tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82416881870684769022024-03-13T11:50:55.220-07:00Outside Looking InThe random thoughts of a mid-life career changer as he works toward his education degree.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-84295102857276840102014-02-04T06:58:00.000-08:002014-02-04T06:58:10.022-08:00Time for Renewal A few folks have asked about my progress into the field of education, so I decided to post an update.<br />
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I have not changed careers, I am still employed at a steel mill on the shore of Lake Michigan. Even though I know I'm born to be a teacher (and have been told this by countless others), reality has won this battle. The simple facts are that I can't afford the pay cut. There is no way I could support my family, send my kids to college, and have any sort of retirement if I started teaching in the public school system. The low starting pay and poor benefits just can't support where I am in my life's journey.<br />
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When I first received my teaching license I applied to many positions and received MANY job offers. I accepted one position and was well on my way to changing careers, but as the time to make the switch came closer I just couldn't do it. I resigned my position and remained at the steel mill.<br />
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That was almost two years ago.<br />
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This January I had to renew my license (along with the CPR certification). The renewal process brought back all of the memories of receiving my initial license and the tough decision to turn down job offers. Although I can not foresee any way I will be able to change careers soon, I did renew my certification.<br />
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Maybe someday.......<br />
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(I'll keep buying lottery tickets)Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-17403649394268246582012-06-19T06:53:00.000-07:002012-06-19T06:53:19.295-07:00The Future of Learning: Don't get caught with your paradigm down<div id="__ss_13202349" style="width: 425px;">
<span style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;">I stumbled across this today on LinkedIn. </span><span style="display: block; margin: 12px 0px 4px;">Enjoy</span><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><br /></strong><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/awhaits/the-future-of-learning-dont-get-caught-with-your-paradigm-down" target="_blank" title="The Future of Learning: Don't get caught with your paradigm down">The Future of Learning: Don't get caught with your paradigm down</a></strong> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/13202349" style="border-width: 1px 1px 0; border: 1px solid #CCC;" width="425"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/awhaits" target="_blank">Anne Whaits @ Varsity College</a> </div>
</div>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-86258518484577741562012-04-10T17:45:00.001-07:002012-04-10T17:54:33.217-07:00The Myths and Opportunities of Technology in the Classroom<br />
Alan November on technology and learning.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/12642950?color=e0b928" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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"...and when we discover that schools are blocking almost every powerful social tool we've got..."
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I agree with Alan's basic philosophy. The best filter is the one between our ears. Students need to develop the skills to effectively navigate the web safely. How can they learn these skills if we block access to the powerful tools they need to use? Just this week I visited a school that blocked Flickr for both the teachers and the students. It mad me sad to hear how the staff had to fight just to get YouTube access for the teacher accounts.<br />
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This is not my first time addressing this issue. As in my <a href="http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2009/02/pick-analogy.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I think we are doing a disservice to children if we attempt to childproof the internet. There is no possible way to remove all of the sharp corners and wrap the rest in bubble wrap. <br />
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Where is the balance between safety and creative freedom? Do you think your school has found thd balance? I'd love to hear your story.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-41734783211738770682012-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:002012-04-05T11:29:44.882-07:00You Never Know Who Might Read Your Blog...I found an unusual entry on my visitor log:<br />
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Hmmmmmm........Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-87406411930604486182012-04-05T06:00:00.002-07:002012-04-05T06:00:44.729-07:00A SMART post about SMART coaches (written by a SMART guy)A few weeks ago I recommended a book to fellow Indiana educator Byron Ernest. The book inspired him to write a <a href="http://byronernest.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/learning-from-smart-coaches/" target="_blank">blog post</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://byronernest.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/learning-from-smart-coaches/">http://byronernest.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/learning-from-smart-coaches/</a>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-70394570938719337242012-02-10T18:48:00.000-08:002012-02-10T19:06:32.358-08:00Stop - Reset? Nope.... Off to the Fair!It has been a while since my last post. In my defense, I've been a bit busy. I completed 16 weeks of student teaching, finished one more class I needed for my degree, and took 2 Praxis exams.<br />
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The past few months have been a challenge.
