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TLW post on blog the initial image of my first day in my future classroom.
My most memorable first day of school was in 7th grade. I remember being scared and nervous because I moved to a new town for the first time where I didn't know a soul. Not only did I not know any students or teachers, but I had to go to different classrooms for each class, and I remember a science class being in a lab that seemed cold (atmosphere) and uncomfortable. I remember black and white, no other colors in the room. The people and the room were cold, and I didn't like it. The teacher did nothing to make me feel welcome. There was nothing positive (in my mind) in this room, and it didn't improve. Thankfully, we moved after being there about a month. In fact, we moved far away from that room to Montana where my next first day was much better. This puts in mind the fact that students can play as big of a role as the teacher in creating a comfortable atmosphere for another student. And recognizing that as a teacher can help me to teach students to be warm, friendly, and respectful to others because it is the right/kind thing to do.
The first day would consist of the students getting to know me and me getting to know them. My initial concern is setting the stage for a welcoming, warm atmosphere that encourages communication. I want students to get the idea that I have a personal interest in each of them, and most importantly that I am approachable. If they feel I am approachable and non-judgmental, they will be more likely to ask questions throughout the year when they are struggling with concepts or hopefully, from stimulated curiosity. I may even take pictures of the class or groups in the class with each holding their names in front of them so that I can practice learning their names more quickly at home. Another idea might be to pass out an index card to everyone where they each list their name, favorite hobby or activity, favorite subject in school, favorite book, favorite snack or drink, favorite store to shop at, number of siblings, and the one person (dead or alive) they would most like to meet. I might even ask how much they think they will like biology, and how important they think school is to their future on a scale of 1-10 (I wonder how honest they would be?).
I moved a lot when I was in junior high and high school, not only to different towns, but to different states. I know what it is like for new students who begin classes not knowing anyone. I remember how a teacher can make the experience warm and welcoming or seem cold, distant, and uncaring. The teacher can set the tone the first day for what is to come.
If there is time remaining after introductions, discussion, and filling out cards, I would share with the students what they can expect from me and from the class. I would begin with the importance of respect towards everyone and the importance of organization. I would tell them that they need a notebook, folder and binder for each class to keep classes separate. I would pass out a small piece of paper to each student asking: 1) do you have these materials for our class?, 2) are you able to purchase the materials immediately for this class?, or 3) are you unable to purchase the materials for this class? If they are unable, then I will do my best to purchase the materials they need. I would explain to them that they will always be prepared for what is coming up (no surprises) because I will have organized for them a list of learning targets that they will always have at hand, and will continually remind them of what is due and when. I will have constructed a rubic that they (and their family) can follow (with learning targets), explain the idea of putting together a portfolio for each student as we go along for self-assessment of what they need work on and what they have learned, and that all of them can learn and will and I will do my best to help them. This last portion would probably spill over into the second day, so this is my vision of the first couple of days of school. Hopefully, Vlad will be in agreement with this vision since we will be working together.
Steve Rierson asked, "What types of daily routines/procedures would be beneficial in assisting learners to become more organized as well as setting up the daily atmosphere in the class?" As mentioned above, I would have a learning target rubric for them, ensure they have the materials they need, continually remind them of what is due and when, and perhaps have a running list on the board that shows what we will be doing that day and what we will be covering the following day so they can always see one day ahead what they can expect for certain. I may also have a tentative weekly plan (list) of topics at the beginning of each week (with the idea that we may not get to all of them if we need to spend more time in a certain area). I would also have a hole puncher in the class so they can insert important papers into their binders to keep them in order. I might also purchase folders for each student's portfolio to keep these separate from the rest of their papers. Ultimately, it is up to me to be organized and prepared in order to help keep them organized and prepared, and routines should be fairly consistent to maintain order, functionality, and effective teaching and learning.
Engagement Level: 10
30 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba
Unit B, First Days of School, Reading Workshop
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TLW use questions to propel reading of a section on expectations.
Plan: Monitor questions before, during and after reading Unit B. Unit is about positive expectations which before reading I assume to mean that I would have the expectation that all students can learn and I can expect that all of them will learn from what I teach. Based on the previous unit, I believe the authors' intent is to present ideas clearly and simply, to back ideas up with real-world teachers and examples, to use positive psychology on us (the readers), and to inform us to set positive expectations.
I began with writing questions for the authors spurred by the reading. However, mid-way through that changed. The authors gave their examples, which were mostly grade school and a few middle school examples. I wanted to address my questions as they pertained to high school students. This is simple reading and the only thing that is going to add to what I am reading is to learn more about how high schoolers think. And I had a perfect resource for my questions: my son who just graduated from high school this summer. So, part of my responses are stticky note questions or thoughts I had as I was reading, and part are questions asked of my son.
Regarding quote, "There is absolutely no research correlation between success and family background, race, national origin, financial status, or even educational accomplishments. There is but one correlation with success, and that is ATTITUDE." I disagree with this. There has been a lot written about educational accomplishment, with more accomplishment with affluent parents because they push or encourage their children with higher expectations, poverty districts often do not have as good as teachers as higher economic districts, and there is often a difference in the races that are restricted to poverty-stricken districts. Attitude I will agree plays a major role and attitudes may vary between districts. If there wasn't a difference in all of this, there would be no need for programs such as Woodrow Wilson to enhance student learning in high-need districts.
Regarding research experiment on expectations and increase in IQ scores, I was glad to see that teacher expectations made a difference on 20 random students. But the text did not say what the teachers did to achieve this. Did they spend more time with these 20 students on a one-on-one basis to facilitate learning, since everyone else in the classes remained at the same IQ? How did they test IQ, and isn't IQ testing arbritrary? Learning increases, but does IQ really significantly increase in 9 months' time?
Dress for respect: I don't question myself on what is appropriate for dress in class; I already have a good idea of what that will look like. But there have been questions about what is appropriate dress from a couple of my young colleagues, so I wonder for them. They want to be professional, but they don't want to dress old. The text offers some suggestions, and I mentioned that there are certain stores with professional clothes that are not age-specific, that are stylish and can cross or span generations. Chapter 8 mentions that we dress for respect, credability, acceptance and authority. I asked my son to reflect on his teachers, how they dressed, and if how they dressed affected his perception and respect for those teachers. The answer was yes, he respected teachers more and liked that they dressed nice; men in nice shirts and even a tie is ok, women dressy, but not too dressy. A Spanish teacher dressed frumpy and often came to class unshaven for several days in a row; he didn't respect this teacher much and as a result didn't feel he was a very good teacher. He mentioned that a few female teachers dressed in sweat pants on Fridays (their casual day), but he didn't like that. He was fine with jeans and other casual clothing for casual Fridays, but somehow the sweats bothered him a little. On the other hand, he had two women teachers that were dressy. One, which he respected a lot, always dressed really nice, but not the extreme of business suit nice, although once in a while she dressed like one would dress if going out. Another female teacher dressed business-suit like all of the time (with skirts or pants) and he didn't like it; he felt she was overdressed and unapproachable. After analyzing this, he realized that he was accepting of the first woman over-dressing at times because she was kind, friendly and warm. However, the second woman did not have a warm, friendly, inviting personality and this in combination with business-suit attire made her unapproachable--so attitude goes a long way! To add to this, I agree with the text that we are modeling appropriate dress for the occupational/professional world they will be entering after they graduate.
