Running head: Field Observations 1

Field Observations

Alejandra Meza

CSN EDU 201

Field Observations 2

a) Alejandra Meza

b) Making Students Feel Safe

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

d) In this video I learned the importance of a student feeling nurtured & supported. I

noticed how at Fall Hamilton ES they have a Trauma Informed Practitioner which

I think is very helpful because they are qualified and trained to deal with each

specific trauma. At Hamilton they have leadership strategies not just for students

but for teachers as well. The classrooms are painted different colors, they have

different lighting along with a peace corner where the student can go and reflect

or meditate. This video highlighted the importance of not just teaching strategies

to solve problems but allowing the student to have a space and time where to

practice it. The Principal mentioned how the school staff supported one another. I

agree with this because if the whole staff is on the same page it will reflect on the

school because they are the foundation. All the strategies and techniques used at

Hamilton proved to be successful, in 2016 Hamilton outperformed peer schools

on the achievement networks like English and Language Arts.

Question #1 As a student do you feel that your Elementary years would have been

different if your school had implemented these strategies? If so, evaluate how

your elementary teachers' support could have been better.

Question #2 Apply what you have learned from this educational video, would you

integrate this system into your classroom? (peace corner, leadership class etc.)
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Question #3 Describe the positive impact that a teacher had in your life, did the

support you received impact you as an educator? Did it inspire you? Describe a

negative experience with a teacher that affected you in school, did it affect you

personally as well?
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a) Alejandra Meza

b) The Importance of Recess

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

d) This video contained quite useful information that I had never thought of and it spoke

about the importance of recess. Students from K-12 take about 112 standardized tests

throughout their school years. That definitely demands a brain break. I learned about the

benefits of recess. Brain health being one of them, regular exercise increases blood flow

which means it also increases nerve cell growth. That is the center of learning and

memory. Another benefit of recess is emotional health being out there in the playground,

blacktop or field students are exposed to learning how to resolve conflicts, take turns and

work together. Those are important skills they will need to be successful in life and in

their following school years. Lastly interestingly enough pretend play during recess lays

the foundation for creativity. I completely agree with this educational video because

recess allows the student to breathe fresh air and be able to work on their social skills.

They return to class relaxed and with a clear mind.

Question #1 Assess and evaluate the consequences of taking away recess, how will this

negatively impact the students learning?

Question #2 Covid has taken away recess from schools, after learning the benefits of

recess what activities would you implement to replace recess time in the classroom?
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Question #3 In your opinion should middle school and highschool have “recess” time as

well? Analyze how this would positively impact their education and learning experience?
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a) Alejandra Meza

b) The Sensory Room: Helping Students with Autism Focus and Learn

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

learn

d) While observing this video I found such important and useful information. The

Sensory room looks like such an amazing room that every school should have. I

learned that in this room they have various activities for students with autism to

help them relieve stress, anger, frustration, release endorphins and simply enjoy

being active. In this room at Hanover Elementary they remodeled the room by

carpeting the floor, covering the light tiles with different color mantles to change

the lighting in the room. Creating a more peaceful environment where they

practice yoga and use balls where they bounce to a metronome. Every activity in

this sensory room is beneficial to students with autism and this school actually has

it open to every student in the school who is having a bad day. It would decrease

bad behavior because students have a safe place where they can self regulate

feelings and emotions. Autism students need those 30 minutes in the sensory

room so that they can feel in control of themselves. I would love to have a sensory

room in each school.

Question #1 Grasping on the struggles that autism students go through on the

daily, would the benefits of a sensory room increase their academic success?
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Question #2 What are the differences between a sensory room and a P.E class? Do

you think every student should be allowed to use it?

Question # 3 What if you had a sensory room at your school, explain the benefits

and disadvantages of having one available to students. Should teachers have one

as well?
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a) Alejandra Meza

b) Using Hand Signals for More Equitable Discussions

c) https://www.edutopia.org/video/using-hand-signals-more-equitable-discussions

d) After watching this educational video I learned some very useful information on how to

have good discussions and how they should be inclusive, equitable and respectful. The

importance of both speaking and listening. Covid affecting all schools and having to do

distance learning, these hand signals are a great way to keep students engaged in the

discussions and it increases student participation. This strategy also helps those students

who feel uncomfortable speaking out loud whether that is in person or in distance

learning. I never thought much about hand signals other than “give me five” but watching

this video made me realize there are so many other options to get and maintain the

students attention while teaching. I used to be a very shy student so sometimes even if I

wanted to participate in a class discussion I wouldn't because I was too shy to raise my

hand. I'm sure there are so many students out there just like me who don't share their

opinion due to this. The hand signals are pinky and thumb extended indicate agreement

with the speaker, a single index finger expresses disagreement. One fist on top of the

other shows the student wants to build. Raised pinky means they have a question, making

air quotes shows the student can paraphrase a quote or concept. I found this video very

educational and I would definitely integrate it into my classroom.