After 5 years of working full time, going to school, moving to a new house, and losing a parent... I finally finished my degree. I'm happy to report I have earned my B.S. degree in elementary education with a final GPA of 3.86/4.0. (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/scottshelhartportfolio/">you can view my portfolio here</a>)<br />
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I thought I'd have a little time to rest, but I was mistaken. I was looking forward to a time of rest and reset, but it wasn't meant to be. Soon after the end of the semester it was time to apply for my teaching license and start searching for a job. The job hunting experience led me to a web site for an out-of-state job fair. It took some work to obtain an admission ticket, but I'm scheduled to attend a job fair in Tennessee in the near future.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3apaa5jJfA/TzXZLugEc-I/AAAAAAAAAr8/ZjCRWTiIySM/s1600/fair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K3apaa5jJfA/TzXZLugEc-I/AAAAAAAAAr8/ZjCRWTiIySM/s200/fair.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I've never been to a job fair, so I'm not sure what to expect. I've printed a stack of resumes, dusted off my suit, and polished my shoes. Wish me luck - I'll report back soon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitzcelt/275891766/">Photo Credit</a> </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bitzcelt/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Mike Bitzenhofer</a>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-42996132566060475902011-07-24T05:01:00.000-07:002011-10-12T05:58:05.391-07:00Date Countdown - Student TeachingThe summer semester is complete and all of my course work has been submitted. <br />
3 classes (7 credit hours) in 8 weeks was a challenge, but I met the deadline with a few days to spare.<br />
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It finally hit me today that I am finished with the formal coursework required for my undergrad degree. Other than a few on-campus meetings, my journey to a degree and teaching certification is almost complete. All that remains is 16 weeks of student teaching and a few standardized tests.<br />
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As of today (29 days to go and counting)I'm not nervous. I imagine I will get more anxious as the big day approaches. <br />
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Do you have any last minute words of wisdom before I enter the domain of the 3rd graders?Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-35371795978121231152011-07-10T04:46:00.001-07:002011-07-10T04:46:23.488-07:00Good job?<div><p>http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/gj.htm</p>
</div>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-77493022243688196952011-04-20T18:12:00.000-07:002011-04-20T18:12:22.678-07:00Providing a sparkMy recent discussion and posting of my philosophy of education has proved inspiration for another to do the same. <br />
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An online friend of mine, Pat Hensley, decided to <a href="http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2011/04/staying-on-right-path.html">post and reflect on her personal philosophy of education</a>.<br />
I enjoy reading what other people think and feel about education. I learn something new in each philosophy statement I read. <br />
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I'm glad I was able to be the spark to inspire others to share. :-)<br />
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Care to share your personal education philosophy?Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-35344641756193038792011-04-15T20:32:00.000-07:002011-04-21T14:17:04.810-07:00iPods in Kindergarten?Can iPod touch devices be used in a kindergarten classroom?<br />
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Yes they can! <br />
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Take a moment and check out <a href="http://poulingail.edublogs.org/archives/3370">Gail's blog.</a>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-67530216761925832872011-04-15T19:41:00.000-07:002011-04-20T18:07:02.291-07:00Philosophy of Education.... on one pageFor the past few weeks I have been struggling with an assignment for my art class. I was required to write my philosophy of education, but keep it confined to one page.<br />
<a href="http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2011/04/philosophy-of-educationreaderss-digest.html">(See my previous post) </a><br />
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It took a while, but I was able to write a one page version on my philosophy of education.<br />
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I still struggle with this assignment. Confining this to one page, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>One that you might want to take into an interview</i>" as my professor said, seems counter productive. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Maybe one day it will make sense.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Enjoy! </span><br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Assignment Five<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">#5 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Write a brief description of what your purpose is in becoming a teacher. This should be no longer than one page. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <span class="apple-tab-span"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My purpose in education is to make the world a better place while answering an internal call to service. I believe that most of the social issues that drag down society can be reduced or eliminated by providing all children with a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">quality</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">education. I strongly believe that </span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">all children </span></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">can learn and be successful in school.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span class="apple-tab-span"> </span>I am called to education to be an agent of change. Problem solving, project based learning, differentiation, and inquiry are common elements of my classroom. Teacher-centric instruction, the “sage on the stage” model, does not exist in my learning environment. I am a facilitator, an “educational travel guide” who helps student learn to think, reason, question, and experiment. Learning by doing, solving problems, and collaborating with others are the backbone of my educational philosophy. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span class="apple-tab-span"> </span>Because children learn in different ways, they must be taught in different ways. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Instruction must be presented using a variety of approaches so that the multiple intelligences of the students are engaged. My method of instruction includes hands-on activities, music, visual arts, reading, writing, and collaboration. I do my best to provide what each child needs; whether it is a quiet place, access to technology, the ability to move freely, or an alternate method of displaying mastery of an objective.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span class="apple-tab-span"> </span> I believe that the unwritten curriculum of building social skills is just as important as state standards. Building community, conflict resolution, and learning to work together will always take a high priority in my classroom. My purpose as an educator is to teach and nurture the whole child, not just increase his or her test scores. </span></span></span></div></blockquote><br />
