Category Archives: ECS 110

Please watch the following video with an open mind. I hope that you all enjoy!

xx,

Sydney

https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=4bzAa

 

Technology within the classroom is used in many forms, and are used daily within my field placement. To begin the computer that sits upon the teachers desk is used to access websites (such as math quizzes or headspace), take attendance, make sure that students have a safe ride to and from school, play music, article responses, and to bring up examples and videos to project. It also helps educators find websites that are helpful to them by providing information to help with lesson plans and finding other teachers who have pointers that work within the classroom. This leads me in to both the projector mounted onto the ceiling and the smart board located at the front of the classroom. For those of my readers who many not be aware, a smart board is an interactive display that looks like a whiteboard but can preform more tasks than just simple writing. IPads are also used within the classroom for math purposes. Each student receives an iPad from a cart that can be ‘rented’ during class periods and can work with each other to learn their equations on a different form and can see their class score. 

Moving on to technology within the library I only noticed one form, the computer that was used by the librarian herself. This computer is used to keep track of the books taken in and out of the library telling her which student is borrowing it, where each book is located in the library, displaying websites, and showing her ratings on books that should be brought into the school potentially. Both laptops and iPads are displayed in separate carts that can be used and taken into classrooms. There is also a computer lab that is available to use by students with teacher supervision, along with every teacher. secretary, and principal has their own computer available to use. 

In school students are exposed and encouraged to use technology in their learning environment, especially since they are familiar with it. They all are aware of the technology they are allowed to use and what it is used for, helping them learn and see a new way of learning and understanding other than a paper and a pen. As the world evolves so does the classroom and this is very noticeable with the school environment. When they go home after school they may be exposed to the following forms of technology: television, iPads, cellular devices, and possibly computers (either desktop or laptop). 

Both the students and the cooperating teacher use technology in different ways. The students found technology the most useful at home and in the classroom for the following uses: math games, daily five (reading, writing, etc.), watching YouTube, reading short stories, and playing other popular games. The teacher however uses his technology for: creating class plans, assessment, attendance, emails, professional conversations with other educators, etc. Overall technology is a very important component in the learning environment that benefits with the learner and the educator as a whole. 

Week six of my field placement with Mr. Yee helped me dig deeper into the understanding of learning and realization. Since I have been placed in a classroom filled with grade four students I have come to the understanding that grasping concepts is easy for them, and they know fully what is expected of them. The students are taught though curriculum, teacher lessons (ones that are created on their own time, when a lesson does not go as planned it is the teachers job to remake it in a way that will help students understand a subject and feel empowered). Students can learn in many different ways and actions, some of the most common being: hands-on, visuals (movies, tv shows, video clips, movements, etc.), and also reading / writing.

Students find what they are being taught to be exciting, resourceful, and sometimes challenging them helping them learn and create new ideas. Personally, as I was student behavior I can see through both words and actions how engaged they are of the information that is being taught to them. Whether this is fractions in Mathematics, daily five in English, creating physical / strength goals in Physical Education, or drawing, singing, shading, and using new techniques in Art, it is all being expressed positively around the class. They even take their new skills and excitement home with them after the school day has been completed. The grade four class takes home, and uses their books from home, to completely read and continue to learn new words and lessons while they may not be in a classroom environment. Homework is assigned to those who have not used their class time wisely, while this upsets some it helps the students understand that learning is an ongoing feature in life that will never end and help them learn the skills of responsibility.

On my fifth day at my field placement I realized that this week I was not looking for a certain behavior or content, but I had to understand how my school and the community surrounding it honors diversity. Throughout walking in the school, and trying to understand how was can honor children’s human rights and equality I noticed the following contributors:

• Introducing books (example: social justice) that are exposed and introduced to children in young grades that inform them about different types of families.
• Having gay / straight clubs available to all students.
• Providing neutral bathrooms with both a toilet and a urinal.
• New physical education groups such as triple ball (another form of volleyball).

Not only are the teachers within Tisdale Elementary School help students feel included, but so does everyone who walks in and out of those doors. An example that I noticed today was a group conversation between students when they had to brainstorm how a classroom is a safe learning area, as students went on they all complemented each other letting the people around them understand that they are welcome, understood, and accepted.

