#214EdPrep: Nicole Reflects on Her Experiences

By: Nicole Holubec

Thanks to the District 214 Educator Prep Program I’ve gotten to experience so many great things. Ever since I was a little kid I knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I heard about the College Intro to Education course being offered at school I knew I had to join and be apart of it and that was one of the greatest decisions I had ever made because I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet so many new people and make new connections. 

In College Intro to Education I have learned the meaning behind what teaching is and I was able to create my own philosophy of teaching. I also got to take part in an internship which I am still currently in. Three days a week I get to go to Grove Jr. High and student teach. My rotations have been in 6th grade, Language Arts classes. 





I've taught lessons on annotations and have done “A Look Into High School” activity with my students. My annotations lesson is one that I actually have improved on. The first time I went through the lesson it was very simple, taking notes with paper and pen on an overhead projector, but the second time I taught it I changed things up and used technology. I created a Google Slides presentation for the students to take notes from, then a Nearpod activity to practice annotating, followed by a small quiz at the end to check for understanding. 

Besides going out on an internship, this class has given me many opportunities to work with different groups like Estudiantes Unidos, the Future Teachers Club from Devonshire Elementary, and first graders from Salt Creek Elementary. 

By working with these groups I’ve been able to get a first hand look into different ethnic and age groups which makes me more prepared for my future with the students I will have one day. Talking with these groups and hearing other students having the same passion that I do gave me even more motivation to continue in the field of education. 

Some of the greatest opportunities have also come my way thanks to the teachers in the Collab Lab. Ms. Ashida and Ms. Barry have come into my class, also along with Mrs. Miklusak and Mr. Heintz, and showed us different ways of teaching with and without technology and different styles of teaching. 

This collaboration with the Collab Lab led to an opportunity for me to present and take on the role of teaching the teachers at the EdCamp In-Service day at EGHS. 

Thanks to EdPrep I’ve gotten to grow as a person and as a future educator.

To learn more about the program, and the experiences of other EdPrep students, check out #214EdPrep on Twitter!

#214EdPrep: Karolina Shares Her Teaching Experience

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

By:  Karolina Rusiniak

I intern at Clearmont Elementary school with the ESL program. The teachers compose normal lessons with the students, such as math centers etc. just like they would in their regular English classroom. I decided to try the app Classkick with the class this last Friday.  [See this past blog post about the Spark Session on Classkick.] I prepared a slideshow of about 12 pages of line graphs and worksheets and fraction free response questions. 

When I arrived, the class was divided into six groups each working at a different math center and would rotate every ten minutes or so. The students were very excited to do the classkick! They told me they have never done such an activity where they could directly write on their chrome book and have the teacher check their work automatically. They informed me that they loved the fact that I could check their work as they go and that I could give them stickers as rewards. Also, they loved working at their own pace through the presentation. 

What we found as a challenge was that it was hard to write on their chrome books and having the opportunity to write on their tablets would make it much easier. Some students successfully logged into classkick through the internet on their tablets and said it was much easier than working on their laptops. I am still working on exploring the program, but, personally, the only challenge I came across was that since the kids were divided into six groups, some would get on and some would get off the program and I would have to take some time and look for the students that are on the program to check their works- they were scattered all over the list. 

Other than that, I really loved using the program and they informed me that they would love for me to make another slideshow for their math centers again. I think that if I could change some things about the program, I would come up with a more effective way to alert the teacher when the student presses "please check", and I would love to have the students who are working on the program to show up in one place and the students who aren't to be moved somewhere else, yet still visible. Overall, I really enjoyed working with the program! I took some pictures, but I was told I could only use them for classroom purposes, but i will gladly show them to You in person.

More blog posts to come.  Follow #214EdPrep and @EGCollabLab for more!

#214EdPrep: Spark Sessions on Grouping Strategies & Using Manipulatives

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

In continuation of our Spark Sessions (read more here and here) with our District 214 Ed Prep students, Kim Miklusak and Mark Heintz presented different methods of grouping students and how to use manipulatives to activate prior knowledge.

Spark Session #5: Learning Various Grouping Strategies from Mrs. Miklusak

Kim passed out a worksheet of the various grouping strategies with each group, who, as it turns out, were all set up in self-selected groups.  

