Do Your Students See Aboriginal People/Culture in the Classroom?

     During the fall semester of this past year of university I took the course, Teaching of Aboriginal Studies. For my followers who are from outside of Manitoba, this course is a provincially-mandated requirement for all educators in Manitoba as of 2008. Throughout this course I posted periodically about guest speakers we had, projects we completed, and curriculum documents that we worked with. (These posts can be found under the Aboriginal Perspective label). I really enjoyed this course and felt like it opened up my eyes and made me realize how important it is, as an educator, to ensure that perspectives of all Canadian people are represented in the classroom. There are many students at "S-School" and members of our community who come from an Aboriginal background which has influenced me even further and convinced me of how important it is to represent this in the classroom.

     While there are a lot of instructional methods and strategies that I will be consciously incorporating into my curriculum planning, an additional aspect that stood out for me was the question, "Do your students see Aboriginal people and culture represented in the classroom?" In my experiences, the answer has often been no. 

     In November, Mrs. D from Reading with Mrs. D shared the educational resource company, Native Reflections, with me. It features aboriginal perspective educational resources and has literally EVERYTHING a teacher could ever want from pencils and decorations to textbooks and supplementary materials. I ordered myself a copy of their catalogue and am happy to say that I was able to order some really neat things this week to add to my future classroom. Here is a sneak peek!

School Borders SB-39. Native Reflections. Available online at: http://www.nativereflections.com/products.php?view=446&sr=borders

     The classroom I am going to be in has one full wall of bulletin boards and I can't wait to decorate them and set them up for my different classes. I ordered this set of Bulletin Board Borders featuring the four traditional colours, hand-prints and dream catcher designs. 

Working With Math Posters. Native Reflections. Page 176. Available online at:  http://www.nativereflections.com/catalog.pdf

     My schedule for next year includes three different math courses and I decided to order these basic mathematics posters to refer back to during lessons. They also feature the four traditional colours and aboriginal imagery.

Seven Teachings Kids Carpet. Native Reflections. Available online at:  http://www.nativereflections.com/products.php?view=4343&sr=seven%20teaching

     I've shared this area rug a few times on my blog and I keep coming back to it again and again. The  Seven Teachings play a big role in my classroom climate and I would love to have something vibrant like this as part of our classroom decor! Due to it's cost I haven't been able to order it yet, but have added it to my "wish list". 

     I also ordered a large dream catcher-style poster about the Seven Teachings to hang up in the classroom but don't have an available picture for it. I know that it will be a few years before I can have something like the area rug (above) so I wanted to still have the Seven Teachings represented in some other visual format.

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     Overall I definitely recommend you check out Native Reflections! What would you order for your classroom? To read more about Aboriginal perspective in the classroom, visit the Manitoba Education Curriculum Document:
Manitoba Education & Youth. (2003) Integrating Aboriginal perspectives into the curricula: A resource for curriculum developers, teachers, and administrators. Winnipeg, MB: School Programs Division

Let The Prepping Begin!

     Last week I shared some of the awesome resources that I had found for one of the classes I was prepping for: Grade 7 Science. As of last week, this was the only class that I had started my prep work for as I was still waiting for my final teaching schedule to be solidified. Well the wait is now over, as I picked up my official schedule yesterday after school!

Just a few of the many resources I have available to start prepping! 

     I am happy to announce that I will be the Grade 8 homeroom teacher at "S-School"! Altogether I have six classes ranging from Grade 7 to Grade 10! Here is a peak at what my schedule looks like:

     This week I have been fortunate enough to sit down with the current teacher and go over teaching resources, discuss instructional strategies, share classroom materials and even order classroom supplies! (Thanks so much "Ms. K"!!) I was also able to order school clothing for next year including "S-School" t-shirts and hoodies. It is so exciting to finally be able to order clothing with staff embroidered on the sleeve! I can't wait to really dive into my planning now that I know exactly what my schedule looks like. As I always do, I will be sharing my progress along the way and providing you with links and info on the neat things I find  :)

Resources To Start Off Your Week 63

     It is Monday and a kick-off to my busy weeks of substitute teaching! I am officially finished my student teaching placement but have been very lucky to have been booked EVERY DAY for the next three weeks for substitute teaching at various schools in "T-Division" and "M-Division". I have also started prepping for my first classroom(s) which will start in the fall. As part of that, I've been finding some great resources that I feel go towards creating a culture of respect and safe learning environment. As always, I will be adding these to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.

