EPSY 400 Reflection #8

I love finding connections between all of the courses that I am taking. This week in Chapter 10’s presentation we discussed codes of conduct or classroom rules and a bit about cyberbullying. This was the topic for my ECMP355 class last week as we explored digital citizenship and netiquette. It is important as we continue to use technology more and more in the classroom to discuss rules for learning online with students. There were a lot of digital citizenship resources that we explored that would be helpful when thinking about your inclusive classroom. I created an infographic to help explain positive behaviours online that are important to teach to our students. These rules not only apply to online learning and using technology but learning together in the classroom as a whole. Netiquette begins by remembering the human which is something that we discussed at the beginning of this course and putting the person first. It goes on to talk about treating others how you wish to be treated which is a golden rule that we often hear in classrooms. Further rules discuss meaningful, valuable, and necessary information. I think that these are important topics to bring up with students so that they can always add to their learning experiences and think about what they are going to say or do before it happens. There is a rule for respecting other people’s ideas and privacy as well as sharing your expertise with others which are great ideas for classroom behaviour as well. I also liked the rule about not calling out others on their mistakes in public, but I am not sure how I would put that into positive wording.

I liked the activity that we did in the presentation that got us thinking about classroom behaviours but I know that it was challenging for our group to do this because we wanted to have the student’s input for the classroom conduct. I like that they added everyone’s ideas to a blog so that we could see our peer’s thoughts and look back at them later. The blog also includes their presentation and other resources. In my pre-internship classroom the students had a rhyme that they recited every morning which was simple and easy to remember which you can use to redirect behaviours. You can use this with the ‘David’ book series by David Shannon to introduce it to young children.

The Peacemaker Promise

I will be a Peacemaker
Today and every day
With all my actions,
In all my thoughts,
And in everything I say!

For more details regarding the Peacemaker Promise check out this First Grade Blog!

What I particularly enjoyed from the presentation on Chapter 9 was the different way that they arranged the classroom before presenting. This is important to do before you start a lesson in your classroom as well. There were several different instructional strategies employed throughout the presentation. Assessment is also a final topic in my ECMP class this week. I am sure that we all felt the pressure as we were completing the tests that the group provided for us and this was a good activity to put us in the shoes of our students. As a teacher you must always be thinking about assessment in order to match it with curriculum content before and throughout the planning process. We must also remember that equity is not always equal and how to explain this to our students. I thought that there were good points brought up surrounding standardized testing that came from our circle discussion. This presentation and learning more about assessment this week will give me more to think about as I go into my internship.

EPSY 400 Reflection #7

I thought that our group of presenters for Chapter 7 presented the information in a very thoughtful and detailed way. I liked the way that they broke down the information into different groupings. There were many tips about creating rules for your classroom and involving students in creating a positive classroom climate. I think that this chapter has a lot of useful ideas about managing your classroom and something that teachers need to think about before the school year starts. I enjoyed the points about positive reinforcements to guide behaviours for your students. The team building activities that the group presented were new to me and I could definitely use these games in my classroom. Activities like this are a great way to build relationships amongst your class and to see the personalities of your students. Using the community circle was a great way to wrap up and think about what we had learned at the end of the presentation. I think that community circles are a great team building activity to practice in your classroom as well.

I was quite happy with the way that our presentation on Chapter 8 turned out. We employed and demonstrated many different teaching strategies throughout the presentation and I thought that both our information and stations were engaging for our peers. There were also some good discussion points that came up through our stations. It was exciting to try out my learning in ECMP 355 to add technology into this presentation and it feels good to only have one assignment left for this class!

Our chapter presentation was on Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction and if you wish you can take a look at our Prezi, Student Survey, or Multiple Intelligence Strategies Document.

