Books Included
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- Invisible Frontiers: The race to synthesize a human gene
- A Wrinkle In Time
- The Tales of A Shaman’s Apprentice
- Survival of the Sickest
- The Making of the Fittest
- Physics of the Impossible
- Dr. Franklins Island
- Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie
- Uglies
- Gathering Blue
- Ender’s Game
- Divergent
- Feed
- The House of The Scorpion
- Galapagos
- The Freedom Maze
- The City of Ember
- Eva
- The Hunger Games
Continue reading 'Bibliography of Books for Teaching Science!'»
Safety Resources for the Science Classroom Created during ED 433
Safety Contract
Safety Packet
Safety Exam
Safety Packet
This pages is the start of a compilations of videos and media tools to use as points of engagement for introducing difficult ideas in creative ways for students.
1. A rap of the Kreb Cycle
The citric acid cycle is a complicated jumble of enzymes, glucose, all ending with the production of energy in the mitochondria of aerobic organisms. This rap takes viewers through all the parts of the Kreb cycle in a parody of the popular rap song Thrift Shop originally produced by Mackelmore
http://io9.com/the-krebs-cycle-rapped-to-the-tune-of-macklemores-th-455748978
- Flannery, M.E. (2010). Welcoming ELL Parents into the Classroom. National Education Association. March 28, 2012. From http://www.nea.org/home/37153.htm.
In this article, Flannery describes methods for increasing ELL parent involvement in the classroom. Centered around the idea that teachers, parents, students, and schools represent a team, the article offers different “invitations” for teachers to extend to ELL parents. These creative methods offer teachers unique ways to go beyond just calling or having a translator in the room at a parent teacher conference– although both of those can serve important functions to get in contact with ELL parents.
- Panferov, S. (2010). Increasing ELL Parental Involvement in Our Schools: Learning From the Parents. Theory Into Practice, 49, (2): 106-112. From http://globalprojects.arizona.edu/sites/globalprojects.arizona.edu/files/Panferov%20-%20Increasing%20ELL%20Parental%20Involvement.pdf.
This article uses real case studies to document and demonstrate ways in which schools can engage ELL parents as resources in the classroom. The article specifically tackles ELL parent’s views of literacy as well as parent to child and parent to school interactions which will contribute to school success. As a future educator, this article provides specific stories reflecting the views of real ELL parents and engagement strategies which would have been most effective in these two cases and cases like these.
- Waterman, R., & B. Harry. (2008). Building Collaboration Between Schools and Parents of English Language Learners: Transcending Barriers, Creating Opportunities. The National Center for Culturally Responsive Education Systems. March 28, 2012. From http://nccrest.org/Briefs/PractitionerBrief_BuildingCollaboration.pdf.
This article provides information for practicing educators regarding ways to overcome the barriers in place for the parents of ELL students. The article elucidates various obstacles to these parents which all result in parents having few or no opportunities for collaboration with and in their child’s school. The authors then move to describe and recommend specific policy innovations for districts. It is acknowledged that schools may need to introduce these new methods gradually because if implemented too quickly they may fail from lack of appropriate resources to maintain them. As a future educator I would feel comfortable referencing this article because the authors outline (in detail) 10 critical ways to increase parental involvement validated by scholarly research.
This is resource file is a collection of developmental materials for first year middle and secondary education teachers built to assist them in shaping their instruction and curricular practice during their first years as professionals. In the first years teaching, it is critical for young teachers to build a sense of personal efficacy in the classroom–these resources might be a helpful place to start!
Start of School Resources
The start of the school year is a critical time for all new teachers. It is the time when you make your first impressions on the students and their parents, and the best time to set the expectations of your classroom for the rest of the year. These resources are all various tips, tools, tricks, and articles for helping teachers get the year started on the best note!
- This article is an interview with a new teacher and her thoughts on the first day as well as the future of education. The article describes her experiences as a first year
- http://www.thecherawchronicle.com/view/full_story/20129776/article-New-teachers-enter-classrooms-all-over-Chesterfield-County?instance=popular
- This article emphasizes the importance of establishing expectations within a classroom on the first day, as well as other important aspects to consider before embarking on your first day of school.
- http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/creating-great-first-impression-grades-6%C2%968
- This site gives tips for back to school for teachers. It includes classroom set up, prepping for the first week, classroom management, and working with parents.
- http://www.nea.org/tools/back-to-school-guide.html
- This website offers resources to help teachers stay organized including back to school checklists, decoration ideas, letters to parents, and ideas from real teachers.
- http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/get-smart-start
- This article from the NEA gives tips for classroom management for new teachers. Many teachers are nervous about going into new classroom and managing student behavior as well as the learning environment, but this article offers four areas to consider to establish an environment that promotes learning while being safe and structured.
- http://www.nea.org/tools/management-tips-for-new-teachers.html
Continue reading 'Resource File'»
All Posts, ED 327 Curriculum and Instructional Strategies for Middle Level Learners, Resources, Standard #5: Innovative Applications of Content., Standard #6: Assessment, Standard #7: Planning for Instruction., Standard #8: Instructional Strategies., Standard 3: Inquiry, Standard 6: Curriculum, Standard 7: Science in the Community, Standard 8: Assessment
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Resources
There are many different types of effective assessments. Below I have outlined different types of assessments as well as various modifications/accommodations which can be used in the classroom to differentiate for these assessments.