In regards to the inviting section of Unit B--I wonder how we can connect and be inviting to parents with which we have a language barrier? How can we make them feel included if we cannot understand each other? Their children would have to be continual translaters of notes, learning targets, pre-assessments, etc.
Finally, I asked my son who were his best teachers that he feels he learned the most from and why.
Answer: He gave me 3 names, all of which often related material to the real world when possible, and they were nice, fun, funny, liked teaching, cared about the students, and treated ALL students with respect. He said they never yelled and then he instructed me to never yell saying that students will tune you out and that it would be ineffective. They will learn not to listen to you. He said that he best teachers always smiled and were happy and he respected them a lot. He then said that you knew to change a behavior when they became a little firm, looked at you, and asked or told you to stop the behavior. Calm firmness was all it took. And students would stop the behavior out of respect the great majority of the time, but there may always be "one" student who just won't fully behave, and a threat of having going to the office is usually effective.
It was interesting to learn that one of these teachers I respected and learned the most from had only one rule given at the beginning of the school year. That rule was "don't sit on the desks." And every time someone sat on a desk, he would tell them to get off of the desk. When asked why, he always responded, just because. At the end of the year he told the students about the rule. He said that he picked the stupidest rule that he could fin one year that meant absolutely nothing and has used it ever since because this is what he has found to be most effective--students behaved well with only this one, silly rule. :)
Engagement Level: 10
Plan: Monitor questions before, during and after reading Unit B. Unit is about positive expectations which before reading I assume to mean that I would have the expectation that all students can learn and I can expect that all of them will learn from what I teach. Based on the previous unit, I believe the authors' intent is to present ideas clearly and simply, to back ideas up with real-world teachers and examples, to use positive psychology on us (the readers), and to inform us to set positive expectations.
I began with writing questions for the authors spurred by the reading. However, mid-way through that changed. The authors gave their examples, which were mostly grade school and a few middle school examples. I wanted to address my questions as they pertained to high school students. This is simple reading and the only thing that is going to add to what I am reading is to learn more about how high schoolers think. And I had a perfect resource for my questions: my son who just graduated from high school this summer. So, part of my responses are stticky note questions or thoughts I had as I was reading, and part are questions asked of my son.
Regarding quote, "There is absolutely no research correlation between success and family background, race, national origin, financial status, or even educational accomplishments. There is but one correlation with success, and that is ATTITUDE." I disagree with this. There has been a lot written about educational accomplishment, with more accomplishment with affluent parents because they push or encourage their children with higher expectations, poverty districts often do not have as good as teachers as higher economic districts, and there is often a difference in the races that are restricted to poverty-stricken districts. Attitude I will agree plays a major role and attitudes may vary between districts. If there wasn't a difference in all of this, there would be no need for programs such as Woodrow Wilson to enhance student learning in high-need districts.
Regarding research experiment on expectations and increase in IQ scores, I was glad to see that teacher expectations made a difference on 20 random students. But the text did not say what the teachers did to achieve this. Did they spend more time with these 20 students on a one-on-one basis to facilitate learning, since everyone else in the classes remained at the same IQ? How did they test IQ, and isn't IQ testing arbritrary? Learning increases, but does IQ really significantly increase in 9 months' time?
Dress for respect: I don't question myself on what is appropriate for dress in class; I already have a good idea of what that will look like. But there have been questions about what is appropriate dress from a couple of my young colleagues, so I wonder for them. They want to be professional, but they don't want to dress old. The text offers some suggestions, and I mentioned that there are certain stores with professional clothes that are not age-specific, that are stylish and can cross or span generations. Chapter 8 mentions that we dress for respect, credability, acceptance and authority. I asked my son to reflect on his teachers, how they dressed, and if how they dressed affected his perception and respect for those teachers. The answer was yes, he respected teachers more and liked that they dressed nice; men in nice shirts and even a tie is ok, women dressy, but not too dressy. A Spanish teacher dressed frumpy and often came to class unshaven for several days in a row; he didn't respect this teacher much and as a result didn't feel he was a very good teacher. He mentioned that a few female teachers dressed in sweat pants on Fridays (their casual day), but he didn't like that. He was fine with jeans and other casual clothing for casual Fridays, but somehow the sweats bothered him a little. On the other hand, he had two women teachers that were dressy. One, which he respected a lot, always dressed really nice, but not the extreme of business suit nice, although once in a while she dressed like one would dress if going out. Another female teacher dressed business-suit like all of the time (with skirts or pants) and he didn't like it; he felt she was overdressed and unapproachable. After analyzing this, he realized that he was accepting of the first woman over-dressing at times because she was kind, friendly and warm. However, the second woman did not have a warm, friendly, inviting personality and this in combination with business-suit attire made her unapproachable--so attitude goes a long way! To add to this, I agree with the text that we are modeling appropriate dress for the occupational/professional world they will be entering after they graduate.
In regards to the inviting section of Unit B--I wonder how we can connect and be inviting to parents with which we have a language barrier? How can we make them feel included if we cannot understand each other? Their children would have to be continual translaters of notes, learning targets, pre-assessments, etc.
Finally, I asked my son who were his best teachers that he feels he learned the most from and why.
Answer: He gave me 3 names, all of which often related material to the real world when possible, and they were nice, fun, funny, liked teaching, cared about the students, and treated ALL students with respect. He said they never yelled and then he instructed me to never yell saying that students will tune you out and that it would be ineffective. They will learn not to listen to you. He said that he best teachers always smiled and were happy and he respected them a lot. He then said that you knew to change a behavior when they became a little firm, looked at you, and asked or told you to stop the behavior. Calm firmness was all it took. And students would stop the behavior out of respect the great majority of the time, but there may always be "one" student who just won't fully behave, and a threat of having going to the office is usually effective.
