Alyson+Cockerham


 * Action Portfolio**


 * Model Poem:**

Where have you gone, Hermione?
 * Overwhelmed**

With your luscious locks, I so adore, And your study habits, books galore. I wish to have your voice of reason, And wardrobe of cloaks to fit every season.

I am having difficulties just keeping up, I say I'm fine but you've called my bluff. With unit plans, EdTPA, and observations, It's hard these days to even remembers what my age is.

Through the eyes of you, I am not overwhelmed, I am able to achieve without a sound. Hopeful to mimic your proactive ways, Keep my eye on the prize and never lose my gaze.


 * Unit Plan Topic: The Middle Ages/ Renaissance/ Reformation Period **

-Art/Architecture -Tiers of society -Role of women -Influential Figures -Church/Religion -Changing roles in society -Gallery Walk -Creation of own artwork -Game of Life
 * Integrated Thematic Unit: ** Innovation/Expression/Creativity
 * Rationale: ** I have chosen this unit because it fits into the schedule of my cooperating teacher. When my teachers tracks into school in the beginning of January, this is where their instruction will be at that point in time. Secondly, I really enjoyed learning about the Renaissance when I was in 6th grade. This unit is one of the only units I distinctly remember when I was in middle school because we visited the Renaissance festival as well as created our own outfits and art to mimic what was being created during this time period. Middle school students should learn about this topic because it is a time in which creativity and innovation were widely praised, and during middle school students may feel reluctant to express themselves, so allowing students to feel comfortable is vital to their growth inside and outside of the classroom.
 * Sub-topics (A work in progress):**
 * Possible Final Assessments:**


 * Name Inquiry**

My name is Alyson Paige Cockerham. I have never really looked up much about my name, so this assignment was very informative for me. We'll start with Alyson which is a name that is of French origin and mean "honest". The name Alyson was very popular until the end of the 19th century. Just another tidbit on the name Alyson is that, "People with this name are excited by change, adventure, and excitement. They are dynamic, visionary and versatile, able to make constructive use of freedom. They fight being restricted by rules and conventions. They tend to be optimistic energetic, intelligent, and to make friends easily. They may be changeable, restless, untidy, and rebellious." Moving on to Cockerham, this name is originally Scottish and was originally used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English borderlands. It is a name that is given for someone that lived in Renfrewshire where they took on the lands of the Cochrane. No one is sure where the name Cochrane came from, but there is speculation that it stems from the Welsh word "Coch" meaning "red". I was given this name by my parents simply because my mom liked the name. My mom is a social-worker and had a patient that was named Allison Paige and she said she just fell in love with the name. My dad is clearly a pushover and had no say in what I was named although he admits that he was indifferent when naming me. My mom ended up changing the spelling of the name so that it was somewhat different and she "liked the way it looked". My grandfather helped my mom pick out the spelling of the name as he died three months after I was born.

**Poem**

**L** ighthearted **Y** oung **S** ympathetic **O** ptimistic **N** aive
 * A ** ctive




 * Student Teaching Placement:** Rolesville Middle School; Teacher: Greg Kasse; Content Area: 6th grade Social Studies

Above all else, I want my classroom to be safe and comfortable for my students. I want my students to come to school everyday knowing that they will never be judged for their actions, and they will always be able to confide in me if need be. On top of that, I want my classroom to be student-centered, meaning that I want my students to control their own learning environment where my main job is to be the facilitator. I want the atmosphere in my classroom to be electrified with learning and I want my students to feed off of the energy given off when we learn. I want my classroom to be filled with technological advancements and I want my students to be excited each day they attend school. I want my classroom to be FUN and ENERGETIC and I want to make an impact on my students' lives.
 * Educational Philosophy**


 * Classroom**: I feel that each year, based upon the unique needs of my students, my ideal classroom will change, but this is a good idea.

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 * A timeline of my school experiences**:

---After reading Tchudi and Mitchell's article on 'Getting Started in the Classroom' I found it informative and useful in how I will develop my classroom and relationships with my students in the first few days of school. I definitely see the letter to the teacher being a very useful tool in multiple ways because it not only allows the teacher to learn more about the student, but it can also develop an immediate connection between teacher and student. This happens when the teacher composes a response to the student's letter within a couple days, and this allows the student to feel individualized and as if they have developed an immediate relationship with the teacher. This activity can also help in understanding what types of learner students are if you ask students to use their creativity and create the letter in any form they choose (ex. pictures or words). Another beginning strategy that I felt was impressionable was the silhouettes activity. I liked this activity because it allows students to get to know one another while still allowing the teacher to get to know them as well. I mean lets be honest, in middle school, things can get awkward, so aiding the students in getting to know one another and opening the doors to developing peer relationships will benefit the morale of your class. As we have talked about many times, your classroom should be supportive and collaborative, so the earlier that students form relationships with one another, they will then be able to support and help each other in school activities and in life situations.
 * Thursday, August 29, 2013**

I consider myself to be knowledgeable in the field of technology. I think one of the ways in which I use technology the most is through social networking. I have a twitter, instagram, vine, pinterest, etc which all allow me to connect with others through technology. I have heard in the past that we should delete our entire online identity, but I have recently learned that this makes you less marketable to school and teaching. If you have an online identity, this shows that you are competent in technology and you have ways in which you can connect with your future classes and the rest of the world. There are many great ideas surrounding technology including skype sessions around the world, flipping classroom with video-networking, and so much more. Technology is what will create our future, so it is important to incorporate it into the classroom as much as possible.
 * ECI 445-- Write Yourself Into Being**

I have not yet been able to get started on the inquiry for LA because I am still finishing up the inquiry for SS. I will have a plan up here by this weekend! Sorry for the delay, hope this is okay!