Blog due Friday, December 9

Title: Absences add up

Attendance is important.  How many times in your site school, have you had to work with a student who has been absent?

Click on this link and search the website on things that can be done to improve attendance.  Regardless of the reason, they hurt a child's ability to succeed in school.  Look at your own attendance record, have you missed class two times per month?  If so, have you gotten behind in your work?  

In your blog, you need to discuss three ideas of how to prevent student's getting behind due to absenteeism.  What can be done to encourage good attendance?  Incentives?  Extra help? Consequences?  Talk to parents? Think about this.  If you are wanting to become a teacher, you should be modeling good attendance to your students.

As always, use the rubric for best scoring results.  This is due on Friday, Dec. 9 in class.

Blog due Friday, November 11

Title:  Teachers Go Beyond the Call of Duty -- What's Your Calling?

Congratulations to all of the BCTAL - Birdville/Haltom members who competed in Crowley, TX on Saturday, Nov. 5.  All 15 participants qualified for state in one or more events.  The TAFE Teach Tomorrow Summit will be held in Arlington at the city's convention center, the Sheraton Convention Center, and the University of Texas - Arlington.  Mark your calendar for February 17 - 19 to take part in this exciting experience.

Whether you competed at BCTAL, worked behind the scenes on a TAFE project, or prepared a Teacher Created Material for your classroom, you were all involved in a TAFE experience.  Reflect on what you were called to do during this experience.  You may want to consider some of the following as you write your reflection.

• What criteria did you use to make your decision about what contest(s)/competition(s)/project you selected for this course requirement?
• Knowing what you do now, would you make any changes about that decision?  Would you select a different contest/competition/project?  Team members?  
• What were the obstacles/difficulties you encountered?
• What have you enjoy best/least about your contest(s)/competition(s)/project?
• If doing it all over again, what would you change?
• What have you gained from following through with this experience?
• Are you looking forward to anything as a result of your participation/completion of this?
• How do you plan to use your activity in your field site classroom?  (non-competitors)
• TAFE competitors may discuss their plan to prepare for the Teach Tomorrow Summit in February. 

Those who attended the TAFE Region XI Conference Leadership Day in Crowley may include that experience in their commentary.  You may find some great pics to use on the TAFE server to include on your blog post.

Remember to follow the BCTAL 901 blog guidelines - 3 media sources: blog prompt, reference support, and other media of choice.  Happy blogging!

Blog due on Friday, October 21

TITLE:  My First Day as an Intern

What a great day it was.  The first day of your internship saw many smiling faces including EAT interns, mentor teachers and students in your new field site classrooms.

Include the following information as you write about your internship so far.  Remember to make the content interesting by elaborating your answers.   Work on making your post visually interesting as well.

Year I and II

1.  What school have you been placed in?
2.  What grade level? Subject(s) taught while at your school.
3.  Your mentor teacher's name.
4.  How long has he/she been teaching?
5.  Add the link to your teacher's BISD webpage.
6.  How did you prepare?  What did you wear?  Introduction?  What did you take along?
7.  How did you feel when you first walked into your site school classroom?
8.  Describe some of the things that happened this week in  your new classroom?
9.  Describe how you felt after your stay?
10.  What are you most looking forward too doing in your classroom this year?
11.  Include a picture of you and your mentor teacher.
12.  Include a picture of you in a setting in your classroom.  A picture of you with your mentor teacher meets the criteria for both 11 and 12.

Year II Interns Only
In addition to the above list, compare the similarities and differences of this year's experience to last year's experience.

Blog Due Friday, October 14

Title:  What Would You Do?

Read the scenarios below.  Choose ONE of the potential situations you could encounter in your internship.  Post an entry on your blog that reframes the outcome by generating a solution that would be an appropriate and professional way to handle the situation as an EAT intern.  Your response should have clarity while avoiding vague recommendations.  Be sure you state which Scenario you are writing about.  

Scenario 1

You left campus for lunch and when you returned to campus you missed the bus that transports EAT interns to your field site campus.  You don’t have a car, but your boyfriend (girlfriend) said that he (she) could take you to your field site.  You took him (her) up on the offer.  When you boarded the bus to return to your home campus, another intern asked why you weren’t on the bus earlier.  You asked the intern not to point this out to your EAT teacher, Mrs. Crabapple, since no harm was done.

Scenario 2

You are at your EAT field site.  Although you know you are supposed to have your phone put away at your field site, you check it and see that you have a message from another intern in your class.  He said that he had an early dismissal and left the field site campus just a little early, but when he did, he forgot to sign out.  You think this is a bit strange because you never saw him ride the bus to your field site in the first place, but you agree to sign him in and out because you want to let him know he can trust you.  After all, Mrs. Meddlesome, your EAT teacher, stressed that it is important to establish relationships with your students and others with whom you work.