It was interesting to learn that one of these teachers I respected and learned the most from had only one rule given at the beginning of the school year. That rule was "don't sit on the desks." And every time someone sat on a desk, he would tell them to get off of the desk. When asked why, he always responded, just because. At the end of the year he told the students about the rule. He said that he picked the stupidest rule that he could fin one year that meant absolutely nothing and has used it ever since because this is what he has found to be most effective--students behaved well with only this one, silly rule. :)
Engagement Level: 10
Reading Workshop: How Students Learn
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Social contructivism (Vygotsky): Children are naturally inclined to want to learn, a positive atmosphere and praise promotes learning and mistakes are ok-they are a part of the learning process, social interaction helps learning, insight gained by listening to others and verbalizing our own thoughts, give tools to learn with that are fun and engaging, challenge at a level that is not overwhelming, celebrate learning that has occurred, language or a story is used to tap existing schema to make learning and assimilation or accommodation easier, not too soft-not too hard-just right or just enough to challenge (like porridge).A commonly known language (story) that was simple was used to convey the learning theory. It took advantage of existing schema and added to it. It also used visuals to make it easier (the three bears, the house, the kitchen, the porridge--similar to the ironing used by Cambourne) This builds on the previous lesson from Cambourne's Teaching-Learning-Language and reinforces the learning theory. Using the existing schema made it easier to understand and learn what was being taught by making connections. Use of known language in teaching is important in Cambourne’s theory. You cannot understand a lesson if you cannot understand the language. Learning has 6 components: Demonstration, Engagement, Transformation, Discussion, Application, and Evaluation. Growth Mindset involves the belief that one can learn more, that intelligence (or lack thereof) is not fixed. If one believes or is encouraged to believe with praise and positive affirmation along with proof of evaluation of learning they will grow. However, be careful what is praised, show that it is ok to make mistakes (approximate), and encourage putting oneself out there to meet challenges in order to grow. All three theories for learning involve motivation to learn with having a reason, purpose, motive, desire, intent, and commitment. All three tap existing schema and seek to assimilate or accommodate new information with old information. And all three involve learning as a social interaction from the time they are born; and particularly important to us in teaching when considering classroom teaching and learning strategies. Synthesizing: To me it means assimilation or accommodation to existing schema when reading. In other words, new questions arise while reading that cause you to think more and possibly give rise to even more questions, which in the end affects a deeper learning (if you accept what you are reading to be true). If you accept it to be true, then you can have transformation. Learning involves synthesizing new information with existing schema--it is a building process that increases knowledge on an existing foundation. The foundation is there, but the building process may change or add to each layer (brick or block) as learning (synthesizing) occurs. Basically, it is a process of bringing information together.
How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom...
Knowledge is built on an existing foundation that begins by making sense of the world from the time we are born. A simple fish story is used to enhance interpretation and understanding (like The Three Bears). Kids have existing schema when they begin school in which is tapped when they are learning, trying to accommodate or assimilate what they are learning with what they already know. Learning occurs when you begin asking questions about what you are reading or being taught. Factual content and conceptual (big idea) content work together; not separately. Transitioning from novice to expert (master) involves practice and repitition to recognize patterns or ideas in the process of learning in synthesizing new knowledge with previous knowledge. Sometimes it involves getting rid of the old erroneous knowledge to be replaced with the correct new knowledge. Metacognition (thinking about your thinking) is essential in assessing what you are reading, synthesizing and learning--which may involve asking questions and rereading for comprehension. Most of these ideas are similar to the three learning theories mentioned above which include:
Perspectives on learning environments.
The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction with
what students think and know.
The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what mastery looks
like.
The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to make students’
thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student in learning and instruction.
The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.
Eight-Word Learning Phil.: Respect, engagement, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth
Engagement Level: 5
How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom...
Knowledge is built on an existing foundation that begins by making sense of the world from the time we are born. A simple fish story is used to enhance interpretation and understanding (like The Three Bears). Kids have existing schema when they begin school in which is tapped when they are learning, trying to accommodate or assimilate what they are learning with what they already know. Learning occurs when you begin asking questions about what you are reading or being taught. Factual content and conceptual (big idea) content work together; not separately. Transitioning from novice to expert (master) involves practice and repitition to recognize patterns or ideas in the process of learning in synthesizing new knowledge with previous knowledge. Sometimes it involves getting rid of the old erroneous knowledge to be replaced with the correct new knowledge. Metacognition (thinking about your thinking) is essential in assessing what you are reading, synthesizing and learning--which may involve asking questions and rereading for comprehension. Most of these ideas are similar to the three learning theories mentioned above which include:
Perspectives on learning environments.
The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction with
what students think and know.
The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what mastery looks
like.
The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to make students’
thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student in learning and instruction.
The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.
Eight-Word Learning Phil.: Respect, engagement, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth
Engagement Level: 5
Portfolio Synthesis Draft: Observations/Personal Statement/Readings & Reflection/First Day of School
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Respect, Engagement, Knowledge, and Positive Expectations Promote Intellectual Growth
Youth instinctively can and even want to learn; it is an inborn trait. They can overcome great obstacles when young with curiosity and the drive to learn something new, even with a language barrier, as clearly shown in the TED talk by Sugata Mitra on The child-driven education. But at some point this curiosity and ambition seems to be knocked out of students, especially when it comes to science and math. The question is why, and what can we do to reverse this process? How can we facilitate a learning environment that fosters growth; encourages students once again to want to learn and to believe that they can achieve their goals? Traditional style teaching is likely a major contributor to the disengagement and reduced ability to learn as students transition to higher grade levels. How can it be otherwise when the main focus is generally centered on the teacher rather than on the student? The traditional style teacher is ineffective if she is too authoritarian in nature and if she: primarily lectures, hands out worksheets, uses the text as her teaching guideline, assigns a lot of reading and note taking, is not consciences of self-assessment, and does not practice pre-assessment or progressive assessment of her students and by her students. Also inherent to the traditional style is the idea of teaching content knowledge (CK) versus pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) where the latter includes process learning in the form of critical thinking with hands-on activities and inquiry projects. A more successful model would include both CK and PCK, where CK provides the foundation for inquiry and experimentation with projects that accommodate different types of learners (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, analytical, auditory, etc.). A successful teacher would utilize tools that work to the students’ advantage. For instance, she would understand that learning is a social process that has begun from the time a person is born, as discussed by Vygotsky, Cambourne, and the article How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom. Individuals learn from many people around them throughout their lives, and this process can be taken advantage of in the classroom with group work where students can help one another and learn from each other. The successful teacher would teach and model by building on existing schema through speaking in a familiar language or a story that is easily understood while introducing new ideas (with an explanation as to why they are learning these, why the ideas are important) to be accommodated or assimilated in the process. These new ideas or terminology would be repeated several times throughout lessons to help ensure that they will be transformed and seated into long-term memory, which in the end essentially enables them to synthesize relevant information (old with the new). She would also use hands-on activities and inquiry projects that are fun, engaging and stimulating with no penalty for approximations. Once students learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and that mistakes are in fact a necessary part of the learning process, they will be more likely to foster a growth versus a fixed mindset, thus continue to increase their intellect. The following perspectives on learning environment would be beneficial to all teachers and students for learning (How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom): 1. The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction with what students think and know
2. The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what mastery looks like.
3. The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to make students’ thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student in learning and instruction.
