In the article it talks about how using a rubric is useful for not only teachers, but it helps the teacher get a messege across to the students of what they need to do on an assignment in order for them to get a good grade. Heidi Andrade, who is a rubrics expert, defines a rubric as a "scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work". So it's a list of "demands" in which the teacher is looking for a student to do during an assignment.
I think a rubric is a great tool for teachers to use because it tells the students exactly what the teacher is looking for in order for them to get a good grade on that particular assignment. I know when I'm doing a big project in one of my classes it is very nice to know what the teacher it looking for. It makes it that much easier for me to get an A.
It's also explained that a good rubric gives "levels of quality" for each criteria in the rubric. A good rubric also can give a description of what they are looking for. Heidi Andrade explains that we use rubrics in order for both the students and teacher to find quality in the assignment. It also allows the students to be able to know when they are done with the project so they don't get stuck asking themselves "am I done yet?". And of course most importantly it is said that they parents enjoy the rubric method because they feel that their son/daughter knows what needs to be done and the parent can help them with that.
Lastly there are 4 steps in which you would need in creating a good solid rubric.
1. List the criteria taht will be used in assesing the performance. Meaning the criteria should be assesed on the learning outcome in which you are grading.
2. Determine the performance levels. That can be either leveled in numbers, descriptors (basic, advanced), or even in letters.
3. Write a desrciption for each performance level. Explain what the project would look like if they had gotten that level on the rubric.
4. Then lastly, you would need to evaluate and revise the rubric as needed.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
My First Experience
This week i began my teaching during classtime. I was asked to run a lab during one of the classes on looking at plant cells through a microscope. To be honost I didn't really know what I was doing and I was pulling the directions right out of my head and a little sheet that I was given with a step by step direction. It was hard to try to to teach something in where I didn't really know 100% of what I was doing but I found a way to get through with it.
Overall I thought the lab went well and I was complimented by my instructor. I feltit didn't go as smoothly as she daid it did just because I felt I didn't really know what I was doing but I guess it looked like I did.
It felt good to me to be in front of the class and having them listen to what I was saying and instructing them to do. I felt they listened to me and coroporated very well in the lab. Though they all acted very well I did feel that they were acting that good just because I was new to teaching the class. I think I'll start to figure that out the more times that I teach them and when they get more comfortable with me teaching.
The day after the lab I led in a post lab conversation which I also thought went really well. The kids listened to what I had to say and they all worked together on answering the questions that I had asked.
To me it was exciting to get started and as I go on I know I'm going to get more and more comfortable in being able to get these kids to learn and I will be able to plan my own lessons and hopefully these kids will be able to learn things from me and I will have atleast a little impact on their learning experience.
Overall I thought the lab went well and I was complimented by my instructor. I feltit didn't go as smoothly as she daid it did just because I felt I didn't really know what I was doing but I guess it looked like I did.
It felt good to me to be in front of the class and having them listen to what I was saying and instructing them to do. I felt they listened to me and coroporated very well in the lab. Though they all acted very well I did feel that they were acting that good just because I was new to teaching the class. I think I'll start to figure that out the more times that I teach them and when they get more comfortable with me teaching.
The day after the lab I led in a post lab conversation which I also thought went really well. The kids listened to what I had to say and they all worked together on answering the questions that I had asked.
To me it was exciting to get started and as I go on I know I'm going to get more and more comfortable in being able to get these kids to learn and I will be able to plan my own lessons and hopefully these kids will be able to learn things from me and I will have atleast a little impact on their learning experience.
Friday, February 6, 2009
"A Guide to Classroom Observation and Instruction"
Article #1
“A Guide to Classroom Observation and Instruction”
The first two weeks have gone by in the internship and I’m starting to get a grasp on what I need to be doing in this class everyday and what I need to be looking for as an observer and later in life, a teacher. The article starts out in saying that school is a building full of involuntary students meaning that they are forced to be there but federal law. The trick is to get the students to be voluntary students and get them to want to come to school everyday either because they want to learn, or they want to be there. The past week I have been observing the class and I’ve been looking for the ways that the teacher has been teaching the class. For example, the teacher has been using the SMART Board to teach the lessons. This gets the message across to the students while the students are having fun using the Board. I believe that this is a huge way to get the kids to learn things. I believe that kids need to be having fun when they are learning, especially when the kids in the class aren’t excited to learn or be there. During my observing I haven’t observed the students who have shown that they didn’t want to be there. All the students in the class seem happy to be there but in like any class get side tracked, leave for the bathroom, and get distracted by talking about things that happen out of class.
