Technology in Practice!

Courtesy of web2.0inmyclassroom.com

So, 3+ months of rigorously learning new web 2.0 tools and technology, I can say that I am a more valuable individual. From Twitter, Linkedin, and Blogger to Google forms, Wikis, and Prezi, technology and tools are out there for our benefit and use.  I had no clue of what or how to create blogs, much less a Google form or Wiki, but I can proudly say that I have learned how to do utilize and perfect my knowledge on most of them.

I can really see my students using and enjoying the Google forms and Prezi.  I aspire to teach elementary education, preferably 4th or 5th grade because I have become so enlightened and enthused about all these new social media tools and web tools that I wish to teach my students all that I know and help them to utilize these tools in the classroom.

Prezi is something that may be difficult at first but once they get the hang of it, they will have a blast creating mini presentations with all those effects and images that zoom in and out whenever they wish. Google forms are something that I would use to test for understanding and even classroom polls.  My students will be thrilled to know that they can take a quiz on my computer, ipad, or even my laptop! AND my grading will be that much easier! ;)

I personally will continue to utilize my blog.  I wish I had taken this course sooner so that I could have started my blog at the beginning of my educational journey.  This would have been a wonderful thing for my students, my children, family, and friends.  I guess I will just have to keep piling on the info and fun I have had in my previous courses at Prairie View A & M University.

Parental Involvement in Schools Part II

So now that you have been educated on the various ways that parents can be more involved in schools, the question is how do you help them follow through? What are some of the tactics that as an educator you can provide for parents to want to be more involved in their child's education? Different districts offer different programs for students so parents have options.  Some districts may be really big on PTO,  student clubs, and academic programs, while others may have a really strong athletic program, after school program, or a strong community connection with local companies or individuals.  Whatever the situation is, it is important that as teachers we know how to encourage and support parents that may have difficulty being part of their child's education.

There are factors that influence parents greatly.  For example, the low income families will be less involved than those that are more economically stable.  Other factors include ethnicity, gender, single parent homes, and even personal interest.  Research says, "While families of all backgrounds maintain rules about grades and homework throughout high school, Ho Sui-Chu and Willms found some variations by ethnicity in the NELS:88 data:"

• African Americans reported slightly higher involvement than whites reported in all types of involvement at home. At school, the levels of involvement reported was about the same. 
• Hispanics reported slightly higher levels of home supervision than whites did, but reported about the same in all other types. 
• Asians reported more supervision at home than whites reported. Asians also reported spending less time discussing school, communicating with school staff, and volunteering and attending PTO meetings than white families reported.

Hence, it is important to know the background and really become the reflective practitioner that the many districts are in of.  Simply showing up to work everyday and teaching is not enough.  The Westat/Policy Studies Associates studyStudies on the Impact of Family and Community Involvement on Student Achievement  Southwest Educational Development Laboratory 39 used advanced statistical methods to distinguish the effects of several different standards-based reform practices. It found that students made greater and more consistent gains when teachers were “especially active” in outreach to parents. Outreach is defined as:

• meeting with parents face to face. 
• sending materials on ways to help their child at home.
• telephoning both routinely and when their child is having problems.

Make sure that you are that teacher that DOES go the EXTRA mile and reaches out the the students, community, and parents to get them involved.  This will ensure your success as a teacher and role model.  

Below are some recommendations from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory for teachers, administrators, and parents to consider.

Via Gadoe.org

Recommendation 1. Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education level, or cultural background, are involved in their children’s learning and want their children to do well in school.

Recommendation 2. Create programs that will support families to guide their children’s learning, from preschool through high school.

Recommendation 3. Work with families to build their social and political connections.

Recommendation 4. Develop the capacity of school staff to work with families and community members.

Recommendation 5. Link family and community engagement efforts to student learning.

Recommendation 6. Focus efforts to engage families and community members in developing trusting and respectful relationships.

Recommendation 7. Embrace a philosophy of partnership and be willing to share power with families. Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children’s educational development is a collaborative enterprise.