4. The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.
As a new teacher, I would use the above mentioned tools. I would increase the success of engagement and learning by understanding who my students are. The observation project allows us to explore the culture of our students. In observing, we can gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them. In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and reduce lingual, pedagogical and cultural barriers by incorporating things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences that they can relate to. Fortunately, all cultures in Grand Rapids and the greater surrounding area share a common interest, which is technology in the form of internet with smart phones, iPads, and computers. These technological tools can be used as a hook to elicit engagement and motivation in learning while simultaneously tapping into creativity. Priceless! In consideration of my first day of school, it is crucial that I establish a warm, welcoming environment where communication is shown to be a key factor. I want the students to realize that I have a sincere interest in each and every one of them, and that I believe that each person can learn and grow. Just as important, I hope to earn their trust and to be able to convince every student to believe in his or her own growth potential. A Code of Conduct is in the student handbook, therefore, I should not have to go over what is expected of the students regarding their behavior in accordance to school rules. These students are in high school; they already know the difference between right and wrong and what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior. I will not insult their intelligence or assumed level of maturity by creating a negative atmosphere with a list of rules. Maybe I will simply have one rule, which may be silly or may be something like, “remember to treat others how you wish to be treated.” I would then be sending the messages of both respect and positive expectations. The issue, therefore, would be to keep students focused on being productive. I will attempt to mediate or reduce disruption and irresponsibility by using intervention procedures in the form of reminders or discussion on the Rebel Code of Ethics, but primarily through classroom management as instruction (with interesting, engaging, relevant material as well as the use of Bellwork from the onset). This will be aided by my continual preparedness and organization of course material and lessons, while at the same time aiding student organization with goals, learning targets, and graphic organizers. However, consequences will be implemented for those who prove to be problematic, as I will not allow the learning environment to be dysfunctional. But I think that awareness of what the students are doing at all times followed by eye contact and perhaps some mild body language while saying someone’s name can halt a conversation and get a student back on track with the task at hand. Alternatively, I could pull a student aside or take him out in the hall before major disruption occurs, as simply talking and being heard may be all that he or she needs. It is my hope that we will work together as a team(s) in the classroom with an understanding of the importance and practice of pro-social behavior (respect, kindness, and consideration) using the Rebel Code of Ethics as our model. Notice I used the word we. I will model behavior that I expect from them as common sense and previous experiences suggest that one receives what one gives, which has also been my style of parenting—and it works. Ultimately, my goal will be to keep students engaged and busy enough with interesting lessons and projects that not only will they want to arrive to class on time and look forward to what will be learned each day, but the thought of acting out or disruption will not even cross their minds. If I can achieve a well-managed classroom through the methods described above, then learning will naturally occur and I will have achieved my goal of creating a facilitated learning environment in which my philosophy will have been proven and fulfilled: Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.
Respect, Engagement, Knowledge, and Positive Expectations Promote Intellectual Growth
Youth instinctively can and even want to learn; it is an inborn trait. They can overcome great obstacles when young with curiosity and the drive to learn something new, even with a language barrier, as clearly shown in the TED talk by Sugata Mitra on The child-driven education. But at some point this curiosity and ambition seems to be knocked out of students, especially when it comes to science and math. The question is why, and what can we do to reverse this process? How can we facilitate a learning environment that fosters growth; encourages students once again to want to learn and to believe that they can achieve their goals? Traditional style teaching is likely a major contributor to the disengagement and reduced ability to learn as students transition to higher grade levels. How can it be otherwise when the main focus is generally centered on the teacher rather than on the student? The traditional style teacher is ineffective if she is too authoritarian in nature and if she: primarily lectures, hands out worksheets, uses the text as her teaching guideline, assigns a lot of reading and note taking, is not consciences of self-assessment, and does not practice pre-assessment or progressive assessment of her students and by her students. Also inherent to the traditional style is the idea of teaching content knowledge (CK) versus pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) where the latter includes process learning in the form of critical thinking with hands-on activities and inquiry projects. A more successful model would include both CK and PCK, where CK provides the foundation for inquiry and experimentation with projects that accommodate different types of learners (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, analytical, auditory, etc.). A successful teacher would utilize tools that work to the students’ advantage. For instance, she would understand that learning is a social process that has begun from the time a person is born, as discussed by Vygotsky, Cambourne, and the article How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom. Individuals learn from many people around them throughout their lives, and this process can be taken advantage of in the classroom with group work where students can help one another and learn from each other. The successful teacher would teach and model by building on existing schema through speaking in a familiar language or a story that is easily understood while introducing new ideas (with an explanation as to why they are learning these, why the ideas are important) to be accommodated or assimilated in the process. These new ideas or terminology would be repeated several times throughout lessons to help ensure that they will be transformed and seated into long-term memory, which in the end essentially enables them to synthesize relevant information (old with the new). She would also use hands-on activities and inquiry projects that are fun, engaging and stimulating with no penalty for approximations. Once students learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and that mistakes are in fact a necessary part of the learning process, they will be more likely to foster a growth versus a fixed mindset, thus continue to increase their intellect. The following perspectives on learning environment would be beneficial to all teachers and students for learning (How students Learn: History, Math, and Science in the Classroom): 1. The learner-centered lens encourages attention to preconceptions, and begins instruction with what students think and know
2. The knowledge-centered lens focuses on what is to be taught, why it is taught, and what mastery looks like.
3. The assessment-centered lens emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities to make students’ thinking and learning visible as a guide for both the teacher and the student in learning and instruction.
4. The community-centered lens encourages a culture of questioning, respect, and risk taking.
As a new teacher, I would use the above mentioned tools. I would increase the success of engagement and learning by understanding who my students are. The observation project allows us to explore the culture of our students. In observing, we can gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them. In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and reduce lingual, pedagogical and cultural barriers by incorporating things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences that they can relate to. Fortunately, all cultures in Grand Rapids and the greater surrounding area share a common interest, which is technology in the form of internet with smart phones, iPads, and computers. These technological tools can be used as a hook to elicit engagement and motivation in learning while simultaneously tapping into creativity. Priceless! In consideration of my first day of school, it is crucial that I establish a warm, welcoming environment where communication is shown to be a key factor. I want the students to realize that I have a sincere interest in each and every one of them, and that I believe that each person can learn and grow. Just as important, I hope to earn their trust and to be able to convince every student to believe in his or her own growth potential. A Code of Conduct is in the student handbook, therefore, I should not have to go over what is expected of the students regarding their behavior in accordance to school rules. These students are in high school; they already know the difference between right and wrong and what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior. I will not insult their intelligence or assumed level of maturity by creating a negative atmosphere with a list of rules. Maybe I will simply have one rule, which may be silly or may be something like, “remember to treat others how you wish to be treated.” I would then be sending the messages of both respect and positive expectations. The issue, therefore, would be to keep students focused on being productive. I will attempt to mediate or reduce disruption and irresponsibility by using intervention procedures in the form of reminders or discussion on the Rebel Code of Ethics, but primarily through classroom management as instruction (with interesting, engaging, relevant material as well as the use of Bellwork from the onset). This will be aided by my continual preparedness and organization of course material and lessons, while at the same time aiding student organization with goals, learning targets, and graphic organizers. However, consequences will be implemented for those who prove to be problematic, as I will not allow the learning environment to be dysfunctional. But I think that awareness of what the students are doing at all times followed by eye contact and perhaps some mild body language while saying someone’s name can halt a conversation and get a student back on track with the task at hand. Alternatively, I could pull a student aside or take him out in the hall before major disruption occurs, as simply talking and being heard may be all that he or she needs. It is my hope that we will work together as a team(s) in the classroom with an understanding of the importance and practice of pro-social behavior (respect, kindness, and consideration) using the Rebel Code of Ethics as our model. Notice I used the word we. I will model behavior that I expect from them as common sense and previous experiences suggest that one receives what one gives, which has also been my style of parenting—and it works. Ultimately, my goal will be to keep students engaged and busy enough with interesting lessons and projects that not only will they want to arrive to class on time and look forward to what will be learned each day, but the thought of acting out or disruption will not even cross their minds. If I can achieve a well-managed classroom through the methods described above, then learning will naturally occur and I will have achieved my goal of creating a facilitated learning environment in which my philosophy will have been proven and fulfilled: Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.