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4/20/11 update: I received the equivalent of an A+ grade on my one page submission. :-)Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-75713870720175397322011-04-02T11:08:00.000-07:002011-04-02T11:14:27.279-07:00Philosophy of Education...Readers's Digest Edition<div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes I just can't accept the rules as they are written.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of my current courses required me to submit my Philosophy of Education statement in less than one page. I felt compelled to write a letter to my instructor about the requirement.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><blockquote><i>Assignment #5 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION: Write a brief description of what your purpose is in becoming a teacher. This should be no longer than one page.</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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I have written and revised my philosophy of education several times during my years as a Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College student. </blockquote><blockquote>The latest version can be viewed on my public blog.<br />
<a href="http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-step.html">http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-step.html</a><br />
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My personal philosophy, like my resume, does not fit on one page.<br />
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Try as I may, I have difficulty deciding what topics are the least important and should be cut. My gut tells me that all of the paragraphs are important. My educational philosophy is a reflection of my thoughts, feelings, and passions. It is <u>personal</u>. For it to be mine, it has to be more than one page.<br />
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I can pare it down to meet the one page, double-spaced MS Word document requirement if you wish, but it will be an empty pile of buzzwords and catch-phrases... not <u>my</u> philosophy.<br />
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How would you like me to proceed?</blockquote><br />
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Yes, I know I shouldn't be "kicking the beehive" this close to graduation, but I just couldn't bite my virtual tongue on this one. I felt compelled to stand up for what I see as important. <br />
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As the old saying goes, you can't un-ring a bell. The above email has already been sent. <br />
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Am I sorry? No. I'd do it again.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-21372291696205995252011-02-06T14:27:00.000-08:002011-04-21T14:17:54.259-07:00The New Indiana Teacher EvaluationRecently the <a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/">Indiana Department of Education</a> released their draft of the new model <a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2011/02-February/modelevaluations.html">teacher evaluations</a>. At first glance I thought the <a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/puttingstudentsfirst/docs/2011-01-28_teacher_effectiveness_rubric_draft.pdf">rubric</a> looked promising. I was so excited about the language used I had to share this information with some friends. My email about change and improvement triggered a passionate response from a teacher "in the trenches". <br />
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The following is a portion of the email exchange. Names have been deleted to protect the sender's privacy. I am publishing this with the author's permission.<br />
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<blockquote><i>Me:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Did you see this?</span><a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2011/02-February/modelevaluations.html" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">http://www.doe.in.gov/news/<wbr></wbr>2011/02-February/<wbr></wbr>modelevaluations.html</a>At first glance, I think I like it.<br />
Your thoughts?</i></blockquote><br />
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Friend:<br />
Honestly- I can see where it can be completely and totally worked to make it seem like the teachers in our building are meeting the highest levels of the rubrics by still using their teacher editions and their current teaching methods:<br />
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Domain 1-Purposeful Planning- all the category 4 criteria can be "met" using the teacher edition of the basal. They used this to say they met the criteria for (ADMIN'S) differentiation lessons & criteria<br />
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Domain 2- Effective instruction- This is covered in the current teacher evaluation and OF COURSE this would have already would have been fixed by our building principal if it wasn't being done & higher order questioning is in the side margins of the teacher's editions!<br />
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Domain 3- Teacher Leadership- The teachers in our building already serve on bunches of committees including (*** club), each grade level has a parent involvement evening through Title 1, there is a grade level representative on the (PTA type organization), and they do RTI. How much else should they have to do?<br />
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Domain 4- oops- You want them to be on time? Ok, well we can work on that one for the few who are late every single day. We will mention them in general at every single faculty meeting and maybe if they would shut up they might hear us!<br />
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In all honesty, we, as teachers, already fill out a form that makes us prove that we are highly qualified and it just asks if we have taken the NTE and passed or if you are a newer teacher if you have met some other criteria. This is just another bogus form that the principal will check off and say, "yes, of course, my staff does all this stuff and is highly qualified" because if they don't the superintendent will shoot them for causing issues.<br />
