BLOG POST #5 - BLOGS WE LIKE

Dear Interns-

Nice work on that last prompt! What fun to read of your surprises so far in your internship ... and here's to many more surprises that will greet you through your career.

Speaking of career, here's the scoop on the next prompt:

1. Using any search engine you like, locate and browse some blogs created by K-8 teachers who are in the first few years of their careers.

2. Find one or two blogs that resonate with you (i.e., topics and ideas you find interesting or helpful).

3. Give us the URL/s, and write a short paragraph telling us why you like the blog/s. Be specific with colorful language and clear examples - convince us to go have a look!

Here's a website to get you started: 50 Must Read Up and Coming Blogs by Teachers
http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/06/30/50-must-read-up-and-coming-blogs-by-teachers/

Don't stop with this website, though. Search strategically for blogs with particular topics or ideas you care deeply about.

We'll be interested in reading about some of the blogs you like!

Karen

BLOG POST #4 - BIGGEST SURPRISE SO FAR!

Amazing Interns-

This week's prompt is small but mighty, because it came from one of your CTs:

"Now that you are nearing the end of your first quarter of your internship, what has been your biggest surprise about being in the classroom and working with students?"

Oh, and encourage your CTs to jump on board and see what you're writing about. Many have been exploring your blogs with great excitement. They tell me they're enjoying reading about the things you don't always have time to discuss in person.

Show them how to post a comment!

Karen

You Guys Rock!

Way to go, creating these magnificent responses to the prompts I've been posting!

I'm impressed in two ways: (1) your attentiveness to the details and examples you're developing that are helping us feel like we're right there when you're teaching your lessons, and (2) the care you are taking with each other, making supportive comments and asking great questions of each other in the comments you're leaving for others.

I'll invite your CTs to visit my blog this week, from which they can browse what you've all been writing. Nice work, everyone.

Karen

BLOG POST #3 - TEACHING AND RETEACHING

Dear Hardworking Interns-

Okay, so far you've blogged about how you've changed since the start of the internship, you've made your blogs more "your own" by adding interesting sites and information, and you've commented on several of your colleagues' blogs.

Hurrah for making meaning of your internship using this technology tool!

This time you'll consider a lesson you have taught the first week of November, with an eye toward reteaching or extending your lesson for particular groups of students.

The prompt has four parts, due by 5 PM Fri Nov 7:

(1) Learning target: list the short term learning target/objective of the lesson, along with a short description of the learning experiences section of your lesson plan.

(2) Evidence: describe what students did or said to let you know whether you were successful in meeting this goal (what evidence led you to this conclusion?)

(3) Reteach: describe how you could/will reteach the lesson for students who may need extra support beyond what you offered in the lesson, and

(4) Extend: describe how you could/will extend the lesson for students who successfully met your expectations (i.e., how will you help students build on what they've already mastered?).

As with our last prompt, visit a colleague's blog a few days after the prompts are due -- offer some friendly feedback about their ideas for reteaching and extending their lesson.

We're looking forward to reading your thoughts, and also to inviting your CTs' participation on our blogs during the next few weeks of the quarter.

Good luck out there!

Karen

BLOG PROMPT #2 - MAKE IT YOURS

Dear ELED 470 Bloggers-

Now it's time to make your blog unique to your current teaching experience.

First, visit all of your peers' blogs, noticing the types of information they have shared using words, pictures,* emerging questions, favorite quotes, lists of favorite books, links to favorite educational websites, etc. While you're doing this, consider what kinds of additional information you would like to add to your blog for the reader to really know you and your current teaching appointment.

Then, post some new information on your blog that broadens the picture we have of you as a preservice teacher. You've already used words in your first post. What will you use this time to add to the words and "fill the white space" on your blog, to round out the picture for readers?

Finally, a few days after this post is due, return to at least three of your classmates' blogs and make a comment by posting an observation, connection, or question related to what you currently see on their blog. After a blog has been commented on three times, find another blog to respond to.

Have fun, and here's to continuing to develop your preservice teacher self.

Karen
*Thanks for not taking or posting pictures of your students.

BLOG PROMPT #1 - PERSONAL GROWTH

Interns: You've been in your internship classroom since late August, assisting your Classroom Teacher in launching the school year. For your first blog post describe, briefly, one strong conviction about teaching that you brought to the classroom that has changed considerably during this time. What changed, and why is this a sign of personal growth?

Welcome to the ELED 470 Fall 2008 Blog (Hoelscher's section)

This blog connects Western Washington University K-8 Student Interns with each other and with their Classroom Teachers (CTs). During the academic quarter, we hope to prompt discussion about what's happening in your classrooms, and learn how we can support these day-to-day activities through what we do on campus in our course, ELED 470 Developing Teaching.

We welcome ideas for topics from our mentor teachers, and we look forward to blogging with you as the quarter rolls along.