Jigsaw Puzzle on Assessment

"Assessment in this spirit does not concern assignment of grades or evaluation of whether instruction was effective. It's assessment designed squarely to feed into the learning process and make the learning stronger.”
David N. Perkins

Source from:  www.ite.org.uk

On Thursday, our class was very productive.  We had two presentations which was on Chapters 3 and 8.  We then had to give our colleagues a short evaluation and useful constructive criticisms about their presentation.  After our presentation, we had a break.  SMILE TIME, a photo shoot.  Good job by the way Dr. Rivera for the quick post of our picture.  After, we went over an overview of Chapters 11, 12 and 13.  I liked how Dr. Rivera would ask which part of the chapter we incorporate in our classrooms.  She wanted participation in her discussions, which is also what we teachers include in our class with our students.  Lastly, we went over various kinds of literacy inventories and assessments.  WHEW, alot of great information ingested in two and a half hours.  Good team work colleagues keeping me awake! 

Change

I could not let this semester roll by without posting this quote.  In order for us to make a difference in this world, we must be the change.  Sitting back and griping about all the wrongs with society and so forth will not serve any justice to anyone.  This is one of my most inspirational quotes of all!!! :)

Assessment and Learning

"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." -- Frank Outlaw If there is one single thing I take away from today's session on assessment and the learning environment, it is that I as a teacher could affect my students life because of things that I say, do and think. As as teacher it is my job, thus my responsibility to create a classroom that accepts all types of learners -- that is goal oriented, focused and safe. It is my professional and moral duty to ensure that at the end of the day each individual student goes home wiser that when he/she entered my classroom that day.

All assessment is a perpetual work in progress.-- Linda Suske, Unknown , May 3, 2005 http://www.wku.edu/teaching/db/quotes/byassess.php

Assessments measure knowledge at a specific point in time. What we do with the data gained from the assessment guides us in creating progression.  Learning from one another through presentations and sharing experiences help enrich the learning and application of materials to help student progression.

ED643-03 Students Strike a Pose!

Pictured L-R:  Johnavan J. Tamayo, Cindy Galvez, Ted Nededog, and Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera.

Education is......Priceless!

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”―Walter Cronkite

Today I was made aware that there is an IRA Grant available to fund classroom libraries.  This is an issue that battled with at the start of my career, providing trade books for my students.  Unfortunately, the issue of funding for books and materials has been ongoing for decades.  Our government shortfalls has a major impact on every school, every classroom.  
Although this is the harsh reality of our circumstances we must remember education is priceless.  We can have a lasting impact on a child's life.  We must be resilient in our efforts to infect knowledge.  

Light is the task when many share the toil.

- Homer (http://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/topics/help_quotes.html)

Our discussions tonight were very productive. We can only learn from our experiences, some of our experiences can be hilarious others can be daunting, and few can be depressing. But it is always comforting to know that we are all in this toil together. We breezed through three chapters  and were able to browse through different kinds of reading and writing assessmenst. Everyone contributed to maintain a dynamic discourse, what a great way to learn.  

ED643-02 Students Strike a Pose!

Pictured L-R:  Lenith Atienza, Fatima Tibudan, Maria Lourdes Felipe, Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, and Pam Villanueva.

Did you know America ranks the lowest in education but the highest in drug use? It's nice to be number one, but we can fix that. All we need to do is start the war on education. If it's anywhere near as successful as our war on drugs, in no time we'll all be hooked on phonics. ~ Leighann Lord

I think we need to put more emphasis on education.  We also have to remember that learning is "on-going."  It is around us.  We shouldn't just put blame on teachers when students fail.  Learning plays an active role in a child's life.  Everyone that has constant interaction with a child, is responsible for educating that child.  Be positive and let's start a war on education so our students can be successful and be responsible adults.

 

 If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. ~ Ignacio Estrada


 
I think this quote is proper for our class.  As teachers, we teach different reading programs, and the programs are structured.  In this class, we are learning different strategies and methods in promoting literacy.  We need to teach our students, using methods that are successful.  Every student is different.  No "one" program is effective for all students.  We need to find the appropriate strategy in which the student learns best.

Great Personalities

 

 I really enjoyed the class today. Ailene, Nicole, and Lee all presented their chapters which was very informative. I will be presenting by next week. Thanks Lee for lending me your book. Thanks for the invite Nicole and Ailene. I look foward to getting together at Grumpy's or Infusion. Thanks for the encouragement, Dr. Rivera. It is great to have a group with great personalities. Having a sense of humor during the class makes it more relaxing.

ED643-01 Students Strike a Pose!

Pictured L-R:  Nicole Borja, Gloria Frias, Ailene Pamintuan, Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, and Liwayway "Lee" Anicas.

THIS COMIC STRIP IS SO TRUE!! THERE ARE SOMETHINGS IN LIFE THAT AN EDUCATOR NEEDS TO GET BY EVERYDAY!!!!
HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THIS ONE!!!

