Web-based Resources

For my final project, I am planning on creating an English Language Arts lesson plan for fourth graders. The basis of this lesson will be on narrative writing. This would be a month long curriculum unit, but this lesson would be the final project. The lesson would consist of the students composing one last narrative piece of their choosing, that they know will be graded. Once the students have completed their written piece, they will then be using an application to illustrate their writing and record themselves reading their writing. This will be what is graded. 

Resource 1: 

Name/Title of the resource:  Mobile App: “Timeline” 

URL: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/timeline-b-31047.html

How you found it: I found this on the readwritethink website. By clicking on the classroom resource tab, I then searched for mobile apps. Because my students have a cart of iPads, this would be realistic to use in my lesson plan. I then searched by grade level (4th grade) and found this application listed there. 

How you might use it in your final project: I might use this app in my final project as part of the planning process for the student’s writing. Every writing must begin with a plan, as that is an essential part of the writing process. A timeline would be a great idea for a narrative writing, as it must have a beginning, middle, and end. By planning this out prior to the writing, the student would then have a better idea as ti what they are writing about and when to include each detail in their story, thus creating a flow of ideas and an organizational structure. 

What standards does the resource address:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5  With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. 

Resource 2: 

Name/Title of the resource: Formative 

URL: http://www.edutechchick.com/top-16-tech-tools-to-try-in-2016/

How you found it: I found this resource from one of the blogs on my PLN. I originally stumbled upon this blog by searching for technology in the classroom on Pinterest. Once on the blog, I clicked on the post “Top 16 tech tools to try in 2016”. Formative was located there. 

How you might use it in your final project: I might use this in my project to conduct a form of formative assessment. I like that this is electronic, and that you can give immediate feedback and it is done in live time. That makes it easy to use and also different for the students. I would possibly have students submit one paragraph of their writing to receive feedback that they could apply to the rest of their writing moving forward. 

What standards does the resource address:

3-5.CC.1. use digital communication tools (e.g., e-mail, wikis, blogs, IM, chat rooms, videoconferencing, Moodle,

Blackboard) and online resources for group learning projects 

Resource 3: 

Name/Title of the resource: Utah Education Network: Fourth Grade Writing Lesson #1/Narrative Prompt

URL: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=13899

How you found it: I google searched for “narrative writing projects 4th grade” to find ideas. I was drawn to this website because it was .org so I figured that it was a credible website. 

How you might use it in your final project: I might use this resource to tie a book into creating a prompt for my students. This is an idea that I have moving forward, so I like how they already provide a list of books to use with a sample writing prompt. 

What standards does the resource address: 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3  Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Mobile Devices

All of the articles provided are in support of using mobile devices in the classroom. Mobile devices can be cell phones, iPads, iPods, e-readers, etc. I thought it was important to note that a mobile device is not just a cell phone. The major argument for the use of mobile devices in the classroom is simply that they are “mobile”. There is constant access and they can be transported to other places. For example, if your class is going on a field trip, the students can take their mobile devices to capture pictures, take notes, etc. Mobile devices are also cheaper than providing laptops or desktops for the classroom. Because of the price difference, it is more realistic to provide a mobile device for each student than it is to provide a laptop for each student. 

I am extremely interested in this topic because it is current. Mobile devices seem to have infiltrated all districts so I think it is important to educate myself on the capabilities of mobile devices. I feel like I am not educated enough on technology to incorporate it in my classroom at this point, but with some simple research this could easily change. There is also a lot of research out there that supports using mobile devices in the classroom such as increased vocabulary. 

Reading about the various opportunities that mobile devices can provide for my students does make me excited. I think that it is a great way to get students engaged and out of the “worksheets” in a classroom. It also provides the students with experience with technology, which in today’s day and age, is very important to develop that skill set. I think that technology can really benefit any group of people. For example, there are apps created for ESL or ELL students and also students who have special needs. The options are endless with mobile devices, it just takes times to research and compile the resources necessary for the devices to be successful. 