Recommendation 8. Build strong connections between schools and community organizations. 

Recommendation 9. Design and conduct research that is more rigorous and focused, and that uses more culturally sensitive and empowering definitions of parent involvement.

Parental Involvement in Schools Part I

In time where work is a necessity, it may be difficult for parents to be involved in their child's education.  Many school districts lack volunteers for the various functions throughout the year, but does this type of participation really make a difference in a child's education?

Studies show that "86% of the general public believe that support from parents is the most important way to improve schools".  Research shows that when parents are involved students have:

• higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
• higher attendance 
• higher motivation and self esteem
• decreased rates of drug problems, violent behavior, and school suspensions

Consider the following key findings:

• Programs and interventions that engage families in supporting their children’s learning at home are linked to higher student achievement.
• The continuity of family involvement at home appears to have a protective effect on children as they progress through our complex education system. The more families support their children’s learning and educational progress, the more their children tend to do well in school and continue their education.
• Families of all cultural backgrounds, education, and income levels encourage their children, talk with them about school, help them plan for higher education, and keep them focused on learning and homework. In other words, all families can, and often do, have a positive influence on their children’s learning.
• Parent and community involvement that is linked to student learning has a greater effect on achievement than more general forms of involvement. To be effective, the form of involvement should be focused on improving achievement and be designed to engage families and students in developing specific knowledge and skills.
• Programs that successfully connect with families and community invite involvement, are welcoming, and address specific parent and community needs.
• Parent involvement programs that are effective in engaging diverse families recognize, respect, and address cultural and class differences.
• Effective programs to engage families and community embrace a philosophy of partnership. The responsibility for children’s educational development is a collaborative enterprise among parents, school staff, and community members.
• Organized initiatives to build parent and community leadership to improve lowperforming schools are developing in low-income urban areas and the rural South. These community organizing efforts use strategies that are aimed at establishing a power base to hold schools and school districts accountable for low student achievement. They have contributed to changes in policy, resources, personnel, school culture, and educational programs.

Helping children succeed in schools is very important for parents, schools, and teachers.  As future educators we need to make sure that we encourage parental involvement and help students succeed.  How do you plan on making sure parents become involved?  Below are the six types of parental involvement.

Type of Involvement	In Grade 8	In Grade 12
Parenting	·      Expressing expectations about students education ·      Limiting television viewing ·      Supervising time use and behavior	·      Discussing interests, issues, and studies at school ·      Doing things together ·      Supervising behavior ·      Knowing what courses to take ·      Supervising academic work
Communicating	·      Parent-initiated contacts about ·      academic performance ·      – School-initiated contacts about ·      student’s academic program ·      (courses, placement)	·      School-initiated contacts about ·      academic performance ·      – Parent-initiated contacts on ·      student’s academic program ·      – Parent-school contacts on ·      post-secondary plans
Supporting School	·      Volunteering at school land fundraising	·      Volunteering at school and attending school activities
Learning at home	·      School-initiated contacts about ·      academic performance ·      – Parent-initiated contacts on ·      student’s academic program ·      – Parent-school contacts on ·      post-secondary plans	·      Encouraging college ·      – Encouraging high school graduation ·      – Learning about postsecondary ·      education ·      – Taking on private educational ·      expenses
Decision making	Taking part in parent organizations	Taking part in parent organizations
Collaborating with community	·      Using community learning resources ·      Taking part in community groups	Communicating parent-to-parent

Paying it Forward!

This semester I have learned how to utilize various technological programs. From Google Forms and Blogs to Prezi, Google presentations, and now Wikispaces, I have been able to learn the basics and even perfect the use of each one of these programs. These various programs have really helped make my life easy, but most importantly I have been able to teach others about how to use these in their life.

