Week Eight

For my spring field experience I have been assigned to a kindergarten classroom. I was delighted to read Unit 1: All about the ABC’s and had an eye opening experience as to how to handle differentiation in a kindergarten classroom. However, since I am going to be interning in the fall in a classroom most likely not kindergarten, my present focus has shifted away from kindergarten to addressing the lower primary grades in general. Therefore, I also read Unit 2: What Plants Need. I answered the questions based on the plant unit.

1. The thing that most impressed me about the unit was it completeness. The unit had clear and descriptive directions that I could visualize. I liked how the unit was set up with an overview, lessons with directions, and finally additional materials. I was impressed with the “fast finishers” that were included in the unit as well. I felt there was enough information I could reproduce the unit in my own classroom and the students could feel successful.

2. From this unit I learned there are many places to differentiate instruction based upon different needs the teacher is trying to meet. In most cases, it didn’t look like it took a lot of extra preparation, just knowledge to know when, why, and what to differentiate.

3. I thought the unit was very understandable. While reading, I created a visual in my mind of how I believed it would look like in the classroom. The lessons were described in a manner in which I could understand; and there were examples of the types of graphic organizers that could be reproduced to help students in recording information. At first, I was a bit confused about the plant “web” activity, but after further reading, I believe I understood what was supposed to happen.

4. Thinking of the second grade curriculum, I felt that the unit on plants was appropriate content for the age group. A few modifications I would include would be modifying the lesson to meet specific students’ needs (although I do not know what they might be), integrating mathematics into the lesson, and also including teacher read alouds. In addition, I would like the students to each have the opportunity to grow a plant from seeds and feel successful in growing and taking care of a plant.

5 and 6. I would make modifications for specific students’ needs to help each student receive what is necessary to succeed. I would integrate mathematics into the lesson because I believe this unit would be perfect for math as well. Charts and graphs of plant growth could be made by the students. I would also make a modification of including teacher read alouds because I believe students enjoy as well as benefit from listening and then discussing children’s literature. In my science methods class I had the opportunity to grow plants from seeds and as ridiculous as it may sound, I felt a great deal of responsibility as well as success in helping my plants to grow. I would like my students to experience those same feelings.