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. 
-Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau has heavily influenced American Literature through his contributions to the transcendentalist movement.  The castles in the air in which he refers to, is equivalent to walking across that field house stage on graduation day.  Every class we partake in is but a corner stone to the castle we are building in the sky.  On a weekly basis we are progressing as best we can.  Lets continue to build our kingdom.

Learning

"Learning is acquired by reading books, but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading men, and studying all the various facets of them."Lord Chesterfield (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/learning_2.html) Chapters 5,6 and 7 impacted me in a manner that made me realize that in order for students to learn, I as a teacher should be totally involved. The learning environment has to be prepared so that it targets and focuses on the needs of the students. Processes and products should be differentiated and organized so that they meet the demands of each child. I should observe more so that my students can do more. I also realize that my instruction should be anchored on where my students are at based on assessment. Finding the right tools and medium of instruction is also critical. All students/children are capable of learning to read and write. Some take longer than others. Some take a different route and learn in diverse ways. It does not matter. What matters is that learning happens.

Set Your Goals

“If you don't know where you are going,

you'll end up someplace else.”

― Yogi Berra

I read somewhere recently that if you greet each morning without a driving quench to do things, you don't have enough goals.  Truth of the matter is, many of our dreams and desires require goal setting margins  The hungrier we are, the longer the fire of desire burns.  How hungry are you?  Set your goals and make a run for the finish line, no matter how long, how daunting, and far-fetched it may seem.  Each turning leaf, each stride, brings you one step closer to the finish line!  Find your purpose, set your goals, and get there no matter how curvy that curve ball may be! 

Education is not the filling of a pail,

but the lighting of a fire.

Wiliam Butler Yeats

http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/quotes-about-education.html

Building a fire, like scaffolding, takes skill and planning. We must know what the end product will look like in order to determine the following: 1) materials will be needed, 2) time it will take to accomplish the task, 3) individuals needed to accomplish the task, 4) number of variables to consider, and possibly the most important thing, 5) purpose.

Filling a pail or adding liquid to a sponge denotes that we take nothing and add to it, while lighting a fire denotes have the right materials and taking the proper steps to create the fire so that it may continue burning; with knowledge as the kindling or materials to keep the fire going. In preparing our lessons, we take what already exist and light the fire so the student may seek his or her calling. 

Still teaching?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

Some say that teaching is the same everyday, but only teachers know that...although we may have the same curriculum and the same students all year, everyday is a different day and we, along with the students, learn something new!

A Path...

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
Ben Sweetland

I think this quote is a reminder of why I am pursuing my master's degree.  Although it is a difficult path, it will be worth it in the end.

Don't Be Discouraged

 

 

"Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. "

~ Unknown

As I continue to think of the classes we are taking at this point in our journey to receiving a Master's Degree, I find myself asking, "Was I ready to take on the challenge of a higher education?" It is coming to a point where everything is so overwhelming. However, as the quote states- "Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock." I will continue to do my best to accomplish what I set out to do, which is to receive a Master's Degree in Reading.

“In any situation, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.” - Theodore Roosevelt

 

This quote is inspiring because there's many of us that feel like giving up.  Many times I ask myself, "Can I move on? Can I finish this semester successfully? I feel like I can't go on!"  But like the quote says, its better to do the right thing, which is getting my Masters Degree, than quit now, do nothing, and regret it for the rest of my life!  Might as well finish what I started!

Follow Your Dreams

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Lanston Hughes

For as long as I can remember, working towards my Master’s was just a dream.  And now, decades later, here I am.  Although daunting at times, it is crucial that I remind myself that as long as I cling on to my hopes and dreams, I will get there. A bird cannot fly with a broken wing. Our anticipations and dreams are comparable to a bird's wings for without them, we lack the calmness, hope, and freedom that flight is coupled with. Live your dreams! 

Excellence Is A Habit

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle 

Another week is in the books, a week closer to our first literacy lab session.  As I browse through pages of text I remind myself that I am striving for excellence.  I will adequately prepare so that I am at my best when the time comes.  Fortunately enough, I have found a student who is as equally excited to be a part of this as are his parents.  Their level of commitment, to their child's education, inspires me to put in the work necessary for success.  Feeling a lot more confident now and I hope to continue this outlook throughout the year to come.  

One step....

This quote reminds me of how I eventually made my decision to take up a Masters degree. When I first started teaching, I decided to hold off obtaining a Masters because I wanted to put all my focus into teaching. I told myself that in a few years, I'll go back to school. Well, a few years turned into 12 years...needless to say, I was very apprehensive of going back to school after so long. Thankfully, I have great colleagues who persistently motivates and assures me that it's never too late and that I am capable of accomplishing my goal. All I need to do was to take that one step...one step into the direction I want to go, and I will be on my way. I am so thankful that I decided to pursue my goal of obtaining a Masters degree. I know that this journey will make me a better educator - hopefully, an eduactor who will be able to motivate children to take that one step into pursuing their dreams.