November 14, 16, 18, 21, 23

For some reason my computer/internet server keeps having technical issues so it wouldn't publish my posts from last week! Now I can't remember the exact details from the week before Thanksgiving. But I do know that we pretty much did the same thing. I tutored the students in math and assisted the teacher in grading their papers. We then did grammar and reading followed by speech therapy with Mrs. M. During the next week the entire school was getting ready for Thanksgiving. The students were very excited and teacher played word games such as "Poisoned Apple" with them. They then did a new technique called the "Hula-Hula" dance. The teacher explained to me that the hula dances helps the students sort out the syllables for different words. I then observed the speech therapist's teaching before bidding them a Happy Thanksgiving.

Journal Entry 7 November 7 and November 9

After being sick for a week I finally got to go back to my service learning. I observed how the teacher had her students play a game called "Poisoned Apple." It involves using vocabulary words and if the player still has the "poisoned apple," then that player loses the game. I then when over some vocabulary words with the students before having them read aloud to me from a book. After class was over, I asked the teacher about the students' disabilities. She suggested that I observe a Special Education therapist. Upon her advice I went and saw the therapist. The therapist was teaching a student who happened to have dyslexia. I observed how the student uses colored marble blocks to help him with his reading. The therapist explained to me that the marble blocks represent different syllables as well as vowels and consonant sounds. Most students with dyslexia can only see words in picture formats rather than in individual letters. It is similar to the way most Asian languages use characters in their writing. I was thinking that perhaps if these students were in a different culture maybe they would have less difficulties in their grammar.

Journal Entry 6 October 26 and October 28

For this whole week I was out sick. I could only come to class on Thursday and Friday. Even so, I still did not go to Ashland Ranch Elementary School in fear that I might contaminate the students there and make them sick. As a result, I was not able to do my teacher's service learning program.

Journal Entry 5 Friday September 30, 2011

Today in class I observed how the teacher was educating her students. I then assisted the teacher by helping the students through with their activities and worksheets. I then helped the students with their reading. I helped the students correct their word pronunciations whenever they got stuck. I also tutored the students individually. Afterwards I helped the teacher organize the papers. I then tutored some more students. One of the students had dyslexia. He used some colorful block marbles to help him read and pronunciate words. This is a new method to me and helped me realize that there are many different methods students use for reading.

Journal Entry 4 September 23-26

Today was my first day of my learning experience in the teacher’s education program. The school I applied for was Ashland Ranch Elementary School. When I arrived there, there was some kind of assembly going on over there. I tried to find a parking lot but I ended up having to park in the fire lane which the school campus allowed for today. I signed in and then went to my assigned class room. The teacher’s name was Jennifer Kjar. She was teaching a resource class room where she provides tutoring and learning skills for struggling students. I observed and noticed the professor had the students sitting around a large table. However, she was not teaching them math but she was teaching them English and grammar. She went over vocabularies and gave each of the student flash cards which had vocabulary words. Each time they completed a list of vocabularies the students would hang up the flash cards onto a wall. I then assisted the teacher in teaching the students. I helped tutor the students from out of the book as well as using my own teaching strategies. Every hour different groups of students from different grade levels would arrive. I had to improvise because of the constant change in the academic levels of students due to their different grade levels. At the end of the school hour I played a game with the students. It involved using words on flash cards and to try to match them up with their opposite words.

Journal Entry 3

The Gizmo I chose was "Modeling Decimals" (Base-10 Blocks) I like how in this Gizmo there is a table drawn out with different numbers of blocks I could drag down and arrange them in any order. The program would then automatically calculate the sum of the number of blocks and then sort them in order. I would definitely use this Gizmo in my classes because it takes a large burden off of my shoulders. I don't have to worry about drawing out the table and number of blocks.

Journal Entry 2: September 5, 2011

In this Gizmo, I chose the "Target Sum Card Game (Multi-Digit Addition). I am actually fond of playing cards and I thought it would be interesting to see how they integrate math questions into these card games. I liked how the program automatically chooses random numbers so I can sort them out. If I get stuck, I could always change the numbers. The jumper actually motivated me in a way. If my estimates were off, I would keep re-arranging the numbers until I my estimates were close or right on cue. What I didn't really like about the game was how sometimes it would take me a strenuous amount of time to figure out large number problems. Perhaps the programmers could put some more animation in the problems where students could be more actively involved. But I would definitely use this Gizmo game in my classes. The game makes it easier for me to re-arrange the numbers without having me to keep erasing my numbers and using up papers.