Thursday, December 20, 2007
Program ?
What was the website that you could get the education program application off of? The one I wrote down from class doesn't seem to be working!!! Thanks !!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
As the Semester ends....
As everyone else has said, this semester went so fast and I can't believe it is already over. I enjoyed this class very much and felt that our class had a really nice connection. Hopefully we will all continue blogging every now and then to keep in touch but for now everyone have a great hoilday and Happy New Year!!! Thanks again!!
Just saying bye for now
Hi guys this is Bolove. I wanted to tell everyone that this class was great for me. I think I learned a great deal from you guys. You guys were pretty awesome and i'm definentely going to miss this class. Like many others said this definentely won't be the end. I hope we all can keep in touch through the blog. I hope everyone has a great holiday and vacation.
Due to Popular Demand...
During our meetings several of you asked about keeping this blog going. I'm happy to leave it up for you to continue to communicate with each other...I will most likely not participate in it after the end of this semester, so it's all yours!
As I've told you individually during our meetings, even though I'm not your adviser, please know that if you have any COE or program questions you should feel free to contact me for assistance. If I can't help you, I can refer you to someone who will be able to.
It was a pleasure having each and every one of you in class.
Happy Holidays,
M. Tomich
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Happy Holidays
Have a happy holiday and I know that everyone will make great teachers one day. Good luck!
Happy Holidays to all
I am also going to miss everyone and this blog!
Be sure to Keep in touch. :0)
Jennifer
Be sure to Keep in touch. :0)
Jennifer
As the semester comes to an end
Just wanted to wish everyone good luck on their future endeavors and in their pursuit of becoming educators. I really enjoyed spending the semester with all of you and look forward to seeing you all in the future. I wish all of you a wonderful holiday and a fulfilling New Year. I hope you are all doing well on your finals, and not getting to stress out. It will all be over soon!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Wish every one good luck
I know I can say everyone in the class will be a very successful teacher and I know I have learned through all of you and I plan to bring that with me in the future. I wish everyone the bestest luck in becoming an educator, which I believe everyone in our class can achieve. I want to wish eveyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years. Keep in touch!!!
Hey again...
Hey everyone... I would just like to say that it has been a pleasure being with everyone in EMSE... This was a great class.... I wish everyone the best of luck in the future... Hope we can all keep in touch... Ms. Tomich thanks for being the greatest, but this is not the end... I will definitely keep in touch... :-) Have a great weekend everyone...!!!
Hey...
Hey everyone... Unfortunately I did not pass the Mapp, but I will be taking it over in January... For anyone else that wants to take it.... It will be on January 26, 2008... I doubt there are any seats left but do not worry about it you can just show up I'm sure they will have extra space...
Friday, December 14, 2007
Just saying Bye
Hi guys this is Bolove. I wanted to tell everyone that this class was great for me. I think I learned a great deal from you guys. You guys were pretty awesome and i'm definentely going to miss this class. Like many others said this definentely won't be the end. I hope we all can keep in touch through the blog. I hope everyone has a great holiday and vacation.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
So sad that it's all over
No matter if the school was urban or suburban, I had a really good time observing both the teachers and students. I think that it was educating and interesting to watch how different teachers conduct their classrooms. If just observing the class was fun, I can't wait to actually get the chance to teach one. I had a great time visiting both of the schools and I can't wait to be in their place one day.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Roselle Interns
Thanks to those of you who graciously helped me getting this post to work. I think it should be correct.
I am sorry I didn't get a chance to speak with each one of you today, I do hope all went well and you enjoyed your visit at Harrison Elementary School. We believe we have an excellent school and hope your experiences were positive.
If any of you are interested in doing your preprofessional and or professional internship in Harrison, please see Mrs. Sullivan in the Teaching Performance Center and make your request known. Additionally, if there are any suggestions and comments you would like to make, please feel free to do so.
I wish you all a Happy Holiday and Good Luck with your teaching career.
I am sorry I didn't get a chance to speak with each one of you today, I do hope all went well and you enjoyed your visit at Harrison Elementary School. We believe we have an excellent school and hope your experiences were positive.
If any of you are interested in doing your preprofessional and or professional internship in Harrison, please see Mrs. Sullivan in the Teaching Performance Center and make your request known. Additionally, if there are any suggestions and comments you would like to make, please feel free to do so.
I wish you all a Happy Holiday and Good Luck with your teaching career.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Tomorrow's Final Visit
I hope you enjoy and learn from your last sophomore field visit. Again, you may want to send/email/give the principal and/or cooperating teacher a thank you note--totally up to you.
Anita DeRosa in the urban school would like to consult with one of you regarding the blog; will one of you please seek her out and give her a hand?
