Webquest

Continue Objectives Discussion Part 2

Throughout the class project students were able to voice their ideas and opinions on certain activities. This is were the standard professionalism comes to play. Students were told at the start of this adventure that this was their project. The had full control and all aspects were up to them. The standard technology played a major part in our project. Each each students were responsible for completing a webquest of the website questgarden. The first two webquest I model and explain to the students how they worked. Then student were asked to complete webquest in their group. They had to discuss each webquest with their group. The standard communication helped students understand how not only to communicate, but also share with one another. During the standard communication students learn what sharing means and how to share with someone. This activity also explained to students how to express their feelings toward sharing with one another. The last standard called human development is still in progress. We started on it this week. As a class we decided to move this activity to the end as a closing of our project. A discussion of the word self-discipline was the main focus this week. During the activity called, " I'm Not a Robot, I Can Control Myself" students will construct a time capsule and bury negative actions from the past. Students will also be able to reflect on the skills and strategies learned throughout our class project.

This main goal of our class project was to understand how to work together, resolve conflict, and communicate with others. Hopefully students will take these skills and strategies and apply them to their day to day life.

Objectives Discussion Part 2

As our project titled, "Changing the Atmosphere" comes to an end hopefully student will continue to use the skills and strategies taught to them throughout this process. The NCATE standards that aided in the process of students becoming students who can work together are that will be discussed during this blog are: planning, instructional strategies, assessment, technology, professionalism, and human development. The standard planning was accomplished through the activity called "Dress to Impress". During the activity, students were placed in groups with students who they usually wouldn't pick. Students were asked to think about all the things they learned about getting along and design a T-shirt. They had to not only use communication skills, but also they had to know what to do when conflict arise within their group. After collecting each group's T-shirt design, together we designed a class T-shirt. The next standard instructional strategies was used throughout our project. Students were taught how to get along with their classmates. They also were taught the meaning of it's not what you say, but how you say it. Knowing how words affect people help students understand how to communicate their feeling toward different situtations. This standard can be seen in use throughout the day. Students used this standard in all aspects of their day and that is where the standard assessment comes into play. Students are constantly being assessed on how well they interact with each other. Even though we have an incentive chart to keep track on how well students interact, I have discovered that students are not paying attention to chart. Students are getting use to helping each other and working together so I seldom chart small interactions. The goal was accomplished when students stopped worrying about how many stickers they could get, but was doing positive things for one another just because it was the right thing to do.

Students Working in Groups

The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 3: Introduction

The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 3: Introduction

The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 2: Introduction

The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 2: Introduction

The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 1: Task

Check these webquests out about empathy. Students learned the importance of caring for others.


The Super Power of Empathy - Mission 1: Task

Objectives Discussion

Working together at any age sometime is very difficult, but when third graders have to work together the task seems harder. I jumped into this project knowing exactly what I had planned to do on the days the students met, but just like the weather things change. Even though the time and tasks somewhat changed the NCATE standards were always accomplished. Changing the Atmosphere had 10 objectives. The first objective content knowlege was accomplished the the first activity titled, "Can We Talk ". This activity focused on enhancing students' listening and communication skills. I felt that this activity had to be first because it teaches the students effective strategies for communicating with others. The second objective, diversity was completed through the activity, "Animal Friends". This particular objectives focused on how the world is made up of different types of people, and we must respect other people. We discussed the word stereotype and I even through in a reading skilled called generalization. A discussion about the different sterotypes about animals sparked a discussion on how people are not the same and you can't judge a book by its cover. The next objective, learning environment was geared toward monitoring students' positive behavior. The activity, "I Caught You" was monitored through the use of an incentive chart. Students placed a sticker by a person's name that showed positive behavior toward another student. Students really focused on not only getting stickers for positive behavior but also acknowledging other students for their behavior. I believe this activity was very meaningful because it gave students a visual of how many times we do get along and work together. The objective communication was and still is a very important objective throughout our class project. The objective was mastered after students had a class discussion about the importance of sharing. The students really enjoyed planning and participating in the chew and chat session where students gained the ability to communicate their feelings toward sharing with one another.

T-shirt Design

Here are some pictures of my students working in groups designing our class T-shirt. The t-shirt should reflect the skills and strategies that were taught throughout our class project. The students were divided into five groups and they had to design the front and back of a T-shirt. I took all of the students' designs and we had a class discussion on how the shirt should look. We are still debating on the color. I am going to check to see how much each shirt will cost. I'm using the shirt company that my school uses for our school shirt.

Conflict Resolution Techniques: Introduction

Conflict Resolution Techniques: Introduction

There is no "I" in TEAM!: Introduction

There is no "I" in TEAM!: Introduction

"Cheer Up Lonely One": Introduction

"Cheer Up Lonely One": Introduction

Unscheduled Activity

This is week the children continued to help each other with daily tasks. I have noticed that the students are even starting to help other students in other classes. Most of the student are getting along with one another. I do have one girl who continues to hit. I conference with both parents and they ensured that they would talk to her, but the hitting continued the whole week. On Wednesday I sat down with her during my planning and talked to her for the sixth time and asked what was the problem. She said that she feels like no one likes her. This really struck a nerve because we have been working on getting along with one another, but the activities seem like they are not working for her. I really didn't understand what to do until I decided to put in charge of our class elections. We are having our annual class elections and school elections. I decided to make her the class president's campaign manager. The class was divided into groups who were in charge of posters, speech presentation, and campaign stickers. Even though this activity was not a planned activity students still seem to use the skills and strategies that we have been working with on this unscheduled activity. Hopefully next week we can continue with our planned activities.