Recently, my daughter went on a field trip to Jubilee Ranch. This is a ranch that is not only fun for the students but also teaches them about science and nature. After the trip, the students were assigned to a partner and work collaboratively on creating any type of presentation to describe what they learned while on the trip. This assignment was to be worked on at home, so it required the students to meet off campus at each other's homes. This was a really big issue for me because I rarely let my children out of my sight. It was getting very difficult for my daughter to work with her friend and create any type of project because all they could do was talk on the phone.

After several days, I decided to put my knowledge into practice. I created a gmail account for my daughter to share with her friend and create a google presentation and even create a short form at the end of the presentation for the students to take. This was more like a survey for how informed the students felt after the presentation. The girls were thrilled presenting their short presentation but the teacher and other students were even more excited! I was very proud of my 5th grader and really enjoyed teaching them how to work in Google Drive.

After the presentation the teacher approached me and thanked me for helping the girls and asked that I return at a later date to help the other students understand how to work Google Drive and utilize technology in more of her lessons. I was thrilled to be able to help and share my knowledge with others!

So don't be greedy and share your knowledge!

Health Wellness and Knowledge: What's the Connection?

So this week has been really hectic and nerve recking.  Dealing with projects in my classes, preparing for a major murder case trial, and helping my children deal with the anxiety and nervousness that the STAAR test brings has really burned me out.  Nonetheless, I have been able to prioritize and focus on my children's needs first and foremost.  My 8th grader has tes anxiety and does not do well when taking tests.  As if that wasn't enough, she does not like to eat breakfast and loves to go to sleep late.  On the other hand, my 5th grader is more conscious of what is important.  She makes sure that she eats breakfast and gets plenty of rest at night.  She knows that a good night's sleep is essential to being a vessel for learning, but does it really matter?

The United States Department of Agriculture  says that certain nutrients and other key chemical compounds are essential to human brain function.  For decades, schools have asked parents and students to get a good night's rest and eat a healthy breakfast the day before the test.  Schools are now suggesting that students eat a good breakfast weeks before the test as well as get a good rest the night before because research shows that the days prior to the test define the outcome of student performance on the test.

Upon reading this research, I pushed my children to stick to the regimen.  Naturally, my 5th grader followed the guidelines and went above and beyond to try and achieve her best score on her exams, while my 8th grader couldn't get herself to bed early once or eat a healthy breakfast.  Tuesday and Wednesday they took their exams and my 5th grader mentioned how concentrated and focused she was, while my 8th grader couldn't concentrate and at times couldn't even stay awake.  Although I have not received scores, I can predict that my 5th grader probably did better than my 8th grader.

It is important to know what foods help provide the antioxidants needed to boost brain function.  Below is a chart that lists these values and may be helpful for teachers, parents, and students.

So the next time you, your children, or your students need a little "brain boost" nourish your body with healthy veggies and fruits.

Preparing For The STAAR

As days go by, the students get anxious, uncertain, and nervous about having to take the upcoming STAAR test.  It seems that most have been practicing and studying the various topics of the test for quite some time now, but not all have had the opportunity to have devoted and caring teachers in the classrooms.  My two elementary students have been practicing and learning all the concepts that will be covered on the test in April, but my 8th grader has been having to deal with teachers that expect their students to motivate and teach themselves.  For about 4 weeks now, she has had no homework because her teachers want her to look over material that will be on the test.  She says that her English teacher has given them a "Twilight Book" to read in class or study for their STAAR test.

As a parent, I feel that she is not being taught or motivated enough to be prepared for her test.  As a future educator, I know that it is our responsibility to educate the students and ensure that learning and understanding is taking place.  Three weeks ago, I asked my daughter to write everything that she went over or did in the classroom so that I could evaluate her lessons.  To my surprise, all she had done for those three weeks was "read a book and summarized the chapter read".  I was very disappointed and concerned so I arranged a conference with this teacher.  Upon my arrival, the teacher had nothing to discuss.  She simply said my daughter was a great student and that she had no problems with her in her class.  I was not surprised to hear this but I was very upset that all that mattered to this particular teacher was my daughter's attitude in her class.  This was unacceptable but I still remained calm.  I asked about her grades and she just said she was doing great!  So I specifically asked her for grades on tests she had taken already.  Well, she had NONE! She had conduct grades, participation grades, and a grade for her sitting in her desk and reading.

