Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Classroom Management Scenario: Cell Phone Texting

Module 4 Unit 2 Activity 2

Here is what this activity looks like:

Both are the last answers... duh!

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Behavior Checklist

Module 4 Unit 2 Activity 1

Behavior Checklist

Any behavior expectations that the teacher has in their classroom has to be modeled first and foremost by the teacher. First they have to clearly communicate this to their students so that they can follow these standards and maintain high expectations for behavior and academic achievement. Teachers need to set the standards high as research shows that there is a relationship between doing so and a better achievement in students’ grades. It is imperative to understand that the students may be coming from different situations and cultural backgrounds. Teachers should try and reward good behavior so that it can motivate students in a positive way instead of only just using punishment for negative behaviors as it could create a negative classroom climate.

The students spend much of their day with their teachers, and educators have to set a prime example for their students to follow (Marzano, 2007). Setting high expectations for students academically or behaviorally is a way for the teachers to guide their students and help them become more well-rounded individuals.  A practical way to assist teachers to observe behavior is by using a checklist. Checklists are good tools to use, to organize and monitor single or group behaviors. They verify that goals are achieved and that good behavior standards are met. It can prevent problems with behaviors before they begin, as well as identify issues with behavior after they have occurred. Also, they can set reminders for teachers or help them make observations about their classroom and their students. Over time the teachers can look at these checklists and make patterns and evaluations about their class and their students’ behaviors.

Below are the checklists that attempt to tackle issues with student’s behaviors. There is a list viewing the students’ behaviors, the teacher’s behaviors, and one for the parents as well to see if certain behaviors are specific to the school, or if they are brought upon issues from home.

References:

Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.

Marzano, Robert J. (2007). The Art an Science of Teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction.  Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Student Behavior Checklist

Identifying Problems

Name: ______________________  

Grade: ______________________

Comments/ Observation about student: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For the following checklist:

·         Leave blank= behavior has not occurred

·         1 = if behavior has occurred once

·         2 = behavior has occurred more than once

·         3 = behavior is a constantly occurring

Verbal
	Verbally disrupts class
	Uses inappropriate language
	Verbally threatens classmates
	Verbally abusive to self
Physical
	Physically disrupts class
	Physically threatens/ fights with others
	Physically hurts him/herself
	Vandalizes classroom materials
Emotional/ Mental
	Withdrawn
	Outburst of anger
	Unresponsive
	Slow attention span
Issues in Classroom
	Is tardy for class
	Sleeps in class
	No homework
	Does not engage in class work/ activities

Details about Problem Behavior

What negative incident/behavior occurred?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where does this occur?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How often does this occur?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who or what does this incident involve?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Action taken by the teacher:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Identifiable observations or patterns of behavior:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Solution or actions to take:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is also very important for teachers to observe their own behavior to see if anything is causing miscommunication, lack of clarity, or instigating certain behaviors in the classroom.

Teacher Behavior Checklist

Classroom Expectations
	Are rules regularly enforced?
	Does the teacher have a clear routine?
	Does the class have all the materials needed for lessons?
	Does the teacher have high expectations for the classroom?
	Are the students seated in a way that is conducive to learning?
	Are the rules regularly checked to fit classrooms individually?
	Is the classroom safe?
Behavior Expectations
	Are the rules clearly stated to the students?
	Does the teacher treat all students fairly?
	Does the teacher give equal chances to all the students?
	Does the teacher demonstrate concern for students?
	Does the teacher give feedback to the students?
	Is good behavior regularly modeled by the teacher?
	Does teacher regularly praise good behavior?
	Is the teacher consistent with correcting bad behavior?
	Is the teacher familiar with all the students and their names?
Learning Expectations
	Do the students have influence in their own learning?
	Does the teacher explain the purpose of each learning activity?
	Does the teacher expect the same behavior from the students?
	Are the students arranged in a way where they can collaborate easily?
In Behavioral Situations
	Did the teacher respond in a respectful and calm manner?
	Did the teacher not embarrass the student?
	Did the teacher address the student’s behavior privately?
	Did the teacher try low-profile management first?

Teachers might want to intervene in some situations when they thing it is occurring in their classroom for some particular reason. Here are some questions they can answer in order to do so.