Scenario 3

You have just arrived at your field site.  Your teacher is absent and you have a substitute.  Previously, you have been in charge of monitoring the reading groups each day, and even though you were not aware that your mentor teacher would be gone, you know that you need to follow the routine so the students will progress. The substitute tells you that she has everything under control and you may leave because there is nothing for you to do. You decide your field site mentor will have plenty of time to get the reading groups caught up tomorrow so you go to the classroom next door where your EAT friend is interning.  The two of you move to the corner of the room and work on homework the rest of the period so you won’t disturb anyone.

Scenario 4

You are about to change into your field site attire and realize you have forgotten your field site shirt and name badge.  The bus will be leaving in three minutes.  You have on jeans with holes, and a low cut top.  You saw Mrs. Picky, your BCTAL EAT teacher, at your field site yesterday.  Since you think she will not be stopping by to visit interns at your field site, you hop on the bus without your EAT attire, taking your chances that you will not be discovered.  After all, if your field site mentor teacher and principal don’t say anything, there is no harm done, right?

As always, follow the blog rubric for best results. NO LATE GRADES!

My Classroom Rules!

Due:  Thursday, September 29

What type of social culture will you establish in your classroom?  How will you help your students be a part of that?  Obviously, you can not do that as an intern, but you can be thinking seriously about the rules, guidelines, and norms that you will want to be visible in the school-day environment.

Create a document that explains your classroom rules.  Follow with a list of consequences that happen if the rules are not upheld.  If you would like to add a list of rewards that students can earn, create that, also.

Screen shot your rules and consequences (and rewards).  Place the screenshots of these documents on your blog post.  Discuss the factors that were the most important for you when establishing your classroom culture.

My First Day as an Intern

For YR II interns only - My first week as an intern this year.

• Include a picture of you on your first day there. (remember I told you to take a selfie?)
• Include the following information:
  • Name of your site school with a hyperlink to the site.
  • Name of your mentor teacher with a link to their webpage.
  • Include a picture of your mentor teacher.
  • What is the grade level and subject?
  • What are you looking forward to this year?
  • What were some of the things that happened this week in your new classroom?

My Learning DNA

 Due:  Friday, September 23, 2016


You have spent a significant amount of time exploring learning theory and how it affects students.  Take a moment to reflect on the components of your learning DNA. Include the following on your blog post.

• Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and an explanation of how that relates to your learning.

• Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Factors and how they enhance your learning.

• Learning Styles (Audio, Visual, Tactile) and why you prefer one over the others.

• Hemisphericity - are you right or left brained?  What does that mean about you?

• Gallup Strengths - List your top 5 with a brief definition of each

Insert the word cloud made in class on your blog.   It should contain words identifying all of YOUR learning DNA!  Use Tagxedo.com.  You must open in Safari for this app to work.

Title:  My Plan of Attack

Date Due:  Friday, September 2 (1:30)

Search the TAFE and Educators Rising websites.

• Search for contests and competitions you are interested in doing this year.
• Save the file or files of the contest(s) or competition(s) you are interested in pursuing for competition. Save in either Dropbox or Google Drive.
• Also, add the links of the contest and competition files on your blog post.
• On your blog - you will need to write a narrative of what you are thinking of doing for competition. If you competed last year, reflect on what you did and what you will do differently this year.

Include the following in your discussion:

• List steps to get started ...
• Copy a hyperlink to the pages (contest or competition) you are interested in doing. (bookmark those pages as well)
• Individual, team or class project - who will be working with you?
• What you will need to be successful?
• How long do you think it will take you to achieve your plan? (include time requirements in your timeline)

Welcome to a New Academic Year!

Academic year 2016 - 17 is in full swing.  It's a year that will provide much excitement, present opportunities for many, and close the high school chapter of our seniors' lives. 

I wish all of you the best as your journey takes you closer toward the day you have your own classrooms!  I encourage each of you to take advantage of the opportunities placed before you.  Try to make the most out of every situation.  Look for ways to make  yourself known to the people that may hire you in the future.  Make yourself shine while working with others who may be your colleagues some day.  Use the talents and gifts you have to make this the best experience ever!!!

Blog due May 9, 2016

Title:  Interview Preparation
You've filled out the application and have been invited to the interview.  How are you going to make sure that you shine in the interview and come across as the best candidate for the job? By preparing, of course!

Read through 15 Popular Interview Questions Answered for teachers.  Select 5 and write the responses you would give to those questions.  Be sure that your answers are not canned or contrived. Make sure that your interviewer can feel your passion and the "heart and soul" you bring to the job.

Blog rules apply.  Scoring is as follows:

25 pts. - Writing quality
25 pts. - Writing conventions
25 pts. - Media sources - link to blog, link to source, and one other.
25 pts. - Interesting format and layout.

TITLE: Book Study, Part 1 - The Smartest Kids in the World

TITLE:  Book Study, Part 1 - The Smartest Kids in the World

Due:  Friday, May 5

You should have completed the first part of the book study chapters one - four.  What did you think about what you read?

Which of the three students do you most relate to?  Explain why and how you view this?  What was significant to you about this student?

What was your opinion of the different types of schools in the three countries?  Which do you think would be the best in the United States and why?

Finland

South Korea

Poland

Click here and listen to an interview from NPR with Amanda Ripley

As always, use the rubric for best results.

