Together, we can...

Quote retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search

This semester, this quote will be my guiding force when I conduct my sessions with my student.

It's fortunate that I have had this student in my class when he was in the 3rd grade so I know that he learns best when he is involved in his learning. I will provide many opportunities for him to be involved in the planning of our session activities and also many hands-on activities to keep him actively engaged. I look forward to the progress he will make as a result of our sessions and of this class. I know that he will greatly benefit from his participation in the Literacy Center.

Take a Peep, Peeps!

  

"You keep on concentrating on the things that you wish you had or the things that you didn't have and you sort of forget what you do have." - Nick Vujicic

Not only is Nick Vujicic a motivational speaker, he is a motivational speaker without limbs.  Born without arms and legs, Nick was the victim of bullying for most of his childhood. He became extremely depressed and at the age of 10, he contemplated suicide.  The turning point in his life came when his mom showed him a newspaper article about a man coping with a severe disability.  Nick realized that he was not the only one struggling with major trials and at the age of 17, he started to give talks in prayer groups and later founded the non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs.

If you haven't seen this video, please watch!  I've watched it several times and have also showed it to my students.  Sometimes, the most triggering type of inspiration comes from that of a stranger.  God bless, everyone! 


Nicole

Education

This quote describes this best situation best for me. 

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”  By: Marian Wright Edelman.

I realize that after each session my student improves in an area and is able to move to the next level.  He works so hard to try and learn the new concept that I taught him.  I am so proud that he tells his parents the things he is doing with me and enjoys the session.  He is so excited to learn and shares what he learns with his friends at school too.  It is so amazing that I can teach him something and he can teach it to someone else.  The world will be better than when I found it because the learning continues even when I am not there.

First step

The first step was taken today and small as the gains appear to be this session, I believe it is a step in the right direction. As our plans for the next sessions unfold, our goals appear to be clearer and achievable. Yes we can do this!

SUCCESS

I wish you all SUCCESS as we continue on our journey to receiving our Master's Degree in Reading.

Being Thankful

 

 

 

I am thankful for my wonderful family for being there for me at all times. I am also thankful for having the opportunity to have met such great people in this reading cohort. It is nice to know that we are all in this together.

 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” B. B. King

Quote retrieved from http://www.values.com/inspirational-quotes

As we are all different, we all aspire to do things with our lives. Each bringing something new to the table offering up different approaches to address the needs of our students. Let us continue to support one another as we inch ourselves towards our goals. We are four classes away from achieving that goal. Stay the course. If one should us should slack we shall 

ED644 Thursday Stars Strike a Pose!

Happy Spring Semester Every One!

 

Welcome Back to School Every One!  Thursday was our first day back and time again to review our new syllabus, requirements and expectations of the course.  Filled with scheduled events, new due dates, and this time not just assessments but more exciting tutoring session with our student.  One to one basis with our student, our designed lessons and this time two hours.  Yes, overwhelming with a lot to do but helpful if properly planned with lots of learning going on and maximizing instructional time when in session.  Today, was day one with my student and it was a great tutor session.  We are both looking forward to more Magic School Bus Days filled with colors and words, incorporating both literacy and technology intertwined as one in education!

Change

As stated by Fullan and Miles (1992), "change is a journey, not a blueprint....One should not plan, then do, but do, then plan...and do and plan some more" (p.749).


I got this quote from Chapter 1 of The Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs.  It described the classroom teacher's need for involvement in generating ideas for change and implementing change in the classroom, in terms of developing an effective reading program.

I interpreted this quote as it describes the unending process of education.  There are always new strategies or new information.  As educators, we need to be flexible to accommodate these changes.  We got to do what we can and adjust ourselves.  Because sometimes we don't see or hear the changes, we just need to be ready for them when it happens.  It's not something we plan for but need to be ready to adjust to.

Tutors and tutees start their first session!

Attitudes and Beginnings

First day of class is done and over with. Expectations were discussed, schedules set, activities planned, initial questions were answered. There was a collective feeling of relief. It does not look that bad. It's the beginning of a new semester and a new year at that. Old attitudes have to be swept aside to give way to new and more positive ones. I believe that old habits are hard to remove, so it is easier to build new ones. So here is to refreshing new habits, better work ethics,brighter outlooks and positive attitudes!

The Beginning

The beginning of the semester was a bit overwhelming as we discussed our expectations for the class.   Just thinking about whats needs to be done overtime can be mind boggling.  But I've been through this before, and I know not to give up.  Perseverance will prevail!

Working with my student once again presented its challenges as well.  I had to get a feel of her willingness to work and adjust the activity to meet her needs.   With persistence, we will succeed!

1st Meeting Wrap Up

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”  -Plutarch

Today's meeting started out with much fire.  M.C. was eager to start reading and show me that he has been working in the time we were apart from the literacy center.  He chose two books from literacy center library, one on baseball and the other the infamous Goosebumps series.  While conducting the shared reading method, he would stop and make inferences on what was to come.  He was adding his personal prediction as to how the baseball game in the text was to play out.  Once we moved to the R.L. Stein's Goosebumps, he appeared to be tired.  I conducted the guided reading and he was reading well in the beginning.  As time elapsed he grew more tired and appeared to lose his fire.  I had him stand up and read to me as if he was the teacher.  Although this helped for sometime he gradually mispronounced words and could no longer answer my concept questions.  

Hopefully he just needs to get back into the swing of the literacy environment.  I hope to kindle the fire in his mind throughout the entire duration of our next meeting.  

Play, Learn, and Grow Together

Today was the first day of class as well as my first tutoring session with my student.  As I began my tutoring session with my student I felt that it was a little too overwhelming for the both of us.  However, we worked on how our session will flow together and what we will accomplish by the end of the session.  It was amazing how much my student can do.  We did many activities in just two hours.  It was not only him learning throughout the activities but I was learning too.  This quote “Play, Learn, and Grow Together” really is true.  We played, learned, and grew together throughout the session tonight.  It was great knowing that this could happen and there is more to come.

We all just have to believe and have faith that we are gonna finish what we've started. We can do this!!!

Are you ready?

Today was the first day of ED 644 class. I was not able to conduct a session with my student, however, I feel that it was still a productive class meeting. We went over the syllabus and discussed the assignments in detail. I was able to look around the SOE Reading Lab for materials that I can use to implement the recommendations I had made for my student. I am looking forward to getting started and anticipate the progress my student will make to improve his reading and writing ability.

1st Day of School

It was the first day of class in ED644. We went over the syllabus and the requirements of the class. We are looking forward to a more productive and less stressful sessions with our students. Good luck everyone!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back, everyone!  Here's to another enriching, enlightening, enjoying, and entertaining  round of learning! Looking forward to working with all of you.  Here's to old school television sitcoms because they had the coolest and gnarliest theme songs which inspired me to incorporate it into my very first blog!