Caryn's+Page

Born on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and during one of the snowiest winters ever, I was born and named Caryn I. Willis. (December 7, 1970) I am the oldest of 2 children. My sister and I were born and reared here in Milwaukee. My elementary years were spent at a private, Catholic school. During my time in private school, I discovered my talent for art. Art became my favorite subject and at that time I decided to be an artist when I grow up. I won many city-wide art competitions. Art is still my first love. (As you can see life doesn't always turn out the way it's planned.) After graduating from Riverside University High School in 1989, my first intentions were to get a fulltime job and not attend college. I took a semester off, and after much consideration (and the guidance of my parents) began attending Alverno College in January of 1990. My major was changed several times because I had so many interests. They were: Art Therapy/Art Education, Meterology, and last Animal Sciences before settling into Elementary Education.

In 1996 I applied to the Milwaukee Public School District and was hired to teach at Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center. I am currently in my 16th year of teaching. I teach 18 first graders. I love teaching and I enjoy watching my students learn and grow. My main goal is to provide my students with the best education possible. This school year I am paying more attention to differentiated learning to meet the needs of students who are below level or exceeding expectations. Everyday is a new and exciting day. No two days are are ever the same.

Issues in Education: standardized testing, lack of parental support, businesses running school systems, overworked and underpaid teachers, teaching content to students who are not developmentally ready, parents who do not value their child's education, lack of funding for electives (art, music, gym, library), and suburban vs. urban schools/ unequal in monies, materials, and experiences.

My hobbies are: drawing, watching sports and t.v. dramas, word searches, traveling, and shopping. My dislikes are: reading, cooking, getting up early, and shoveling and driving in snow.

__ May 5, 2012 Action Research Question (This question is not set in stone) __ My action research question as it stands today is : **Are students able to take effective feedback given to them on writing or on math CABS and apply those suggestions to their work to make more progress on assignments?** I have witnessed my students responses to different types of feedback given. There is the happy face/ great Job! feed back that just lets children know that they've completed their assignment. There's the percentage that is given which lets students know if they have made a passing grade on an assignment such as an A, B, C, D, or U grade. Then there's the effective feedback which teaches independence and gives the power back to the student to transform their assignment for the better. Students seem happier and more fullfilled with effective feedback and are able to observe their own growth.
 * WHY this question?**: At this time I have chosen this question because I know from learning the different types of feedback that effective feedback is the best kind. It does not give children the answers to the questions on how to improve their work but asks questions that guides children to evaluate their own work to make improvements.

** TLA Program - Caryn's Field Experience Documentation ** **(10 hours per course)**

FIRST ADD INFORMATION INTO YOUR WORD DOCUMENT, THEN TRANSFER INFO TO CHART.MAKE SURE TO SAVE FREQUENTLY.

 * Field Experience:** Every student in the TLA program is required to document 10 hours per quarter of field experience or classroom applications. These activities will document your applications of the theories and practices encountered in your coursework, as well as your growth and application of the Nine Outcomes of the TLA program. The purpose of field experience is to help you to make connections to your thinking, deepen your insights into these new connections, and ultimately guide you in discovering how these insights can, have, or will transform your professional practice.

Field Experience Activities include journal entries, activities in your classroom, online interactions with your colleagues.

This document has two purposes. One, it gives each student a place to record their field experiences. Second, perhaps more importantly, it provides an opportunity to reflect on those experiences. THE COMPLETED 10 HOURS MUST BE COMPLETE AT THE END OF THE QUARTER.

For each activity, please complete the chart below. Use the Reflection Questions below as a structure for your reflection on the activity; your reflection should include as many of these questions as possible, but need not be limited to these questions.