It looks like a really good idea and I would love to see it not be so vague with so many generalities that can be met using a textbook or the same old methods. I would like to see it force teachers to step out of the box further, force them to change and prove that they are. Perhaps, proving you are a highly qualified teacher and that you will continue to be one by learning and doing something to improve yourself. In what way will you improve yourself as a teacher, how will you do it and how will you prove that you have done it? Now, if you want to keep your job, go do it.</blockquote><blockquote style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i>Me: I Love your reply. Can I send it to the state DOE and/or publish it? I Think <a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/superintendent/">Tony Bennett</a> needs to read it </i></blockquote><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><blockquote style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Friend:<br />
Sure- it won't make any difference though because the state won't do anything that has real teeth to it. There are ALWAYS loopholes..... The good teachers (and I bravely put myself in that category) will be the ones who worry and fret and work harder and quit teaching because we feel we aren't doing good enough and the ones who have been the same thing for the last 15-20 years will continue to find the loopholes and skate by and not really make any change (although they will gripe about how much they have been forced to suffer over these new rules) and nothing will be done. <br />
Sorry- I do not mean to sound so cynical and bitter but I kind of am because I do work really hard and I want to do more and I want to be a better teacher for my kids (and I know there are a lot of areas where I need to improve) and yet I see people who do the least amount of work possible getting the same title "highly Qualified teacher" as me and it does make me angry and bitter.<br />
(maybe Tony ought to see this part of my e-mail, as well)</blockquote><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I'd love to hear some more opinions from educators and administrators. Does the new Indiana plan look like it will make a difference? Does it or will it have "teeth"? Will this help foster real change or real red tape?</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">What do you think?</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Please share your thoughts. </div><div style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><s>I'm sending a link </s> I sent a link to this post via twitter to the Indiana </span><a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/" style="border-collapse: collapse;">DOE</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"> and </span><a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/superintendent/" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Dr. Bennett</a> with hopes that they might read the blog and the comments<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Please post your feedback so that we can collectively make Indiana education better. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Update 2/9/11: Yes, someone from the state took the time to read this. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Thanks for your visit, D.O.E.</span></span><br />
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</div>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-80435339708572132042010-10-04T03:15:00.000-07:002010-10-04T03:15:08.523-07:00Get ready.....Get set......Today is my first day working in 4th grade. This should be a great two weeks. I am prepared to teach my science unit. The classroom teacher should have prepared seeds for today that the students can pry open and examine. I have prepared a batch of seeds just in case she forgot. I have lesson outlines, notebook examples, pictures, software, laptop, supplies, back-up plans, a cool tie, and comfortable shoes. <br />
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I'm not nervous at all. This is going to be a walk in the park.<br />
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Why did I wake up at 3AM?<br />
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Well, maybe a little nervous.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-71756626744747081742010-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:002010-09-29T17:47:29.131-07:00Here we go again...It's time to get back in the classroom. I start another 'field experience' this Monday. This time I will be in fourth grade. I had an opportunity to meet with my cooperating teacher today. We discussed the schedule, lesson plans, and what I will be doing. I volunteered to teach a science unit, and Ms. C. quickly accepted my offer. <br />
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Stay tuned for two weeks of reflections, plant updates, and excitement!Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-28163378982115870232010-08-22T07:21:00.001-07:002010-08-22T14:09:24.556-07:00Goodbye Dad<img alt="Visitations" border="0" height="13" src="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/images/titles/visitations.gif" title="Visitations" vspace="10" width="72" /> <br />
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<tr> <td style="padding-left: 1px; padding-top: 5px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/visitations/Guestbook.php?id=1339&action=post" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('imgSignGuestbook','','../images/visitations/SignGuestbook_on.gif',1)"><img border="0" id="imgSignGuestbook" name="imgSignGuestbook" src="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/images/visitations/SignGuestbook.gif" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/visitations/Guestbook.php?id=1339" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('imgViewGuestbook','','../images/visitations/ViewGuestbook_on.gif',1)"><img border="0" id="imgViewGuestbook" name="imgViewGuestbook" src="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/images/visitations/ViewGuestbook.gif" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/visitations/Photos.php?id=1339&action=post" onmouseout="MM_swapImgRestore()" onmouseover="MM_swapImage('imgViewPhotos','','../images/visitations/ViewPhotos_on.gif',1)"><img border="0" id="imgViewPhotos" name="imgViewPhotos" src="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/images/visitations/ViewPhotos.gif" /></a><br />
