Learning Activities

It was fun to mingle with the kids when we got a chance. We were mostly observers but we got a few chances to talk with the kids and teach them a few things. Although some of them taught us. Jocelyn taught Jess how to make laminate string key chains and Christopher taught me how to play "Make 7" which I stink at. We helped the younger children with learning activities they were given by Miss Nancy which included counting, vocabulary, puzzles, science, and virtually everything in between. We helped them only when they asked, or when they were making a big mess. A.J., brother to Anthony upstairs, made a mess of the worms which I wasn't really willing to clean up but helped him anyway. Along with helping the babies downstairs Jess and I helped collaborate the Easter project upstairs. We took foam pieces and created shapes on them for the children to cut out to put on their Easter bags for the hunt the YWCA was going to put on for them. We sat at the round table off the kitchen and talked with the staff member we admired so much and made the shapes big enough for the kids to cut out. We helped the littler kids with actual learning activities downstairs and did more conversing with the older children upstairs and helped them put together and play games. I think it was more about learning about the kids upstairs and talking to them than teaching them anything like we had earlier downstairs with the children who were much smaller. It was nice getting to know the children upstairs; how many siblings they had, what their favorite food was, what they like to do in their spare time and the like. I liked that they took time to share things with us and talk to us even though they had no idea who we were. We had to introduce ourselves a couple times but I think they finally caught out "Miss Jess" and "Miss Julie" after about the second or third visit.
We had a blast getting to know the kids and play with them and it was neat how they just jumped right in when we came to visit with them or watch a movie or even eat lunch. Some of them took our hands and we even got a few hugs out of  the whole deal. We helped the smaller children with learning activities and the older children we primarily talked with. It was a great time playing with and helping these children.

The Environment at the YWCA

The environment at the YWCA seemed welcoming when we first walked in...but I knew better. When we first met the director I wasn't fooled that she was fool of goodness and rainbows. She had a sharp, no nonsense attitude about her that was demeaning and I found it disgusting. That is not an environment in which children should grow and thrive. She seemed to gain delight in telling the children that she would keep them in her office for misbehaving. I did not gain a positive impression from her and I was irritated as she talked about what a great facility she ran. I understand that the kind of care her staff provides isn't stuffed animals and sunshine but being a positive, nice role model wouldn't hurt. The floors were mostly concrete and the playroom in the upstairs for the older children was covered by some thin...carpet? But I feel as if it wasn't even that sturdy because when the children walked on it it moved around.I enjoyed that the kids got along with one another. It was as if they knew that they were family once they were there and it was obvious that they leaned on one another for support. The environment that I favored the most was when we were downstairs helping the kids play dress up and do activities and play with nasty worms in nasty dirt that got absolutely everywhere. It's as if they had no inhibitions about who they were and why they were there. But how could they? They are so small...
The kids were a blast to chase and help learn. They listened to Miss Nancy and she was a treat to be in the classroom with. I thought she could be strict but she could also be sweet as candy and I thought she had a great mixture of both. She was sweet to the children but put them in their places if they were misbehaving. I thought the environment overall was harsh and could be improved but there were several staff members who truly cared for the children and seemed as though they genuinely loved them. Which is what these children need.

Children at the YWCA

The kids at the YWCA were...so much fun. It was fun to go see them in their element and it was definitely a special treat when we got to see them eat lunch. They were rowdy and rambunctious but listened when spoken to. Well, most of the time. It was difficult to see how the daycare providers managed them; I would say that was the most difficult part of the hours we had to complete. The way that they were spoken to...almost belittled...it made me sad. There was one nice woman who worked at the facility but I never had the opportunity to catch her name. She always called the children "baby" or "sweetheart" or pet names along those lines. She was always so sweet and so kind and so loving towards these children who probably need love the most. She was the only one who didn't screech and holler at them and make them cry over a spilled salad. It broke my heart that these children may go their entire childhood without feeling the love I felt as a child from my dedicated parents. No matter where that love may come from, every child should experience that. The children tended to be rambunctious but what child isn't? They were great with schedules and always followed the directions given, with the exception of tying a shoe before going to the bathroom. The smaller children (most of them, anyway) listened better but I think that was because that was the most direction they had throughout the day and they knew better than to disobey.
 Jess and I went together every time and worked with the smaller children twice and worked with the big kids for the remainder of our hours. We mostly talked to Israel, Jaslynn, Jocelyn and Christopher. I watched Chris and Israel play "Make 7" and even played a few rounds with them. I was no good. Chris beat me every time. Israel liked to talk a lot and was best friends with Anthony. Anthony runs the fastest in their grade but Israel was a close second. It was interesting listening to them talk, they spoke perfect English to Jess and myself but then they would talk to one another and slip into their colloquial slang. "Psh mayne why you gotta go and lie on me like that" That phrase is something I caught from Israel when he was talking to Anthony. They were great children to work with and unintentionally quite hilarious.
I loved seeing those kids and wished that I could take them under my wing and nurture them myself. I wish that I could get to know them better and spend more time with them. They were so much fun and I wish I had more opportunities to be with them.

