Learning Areas in the Classroom

Whole-Group Area
For whole class lessons -- this includes informal discussion, direct instruction, and student presentations. This will be the mat area where I will instruct, share, and conference with the class most of the time.

Small-Group Area
Here you can give small-group instruction or allow groups of students to gather for peer-led discussions. Groups will have their own individual areas of the classroom study this will make transitions easier and allow for more direct learning times.

Reading Area
This is a place for students to read independently or quietly with a partner. It should provide comfortable seating, a variety of books, and a quiet, secluded atmosphere. I will have comfy chairs and beanbags positioned around the class for this purpose. The students should also have "Browse Boxes" filled with their level reading books to read independently.

Writing Center
Here students write independently and collaboratively. They can choose from a variety of weekly activities and must complete a certain amount before the end of the week.

Computer Station
This area is for computer use in writing, math, reading, keyboard practice, research, telecommunications, and creative games.


Communication Area/Post Office
This area has mail slots for students and teacher to exchange written messages and suggestions. Students will use this area to hand-in assignments and pick up assessed work.

Listening Station
Here students listen to tapes of books, stories, songs, and poems.

Implications of the inquiry approach in Social Studies Learning

The inquiry approach is an effective approach for teaching social studies because it involves the utilization of students’ prior knowledge and past experience to develop suitable topics and relevant questions that they are personally interested in exploring. Inquiry requires students to gather information on the topics and analyse the information to answer their own questions. It requires students to conceptually understand information and connect information together to generate new beliefs and ideas. This helps build students’ critical thinking skills and empathy to others in society. Inquiry is undertaken in the social setting of group work which requires the students to interact with each other and construct individual ideas and beliefs socially, which builds cooperation and collaboration skills that ultimately led to students becoming productive members of society (Jadallah, 2000).
The inquiry approach provides students with active and natural learning experiences. It can involve dialogue and communication between the students and the outside community. It encourages students to understand their own and community values and make decisions on these values. It allows students to develop a sense of belonging within their community and to see the interrelationship between culture, society, and events of the world(Education, Approaches to social inquiry, 2008). Inquiry involves personal reflection on the information gathered and the research process and how it relates to the students lives, which leads to deeper questioning and further learning. Inquiry involves social action, which provides an avenue for students to gain richer values, such as, empathy for others and respect for the community, ultimately making the students better citizens(Sewell, Ward, Wynyard, Taylor, & Church, 2005).
Reflection is another important aspect of social inquiry because it requires the students to ask what their learning means to them and society in general (Education, Approaches to social inquiry, 2008) and how it can be used to improve the future of society. The inquiry approach can integrate many curriculum areas for effective learning. It can also develop the key competencies outlined in the curriculum because of the wide variety of skills required for successful inquiry.
It is the teacher’s responsibility to guide the inquiry and make it academically and socially valuable for the students. The teacher should provide clear guidelines and expectations for the research and direct the students within areas that they believe will have the most impact on the students’ learning. The teacher should strive to move beyond factual knowledge and promote conceptual understandings, which involve the students examining and analyzing the facts and making value judgements on concepts that effect society (Jadallah, 2000).

Cooperative Learning

A true cooperative learning experience requires that a number of criteria be met. They are:
-division of labor among students in the group
-face-to-face interaction between students
-assignment of roles to students
-group processing of a task
-positive interdependence in which students all need to do their assigned duties in order for the task to be completed
-individual accountability for completing one's own assigned duties
-the development of social skills as a result of cooperative interaction
-provision of group rewards by the teacher

The introduction of "learning teams" into the classroom is an effective method for increasing the number of students willing to make an effort to learn in school. The teams usually work together on long-term assignments, although sometimes students remain together in duos, triads or quadrants for the entire day. Each individual is responsible for assuring that the other members learn assigned material. Those who understand the lesson/material are responsible for teaching it to the others. My mixing the abilities of the learners children will indivudually and peer learn. This will allow students to learn from each other develop deeper understanding of the information. I will impliment this type of social collaboration to better utilize the students resources and individual skills in the classroom activiites.

Full Control Lessons

Over the weekend I am planning my full control lessons for next week I am continuing my teacher's style for Monday. But on Tuesday, I am really doing it up to a intergated reading, writing, and art activities that will allow the students to explore the colors of the rainbow. We will use Brown Bear by Eric Carle as a motivation and the basis for our exploration.

Fish Art

My class finished their fish art and we all learned a little from the process.
They learned that sponges and paint can make cool backgrounds and that glitter and gogglely eyes make anything look nice. I learned the limits of a five year old. No hot glue guns, I knew this before, so don't think I let them have access to these or any guns, ever. Also, I had high expectations about the kenetic ablities of the students but when it came to making 2 pronged springs they were fairly incapable, Yet they all learned my name and were able to call say it constantly for the entire part of the lesson and I had a good chance to practice my spring making skills.

But you be the judge and you decide how the pictures turned out.

The Princess Pat

Children Need To Be Needed

These were the words told to me by a relief teacher today. And when I realized the trueness of these words it made all the difference. If I ask students, "Can you do this for me?" They can complain or argue or generally disagree. However, if I need them to do something for me, then they would love to help because it makes them feel special that they are needed by their teacher. It was amazing to see it work right before my eyes.

I also worked on my voice volume and raised and lowered it as needed to control the students mode and atmosphere. It was amazing to see this work as well. I am had them hanging on my every word as I whisper the instructions and steps and really made them actively listen to what could possibily be next. These classroom management will come in handy in the future, no doubt..

Teaching Practicum at Albany Primary

I have spent the last two weeks teaching in a year 1 class at Albany Primary and learning much about classroom routines and management from my associate teacher. Initially,, I was very apprehensive about teaching children that young, I thought they wouldn't be able to do the work or would act too childish. Yet, I have been pleasantly suprised by their effort and skill in language and numeracy. I am taking full control as of next week and I will try to update with pics and examples of work later this week.