My collaborating teacher partner is Christina Thompson. Christina is also a third grade teacher in Rochester Community Schools. I have been very blessed to have been able to work with Christina for the past few years. Christina is pursuing her Masters degree in Reading and Language Arts from Oakland University. Christina loves literature and reading, and enjoys teaching reading skills to her third grade students.
The students that I will have in mind as I design the unit are third graders (8-9 year olds). In a regular education classroom setting composed of twenty-four students (approximately 100 third grade students are in the building). The school is located about thirty miles north of Detroit in a square mile area surrounded by upper-middle class single family homes. Most of the parents are professionals and about fifty percent of the children have two working parents. The students enjoy learning and exhibit a good work ethic, because education is valued in their homes. Our student population come from diverse backgrounds. Diversity is valued in our school system.
The following is a list of Third Grade benchmarks for Reading Literacy Development in Rochester Community Schools.
It is expected that most third graders will be at the Expanding Stage of development by the end of the year.
The following standards are assessed:
- Uses word recognition strategies
- Uses comprehension strategies
- Recognizes elements of narrative text
- Recognizes elements of informational text
- Reads with fluency and expression
- Is enthusiastic about reading; chooses to read independently
After reviewing recent assessments (i.e. Fountas & Pinnell) administered by Christina, we have decided that the "fluency" standard would be beneficial to the third grade students focus group. During the "Early Planning" blog entry, I am sure that we will have a better idea of the direction we will move in for a successful unit for all involved. We may need to change our original ideas of benchmarks to focus on, or add more to make learning most beneficial for the students.
We are still trying to decide on Technology Standards that would be most beneficial and attainable for our third grade students.
Some thoughts that I have about the upcoming collaborative unit:
Aspirations - I hope to have a profitable time collaborating with Christina. I think that we can learn a lot from each other and benefit from the knowledge that we share with one another. As teachers, we both love children and love our students. We want what is best for them and always have their learning in mind. I think that this unit will not only benefit us, but our students as well.
Fears - My only fear is that Christina may have an idea to incorporate some type of technology that I may not feel I am an "expert" in. I am still learning a lot about being a media specialist and, may not be able to do something right away. However, I am not afraid to research and ask questions. If Christina has an idea and I am not sure how to go about accomplishing a goal, I will work hard to find out how to achieve that goal.
Strengths - I am a good listener and will be able to talk and listen to Christina's classroom needs. I am energetic and enthusiastic about teaching and learning. I am a patient, dedicated and hard worker. I will give 110% towards achieving our unit goal!
Weaknesses - I have high expectations for myself and at times this can be stressful. I generally aspire to go above and beyond the call of duty and then this puts added pressure on myself. I have a reflective nature and need time to digest and mull over ideas. At times, this can bother some people who want immediate answers.
I know that in order for this collaborative unit to be successful. Christina and I have to keep an open line of communication. Communication is vital for success. When I have witnessed unsuccessful LMS/teacher collaborations in the past, usually the downfall was that there wasn't enough communication or someone misunderstood the other person. This will be a learning experience for both my partner and I because we will be collaborating as LMS/teacher roles. We both have to communicate what we would like to see as an end result and I am determined to reach a positive outcome. I will work hard to help achieve this goal.
Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to read your thoughts. You've brought up some key issues to consider in your unit plan. I plan to locate the technology standards for Michigan and distribute them to the class for next week's readings. Good job!