Week 8:   I am going to go a different route with my blog this week. I really enjoyed watching Inside Anna's Classroom. It brought everything we have been doing in Heartlines full circle for me. The video included the IEFA content, best educational practices that meet not only the Essential Understandings, but also the Common Core Standards, and gave the students a chance to interact in a safe environment. It was a nice way to get some more ideas for the Unit we are designing.

I found the video to be inspirational and it reminded me of some of the coursework I engaged in while achieving my Master's Degree, which is in literacy. One of the best texts we used had different strategies for teaching reading in all core areas. This is where I first learned of the entry/exit ticket and anticipation guides. The book was divided into strategies to be used before reading, during reading, and after reading. I used these a lot, but my teaching kind of changed after our school began working at becoming an RTI school. We are still doing this, but are encouraged to not entirely give up  our best practices, even though they are not part of the research based teacher's guide. I was kind of getting disheartened, but the common core as well as encouragement from our superintendent is helping me get back in the groove.

Those are all reasons I found Inside Anna's Classroom so inspiring. It took me back to the days when I think I was a more effective teacher. Not that I don't do any of that stuff anymore, but it is a reminder to stand up for what you know is best for students, even if you are not agreed with by all.

The book, in case you are interested, is Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science, and Math: Practical Ways to Weave Comprehension Strategies Into Your Content Area Teaching by Laura Robb.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1255405.Teaching_Reading_in_Social_Studies_Science_and_Math

Week 7:  The articles we read this week had one thing in common as far as I am concerned: best practices in education. The articles covered how to teach "digital natives" while most of today's educators are "digital immigrants" or somewhere in-between.; constructivist theory, using technology to teach core curriculum, and how to best use assessment in the classroom.

No matter how we look at it, education is an ever-changing profession. Trends in education come and go, but one thing remains the same: our job is to put the needs of the students first, and to assure they are successful learners. That being said, generations change and the children of yesterday do not learn best the way children of the twenty-first century do. We need to constantly research ever changing educational strategies as there are ever changing needs.

I believe one thing is certain. Kids today know their way around technology and we need to use it and continue to train ourselves to reach these kids. My frustration is that as quickly as the trends change, so does the technology. When my school does get new technology, it seems to be quickly outdated. Our school does not have a lot of money, so we write every grant we can find. Even when we are successful, we can't seem to keep up. I could do so much more if I had the tools.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the common core. So far I like how it is looking. We need to prepare our students for college, as going to college today is crucial. Trade schools are not as prevalent as they once were. A college degree is mandatory to secure jobs that did not require them before. I completely support a constructivist model, as long as I'm not tied to a teacher's guide for everything I do.  RTI seems to have squelched this some; I'm hoping things will change as we adapt to the common core.

Reading all of the articles has reminded me of why I became a teacher in the first place; to do what is the very best for those smiling faces. They make me want to find a way to be the best possible teacher I can be. The children deserve nothing less.

Week Six:  This week we read a book and learned about the Lower Flathead River. This book is rich with pictures, charts, primary sources, and background knowledge. Much of the information in the is book was new to me, so I had to read it slowly and it took me a while. While reading, I am constantly thinking of my third grade classroom and how I can incorporate the resource. I was having a hard time bringing a lot of the information in this book down to the third grade level until I came to the end of the book where the guide is that lists the native plants, animals, and animal tracks. Not only can I use this to teach about the Flathead River, I can use it to teach book format, how to read informational text, and the plant and animal portion fits perfectly into our third grade science curriculum. I felt like I'd hit the jackpot when I saw this.

More and more I think I need to design my unit around the concept of "home". It comes up in every resource practically. For third grade, it is the perfect theme and many of our social studies concepts in general focus on home and community. I think if I can get them to truly think about what home means to them, they will better understand what happened so long ago and the wide range of emotions that play into these events.

I am liking the Common Core more and more, as I find it to be in line with what I am already doing. I don't see it as more to do, just as insurance that I am teaching content in a meaningful way that engages all learners.

Week Five:  I continue to appreciate the Challenge to Survive series. Books three and four were more difficult reading for me, but I love the background knowledge these books provide. I find myself constantly consulting these books, even after just reading them. I hope I can obtain copies of my own as I can see myself using them a lot.

Other than the background knowledge, I really like the layout of these books and think they are perfect for teaching the structure of text books with kids. They are unique and show how texts are set up to be helpful with features that are special to the subject matter being taught. I know students (third graders for sure), often skip charts, graphs, picture captions, etc. when they are reading books. These books perfectly illustrate the importance of a text's unique features. I especially love the glossary with Salish pronunciation, the Gallery of Faces, and all of the primary sources included in the series.

The blogging articles were interesting to me. I have many co-workers and friends who make wonderful use of blogs with students. All of them teach older students and I sometimes find myself being a little jealous of all they can do. I need to make a blog useful to me. My goal is to set up a classroom blog to communicate important happenings, homework, etc. Perhaps from there I can find a way to use it with third graders. We just lack the technology needed, both in our elementary school and our community.