Understanding Diversity: Introduction

Understanding Diversity: Introduction

Understanding and Managing Our Emotions: Introduction

Understanding and Managing Our Emotions: Introduction

WebQuest Search Results:K-2 Life Skills/Careers

This week was a short week because we only had four days at school. We still managed to complete two webquest and demonstrate how to get along with others. I am amazed at how the students are responding to working together without being told. Students are helping each other with day to day tasks. I have even witness students talking their problems out. Next week I am excited about how well the students will work together on designing a class T-shirt.

Feelings: Introduction

Feelings: Introduction

This week was much like last week, but I had to give post tests and enter final grades. I did manage to complete the chew and chat. The students enjoyed discussing the word "sharing". I do believe that they enjoyed the eating part more, but what every gets them to interact with each other is good for me. We also completed a webquest titled "Feelings". In this webquest students explored facial expressions and what they mean.

Pictures and Video Clip

On this picture, I picked four different color of tiles. The tiles represented the groups. In each group there were five students. The tiles where put into the bag for the students to pick their group.

These students are planning the menu for their chew and chat. The chew and chat session will be a discussion about sharing.

On this video, you will see the four groups making decisions on the menu for the chew and chat. If you look toward the end of the clip you will notice two boys playing rock, paper,scissors. At first I thought they were playing until I got closer and understood that they were using the game as a strategy for making a decision on what type of chip their group wanted. Sorry about the sound, I did the video clip with my digital camera.

Where did the time go?

I don't know where the time went this past week. On Monday I had our whole week planned. I surely was wrong if I thought everything was going to work as planned. This week I planned on completing the activity called "Share with Me". I almost did, but there is always next week. This week we discussed other ways to pick groups. So after many suggestions we decided to put color tiles in a bag and every child had to pick a color. The color tile you choose is the group you would be assigned to for this activity. We also discussed what the word sharing means to them. We got in a circle and said either how they share with someone or how they feel when someone shares with them. Some students just simply told about a particular thing they shared with someone.
On one other days, the students got into their groups and they had to use their communication skills in order to plan a menu for their chew and chat. What was so funny to me was when I walked around and saw two boys playing rock, paper, scissors. My first reaction was to start fussing and telling them that they were off task, but as I got closer I discovered that they were only playing the game to decided on what type of chips they wanted for their group's chew and chat. After I witness that I felt like this activity is really working for my class. My students are learning to get along and us other ways to solve problems. Next week we will complete "Share with Me".

This week was filled with many interesting things that my students discovered about our project. We finally completed our activity called “Can We Talk”. Students finished their comparison poster and learned a new skill all at one time. The students had to get with their partner and complete a Venn diagram about them while practicing communication skills. The strange thing about learning about graphic organizer is that next week’s reading lesson discusses different of graphic organizers. So now my students have a little prior knowledge on how Venn diagrams are excellent visuals.

This week we continue the on-going activity called, “I Caught You”. My students are really trying to work together. There were many instances that I caught students helping one another. I have a student who just recently broke her arm. I was walking my students to P.E. and I turned around and two students were bending down tying the student with the broke arm shoe. I have another student who is in a wheelchair and there is about four students who is helping me with him. They are helping me by giving him his milk and fork during lunch while I fix his plate and even rolling him in the halls when his arm muscles bother him. The other day I caught a student picking up paper in the lunch room that I know her or the class did not put on the floor. One of my students stated that helping others make them feel good. I told them that if everybody felt that way the world would be a better place. I believe that this activity is really helping my student become aware of how helping one another can help them get along better.

At the end of the week we discussed the word” share”. I asked students to think about that word. What does it mean and how do they share with others? I also asked students to determine how do they feel when someone shares with them? Student documented their thoughts and on next week I am planning for us to plan a chew and chat.

(A) Students Completing Listening Activity

(B) Grouping Students

(C) Students Brainstorming and Answering Questions

On the week of September 10-16, we worked on the activity titled, Can We Talk. On the first day I decided to discuss with my students the importance of getting along with one another. I tried to explain that our classroom is just practice for the real world and that people in the real world must cooperate with one another just like they must do in the classroom.