The article also talks about observing the non-verbal behavior of the teacher. The he/she move around, make contact with individual students or groups of students, and does she interact with them and make sure they are on the right track with their learning. I haven’t been observing what the teacher does when she’s not in the middle of lesson. It didn’t really cross my mind that it was important for the teacher not to just sit there. I understand that it is important for the teacher to be always interacting with the students but I jus have never really noticed how it was done.
The article also goes into detail about when a student is absent numerous amounts of times, and then you should investigate and see what is going on with the student. Why is he/she always absent? Is there something wrong, or do they just not want to be there? As a teacher you should know what is going on with the students in your class.
The article also states that, as a teacher, you should get to know your school’s special help personnel. Besides the school counselors and the principles there should be some kind of “mental health supervisor” in the school. If you have problems with a student or you think a student is having problems then you should set up a meeting with them to discuss it.
Basically the whole article talked about what I should be looking for in a teaching environment. They gave me several ways to observe the room. I learned how I need to observe the teacher and her teaching styles. Is she interacting with the students? Is she getting the lesson across in a clear manner? I also need to be able to observe the students. I need to be able to indentify who wants to be there and who doesn’t. Who is going to sit down and do there work, and who is going to fool around and get off track. All of these things you need to be indentifying as a teacher in order to successful.
“A Guide to Classroom Observation and Instruction”
The first two weeks have gone by in the internship and I’m starting to get a grasp on what I need to be doing in this class everyday and what I need to be looking for as an observer and later in life, a teacher. The article starts out in saying that school is a building full of involuntary students meaning that they are forced to be there but federal law. The trick is to get the students to be voluntary students and get them to want to come to school everyday either because they want to learn, or they want to be there. The past week I have been observing the class and I’ve been looking for the ways that the teacher has been teaching the class. For example, the teacher has been using the SMART Board to teach the lessons. This gets the message across to the students while the students are having fun using the Board. I believe that this is a huge way to get the kids to learn things. I believe that kids need to be having fun when they are learning, especially when the kids in the class aren’t excited to learn or be there. During my observing I haven’t observed the students who have shown that they didn’t want to be there. All the students in the class seem happy to be there but in like any class get side tracked, leave for the bathroom, and get distracted by talking about things that happen out of class.
The article also talks about observing the non-verbal behavior of the teacher. The he/she move around, make contact with individual students or groups of students, and does she interact with them and make sure they are on the right track with their learning. I haven’t been observing what the teacher does when she’s not in the middle of lesson. It didn’t really cross my mind that it was important for the teacher not to just sit there. I understand that it is important for the teacher to be always interacting with the students but I jus have never really noticed how it was done.
The article also goes into detail about when a student is absent numerous amounts of times, and then you should investigate and see what is going on with the student. Why is he/she always absent? Is there something wrong, or do they just not want to be there? As a teacher you should know what is going on with the students in your class.
The article also states that, as a teacher, you should get to know your school’s special help personnel. Besides the school counselors and the principles there should be some kind of “mental health supervisor” in the school. If you have problems with a student or you think a student is having problems then you should set up a meeting with them to discuss it.
Basically the whole article talked about what I should be looking for in a teaching environment. They gave me several ways to observe the room. I learned how I need to observe the teacher and her teaching styles. Is she interacting with the students? Is she getting the lesson across in a clear manner? I also need to be able to observe the students. I need to be able to indentify who wants to be there and who doesn’t. Who is going to sit down and do there work, and who is going to fool around and get off track. All of these things you need to be indentifying as a teacher in order to successful.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My Goals
Going into this internship I don't really know what to expect. My plan is to figure out, in more detail, what I really want to teach and how I want to teach. Many teachers have different teaching styles and I wany to figure out what is best for me. Before I do anything I would like to list three goals in which I want to meet during this semester.
1. I would like to figure out a specific type of teaching style that is good for me. Once I know how I am going to teach something I think it will be easy for me to teach anything that I want.
2. I would like to be able to speak in front of anyone comfortably. As of now I already am a pretty outgoing person. I do sometimes get nervous when speaking in front of people I don't know that well and obviously if I'm going to be a teacher I will need to conquer that.
3. I would also like to know what age level I would like to teach. With interning in a high school class as of now I would like to know by the end of the semester whether I would like to teach at the high school level or go younger.
1. I would like to figure out a specific type of teaching style that is good for me. Once I know how I am going to teach something I think it will be easy for me to teach anything that I want.
2. I would like to be able to speak in front of anyone comfortably. As of now I already am a pretty outgoing person. I do sometimes get nervous when speaking in front of people I don't know that well and obviously if I'm going to be a teacher I will need to conquer that.
3. I would also like to know what age level I would like to teach. With interning in a high school class as of now I would like to know by the end of the semester whether I would like to teach at the high school level or go younger.
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