Ever-Learning

A couple of sessions ago I set up a blog and continue to learn and write.
This semester I have to build a professional website using Google Sites. I have spent about an hour trying to link my blog to the site. No such luck. 

Things that we had to reflect on the last two weeks are 1. Assessments and 2. Curriculum

I have so much to learn about assessments. I take my assessment education course next semester. I know the assessment terms - formative and summative assessments. Two areas we looked at were assessment options. I realized that most of the assessments used when I was in middle/junior and high school were what the text refers to as traditional assessment. 

Traditional assessments are teacher-centered.
"Traditional Assessments refer to assessment tools that have long been part of teaching." (p 130, Savage)

Some examples of these kinds of assessment are "multiple-choice, essay, true/false, matching and completion items."(p.130, Savage)

My teachers usually chose selected-response over constructed-response. Selected-response isn't as accurate as constructive because it doesn't access what students know, it requires them to select the best answer from a selection of alternatives.
This reminds me of the test that I would cram for - usually multiple choice. Rote memorization only serves the student in the regurgitating of terms for the test. It doesn't  always help them to make lasting connections. 

The other option for assessments are performance assessments.
Performance assessments are student-centered and data-driven. Other terminology that I am gaining a greater understanding about is assessment capable learners. (More on that later)
"Performance assessments refers to evaluating the performance of students as they are engaged in complex, authentic tasks requiring them to prepare a product, a response, or a performance." (p. 138, Savage)

Tools to check for authentic learning are "checklists, rating scales and rubrics."(p. 138, Savage)

Another tool would be to use portfolios. I would like to use this tool for two reasons. 1. Conferences, both with students and parents and 2. So that students can identify their growth areas throughout the school year. 

Tom V. Savage, Marsha K. Savage, David G. Armstrong. Teaching in the Secondary School. Ed. Paul A. Smith. Seventh. Pearson, 2012.

Getting Caught Up

I had an instructor once tell me, "Stacy if you want to write you will, otherwise you won't."
To hopefully make sense of that statement I will start by saying that there is a three month gap in my posting on here. That is not to say life has been boring, quite the contrary. Simply put I let life and work get in the way of my passion for writing.

To catch you up:

Last semester I completed:
British Literature II. The Romantic Period is my favorite and Wordsworth and Keats being my favorite poets from that period.
"Fill the paper with the breathings of your heart." - William Wordsworth
and
Teaching Middle School and Secondary English. Microteaching lessons, literature shares and Unit of Instruction
My microteaching lessons were: sentence structure, readers theatre(Romeo and Juliet), creative writing, reading literature (The New Colossus) and vocabulary. My favorite was the close reading strategy for the reading lesson.
My three literature shares were: Counting by 7's, (YA) Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry(multicultural) and my pairing of young adult and canon were Romeo and Juliet with Fault in Our Stars.
My Unit of Instruction was titled Dystopian, Utopian and Democracy. My rationale for this unit "Different societies have varying governmental structures. In preparation for the upcoming democratic voting cycle it is important for students to be educated to make their own knowledgeable decisions in the future. Literature can pave the way to teach about civic duties and responsibilities. This interactive unit will connect learning standards and literature to real-world experiences. The teacher will be using several genres to engage students to explore real-world perspectives. Students will be exposed to varying societies and forms of government, this with their personal point of reference will be used to expand their understanding about democracy and the need for structure."
I really enjoyed this Unit of Instruction because I was able to put a lot of best practice strategies in place. I would love the opportunity to actual teach this unit in my future classroom.

I took the Missouri MEGA content test for Middle School ELA the preliminary results are PASS. I await my final score report later this month.

I also applied and interviewed for a position as an 8th grade ELA teacher. I am awaiting board approval this month.

I am currently enrolled in three courses in an attempt to finish my Bachelors by July.
Readings in Poetry, Environmental Science and Advanced Content Methods.

On a personal note, my husband and I took on a new leadership role at church and my son graduated Navy bootcamp and is now in South Carolina and Nuke A-School.

I will try to keep this up-to-date with what I am learning this semester.
Thanks for reading the humble ramblings of a future teacher.