The first step in getting along is understanding how to communicate. I explained to my students that the most of the time people who don’t get along do not because they do not know how to communicate. I asked students if they knew what I meant when I said communicate. My students immediately said that it means to talk. Then they gave me so many ways people communicate which I wrote on the board and we created a web out of their responses. After the creation of the web, I focused the students’ attention back to the main word of our web “communicate”. I told my students that when you communicate you have to know how to listen. Then I asked the students do they know how to listen, of course all of them said that they knew how. I told them not answer so quickly because we were going to do an activity and after I wanted them to tell me if they still thought that they knew how to listen. So we did a listening activity that asked students to do different things to a piece of paper. Not one student got all of the directions correct. After the activity I asked student again do they know how to listen and many of them said they did not. So I told students that we were going to work on how to listen the next couple of days. At the end of the activity I explain the incentive chart title,’ I Caught You’. The purpose of this activity is to give students a visual of people helping and getting along with one another. A student may witness a person helping or getting along and they may give another person a sticker or I may give the stickers out. This activity will go on for six weeks and the person who has the most stickers will get a treat.

The next couple of days we discussed the activity called Can We Talk. I explain to the students that they will work with a partner and create a comparison poster. They must use their communication skills to complete the poster. Before we get started we had to figure out how we were going to get into groups. First I took suggestions and wrote them all down and had the students vote. Then we made tally marks to discover how we were going to group the students. We ended up with a tie, so we voted again. The suggestion that won was picking names out of a bag. So I picked names out of the bag and group the students.

On September 16, students got with their partner and brainstorm five questions they wanted to ask the other and recorded the answers. While students were with their partner I walked around observing and reminding students of their communication skills. I told students to remember that communication is not only talking, but also listening to the other person.
After the week was over, I reevaluated my calendar and discovered that I did not get everything done that was scheduled. We still needed to take pictures, create the comparison poster, and present to the rest of the class. So hopeful next week we can get those things completed. I can say that this week was very successful and I am looking forward to next week.

Changing the Atmosphere Calendar

Can We Talk

Sept. 10-18

Sept. 10
class discussion ( how to talk and listen)
listening skill activity

Sept. 14
create questionnaire
answer questionnaire
take picture of partner

Sept. 16
using pictures from magazines to create Venn diagram

Sept. 18
share comparison posters

Share With Me

Sept. 24

Animal Friends

Oct. 1

I'm Not a Robot!

Oct. 8-15

Dress to Impress

Oct. 22-29

I Caught You!

On-Going

Can We Work Together?

On-Going

Day 1 Can you listen?

Today was the first day my students and I worked on our project. I discuss with the student that we were going to make a comparison poster. Using a Venn diagram, the students will interview a classmate to identify how they are alike and different. I explain that we must first do a couple of things to help us prepare for the making of the poster. We must first learn how to get along and work together. I decided to discuss with them the importance of getting along with one another. Trying to explain that the classroom is a training room for the real world was exciting. They did not realize that people who work and even live together must learn how to get along and work together just like that have too. First, I asked my students what people have to do in order to cooperate with one another. I had so many interesting answers from liking the same things to even being in the same class more than once. I wrote the word communication on the board. Their eyes looked as if they were trying to understand. I continue to ask what the word communication means. Some said that communication means to talk. So I wrote talk under the word communication. Then they took the discussion to another topic. They stated talking about the different ways people talk. The said people talk when they use sign language, text using a cell phone, write a letter, or even when they email someone. So I wrote all of those responses on the board as well. I encouraged students to continue to think about how people talk, but I ask them what do the other person does when someone is talking to them. One student said, “They think.” I told the student that you are absolutely right. And another student shouted, “They got to listen!” I had to calm the students down because they started yelling out responses. After I gain control of the students, I explained that the most important step in getting along and working together is knowing how to communicate. I explained that people who don’t get along do not because they don’t know the correct way to communicate. I also told my students that some people don’t know how to talk or listen. So today we are going to do a listening activity that will help prepare us for our project. First, I gave students a sheet of notebook paper. Then I asked who knows how to listen. Of course every hand went up. I encourage students to wait until after the activity is over to answer that question. I read through tens steps that they had to demonstrate with their paper. I had to laugh to myself because not one got the activity right. I then pulled out an oversize piece of paper so I could demonstrate each step. I explained that when they were “listening” they did not think about what I was saying. The goal of the activity today was to think and listen. All of my students changed their minds about knowing how to listen. So at the end of the lesson I ask them to go home and listen to a T.V. show and just think about what is being said.

Just finish defining my class' vocabulary terms. The terms triggered thoughts about how I used or apply these terms to my daily teaching environment. If I had to pick a word that really gets my juices flowing, I would pick- classroom time and space. I tell my students daily that time is so precious so don't waste it. Of course, third graders don't seem to understand what I'm trying to get them to understand. At the beginning of the school year, I always ask my students could they go back to this morning. As they look at me with great confusion, I explained that time is one thing you can't never get back. When time is gone it is gone!!! Now, classroom space is another way of organizing your environment so that students are comfortable and learning can continue to prosper. I would like to explore both terms so I can better educate my students.

This school year is here and I am excited! I understand that there will be challenges, but I'm up for it. Being a teacher is a hard job! We have so many hats and shoes to fill from mothers, fathers, doctors, therapist, and mediators. Many people think it is so easy, but if they had to wear those garments they would take them off as soon as they put them on. Educators far and near understand the task that we face each and everyday. So to all of the teachers who wear their share of extra hats and shoes, remember why we do what we do. It's all for the children.