Each child within my grade four class if very diverse in their own ways, but sometimes the diversity is not always seen, but learnt over time. Some of the children within this class may only be learning at a grade one or two level, while others may be learning at the proper or above level. Other forms of diversity I have noticed while observing both the classroom and the school is as follows: teaching methods (both spoken, examples are given, hands on, appropriate/contributing videos, etc.), high expectations are stressed, different cultural/religious backgrounds and beliefs, and also personality traits. Every students has the expectations of following the rules, being kind, honest, learning to the best of their ability, trying their hardest to achieve at the best level that they can, and do what is best to help them and others around them learn.

This day in particular had a diverse example of teaching in a hands on method. The day after Halloween was the day of my field placement and all students were asked to bring left over smarties that they had from trick-or-treating the night before. We used the left over smarties to preform fractions in Math class, helping the students both have a visual, hands on, and intriguing way of learning fractions. This sparked excitement, interest, and joy within the students that radiated positivity throughout the room. I thought that this was a great approach to teaching the day after a special event to keep the spirit alive while keeping the kids calm and learning.

The day begins with art class every morning, and not only Mr. Yee’s class is involved, but so is another grade four class. This means that for the first thirty six minutes of everyday, two classes are meshed into one with one teacher teaching them all the same subject. Another example that I observed while in the classroom this week is an after school program for an Art Club. Mr. Yee and the grade two teacher are involved and run and Art Club for students who would like to stay after school (with permission from their parents of course) and be artistic and express themselves while also learning new techniques. Every student is excepted into Tisdale Elementary School with open arms and hands to help them succeed in their learning journey. No matter their learning ability, or religious/cultural background, they will be guided by caring teachers who will make sure that they are getting the help they need when needed. Diversity is very important to notice and accept within both our classrooms and everyday life.

As I arrived at Tisdale Elementary School on October 25th, I met my field placement in the class room and we talked about different ways of knowing and how it is important that we always apply them to our classrooms. The first way of knowing that I noticed he applied to the class is reason. Examples of reason were shown through many different ways, but in particular being rewards. Reasoning behind why they should be rewarded or the reward should be taken away based on their class manners, listening skills, and workload. As soon as the grade four students took their seats in the morning both Mr. Yee and I noticed that they were filled with energy and were not giving him the attention needed for a learning environment. As the clock ticked and rewards were taken away from them, we needed to take the appropriate action to have the students become calm and controlled. To do so, we took ten minutes of our time and devoted it towards a session on the website named ‘Headspace’. This website offers meditation that is focused on a certain problem you may be experiencing. This day we participated in a meditation session created for focus, which made us become aware of our breaths, keeping our mind focused instead of wandering, and making the classroom completely quiet and soothed.

Teachers promote knowledge in the classroom in many ways, one I have already mentioned being rewards. Another way of promoting knowledge that I experienced on Thursday was leading by example. For students to fully understand, teachers make and create examples so that the job can be done properly and complete grade four level work as expected. Since Halloween is quickly approaching, we had art class in the morning and were painting night time portraits. Before we began, we had the students gather around the nearest table to explain to them how to properly paint, clean up, and take action upon their project. Many teachers rely on their own websites that they have found, along with other teachers in their school to partner up with and help them create lesson plans together. They also rely on connection with their students since young students need that type of support as well to help them fully develop and understand. Many teachers spend hours, even days, searching for plans and activities that work best for them, for example, Mr. Yee had searched for different books that contained methods of teaching, applied and suggested different websites and other books that would be useful to the rules/ assignments that the book contributed, and saw what worked best or him and his classroom, and continued to apply it to the curriculum.

My second day at Tisdale Elementary School was October 18th, and I began the day with Mr. Yee on crosswalk duty. While on crosswalk I watched teachers and students arrive with their parents or on the bus. After every parent and bus driver that passed us they would smiled and wave and every one on crosswalk duty that morning, making me realize that there are many positives to every job that needs to be preformed. When walking into the school I was reminded to keep my eyes open for all the different people in our school setting that helped everything run smoothly on a daily basis. I spent most of my day in the grade four classroom, but also visited both the staff room for coffee, and the library to get a better feel of the school.