1 ) "Buy A Dictionary" Posters
- In my classroom I strive to provide a risk-free environment where all
  students are free to be themselves without fear of discrimination based on
  disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or any other means.
- One aspect of this includes using positive language and staying away from
  phrases that have negative connotations associated with them. These two
  posters, created by Alison Rowan Designs, do a great job of showcasing
  all of the other options that are available in place of sayings that can be
  hurtful.
- http://alisonrowan.bigcartel.com/product/reduced-shipping-folded-11x17-buy-a-dictionary-poster
- http://alisonrowan.bigcartel.com/product/11x17-buy-a-dictionary-poster-that-s-so-retarded

2 ) Need Help Now
- Social media plays a BIG role in our student's lives and, unfortunately, they
  sometimes find that there is too much information about them available online.
  Whether they have purposefully shared this information, or they find themselves
  the victims of  having someone else share information/pictures/videos/etc without
  their permission, this website is a great support.
- This website gives students practical information and support in regards to getting
  pictures/videos of themselves removed from online sources, dealing with peers who
  are distributing these pictures/videos, providing counselling support and much
  more!
* Download your own copy of the poster below at
  http://needhelpnow.ca/app/en/resources-video#the_video
- http://needhelpnow.ca/app/en/

Happy Monday everyone!

Don't Take Credit For Teaching Me

     There has been a specific video popping up everywhere online this week: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. You probably know the one I am talking about: Jeff Bliss, from Texas, telling his teacher how she should be doing her job. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look:

     When I watched this video I couldn't help but think of my experiences in the classroom and some things definitely jumped out at me. The first thing was how the teacher handled the situation. The video, unfortunately, doesn't show the lead up to this conversation but the student is obviously completely frustrated with the situation and the teacher doesn't even get up from her desk. When I am teaching I am never actually sitting at the desk, I am usually wandering about the classroom, interacting with students, answering questions, monitoring work, etc. If I had a student who was frustrated to this point I would either pull them out to talk through the situation privately or have a large-group discussion if I felt the situation needed it (I wouldn't remain sitting at my desk). The other thing that really bothered me was that the teacher didn't even respond to the student's comments and questions. In fact, you can repeatedly hear her in the background saying, "Goodbye", "Get out", and "You are wasting my time". As a teacher, I strongly believe we should be encouraging our students to learn and develop as individuals while providing a safe environment for them to do so. Personally, comments like that do not seem to fit in with this mindset.

     The other thing that stood out for me was the student's comments about differentiated instruction, or lack thereof. The comment from the video states, "Just get up and teach em' instead of handing them a freakin' packet... there are kids in here that don't learn like that. They need to learn face-to-face." It is so important for teachers to not only work on making learning relevant and meaningful for their students, but also work on providing various learning opportunities based on their student's needs, abilities, and interests. If a situation is to the point where the students are calling teachers out on not differentiating instruction, then something is definitely wrong. 99% of the time if you ask your students what they like/dislike about school they can tell you right away that they "hate writing notes", "need the classroom to be quiet in order to focus", "love activities where they can move around the room", etc. All teachers, regardless of subject, need to be willing to provide various learning opportunities to help ensure that all of their students can be successful. The teacher in the video, apparently, uses a booklet/packet method that students work through interdependently or at their own pace.

     I think the main thing that teachers should take out of this video is that it is so important to be a life-long learner. Maybe the teacher finds it easier to be organized by making packets that are distributed to the students and maybe she has years where her students flourish under this method. The student(s) in the video, however, obviously do not feel that this method is benefiting them in any way. As a teacher, it is our job to understand our students, be cognizant of new and different teaching ideas, and be willing to change our methods to best meet our student's needs. It is my hopes that the teacher takes this opportunity to reevaluate her philosophy of teaching and maybe take some PD opportunities to differentiate instruction in the classroom.

     While videos like this can be negative or disappointing, I want to leave you with a video that I always find inspirational. Think about why you got into teaching and what you want for your students.

Interactions with Ecosystems Resources

     I have officially started planning for my first classroom which will start in September! I don't have my full teaching schedule yet, as a few things need to still be worked out, but I know that I will for sure have Grade 7 Science. As such, I've started my year planning and hope to have everything planned out for the full Grade 7 course by May 18th. Of course, things will change around once I meet my students and get to understand their needs and interests, but I want to prepare as much as possible.

I Spy an Ecosystem. (Accessed 2013). Uploaded by ASU Ask a Biologist. Available online at: http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/i-spy-ecosystem

     Not having any experience with this curriculum before, I started with square one: unit one, which is Interaction with Ecosystems. I went through and organized the curriculum outcomes into four general themes which I hope to cover over the course of 4-5 weeks. Here is how I organized them:

Introduction to Ecosystems

Enduring Understanding: Ecosystems contain complex interactions between organisms and their environment.

