Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(B-1) Objective: To observe and make note of the whole classrooms learning
environment and its value to students and teachers.
Mrs. Carroll has created a learning environment that is comfortable, inviting,
organized, and full of information. This classroom is one that is rich in reading and
writing, where students have access to a vast assortment of materials to aid in their
learning. Mrs. Carroll has her classroom set up so that students have easy access to the
things that they need.
I believe the most important qualities of this environment would be the
organization of the classroom and the wealth of information that the environment offers
to the students. In Mrs. Carrolls classroom, there is a specific place for everything,
which makes it so that students know exactly where to go to find the things they need.
The walls of the classroom are filled with colorful charts that provide students with easy
access to important educational information and strategies. By observing this classroom,
one can tell that Mrs. Carroll wants to provide her students with a classroom in which her
students can have the resources and information they need at arms reach.
There are many important symbols and sites in this classroom. There is a library
with a large assortment of books grouped by genre and topic, as well as stools where
students can sit and read; a writing area where students have access to a variety of writing
materials; a round table where Mrs. Carroll conducts her guided reading groups; student
writing is displayed on the walls; and there are a number of informational charts on the
walls as well. I would definitely say that literacy is most valued in Mrs. Carrolls
classroom.
Mrs. Carroll definitely places high value on literacy. She shared with me that she
has her Masters degree in Reading/Literacy, so she has a lot of education and experience
with teaching literacy. Mrs. Carroll is an all-around great teacher, but I can tell that she is
most enthusiastic and passionate when she is teaching reading and writing.
In this third grade classroom, I can tell that students value their independence.
Mrs. Carroll allows her students to complete their work at various places around the room
they do not always have to be sitting at their assigned desks. She stresses to students
that they are being held responsible for their work. Also, students value the time that they
are allowed to move around through activities like Go Noodle. Go Noodle is a
website where teachers can access a variety of videos that lead students in movement
activities. Mrs. Carroll lets students have Go Noodle Time in the classroom at least
once a day.
After observing the type of environment that Mrs. Carroll has created for her
students, I realize the kind of learning environment I wish to have. I hope to create an
environment for my students that is comfortable and inviting, while fostering their
learning. I want my classroom to be organized and structured, while allowing students to
learn in a way that is enjoyable and (when appropriate) laid back. I want my students to
feel at ease and compelled to learn from the moment they come into my classroom.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(B-2) Objective: To complete a literacy environment checklist of the classroom.

I found that this classroom has a very organized book area/library, with numerous
books on a variety of topics and genres; they also vary in reading level. A great aspect of
this literacy environment is that the class library is very organized and easy to use. When
viewing the total score for each category of the checklist, I see that this environment
scored somewhat low in the area of book use. The low score in that area was due to the
fact that this classroom didnt have the certain areas that were asked about, such as a
block area, dramatic play area, etc. However, I dont view this as negative thing because
I realize that the lack of those areas is due to the fact that this is a third grade classroom.
Overall, this classroom scored very positively and contained most of the
components that were asked about on the checklist. I have actually filled out this same
checklist before, when taking another course. That time, I was observing a first grade
classroom. I was surprised to find that this third grade classroom scored higher than what
I remember the first grade class scored. I think Mrs. Carroll has done a great job at
creating a learning environment that is very focused on the importance of literacy.
If I were to change anything about this literacy environment I think I would place
more comfortable items in the book area. Although these students are a little older, Im
sure they would still enjoy being able to read in a comfortable environment. I would add
things like large pillows, beanbag chairs, etc., to allow students to have a relaxing place
to sit while reading independently.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(B-3) Objective: To observe connections between learning language and learning to