Intervention Details

Can the behavior problem be solved in the classroom?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there any changes I can make to my classroom to change the student’s behavior?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the school, counselor, or administration need to be involved?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the student need an official assessment?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What steps can I take to help my students after they are assessed?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next checklist is for parents to see if they have also noticed certain behaviors from their children. This is very helpful to see if the behavior is only occurring at school. It helps to take proper and safe measures for the students. 

Parent Behavior Checklist

·         Leave blank= behavior does not occurred

·         1 = if behavior occurs sometimes

·         2 = behavior occurs regularly

Child’s Behavior
	Intense mood swings
	Difficulty concentrating
	Difficulty following directions
	Displays physical aggression
	Shy or withdrawn
	Lacks interest
	Does not work well with others
	Difficulty managing anger
	Cannot sit for an extended period of time
	Difficulty finishing tasks in a certain amount of time
	Cannot work on their own

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Reflection on Classroom Climate

Module 4 Unit 1 Activity 4

It is very important as a teacher to create a positive climate in the classroom where our students can effectively learn. When the classroom environment becomes an unpleasant, negative, or physically, mentally, or emotionally unsafe place, students cannot truly involve themselves in the learning process and it could possibly affect them in other areas of their lives outside of the classroom. It could cause them to behave in a destructive manor towards others, and perhaps even towards themselves.

On the flip side, a positive classroom environment where the teacher manages the classroom in a safe, creative, caring, and organized manner, it can facilitate the learning process for our students. It can help them acquire an unlimited amount of knowledge and become stable and mature members of society who contribute to others and to the world in an effective way.

In my own classes, I try to be a little stricter at the beginning of the school year as it is easier to later become a bit more lenient. Learning from trial and error, being more lenient and trying to become stricter later on is doable, but also a lot harder work from my part. As the year progresses, I like to get to know my students and their names (Marzano, 2007), make jokes and laugh (Marzano, 2007), and I really try to match what they are learning with something they are interested in (Marzano, 2007). Though my students have concerns with external factors and other areas of their lives, having a pleasant classroom environment in an organized way aids my students productively in their learning process.

Teachers who effectively manage their classrooms will organize their classrooms to promote lesson goals, pre-establish classroom rules, develop instructional routines, establish a system of incentives and consequences to certain behavior, and use low-profile classroom management to maintain instructional momentum (Borich, 2011).

The last point is one that I frequently use. If there is a small incident or misbehavior in the classroom such as talking, not following directions, instead of losing time and momentum by stopping and addressing their behavior, I will just try a simple technique like walking by them, or making eye contact with them, and usually my students will stop their disruptions on their own. Punishing students even for small incidents can really cause a negative classroom climate, so for me using low-profile classroom management techniques have been really effective. Other bigger incidents such as bullying will however not be tolerated in my classrooms as the safety of my students always comes first.

There is also no one behavioral setting, classroom arrangement and single set of rules that’s will work for every teacher to manage their own classroom (Borich, 2011). I observe my classrooms first and see what best suits or works for my students in those classes. In some of my classes I need to make some rules to motivate my students to participate more (as I teach an English conversation class) but in other classes, I do not need to enforce any rules about participation as the class is always having great conversations. I also sometimes make my student’s make their own rules at the beginning of the year and it is really surprising how responsible they are. This make the classroom climate positive as it feels more like they feel mature and responsible for coming up with their own rules, as opposed as feeling like I am dictating what they should or shouldn’t do.

When it comes to learning in my class, I prefer a more student centered approach. I try to relate every lesson to their lives, culture, age, and especially interests (Marzano, 2007). When the students can relate to the material and also understand why and what they are learning it for, it makes more sense to them.  When that is interlaced with something they are interested in, it makes the class more enjoyable and makes the learning process less tedious. When Gangnam Style was very big, I used a PowerPoint game using that theme to learn new words. It was very successful in the class, but my surprise came in the midterms when the section that they learned was where they had least mistakes.

In summation, all my students are individuals that I really care about. Having a positive classroom climate really makes a difference for not only my students but also for me as a teacher and an individual. Without knowing my students or caring about them, I don’t really think I could be an effective teacher. I know it takes a lot of patience to be an educator, and sometimes classes don’t always go as one plans, but classroom management is about adjusting undesired behaviors, and it is not about changing our students.