I went on to ask her to bring the principal in so that I could voice my concerns.  The principal had no idea of what was going on in the classroom and I was even more disappointed! My child had been at school for about a month now and nothing was being taught like it was supposed to.  I told the principal that it was her duty to ensure that students were taught by capable teachers and that the students were learning.  Once they saw that I was not going to ease up, they decided to send home a detailed schedule of what was going to be taught in the classroom up until the STAAR took place.

It is very important for students to be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for taking the STAAR.  NO student should go into the testing room without the tools he needs to be successful.  I have researched and gathered important information so that you can prepare your students and/or children for taking the test.  The TEA website offers a great deal of information for the students, teachers, and parents to use in order to help the students succeed.

REMEMBER: ALWAYS PROMOTE AND MOTIVATE LEARNING FOR ALL USING THE APPROPRIATE TOOLS FOR STUDENTS!

Behaviorist...how much is too much?

As future educators, it is our duty to ensure the learning of our students through effective classroom management procedures; but how much is too much? Let me relate an incident that occurred this past week at my daughter's elementary school.  My daughter is a fifth grader whom I consider being popular and intelligent.  She has several friends that she hangs around with and one fairly close friend.  This past week there was a "lice pandemic" with a couple of classrooms in the fifth grade. Naturally, my daughter was grossed out and went as far as asking me to allow her to stay home for the week.  I obviously did not allow her to stay home but did decide to take my necessary precautions.  Mid-week, my daughter comes home freaked out and upset.  She related that a couple of girls were bullying her about her having lice and calling her names.  I proceeded to ask her if she had let the teacher know about the situation and she stated she had so I, as some of our instructors say, "let the teacher teach".

The next day my daughter came home alleviated and so I figured the teacher took care of business.  To my surprise, she had not only taken care of the issue, but, in my opinion, had blown the issue out of proportion.  I asked my daughter how things were going and she replied with a smirk.  She then stated that her teacher gave the girls ISS also known as in school suspension and had encouraged the girls to act the same way these girls had acted.  She said "My teacher said for my friends and I to shake our hair in their face every time we saw them and tell them to share the lice".  I was furious! I drove myself to the school and asked for a conference on the spot.  This, to a future educator, was unacceptable behavior.  Even the fact that these girls got ISS did not make me happy.  I didn't think that the consequence matched the misbehavior.  It was the first time that these girls had in a sense bullied another student and the consequence of their actions was too severe.  

I voiced my concerns about these girls' punishment and then proceeded to adamantly ask for an explanation to the teacher's actions.  I was infuriated with her response but nonetheless, I kept my cool.  I simply stated that 2 wrongs don't make a right and that her counsel to these young girls, especially my daughter was unacceptable.  She replied saying that these girls needed a taste of their own medicine.  I completely disagreed and went on to tell her that as an educator she should find ways to solve the problem not fuel it.  She explained how she instills in her students the manners they don't learn at home and she drills them daily about how she wants things done.  I responded with a raised eyebrow and decided I would go in to the teacher's classroom to do some observations.  She was very critical about everything and she was very demanding to the students.The students had to sit a certain way, speak a certain way, and even walk in a manner that was approved by her.  It seemed like I was in an army base! After seeing all of the things that were going on in the classroom, I decided to set up another conference and have the principal sit through it.  I was not in approval of the teacher's behavior and needed a change.  I told the principal that I could see the fear in the student's expressions throughout the day and that their learning was being affected because they didn't ask questions to clarify any issue they were having.  Luckily, this triggered the principal to go in and observe as well.  She agreed that the teacher was wrong and needed to ease up on her discipline plan.