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<img height="2" src="http://www.jacksonfuneral.com/Images/clear.gif" /> </td> <td style="padding-right: 5px;" valign="top"><table><tbody>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Name:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="line-height: 105%;">Clifford "Mike" Shelhart</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Date:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="line-height: 105%;">May 23rd, 1940 - August 20th, 2010</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Obituary:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="line-height: 125%; text-align: justify;">Clifford Mike Shelhart age 70, of Wheatfield, Ind. passed away at his residence on Friday August 20, 2010. He was born on May 23, 1940 in Rensselaer, Ind. the son of John James and Agnes Helena (Tansel) Shelhart, both deceased. Mike was a 1958 graduate of the DeMotte High School. Mike had worked as a operating engineer for the Local #150 for 52 years. On March 23, 1962 in Gary, Ind., he married Barbara Warren and she survives. Mike was a member of the American Reformed Church, DeMotte, Ind. He was a Past Master of the Hebron Masonic Lodge # 502, F&AM, Past Patron of the Order of the Easter Star, Hebron Chapter #119, member of the Scottish Rite Valley of South Bend, Past High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons, Chapter #150, Past Illustrious Master of the Norman L. Brown Counsel #109, Cryptic Masons of Indiana and was currently serving as Eminent Commander of the H.W. Matthewson Commandery #66 of the Knights Templar of Indiana Michael is survived by: Barbara (Warren) Shelhart, spouse; Scott (Lisa) Shelhart, Wheatfield, Ind., son; Mark (Jennifer) Shelhart, Chesterton, Ind., son; Cynthia (Brad Brickner) Shelhart, Chesterton, Ind., daughter; Sisters - Shirley Anderson of Kouts, Ind.; Sandra Shelhart of Hammond, Ind.; Bonnie (Tom) Postma of DeMotte, Ind.; 4 - grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents.</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Memorials:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple">Jasper County Hospital Home Healthcare & Hospice or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Visitations:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="line-height: 105%;">2:00PM to 8:00PM on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at Jackson Funeral Service of DeMotte (Masonic Service at 7:00PM) <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=DeMotte&state=IN&address=200%203rd%20Street,%20SW&zip=46310&country=us&zoom=8" target="_blank">(map/driving directions)</a></td> </tr>
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<tr> <td style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Services:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="line-height: 105%;">10:00AM at Jackson Funeral Service of DeMotte on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=DeMotte&state=IN&address=200%203rd%20Street,%20SW&zip=46310&country=us&zoom=8" target="_blank">(map/driving directions)</a></td> </tr>
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</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 105%;">Cemetery:</td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="text2C3753purple" style="line-height: 105%;">Crockett Cemetery<br />
1800 W 725 S<br />
Rensselaer, IN 47978 <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Rensselaer&state=IN&address=1800%20W%20725%20S&zip=47978&country=us&zoom=8" target="_blank">(map/driving directions)</a><br />
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</tbody></table><object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkd9sr%2Fsets%2F72157624658335801%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkd9sr%2Fsets%2F72157624658335801%2F&set_id=72157624658335801&jump_to="></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkd9sr%2Fsets%2F72157624658335801%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fkd9sr%2Fsets%2F72157624658335801%2F&set_id=72157624658335801&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-8676450272236616422010-02-27T06:26:00.000-08:002010-02-28T04:27:44.724-08:00Hunting for an excuse.This Rhode Island school board went hunting for an excuse for their failing school.<br />
It appears they went hunting with a bomb instead of a rifle (Its an analogy...please don't get the wrong idea about the reference). One of my friends said this was like a hospital removing someone's entire leg to treat a few small infected sores. <br />
I understand the need for change, but to fire ALL of the teachers seems to be the wrong approach.<br />
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Who is the school board going to hire now? An entire school of fresh graduates? Teachers that have been fired from other purging school boards? <br />
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What do you think? <br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JKwCplW0IBg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JKwCplW0IBg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-53800677832441072902010-02-05T21:30:00.000-08:002010-02-06T18:08:52.059-08:00Student Teaching Day 102/5/10<br />
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Day 10<br />
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The End<br />
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The last day of my teaching experience started like most of the others. We had warm up sheets, the two minute math test, pledge to the flag, etc. For the math lesson we started with watching some of the Schoolhouse Rock videos on multiplication. After the videos we did some multiplication activities and ISTEP sample problems. Maybe my post on<a href="http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2010/02/student-teaching-day-6.html"> play vs inquiry</a> had a small effect on Mrs. J.<br />
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The children went to music and gym today. While they were gone Mrs. J. and I talked while she planned lessons and I graded papers. She showed me the highly scored scoring rubric she had filled out to send to my college. Even though it wasn't all flowers and sunshine, I received high marks from all involved. <br />
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The afternoon writing activity was a small group project designed to teach descriptive writing, The students were allowed to pick their own groups. The four high ability girls banded together. The boys stuck together. The below grade level students grouped together. The results were not what we expected. The high ability group and the two groups of boys spent most of their time arguing and correcting each other. The low ability group worked together and produced more descriptive sentences than any of the other groups. It was fun to watch.<br />
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We did a few other activities and took a few tests as the end of the day approached. The students turned in their work and got ready to leave. On girl took Mrs. J out into the hall to tell her something urgent just before the students were released. I found out later that the girl had a surprise gift that she wanted Mrs. J. to deliver to me.<br />
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Here is my parting gift:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qHc84evAS4U/S22EJ_8UqQI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/IfqZ8nO7jR4/s1600-h/N___.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qHc84evAS4U/S22EJ_8UqQI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/IfqZ8nO7jR4/s200/N___.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
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My friend N__ had brought me a Valentine card. <strike>Hannah Montana</strike> <i>Wizards of Waverly Place</i> star "Alex" was neatly holding a Jolly Rancher apple flavored sucker. My first valentine from a student. <br />
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After the students had left Mrs. J and I discussed how things had went and what we had learned over the past two weeks. We both had a great time and worked well together.. Mrs. J, who had said on day one that she never wanted to have another student teacher for 8 weeks, invited me back to do my student teaching in her classroom. I could have not wished for a better evaluation than to be invited back to teach again.<br />