EPSY 400 Reflection #6

I think that our student presenters this week made a lot of ideas that we have discussed in this class more real. Both parents and students want teachers to have high expectations for everyone and this motivates all students to be successful in the classroom. Getting to know your students and what works for them is especially important for everyone involved and will make your job as a teacher easier. You have to be flexible in your practices and be willing to try new things. Hands-on activities, patience, breaking assignments into small parts, positive reinforcement, calm classrooms, clear instructions with examples, and fun learning experiences are helpful for all students and I think this would be a universal design for learning. I liked the scales that our presenters discussed that they use to describe feelings and concentration levels. I also thought that building confidence in students so that they can become self-advocates was an important point to add to an inclusive philosophy. Leadership within a school and collaborating with teachers and support staff to understand inclusive practice is vital to a positive experience. Communication is so important between home and school because what happens at school effects home and what happens at home effects school. This is also something that we have been discussing in ECMP 355 with digital citizenship.

Chapter 6 brought up many different student situations that you may not have recognized as exceptionalities in your classroom. This sends home the point of getting to know your students and situations that may change their behaviour and performance at school. The group brought up something about EAL students that I had not thought about before, which is the degree of separation between these students and their parents. If their parents are currently not in the same country this can add more stress for them at home and at school. The presentation allowed us to think about how to approach the topic of diversity with our students. The opening crayon activity and egg experiment are great examples that can be used in the classroom. Wonderful lessons on diversity for elementary or to use as a set for high schools students. I also enjoyed the role plays that gave us a chance to think about what we might do in situations of parent separation, abuse, and homelessness. You want to make sure that students feel comfortable and safe in your classroom and if you do not practice these skills you may be unprepared to handle these situations.

EPSY 400 Reflection #5

The EAL presentation that we had on Wednesday was enlightening with the data and research that we were presented with. I know that there are a large number of EAL students in our schools but having this detailed information was useful. The part that I found the most interesting was the data on the top 10 most spoken languages of EAL learners. I also did not know about the process and levels that are used to assess EAL learners in school divisions. Questions were asked about resources for EAL students and I think that the answer was fair; there are so many individual cases that it is difficult to provide one general resource for everyone.

The presenters of Chapter 5 used videos to assist with their case studies which was engaging and something that I would not have thought about. It was nice to have another piece of information when we were discussing the case studies and coming up with adaptations. Thank you for your knowledgeable account of the chapter!

Since I was not able to make it to class on Monday, I watched “Imagine a World Where Being ‘Gay’ The Norm & Being ‘Straight’ The Minority!”. The short film is actually called “Love is All You Need” and is going to be made into a feature film. I watched this video with my roommates and I found it quite emotional. This discomforting feeling reminded me of ECS 210 and to make students uncomfortable in order to discuss social justice issues. After watching the video and writing my Learning From Those We Label paper on Asperger`s Syndrome I was able to connect what I had written about to this short film. In my paper I emphasized communicating with one another to understand our differences and diversity as well as learning from personal narratives so that we can feel empathy for each other. This video allows you to see the world from someone else`s perspective which is a very powerful experience. I think that as teachers we must find a way to teach empathy in our schools and classrooms to make our future communities better.
You can view the video below and you may also want to check out Love Is All You Need.

Poll Everywhere and Socrative

This week in EPSY 400 we had our first chapter presentation and the group used both Poll Everywhere and Socrative to engage the class in the material. Both websites allow you to design questions for your audience to answer and have many uses in the classroom. Students can respond on various mobile devices or computers and you can see their answers right away. Both of these are new to me so I cannot say which I prefer but I thought I would share them with you because I think they are great tools to have. You can check out both intro videos below for more information. If you have used either of these in the classroom or in presentations I would love to hear about your experiences and any comments/pros/cons/etc!