References:

Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.

Curwin, R. (2014, February 4). Classroom Management: The Intervention Two-Step. Retrieved July 24, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-management-intervention-two-step-richard-curwin?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog-two-step-classroom-intervention-link-repost

Marzano, Robert J. (2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction.  Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Using a Glog to Make an Introduction

Module 4 Unit 1 Activity 3

Here is my Glog introduction: 

http://analiak.edu.glogster.com/introduction/

*A little rant* So I got an "Outstanding" for this glog and that is great but when I looked at my grading evaluation, they said I did NOT include an audio or a video... as you can see, I included an audio AND a video. So to be specific here is the evaluation criteria directly taken from their page:

As one can see I should have clearly gotten 3/3 for this sections but I got a 2/3. I asked Sarah and Taylor, the teachers, why I had gotten 2/3 and they said because it didn't play. Many cohort members played the video AND the audio as they told me things such as, "Cool song" or "Nice vid" during the week so I knew they played fine.

So I confronted the teachers and asked why I got docked a point for THEIR own computer problems. The answer was,

"Oh you got an outstanding anyway so it doesn't matter if we change the grade or not."

It matters as we get an over all percentage based on points...So I retaliated with,

"Then next time I shouldn't be so motivated to go out of my way and add what is required if I suspect that YOUR computer is not working because you will not give me the points anyway?"

So Taylor says,

"Sorry I will have a look at it again and see if it's working now, and email you back."

I have a suspicion that they didn't look at it properly the first time. This just really shows me how thoroughly these teachers are checking the assignments *sarcasm* and how incompetent they truly are. Seriously I had so many positive expectations for this program and this is not the first time this program has disappointed me :(

*Rant over*

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Develop Positive Interactions PowerPoint or Prezi

Module 4 Unit 1 Activity 2

Here is the Prezi that I made:

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Classroom Management Scenario: Aggressive Behavior

Module 4 Unit 1 Activity 1

This one was an ungraded activity. It looks like this:

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Video Log: Reflection on Digital Tools for Learning

Module 3 Unit 4 Activity 5

Here is my video: 

http://youtu.be/NcbXuMPH6MU 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Instructional Strategy: Cooperative Learning through Research Projects

Module 3 Unit 4 Activity 4

This was another group project. My partners were Christopher Shears and Ian Pollard. 

The activity can be found here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11gtdMlUInUkKj7XYvqK4uj0qIxdd7qMg4LzMS_UloRU/edit 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Instructional Strategy: Voicethread for Similarities and Differences

Module 3 Unit 4 Activity 3

We were put in groups of three. My partners were Ian Pollard and Christopher Shears.

Here is our voicethread link: http://voicethread.com/myvoice/#q.b5899821.i30266314 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Explain a Concept Using a Mobile App or Tablet Device Part 2

Module 3 Unit 4 Activity 2

Scavenger Hunt Using QR Codes

Presentation Topic: Prepositions of Location

Workshop Date and Time: Friday 11^th of July, 2014

Location: The English Learning Center

No. of Students: 2

Audience Description: Korean elementary students age 8 – 9 years old.

Preparation:

I prepared for this activity by texting the student’s mothers to ask if they were allowed to be filmed, and also to ask for permission to bring their smart phones to school. They preferred not to be filmed, so I asked if I could take pictures of them and blur their faces out. They said this was ok. I also made sure the students downloaded the Google Goggles app.

I then went to www.qrstuff.com  to make the QR codes for the students using prepositions of location, and their clues.

I printed the QR codes and hid them in locations around our small school.

I made sure I had all the worksheets and materials to help explain the prepositions of location. The worksheets are located below:

Preposition of location worksheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5fTaPEKu3vwOWkwdU9FTVB6RDg/edit?usp=sharing

Clue sheet:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fWIiv6_aa3Wy3NSPTIZsCdyBJcbvOhtat6XTdq-1eAY/edit?usp=sharing

QR codes/ worksheets:

Found in the Teach Now submission page.

Procedure:

Describe what procedure you followed for setting up and conducting activity. Copy or link any activities that you conducted during the session. Add references to time segments in your recorded video if you think some portion of your session was captured well on camera.