Some teachers don't realize that being in control all the time instills fear in their students and they then are not able to communicate effectively.  It is important that teachers allow their students to voice their opinions and feel secure about the environment they are in. Here's a link that supports my theory of a strong behaviorist negatively affecting the performance of students.  

"Fail to Plan...Plan to Fail"

Greetings! I hope you all are having a good semester thus far.  This week I add myself to the stressful group of students that tend to fall into the "unorganized" hole.  I like to say that I am very organized and stay on top all my "to do" lists but this week I slacked off.  I guess the constant struggle between preparing for a big murder trial at work, negotiating with vendors and caterers for my daughter's Quinceanera (Sweet 15), caring for a 4-month old with a bad cold, staying on top of my assignments, and caring for 4 other children was too much to deal with.  I failed to organize and prioritize the various roles in my life and as a result I ended up stressed and worse than when I started.

I am usually very organized and never procrastinate, but I guess everything hit me at the same time and I gave up.  Therefore, I have chosen to write about the importance of organizational skills and planning.  These skills aid in the ability to stay on task, manage tasks and events more easily, and be more productive.  Good organizational skills are needed to plan your day and prioritize projects.  Being effective and successful is a must in the education field.  As educators, we cannot and should not procrastinate or be unorganized.  Being an effective educator is a result of how well we prioritize and organize our lives.  Not only should we be able to organize but we should be able to manage our time.  Time management helps in managing our personal and professional lives.  I was sidetracked with all that I had to do so I became overwhelmed, stressed, and unorganized.  I did not manage my time by utilizing my calendar and planner the way I normally do and as a result, I missed some important tasks and became very stressed.  

It is very important to stay balanced and organized in everything you do.  Lack of organization leads to procrastination, stress, and even depression.  It is very easy to become stressed and overwhelmed when you are not achieving the results that you want so you then can become depressed and inefficient in life.  What are some things that you do to stay on task and organized? Is there a balance between work, rest, and play? Below are some tips to better manage your time and stay organized: 

• Plan each day.
• Prioritize your tasks
• Say no to non-essential tasks
• Delegate
• Take the time you need to perform a quality job
• Break large, time consuming tasks into smaller ones
• Practice the 10 minute rule which simply means you work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day until done
• Evaluate your time
• Limit distractions
• Get plenty of sleep
• NEVER forget to take a break

I know I will try to do these things and hope to become a better, more productive educator, mother, employee, and student.  I hope we all take the time we need to be better individuals and master the tasks that are set out for each of us.  Remember, "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail!"

Goals and Aspirations

I am sure that we all have our stories of hardships that we had to go through to get where we are now.  I basically aspire to become a successful, effective teacher of elementary children.  I look forward to teaching little ones for at least 2 years before moving on to an administrative position dealing with education.  A master's degree is a must and I hope to begin working on it soon after my bachelor's degree.  

I know that things will not be easy for I am a mother to 5 children, currently hold a full time job, and am the oldest of 5 siblings that are always in need of some kind of help from their only older sister.  It is hard to focus and stay on track, but my desire is so great that I am able to organize and prioritize effectively.  

For me, teaching is a CALLING not just a career, so if any of you think that you can go through this career and succeed without a 100% desire to be successful than be thinking about another one.  I have been in the public school system for years and have practically seen it all.  Be mindful of the never-ending work, late night grading, long weeks, and even extended school years.  I hope I can be a successful educator.  

Until next time...

Cynthia

Success at Prairie View A&M University

Prairie View A&M University has prepared its teacher candidates for teaching efficiently!

The professors have instilled in these young educators the desire to excel in their teaching career. They not only teach what these students need to learn but create various classroom activities and projects so that students have a more creative and hands-on experience.

Below are some examples of how Prairie View A&M has aided in the progression of my knowledge and the refinement of my thoughts and actions.  I do hope you enjoy!

This was a a mini-classroom that was created to better understand how a classroom is to be set and what it should include.

This bulletin board was created by me to help instruct and understand the basic components of creating a bulletin board.  