EPSY 400 Reflection #4

Having Kyla Christiansen from the Ministry of Education in our class on Wednesday was a great way to come back from the long weekend. She was very knowledgeable and with so much information on Gender and Sexual Diversity we could have had a 1-2 day conference and still be just beginning to learn about this topic and applications for our schools and classrooms. I enjoyed how Kyla shared her material with us through stories. Using narratives in teaching is very powerful and makes what we are learning more meaningful. It is too bad that we had to choose what we wanted to cover at the end of the presentation and did not have time to go over everything that she had planned. The activities seemed interesting and I am glad that we learned a little bit more about Two Spirited individuals and the connection to First Nations culture. We remember learning a little bit about this in my INDG 100 course so it was nice to have more information. I would like to hear more about the video that Ben had brought up and the simulation activity surrounding heteronormativity. The visual that Kyla provided for us of The Genderbread Person highlighted the fluidity of Gender and Sexual Diversity, that individuals can identify with more than one label, and that there cannot really be a definition because it is different for everyone.

During Kyla’s presentation we were reminded, as we have been throughout our education here at the U of R, to think critically about and remove the lenses that we have. This was a good recall to previous class experiences and something that might be forgotten if you do not have the opportunity to be challenged and think about “the glasses” that you wear every day.

Starting class with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ music video for “Same Love” was an example of an instructional strategy that we can use in our teaching practice. As we discussed, there are many curriculum connections with using media in the classroom. I wonder if there would be a way to incorporate things like this into a Gr. 1/2 room. I am sure there would be a way; I am interning in a Gr. 1/2 classroom in the fall so if you have any suggestions, please share!

Our Chapter 3 presenters were brave to take on the first presentation in our class and they did very well! Two things that I am taking away are:
-There are different kinds of ADHD and not all students with this exceptionality show instances of hyperactivity or impulsiveness
-Providing gifted students with authentic tasks to further their learning and many students are gifted in one area

I especially liked their use of the poll because it was something different that I have never tried before. I can definitely see this instructional strategy being used in high school and upper elementary with the prevalence of technology and you can use it for a variety of ways to further student learning.

EPSY 400 Reflection #3

Thank you! Reflections and journaling have always been a great way for me to learn and work through the information in my courses. I have also been posting my reflections to my new blog which I have started with my other summer class so I am finding them very beneficial.

Louise Burridge was a very engaging speaker from the Ministry of Education. Her presentation was interactive, fun, informative, and practical. I appreciate all of the things we were able to take away from the presentation like the learning inventory, brain break activities, ideas for fidgets, and pictures for when we are setting up our future classrooms. I thought that all of these ideas were certainly applicable for primary classrooms.

As an Elementary Education student learning environments have always been a focus in our ECE courses. In primary classrooms you usually see a lot of bright colours, posters, containers, and manipulatives all around the room. The majority of the walls are covered without much blank space at all. I think that this presentation brought up a very good point about focus and where we want children’s attention to be drawn. When you walk into the classroom as an adult and see all of the displays on the walls this is often thought of as a good thing and it looks like a lot of learning is going on in the classroom. However, I can see how all of this information would be overwhelming and over-stimulating for young children. In order for children to concentrate we may want to reconsider how we design our classrooms and what we decide to put up on the walls. One way that you can do this is simply by de-cluttering the area where you will be teaching from the most. I will definitely consider this information in my internship and when I am setting up my own classroom because it will help all students learn and achieve more.

I also enjoyed the fidget examples that Louise provided us with. There were many inexpensive fidgets that you can buy like drinking straws, yarn, elastics, and clips to keep objects with students all of the time. Teaching children to self-regulate is especially important in their early years so that they can apply these skills later on in their education in both high school and post-secondary. I am interested to look at the list of regulatory practices for adults to see what works best for my learning style. I think that this will help me be aware of what may help my students learn as well.

It is great to see where Inclusive Education is going and how far we have come in our procedures and practices. The team, supportive, relationship-building approach is encouraging and positive. I hope that our chapter assignments can look something like Louise’s presentation; it was a great way to learn this information, kept our attention, and allowed us to participate as well. I am looking forward to our other guest speakers!

Make sure to check out this brain break activity for your classroom!
Roll Some Brain Breaks

EPSY 400 Reflection #2

There are two things that I want to give my perspective on from last night’s class. These are placing students with Educational Assistants and grouping students in schools by their age. I will also highlight what I took away from Dan Habib’s TED Talk and designing our own rubric for assessment.