 * Reflection Questions**: **//How or why did you choose to document this activity? What was the outcome? What was the result of this activity? What TLA Outcome or Outcomes (if applicable) did this activity provide you more insight into? What did you learn about yourself, your peers, your students, as a result of this activity?//**

quarter || Course || Date of Activity || Duration (give approximate time spent in/doing activity): || Activity (describe briefly, if possible provide an artifact to document) || Reflection (please answer as many of the questions listed above as possible. Take as much time and space as you need to be thorough) || After all of the pairs have been picked, each student writes down their matches. According to eah groups level, groups were given the set of cards that were on their reading level. ( below, on level, and above level ) || This activity was important to differentiate because I wanted students to understand what opposites mean. If students are unable to read the words because they are above their reading level, then they will spend too much time trying to figure out how to say the words instead of understanding the word and its opposite. Students may become frustrated and write down any answer because they are unable to read the words. || redesigning. || After assessment was given to students, I observed students who had difficutly with the matching section. Improved this section by changing it to a selected response section where students will be able to pick the best answer out of 3 choices. || Add rows as necessary.
 * Quarter 10hrs/
 * || TLA 589 || 11/15 || 1h || Science- Administered Plant Assessement that included selected response, short essay questions, and diagram with labels to support the many learning styles of my students. || Including different types of ways for students to show what they' ve learned in more than one way. ||
 * || TLA 589 || weekly || 2hrs || Reading-Uses graphic organizers in the Buddy Reading Centerdaily in ways to support the learning styles of my students. Students recall the story elements ofthe assigned story by drawing or write sentences. || Using graphic organizers in this way gives students a chance to recall information about their stories in the way that they feel most comfortable. ||
 * || TLA 589 || 11/8 || 2hrs/ 2 day lesson || Math-Frames and Arrows Students learn to follow a rule/pattern of either moving forward (adding) or back (take away) and completing the next 5 or so numbers in the pattern. This lesson was differentiated by changing the numbers (smaller numbers/ larger numbers) according to each group's ability levels. || Keeping my students feelings in mind and meeting them where they are academically helps my students to feel successful with knowing hoe to complete this skill no matter how big or small the numbers. ||
 * || TLA 589 || 11/15 || 2hrs/ 2 day lesson || Math- Teaching to count a set of coins using dimes, nickels, and pennies. According to each groups ability level, sets of coins were presented. The lowest group work with counting sets of coins that included pennies and nickels and to exchange 5 pennies for a nickel. The on level and above level groups worked with counting sets of coins that included all three coins and exchanging 5 pennies for nickels and 2 nickels for a dime. || Counting coins can be a very confusing skill to learn, so it is always wise not to rush including each type of coin at a fast rate. I wanted my students to feel comfortable with what they can (as individuals). Working with my below level group they are taught to give pennies 1 finger tap and nickels 5 finger tap. My on level and above level groups are able to count by fives for nickels and by 10's for dimes. No matter what level groups are at I want them to feel successful with this skill. ||
 * || TLA 589 || 11/7 || 1hr || Grammar- Antonyms Students play Antonym Memory. Students turn over 2 cards. The cards must be the opposites of one another.
 * || TLA 542 || 10/3 || 2hrs || Created a selected response assessment about plant parts and their importance to life of the plant. Improve assessment to meet the needs of my students. || This assessmenmt was created for students to show their mastery of plants, its parts, and the job of each part. I intially thought this assessment was just a selected response assessment, however, it includes other types of assessments as well so that all students find a successful moment when completing the assessment. ||
 * || TLA 542 || 11/15 || 1hr || Administered Plant Parts assessment to students-
 * || TLA 542 || 11/19- 11/20 || 2hrs/ 2 days || Chapter 3 Math Assessment students were given their math assessment in small groups through a rotating schedule. || This works well. I found that students who are above level were able to complete the assessment without help. They only needed to have the directions read to them. They also needed less time. Students who were on level need directions to be read to them and were also allowed to use a few manipulatives. My below level group needed the most time and more manipulatives such as coins, and number grids to assist them. I was able to give them more time and guidance to make sure they understood what was being asked of them. ||
