ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

Mikala Miles

EDU 201-1011

April 28,2021
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

How To Foster Kindness During Distance Learning.

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-foster-kindness-during-distance-learning

d) Summary: According to the video, “Research shows that students who see their teacher as

caring come to school more, are more engaged, and perform better academically.” The narrator

suggested three ways that teachers could build community and form relationships during distance

education in order to enhance engagement and agacemeic performance.

The first way proposed in the video, in which to foster kindness and increase engagement

during distance education is to make your greetings count. The narrator suggested prioritizing

individualization, calling students by name or referencing individual comments or actions. She

also relayed the importance of using big smiles and the over emphasization of gestures to make

sure meaning is carried over virtually. The second suggestion in the video was to bring the

outside world inside. The narrator encouraged teachers to make connections both teacher to

student and student to student, through shared stories, shared experiences and discussing outside

interests. The narrator even suggested inviting family members in to encourage community and

participation. Finally, the video emphasised the importance of keeping gratitude on your radar.

Use collaboration boards such as Jamboard or Padlet or shoutouts in Google Classroom or email

to validate student effort, provide encouragement and foster a positive learning environment.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

The main emphasis of the video is that using these strategies and others to foster kindness and

collaboration in your classroom will promote engagement and ensure everyone feels a valued

part of the learning community.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: What are some ways that you can build increased student engagement

and build classroom community during distance education?

Question #2: Explain how using some of the engagement strategies from the previous

question can foster a positive classroom community.

Question #3: How are you going to keep gratitude on your radar? Apply this strategy to

your own virtual classroom.

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/sensory-room-helping-students-autism-focus-and-learn

d) Summary: This video illustrates the benefits of using a sensory room to improve student

engagement and promote academic success. According to the video, research shows that if the

student is in the right mindset and they get their sensory needs met, they're going to be much

better learners. At the school in the video, students are part of a program called STARS which

stands for. Students and Teachers Achieving Remarkable Success. They attribute a lot of their

success to the school's sensory room. They suggest offering a range of stations to stimulate or

calm students with varying needs. Their stations include punching bags and ropes to expel

excess energy, a swing for calming, a crash pad for tactile stimulation, a light wall to improve

hand eye coordination, a walking path to promote balance, coordination and body awareness,

slam balls to aid in releasing stress and emotions and ending with squishing which provides

calming deep pressure touch The impact of the sensory room increases time on task and

decreases negative behaviors promoting longer periods of student engagement.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: Describe the correlation between a sensory room and increased student

engagement.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

Question #2: Which 3 stations illustrated in the sensory room from the video do you find most

valuable and why?

Question #3: Describe how this room can be used to promote engagement for all students, not

just exceptional learners.

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

Making Students Feel Safe

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/making-students-feel-safe

d) Summary: This video discusses the need for trauma informed practices in education.

According to the video, 60% of children have been subjected to adverse experiences. It

emphasizes social and emotional learning and trauma-informed practices as a path to improving

students’ academic outcomes. The video describes a trauma informed program at Fall Hamilton

Elementary school. According to the video, students are still developing emotionally and

cognitively and dont have the ability to leave everything at the door in order to get the most out

of their school day. They need opportunities to process and work through everything in order to

blossom. The school implemented a social and emotional learning curriculum, adapted the

physical space and emphasized building strong one to one relationships with students. The

school hired a practitioner specifically trained in trauma practices. They implemented Leader in

Me training for leadership and life skills using 7 integral habits, and carried the theme of those

habits throughout the school. They integrated leadership curriculum into the specials rotation.

The school created a positive culture where everyone is empowered to be successful. They

transformed environments to meet student social and emotional needs. They used goal setting

and decreased unwanted behavior and referrals. The school’s used a daily Check in/Check out

system where students set goals and review goals for accountability at the end of the day. This
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

mentor/mentee relationship helps prepare the students for a positive day and reminds them there

are adults around them that care. The school also recognized the importance of 1:1 support, not

just for students but for faculty using their Tap In/Tap Out texting system Using these strategies,

the school has outperformed other schools in the state. Referrals are down, performance is up

and the positivity and feeling of students concerning adults who care about them has increased

demonstrating the impact of the program.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: Describe your ideal classroom environment, which is set up to meet the social and

emotional needs of your students ( remember to discuss lighting, seating, staged aromas etc).

Question #2: Why are trauma informed practices important in an educational setting?

Question #3: Describe which practice, illustrated in the video, you would implement in your

classroom.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

The Importance of Recess

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/importance-recess

d) Summary: This video highlights the mistake that is made when schools decrease recess

minutes to increase academic minutes. It should not be one versus the other. They are both

important and aid in increased academic success. Recess promotes physical activity which

increases brain health. Recess also improves emotional health and teaches valuable life skills

such as taking turns, working together and resolving conflicts. Creative play also lays a

foundation for creative inquiry which increases academic abilities. According to the video,

students return from recess more focused and ready to learn. Investing in recess is key to quality

education.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: Describe ways in which recess aids in learning.