Prairie View A&M University gives everyone an opportunity to succeed.  I personally can say that it has allowed me to achieve my personal goals and aspirations.  Everything is there for you to succeed, all you have to do is want it! 

See you soon,

Cynthia

As a future graduate of PVAMU, what are some of the "peaks and valleys" that one might come across as a first year teacher?

I am Cynthia Zamora, a Mexican American student at Prairie View A&M University, seeking a Bachelor's degree in Education.  I am a determined individual and a strong advocate for children's education.

Growing up I encountered many hardships and difficult experiences in my life.  At the age of 2, I had to say goodbye to my mother so that she could travel to the USA and seek a better life for her two young children.  I was raised by my grandparents until the death of my beloved grandfather in 1988.  At only 6 years old, I had to deal with the loss, insecurity, and emotional distress that his death brought to me.  After only 6 months of grieving, I was forced to leave my country of origin to come to a country that I couldn't communicate in. With all of this on my plate, it seemed that my  life was going nowhere.

Afraid, insecure, and emotionally distraught, I enrolled at Hempstead Elementary in November of 1989.  It was a class full of kids that spoke a language that I could not understand.  The color of their skin was different.  Their hair, and their attitudes all presented a problem to me.  After a few weeks of attending, I began to get bullied.  My language was not good enough and because of this, I could not effectively communicate with my teacher about the problem.  Nonetheless, I remained calm and decided to declare war on education.  You might think that this was extreme or negative, but this was not exactly the kind of war that you are accustomed to.  I decided I was going to conquer the English language before the school year was over and I was going to excel in every aspect of education that was presented to me and so my journey in education began.

I began the long journey through the peaks and valleys of education.  Throughout the rest of the school year, I worked twice as hard as the other students and was also placed on the English as a Second Language (ESL) program.  It was a difficult year, but listening to Principal Radeker call out my name for an A honor roll student made it all worth it.  As I stood there in front of the entire elementary school, parents, and faculty I smiled and proudly held my certificate in front of me.  I recall being pulled aside by my ESL teacher and listening to her words of encouragement.  She hugged me and I realized then that I wanted to someday be like her.  Her devotion, dedication, and love for her job created successful students and that was exactly what I wanted to do.  Never again would I allow anyone to put me down because I couldn't effectively communicate or understand their words.  I sought out to be that role model that bilingual students needed.

After elementary, I continued on through middle school, junior high school, and then high school in the same manner I did in elementary.  As an overachiever, I maintained my name in the A honor roll lists every year.  Once in high school, my desire to succeed was even greater.  I aspired to become part of the top ten percent and graduate with honors.  Although I became pregnant while in my junior year, I managed to achieve my goals.  Soon graduation came and even though I wanted to go on to college and become a successful electrical engineer, I opted to be a full time support for my children and husband and only work part time in the surrounding schools as a substitute teacher.

Ten years later, I decided to finally begin working on my degree and enrolled at Prairie View A&M University.  Once more, I found myself afraid and insecure.  I began my engineering degree in January 2010 but soon realized that after subbing for almost 8 years and remembering the great examples I had growing up, my mission was to teach English Language Learners (ELL).  I switched my career over to elementary education and have been working diligently since then.

Last semester, the education department at PVAMU asked us to read Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson.  I have to admit that before then I had not seen life in that particular way.  Johnson discusses how people dwell on the valleys and don't savor the peaks of our lives.  I guess I should add that until this book, I saw life as constant battle against society and nature.  In all reality, the only battle I should be fighting is trying to remain on the peaks longer than sinking down to the valleys.

With that said, let me ask, do you ever ask yourself why you feel so low? are you discouraged? Well, if only everyone would find the peak of every single one of their valleys than you would be more positive to take on the challenge.  As I reflected on my life, I could see how I was able to take my valley, my all time low of not knowing how to speak English to communicate effectively, and turn it into my all time high.

I do hope that this has enlightened you a bit and that you understand that we are makers of our own destiny.

Until next time...

Cynthia