As a mentioned above, to set up the activity, I made sure the kids had their phones and downloaded the app on their phones the previous week. When they arrived, I made sure that their apps were on their phones.

In the beginning of the class I started my class with a cup and a Shrek doll. I went through all the vocabulary with them showing Shrek placed in the different prepositions of location. Then after I think they are familiar with the vocabulary, I quiz them by placing Shrek in different locations and asking them, “Where is Shrek?”.

When I felt like they were familiar with the words, I gave them the worksheet found on the preparation section and gave them a few minutes to finish the activity.

When they were done, I took out a QR code and ask them if they know what it was. I explained what QR codes are and I got them to take their phones out and click on the application. I made them scan it and press on the message they got. Then I explained what a scavenger hunt is. I told them that they would be given specific clues about where the next QR code is, and that all QR codes have a letter they have to write down to get a final message, but they would have to go to different locations in our small school to find the clues. I told them that the student who found out the hidden message first, could choose a game to play for the remainder of the time. I gave them the clues sheet found on the preparation section and explained that they could write down the letters on it. I took out another QR code to get them started.

When the students gathered all the clues, they came back to their seats and my winning student was Ryan.

Then we did a small review of the prepositions of locations, and then I asked them what they thought of the scavenger hunt, and what they liked, or didn’t like and what they learned.

Finally, we had about 10 minutes left and Ryan got to choose a game for us to play the remainder of the class. He wanted to watch the end of a movie we have watched in class previously and I agreed.

After the activity was over, I reviewed the prepositions of location to see if they remembered. They did not use cheat sheets, and I provided an audio recording of them.

Below is the breakdown of the time that I estimated for my lesson:

60 minute Lesson

5 minutes of attendance and introduction

15 minutes of explanations of prepositions of location/worksheets

5 minutes explanations of their tasks

10 minutes to search for QR codes

5 minutes to decipher clues and discuss their answers

5 minutes to review what they have learned, get feedback on the activity and talk about next weeks activities

Use remainder of the time for games picked by the winner

The rubric: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x4QPNx9w-rpa6TWLIHvNsoalGuASDXjSXuOvuSij5yQ/edit?usp=sharing

Rubric:

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Comprehension	Student seems to understand all directions and prepositions of location.	Student seems to understand most of the directions and prepositions of location.	Student understands some parts of the directions and prepositions of location.	Student has trouble understanding or remembering most directions and prepositions of location.
Respects Others	Student follows directions without without distracting others.	Student gets off tasks but does not distract others.	Student gets off task, distract others OR moves around in ways that distract others once.	Student gets off task distract others, OR moves around in ways that distract others more than once.
Participates Willingly	Student willingly tries to ask questions and find the clues on their own.	Student willingly tries to find clues but ask gets others off task by asking them for the clues.	Student does not willingly participate and tries to get answers from others.	Student does not participate.

Key Take Away Points:

A few things that I learned from this experience is that I my students really love getting tasks that involve not sitting at their desks the whole time.

Another thing that I was surprised was that the volume of my voice was quite loud. I guess I am used to teaching larger classes. 

I could also manage my class better because they were very excited to start the game and didn’t pay much attention to the instructions.

I also stood in front of them most of the time. I could move around a little more.

Sometimes I speak a little fast so I could have explained a few things at a slower pace.

Overall I learned a lot from doing this lesson and my students really enjoyed and learned the prepositions of location.

Feedback:

Describe or quote feedback from students and your mentor. Copy or link any feedback documents that you gathered from participants after the session.

When I asked my students what they thought of the activity they said that it was fun.

I asked them if they knew why we did it, and they said it was to learn the prepositions of places.

I also asked them if they would like to do it again and both of my students said yes.

I could also tell that they really like it because when they started the scavenger hunt they were very engaged in what they were doing, and were looking to achieve their goals and deciphering the words.

It was very entertaining for me to take pictures of them and watch them retrace their paths when they were unsure if they were looking in the right place.

My mentor said that he thought the activity was very engaging and he thought it was a great idea for teaching our students the prepositions of place.

He did say that I should have made sure my students understood the instructions clearly before I let them start the scavenger hunt as they seemed distracted because they were eager to start. He wasn’t sure if all my instructions were clear to them because they were already setting the apps on their phones, before I finished explaining my instructions.

Evidence: