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EDUC 280 - Timecard and Journal Entries

Task 1. Timecard
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Task 2. Journal 1 & 2 Combined Journal Assignment
EDUC 280 Journal 1 & 2 Combined

Task 1. Classroom Management

Question 1 – Do you think your teacher has successfully created a productive learning environment? Why or
why not?
-The main teacher I have observed learning environment varied. She is the head of the Special education
department so she spends some of her time in her class teaching a class called Learning Center which is like a
study hall for students to work on their assignments in other classes but there are also some assignments she
has them do. The rest of the classes she spends co-teaching, and there she watches over the students who have
an IEP. Focusing on her classes I would say are productive but they could be better. She tells the students what
they need to do for her and where they can find the instructions. She then walks around the room checking in
with students to see if they are on task. Some students do their assignments right away and then either work on
other class assignments, play games, or socialize. Other students have a harder time focusing so the teacher
does spend most of her time with them to get them to get the work done. Then the last of the students are just
sleeping. So, I feel like the class could be more productive by doing their work first and socializing later but kids
will do what they want to and there is not much you could do to change it.

Question 2 – What techniques does the teacher use to keep students actively involved in academic activities?
-One of my favorite teachers to observe was a special education math teacher who did an amazing job involving
all of his students in the lesson. The teacher had his room split in half so there were two groups of students. He
would get these students to participate in class by holding competitions against each other. He would read off a
question for the students then he would have them group up and find the solution to the question. After the
group found their answer, they had to show their work and answer on the whiteboard where the teacher would
go through each of their problems to see who was right, and whoever was right would earn points for their
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group. Another technique I saw was think, pair, share. I specifically saw this in math classes, where students had
to think about the problem and how to solve it and pair up with their elbow partners to explain their thinking.

Question 3 – How is your teacher “withitness?” In other words, do they have command of the classroom? Do
they have great systems of classroom management in place?
-The command my teacher had on the classroom depended on what period she was in and what type of
students were in the classroom. For example, if she had a majority of upperclassmen, it was easier to command
their attention and do the assignments. For lower classmen, she had to try harder to get their attention. I do not
believe the teacher had great classroom management. Many students didn’t do what was asked of them. There
were other times she would spend most of class helping one or two students. She would repletely ask the class
to turn in their work which they will only do after she tells them step by step to do.

Question 4 – What types of “punishments” are used in your classroom?

- There aren’t any “punishments” in the classroom, if students are on their phone during class after they have
been asked to put it away multiple times the teacher would take it away. But if the student is being distracting or
making threats to a student or the teacher security will be called on that student to be escorted out of the room.
For students who skipped classes or have multiple assignments missing the school has punishments the student
needs to do.

Question 5 – How or where are the rules posted in your classroom? How were they created? By the students
or the teacher?
-In one of the “lower functioning” special education classrooms they had their rules posted at the front of the
classroom along with student-made posters around the room. The poster at the front of the classroom was
printed off like the teacher got it like that. The student posters around the room held phrases such as “Be kind to
everybody.” I believe the teacher went through her rules for the class and then had the students make
additional rules for everyone to follow.
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Task 2. Curriculum

Question 1 – Give an example of when the teacher used an integrated curriculum across subjects (i.e.
combining science and language arts)
-I have seen the integrated curriculum mostly in Government where they cross it with English and computers.
For example, the assignment asked students to research a politician, they had to answer questions about the
politician's background, such as what state the politician is from what their political party is how many years
have been in office. Once the students have found those questions, they would have to put their answers into
the website they created for their politics project. They would also have specific formatting they would have to
follow for the website.

Question 2 – Give an example of when the teacher used a hidden curriculum.

-I think the best example I saw was for group work. In one of the math classes I had observed the teacher paired
the students into groups to solve the questions on the board. Then the students had to talk to each other and
brainstorm different ways they could solve the problem. This taught the students about working with each other
even if is someone they don’t like along with using their peers to understand the question.