7-1-01     Use appropriate vocabulary related to their investigations of interactions

                within ecosystems. Include: ecosystem, biosphere, abiotic, biotic, 

                organisms, ecological succession, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, 

                ecological pyramid, bioaccumulation, scavengers, decomposers, 

                micro-organisms.

7-1-02     Define ecosystem, and describe various examples that range from the 

                microscopic to the entire biosphere. Include: a place on Earth where living 

                things interact with other living things as well as non-living things.

7-1-03     Identify abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems that allow particular

                organisms to  survive.

7-1-04     Define ecological succession & identify signs of succession in a variety of

                ecosystems. Include: the natural process whereby some specific are 

                replaced by other species in a predictable pattern.

Ecosystem Protection & Preservation

Enduring Understanding: Environmental, social, and economic factors influence human relationships with ecosystems, including management and preservation.

7-1-05     Identify & describe positive and negative examples of human interventions 

                that have an impact on ecological succession or the makeup of ecosystems.

7-1-06     Identify environmental, social, & economic factors that should be considered 

                in management & preservation of ecosystems

7-1-07    Propose a course of action to protect the habitat of particular organism within 

              an ecosystem.

Matter Cycling, Food Webs & Ecological Pyramids

Enduring Understanding: Matter and energy are cycled naturally within an ecosystem through the relationship between producers and consumers.

7-1-08     Compare photosynthesis to cellular respiration, and explain how both are

                part of the cycling of matter and the transfer of energy in ecosystems.

                Include: photosynthesis, cellular respiration

7-1-09     Analyze food webs, using ecological pyramids, to show energy gained or

                lost at various consumer levels.

7-1-10     Analyze, using ecological pyramids, the implications of the loss of producers 

                and consumers to the transfer of energy within an ecosystem.

7-1-11     Explain, using ecological pyramids, the potential or bioaccumulation within

                an ecosystem.

7-1-12     Provide examples of scavengers & decomposers, and describe their role in

                cycling matter in an ecosystem.

Micro-Organisms & Humans

Enduring Understanding: Knowledge and understanding of micro-organisms have improved food production and preservation techniques, as well as ease of human consumption.

7-1-14     Identify beneficial & harmful roles played by micro-organisms

7-1-15     Research & describe human food production or preservation techniques that

                apply a knowledge of micro-organisms.

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     In addition to hard-copy resources I have available in the school and from colleagues, I also started to organize some online resources to supplement our classroom activities. If you happen to be following along with me on Twitter you have probably noticed how excited I've been about some of the neat things I've been finding! Not wanting to keep all the fun to myself, I wanted to share them with all of you! Here are the resources I found, organized by the themes I stated above. For each one I've included the title, a very brief point about what it includes, and the link. 

Introduction to Ecosystems

 National Geographic - Ecosystems Education

- Articles, activities, colouring pages, etc

- http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/topics/ecosystems/?ar_a=1

University of Alberta Biology Department - Ecosystem Labeling Interactive

- Biotic, abiotic, mimicry, producer, consumer, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism

- http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/uploads/alberta/Ecosystem.html

Ecosystem Sampling Outdoor Activity

- Biotic and abiotic components

- http://research.utep.edu/default.aspx?tabid=43236

Ecosystems Rap Song

- Abiotic, biotic, niche, limiting factors, adaptation, mutualism, commensalism, 

  parasitism

- Review activity

- Good copy Music Video available at:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuIlwVoK3A4

- Lyrics available at:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUY_-LK_lOc

Web of Life Interactive Game

- Abiotic, biotic, human interference, preservation/protection

- Good lead up to next section

http://www.ontarioecoschools.org/curriculum_resources/downloads/MC_Lesson7.pdf

Preservation/Protection

Manitoba Conservation Wildlife Management Branch

- Wildlife management, special conservation areas

- Provincially relevant

- http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/wildlife/habcons/wmas/index.html

“Partner Interview” Review Activity

- Negative effects, positive effects, protected habitats, management, endangered 

  species

- http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/Grade%207%20Science.html

Matter Cycling

Sheppard Software - Food Chain Game

- Simple, large, marine, mixed, full, human intervention

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.swf

Sheppard Software - Matter Cycling Info

- Producers/Consumers, food chain, bigger chains, photosynthesis, decomposers

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/producersconsumers.htm

BrainPop - Food Fight Game

- Make food pyramids

- http://www.brainpop.com/games/foodfight/

- Educators Support Document

- http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/lesson-plan/food-fight-game-lesson-plan/

“Candle in a Jar” Photosynthesis Candle/Plant in Jar

- Photosynthesis and cellular respiration

- http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/Grade%207%20Science.html

Micro-Organisms

Food Safety Music - “Microbes They Might Kill You” - “We Are The Microbes”

- Queen Song Parody

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EkehFkhWf4

Micro-organisms - Environmental Literacy Council

- Environment, humans, negatives

- http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/317.html

Love Your Gut Activity Book

- Bacteria, fungi, viruses, good effects, bad effects

- http://www.loveyourgut.com/wp-content/uploads/2076-facteria-booklet.pdf

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I hope you find these resources as awesome as I do! If there is something you think I should add to my list let me know, I'd love to hear about the awesome things you are using with your class :)

What To Order/Create/Find?