Within my school I have noticed the following people: teachers, janitors, secretaries, the principal, support staff (such as the librarian and substitute teachers), EA’s, and bus drivers. TES takes a very important role in Tisdale’s community, taking part in Earth Day by picking up garbage around the town, and even hosting events. Last Thursday night the school held a literacy night where students got to invite their parents and take part in different reading activities around the gymnasium. So far I have felt very welcome and every person that plays an important role in the school seems to be very kind and generous. Tisdale as a community is very dependent on one another, and support the school at certain times of the year, this includes: literacy night, Christmas concerts, the Halloween parade, Remembrance Day concerts and Student led conferences, these are also a very important piece of information that staff, students, and parents prepare for every single year multiple times.

Links between school and community during large nights is created by the principal and participating teachers. Teachers are also allowed to make action to help the parents become more involved in the classroom with their children during the school day. Mr. Yee’s grade four class is learning about fraction in math class, so to help them come to a better understanding of the subject he is inviting parents to come into the classroom one day during math to work with their children on real life examples of fractions. This will include making fractions out of their family size, their family animals, food that they eat, clothing that they may own, etc. This will be followed by a fraction lunch with their parents. This will benefit not only the student but the parents as well by getting an inside look and participating in their child’s everyday life away from home.

My first field placement was on for October 11th in Tisdale Elementary School with Mr. Yee. Walking into the school I had no idea what to expect from the teahers, or even the students. The moment I walked into the door I was greeted by the secretary and the principal, both ladies made me feel welcome immediately. The principal explained to me the importance of childhood education, and how elementary school would set them up for either success or failure, since it all starts from the roots. As she spoke we walked throughout the entire school as she showed me each classroom, the library, gymnasium, staff room, the breakfast counter, and a closet filled with different types of clothing for some of the children who could not afford it. As the clock ticked, it was almost nine am and Mr. Yee had just come in from cross walk. After we introduced ourselves and went our weekly focus topics an questions, it was time for me to meet his Grade four class. The moment I walked in I knew it was going to be a great growing experience, and had never felt so sure about my career choice by the time lunch had rolled around.

In my grade four class there are around twenty students, each one of them different in their own ways. There are eleven tables spread across the room, each table seating two students. Lockers line the back of the classroom where jackets, lunch boxes, and some times their toys from home are kept. Mr. Yee’s binders, textbooks, and work materials are both kept in the middle of the classroom on a rolling shelf, and also in the large shelving units located off to the side against a wall. Bulletin boards are kept neat and tidy on both sides of the rooms and five rules are printed and framed on one of them beside the teachers desk. Every student comes prepared and ready to learn, and know what duties they are expected to fulfill on which week. When students are doing well, participating, and being kind they are rewarded with a movie while they are eating during lunch, the past two weeks we have been watching Coco. While being in this class I noticed that colours, rhymes, and activities were used to keep them on their toes. For example, if we are working in partners and the noise control gets out of hand, Mr. Yee will either say “Rule One!” and they will tell him what rule number one is on the bulletin board, or he will say “waterfall!” and they will reply “shhhhh”, making them go back to being quiet.

During recess I stood with Mr. Yee out on the playground. I watched the way he spoke to students, asked them questions, and helped them to understand different situations. As the day moved forward, both me and the students started to warm up to each other, me and one of the students talked for a very long time and she explained to me her passions and abilities. Both the school and the play grounds were kept clean of garbage, and the sidewalks are kept washed. The students have many play structures and no problems arose through the fifteen minutes of free time they were given. As the weeks will continue to go by, I cannot wait to see what I will learn from both Mr. Yee and his students.

Becoming a teacher to me means taking the role of an educator and holding it for twenty four hours a day. If students need a guide or help with anything, even outside of School, we should be there to provide knowledge and guidance. Teachers are the adult figures that students are around for most of their day. This means a quarter to a third of their day. This means that as a teacher we have a responsibility for them that is very much respected. Not only are we educating healthy minds as we teach; we are educating healthy lives as we teach.  Helping shape the minds of both elementary and high school students is a way to shape our future. Teachers are the beginning of trust, knowledge, love, help, support, and understanding. Becoming a teacher means taking on the job of many, but loving the journey along the way.

i.)

