I worked on the unit plan last night until the morning. At 9:30 I had an interview with Saskatoon Public Schools Division and will be working as a substitute EA for the spring. I'm looking forward to getting some more experience in the classroom. In particular, having an idea of what an EA does and deals with during their day will help me to better understand how a school works and how to capitalize on the relationships and resources of different professionals in the workplace. I'll also be picking up support times at SAI again, and will be volunteering at St. Dominic's one day a week.

Today I worked on Evidential Miscellany, Resources, and my Assessment piece for my social studies 9 unit. The Assessment piece in particular is important as it demonstrates my starting point in this term, and reveals how far I have come from not being able to communicate or plan very well. This can be contrasted by looking at my unit plans and lessons, which feature a balance of journaling, conferring, and workshop work. Furthermore, the lessons almost always call for PowerPoints with prompts for lines of questioning (using the four different types to some extent intentionally) and group work to ensure the pacing is a comfortable balance between my preferred style of traditional lecture augmented with PowerPoint visuals to group work/exercises.

What I am doing is roughly based on Samantha Bennett's workshop model and Penny Kittle's conferring. My first coop teacher, Lisa Kuchler used these methods very effectively, and I have grown to think that they are the best way for me to pre/formative assess for differentiation and to be culturally responsive in my teaching. I anticipate to use templates like this while I find comfort and confidence in using my voice as a teacher.

The development of my thinking and ideas on pedagogy here provides evidence for the following portfolio's outcomes:

3. I know which instructional strategies to pick at given times; 5. I create formative assessments; 6. I create summative assessment; 7. I set and use goals for enhancing my professional development; 10. I can incorporate technology in my planning; 11. I can demonstrate a culturally responsive instructional stance; 14. I understand how to plan for differentiation and adaptation;15. I create engaging learning activities and tasks; 16. My planned activities would improve the discipline specific literacy skills of my students; 17. I can create a unit that would achieve the outcomes and the indicators; 18. The final task in my unit elicits evidence of application in a new situation; 19. I can create a unit that would assess the outcomes and indicators; 20. Improvements in my unit plan show my increased understanding.

Well I've never been the most consistent with blogging, at least during school. It does seem like when you're a college student school is life. But isn't that what a teacher's life is? Well, yes. Lifelong learner ... FOREVER! OK seriously though, I am (as per usual at this time of year) looking forward to reading for myself.

However, I have a ways to go yet. First this site needs to get wrapped up. Then I think there's one more assignment to go and that's a bow on year one.

Let's go outside!

Update on the unit plan! It's even harder than I'd thought! Haha.

I'm actually having way too much fun now that I got in the groove of it, but it's proven a bit time consuming. I recognize this is because I chose an area that I could use the historical knowledge I gained during my degree. It has been an important and exciting learning experience for me.

Here's a picture to convey my feelings at present.

You can follow me on instagram @Jon_e_Say

Good day!

So I'm nearing the end of the first draft of my first ever unit plan. I feel like I'm learning how to write essays again. It helps to remember that I didn't like that at the time, either. I had a lot of struggle with deciding on just how to bring to life the idea in my mind for a summative assessment, but I got over that hump. looking at the (nearly) finished proposal is satisfying.

Using UbD is tough; I bought a few new books, including Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids by Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe. It's the same old school curse I find myself in where there's so much to read, and so much more I need to read to help me get where I need to be . . . there are simply not enough hours in the day. At any rate, I've certainly found Tomlinson and McTighe's book helpful (so much so that I lent it to a struggling peer, and now I'm wishing I had it back!).

What I'd like to communicate here is that whenever I find myself in some kind of writer's/academic block, there's usually a resource or reference I need to spend some time with for inspiration or direction. The 'paralysis of analysis' that was talked about in my 325 class this Monday is something I regularly struggle from. I often find myself anxiously starting at a computer screen trying to conceive of how to move forward with my work. Often times the direction or inspiration I need is in a book. Other times there's a backlog of information I'm trying to get out and I just need to write freestyle in a journal or brainstorm to get the idea to come to fruition.

Finally - and I think this is crucial to work and creativity - it's important to take a break! I like to just noodle a bit on the guitar, do some yoga or meditation, or go for a walk somewhere peaceful and not think about work at all. When I come back with a fresh perspective and a rested mind I'm ready to go!

J