to see their child succeed can pull you both to the same side. Other times that may not help.

While working with parents can be successful, it can also be unpredictable. Hyper-parents constantly want to know about their children in school, while Divergent parents are more laid back and disinterested. There are many other types of parents, but they all come with their ideas, struggles, and opinions.

Teachers must work with their student's guardians. This can be done simply by keeping parents in the loop on what is going on in the classroom. Weekly newsletters or emails can be sufficient information for most parents. Communication is key between both sides, and in order to have success, they have to be ready to talk. Email might not be a sufficient communication strategy, and it is easier to read each other's tones over the phone. While situations can escalate, it is up to us to back down and remind them that we all want our students to succeed and that the yelling is not fueled by negative forces. Fighting will get both sides nowhere. When appropriately done, teachers and parents can develop strong plans for change and help the student become more successful. My future goal is to sit in on a parent-teacher interview to see how a teacher deals and works with parents. How they make plans and goals to lead their students to success and if said plan ends up being beneficial.

What do parents value most about their child's teacher?

That teachers care about their children

That teachers know their kids as individuals

TQS #6: Recognizing that the professional practice of a teacher is bound by standards of conduct expected of a caring, knowledgeable and reasonable adult entrusted with the custody, care or education of students.

TQS #2: Actively seeking out feedback to enhance teaching practice.

By working with parents towards student success, teachers can ensure they are on the best possible success plan for students. Parents spend a lot of time with their children, and it only makes sense that parents would have opinions to share on their child's schooling. Remind them that you both want the same thing, the success of the student. Working together to show the student you are there to support them in their journey is vital. Teachers and parents should always work to be on the same side.

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