I have all papers but one in my possession, and guess I'll have quite a busy weekend. Don't forget to send your 5th report & reflection--and please send the final papers really soon if you are interested in knowing your final grade when we meet next week.
Don't forget to call me if you'll be late or can't make the meeting--next week is all booked, so I'll need the notice.
Have a great weekend!
How much do you know about gang activity in NJ?
Please go to this page and play the video.
http://www.njgangfree.org/home.htm
http://www.njgangfree.org/home.htm
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Let's discuss this paper
Let's take advantage of Jennifer's generosity in sharing her paper. First off, if you look at the Rubric for Evaluation of Contextual Factors can you pinpoint where she discusses each of the indicators?
Can you tell me where she discusses the implications for instructional planning and assessment? Can you tell me the difference between that and where she discusses what the teachers do there?
I'm hoping this analysis will help you if you haven't put the finishing touches on your own paper.
And...I can't resist: the implications for instructional planning and assessment is exactly where your critical thinking skills come in--and as you have seen, that's exactly where most of you have had your difficulties...you haven't asked about any of the other indicators--which are all from reports and observations; the implications is where you have to put it all together and come up with your own ideas.
This is the area you need to develop in yourselves; only then will you be able to develop and encourage it in your students.
Hope that helps...and thanks again, Jennifer.
PS: It would be wonderful if someone would share a paper on Roselle...
Can you tell me where she discusses the implications for instructional planning and assessment? Can you tell me the difference between that and where she discusses what the teachers do there?
I'm hoping this analysis will help you if you haven't put the finishing touches on your own paper.
And...I can't resist: the implications for instructional planning and assessment is exactly where your critical thinking skills come in--and as you have seen, that's exactly where most of you have had your difficulties...you haven't asked about any of the other indicators--which are all from reports and observations; the implications is where you have to put it all together and come up with your own ideas.
This is the area you need to develop in yourselves; only then will you be able to develop and encourage it in your students.
Hope that helps...and thanks again, Jennifer.
PS: It would be wonderful if someone would share a paper on Roselle...
My Contextual Factors Paper
Here it is:
As responsible future educators we must be knowledgeable of the academic and social needs of the communities we will be teaching in. By visiting both an urban and suburban district we were able to witness first hand how factors family income and crime rates will lend themselves to our pedagogy strategies. It is the contextual factors of our district that will help us come up with comprehensive methods of reaching our pupils and their families.
In this paper we will examine the contextual factors that influence Frank K. Hehnly School’s student’s academic performance. All of the statistics mentioned are from the schools 2005-2006 report card and www.OurClark.com.
Frank K. Hehnly School is located in the township of Clark, New Jersey. Clark is a thriving suburban community with elements of an industrial core. One of the states largest companies, L’Oreal, is located in the heart of this city. Many people who reside in Clark also work there. Due to the availability of jobs there is a very low student mobility rate. In fact there were no students who entered and left during 2006. This stability is both good for the community and for national test scores.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,019 ($10,000 more the state average), and the median income for a family is $77,291. About 1.0% of families were below the poverty line. This information is significant because it illustrates that the parents of this community are not financially stressed. Teachers do no have to be overly mindful of financial burden when choosing field trip locations or assigning at home projects.
The majority of the population consists of married couples (69.3%), less then 10% are single mothers, and the remaining population is single professionals. 31.5% of this population has school-aged children. The township is predominately Caucasian (95.61%). This lack of cultural diversity will be a major factor when considering an enriching curriculum. It will be very important to supplement diversity for these students and to make sure that the few students who are not Caucasian are accepted and treated with respect while in school. Likewise, there is a strong value in exposing the students to multicultural influences they are likely to find in the world outside Clark.
Clark is a safe community. There is less then a 2% chance of being a victim of a crime, and only a .03% chance of being a victim of a bodily crime. Due to this parents will be more likely to let their children play outside and participate in after school programs. They will feel as secure when their children are at school as they are when they are at home.
The best way to describe Clark is in laymen’s terms. It is a typical suburban environment. The people are middle to upper middle class. The parents are interested in their children’s education and overall success and are very active with the PTA. On any given day you will find several parents at the school helping in one way or another. Clark’s educators and parents both pave the children’s path to success. Most students enter Hehnly with a background of previous learning that was primarily developed at home.
Now that we are aware of the family and economic factors in Clark we can now examine the schools themselves. The Clark Public School District consists of the Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School and Valley Road Elementary School both service grades K – 5. The student’s transition from there to the Carl H. Kumpf Middle School for grades 6 - 8 and then to the Arthur L. Johnson High School for grades 9 – 12. It is important to mention that students from Garwood, attend the district's high school as well. Garwood and Clark work closely together and will send/ receive students based on need.