Question #2: Why is recess valuable to education?

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

Question #3: Why is it considered a mistake to decrease recess minutes to increase academic

time?
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

The Powerful Effects of Drawing on Learning

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/powerful-effects-drawing-learning

d) Summary: According to the video, drawing is more beneficial to learning and remembering

concepts, than reading, writing, or listening to lectures alone. According to the research,

students that draw their notes remember twice as much information as students only writing their

notes. Drawing connects with multiple learning styles, tapping into the visual, kinesthetic, and

linguistic learning styles all at once making it increasingly valuable. Because concepts are

processed three different times, in three different ways, more connections are built which

encodes learning more deeply. The video also listed four ways to incorporate drawing into

teaching. The video suggested emphasising rough drafts, allowing students to simply illustrate

and annotate their thinking, remembering to emphasize the process not the art! Encourage

students to sketch out complicated concepts using interactive notebooks. Emphasize data

visualization by having students collect, analyze and explain data using charts, graphs and

timelines. Use drawings as low stakes assessments allowing students to demonstrate their

knowledge of a concept through illustrations. Drawing and artwork are an integral part of the

school day.

e)Three open ended Questions:

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

Question #1: Describe ways you can incorporate drawing into your classroom practices to

increase learning and aid students in remembering concepts.

Question #2: Why is drawing more beneficial than writing alone when taking notes or

reviewing concepts?

Question #3: Change one assignment you are currently using to incorporate a drawing

component. Discuss how this drawing component will aid in student learning.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

A Daily Support System for Students

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/daily-support-system-students

d) Summary: This video highlights a program at Falls Hill Elementary school for daily

check-ins. According to the video, daily check-ins provide support to students and build

relationships which lead to success. The principal, Mathew Portell states, “Because we do check

in and check out, students feel supported through a positive relationship every single day, which

builds their capacity to be successful students”. The school places value and effort in building

positive relationships. They identify students that need a little extra social, emotional and

academic support. They then pair them with an adult staff member, separate from their

classroom teacher. Students meet with their mentors for two minutes at the beginning and end of

every day to plan their goals and assess their progress. Classroom teachers reinforce progress

throughout the day with positive reinforcement. Recognition for positive behavior motivates

students to do well and improve behavior. The principal references the program positively.

“We've seen kids transform their own opinions of themselves… Just to see his growth on a

foundation level, being able to be in a class all day without incident and being able to start

growing on his academics…That's been a huge success”.

e)Three open ended Questions:

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

Question #1: Discuss the benefits of a program such as daily check in.

Question #2: What are some ways you can see implementing daily check in into your own

classroom setting or school.

Question #3: Share some ideas for goals you could work on with your students as well as

rewards you could implement with a daily check in. (Discuss at least 3)
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

60-Second Strategy: Pom-Pom Jar

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/60-second-strategy-pom-pom-jar

d) Summary: This video demonstrates the positive reinforcement strategy of using a

Pom-Pom-pom jar to promote kindness. Whenever a student helps someone, they are able to put

a Pom-Pom in the jar. The teacher reinforces the act by having the student share what kindness

they did and giving positive feedback. The teacher in the video states that in order to set up this

kindness strategy, first gather your materials, then give examples of acts of kindness such as

saying nice words to someone, sharing materials or helping in class. Every time a student puts

one in the jar, identify and reinforce the act. When the entire jar is full they have a class party.

This leads to a more peaceful class with less arguments and more helpful behavior.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: What are some ways you can see incorporating a kindness jar in your classroom.

How would you set up your program? Be specific. What would you do differently?

Question #2: List at least three reasons using a kindness jar can be beneficial.

Question #3: List at least 5 ideas for kindness jar rewards besides the classroom party example

from the video.

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

How to Create a Mistake-Friendly Classroom

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-create-mistake-friendly-classroom

d) Summary: According to research, brain scans show that making mistakes sets off productive

brain activity. According to psychologist Carol Dweck, “ Every time a student makes a mistake,

they grow a new brain sequence.”

The video goes on to say that even though students often see mistakes as a source of

embarrassment, stress or even humiliation, mistakes and learning go hand in hand, so a mistake

free classroom can be beneficial.

On brain scans, the same fear centers in our brain that light up when we see snakes or spiders,

light up when students with math anxiety confront numbers, or when students with performance

anxiety have to read in front of the class. We have to help students overcome fear in the

classroom as well as identify and confront self-destructive thinking. One way we can do that is

to help students replace the thought, “I’m stupid”, with the the thought, “I’m learning”. We have

to remember that this does not mean that we should make things easier.