She walked the students through each type of grouping style, describing the definition of each and making connections to times in other classes that the students would have participated in such groups.  They briefly discussed the positives and negatives to each type of group so that the students would be able to apply different strategies depending on what lessons they are using with their own students in the coming weeks.

Spark Session #6:  Using Manipulatives to Build Background Knowledge with Mr. Heintz

Mark passed out envelopes to each group.  He had both big and little rectangles cut out in each envelope.  First, he had students look at the big rectangles.  There are words and definitions on various edges of the rectangles, and students are to match them up to eventually form a large rectangle.  Students worked through to match the words with the proper definition.  Then, he discussed other uses of this activity, as well as discussing methods to make this more differentiated (i.e.: providing different students with different "cubes", adding distractors to the outside rectangles, adding a time constraint, etc.)

Next, he had students move to a new group, creating groups of 3-4 consisting of no students from their original table.  They now were going to play an activity called "Word Grab" using the small rectangle pieces from the envelopes.  For this game, he says a definition, and the students have to grab the correct word.  Each word was a reason to use the activity.  For instance a few of the words were background knowledge, prior learning, and movement. 

Mark and Kim ended the session by looping back to Kim's lesson to show the class how they used different student grouping strategies to complete Mark's lesson!

Social Media
Following the Spark Sessions, Linda Ashida reminded students about the benefits of using social media for professional learning as well as reflection.  She also showcased Hannah Irizarri's blog post, in which she shares how she used a strategy from last week's Spark Sessions in her own field placement.


More blog posts to come.  Follow #214EdPrep and @EGCollabLab for more!

#214EdPrep: Hannah Shares Her Teaching Experience

By: Hannah Irizarry

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Hannah implemented a lesson based on the Spark Session presented by Rachel Barry.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

Last week Ms. Barry showed us different teaching methods that would help students learn. One idea that I really like was Mathketball. I felt like this would be such a fun activity for the 3rd graders that I'm currently working with in my internship. They're currently working on multiplication, division, and fractions. I wrote 5 problems for each section. Once I got to the classroom, I gave them all three sheets of paper and made sure to show them how to fold and rip so they had enough paper for each problem. I made them get into a circle and then I explained how to play this game. 

 Throughout the whole game the kids were laughing and enjoying the game but also were learning the problems. 

When I heard that a student wanted to “skip” a problem I would quiet them down and show them a different method to figure out the problem. 

After we were done they all went back to their seats and said that they wanted to play this again. I really enjoyed teaching them this game and watching them get the answers right. 

#214EdPrep: Spark Sessions for Engagement and Pre-Assessment Strategies

By Rachel Barry

This is the third in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

In yesterday's blog post, we discuss the background behind these Spark Sessions with our Elk Grove District 214 Ed Prep students.  

On the second "Spark Sesson" day, I presented students with a game to practice or review class material as well as using Google Forms to pre-assess students.

Spark Session 3:  Play Basketball to Engage Students in Practice or Review Concepts

The game is typically called "Mathsketball" in our department, however, I wanted to show students that they can play this game with any subject area.  To view the game the students played, click here.  

How to Play:
- Students are each given one piece of paper.  They must use this piece for all 6 questions.
- Once the PowerPoint displays the problem, you have 30 seconds to complete the problem.
- Students must show their work, and circle their answer.
- Before the buzzer, students will crumple their paper and toss it into the recycling bin.

Then we discussed potential adjustments to the game, including:

- passing out pieces of paper with the problem write out (if graphs, tables, or diagrams are needed)

- increasing/decreasing the time limit

- wait to provide answers until the end of the game

Additionally, we brainstormed other games that can accomplish similar practice or review:

- Kahoot

- Jeopardy

- Quizlet Live

- Battleship

- Scavenger Hunt

- Last Man Standing

*Stop by the Collab Lab if you are interested in learning more about any of the above!

