Back from Field

I am sorry that this post is late. I have found that in this class and technology my blogs are what I forget. Well I am glad to be seeing the end of the semester if only for a break! I will miss my classes from this semester, but we just keep moving forward!
I really want to thank those who are in charge of setting up our field experiences. I loved the class I was in. I learned so many things and was reminded of things that I had forgotten, like why we were really doing all of this homework! Being in field gave me a renewed sense of excitement to do my best because I know why I am doing all of this. It is all about helping those kids. My cooperating teacher was really nice and lenient with us. She allowed us to do all we could. I have to say I see why things are getting left behind in instruction and the classroom. There is just not enough time in the day to get everything in so something falls through the cracks! Not everyone gets the best training on how to combine several subjects into one lesson plan. I learned some things not to do. I learned some things I need to work harder at. I need to remember to give positive praise more often. I learned that your heart can break about leaving kids after just three weeks. It was an amazing field.

Visual Art and using it in the classrom

I was waiting to post my blog for Visual Art until after we had done our Illustrator presentations, but I am sorry it took me until today. I actually really enjoyed this lesson plan. It wasn't stressful and it was fun! I began to think about how we as students put this together and thought about how fun it would be for the kids to do this. Split up into groups, introduce us to an illustrator, and then teach us how and provide with an opportunity to create like that illustrator! They would have fun with that! Visual art is a fun art form! All the activities were great!

Dance and Music

I have to say I really liked the presentations this time! I don't know if it was because of my mood or if we were just doing better this time because we knew what to expect! I really don't like the movement activities when you have to think on the spot and emulate a word with a shape/ movement! It makes me feel awkward and both times we've done it I don't feel like a have enough time to think of something! However all the other dance/ movement/ music activities that went along with everyone's lesson plans were enjoyable and taught me something!! I guess that is why I don't like the ones that you have to emulate a word, because it doesn't teach me anything! I felt more confident about our lesson plan this time!

Dance in the schools

I had a pretty good time with the activities we did in class. There were some however that I didn't feel comfortable with and I would most likely not do them with my future students. I was a little confused about dance in this situation. Most of the activity we did in class I would consider movement. We did do that cultural dance and after we got going it was fun. So is it dance and Movement? Doing that cultural dance in the gym reminded me of when we did square dancing in like 3rd or 4th grade. I hated it back then. Touching boys hands? Ugh! Funny how I look at it differently now. I don't think that at that young age we appreciated the culture and the joy in learning something new.

Education with Drama

Well I must say that I guess I didn't quite understand the application of drama. I didn't understand at least the extent of it's use in our lesson plans. I feel a little like I wasn't given a good foundation of where to start from. This was our first lesson plan and it was overwhelming. I didn't feel like we received feedback in a way that makes me want to do it all again in a week. I enjoy drama and the activities we did in class. I just felt like the assignment was thrown at us. We can read about it online, but I like having an explanation beforehand of what is expected verbally and even on the day it was due things were mentioned like oh this is how it should have been done or you should have done this. I enjoy seeing the different things people come up with, however I felt it was a little monotenous sitting through all of them. I apologize if this offends. I just really felt like I was thrown in the water and told to swim without me knowing beforehand how to. I also still feel a little lost.

Teaching in, with, and through the Arts

When I first began reading the chapters for this section I said, "Wow! Someone has taken my thoughts and put them into words." I was really excited to learn about this and apply it later in my class. I think that it is important to teach the curriculum, but there are so many ways to incorporate the arts in our teaching. It is a continual process to integrate them when there has been so much talk about cutting the musical and arts programs and funding we have currently. However through the different activities we have done in class I am beginning to see ways I can start in my future class. I do not know exactly where I will be when I am done here. It might be a school with little to no interest in teaching with the arts. However I know that I will be doing my best to help the kids in my class have these creative ways of learning. I am overwhelmed by the ELED program so far. But I know if I keep going and doing my assignments as I get them I can finish and give some children the best start they can in their lives. I can help them believe they are smart and that they can do anything. That is what the arts in my life have helped me do; believe in ME!