Kristin Cielocha
C&I 465
Spring 2009
E-Folio Reflective Paper Description of the organizational logistics of the project. Explain the cross-references, and how to access any documents, articles, or resources. Essentially, how are the e-portfolio and resource binder to be utilized? What are your plans for sharing this resource with your colleagues? When I approached creating this e-portfolio and binder, I decided I needed something I could easily access no matter where I was and what books I had readily available to me.I will soon be leaving my regular teaching job and am not sure when I will be back in a full-time teaching position. I also will be moving around a lot in the next few years.I felt if I put my most favorite strategies on a wiki and compiled them into one binder, I wouldn’t have to worry about where I was and where my professional books were.I printed off every document that was attached to my wiki so I could have it readily available if I do not have access to the internet but want a worksheet or organizer to use.Also, I printed off some of the professional articles to put in my binder.I did this so I could refresh my memory about how to use the strategy. I also did this in case I want to share the strategy article with a friend or colleague and I do not have access to the internet at the time.My thought was I could simply take it out of my binder and take it to the copy to machine. Also, I not only was thinking about myself as I was creating my binder and my wiki, I was also thinking about how I could help my colleagues now who have shared so much with me and have helped me to develop my teaching skills in the content area.I will soon be inviting my colleagues to my, some as organizers, so they can print off worksheets and lessons, access any videos I have to share with their classes, and add any materials they have created or found.I also plan on inviting teacher friends of mine who are always sharing their resources with me.They will also have access to adding their own materials so I can use them as well. When I was organizing the wiki, I decided to make it something I could go to quickly to get what I need or that I can sit down and re-read how to use the strategy or the links I have included with example student work.First, I wanted a way I could quickly click, print, and go if I was in a hurry and needed a student handout or organizer. This is why after you click on the strategy it takes you to a page where you can click blacklines or descriptions/sources.I didn’t want to have to search for the printables, so I put them all on their own page for each strategy. How will this change what you currently do? After having done this project, I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in my strategy instruction.I realized that I spend more time focusing on pre and during reading strategies and not enough time focusing on post reading strategies.I realized why when I looked through the professional books I normally use.Most of them did not have an abundant amount of strategies for post-reading.If they did, they seemed more appropriate for older grades.I am definitely going to work on developing my knowledge of post-reading strategies. I also realized through doing this project that there were a lot of good strategies I was already using, just not in the content area.For example, I use comprehension connections and visualizing a lot in my reading block, but not as much in the content area. Since I am now confident teaching these skills as related to fictional texts, I can begin to focus more on bringing those skills into the content area. Lastly, after doing this project, I will definitely find more ways to integrate strategies into my content area instruction that will help me to better assess my students instead of relying on traditional assessments.For example, even using a strategy like QAR can help me see if my students are going back into the text to find important details or to reread for clarification.This will in turn help me guide my instruction better.Also, having being exposed tomore post-strategies by doing this project, I will have a variety of new ways to assess my students knowledge at the end of a lesson or unit instead relying on a paper-pencil assessment. Describe your goals of how you plan to put this into action. As far as my goal to share my material with others, I plan on inviting all my colleagues to join my wiki.I think will make those who I know are comfortable with using a wiki organizers so they can add their own material.For those who are not comfortable with manipulating the wiki, I will either offer to show them how to upload documents, or have them send me documents via email that I can upload. Another goal I have is to use my wiki frequently, and continue adding to it.I will do this by taking time this summer to search new strategies and add them to the different sections of the wiki.I think it will help even if I just upload organizers, articles, and posters that relate to certain articles.I plan on using the wiki as a place to store all the cool websites and videos I have found as well instead of relying on my “My Favorites” list on my computer.Again, since this is a wiki I will share, I won’t have to email new websites I have found to my friends. I can just direct them to my wiki. Lastly, I plan on using at least on of the post-reading strategies each week until the end of the school year.After I realized I was lacking in that area, I decided the best way to learn about the strategies is simply to try them out.I also want to try out the action strategies that I have not used.By using the strategies with my own classroom, I can get a better sense what topics and subjects each strategy would work the best with and ways I can modify the strategy to better fit the needs of my English Language Learners. Briefly address how this project will help you reach diverse learners, use technology, and use instructional grouping. As I began collecting strategies for this project, I realized I had a lot of strategies that could help support struggling readers or writers, but not a lot to help challenge students who were already very proficient readers and writers. I will definitely use some of the new strategies I have collected like action strategies or the post-reading strategies that have students