read and write.
On the occasion that I observed this objective, students had been writing personal
narratives, focusing on giving multiple details about a certain event that took place. In
reading, they are currently learning about nonfiction text features and main idea.
When teaching reading or writing lessons, Mrs. Carroll often has discussions with
her students. She always instructs them to speak as if they were writing, using complete
sentences that contain clear thoughts and ideas. When students attempt to answer a
question or give an example and fail to speak in a clear, complete sentence, Mrs. Carroll
will give them tips and assist them in forming a complete thought.
Mrs. Carroll shared with me that her ESL students are very high and speak very
fluent English. She does not have to do much differentiation for those students.
In Mrs. Carrolls classroom, the literacy block is a period of about two hours.
Although its very difficult to isolate reading from writing in regards to how much time is
spent on each because the two are so tightly woven together, it is scheduled that 1 hour
and 25 minutes be spent on reading, and 40 minutes spent for writers workshop.
Students are always instructed to read if they are between assignments or have a spare
moment. Mrs. Carroll often tells her students that they should never be sitting there
doing nothing. During these times students are also instructed to write about what they
are reading.
When teaching reading, Mrs. Carroll is constantly asking questions to check for
understanding. She reviews concepts that were previously taught before introducing the
new concept. Students respond to Mrs. Carroll with enthusiasm, giving their best
attempts at answering her questions.
As I mentioned earlier, students are currently working on writing personal
narratives. Mrs. Carroll begins the writers workshop by telling students what they are
expected to do that day in regards to the writing piece that they are in the process of
completing. She has students repeat back to her the expectations of the assignment so
that she knows they understand.
In order to give students feedback on their writing, Mrs. Carroll has one-on-one
conferences with each of her students. She has them read their writing to her as she
views it, then they discuss how they can make the writing better.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(B-4) Objective: To observe teachers use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

during reading and writing instruction.
Mrs. Carroll does not implement computer-assisted instruction (CAI) during the
actual teaching of her reading or writing lessons; however, she does utilize certain online
programs to reinforce her teaching, as well as for informal assessment of her students
progress.
Students are given time throughout the week to use their computers where they go
to online websites such as RazKids and Discovery Ed. These websites allow students to
practice the concepts that are being taught in a fun, interactive way. RazKids is a website
where students can log on, read stories, and answer questions after reading. Mrs. Carroll
is in control of the reading level setting for each student, and performance data is
collected and compiled so that she can review it as a means of informal assessment.
I also observed Mrs. Carrolls use of Storyline Online when teaching a read-aloud
lesson. On her SMART board, she pulled up the video of the book being read aloud.
Although Mrs. Carroll was not performing the actual read-aloud of the story, she would
pause the video at appropriate times to teach the concept, discuss a vocabulary word, and
check for understanding. I thought she made very good use of that form of CAI.
So, I guess I could say that I have observed Mrs. Carroll utilizing computerassisted instruction because she used an online website to assist in the lesson. I didnt
think of this instance at first because I was specifically focusing on occasions when she
would use a computer program/website to actually help in the teaching of the concept
of which I did not observe.
I think Mrs. Carroll makes good used of technology in her classroom, but I think
she could use it more when in the whole-group setting.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(C-5) Objective: To observe teacher doing a read aloud with students.

For the read aloud, Mrs. Carroll chose the book Enemy Pie by Derek Munson. I
believe she chose this book because she knew it would be interesting to her students,
while also being a good choice for teaching the concepts of her lesson.
Instead of reading the book herself, Mrs. Carroll chose to utilize Storyline Online
to play a video of the book being read. The students were very engaged in the video. I
could tell that students enjoyed being able to experience the read aloud by watching and
listening to the online video.
Along the way, Mrs. Carroll would pause the video and ask questions to promote
students thinking, discuss vocabulary, promote comprehension, etc. I liked that she
chose to have these discussions throughout the story versus waiting until the end of the
video.
For this particular lesson, the activity centered around being able to give details
about the beginning, middle, and end of the story, as well as being able to state the lesson
of the story.
For the activity, Mrs. Carroll had written a number of details from the story on
sticky notes, with each sticky note having one detail on it. She gave each student a
couple sticky notes. On a piece of chart paper, she had drawn an image of a hill where
the upward slant of the hill was labeled beginning, the top of the hill labeled middle, and
the downward slope labeled end. She explained to the students that they were to get with
a partner, read their details to each other, and decide where to place them on the chart.
They also had to make sure that they kept the details in sequence as to how they occurred
in the story.
The students reacted enthusiastically to this activity, and really seemed to enjoy
participating in it.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(C-6) Objective: To observe a teacher teaching a guided reading group.