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Question #1 Reflect on your own experience in class discussions, would you have

participated more or less if hand signals were incorporated?

Question #2 Assess and explain the benefits of using hand signals in the classroom and

think of any negative effects hand signals can have on behavior management?

Question #3 Applying prior experience with distance learning do you feel hand signals

could be used for every grade level? Could this strategy be as effective in person?
Field Observations 10

a) Alejandra Meza

b) The Power Effects of Drawing on Learning

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

d) After watching this educational video I have learned that drawing is better than

writing notes, viewing images or listening to lectures. According to this new study

it was shown that those students who drew information remembered twice as

much as students who just wrote it down. I find that quite beneficial to students of

course every student has different learning styles like kinesthetic, visual and

linguistic. But drawing taps into visual, kinesthetic and linguistic areas of the

brain at the same time. I find it fascinating because it is useful to every student

even if their learning style is different. I agree with this video on a couple ways to

incorporate drawing into teaching. For example, use interactive notebooks where

they can write and sketch out ideas, another example would be data visualizations

where students get to collect and analyze data using drawings. I would love to

incorporate drawing into my teaching because I feel no matter what age or grade

level drawing is always fun and it makes students excited about the lesson.

Question # 1 Applying previously learned information, would you personally say

adding drawings to your notes has helped you when studying?

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Question # 2 Substitute drawing notes for a long paragraph or lecture on a lesson,

describe the positive and negative outcomes of including this in your lesson?

Question # 3 Analyze the three learning styles that are mentioned in the video and

explain how drawing is implemented in each?

Field Observations 12

a) Alejandra Meza

b) Making Classroom More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners

c) https://www.edutopia.org/video/making-classrooms-more-inclusive-multilingual-learners

d) In this video I learned how important it is to welcome the whole student including their

language and culture. Inclusion is very important because we all come from different

backgrounds and feeling left out because of how you look or where you're from can

really hurt a student and bring them down not just emotionally but academically. I find it

very important to encourage students to not lose their first language just like I was

encouraged to do so. I love being bilingual. According to this video it's important to find

space in the classroom to allow students to use multiple languages. It's always good to

pair students who speak the same language if possible. Sometimes something as simple

as sharing words in their home language will help them feel included. Research has found

that english learners tend to remember words better if they act out certain words or

phrases. Being a english language learner myself I agree with this video because learning

english is often very difficult and simple strategies like this are very helpful.

Question #1 Describe your struggles learning the english language whether you were a

ELL student or not, if you speak more than one language what was the biggest challenge

you had to overcome?

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Question #2 According to this video describe some of the ways inclusion can welcome

cultural diversity?

Question # 3 Share and describe an experience you had yourself or someone you know

when you felt culturally different, how would these methods of inclusion be used in your

classroom?
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a) Alejandra Meza

b) The Power of Relationships in Schools

c) https://www.edutopia.org/video/power-relationships-schools

d) In this educational video I learned the importance of healthy attachments and how

it helps build a safe environment. It was great to see students in the video mention

that if they feel comfortable with the teacher they ask more questions. Another

student mentioned that if he likes the teacher he is willing to do the work for that

class. I also learned that emotions and learning go together. It's important for

students to be in a learning environment where they can build strong long term

relationships with the teacher, students and school. Oxytocin is a huge positive

effect on the development of the brain. It's not enough to just be nice to the

student there must be an experience of attunement and trust. When this happens

the hormone oxytocin is released. I agree with this video that we must

acknowledge each student as a human being and not just as another student. A

teacher mentioned in the video that sometimes sharing a joke a smile or reminder

helps that relationship with the student. Personally I agree with this because I

loved teachers who would acknowledge you and smile. It always made me feel

welcomed. I plan on practricint and building those relationships with my students.

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Question #1 Applying what you learned from this video, explain what the

hormone oxytocin is and how does it get released?

Question #2 Describe your relationship negative/positive with a teacher you had,

explain how it impacted you personally? Did it affect you academically?