| Race | National | State of MI | Wyoming | GLPS |
| Latino | 16% | 4.5% | 19% | 70% |
| African American | 12.5% | 14% | 6.5% | 12% |
| White | 72% | 80% | 68% | 15% |
Observation Updates: Rivertown Crossings Mall
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Update to list below with additional observations, thoughts17. Who and what: Adolescents not so separated by race, there were many mixed groupsNow what? I need to be careful not to make assumptions about a student's parents; they many not all be the same race--could be two different races of parents, could be adopted. In fact, kids could be being raised by grandparents, or aunts and uncles, cousins...18. Who and what: Almost all of the workers were whiteNow what? Why was this the case? Do whites have more access to transportation to get to a job? Are Latinos and blacks not able because they have responsibility jobs at home taking care of siblings? Do they work at other jobs closer to home? Do they take the public transit buses to the mall more than others?19. Who and what: The great majority of the shoppers are white and in high school, some middle schoolers.Now what? Do the white families tend to have more money? If so, would the Latinos shop more if they had the money?20. Who and what: Pac-Sun, Charlotte Ruse, Hollister, Ambercrombie & Fitch, and Spencers are stores teens shop at; one girl shopped at Younkers21. Who and what: All of the girls and boys looked nice, dressed to look good at the mallNow what? It seems that most teens care about their appearance22. Who and what: Very few parents with teens in the evening (Fridays) Now what? The mall is a big hangout for teens in the afternoon, but much more so in the evenings. Is this a place that parents are comfortable letting their teens go to because they think it is a safer place than other places? Malls have a lot to offer: food, drinks, stores to browse or shop, theatres, air-conditioning. It is obvious that friends are important--they are very social creatures. :)23. Who and what: It appeared that whites wore the more obvious name brands than other racesNow what? Is this because they have more money? or are some races more materialistic than others? Do I make judgments based on the clothing I see others wear?24. Who and what: A few white middle school girls were dressed like they were older than they were; makeup, skimpy tops, very short denim shorts. They both wiggled their rears to the max. This really bothered me.Now what? Girls begin young trying to attract attention to their faces and bodies. Though as an adult it concerns me that they are attracting the wrong kind of attention as well as attention from those they are not intending to attract, I guess I need to step back when I see this and consider why they are doing it. They want to be more mature and grow up, they want to have a boyfriend, they are trying to build their self-confidence, and they may actually think this is what they should do and they think that they look good and mature doing it.
25. Who and what? Latino girl that looked like she was in high school. She had a baby, stroller, diaper bag, etc. She was there with a friend or sister close in age.
Now what? How common is teenage pregnancy and having babies in the Godfrey-Lee district? How important is getting married young and starting a family? Is this something that is important in their culture? Can I inspire females to get a higher education before and even after having children? Can I give them the impression that it is ok to do both?
What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?1. Who and what: Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family. The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together and or visit. Now what? The mall is a place that all age groups and family members go to. This seems to be an acceptable and fun outing for families of all ages and races. They share common ground and interests here.2. Who and what: Big family groups with black and Latino. Did not see this with Asians. Small white family groups (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well). Now what? Blacks and Latinos appear to have bigger families and bring siblings along with them. Whites and Asians appear to have smaller families. Why didn't I see more Asian families at the mall? 2. Who and what: Most have cell phones or smart phones.Now what? Cell phones are common to everyone. How prevalent are the smart phones? I am told most have access to smart phones. Therefore, this would be a good technology tool to use in lessons to grab attention and motivate students to do work and learn more.3. Who and what: Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful. The boys tend to wear hats. When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group. Now what? Teaching middle school students may be more of a chore in the sense of getting them to sit still and listen. They have a lot of energy and probably need to move around a lot. What can teachers do to keep them from fidgeting and being interruptive?4. Who and what: High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school; Now what? Boyfriend/girlfriend relationships are very important to teens; perhaps I need to keep in mind that it isn't only family babysitting obligations that are keeping students from doing homework--maybe they are smitten and want to spend all of their free time with the boy or girl they are in a relationship with.5. Who and what: Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.Now what? This is a sure sign that we as teachers have to work really hard to make things interesting enough to keep students' attention.6. Who and what: It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same raceNow what? Some groups associate by race, and further observations show that they are also mixed. I cannot make quick assumptions. Do I even need to make assumptions? Why would/should this be important to me? To watch for certain groups aggregating and picking on other groups (especially when racially homogenous)? But this wouldn't apply just to race--it could be popular kids picking on those they don't feel are like them, etc.7. Who and what: High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.8. Who and what: High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch. 9. Who and what: Most purchases were made by students in high school. Now what? Because more of them have jobs? They are given more allowance and more freedom? 10. Who and what: Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.Now what? As addressed above: is this because they have less money and/or are less materialistic?11. Who and what: All ages and sexes like going to movies.Now what? Everyone likes movies. Talking about or using something about movies can elicit attention in the classroom and perhaps engage more shy students to speak?12. Who and what: African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.Now what? Family togetherness is important to African Americans and Latinos. Their family values may not encourage individuality and autonomy as many white families might.13. Who and what: All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.Now what? Is this a fad? or do teens really feel they need the extra energy? Are they getting enough sleep? I know that sleep is very important for developing teens and they need a lot of it. I also know that their circadian rythems (body clocks) are not geared to wake up early in the morning and are geared more towards being awake late in the evening. Odd that schools do not take this into consideration with early starting hours...14. Who and what: Some families are mixed races.15. Who and what: Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more16. Who and what: Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.
25. Who and what? Latino girl that looked like she was in high school. She had a baby, stroller, diaper bag, etc. She was there with a friend or sister close in age.
Now what? How common is teenage pregnancy and having babies in the Godfrey-Lee district? How important is getting married young and starting a family? Is this something that is important in their culture? Can I inspire females to get a higher education before and even after having children? Can I give them the impression that it is ok to do both?