Mrs. Carroll uses her MCLASS assessment data when creating her reading
groups. When teaching these guided reading groups, she uses the Fountas & Pinnell
Leveled Literacy Intervention program.
Mrs. Carroll begins the guided reading group by introducing students to the book
they will be reading. She gives them background information, introduces vocabulary, has
students go on a picture walk, and asks them to make predictions as to what they think
may happen in the story (or about what they will learn if its an informational text).
Following the instructions of the program guide/manual, she reviews certain
sections of the book and pages of text. She reads a couple excerpts of the text and asks
questions that promote students thinking and builds their interest. I feel its important to
note that while Mrs. Carroll does follow the directions given in the program guide, she
does not appear to be using it as a script, but freely makes the lesson her own.
Following the introductory discussion, students will read the book independently.
Students have learned that if Mrs. Carroll leans toward them they are to begin to read
aloud, but quietly, so that she can make notes about their reading strengths and
weaknesses. After students have completed the book, she sends them back to their seats
to complete their literacy activities.
As far as vocabulary is concerned, Mrs. Carroll introduces new words to the
students before they begin reading the text. She writes the word on the whiteboard
behind her and asks them if they have an idea how to say the word or if they know what it
means. After giving students an opportunity to share their thoughts, she explains the
meaning to them.
Mrs. Carroll checks students comprehension during the guided reading group by
asking questions that let her know whether or not they understand what they have read.
While Mrs. Carroll was teaching the guided reading group, the other students
were taking a quiz/test that accompanies their basal reader. When they finished the test,
they knew that they were to begin reading independently.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(C-7) Objective: To tutor one student or a small group of students needing

scaffolding in reading and/or writing.
I tutored one student who needed support in the area of writing. I supported the
student by assisting her with an informative writing piece that they are currently working
on. For this step of the assignment, students were to choose three possible topics for their
writing piece, and write three subtopics for each in order to help them choose between the
three. I assisted this student in brainstorming subtopics for the three topics that she had
chosen.
This student was very shy, and was quite reluctant to share her ideas from me. It
almost seemed like she didnt want me to even be sitting there beside her. I was able to
get her to share ideas with me, but she would only speak when I asked her very specific
questions. Even then, she would say very little. I tried to give her guidance about new
ideas that were different from what she had written, as well as ways she could make her
ideas stronger. She never responded or made use of my suggestions.
With this particular student, I really didnt get the feeling that the tutoring session
was successful. Honestly, I really didnt have much information on which to make this
judgment because of her reluctance to share with me and participate in the activity.
During the time that we spent together, she actually didnt finish the assignment.
The standards that this assignment covered are below:
CCSS.ELA.3.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA.3.W.2.a Introduce a topic and group related information together;
include illustrations when useful to adding comprehension.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(D-8) Objective: To observe teachers use of assessments (informal and formal) of