The length of the school day at Hehnly is 6 hours and 25 minutes, 5 hours and 25 minutes of this is instructional time, leaving the children an hour for lunch, and recess. The average class size in 2005-2006 is 24.1- this is considerably above the state average of 19.2. There are 13.3 students to every 1 teacher, also a higher ratio than the state average. Conversely, the number of school suspensions and expulsions are remarkably low, with a suspension rate less than 1% and zero expulsions in 2006. Hehnly students have also achieved a high success rate on the NJASK4 standardized testing. They test far above the state average in all areas of the exam. Hehnly School is clearly a powerhouse of academic triumph.
The percentage of students with IEPs (Individualized Education Program)is 9.2%. Although this is a small percent of the student population it is also important to note that the children are all ranked and placed in different math sections based on their ability and need. During my observation, I noticed my cooperating teacher and visual, written and auditory techniques to ensure her lesson was understood by many different intelligence types. This is done to make certain that the each student receives the attention needed to do well on standardized exams.
In many schools there is a need for bilingual classes. This is not the case in Clark. The first language spoken at home is 96.2 % English. Only 1.3% of the students come in as LEP students. (Limited English Proficient) This is also a huge advantage for them when it comes to standardized testing. There is a language learner’s room, and the school has all of the media necessary to aide in the process. In 2006 there were 6.9 students to each computer, but during my observation I was told that any class could provide laptop access to each student if it is required for a lesson plan. Each classroom has 100% Internet connectivity. Since all classrooms have Internet access, tools like Google Images can be incorporated into daily lessons.
Hehnly students have also achieved a high success rate on the NJASK4 standardized testing. They test far above the state average in all areas of the exam. Hehnly School is clearly a powerhouse of academic triumph. Contextual factors help to show how the school achieves these great results. No one factor can tell the story , although Clark does not rank as well in metrics like class size and student-teacher ratio, other contextual factors mitigate and even outweigh these. Clark’s schools benefit from it homogeneous and generally prosperous socioeconomic environment. Minimal resources need to be allocated for LEP students and IEP programs. Also, teachers know that most students are given resources and encouragement at home, thus enhancing the teachers in school efforts. In effect there is a sense of partnership between the parents and teachers in this school, creating a student centered environment, not merely a student centered classroom.
As responsible future educators we must be knowledgeable of the academic and social needs of the communities we will be teaching in. By visiting both an urban and suburban district we were able to witness first hand how factors family income and crime rates will lend themselves to our pedagogy strategies. It is the contextual factors of our district that will help us come up with comprehensive methods of reaching our pupils and their families.
In this paper we will examine the contextual factors that influence Frank K. Hehnly School’s student’s academic performance. All of the statistics mentioned are from the schools 2005-2006 report card and www.OurClark.com.
Frank K. Hehnly School is located in the township of Clark, New Jersey. Clark is a thriving suburban community with elements of an industrial core. One of the states largest companies, L’Oreal, is located in the heart of this city. Many people who reside in Clark also work there. Due to the availability of jobs there is a very low student mobility rate. In fact there were no students who entered and left during 2006. This stability is both good for the community and for national test scores.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,019 ($10,000 more the state average), and the median income for a family is $77,291. About 1.0% of families were below the poverty line. This information is significant because it illustrates that the parents of this community are not financially stressed. Teachers do no have to be overly mindful of financial burden when choosing field trip locations or assigning at home projects.
The majority of the population consists of married couples (69.3%), less then 10% are single mothers, and the remaining population is single professionals. 31.5% of this population has school-aged children. The township is predominately Caucasian (95.61%). This lack of cultural diversity will be a major factor when considering an enriching curriculum. It will be very important to supplement diversity for these students and to make sure that the few students who are not Caucasian are accepted and treated with respect while in school. Likewise, there is a strong value in exposing the students to multicultural influences they are likely to find in the world outside Clark.
Clark is a safe community. There is less then a 2% chance of being a victim of a crime, and only a .03% chance of being a victim of a bodily crime. Due to this parents will be more likely to let their children play outside and participate in after school programs. They will feel as secure when their children are at school as they are when they are at home.
The best way to describe Clark is in laymen’s terms. It is a typical suburban environment. The people are middle to upper middle class. The parents are interested in their children’s education and overall success and are very active with the PTA. On any given day you will find several parents at the school helping in one way or another. Clark’s educators and parents both pave the children’s path to success. Most students enter Hehnly with a background of previous learning that was primarily developed at home.