According to a 2008 study, students who were given challenging, open-ended math questions,

outperformed their peers on final exams. Challenging questions forced students to explore,
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

grapple with and discard the wrong solutions before arriving at the correct ones, deepening their

grasp of the topic.

Teachers should also use surveys and get-to-know-you activities in order to incorporate student

interests. The video stated that when students work on things they care deeply about they are

more likely to handle unavoidable mistakes positively. Also, it was suggested to explicitly label

some of the activities in your classroom as rough-draft thinking. That gives students the

permission to ask questions, make mistakes and then revise without worrying about being right

or wrong.Teachers should make sure students understand the benefits of talking through ideas as

they’re forming. Teachers should model this and point out their own mistakes. In order to

create a classroom culture that is truly open to mistakes, you need to model mistakes in front of

your students as well. Finally, the video suggested changing the ideology that all assignments

need to be graded, grading only 25 percent of assignments instead. This not only frees up hours

of teacher time, but promotes a low stress classroom environment which encourages students to

take risks and produce a greater volume of high-quality work.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: What are some ways you could provide a mistake-friendly classroom for you

students?

Question #2: Describe the benefits of a mistake-friendly classroom.

Question #3: What are some of the benefits of not grading all assignments. (The video suggested

only grading 25% of work).

ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

Creating a Dedicated Space for Reflection

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/creating-dedicated-space-reflection

d) Summary: This video, filmed at Fall Hamilton Elementary school, suggests schools create a

dedicated place for reflection. Having a peace corner in every classroom gives students time and

space to safely and appropriately manage their emotions. Students are able to calm themselves in

stressful situations and develop self-regulation. Teachers are seeing the benefit, as students who

in the past would just explode, or get upset, are more aware of their emotions and will choose to

go to the peace corner instead.

The idea came about because the principal at the school recognized that a lot of students were

experiencing tragedy and not able to leave everything at the door when they arrived at school,

leading to frustration and disruption during the school day. Principal Mathew Portell states,

“We're trying to build the capacity for them to be able to know what to do when they're frustrated

or when they're angry. So we're using peace corners.”

Peace corners are in every classroom in the school. It is a place students can go if they are

having a hard time, need a time out or a break. It is a place that a student can go if they need a

break. The corners have pillows, bean bags, fidget activities and charts with positive statements

and breathing strategies etc. There are many different things to help de-escalate the students. A
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

five minute timer is set, and students know they have five minutes to cool down. Teacher

discretion can extend the time if needed. Some teachers also use reflection sheets to help students

evaluate their feelings and make better choices going forward.

Since all students use peace corners throughout the school it is normalized and there is no

stigma. It’s a place for all students to use the self regulation strategies they are being taught. This

has led to less outbursts and more positivity in the school overall.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: Describe your ideal peace corner in your own classroom.

Question #2: List components that should be in a peace corner. Describe the benefits and usage

of each component.

Question #3: Why are peace corners helpful? Justify the use of time for non-academics in the

school setting.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

a) Your name:

Mikala Miles

b) Title of the video:

A Project-Based Approach to Teaching Elementary Science

c) URL of the video:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/project-based-approach-teaching-elementary-science

d) Summary: This video focussed on project-based learning in science to increase student

learning. The narrator stated that rather than introducing science to students like it's a body of

knowledge, rather than exploring and trying to figure out how things work. Project-based

learning more closely mirrors what scientists do, such as answering important questions or

figuring out what’s happening with phenomena.

In the school in the video they use multiple literacies in project based learning which leads to

higher engagement, and higher amounts of questioning and problem solving. They created

science units integrated with literacy and math. Students are conducting investigations, making

observations, developing models, investigating things and debating the science. Integrating

literacy helps to support science learning. It also helps get students excited about reading,

because they are interested in the topic, as it applies to what they are learning in science.

In math, they integrated standards that coincided with what they were learning in science.

They were measuring and collecting data for a purpose, versus just to learn the skill.

In a study to test the efficacy of project based learning in science vs traditional science teaching

the researchers looked at 46 schools with similar demographics. 23 schools were the control

group, doing science classes in the traditional way, and 23 used project-based integrated learning.
ALTERNATE FIELD OBSERVATION

At the end of the year all students were given an objective science skills test. Overwhelmingly,

the students in the project-based learning group did better than the control group regardless of

race, ethnicity, background or reading level.

e)Three open ended Questions:

Question #1: Describe possible academic benefits of project-based integrated learning.

Question #2: Describe possible non-academic benefits of project-based integrated learning.

Question #3: If you were teaching a unit on plants in science, what are some examples of math

and literacy integrations you could use in a project-based integrated classroom?