Spark Session 4:  Pre-Assessment through Google Forms

The purpose of this part of the lesson was to provide these students with a method of pre-assessment.  Due to technology issues, students couldn't access the Google Form, and instead, I had to transition this focus into a lesson on flexibility.  For reference, here is the Google Form that was given to students to pre-assess their understanding of slope.  I displayed this for them, and we discussed how to use the feedback from the form to drive instruction.  Then, I changed the focus to discuss the importance of being flexible.  I explained to students that sometimes things don't go as planned, and we discussed the importance of being prepared with back-up plans in the classroom.  For me, the last question on the Google Form was the most important: "Of the four examples (Classkick, Socrative, Basketball, Google Form), which do you believe is the most applicable for your current placement?  Why?"  Because I still wanted the feedback from these students, I had students open up a new e-mail, address it to me, and answer the question.  I expressed to that that this was part of my goal for the day, I talked them through my thought process of how to still obtain this feedback.  

Student Thoughts

"I also really like the games like the math basketball because it something to do when it is kind of a relaxed day and there is not much to do or it is the day before break. I think I will use both of these things in the future as a teacher."

"I like the math basketball game because I really never heard of it till now but kids can easily copy off each other. I do think it's a really really fun game and a change. Plus it gets boring do the same thing everyday."

"I feel like the elementary kids I'm working with would love that."

More blog posts to come.  Follow #214EdPrep and @EGCollabLab for more!

#214EdPrep: Spark Sessions for Formative Assessment

By: Rachel Barry

This is the second in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

Students in the District 214 Ed Prep Program will be competing in an "impromptu lesson" challenge among students from other schools.  For this competition, they will placed in groups to develop a lesson plan on a given a topic.  The Collab Lab will be following along and supporting our EG students through this process.

To give students ideas for this lesson, their teacher Kim Sander and I decided to provide the class with "Spark Sessions".  As a staff, we have used Spark Sessions at numerous teacher-led Institute Days to provide new instructional ideas, feedback methods, and brainstorming tools for teachers to use in their classrooms.  We figured a similar process would help ignite lesson ideas within the students.

On the first "Spark Sesson" day, I presented students with two different modes of formative assessment:  Classkick and Socrative.  

Spark Session 1:  Using Classkick to provide feedback to students

To begin, I had students enroll in a Classkick activity (code: QGT VY4) composed of Math, Human Geography, and English questions.  

The purpose of this activity included:
- to see the uses in multiple content areas
- to witness the impact of immediate feedback on learning
- to learn the ways that Classkick allows the teacher to differentiate your instruction based on student need
- to see how students can collaborate on the given problems
- to observe the classroom management benefits of using this method of formative assessment
- to add slides as students are working to extend their knowledge

To learn more about the uses of Classkick in the classroom, view this previous blog post.

Spark Session 2:  Using Socrative to provide feedback to students

Once students had experienced the open-ended feedback of Classkick, I had students log in to my Socrative Quiz.  This formative quiz consisted of Math, English, History, and Science questions all at the third grade level.  

Here, students were able to see:
- how to give students immediate feedback on multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions
- how to use data to drive instruction
- how to provide students with an explanation when they answer incorrectly

View this blog post to see how Socrative can be used to provide immediate feedback to students.

Student Thoughts
I asked students which of these lessons they would most utilize in the classroom, and here were some responses:
"I really liked the Classkick and how you could have the students working and doing different problems while the teacher is helping other students and checking answers at the same time. I think it will be good for warm up problems as well as review for quizzes."

"I think in my future classroom I will use classkick for warm ups or formative assessments. I think it is effective and refreshing for students. It also provides an easier method of multitasking possibilities for the teacher."

"I could see class kick being used really well for certain subjects. And socrative useful for others. Both have ups and downs in the class room but both are useful."

-         "I think in the future I would use class kick because I think it is good way to have kids do work at their own pace and get help when they need. It helps shows the teacher what students still need help on." 

More blog posts to come.  Follow #214EdPrep and @EGCollabLab for more!

#214EdPrep: Collaborating in Professional Learning

This is the first in a series of blog posts discussing the collaboration of the Collab Lab and our EG Ed Prep students.  Please follow along on our journey using the hashtag #214EdPrep or clicking on the label #214EdPrep in the word cloud!

Students in the District 214 Ed Prep Program at EGHS, taught by Kim Sander, have begun collaborating with the Collab Lab on varied professional learning experiences. This previous post explains a workshop we did with the EdPrep students on how to use Social Media to learn, lead, build community, and to expand their professional portfolio. 

