Brooke-Lynn's Blog

If there is one thing building a unit has taught me, it's that the seemingly easy things can take a long time for a perfectionist (i.e. me). Finding a rubric is perhaps the strongest example of this, considering I have spent way more time on this than should have been necessary, even though I had initially counted it as a simple 30-minute undertaking. In my research, I found a lot of rubrics that I thought were okay, none that I thought were truly awful, none I found perfect, and, of course, none that fit my unit. As a jumping off point, I decided to look at rubrics for essays. As an aspiring English teacher, I figure essays will be an unavoidable part of each and all of my classes. Along the way, I also found the Teachers Pay Teachers website, which will likely see a lot of use from me. Even if you're not looking to buy resources, it can be a great source of ideas and inspiration (and some free stuff, as well). The first rubric I found had some positive aspects but was n...

Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org In eighth grade, my English teacher assigned a project on fairy tales. We all read multiple interpretations of Cinderella and examined the common motifs as a class. We were then required to choose a junior fiction or young adult novel that was characterized as a modern retelling. My teacher had put out a table of books organized by the fairy tale or folk tale on which they were based. Each student was then responsible for reading their chosen retelling as well as three children's books from different cultures. From these adaptations, the student found common motifs (at least six) and applied them to each story. The proof we provided for that application was a table on Google Docs. We were also required to create a project on the book we read from a list of options. This project was a favorite of many students and it taught us how to find commonalities between texts, identify motifs, and express our thoughts on a ...

The Extraordinaires Design Set is a collection of character and "think" cards. The activity we did in class was a lesson in both GRASPS and differentiation. The underlying message of the activity is to look deeper. At first, we were required to look only at the front of the card. The front of each card presented an archetype of sorts; a character rather than a person. There are observations to be made, but they are primarily surface-level. The potential product we designed for that person is different than that we might design once we knew more about their life, as we were required to do, per the "think" cards. As the back is also only images, there is still only so much to be learned, but four images provide much more information than a single image. Thus, our understanding of the character's needs is expanded. Once there are four students, the planning becomes even more difficult. This is an important lesson to keep in mind as we go into the field and, late...

As a part of the publicity project the students will take on, they will each compose reaction tweets after each reading, as if they were live-tweeting their reading. While the students could write such a thing in their journal, their journals would only be read by their teacher and maybe by peers. Sending their reactions into the Twitterverse allows for interaction between them and people outside the classroom. In addition to increased engagement, this activity may increase a student's care in what they write. If it's going to be visible to anyone on the internet, they may be more thoughtful in their responses. While the limitation of 140 characters can be difficult for some students, it can also be viewed as an exercise in expressing one's self in a concise and accurate way. This assignment is an example of the tenth teaching standard: collaboration. It applies specifically to 10(g), that the teacher " Uses technological tools and a variety of communication st...

I've wanted to be a teacher longer than I've been in school. It's an inarguable fact that my older sister, Brianna, is the reason for this, although my father played a role in it as well. Because of this, I can't say that any of my teachers inspired me to become an educator. I can say that they inspired the kind of teacher I want to be. Like every student, I've had teachers I loved and whose classes I loved as well as teachers whose classes I dreaded. I was lucky enough, as I hope most students are, to have had a number of exceptional teachers. My freshman science teacher, Mr. Danala, was one of the first teachers to truly inspire me. He created a classroom where everybody seemed involved, in large part due to his amazing skills in forming relationships with his students. As freshmen, we were pretty apprehensive. Although most of us knew each other, it was still new in that none of us had ever taken a high school science class before. The class was well-str...

While researching the Google Apps in The Google Apps Guidebook by Kern Kelley, I was intrigued by the chapter on Google Photos. Although the app itself is somewhat limited, the Pixlr extension it explained is an impressive tool, essentially a free version of AdobePhotoshop online. The summative assignment I am currently designing for my potential unit about Michael L. Printz award winners and honor books allows a choice of final projects and many of them could use this technology. One option is to create a photo journal, in which students would ask themselves "what would be on the protagonist's camera?" For this, an editing tool would be incredibly helpful, especially if the book they choose has a fictional or fantastic setting. This tool might also help students who choose to make a collage. If they cannot find an image they want, they can make it using other photos and the Pixlr program. As a fun addition, I have imagined how this might play out in the classroom. ...

As a pre-service educator, I see technology as an important enhancer in the classroom, when integrated well. As technology advances, it becomes an increasingly necessary enhancer. The students being taught in school right now and in the future will likely never know a world that isn't full to bursting with rapidly advancing technology. Thus, in order for them to be successful, their education must include technology in practical and creative ways.  The following is a three-song "soundtrack" of how this tends to play out in a learning setting. 1. " A Whole New World ," Aladdin (1992) Promotional poster for the film ©Walt Disney, 1991 Originally sung by Lea Salonga and Brad Kane This song, as many people know, is sung by the main characters of Aladdin  as they take a magic carpet ride, seeing things neither of them had had the opportunity to see. In many settings, including a classroom, technology serves as a kind of magic carpet, opening students u...