Now that we are aware of the family and economic factors in Clark we can now examine the schools themselves. The Clark Public School District consists of the Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School and Valley Road Elementary School both service grades K – 5. The student’s transition from there to the Carl H. Kumpf Middle School for grades 6 - 8 and then to the Arthur L. Johnson High School for grades 9 – 12. It is important to mention that students from Garwood, attend the district's high school as well. Garwood and Clark work closely together and will send/ receive students based on need.
The length of the school day at Hehnly is 6 hours and 25 minutes, 5 hours and 25 minutes of this is instructional time, leaving the children an hour for lunch, and recess. The average class size in 2005-2006 is 24.1- this is considerably above the state average of 19.2. There are 13.3 students to every 1 teacher, also a higher ratio than the state average. Conversely, the number of school suspensions and expulsions are remarkably low, with a suspension rate less than 1% and zero expulsions in 2006. Hehnly students have also achieved a high success rate on the NJASK4 standardized testing. They test far above the state average in all areas of the exam. Hehnly School is clearly a powerhouse of academic triumph.
The percentage of students with IEPs (Individualized Education Program)is 9.2%. Although this is a small percent of the student population it is also important to note that the children are all ranked and placed in different math sections based on their ability and need. During my observation, I noticed my cooperating teacher and visual, written and auditory techniques to ensure her lesson was understood by many different intelligence types. This is done to make certain that the each student receives the attention needed to do well on standardized exams.
In many schools there is a need for bilingual classes. This is not the case in Clark. The first language spoken at home is 96.2 % English. Only 1.3% of the students come in as LEP students. (Limited English Proficient) This is also a huge advantage for them when it comes to standardized testing. There is a language learner’s room, and the school has all of the media necessary to aide in the process. In 2006 there were 6.9 students to each computer, but during my observation I was told that any class could provide laptop access to each student if it is required for a lesson plan. Each classroom has 100% Internet connectivity. Since all classrooms have Internet access, tools like Google Images can be incorporated into daily lessons.
Hehnly students have also achieved a high success rate on the NJASK4 standardized testing. They test far above the state average in all areas of the exam. Hehnly School is clearly a powerhouse of academic triumph. Contextual factors help to show how the school achieves these great results. No one factor can tell the story , although Clark does not rank as well in metrics like class size and student-teacher ratio, other contextual factors mitigate and even outweigh these. Clark’s schools benefit from it homogeneous and generally prosperous socioeconomic environment. Minimal resources need to be allocated for LEP students and IEP programs. Also, teachers know that most students are given resources and encouragement at home, thus enhancing the teachers in school efforts. In effect there is a sense of partnership between the parents and teachers in this school, creating a student centered environment, not merely a student centered classroom.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
MAPP
Congrats Sarah for passing the MAPP.
As for me,I was able to take the December one without even signing up. They really just let anyone in, but I can honestly say I was suprised by the test. Although it was much like the SAT's I found it hard to finish all of the questions in the amount of time that was given. The first section, I definitely had almost ten questions left at the end that I just guessed on. The second section I made sure not to spend as much time on a problem if I was having trouble. Even with guessing the last few, hopefully I passed. Now I just want to know how you find out your score? Do they mail it to your house, school, both or what?
As for me,I was able to take the December one without even signing up. They really just let anyone in, but I can honestly say I was suprised by the test. Although it was much like the SAT's I found it hard to finish all of the questions in the amount of time that was given. The first section, I definitely had almost ten questions left at the end that I just guessed on. The second section I made sure not to spend as much time on a problem if I was having trouble. Even with guessing the last few, hopefully I passed. Now I just want to know how you find out your score? Do they mail it to your house, school, both or what?
I Passed!!
^_^ I passed the MAPP! I passed quite horribly, but I passed! I am so happy that I am auditioning for a musical tonight that I am totally unprepared for! Horray for being a semi-daredevil!
Ok, I'm going to go practice the music that I have not looked over yet. My audition is in another four hours. Too bad I have no idea how this song is played on the piano. As I said, totally unprepared.
(= Sarah =)
Edit 12:15AM:
Audition = Pretty gosh darn bad, like I predicted. Could it have been worse? Oh yes, but not by much. Could it have been better? About 1,00000 x's better. I'm happy that I at least tried though.
Ok, I'm going to go practice the music that I have not looked over yet. My audition is in another four hours. Too bad I have no idea how this song is played on the piano. As I said, totally unprepared.
(= Sarah =)
Edit 12:15AM:
Audition = Pretty gosh darn bad, like I predicted. Could it have been worse? Oh yes, but not by much. Could it have been better? About 1,00000 x's better. I'm happy that I at least tried though.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Confused
I am still confused on the Instructional Implications. Should I discuss the lack of contract for the teachers union and its effects? Or improvements that have been made in the school? If someone could please help I would greatly appreciate it thanks.