Reading Response

Servant leadership is a term that is new to me but the concept is not. I have been a leader and have volunteered for most of my life and have done something similar to this assignment in practicum and also through my volunteer work. These ten hours are something I believe will be easily accomplished through this assignment. I really like that we have three check-ins in which we reflect on our experience-I think that it is important to take a time out to sit down and really reflect on the experience had thus far. Our first visit was definitely an eye-opening one-the YWCA isn't necessarily the most comfortable childcare facility. I'm excited to work with the kids and get to know them better and hopefully teach them a few things and do some crafts. I believe that these ten hours will have a significant impact on my life and I hope I can help these babies in return. I'm so excited to start!

Tom Sawyer's Discussion Abilities

Chapter 5 made me feel lots of things. Interested, excited, hesitant, slightly bored at times. . .but I think the main idea of the students learning good conversation skills is an idea that is not only completely underused within a classroom but has been blatantly ignored by administration and faculty alike. Because I'm an English major and an Education major, my class schedule layout is different than most El. Ed. majors. I have a lot of classes that are discussion based and as soon as I started getting into those upper division classes I was shocked that all we did was talk and I learned so, so much more than just lecture from the professor. Conversation skills need to be developed at a young age so students may know that they need these skills to be a professional and to be taken seriously. I was very fortunate to grow up in a home that used professional talk so I was submerged in that 'culture' as a very small child. Well, I haven't grown much since then but still. The idea of conversation within a classroom is one that I am particularly fond of. I was astonished that professors lead these discussions within the classroom and that's the activity for the day. That's the whole day-discussion. That's it! Have a nice day! And for me, it IS a nice day. My hand isn't cramped from writing a billion miles an hour and I get to hear my peers' stance on the literature, or novel, or even an article. I think that this tool within a classroom is absolutely marvelous. The student is able to participate in a discussion and reveal what he took away from the reading and his classmates are able to do the same thing and in unpacking the topic being discussed they are able to understand it so much better because it is in terms that the students may better understand.
Page 47 outlines activities teachers may use to spark that conversation creativity. There were some that I liked and some that I wasn't too fond of. I'll go in order. Storytelling is a concept that I was fond of but would not use in a constant manner. I think the students could get really off track with this idea and lose focus of the task at hand. I like that it sparks the imagination but dislike the amount of time it would use. I like the agenda setting but would also tweak this idea. I like the notion of addressing a student's behavior with the parent but would have to use it in a more friendly manner. I consider this idea to be like an outline of a research paper. I put down really good ideas to reinforce my flowing ideas within the paragraph. I like the problem solving idea-with parents or with students. I would like to treat my students with the utmost respect and expect the same in return, that being said I think the student can handle his workload and can handle a conversation with me if we need to discuss homework or behavior situations. I would also reinforce that idea with parents. I really, really liked the idea of brainstorming within the classroom. This is a concept that one of my professors used and I really, really like it and came to respect her more because of the free reign we had within the discussion. She would toss out an idea or concept from the literature and would create this reader response type setting in which we talked amongst ourselves but also discussed it with her again. We were able to get each other's views and then she would intercede with another thought-provoking idea. I know without a doubt that I will use this method within my own classroom. I also liked the idea of decision making but would tweak it too. I think the students should want to come to my class and I sincerely hope that I am the teacher whose class they can't wait to get to within the school day. I would allow the students to pick from various methods of learning about a particular unit for the day. We could choose from discussion, an activity, a worksheet, hopefully a SMART program would be another opportunity....I would like for my students to come to a consensus on how they would want to learn that day. I feel like students should receive that opportunity.
There are infinite other ideas I liked throughout this chapter and various others that I could tweak for my own use but the other idea I liked was the poem finding activity. Personally, as a student, that would get on my nerves because I'm not a huge fan of poetry. Maybe we could do song lyrics to a song that tied into a particular unit or something else that would be related.  This chapter got my creative juices flowing and I seriously cannot wait to mold the young minds of this country.