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I have made many new friends over the past two weeks. I have strengthened some professional relationships. I have learned about children and about myself. I discovered new things about office politics and the interaction of school departments. I learned how to use a Promethean board, electronic voters, and two different document cameras. I discovered how to co-teach and how differentiation works in the classroom. I made a great connection with my friend and mentor Mrs. J.<br />
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I learned that a handwritten card and an apple sucker can be the best gift in the world.<br />
Happy Valentines Day N____.<br />
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I'm going to go eat my sucker, look at all of the photos I took this week, and miss my students for a little while.<br />
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Thanks kids. Thanks Mrs. J. I'll miss you.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-66203342653213495442010-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:002010-02-06T07:08:55.186-08:00Student Teaching Day 92/4/10<br />
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Day 9<br />
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Today was another normal day. The morning work and math lesson symmetry went well. Everything was fine until we went to the computer lab to write our final copies of the persuasive letter we wrote this week. Things went downhill in a hurry.<br />
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The students were very needy. How do I ..... over and over again. These students have been doing similar exercises on these machines since kindergarten. They should know how to type a document on a word processor. The computer lab teacher and Mrs. J agreed. It was hard not knowing who to help and who to let struggle a bit more. I made some mistakes that raised the tension level in the room. Students made some bad choices that further added to the stress.The overall computer lab experience was terrible for all involved. Maybe this is due to the lab environment instead of having computers in the classroom. Some ed-tech types say that labs are bad. Technology should be like air - unnoticeable and everywhere. I am inclined to agree, but if there were 5-10 computers in each classroom, then the classroom teacher would be responsible for teaching and coaching technology use. The experience level and teaching capabilities are widely varied among the teachers. Would putting computers in the classroom give all students an equal opportunity? I'm not sure.<br />
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I was able to witness a few of the students have some social difficulties. A few of the boys had a <strike>fight</strike><i> </i>difference of opinion at recess. This led to one boy being shunned at lunch; no one would sit with him out of fear of getting into trouble. The shunned third grader, a normally rough-and-tumble type, had a tearful meltdown at the lunch table. It was not the warm-fuzzy teachable moment you read about in the textbooks, but it was an opportunity for growth. I think the class troublemaker learned a bit of the unwritten curriculum today. Sometimes the lessons taught by playground politics are just as difficult to learn as long division.<br />
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I got to witness a bit of the emotional stress that teachers must endure. One student's family is going through a break-up. The child seems to sleep (or not sleep) in a different place every night. Another student will soon be evicted from their residence. Knowing these details of a child's life places a strain on the classroom teacher. I do not know how a teacher could not be affected by the events happening in their students' lives. If a teacher is not affected by these issues, perhaps they are in the wrong profession. I've barely known these kids for a week or two, and I'm losing sleep worrying about them. How do teachers deal with this for 180 days and year?<br />
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Today was not the best day of my teaching experience; but they can't all be great. Another teachable moment for me.<br />
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On a brighter note, I was invited to sit with the teachers at their table during lunch. I've made it to the big time in the lounge.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-89380903214274140332010-02-05T19:50:00.000-08:002010-02-05T19:53:34.959-08:00Student Teaching Day 82/3/10<br />
Day 8<br />
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Final Evaluation Day<br />
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The day started with the usual morning routine, but with one exception. We had a class meeting where Mrs. J explained some changes in procedure. It was the end of the grading period and time to move one step closer to fourth grade. No longer would she prompt them for missing work. If it's not turned in - too bad. This is now grade 3.5 and the requirements have changed. Some students will be unaffected by the change because they always turn their work in on time. Other students, the ones with poor grades and a poor history of getting work in on time, will have to change their ways in order to keep their grade from dropping further. The tough-love message of the day might motivate some students, but others just don't seem to 'get it', as they say every day. Perhaps this is a lesson for the parents as well as the students. I wish I could be around to observe the results of the changes.<br />
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We had a visit from a new guidance person this morning. Our new visitor gave a presentation on bullying. Her lesson included some role playing games to demonstrate what a student could do in certain situations. The content was good, but the delivery was off. Most guidance presentations I have seen have this same problem. I believe that a trained guidance counselor has a valid place in the school, but might not be the best one for presenting the message. In elementary school the student-teacher relationship is strong. The classroom teacher knows the students better than anyone else in the school building. I think it might be best if the guidance personnel assisted the classroom teacher in planning and delivering the content, and let the teacher be the one that delivers the message; either alone or co-teaching with the guidance staff.<br />
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One bright spot of the morning was when two members of a island of students assisted a third during the guidance lesson. The group seating is starting to foster some sense of community.<br />
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The afternoon brought my professor and my final evaluation. The lesson was a flip chart on the IWB about reading and context clues. A short quiz using the voting devices followed the lesson. Mrs. J gave my professor a voting remote and told her she had to play along. My evaluator seemed to be taken a bit off guard, but participated in the exercise.<br />