The three stories that I have chose to discuss similarities and differences are based on our third blog post: gender. Throughout all three of the gender stories I have picked including my own, we strive to be the perfect image of a female. This seems to be shown through perfect makeup, dresses, body suits, heels, etc., a normative narrative at that. The three stories I have chosen show a time in a females life where they believe they have preformed their gender in a perfect way.

The first story I have chosen is Tori’s. This story describes her graduation day, thinking back on it and how even though she may have slightly stumbled in her heels at home, she looked in the mirror and felt perfect. Tori’s story captures the normative narrative that all girls on graduation day are expected to spend a ‘fortune to get done’. Most girls pay an expensive price for their dream dress, hair, makeup, and nails when it seems like boys only need to pay for their suits and a nice pair of dress shoes for the exact same occasion. The next story that caught my attention is Jocelyn’s. In her gender story she is also getting ready for her day, not graduation, but the first day of grade nine. A normative narrative is also brought to the attention of the reader in this story. Jocelyn explains how it was her chance to recreate herself by putting on makeup with the skills she had picked up from YouTube over that summer. These steps taken are also steps that you would not normally see a boy take on his first day of school. Lastly is my gender story. Throughout my post I explained how girls filled the dance hall, making it seem as though girls are expected to dance, not boys. When competition season rolled around we would put on your poofy dresses, red lipstick (along with all other makeup products, and fake eyelashes) to show our femininity.

All three of these stories shared and represented normative narratives to relate to our gender. From the way we feel about ourselves in the morning, to sports, and the routine we all took on our graduation day. This may be examples of the opposite procedures we take based on our gender. Being examples of how us as women are expected to dress, how we are expected to wear makeup on a regular basis, and even be part of certain sports that relate to the way a female body is perceived.

ii.)

As these three stories become analyzed through there similarities and differences we see the power of gender and how normative narratives affect our every day lives. When you think of a female what do you think of it? Then switch to what the first narratives that come to your mind about males. What are they?

Coming back to Tori’s story she explains how she felt looking into the mirror located in her bedroom when she felt the most beautiful, just how she had hoped to in the days leading up to it. This also goes against the normative narrative that people believe that women are insecure within their own bodies no wonder how they really looked. How women always compare themselves to each other or never feel good enough. Tori continues on to say ‘There was not one part of me that did not feel perfect. I was the definition of a perfect girl.’ This quote shows the audience that their is strength in confidence and being a women, when others believe that only men are emotionally strong. It is portrayed that women are gentle, emotional, and soft when men are strong and confident within themselves and their decisions. Breaking the normative that this is the way our genders are perceived, there is more power in a women’s confidence than there is in a mans word. In my post about gender I described how it felt to see my body at every angle three days a week, being compared to others while doing so. This is something that is often not seen as much with men, comparison that is. Finding confidence within yourself at the best of times has been portrayed through all three of the posts mentioned.

The first day of school after summer vacation is a day for you to prove your growth and your new found skills that you picked up over the summer, just like Jocelyn. Just like Tori and I both had, this was a moment for her to feel beautiful and truly believe in the beauty of change. She finds a power within herself to acknowledge the beauty within herself stating: ‘I am ready for high school while feeling like the perfect, beautiful young woman I am.’ Her story breaks the normative narrative that we need a man to feel worthy, beautiful, and have strength. When in this cause a girl going to her first day of high school finds confidence within herself, worth, and power. This is how I felt whenever I would walk through the doors of my dance hall, as if the power that the music and movement gave me could help me move mountains and feel beautiful just as I was in that very moment. Pure, balanced, and confident.

Through the posts I have chosen I have learned the power of true self-love, motivation, and confidence. Between Tori, Jocelyn, and I we have all met our moments face to face for when we feel as though the world is ours and nothing can change that. As females we break the boundaries of normative narratives finding what helps us feel the best, and showing that we are not just gentle and pure, but are strong and powerful as well. We are able to disrupt the normative narrative of femininity.