Most recently, the EdPrep students joined teachers in a class visit experience. The class was split into four groups, each accompanied by EG teachers, to observe a class for 20 minutes. We visited the classrooms of Persida Bujdei, Mark Heintz, Bonnie Kale, and Kim Miklusak. 

The focus of the class visit was to look for examples of learning target(s) and how they are communicated, and formative feedback (given by the teacher and/or peers). Here is the a document we used to take notes and to facilitate our conversation afterwards.

After the class visits we returned to the EdPrep Classroom to debrief in a jigsaw conversation.  Each group had at least one student from each class we visited, and at least one teacher facilitator. We discussed what we observed and learned in each classroom.

The students shared insight from both their student and future-teacher perspectives. The teachers were inspired, and we learned from them too! Here are some highlights of their observations:

Schoology quizzes before a test help students understand exactly what they know and don't know.  It isn't graded, it is just for learning.  Several students commented on how much they like these kinds of quizzes that they have done in some of their classes, and that they aren't graded.

Teachers gave clear explanations of how to do the practice for the learning targets, and then did a model problem/reading and then students worked in pairs. The modeling really helps. During the pair work the teachers gave feedback and students give each other feedback too.  We talked about how this intentional scaffolding (I do, we do, you do) supports learning.

The whiteboard tables are so good to foster collaboration and feedback. One student said she was so sorry she was "too old" that she missed out on having the whiteboard tables in her English class last year! 

The pros and cons of Quizlet live and Kahoot for feedback.  Quizlet is good at the beginning of the unit as a "hook" and for collaboration, but if your group doesn't finish before the winning group wins, you don't see all of the questions.  Kahoot is good to make sure every student sees all of the questions and gets individual feedback. It can get boring if teachers do them all of time. But they are so good for feedback.

It is helpful it is to plan activities with a model, small group work and time for students to then do it on their own (scaffolding).

We're looking forward to having the EdPrep students join us again for future professional learning experiences.  We have so much to learn from each other! 

You can connect with them too! Follow their Ed Prep journey via #214EdPrep on Twitter.  You can encourage them with a "like", a "retweet" or a comment!  The would LOVE to hear from you!

D214 EdPrep Students Expand Opportunities with Social Media

By Linda Ashida

In the spring of 2016, District 214 kicked off the Educator Prep Program giving students yet another opportunity to gain workplace experience before they graduate high school. This unique program offers a sequence of courses, in collaboration with community partners in education, with the goal of developing future educators.

 

I recently enjoyed the opportunity to work with the students in Kim Sander's Teacher Internship Program at Elk Grove High School, to help them get started, or expand, their professional social media accounts to showcase their experiences in this program and build their professional digital presence and resumes.

Why social media?

By engaging in professional social media accounts, these students can multiply their opportunities to build their professional learning networks with other educators and professional organizations, and expand opportunities to learn, lead, and showcase their experiences with the community in D214 and beyond. Via social media these students can build a digital portfolio and resume which can lead to future connections and opportunities they might not even imagine. Using the hashtag #214EdPrep they can connect with fellow students in the program to share examples of their work and learn from each other.  They can build community with staff, parents and community members who can easily search the hashtag to learn about the program and their experiences.  The students can also follow other educational hashtags and participate in twitter chats that correspond to their specific educational or content interests. At year's end, their social media account will also serve as a portfolio of their work. This can be especially important since more and more universities and employers now do online searches of applicants. So, these EdPrep students, who will also post other academic and extracurricular experiences in addition to their EdPrep content, will have a positive digital presence that will impress and help them stand out in the crowd.

Getting started:
 
Before we got started with setting up our accounts, we discussed key considerations of digital citizenship and the importance of maintaining a positive and professional social media presence. After discussing the "how to" and the options for social media accounts, most students chose to use Twitter or Instagram.  They worked on their professional photo and profile and they prepared to do their first posts.  Even with just their first few posts you can get a good idea of the experiences they enjoyed during the first semester.

Next steps: 

Stay tuned and follow #214EdPrep for more posts to come from these students. They've already inspired me, and they are sure to inspire you! Consider how you could encourage these future educators by commenting on their posts, or sharing your own resources and educational wisdom with them.

I am looking forward to my continued collaboration with the group. As the students progress with Twitter and Instagram, some may expand and explore blogging for more in-depth reflection and sharing.  Stay tuned!