     Even though I don't have my confirmed teaching schedule quite yet (I should have it within a few weeks) I can't help but begin to plan out my classroom for the fall. So even though I can't really begin planning curriculum aspects, I've started planning some of the organizational aspects for my classroom. Right now, the teachers at "S-School" have started making their orders for next year's classes and I've been fortunate enough to be included in the ordering! Here are some of the pictures that have been inspiring me so far.

Classroom Supply Organization. Pinterest. http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/originals/71/dc/3a/71dc3acb6d29f17eb4e6ed91896a0e7d.jpg

Lets face it, more often than not students do not have all of their supplies with them. I would love to have a organization system like the one in the picture that holds every-day school supplies like pencils, pens, scissors, glue, markers and loose-leaf. 

It is my hopes that an organization station like this would prevent me from having students wandering back-and-forth to their lockers in order to track down supplies.

Organizing Bulletin Board Letters. Teaching Blog Addict. http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/2012/06/organizing-bulletin-board-letters.html

I can't wait to go through the catalogues to purchase various bulletin board frames, letters, and supplementary posters. The room that I am going to be in has one full wall of bulletin boards and I can't wait to have them organized for my specific classes.

Using a CD case has the be one of the BEST ideas I've ever heard of for organizing bulletin board letters.

No Name Board. 3rd Grade Thoughts. http://www.3rdgradethoughts.com/2012/07/monday-made-it-no-name-clip-board.html#.UBnt0qBdQT0

Even during my short time student teaching, I found that I often had one or two assignments without names EVERY time I took something in for assessment. I LOVE this cute display where work can be stuck quickly and, if a student doesn't get something back, they know to check the "No Name" board! 

Homework Board. Dandelions and Dragonflies. http://dandelionsdragonflies.blogspot.ca/2012/07/answered-questions-and-pinterest.html

I know that I will have at least five classes in my schedule so a homework board like this could be a great way to organize homework expectations. I love having a consistent space to document homework expectations while maintaining a clear classroom theme.

Science World. http://www.scienceworld.ca/ads

I already know that I am going to have some Science classes (probably Grade 7 & 8 science) and I would love to have some posters or displays in my room that can catch student's attention and lead to some great inquiry projects. Science World has some amazing ads that they use for their attractions that would be my inspiration for this. Just Google "Science World Ads" to see some of the awesome options out there!

The Scientific Method. The Science Life. http://thesciencelife.blogspot.ca/2012/07/bulletin-boards-galore.html

I LOVE this bulletin board by Emily at The Science Life! If I am going to have more than one Science class I would love to turn one of my bulletin boards into something like this.

Coolest Social Studies Classroom. Joe Baron Design. http://joebarondesign.blogspot.ca/2011/04/coolest-social-studies-classroom-by.html

I can't imagine how awesome it would be to have such an artistic classroom. I know that eventually I am going to have some Social Studies classes (whether that is this year or in the future) and think the idea of a full-wall map is so neat! This classroom, painted by Higher Level Art, is in Kentucky and has definitely become an inspiration for me. 

How neat would it be to have student artists involved in a project like this (either in a classroom or school hallway). 

Seven Teachings Kids Carpet. Native Reflections. http://nativereflections.com/products.php?view=4343&np=1

I would love to have this carpet in my classroom! I'd like to have a corner of my room set up as a quiet work space for students to work independently or in small groups and I would like a carpet like this to be a part of that setup. Not only does it contribute to the physical setup of the room but it highlights the Traditional Seven Teachings which I try to incorporate into all of my classes, regardless of subject-area.

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As I am getting organized I turned to my Twitter PLN to ask their opinion on ordering classroom supplies to see what experienced teachers wished for. Here are some of the responses I received.

What are you ordering, finding, creating for your classroom?

When One Door Closes...

Friday officially marked my LAST day of formal schooling before graduation! I can't believe that after eighteen years of education I am now completed my Bachelor of Education (A.D) and am getting organized for my first teaching position at "S-School"!

My 1st Day of School, 1995

High School Graduation, 2007

Bachelor of Arts Graduation, 2011

Last Week of Bachelor of Ed, 2013

I am very excited to be starting this next journey in my life. Thank you to everyone in my life who has helped me and supported me to this point.