In
the last couple of years in my classes, we’ve begun to talk about the physical
environment of the classroom. I have been able to observe classrooms and
compare and contrast the physical atmosphere teachers have created. I have seen
creative ideas for centers that involve enriching activities to help strengthen
student’s skills in a particular area. The Literacy center is one of the most
important areas to have in the classroom. It includes a writing corner and
library corner. These should be a focal point. I think these areas are extremely
important for the classroom. These areas allow students to learn how to be
responsible and provide more opportunities for them to work with the current
classroom content.
On
page 386, the book talks about the use of whole-group, small-group, and
one-to-one learning in providing differentiation of instruction. I believe
students thrive off of learning in multiple settings. In whole-group
instruction, students are able to learn from peers and participate in large
activities. In small-group instruction, students are able to ask questions they
may have for the teacher and gain more one on one instruction. When is the best
time to use whole-group instruction? small-group instruction? One struggle
teachers have in the classroom is making sure all students are on task while he
or she works on remediating certain students. Through the use of centers and
small group instruction, students are provided with activities and work to do
to keep them on task while the teacher works one on one with others.
I
thought it was interesting looking at the half-day program for kindergarten and
the full-day program for kindergarten daily schedules. I would love to teach
kindergarten one day. I have observed in multiple kindergarten classrooms and
have a kindergarten concentration. In the half-day kindergarten schedule, centers
still had an important role in the classroom. There was less time spent on
instruction than there was on centers. I think this is beneficial because
students are able to gain hands-on experiences and practice with content rather
than simply listening to teachers lecture about the content. How much time
should be spent on centers?
Kenzie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post-covering chapter nine. You made a lot of great point, and asked critical questions. You talked a lot about the centers that are found in the physical environment of the classroom. You state that two of the most important center is the reading and writing. While I agree these are very important, I think other centers are also critical. Do you think the importance of centers varies with the age range? I can see reading and writing being highly important in kindergarten through second, and maybe even the most important. When do you think other centers become critical to student learning? For example, math is the other highly tested subject area. Having a math center with tools and hands on materials is critical to student learning. In my opinion both are important but I see reading and writing in the younger grades, and math in upper elementary.
I think the use of whole group versus small group has a lot to do with the teacher’s preference. Aids and help within the classroom, class size, classroom management, and age level could all be factors in this. In my classroom I would aim to use whole group instruction when starting new content or new information. I would use small-groups for informal assessments, and regulating where students are in their learning. Lastly, I would definitely use one-on-one for remediation, but my goal is to meet with all students one-on-one, not just the ones falling behind.
I have spent a lot of my practicum time in an kindergarten classroom this semester, and also have a kindergarten concentration. I have a passion for working with these young students, and can relate to you in this way. I do believe that full-day kindergarten is needed because of what is expected of this age group at this time. Regardless of half-day or full day, students need to work in centers. I would have students spend at least an hour in centers everyday. This can include any type of center, not just literacy. The big difference of half-day versus full-day students have to do less work at home and can work more with the teacher. I also think students gain more life-skills, and social-skills when attending full-day kindergarten.
Kenzie,
ReplyDeleteThe comment on how Literacy Centers helps students become more responsible and provide more content opportunities. Literacy Centers are important for students' growth. These centers include a writing and also a reading center. The majority of the classrooms that I've worked in the past have all had areas designated for writing and reading. The classes that I've worked in that had areas scattered around of books I saw as disorganized and didn't show the students all the reading opportunities that they had.
Personally, I feel that a small group setting works best, however, it is beneficial to provide a variety of settings to the students. While a whole group discussion allows for a variety of questions and comments to be brought in, having a small-group can be more personal and also provides you with more time to look for more information within a question that you might of had. And I agree, small group instruction can help students who are struggling a chance to get a more one-on-one experience.
Half of the schools that I've had teaching opportunities with were Kindergarten classrooms. Depending on the students in a classroom changes how long you should focus on instruction versus centers. However, there is one thing that I personally feel is true, and that is that students this age should spend a greater deal of time at centers, on hands-on activities. Students at this age need this experience to grow from, and it also provides them beginning chances of learning how to collaborate with others. The majority of the time should be spent on activities, with the lower percentage of time on instruction. Of course it is helpful to provide students small reviews for the activities, the experience gained from activities can be essential