Mandi+Harding

Apex Middle School, 8th Grade Social Studies, Lindsey Evans Twitter Username: @MandiHarding14 Listing of Language Today posts:  **1. 9/18/13**- Moving to rhythm linked to improving language skills. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24124158 … ,

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 * 2. 10/21/13**- Why the "golden age" when everyone knew their grammar is a myth

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 * 3. 10/27/13-** Language-Gap study pushes for Pre-K and earlier childhood language development:

4. **11/6/13**- The Language of the South... cultural idiosyncrasies that "bless your heart" []

5. **12/2/13**- The possible future of language teachers in the U.S. []

8/26/13

430 ELA Methods Getting Started:

This is so exciting! Actually thinking about the day to day processes and how this whole teaching thing is going to work is just so much fun. I think the first day/week is so critical to the success of the classroom. I know it sets the tone of the year and can sometimes make or break relationships with students. I know I am going to be very nervous and so it is important for me to have guidelines and cues planned ahead of time in order to relax myself into the experience. I am hoping to greet students at the door, shaking their hands and welcoming them into my classroom, which hopefully will have soft lighting, a cozy and welcoming arrangement, plants and plenty of organization and space for creativity. They will be in assigned seats at first so I can learn their names and this will aid in minimizing chatter with friends. As soon as they enter the class their will be an assignment available and this will be some sort of introductory letter telling me about them but it will be fun and interesting and not the everyday questions they sometimes receive (similar to the inventory activity). I will then go into discussing rules and procedures for the classroom after introducing myself with pictures and maybe a prezi. We will make a contract about class-decided rules. I REALLY think this is important. These students need to buy-in to what and why they are following these rules. I really enjoyed the idea of the Lies, Lies, Lies writing piece. That sounds like a lot of fun and students could share their name and title and maybe a few lines. Finally, we would play some name games in small groups and their exit slip would be to give me one trivia question that they must know the answer to because we will be playing trivia the next day based on student knowledge. A lot of this planning depends on what school I am in, what grade and what subject but no matter where I am, it will be the first day for everyone and I need to remember that they will be just as nervous as I am. It is my job as the adult to make them feel safe and loved and welcomed as well as to teach them about ELA and SS and life and that first day is going to be epic either way.

9/6/13

445 Online Identity

I have never thought about needing some online identity. This idea has changed even since I have entered college, when we were told to "DELETE EVERYTHING!!" I think it makes sense now that we need to be visible online but in a professional manner. I need to have a professional blog/twitter account/facebook or something that can make me accessible to students and parents as well as raise my professional awareness of the usage of technology in the classroom. I already have a blog entitled "And so it Begins... The Experiences of a Student Teacher" where I am documenting the experience personally including waiting for a placement and the beginning of a new school year in the methods programs. I now have a twitter account that I am getting used to and I can definitely see the benefits of using that in the classroom simply for the immediate sharing of information across accounts. I have not settled on what to do about facebook. I think this depends on my classroom. I am not sure I want to communicate with them through that avenue but it may come up in my career. I really like wiki pages and I think I could use these in my professional development as well as in my classroom. I also think having a Youtube page with flipped classroom videos would be a good idea too. Teaching mini grammar lessons through video and posting them on Youtube for my students if they need help at home away from me is a good way to reach them with technology and it is relatively simple as well.

9/7/13

430 Ideal Classroom I saved a screen shot of my ideal classroom. This is assuming every child has a laptop and I have a relatively small class size.

Also I have posted my Dipity Timeline URL below. []

Teaching Philosophy: I had to write a Philosophy of Education paper about two years ago and I updated that version for this class. I was surprised that I said some of the things I did and I definitely edited some things after being in various classes and revamping my own theories about teaching. I am posting it as a word doc. I think it could need some editing and it is rather long but I am not sure what I need to keep and not keep or if it is all valuable.



here is a more brief philosophy of education:  As a future Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, I hope to reach as many young minds as possible and translate knowledge into understanding, application and creation. I was first interested in the teaching profession because I am naturally a leader and a teacher. I have a love for children and a passion for helping others to understand the world around them so I think teaching would be an excellent fit for me. My personal philosophy of education is to increase my students’ knowledge in academic studies, moral values, social awareness and character building through personal experience, daily lessons, collaboration with classmates, inquiry-centered project based learning and challenging, thought-provoking discussions. I hope to make every student feel welcome and loved in a comfortable, safe environment. I also see myself as being a warm demander in the classroom in relation to disciplinary issues. I want my students to respect each other and myself and I will not tolerate distractions that prohibit learning for the majority but I will also remain friendly and kind to my students. I see myself as what stands in the way of a student succeeding or failing because the best student in the world will still have to work extra hard to make up for an incompetent teacher. If I can somehow connect with students and make my content matter seem relevant and exciting to them, ensuring that they will use it in real life, I will have success in teaching these students language arts and social studies.

Name Inquiry Project: 9/23/13 

Integrated Thematic Unit 11/1/13
//**Class**//: 8th grade Social Studies, US History/NC History The students will be coming out of a unit on Industrialization and I will be launching into a World War 1 Unit. This will be a thematic unit on conflict, compromise, and change. World War I is a vital topic in history because this is the first time that major world powers met on a stage of grand destruction, new technology was put to use in deadly ways, and the US emerged as a world power spring boarding our country into the 20th century. Students will learn about the nature of conflict, the value of compromise, and the certainty of change. This unit should be taught because our students need to understand the role of the US in foreign policy as well as how to handle conflict, compromise, and change in real life. //**Rationale**//: My students need to know about the reasons why this war started (conflicts over militarism, nationalism, land, industrialization, mobilization, and the alliance system) about the outcomes of the war (compromise with Wilson's 14 points, the League of Nations, eventually the United Nations) and the effects of the war (change of technology in war, psychology of battle, and devastating loss of human life). My students will also gain a sense of how to resolve conflict with compromise and how to adapt to change or be the catalyst for change.
 * //Focus//**: World War 1
 * //Theme//**: Conflict, Compromise, and Change in the Great War

//**Materials and Supplementary Texts:**// //Sources for possible activities// [] [] [] [] [] []

Prezi, Smartboard, computer lab, letters from the war, primary resources like the Fourteen Points, the Zimmerman telegraph and other speeches, Propaganda posters and images, Photos of trench warfare, maps of Europe with the different countries involved, video and audio clips of propaganda, speeches, and peace negotiations.

//**Possible Activities:**// //Video of 10 facts you may not know about WWI// [] Vocabulary of World War 1 Propaganda Posters Debate- Structured Controversy Final Project - Soldier Scrapbook (TicTacToe of several choices to complete several products) Technology Socratic Forum or Fishbowl Historical Inquiry on NC person involved in the war

//**Teaching Poetry 11/7/13**//

And Get Along with Each Other

Where have you gone Arthur? With your round glasses and aardvark nose Your good advice and yellow sweater. How I miss your life lessons. I wish my students could see your parents together In the safety of your house Loving each other and you and D.W. They need your help Arthur. They need a role model Someone with the answers For the first day of school For bullying For Ratburn teachers For abandonment For being on the outside You would show them what to do How to get along with people like the Brain, Muffy, and Francine You would show them the joy of reading But you would also help them deal with The death of Spot Grandma's memory loss and Patrick's hospital stays You would teach them to be themselves to love the skin they're in To learn to work and play And get along with each other.