Our discussion about placing students with intensive needs with Educational Assistants sort of began by explaining that this may not always be a good match because we are placing children with the most underqualified and uneducated which may not be a good fit. This could be a valid point; however, I think that success in Inclusive Education comes from experiences and may not be something that can be taught. You can be taught to be prepared but putting this into practice is another challenge. This is why I do not think that your level of education necessarily determines how you implement inclusion or demonstrate inclusionary practices. In terms of being a teacher, some people say that you either have it or you don’t and statements like this point out the idea that some areas of teaching just cannot be taught. I do not believe that sweeping judgements should be made about Educational Assistants or Teachers just like we would not group all students into one pot. What it comes down to is individual students and individual cases. We are all different and we have to build support through the many relationships that we have access to in order to have experiences and make Inclusive Education successful.

I also wanted to give my opinion on grouping students by their age in schools and classrooms. I had a placement in a Montessori School in my second year. There were children in the classroom from ages 3-6 and I was fascinated by their ability to work independently. I think that the grouping was still determined by age but I do think that it was beneficial to have a wide variety of ages in the same classroom as older students can assist younger students and everyone can collaborate and learn together. I grew up in a small town so I think this gives me a different perspective to the idea of turning our education system upside down and not grouping students by their age. For the majority of my schooling I was the only one in my grade, always surrounded by students who were either younger or older than me. I desperately wanted to be with other students my age so I would not want to take that away from any child. Multi-age groupings may be something more common in rural areas due to smaller class sizes where split classes are normal and I definitely agree with this practice.

Highlights from Dan Habib’s TED Talk:
-How can you feel like you belong in your community if you do not feel like you belong in your school?
-Learning beyond the classroom and developing social and emotional intelligence often has the largest impact on students, yet schools are measured on academics
-What kind of world do you want your children to grow up in?
-“You can’t teach it” – you have to experience it every day

Designing our own rubric for assessment was a testament to how important it is to involve students in their assessment. This gives them ownership, responsibility, clarity, and an opportunity to use their strengths and do their best work. It was a lively discussion that showcased the differences in learners and what each of us thought was important about the assignment. In the end, providing students with choice is always a good practice and everyone can decide where their strengths are in the assignment. It continues to be interesting to see the perspectives from different majors inside the Faculty of Education and this is giving me a lot to think about for the future and my teaching philosophy.

Reflection #1

I am extremely happy at the outlook of this class and excited to learn alongside my peers over the next few weeks. I think that there was great discussion among the group and that will only further our knowledge, spark curiosity, and challenge us throughout this course. Last night I also realized how short our time will be together so I think this path will be inspirational, intriguing, and ambitious.

The first thing that I am looking forward to is the “Looking at those We Label” assignment. I am delighted to be able to choose my own topic for this paper and to explore something that I have always been interested in learning more about. I think that I will choose to focus on a child with Asperger’s Syndrome and their experiences in classrooms and schools as this has impacted my family. I hope to learn about multiple perspectives surrounding this topic to better my understanding of inclusive education. I began working on a wiki for my ECS 210 class where I gathered resources for teachers and students around the topic of Autism and Asperger’s. Through this paper, I am also hoping to gather more resources for this beginning project.

There were several highlights that I took from the first class:
– Teacher attitude makes inclusive education work in classrooms and schools and determines its success

– There is no norm of what a typical student would look like

– no two students or learners are the same

Although I feel like these three things have been stressed before in previous education classes, I agree with what Hilary had said about not taking a class before that solely focused on Inclusive Education. It will be interesting to see how this class influences my educational philosophy as well as how it develops my philosophy of inclusion.

I also took several points from the videos that we watched in class:
– Children should be exposed to difference, it enriches their education rather than takes away from it and helps to develop emotional intelligence which is key to success later in life

– Inclusive Education is simply good pedagogy so make a difference and think outside the box

– teachers need support

– inclusive and non-integrated placements work for different individuals

I am eager for the learning that this class will bring! What a great start!