students literacy development.
I was able to observe Mrs. Carrolls use of some of these assessments during the
time that I spent observing in her classroom; however, I chose to sit down with her and
ask her about the specific assessments in order to have clarity of their purposes.
For informal literacy assessment, Mrs. Carroll administers TRC running records
via mCLASS: Reading 3D. She views this as informal when administering it throughout
the school year. She also uses Readers Notebooks, which are compilations of each
students response to reading assignments; RazKids, which is an online website where
students log in to read books and answer comprehension questions; Reading
Comprehension Sheets, which asks students 4 questions about the passage theyve read.
Mrs. Carroll also looks at the students answers to the questions provided at the end of
their weekly Scholastic News classroom magazine. Finally, Mrs. Carroll informally
assesses her students by having conversations with them about what theyre reading.
For formal literacy assessment, Mrs. Carroll administers TRC running records via
mCLASS: Reading 3D. She uses the data as a formal assessment when administering it
during the specific required periods of Beginning of Year, Middle of Year, and End of
Year. She also uses programs such as Discovery Education, Read to Achieve probes,
and Fluency Testing as means of formal assessment.
Mrs. Carroll definitely uses the assessment of students prior knowledge as an
informal assessment tool. She is constantly checking and testing students knowledge by
asking questions and/or quizzing them on what shes taught so far. She uses that
information to determine whether or not she needs to go back and review or reteach the
content.
Mrs. Carroll does use technology in administering some of her assessments. She
uses her iPad in administering mCLASS: Reading 3D, as well as the fluency testing.
Also, students use the computer for programs such as RazKids and Discovery Ed.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(D-9) Objective: To determine how the school is structured to meet and assess the
literacy needs of students.
Interview with Assistant Principal, Mrs. McGhee
To meet the literacy needs of students, Stovall-Shaw Elementary has put
guidelines in place that require teachers to assess their students and submit the data from
those assessments, and group their students by reading level. Teachers are also required
to create Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for students who are at risk and in need of
intervention. Once students are identified as needing intervention, they will be pulled out
by the literacy specialist for a period of time each day. Teachers are also required to
assess their students at the beginning of the year (BOY), middle of the year (MOY), and
end of year (EOY) via mCLASS and Read to Achieve programs.
To accurately determine whether or not the guidelines are effective for students,
the administration requires that assessment data is frequently checked for validity. They
do this by having the same students be assessed by multiple teachers. They will compare
the results from the assessment administered by the other teacher(s) with that of the
students classroom teacher to check for accuracy and rule out any unintentional bias of
the classroom teacher.
If the guidelines are found to be ineffective, the administration will converse with
the teachers about their methods of progress monitoring to make sure their results are
accurate. They will also discuss any changes that can be made to provide for better
student outcomes.
Mrs. McGhee had two suggestions that she would give to beginning teachers to
help them become a better reading teacher. First, she said she thinks its very important
to do walk-throughs in the classrooms of veteran teachers to observe their methods of
progress monitoring. Her second suggestion was for beginning teachers to pick 3
meaning that beginning teachers should choose 3 students that they will progress monitor
from beginning to end. They can focus on learning to monitor them accurately because
they will only have 3 students to focus on. After they have mastered the three, then they
will be able to add more.
Parents do become involved in this process if their child isnt meeting the
standards. Teachers will have meetings with these parents and will ask them about their
childs interests, and anything else that would help the teacher determine how to best
meet the students needs.
Support for beginning teachers is first given by the county. In Granville County,
when a new teacher is hired, the teacher will go to a New Teacher Orientation that lasts
three to four days. During this period, teachers are given a crash course in all things
literacy, such as how to administer certain assessments. From there, beginning teachers
will be required to attend various training sessions during their first few years of
teaching.
It is mandated that all K-3 students be assessed via mCLASS, and that the
assessment be completed by a teacher other than their classroom teacher. Granville
County requires teachers to use Discovery Education. It is mandatory for 3rd grade and
expected in 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades. The reading program that they use school wide is the
Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention Program.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016

(D-10) Objective: To observe approaches teachers use to teach literacy to culturally

and linguistically diverse students.
Mrs. Carroll has four students in her class that meet these criteria. In order to
meet their literacy needs, she assigns buddies (or peer partners) for them to work with.
Also, these students get all of their tests read aloud to them to aid in their understanding
of the directions and questions being asked.
Mrs. Carroll checks to see if the students are showing some type of growth to
determine if her actions are meeting the needs of these students. She and I agree that
although these students may have not yet reached their grade level, it is still said that they
are successful when growth can be seen. Growth and improvement are the most
important factors.
If Mrs. Carroll sees that her literacy approaches are not effective, she will take
certain measures such as changing their reading levels; changing their intensity, which
relates to how often they conference with her; changing their reading groups; and making
sure that they have access to books on their independent reading level that they can take
home to read.
Parents are involved in this process by coming to IEP meetings. Mrs. Carroll
informed me that in some cases, parents would bring other heavily involved family
members with them to be involved in the decision-making process as well.
Mrs. Carroll receives support from the following entities for help with literacy
instruction:

Literacy Teacher The literacy teacher at Stovall-Shaw Elementary works with 6

of Mrs. Carrolls students. She provides student with extra assistance to meet
their needs, and she and Mrs. Carroll are able to discuss the students levels, as
well as any additional needs the students may have.
Principal The principal at Stovall-Shaw Elementary pulls teachers mCLASS
reports and meets with them to share ideas about how they can group students
differently to better meet their needs. Their principal is actually the top trainer in
Granville County for Literacy.
Assistant Principal The assistant principal provides Mrs. Carroll with the Read
to Achieve probes, as well as keeps data spreadsheets updated.
County Reading Coach The county reading coach sets up their pacing guide and
gives teachers resources about testing.
PLC (Professional Learning Community) Mrs. Carroll meets with her PLC
team. In their meetings they will discuss student performance and sign off on
PEPs.

Megan Pulley

EDU 3410 Field Experience

November 24, 2016