become critical thinkers of text. I also realized through doing this project that I had a lot of strategies that I could modify a bit more to suit my ELLs.For example, I found using modified versions of the vocabulary strategies to be helpful because it helped to organize words and have students interact with new vocabulary words.I like how the strategies I selected also encourage students to interact more with text instead of being passive readers. Also, I think in doing this project, I realized how many strategies could be used in conjunction with technology.There were a few constructing and utilizing strategies that had students presenting information to the class.I realized that I could start by using the organizers and strategies the way I have them presented on the wiki, but the students could definitely use those strategies to do presentations with technology. For example, for the Ask the Expert strategy, the students could develop their own expert website or wiki.They may also create a movie on movie maker or a presentation through voice thread. Really the majority of the strategies I have presented in my wiki could combine instruction or the production of a product with using technology. Lastly, doing this project helped me consider how I could group students for instruction better to make these strategies more effective.I realized that for some students, these strategies would be easily learned and utilized. For those students, I could teach and model the strategy and have them begin working. This would allow for me to support others in a small group or one on one. I also saw advantages to putting students in heterogeneous groups where stronger students could be a good model for weaker students. What changes would you make to this project? What would you do differently if you had the opportunity to do this project over again? I think if I were to do this project over again, I would have tried more of the new strategies out in my classroom ahead of time.I learn by doing, so it was hard for me to consider things that could potentially go wrong, or ways to scaffold student learning.I also would have had more student materials ready to include on the wiki. I think I would have also video taped myself teaching the strategies. I would do this so I could remember what activities I did with my class and how they reacted. I also think it would be good for other teachers to see what the strategy looks like in action. I was glad to find some youtube clips to imbed in my wiki. I think this helps because it provides a visual and more of a context for how to use the strategy in the classroom. Lastly, if I had to re-do this project, I would have asked for some suggestions from my colleagues on what strategies to put in the wiki.I work with some very talented and “seasoned” teachers, but unfortunately I don’t get much time to talk to them about strategies or see them teach. I would have loved to set up the skeleton of the wiki and have my colleagues help me out.I think in the process it would have become a forum for discussing the strategies we use as we met for our professional learning group.
C&I 465
Spring 2009
E-Folio Reflective Paper
Description of the organizational logistics of the project. Explain the cross-references, and how to access any documents, articles, or resources. Essentially, how are the e-portfolio and resource binder to be utilized? What are your plans for sharing this resource with your colleagues?
When I approached creating this e-portfolio and binder, I decided I needed something I could easily access no matter where I was and what books I had readily available to me. I will soon be leaving my regular teaching job and am not sure when I will be back in a full-time teaching position. I also will be moving around a lot in the next few years. I felt if I put my most favorite strategies on a wiki and compiled them into one binder, I wouldn’t have to worry about where I was and where my professional books were. I printed off every document that was attached to my wiki so I could have it readily available if I do not have access to the internet but want a worksheet or organizer to use. Also, I printed off some of the professional articles to put in my binder. I did this so I could refresh my memory about how to use the strategy. I also did this in case I want to share the strategy article with a friend or colleague and I do not have access to the internet at the time. My thought was I could simply take it out of my binder and take it to the copy to machine.
Also, I not only was thinking about myself as I was creating my binder and my wiki, I was also thinking about how I could help my colleagues now who have shared so much with me and have helped me to develop my teaching skills in the content area. I will soon be inviting my colleagues to my, some as organizers, so they can print off worksheets and lessons, access any videos I have to share with their classes, and add any materials they have created or found. I also plan on inviting teacher friends of mine who are always sharing their resources with me. They will also have access to adding their own materials so I can use them as well.
When I was organizing the wiki, I decided to make it something I could go to quickly to get what I need or that I can sit down and re-read how to use the strategy or the links I have included with example student work. First, I wanted a way I could quickly click, print, and go if I was in a hurry and needed a student handout or organizer. This is why after you click on the strategy it takes you to a page where you can click blacklines or descriptions/sources. I didn’t want to have to search for the printables, so I put them all on their own page for each strategy.
How will this change what you currently do?
After having done this project, I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in my strategy instruction. I realized that I spend more time focusing on pre and during reading strategies and not enough time focusing on post reading strategies. I realized why when I looked through the professional books I normally use. Most of them did not have an abundant amount of strategies for post-reading. If they did, they seemed more appropriate for older grades. I am definitely going to work on developing my knowledge of post-reading strategies.
