Free Write

First off I apologize for not having this blog up before Tuesday. I just now when to the class site and saw we had one due. I thought we only had our assessment tools due for Tuesday. On the other hand my projects are going along well. I have most of my final project completed. I am still trying to decide which lesson or activity I am going to use in class. Since I have created the lesson plan for a younger grade the poem book you suggested I should do as a whole class. One letter of the alphabet each week. I am not sure if I should perform that in class and make a poem for one letter since they students wouldn't be doing anything on their own computers they would simply just be watching me and talking. I wouldn't have to walk around and make sure they are doing things write if we are doing it all together on my computer. I am thinking I may decide on a different lesson to teach. I haven't worked a whole lot on my portfolio yet. I have the categories up but I have mostly been working on my final project so far. I will be working on it bit by bit to make sure it is completed by the last class.

Renee

It is hard to make students do work that they have no interest in doing. As a teacher I feel it is important to help them understand how to do an assignment and why it is important. Another difficult task is to get groups of students to work together who normally wouldn't. It is important for Renee to feel safe and valued inside the group and as if her opinions matter. Students are still working together if they split up the tasks and work alone. Maybe it would help if Renee was designated a specific task in the group to pick out important events, or find all the images. The group may also decide to split it up by chapter so each student has one chapter to do and they can work on the fourth together. Renee struggles to work in groups and engage herself maybe she would feel more comfortable if she contributed to the group by completing tasks on her own. The teacher should work with this group and check in frequently in order to help them to get on the right track. If there is a teacher aid in the classroom she may spend a lot of her time with this group and help them to decide how their project will work.

There may also be an agreement in place where Renee will be able to have frequent breaks as long as she agrees to try hard and work with her classmates. If the student has ADD it will be difficult for her to sit and work on the same project for long periods of time. She is going to need breaks. This may be something for Renee to strive for and help her to focus on the task at hand. Although Renee thinks this assignment is "stupid" she still has to do it. Although you may attempt to help make it easier for her she still has to participate and help to complete the project. If a teacher were to let her skip this assignment the other students will begin to feel she is favored or that they don't have to do the work either. Not only that but Renee may begin to think she doesn't have to do any of the work she doesn't like.