Literacy

The two articles posted made me reflect on my personal experience of my high school era and the values I intend to hold as a future educator. I went to a racially diverse high school and experienced first hand the Shannon's of the classroom and that in some classrooms, as horrendous as this concept is, let them get out of learning. If the students protested hard enough the young middle to upper-class white teacher would not argue with the students for fear of further retaliation. This concept of allowing students to pass within a classroom and not learn a single thing is absolutely appalling. I would never think of allowing a student to govern my classroom and I would definitely not allow a student to sit within my classroom and not learn anything. As a future educator I hope to instate rules that will allow for students to learn as much as I can possibly teach them as efficiently as possible.
The second article, as soon as it began, I was infuriated. Attending a racially mixed high school, predominantly black, allowed for many stereotypical slurs to be placed upon the institution and its students. The curricula wasn't well developed, the teachers weren't as qualified as they should be, etc. It was a constant challenge to prove that we were the students that would defy the odds and make something of ourselves. I don't ever want my students to have struggle for their education and feel as though they have to continually prove themselves to the community or anyone else who places judgment upon them. The teacher's opening line of "I knew she was ignorant just as soon as she opened her mouth!" infuriates me. I cannot believe an educator would pass judgment upon a parent like that let alone to another educator. Not only is it unprofessional but it is grossly hypocritical and says a lot about the lack of character the woman possesses. I would never want my students to feel as though they were being looked down upon b their teacher in a manner that would make them feel uncomfortable and would place a learning hindrance upon them. That teacher deserves to be fired and her certification taken away.
These articles really shed light on an issue that needs to be taken into severe consideration by all future educators and administrators. Our children must be held accountable and must be placed in an environment that encourages that accountability and learning. Just as Carter created an environment that helped his stubborn students learn, every educator may take from that and should be able to create a classroom that allows for children to learn well and efficiently.

Bloggers United

Incorporating methods of effective learning for all students is a concept that is easier said than done. Chapter 14 introduces new concepts about technology that allows for instruction to be completed online or through other methods of technology. Beers states, "...valuing and seeing the ways in which kids are engaging with new technologies outside of school can teach us a great deal about possibilities engaging them as readers and writers outside our classroom" (213). I think that this concept is extremely important because knowing how our students behave outside of class is just as important as knowing how they behave within the classroom. These behaviors intertwine to create their student profiles. We now see more students texting, listening to a form of a music player with headphones and especially using a form of social media. These forms of technology not only entertain our generation but may also be used to instruct our students even more effectively. A new(er) form of this technological use is the use of classroom blogs. I was never exposed to the use of a blog until this semester. Through this class. Blogging not only allows me to be myself but allows me to not feel afraid of what others may think of me because I can't see their facial expressions. I feel as though blogs could be used effectively within the classroom as long as each student participates in a manner that makes the blog effective. Students could blog about infinite ideas: responding to the reading, creating a new topic based on the reading, a blog about topics not covered or misunderstood within the classroom...the list could virtually go on and on. I really, really like the idea of using blogs as a form of more effective learning about a topic being covered within the class. Another idea Beers presented that I think I will use within my classroom s podcasting. I didn't really understand HOW to use it but I know that I have heard about it and that it's not only super hipster, but is really effective in learning or viewing. I believe that using this would be effective for the visual or auditory learners within the classroom. Using blogs and podcasts are just two ways of using technology that I will apply within my classroom curricula. Beers finishes with, "...the English classroom is always about looking, whether it's seeing kids and the range of talents and literacies that they bring into our classrooms or it's seeing the possibilities in a new tool that allows me to amplify curricula for the better: (229). I have no doubt that I will always be continually searching for means in which I can beytter amplify my own curricula.