What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?1. Who and what: Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family. The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together and or visit. Now what? The mall is a place that all age groups and family members go to. This seems to be an acceptable and fun outing for families of all ages and races. They share common ground and interests here.2. Who and what: Big family groups with black and Latino. Did not see this with Asians. Small white family groups (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well). Now what? Blacks and Latinos appear to have bigger families and bring siblings along with them. Whites and Asians appear to have smaller families. Why didn't I see more Asian families at the mall? 2. Who and what: Most have cell phones or smart phones.Now what? Cell phones are common to everyone. How prevalent are the smart phones? I am told most have access to smart phones. Therefore, this would be a good technology tool to use in lessons to grab attention and motivate students to do work and learn more.3. Who and what: Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful. The boys tend to wear hats. When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group. Now what? Teaching middle school students may be more of a chore in the sense of getting them to sit still and listen. They have a lot of energy and probably need to move around a lot. What can teachers do to keep them from fidgeting and being interruptive?4. Who and what: High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school; Now what? Boyfriend/girlfriend relationships are very important to teens; perhaps I need to keep in mind that it isn't only family babysitting obligations that are keeping students from doing homework--maybe they are smitten and want to spend all of their free time with the boy or girl they are in a relationship with.5. Who and what: Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.Now what? This is a sure sign that we as teachers have to work really hard to make things interesting enough to keep students' attention.6. Who and what: It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same raceNow what? Some groups associate by race, and further observations show that they are also mixed. I cannot make quick assumptions. Do I even need to make assumptions? Why would/should this be important to me? To watch for certain groups aggregating and picking on other groups (especially when racially homogenous)? But this wouldn't apply just to race--it could be popular kids picking on those they don't feel are like them, etc.7. Who and what: High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.8. Who and what: High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch. 9. Who and what: Most purchases were made by students in high school. Now what? Because more of them have jobs? They are given more allowance and more freedom? 10. Who and what: Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.Now what? As addressed above: is this because they have less money and/or are less materialistic?11. Who and what: All ages and sexes like going to movies.Now what? Everyone likes movies. Talking about or using something about movies can elicit attention in the classroom and perhaps engage more shy students to speak?12. Who and what: African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.Now what? Family togetherness is important to African Americans and Latinos. Their family values may not encourage individuality and autonomy as many white families might.13. Who and what: All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.Now what? Is this a fad? or do teens really feel they need the extra energy? Are they getting enough sleep? I know that sleep is very important for developing teens and they need a lot of it. I also know that their circadian rythems (body clocks) are not geared to wake up early in the morning and are geared more towards being awake late in the evening. Odd that schools do not take this into consideration with early starting hours...14. Who and what: Some families are mixed races.15. Who and what: Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more16. Who and what: Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.
| Race | National | State of MI | Wyoming | GLPS |
| Latino | 16% | 4.5% | 19% | 70% |
| African American | 12.5% | 14% | 6.5% | 12% |
| White | 72% | 80% | 68% | 15% |
23 Mayıs 2012 Çarşamba
Huntington National Bank
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With the way our economy has been for the last year or so many US citizens are unsure of how safe there money really is. I have been banking at Huntington National Banks for 16 years and even I was a little worried about the security of my money. Recently I visited my bank and talked to one of the general managers about Huntington and the strength of the bank.
The general manager informed me that Huntington is still growing even in this tough economy. It is one of the few banks to receive federal money to help with these hard times. The federal government gave money to the strongest banks in order to make sure they would continue to be stable. After hearing all of this I was feeling a lot more secure about my money, but I asked the general manager how Huntington is doing so well compared to the rest of the banks. She said it has to do with customer service. The company believes that you must create a family feel to the banking industry. They feel that it is extremely important to establish that relationship and build that trust. I would have to agree with her. Every time I go to the bank the tellers remember my name and ask about my life and are genuinely interested in me. This approach is much more appealing to me than just taking my money and sending me on my way. I never truly realized how important customer service is to the banking industry until I talked with Huntington’s general manager. This is why I feel that Huntington will continue to be one of the strongest banks our Nation has.
The general manager informed me that Huntington is still growing even in this tough economy. It is one of the few banks to receive federal money to help with these hard times. The federal government gave money to the strongest banks in order to make sure they would continue to be stable. After hearing all of this I was feeling a lot more secure about my money, but I asked the general manager how Huntington is doing so well compared to the rest of the banks. She said it has to do with customer service. The company believes that you must create a family feel to the banking industry. They feel that it is extremely important to establish that relationship and build that trust. I would have to agree with her. Every time I go to the bank the tellers remember my name and ask about my life and are genuinely interested in me. This approach is much more appealing to me than just taking my money and sending me on my way. I never truly realized how important customer service is to the banking industry until I talked with Huntington’s general manager. This is why I feel that Huntington will continue to be one of the strongest banks our Nation has.
Rivertown Crossings Mall in Trouble
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When walking around Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville one would never even think that it is close to being bankrupt but that is the case. General Growth Properties the nation’s number 2 shopping mall company may soon be the next to fall due to the credit crunch. The 54 year old company is unable to make payments on it 27.4 billion dollar debt load. This company owns more than 200 shopping malls in 44 states in the US alone.
Many analysts feel that General Growth’s malls will not shut down. In fact there are already two other companies that could buy out General Growth and pay their 1 billion dollar payment due next month. If these companies do not buy out General Growth though they will be forced to plead with lenders for extensions on credit which is extremely hard to do with the way our economy is currently. If that does not go through they then will be forced to sell off the properties piece by piece.
As a resident of Grandville this news is extremely nerve racking. I feel if for some reason Rivertown Crossings Mall closed it would cripple Grandville. Causing many people to lose jobs and have to leave the area. This would just cause a ripple affect around the Grand Rapids area. Hopefully one of these two companies are willing to take over General Growth’s debt load and keep these malls open and save towns like Grandville from certain disaster.
When walking around Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville one would never even think that it is close to being bankrupt but that is the case. General Growth Properties the nation’s number 2 shopping mall company may soon be the next to fall due to the credit crunch. The 54 year old company is unable to make payments on it 27.4 billion dollar debt load. This company owns more than 200 shopping malls in 44 states in the US alone.
Many analysts feel that General Growth’s malls will not shut down. In fact there are already two other companies that could buy out General Growth and pay their 1 billion dollar payment due next month. If these companies do not buy out General Growth though they will be forced to plead with lenders for extensions on credit which is extremely hard to do with the way our economy is currently. If that does not go through they then will be forced to sell off the properties piece by piece.
As a resident of Grandville this news is extremely nerve racking. I feel if for some reason Rivertown Crossings Mall closed it would cripple Grandville. Causing many people to lose jobs and have to leave the area. This would just cause a ripple affect around the Grand Rapids area. Hopefully one of these two companies are willing to take over General Growth’s debt load and keep these malls open and save towns like Grandville from certain disaster.
Data Shows Black Friday to Be a Big Hit
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As with many other Americans I was concerned with how well the Holiday shopping season would start off this year. With a lot of economic uncertainty many Americans are not spending the money this Holiday season or so many retailers thought. Surprisingly the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) sales rose 3 percent to $10.6 billion. A $.3 billion increase from last year’s sales total. This came as a great surprise too many retailers who were concerned with the lower projected sales figures presented by many analysts.
Now, this increase in total spending did not come without some costs. Many retailers had slashed prices up to 70 percent off in some cases in order to get customers into their stores. Retailers also know that Black Friday and the weekend after Thanksgiving only typically counts for 10 percent of the total Holiday shopping sales. Even with the early rise in sales there are still some concerns about the remainder of the holiday shopping season. The total number of days to shop during the Holiday season is down from 31 to 27 with Thanksgiving being later this year. This along with the bad economy could prove to be a tough season for retailers, but early numbers show some good signs.