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The lesson went....OK. Not a slam dunk, not earth shattering, and nowhere close to the best thing I have ever done. It was just OK. It could have been better if we had written our own lesson, but we opted to use one from the Promethean web site. The overall review from my professor was favorable. She was impressed with my tech skills, classroom management, and teaching style. I received another fantastic review. <br />
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With the last visit from my college now behind me, I can finally relax and enjoy the next two days in the classroom.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-9012258371120828052010-02-02T19:01:00.000-08:002010-02-02T20:01:08.216-08:00Student Teaching Day 72/2/10<br />
Day 7<br />
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Today the students entered the room and had to search for their desks. All of the students (except 2) had had their desks placed in groups of 4 or 5. I expected grumbling and confusion, but the 3rd grade group handled the change with little disruption to their morning routine. Morning worksheets, breakfast, lunch choice, Star Spangled Banner (and they still get the words wrong) and all of the other familiar morning activities occurred without issue.<br />
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The day's schedule was a bit altered from the norm. Junior Achievement took up part of the day. The visit from the guidance counselor didn't happen today. We worked on math more than usual. Math is where the biggest event happened today.<br />
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Some students go to the resource room for math. Since we had an extra lesson today, these students were still in the classroom. Mrs. J gave a short review lesson on the IWB, and then the students were split into groups to work on multiplication using unifix-type blocks. The students were instructed to take 18 blocks and see how many different ways they could represent the total; 2 groups of 9, 3 groups of 6, etc. I offered to take two of the students that normally do not stay for math.<br />
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One girl (I'll call her H) in my group was a bit reluctant to try the activity. I worked with her slowly and she started to grasp the exercise. With tongue protruding out of the corner of her mouth, she stacked, counted, and re-stacked the blocks to find all of the possible combinations. When I showed her that there was a pattern (3x6 and 6x3, 2x9 and 9x2,...) I saw the light come on. She was so excited that she had to go up to the front of the room and share her discovery. I was happy to see that her classmates nodded in agreement and let her have her moment of glory. Many of the at/above grade level kids could have easily shot her down, but they did not. I felt a sense of community and family in the classroom. H had her 15 seconds of fame and then we moved on to the next activity.<br />
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The new seating arrangement seems to be working so far. There is a little chatting, but there is also some collaborating and mentoring going on at each island of desks. It is fun to watch them try to help each other without giving away the answer. I look forward to watching them work together the remainder of the week.<br />
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My professor visits tomorrow afternoon for my second and final evaluation. I am teaching a language unit on the Promethean board, complete with a quiz using the remote voter units. I ran through the flip-chart once. It should be easy, but I'm still a bit nervous. I did accidentally bring the Promethean board's pen home in my shirt pocket today. Maybe I'll sleep with it under my pillow for good luck.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-91095124128086732372010-02-02T16:45:00.000-08:002010-02-02T16:48:06.202-08:00Student Teaching Day 62/1/10<br />
Day 6<br />
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Inquiry vs Play<br />
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I am enjoying the inquiry based math instruction in this classroom. Watching the children construct their own strategies can be quite exciting. Mrs. J does a great job of letting the group members share their ideas. The children feel safe enough in the environment to share ideas without the fear of giving the wrong answer. They all seem content to be traveling down the same path of discovery as they learn about multiplication. The mixture of teacher led discussions at the white board, partner work, and seat work appears to be working well.<br />
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The language lessons I have witnessed have used a different approach. Learning the parts of speech is accomplished with a mixture of textbook lectures, worksheets, IWB activities, several doses of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock%21"><i>Schoolhouse Rock</i></a> videos, and some games. Today we learned more about adverbs while we played a game similar to <a href="http://scattergories.net/">Scattergories</a> . The students (and adults) had a fun time playing the game.<br />
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I'm not sure if math is more difficult than language or if the difference in teaching methods is having an effect, but it is clear to see that the students do better with language than math. I know that learning multiplication is difficult, and I understand that constructing knowledge takes time, but...... I believe that the reason that the students excel in their language skills is due to the presence of play. The games, music, and videos grab the students' attention and keeps them excited. Inquiry based math is...well... it is still math facts. Maybe some more music and games in math class would inspire a few more 'light bulb moments'. Maybe it's just too soon in the inquiry process and the ah-has will come in a few weeks.<br />
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The technology used in the classroom today got me a little more excited about how my hometown school feels about technology. I was greatly pleased to see <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/">Open Office</a> and <a href="http://www.teachertube.com/">TeacherTube</a> being used in the classroom. Free and open source software used to be unthinkable in the walled garden. I'm happy to see a shift, for the sake of the students, the teachers, and my tax bill.<br />
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After school Mrs. J and I decided to take the desks out of rows and try placing them in small groups. The students were grouped by compatibility and by ability level. Each group has at least one child who is below grade level, at grade level, and above grade level. It will be interesting to see how the kids react to the change tomorrow.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-85131436561001290322010-01-31T18:14:00.000-08:002010-02-02T16:10:10.076-08:00Student Teaching Day 51/29/10<br />