Continue reading 'Designing Assessments'»
Assessments can be particularly tricky to design. The links below provides excellent examples and tips for designing assessments.
http://www.indiana.edu/~best/write_better_t ests.shtml#V-‐1
http://caacentre.lboro.ac.uk/dldocs/otghdout. pdf
| Points |
5 |
3 |
1 |
| Ideas |
This paper is clear and focused. It holds the reader’s attention. Relevant details and quotes enrich the central theme. |
The writer is beginning to define the topic, even though development is still basic or general. |
As yet, the paper has no clear sense of purpose or central theme. To extract meaning from the text, the reader must make inferences based on sketchy or missing details. |
| Organization |
The organization enhances and showcases the central idea or theme. The order, structure, or presentation of information is compelling and moves the reader through the text. |
The organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without too much confusion. |
The writing lacks a clear sense of direction. Ideas, details, or events seem strung together in a loose or random fashion; there is no identifiable internal structure. |
| Voice |
The writer speaks directly to the reader in a way that is individual, compelling, and engaging. The writer crafts the writing with an awareness and respect for the audience and the purpose for writing. |
The writer seems sincere but not fully engaged or involved. The result is pleasant or even personable, but not compelling. |
The writer seems indifferent, uninvolved, or distanced from the topic and/or the audience. |
| Word Choice |
Words convey the intended message in a precise, interesting, and natural way. The words are powerful and engaging. |
The language is functional, even if it lacks much energy. It is easy to figure out the writer’s meaning on a general level. |
The writer struggles with a limited vocabulary, searching for words to convey meaning. |
| Sentence Fluency |
The writing has an easy flow, rhythm, and cadence. Sentences are well built, with strong and varied structure that invites expressive oral reading. |
The text hums along with a steady beat, but tends to be more pleasant or businesslike than musical, more mechanical than fluid. |
The reader has to practice quite a bit in order to give this paper a fair interpretive reading. |
| Conventions |
The writer demonstrates a good grasp of standard writing conventions (e.g., spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, paragraphing) and uses conventions effectively to enhance readability. Errors tend to be so few that just minor touchups would get this piece ready to publish. |
The writer shows reasonable control over a limited range of standard writing conventions. Conventions are sometimes handled well and enhance readability; at other times, errors are distracting and impair readability. |
Errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, and grammar and/or paragraphing repeatedly distract the reader and make the text difficult to read. |
| Presentation |
The form and presentation of the text enhances the ability for the reader to understand and connect with the message. It is pleasing to the eye. |
The writer’s message is understandable in this format. |
The reader receives a garbled message due to problems relating to the presentation of the text. |
Literacy in science can also be promoted through critical discussion of the material. Science often requires students be able orally express what the text is saying or explain a process in words to a class or classmate. This in-turn also helps the student to come to a better understanding of the content area. Continue reading 'Discussion Strategies'»
Throughout the semester, we modeled several reading strategies used to analyze and comprehend text. These are strategies I feel I would use in my own classroom to help students to get through the difficult science text. The important thing to note about a reading strategy, is that is should require minimal thinking to fulfill the strategy–the emphasis should be on the content of the reading or literature. If students are struggling to use the reading strategy, it is unlikely they will come to a better understanding and comprehension of the material.
Continue reading 'Reading Strategies'»
Used in writing objectives, Bloom’s Taxonomy is an excellent tool used to create lessons which will guide students through curriculum standards. There are many different types of taxonomies as Bloom himself identified three domains of learning. The images below are various examples of these taxonomies and the verbs which are effective for writing lesson objectives.
Continue reading 'Bloom’s Taxonomy'»
Throughout Content Literacy, we discussed the need for Hooks and Closures. These are two integral parts of the lesson planning process which help students by creating continuity between lessons, objectives, and standards, and which also help instructors by informing them of where students are struggling with material. Listed below are examples of various types of Hooks and Closures to be used in lesson planning. Continue reading 'Hooks And Closures'»
All Posts, ED 228: Content Literacy, Resources, Standard #5: Innovative Applications of Content., Standard #6: Assessment, Standard #7: Planning for Instruction., Standard #8: Instructional Strategies., Standard 5: General Skills of Teaching, Standard 8: Assessment
| assessments, Closures, Hooks, Lesson Plan
This is an example of a Lesson Plan template used in backwards design to plan for lessons. Continue reading 'Lesson Plan Template'»
As a future teacher, I hope to encourage my students to be creative and thoughtful individuals. However, this is an increasingly difficult task in the given world. This reading offers some unique insights in how teachers can help foster creativity in the classroom and get students thinking outside of the box!
Creativity Crisis
The theory of Multiple Intelligences is a controversial topic. Many people argue over whether or not they exist and if so, are they really intelligences or are they simply talents or inclinations. These two readings concern the idea of multiple intelligences and are excellent resources for learning more about them as well as planning instruction for the intelligences found in a diverse student group.
Multiple Intelligences Around the World
Multiple Intelligences
Teachers must understand and appreciate the diverse backgrounds of each of their students, this simple reading is a great resource for techniques in understanding and being sympathetic to culture in the classroom to create a safe, fun, and balanced learning environment!
Understanding Culture
The brain is an incredibly complex organ. As more research is completed about it, the more resources we have available to help us in our quest to be better teachers for each and every student.
Brain-based Learning Notes
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