As with many other Americans I was concerned with how well the Holiday shopping season would start off this year. With a lot of economic uncertainty many Americans are not spending the money this Holiday season or so many retailers thought. Surprisingly the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) sales rose 3 percent to $10.6 billion. A $.3 billion increase from last year’s sales total. This came as a great surprise too many retailers who were concerned with the lower projected sales figures presented by many analysts.
Now, this increase in total spending did not come without some costs. Many retailers had slashed prices up to 70 percent off in some cases in order to get customers into their stores. Retailers also know that Black Friday and the weekend after Thanksgiving only typically counts for 10 percent of the total Holiday shopping sales. Even with the early rise in sales there are still some concerns about the remainder of the holiday shopping season. The total number of days to shop during the Holiday season is down from 31 to 27 with Thanksgiving being later this year. This along with the bad economy could prove to be a tough season for retailers, but early numbers show some good signs.
ROUTE: 44 - 44th Street-Crosstown-Connector
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WESTBOUND
Begin at 36th St. and Patterson. Begin (West) servicing 36th St, to Shaffer Ave. Make a left turn on Shaffer and head (South) to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St. and head (West) on 44th St. Continue service on 44th St. to Walma Ave. Left on Walma and head (South) on Walma until coming Kentwood City Hall at Breton. Then make a left turn on Breton Ave. Service Breton (South) to 52nd St. Then turn right on 52nd St., and service (West) to Kalamazoo Ave. Then turn left on Kalamazoo and service (south) on Kalamazoo until coming to 60th St. Make a right turn on 60th Ave., and service (East) to Eastern Ave. Now, service through Clocktower Center @ Kalamazoo Ave., and then Woodfield Apts. at 60th and Eastern. Then, make a right turn on Eastern Ave., and head northbound to 52nd St. Then, make a right turn and head back (East) on 52nd until coming back to Kalamazoo Ave. Make a left turn on Kalamazoo Ave., and service due (North) to 44th St. Make a left turn on 44th St. and continue (West) on 44th St. until coming to Division Ave. Now, make a right turn on Division and service (North) on Division until coming to 36th St. Make a left turn on 36th St. and head (West) on until coming to Clay Ave. Now, make a left turn on Clay Ave. and head (South) back to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St. and continue (West) on 44th St. until coming to Burlingame Ave. Then make a left turn on Burlingame Ave. Service Burlingame Ave. (South) until coming to Gezon Ave. Make a right turn on Gezon and service (West) to Metro Health Hospital. Make a left turn on Byron Center Ave. and make quick (drop-off / pick-up) at bus stop via Byron Center (South) to Health St., (Left) on Health, arrive at bus shelter and then departure via Health St. to Gezon Ave. back (West) Byron Center Ave. Now, service Byron Center Ave. (North) back to 44th St. At 44th St., ready to make left turn and continue from here (West) via rest of the current Route 44 -- leading to Rivertown Meijer, and Mall. After departure from Rivertown Mall via Rivertown Pkwy. Service (West) on Rivertown Pkwy. to Canal Ave. Make a left turn on Canal Ave. and service (South) to 50th St. Make a right turn on 50th St., and continue (West) until coming to Kenowa Ave. Then right turn heading (North) on Kenowa Ave. until coming to Walmart. Layover for ONLY 15 minutes as this is a crosstown route and then departure via below Eastbound version route.
EASTBOUND
Begin at Walmart on Kenowa Ave. Departure via same route reverse direction via left turn on Kenowa Ave. Then head (South) on Kenowa Ave back to 50th St. Make a left turn on 50th St and service back (East) on 50th St. back to Canal Ave. Then make a left turn on Canal Ave., and service back (North) on Canal until returning to Rivertown Pkwy. Then, head (East) on Rivertown Pkwy. to return back through both the Mall and then Meijer. After Meijer get back on 44th St. and continue (East) on 44th St., until coming back to Byron Center Ave. Make a right turn on Byron Center Ave. Now, return service (South) on Byron Center to Health St. Now, left turn on Health St. to return service to Metro Health Hospital via Health St. to Gezon Ave. At bus shelter (drop-off / pick-up) ONLY, as Routes 8 will already be there. Now, departure promptly via Health St. to Gezon Ave. Then continue (East) return service on Gezon Ave. until coming back to Burlingame Ave. Then, make a left turn on Burlingame Ave. Service (North) back to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., and continue (East) back to Clay Ave. Then make a left on Clay Ave., and head (North) back to 36th St. Then make this time a right turn on 36th St., and service back (East) until coming back around to Division Ave. Now, a right turn on Division and (South) back to 44th St. Then make a left turn on 44th and service (East) back to Kalamazoo Ave. Now, make a right turn and return service (South) on Kalamazoo Ave. back to 52nd St., 52nd, back to Eastern Ave., Eastern Ave., back to 60th and then 60th St. back to Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo back to 52nd St. Now, return to Kentwood City Hall, via (East) on 52nd St. to Breton Ave., (North) on Breton back to Walma Ave., right turn on Walma and then back (North) to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., continue (East) on 44th until coming to Patterson Ave. Now, make a right turn on Patterson, and head (South) to 68th St. Then left on 68th Street and service (East) to Kraft Ave. Make a left on Kraft Ave., and service (North) to 52nd St., to Patterson Ave. From here make a right turn and head back (North) all the way to 33rd St. Last segment is right turn on 33rd St., service (East) to Kraft Ave., (South) on Kraft Ave., and last right turn on 36th St., and arrival at Patterson Ave. & 36th St. Layover after you change bus route number to "Route 24 - Burton Street Crosstown Connector" ---- Route 24 extension of service after Woodland Mall segment align with and become Route 44 at this same location.
Begin at 36th St. and Patterson. Begin (West) servicing 36th St, to Shaffer Ave. Make a left turn on Shaffer and head (South) to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St. and head (West) on 44th St. Continue service on 44th St. to Walma Ave. Left on Walma and head (South) on Walma until coming Kentwood City Hall at Breton. Then make a left turn on Breton Ave. Service Breton (South) to 52nd St. Then turn right on 52nd St., and service (West) to Kalamazoo Ave. Then turn left on Kalamazoo and service (south) on Kalamazoo until coming to 60th St. Make a right turn on 60th Ave., and service (East) to Eastern Ave. Now, service through Clocktower Center @ Kalamazoo Ave., and then Woodfield Apts. at 60th and Eastern. Then, make a right turn on Eastern Ave., and head northbound to 52nd St. Then, make a right turn and head back (East) on 52nd until coming back to Kalamazoo Ave. Make a left turn on Kalamazoo Ave., and service due (North) to 44th St. Make a left turn on 44th St. and continue (West) on 44th St. until coming to Division Ave. Now, make a right turn on Division and service (North) on Division until coming to 36th St. Make a left turn on 36th St. and head (West) on until coming to Clay Ave. Now, make a left turn on Clay Ave. and head (South) back to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St. and continue (West) on 44th St. until coming to Burlingame Ave. Then make a left turn on Burlingame Ave. Service Burlingame Ave. (South) until coming to Gezon Ave. Make a right turn on Gezon and service (West) to Metro Health Hospital. Make a left turn on Byron Center Ave. and make quick (drop-off / pick-up) at bus stop via Byron Center (South) to Health St., (Left) on Health, arrive at bus shelter and then departure via Health St. to Gezon Ave. back (West) Byron Center Ave. Now, service Byron Center Ave. (North) back to 44th St. At 44th St., ready to make left turn and continue from here (West) via rest of the current Route 44 -- leading to Rivertown Meijer, and Mall. After departure from Rivertown Mall via Rivertown Pkwy. Service (West) on Rivertown Pkwy. to Canal Ave. Make a left turn on Canal Ave. and service (South) to 50th St. Make a right turn on 50th St., and continue (West) until coming to Kenowa Ave. Then right turn heading (North) on Kenowa Ave. until coming to Walmart. Layover for ONLY 15 minutes as this is a crosstown route and then departure via below Eastbound version route.