Question 3 – Does your teacher use differentiated instruction?

- The teacher I mainly observed didn’t use different instructions. However other teachers I have observed did. In
one of the “lower functioning” classrooms, the teachers used different styles of instruction for the students. For
example, when they were talking about personal hygiene and professionalism the teacher pulled out different
clothes and the students had to decide if those clothes should be worn to a job interview. Another time she had
the students pull out their tablets to do an assignment, but they would do it together. She would pull up the
same assignment on the projector and walk the students through the worksheet. The days I have observed in
her class she used different learning styles to give instructions.
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Question 4 – Can you tell what kind of learner the teacher is from his/her instructional preferences?
- I believe the teacher I mainly observed is an auditory and a visual learner. Whenever she gave instructions, she
verbally said them and then told the students where they could find the instruction in the learning platform they
use. Most of the students' work was turned in online, there were times she had them work on physical paper,
but the majority of their work was online. She didn’t use her projector or stand up at the front of the class to
teach the class the majority of her teaching was one-on-one.

Question 5 – Do you think the teacher adapts the curriculum to the types of learners in the classroom?
-I do think the teacher adapted the curriculum to the different types of learners. She is the head of the Special
education department; part of her job is adapting the curriculum for the students to learn the way they do best.
Some of the ways she adapted for some students was by printing out tests they had to take they could do on
paper and not online. She also allows her students to use notes for tests. Depending on the student and their
IEP. The teacher will write something like the student will understand specific topics and themes but never the
student will read on grade level. There are just some ways my teacher adapts the curriculum for different types
of learners.

Question 6 – Does your teacher like the curriculum he/she is teaching?

- She does have some issues with the curriculum because it is hard for some students with an IEP to follow.
Along with writing personalized IEPs is not easy but it has to be done for students to have the best chance in
school.

Question 7 – What would they like to see added in the future?

- The teacher I mainly observed would like to see a less broad curriculum and have it be more individualized for
students and their needs. It is not fair for some students who have an IEP to be in the same curriculum as a
student who doesn’t. It also doesn’t help that what is expected of each student changes too. Having a curriculum
that is less broad and more individualized for each student's needs would be nice to see.
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Task 3. Technology
Question 1 – What kind of technology was used in the class(es) you observed? Was it effective?
- Most of the technology I saw in class was the projector, teachers using PowerPoint, and students' laptops/
tablets. I do think it is effective but only because that is what students are now used to.
Question 2 – What type of technology might you use when you start your teaching career?
-I have a deep hatred for technology, but I understand the benefit it has for many students and teachers,
therefore I would a mixture of technology. I would like to use PowerPoint because it holds two types of learning
types, visual and auditory. I would like for students to have one technology out at a time so if I have a
PowerPoint up, I would like students to focus on that and have their laptops away when it's time to work on
their assignments then they can have their laptops out if needed.
Question 3 – Do you think it is harder or easier to incorporate technology into your classroom?
- I do not think it would be hard to incorporate technology into my classroom. I think it’s a great way to show
visuals and videos to help with students learning. I think it would be harder to find kinesthetic things for students
to do and for them not to be focused on technology.

Task 4. Diversity
Question 1 – How diverse were your class(es) you observed?
- The classes I had observed had some diversity. Many classes had students from either two main ethnic
backgrounds the Latinos and Caucasians. However, the classroom was diverse in different ways there were
many students who had disabilities or IEPs in the same classes as students who didn’t have an IEP.
Question 2 – What did your mentor/teacher do (or not do) to create a diverse classroom?
- In all of the classrooms I have observed there were previous students' graduation cards on their walls, these
students come from different ethnic backgrounds. However, I have not seen many classrooms with posters
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showing different children. Then the last of the classrooms are pretty bare with the only art in the room is one or
two subject-related topics on the wall or paintings on ceiling tiles.