Screencast 6.1

Blogs in the Classroom

I think that a blog could be really useful in my future classroom. As a teacher, I think a blog could have multiple uses with multiple benefits. One way to use a blog would be as a tool for parents to stay informed. The parents would have access to the blog and could go on to keep up to date with the happenings in both the classroom and the whole school. By creating a calendar and posting daily about any announcements/big lessons/homework. A blog can also be used as a platform for the students to post daily about a topic. For example, students could be selected each day to share their writing from the day from their writer’s notebook. Then, the other students in the classroom will have the opportunity to comment and give one another feedback, creating a positive learning environment for everyone. 

A blog would be helpful, because it allows assignments and posts to be found in one location. It also allows students to explore technology and become familiar with online conduct, such as commenting on someone’s post. Some constraints of using a blog would be that students will not receive that same oral support that is essential to develop. 

Learner Analysis: Rory Gilmore

Rory Gilmore seems to defy all the odds. Her mother, Lorelei Gilmore, had Rory when she was only sixteen years old. This caused her elitist and very wealthy grandparents to become angry because Lorelei was meant to uphold their high standards. Lorelei ran away shortly after giving birth to Rory and found a job as a maid working at an Inn and living in the shed behind the Inn. This is where Rory grew up, until her mother saved up to buy a home and begins to make money of her own to support them both. 

Rory has always been an excellent student. She is extremely intelligent and dreams about studying at Harvard University, which for her, is completely possible. She attends an elite private school in Connecticut, Chilton Academy for her high school years. Her grandparents supported Rory’s academic success by funding her very expensive education, with the requirement that her and her mother must visit them weekly. Rory is very engaged in her school work, which is sometimes a negative for her because she has obsessive behavior to be a perfectionist in everything she does. Anything but an ‘A’ is simply not an option for Rory. She wants to stand out and she wants to be the best so that she can achieve her dreams. Rory is definitely “college ready” academically. She has her strategies for studying and managing her school work. However, I do worry about Rory in a social sense being “college ready”. She becomes easily caught up in school work, which leads to obsessive behavior and her to forget about how important it is to go out and socialize. 

Rory’s interests are mostly academic. She is a very avid reader and spends most of her free time figuring out how to manage her school work. Because she goes to such an elite school, the pressure is very much so on the students and they are expected to do well. This is a school where the students are expected to go to Ivy League Universities. As a student in my class, it would be a challenge to keep Rory busy. The traditional work and curriculum would come much too easily for Rory and she would be left feeling bored. I would be sure to have materials for Rory that can challenge her such as extra worksheets, advanced level books, and I could suggest apps for her to use that have higher level materials on them. 

About Me

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! 

My name is Sierra Kudsin and I am an undergraduate student at Grand Valley State University. I am currently finishing up my last year and plan to graduate in May of 2017. I am majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English Language Arts. 

In my free time, one thing I enjoy is reading. I indulge in all types of books, but my favorite of all time is the Harry Potter series. That is where the root of my love for reading comes from. I enjoyed reading from a very young age, as it was something that my family encouraged me to do. I collect the original, yellow-spine, illustrated cover version of The Nancy Drew series, which was also one of my favorites growing up. 

I also enjoy being outdoors. I have my own kayak and I love going on trips with it. My favorite place that I kayaked this summer was in Cape Cod. I kayaked through a river into the Atlantic Ocean and that was a first for me. I also enjoy hiking and camping. Unfortunately, I didn't do much of either this summer, but I am hoping to take a fall trip to the U.P. to squeeze one in for the year! 

One of my main passions in life, besides teaching of course, is traveling. My grandparents encouraged me to travel from a young age and brought me on vacations every summer. We started out small, like a trip to Mackinac Island, and from there we began exploring down south and going gem mining, exploring caves, and hiking the trails. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to embark on a study abroad program. I studied in Maastricht, the Netherlands and was there for 4 weeks (I also extended my stay to do some extra traveling). While there, I also visited London, Ireland, Germany, and Belgium. It was a once in a lifetime experience. My state count is now up to 15 and my country count is up to 9. 

When it comes to implementing technology in the classroom, I do not have much experience. For various classes at GVSU we have had to research websites that will be helpful for the future, but I have not had a chance to use them in the classroom. I would say my experience comes from watching others use technology. For example, my placement this semester has a classroom set of iPads which they use for various reasons through out the day. I am eager to learn more, in my placement and in this class, about using technology in the classroom and the various benefits that go along with it. 

For a little clip about me, click here!