Day 5 <br />
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Friday was similar to the rest of the week. We used manipulatives in math more than we did earlier in the week. One child had something to share (or show-and-tell, as we called it when I was in school). The class had two 'specials', Music and Gym. Nothing out of the ordinary happened other than it was Popcorn Day. Every student either paid $0.25 for a bag of popcorn, or received it free for having perfect attendance. I'm normally against food for <strike>bribes</strike> rewards, but this seemed more like a party for everyone than a reward for perfect attendance. Perfect attendance for the grading period should be valued more than a bag of popcorn. <br />
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I'm beginning to get a feel for how the classroom dynamic changes when some of the children leave and go to the resource room for remediation. With a group of about 12 students left in the room, the instruction becomes more individualized. Students seem to enjoy the smaller class size and more personal interaction with the teacher. I can only hope that the students pulled out to the other classroom (staffed with one teacher and two paraprofessionals), are having as good of an experience.<br />
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The tension in the building is starting to build. You can almost feel the grip of THE test starting to squeeze. So much rides on the test scores. The students don't understand why it is important, but they know that the grown-ups <i>really</i> think it is important.<br />
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It's amazing what you learn when you eat lunch with the students every day. I can see the anxiety building in many of their eyes. They are genuinely worried and they aren't sure why.<br />
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Does it have to be this way?Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-50938305604851908242010-01-31T05:30:00.001-08:002010-01-31T16:25:19.029-08:00Field Guide For Change AgentsWhat did you do today? I <i>remotely </i>collaborated with a group of educators and helped create this presentation. Most of them were at a conference in Philadelphia. I was in Indiana. We made this in less than an hour.<br />
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Check out this SlideShare Presentation: <br />
<div id="__ss_3035592" style="text-align: left; width: 425px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/bhazzard/field-guide-for-change-agents" style="display: block; font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; margin: 12px 0pt 3px; text-decoration: underline;" title="Field Guide For Change Agents">Field Guide For Change Agents</a><object height="355" style="margin: 0px;" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=fieldguideforchangeagents-100130150714-phpapp02&stripped_title=field-guide-for-change-agents" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=fieldguideforchangeagents-100130150714-phpapp02&stripped_title=field-guide-for-change-agents" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br />
<div style="font-family: tahoma,arial; font-size: 11px; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" style="text-decoration: underline;">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/bhazzard" style="text-decoration: underline;">Ben Hazzard</a>.</div></div>Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241688187068476902.post-3228901940851721492010-01-29T00:11:00.000-08:002010-01-30T01:11:52.424-08:00Student Teaching Day 41/28/10<br />
Day 4<br />
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Making connections.<br />
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Thursday seemed to be less stressful. The weight of being evaluated seems to have been lifted from our collective shoulders. The reduction in tension allowed everyone to relax a bit. I was able to make some good connections and observations today.<br />
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We started the day in usual form. After the skill builder and math facts, we worked on a sample <a href="http://www.doe.in.gov/istep/">ISTEP </a>problem involving operations with time. After the students had the opportunity to work on the problems, Mrs. J led a discussion with the class. Using her familiar inquiry method, the document camera, and the IWB; Mrs. J discussed with the students how and why they came up with their answers. Some students are struggling, but I was able to witness the fabled "ah-ha" moment, along with the accompanying audible gasp. There are few finer sounds to be heard than this.<br />
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The activities in the computer lab were again self directed learning. The children had a choice of three activities. These programs are self adjusting to the students' level. Again, this is the place with the deepest student engagement. How can this be duplicated outside of the computer lab?<br />
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While the children were at Art, Mrs. J and I had an opportunity to talk about teaching as a career, how we each decided to become a teacher, the state of the economy and how it is affecting the job market, and other education related topics. We brainstormed about how to improve the use of technology in her classroom, the school, and in education in general. She told me of her experience at the<a href="http://www.iste.org/"> ISTE </a>conference she attended last summer. We talked about how a few of the students were having an off week, and some of the social issues that were a part of her student's lives. Conversations such as these are the most valuable portion of this field experience. I can improve my classroom management skills and learn about lesson plans while working as a sub, but interacting with teachers on this level does not normally happen during a normal sub assignment.<br />
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In the afternoon we worked on symmetry of shapes on the IWB, handwriting workbooks, and parts of speech on the IWB. Mrs. J and I seemed to develop a rhythm as we both worked around the room. Our teaching styles appeared to gel a bit today. I had never before been able to visualize how some people work as co-teachers, sharing a classroom with another full-time educator. After this afternoon, I can see how this could be a great arrangement if one had the right partner. I also see that it could be a disaster for all involved if the chemistry was not correct. <br />
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The day ended without incident and all of the students made it to their respective busses. Mrs. J was conducting a parent conference as I gathered my things to leave. She was talking to the mother of one of the students that had been having trouble this week. It was good to see her take a swift proactive approach to address any problems before they got out of hand. Another valuable tool for my toolbox; correct small issues before they become unmanageable.Scott Shelharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215921176352918686noreply@blogger.com1