I also realized through doing this project that there were a lot of good strategies I was already using, just not in the content area. For example, I use comprehension connections and visualizing a lot in my reading block, but not as much in the content area. Since I am now confident teaching these skills as related to fictional texts, I can begin to focus more on bringing those skills into the content area.
Lastly, after doing this project, I will definitely find more ways to integrate strategies into my content area instruction that will help me to better assess my students instead of relying on traditional assessments. For example, even using a strategy like QAR can help me see if my students are going back into the text to find important details or to reread for clarification. This will in turn help me guide my instruction better. Also, having being exposed to more post-strategies by doing this project, I will have a variety of new ways to assess my students knowledge at the end of a lesson or unit instead relying on a paper-pencil assessment.
Describe your goals of how you plan to put this into action.
As far as my goal to share my material with others, I plan on inviting all my colleagues to join my wiki. I think will make those who I know are comfortable with using a wiki organizers so they can add their own material. For those who are not comfortable with manipulating the wiki, I will either offer to show them how to upload documents, or have them send me documents via email that I can upload.
Another goal I have is to use my wiki frequently, and continue adding to it. I will do this by taking time this summer to search new strategies and add them to the different sections of the wiki. I think it will help even if I just upload organizers, articles, and posters that relate to certain articles. I plan on using the wiki as a place to store all the cool websites and videos I have found as well instead of relying on my “My Favorites” list on my computer. Again, since this is a wiki I will share, I won’t have to email new websites I have found to my friends. I can just direct them to my wiki.
Lastly, I plan on using at least on of the post-reading strategies each week until the end of the school year. After I realized I was lacking in that area, I decided the best way to learn about the strategies is simply to try them out. I also want to try out the action strategies that I have not used. By using the strategies with my own classroom, I can get a better sense what topics and subjects each strategy would work the best with and ways I can modify the strategy to better fit the needs of my English Language Learners.
Briefly address how this project will help you reach diverse learners, use technology, and use instructional grouping.
As I began collecting strategies for this project, I realized I had a lot of strategies that could help support struggling readers or writers, but not a lot to help challenge students who were already very proficient readers and writers. I will definitely use some of the new strategies I have collected like action strategies or the post-reading strategies that have students become critical thinkers of text.
I also realized through doing this project that I had a lot of strategies that I could modify a bit more to suit my ELLs. For example, I found using modified versions of the vocabulary strategies to be helpful because it helped to organize words and have students interact with new vocabulary words. I like how the strategies I selected also encourage students to interact more with text instead of being passive readers.
Also, I think in doing this project, I realized how many strategies could be used in conjunction with technology. There were a few constructing and utilizing strategies that had students presenting information to the class. I realized that I could start by using the organizers and strategies the way I have them presented on the wiki, but the students could definitely use those strategies to do presentations with technology. For example, for the Ask the Expert strategy, the students could develop their own expert website or wiki. They may also create a movie on movie maker or a presentation through voice thread. Really the majority of the strategies I have presented in my wiki could combine instruction or the production of a product with using technology.
Lastly, doing this project helped me consider how I could group students for instruction better to make these strategies more effective. I realized that for some students, these strategies would be easily learned and utilized. For those students, I could teach and model the strategy and have them begin working. This would allow for me to support others in a small group or one on one. I also saw advantages to putting students in heterogeneous groups where stronger students could be a good model for weaker students.
What changes would you make to this project? What would you do differently if you had the opportunity to do this project over again?
I think if I were to do this project over again, I would have tried more of the new strategies out in my classroom ahead of time. I learn by doing, so it was hard for me to consider things that could potentially go wrong, or ways to scaffold student learning. I also would have had more student materials ready to include on the wiki.
I think I would have also video taped myself teaching the strategies. I would do this so I could remember what activities I did with my class and how they reacted. I also think it would be good for other teachers to see what the strategy looks like in action. I was glad to find some youtube clips to imbed in my wiki. I think this helps because it provides a visual and more of a context for how to use the strategy in the classroom.
Lastly, if I had to re-do this project, I would have asked for some suggestions from my colleagues on what strategies to put in the wiki. I work with some very talented and “seasoned” teachers, but unfortunately I don’t get much time to talk to them about strategies or see them teach. I would have loved to set up the skeleton of the wiki and have my colleagues help me out. I think in the process it would have become a forum for discussing the strategies we use as we met for our professional learning group.