Due - Friday, May 5 .  

Tech Tools Livebinder

Title:  Livebinder

Add the link from the class Livebinder that contains all of your Tech Tools reports in it.

Here is the link.

http://www.livebinders.com/edit/index/1985434?tabid=9654ea11-3d13-d2ef-ad7f-a6300129c01f

Here is the embed code:
<a href="http://livebinders.com/play/play?id=1985434&present=true" target="_blank">Click here</a> to open this binder in a new window.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://livebinders.com/play/play?id=1985434&present=true" height="500" width="95%">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>


Click here to open this binder in a new window.

Blog Due March 24, 2016

Title:  A Visit to the Perot Museum

Been there, done that!  You had an opportunity to visit the internationally acclaimed Perot Museum in Dallas, TX.  Share your knowledge with the world as you create a digital story about your experience.






Follow the directions given on the Perot Field trip assignment document on the class wiki.  When finished, EMBED (not link) the digital presentation on your blog with the proper heading.  Add a caption or explanatory sentence describing what your readers are about to view.

Blog Due February 26

Title:  Creativity Counts!

Our own Lindsey Zimmer recently got to attend an Edshift conference in Los Colinas with other BISD educators.  She was able to listen to a presentation by Sir Ken, witness an artist create drawings as he spoke, and sit on a panel of students with Sir Ken to discuss the state of education in their schools.

Use headphones to listen to the video below.   Sir Ken Robinson is a well renowned author and educator.  His TED Talk offers perspective on the controversial topic of killing creativity in children.

While you are thinking about what you will be teaching your own students in the coming weeks, think about what you are doing to encourage creativity.   Are you developing it or are you killing it? 

What is Creativity?
Why does Creativity matter in Education?
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt as if a teacher didn't let you be creative? If so, explain.
Have you ever had a teacher that let you be as creative as possible? If so, explain. 
How do we fix the problem(s) described by Sir Ken Robinson?

Your answer should be written with complete thoughts and phrases.  

You should give intelligent well-thought-out answers.  You should also write in complete, grammatically correct sentences.

Sir Ken Robinson's Website.  Click here

Sir Ken Robinson on TED Talks

Remember to follow blog rules:  Quality of writing, mechanics, presentation, multimedia, deadlines.  

Blog Due Friday, February 5, 2016

For TAFE State Participants Only

Title:  My State Teach Tomorrow Summit Highlight

Write a brief overview of your favorite highlight of the TAFE Teach Tomorrow Summit.  It may be about a featured speaker, the competitive events, a group activity, the talent/hypnosis show, the hotel experience, or anything that occurred during the trip to Houston, Texas.  Include why (or why not) you would recommend this experience for your fellow TAFE members who did not participate.

Reminder:  You must have a link to the blog prompt, a link to a related source (such as the Teach Tomorrow Summit on the TAFE website, and another media source; there are pics from the Summit on the RST Server)

Next, write a formal letter to Dr. Linda Anderson, Director of Career and Technology Education for BISD, thanking her for her support of TAFE at the State Teach Tomorrow Summit.  Her financial support covered the coach transportation, hotel costs, registration fees, meal money, and more. 

Be sure to follow the guidelines for writing a proper thank you letter.
Click Here for Thank You Etiquette

Print your letter, sign, and turn in. 

All Other Interns 

Title:  My Daughter, Malala

While TAFE members are competing in Houston, they will be viewing the movie, They Call Her Malala, in a private viewing.  You will get a perspective of this story by viewing the TED Talks below:

"Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for advocating for girls’ education in Pakistan, and recently became the youngest Nobel Prize recipient in history. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, a Pakistani educator, explains that education gives girls in developing countries an identity and is equivalent to emancipation. He describes the power of Malala’s advocacy, and his message of not clipping her wings resonates with educators who understand that every child deserves access to an equal education. Yousafzai reminds educators of the value of their work and instills the power education can give to a child."



In Texas, there is ongoing discussion about who deserves a free public education and who does not. Should US citizens be the only group allowed a free public education?  What about children who immigrate illegally?  Explain your stance on the situation.  Are there any parallels between education for women in Pakistan and education for immigrants in the U.S.?  Discuss.

Remember, blog rules apply.  Meet the media requirements.

Blog Due January 19

Title:  Fold It!

Last week you learned about some basic (and some advanced) ways to fold paper to help students make visual sense and organization out of information.  

ASSIGNMENT: 
Using information (TEKS) that your students are learning, create a foldable activity that is grade appropriate for your site school classroom. This should be something you could actually use in your classroom.

• Include the following in your post:
• Name of foldable activity
• Topic/TEKS covered
• Materials/supplies needed (Be specific such as paper color, etc.)
• Write specific, detailed directions on how to create the foldable activity.
• Write detailed instructions as to what the students are to do to complete the assignment.  Go beyond the cutting and pasting.  What are they to do with the information?  What are they to learn from it?  If your description sounds like busy work, chances are you missed the point or you need to redevelop the activity.
• Include a picture of the finished product.  You may make a sample.  
• Remember:  Blog rules apply.  See first post.