 * || TLA 542 || 11/12 || 1hr || Short Vowel Assessment- Students use picture cards, say each picture, and write the name of the picture or draw the item underneath the short vowel sound that you hear in the word || Whether students drew their items or wrote the names of the pictures, I could assess whether or not they could hear and distinguish short vowel sounds in their words. ||
 * || TLA 589/TLA 542 || 11/12 and 11/14 || 4hr Training || Smarty Ants- This program is being used at this time for my Tier 2 students who ar below level in math and reading. SmartyAnts is a computer program that assesses students, finds their skill level, and then creates practices programs/games where Tier 2 students receive extra help while having fun at the same time. || I am able to look at each of my Tier 2 student's progress and pull up and print out graphs, charts, and reports about what skills have been practiced, mastered, and the next skill students will work on. These reports will help to guide my lessons and teachings with this Tier 2 group. ||
 * 6 || TLA 594 ||  || 4 hrs || Looked up articles on the internet about the pros and cons of using a SmartBoard with students in small and large groups. How can a SmartBoard be added to reading and math stations/centers effectively? || These articles helped me find ways to incorporate the SMART effectively. I was able to read about the pros and cons of the SMART Board which I definitely experienced while I incorporated. ||
 * || TLA 594 ||  || 5hrs || Students rotated through math stations. (2 week span) One of the stations is the SMART Board station. Students spend 20 minutes in this station and work on addition and subtraction skills, patterns, story problems, and critical thinking skills. || I wanted to include the SMART Board as a station during math to give students another way of learning math concepts and to give them extra practice to master skills. The SMART Board motivated students to reach even further in their math abiblities. ||
 * || TLA 549 ||  || 5hrs || Students rotated through reading stations. (2 week span) One of the stations is the SMART Board station. Students spend 20 minutes in this station and work on spelling skills, compound words, comprehension, and rhyming patterns in words. || I wanted to include the SMART Board as a station during reading to give students another way of learning reading concepts and to give them extra practice to master reading skills. The SMART Board motivated students to reach even further in their reading abiblities. ||
 * || ESR 533 || 3/3/13 || 2hrs || Created a post-survey for students to complete. This survey will be used to understand the affects art has had on my students. || This post-survey was created to see how art has effected my students learning, educationally and personally. ||
 * || ESR 533 ||  || :45 minutes || Post Survey was administered to students. || Giving the post-survey created discussion from my students about why art is important. They discussed when to use art during the school day and how integrating art increased their interest level in what they were learning. ||
 * || ESR 533 ||  || 3 hrs || Organizing data for analysis part of Action Research. Looked at drawings and writing pieces. Studied both to look for comparisons. What are the themes that jump out at me from each piece? || Looking for comparisons within drawings and writing pieces. The themes that are spread throughout have helped me to narrow down my focus for analyzing my data. ||
 * || ESR 533 ||  || 1 hr || Students looked through their drawings and writing pieces to choose the one they felt was the best and had all of the components of the assignment. || After passing out each student's art work and writing pieces, students were asked to pick the one that they liked the best.They explained to me they felt it was their best piece. ||
 * || ESR 533 ||  || 4hrs || Created a powerpoint presentation about the data that I gathered from my students. || This powerpoint included graphs which clearly showed how the majority of my students felt about art. I was able to take some of the comments that my students made about art in general, and list them as findings. I also listed the overall themes that showed up in each drawing and writing piece which helped to narrow down what I learned about the effects of integrating art into the core curriculum. ||
 * 7 || TLA 543 ||  || 2 hrs || Read a book with students on the lifecycles of butterflies and frogs. ||   ||
 * || TLA 543 ||  || 1 hr || Students created a rubric of what should be included on a diagram of the lifecycle of butterflies and what scores should be given for each level. ||   ||
 * || TLA 543 ||  || 1hr || Students created a rubric of what should be included on a diagram of the lifecycle of frogs and what scores should be given for each level. ||   ||
 * || TLA 543 ||  || 4hrs || Students created individual diagrams of butterflies and frogs to show what they had learned about each. ||   ||
 * || TLA 543 ||  || 2 hrs || Each student gave themselves a score on their butterfly and frog lifecycles according to the rubric they created. ||   ||
 * || TLA 543 ||  || 2hrs || Worked with colleages going over MAP scores and WKCE scores during our monthly 2 hr staff meeting. ||   ||

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