Question #3 Applying what you learned from this video, describe your plan to

build relationships with students, describe how oxytocin will be part of your plan?
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a) Alejandra Meza

b) A Student Centered Model for Blended Learning

c) https://www.edutopia.org/video/student-centered-model-blended-learning

d) This educational video taught me the three parts of blended learning which are blended

structure, self paced structure and mastery based learning. Blended learning is teacher

instruction which leads to self paced learning. Which is where the students then work at

their own pace with each unit of study. I agree with self paced learning because feeling

pressured to finish a certain assignment and get a good grade on it puts immense pressure

on the student, I have experienced it myself. Some students feel tense when coming into

class because they feel behind or are scared to show that they don't understand the lesson.

Mastery based grading is when students progress through the course but only when they

have demonstrated mastery. I think that is very important because sometimes mastery

isn't something students obtain as long as they get the assignment done they move along.

It's important for them to actually learn what is being taught and not just get the correct

answer. I found it interesting how Mr. Farah creates his own videos for the beginning of

each lesson and students take guided notes. That is a great way to make sure students

actually listen to the “lecture”. I found this video very interesting and helpful. The

teachers approach definitely shows the three parts of blended learning and you can see

the students actually trying and taking that feedback from the teacher.
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Question #1 Describe and explain blended instruction and how it leads to self paced

structure?

Question #2 Analyze how mastery based grading is implemented by the teacher Mr.

Farah in this video, how would you use it in your classroom?

Question #3 Do you agree with introducing a lesson with an instructional video as shown

in this video? Assess the advantages and disadvantages. Explain

Field Observations 18

a) Alejandra Meza

b) Pom pom Jar

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

d) I loved the strategy in this educational video. The pom pom jar, students put a fuzzy pom

pom in the jar each time they do an act of kindness around the classroom. I found this

strategy amazing and it can be used with every grade level. Kindness is something that

should always be advertised and implemented. Doing something kind for someone else

can brighten someone else's day and yours as well. There is so much negativity around us

that something as simple as a student helping another student by throwing away their

trash or letting someone else use a pencil can teach them to always be kind. As shown in

the video when the pom pom jar is full the class will have a classroom party, treat or

game. This is a great strategy to reduce misbehavior and have the students look forward

to staying out of trouble or arguments. As the teacher mentioned now that she uses this

strategy she sees less arguments and it's good to see kindness going around in the

classroom. I think middle and high school students could also benefit from a pom pom

jar, oftentimes as students get older they forget to be kind to one another.

Question #1 Analyze and explain the positive outcomes of having a pom pom jar in your

classroom, how would it benefit you as a teacher and the students?

Question #2 Many teachers dislike incentives as treats or games, after watching this video

do you feel this is a good strategy to control misbehavior?

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Question # 3 In the video the student shares what act of kindness they did with the whole

class, assess how this could emotionally impact each student? Would this strategy help

those students with depression, anxiety, low self esteem? Explain

Field Observations 20

a) Alejandra Meza

b) Bolstering Executive Function in Middle and High School Students

c) https://www.edutopia.org/video/bolstering-executive-function-middle-and-high-sc

hool-students

d) This educational video showed me a point of view I had not thought of before.

The way everyone always thinks of middle schoolers and highschool students as

uninterested, forgetful but sometimes students act that way because they are not

receiving the support they need. I remember from a prior video that we always

teach students strategies to deal with emotional stress or certain problems but we

never give them a space and time to practice these strategies. In this video it is

mentioned how adolescence is a critical time and the perfect one to teach students

executive functions that will help them in school and further in life. One useful tip

is dedicating time to it, allowing the students to write or speak about ways they

can improve their study habits. Another tip shown in the video is making it

indispensable, giving the students tools they can use like calendars, agendas,

priority lists and trackers. Although if the student has no purpose all these tools

are useless they have to be motivated to use them. Giving grades for using these

tools and submitting them is a great way to give them a motive to start using them

in their life. Without them noticing these tools become part of their routine and

they will get used to the organization and they'll be able to use them outside of

class and in their regular lives. Third tip shown was taking their advice, listening

to feedback from students is crucial because you get a glimpse of where you lack
Field Observations 21

as a teacher and where they need more focus or help. I believe it is very important

to prepare middle schoolers and high school students for life after school because

they will be exposed to a world where a job or career will require them to use

these executive functions.

Question # 1 What are the three executive function tips shown in the video?

Analyze each and describe how they help the students.

Question #2 Which executive function will benefit students the most when they

get a job? Describe the positive impact.

Question # 3 Evaluate the function “Make it Indispensable” shown in the video,

how could you apply this executive function in your classroom? How would you

motivate students to use the tools?