EASTBOUND
Begin at Walmart on Kenowa Ave. Departure via same route reverse direction via left turn on Kenowa Ave. Then head (South) on Kenowa Ave back to 50th St. Make a left turn on 50th St and service back (East) on 50th St. back to Canal Ave. Then make a left turn on Canal Ave., and service back (North) on Canal until returning to Rivertown Pkwy. Then, head (East) on Rivertown Pkwy. to return back through both the Mall and then Meijer. After Meijer get back on 44th St. and continue (East) on 44th St., until coming back to Byron Center Ave. Make a right turn on Byron Center Ave. Now, return service (South) on Byron Center to Health St. Now, left turn on Health St. to return service to Metro Health Hospital via Health St. to Gezon Ave. At bus shelter (drop-off / pick-up) ONLY, as Routes 8 will already be there. Now, departure promptly via Health St. to Gezon Ave. Then continue (East) return service on Gezon Ave. until coming back to Burlingame Ave. Then, make a left turn on Burlingame Ave. Service (North) back to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., and continue (East) back to Clay Ave. Then make a left on Clay Ave., and head (North) back to 36th St. Then make this time a right turn on 36th St., and service back (East) until coming back around to Division Ave. Now, a right turn on Division and (South) back to 44th St. Then make a left turn on 44th and service (East) back to Kalamazoo Ave. Now, make a right turn and return service (South) on Kalamazoo Ave. back to 52nd St., 52nd, back to Eastern Ave., Eastern Ave., back to 60th and then 60th St. back to Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo back to 52nd St. Now, return to Kentwood City Hall, via (East) on 52nd St. to Breton Ave., (North) on Breton back to Walma Ave., right turn on Walma and then back (North) to 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., continue (East) on 44th until coming to Patterson Ave. Now, make a right turn on Patterson, and head (South) to 68th St. Then left on 68th Street and service (East) to Kraft Ave. Make a left on Kraft Ave., and service (North) to 52nd St., to Patterson Ave. From here make a right turn and head back (North) all the way to 33rd St. Last segment is right turn on 33rd St., service (East) to Kraft Ave., (South) on Kraft Ave., and last right turn on 36th St., and arrival at Patterson Ave. & 36th St. Layover after you change bus route number to "Route 24 - Burton Street Crosstown Connector" ---- Route 24 extension of service after Woodland Mall segment align with and become Route 44 at this same location.
ROUTE: 28 - 28th Street-Crosstown-Connector
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EASTBOUND
Start @ Rivertown Crossings Meijer in Grandville, via the same likewise inbound of current Route 8. After layover of also 10 minutes, depature via Century Center Dr. to Ivanrest Ave. Make a left turn on Ivanrest Ave., and head (North) on Ivanrest Ave., until coming 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., and head (East) on 44th St., until you reach Burlingame Ave. Then make a left turn on Burlingame Ave., and head (North) on Burlingame until you come to Prarie Pkwy. Make a left turn on Prarie Pkwy., and service (West) all of the way to Wilson Ave. Make a right turn on Wilson Ave., and go (North) on Wilson Ave. to Washigtion St. Make a left turn on Washingtion St., and go past Grandville Public Library & City Hall Complexes. Continue (West) until you come to Chicago Dr. NW; then make a right turn to wayside as currently done by Route 28 due (East) on Chicago Dr. back up to 28th St. Now, continue (East) on 28th St., until coming to Burlingame Ave. Make a left turn on Burlingame Ave., and head (North) on Burlingame Ave., to Burton Ave. Now, make a right turn on Burton Ave., and head (East) on Burton Ave., until coming Cleavland Ave. Now, make a right turn on Cleavland Ave. Head back (South) to 28th St. via Cleavland, Dehoop to Pinnery Park. NOTE: Transfer to Route 16 will work better here than current connection which fails everytime at present. Continue (South) on Dehoop crossing 28th St. to Michael Ave. But, service Michael (South) to 32nd St. Make a left turn on 32nd St., and service (East) on 32nd St., until coming to Division Ave.; SW. Note the Route 1 changes to cover the leg of 28th St. (Both East & West) between Division and Clyde Park Ave. Now, at Division Ave., make a left turn and service (North) back up to 28th St. Make a right turn on 28th St., and continue going (East) until you get to Kalamazoo Ave. Make a right turn on Kalamazoo Ave. Serve the bus shelter at Meijer and then continue (South) on Kalamazoo Ave., until coming to 32nd St. Now, service 32nd St. going (East) until coming to Shaffer Ave. Now, take Shaffer Ave to 29th St. Make a right turn on 29th and service (East) to East Paris Ave. Now, make a right turn on East Paris Ave. Service (South) on East Praris until coming to 36th St. Make a left turn on 36th St., and go (East) on 36th St., until coming to Patterson Ave. Now, make a left turn on Patterson Ave., and service (North) to 33rd St., and go to Kraft Ave. Then make a left turn on Kraft Ave., and head (North) on Kraft Ave. until coming back up to 28th. Service stop at the Meijer on 28th St. & Kraft Ave. Then return on 28th St., going back (West) until coming to Lake Eastbrook Blvd. Now, as presently done by current Route 28 service Lake Eastbrook Blvd. back over to Woodland Mall and end of EASTBOUND LINE here! NOTE: Layover time MUST be no more and no less than 15 minutes for coadherance time-points. Otherwise, this change WILL NOT work.
WESTBOUND
Woodland Mall. Departure same way currently done to Lake Eastbrook Blvd. Once, on 28th St., service the entire reverse direction of the EASTBOUND as shown above. Once at Rivertown Meijer, layover also for no less and no more than 15 Minutes as this route design is configured to run the way I've designed it for coadherence purposes to every major route connection that is most important.
Start @ Rivertown Crossings Meijer in Grandville, via the same likewise inbound of current Route 8. After layover of also 10 minutes, depature via Century Center Dr. to Ivanrest Ave. Make a left turn on Ivanrest Ave., and head (North) on Ivanrest Ave., until coming 44th St. Make a right turn on 44th St., and head (East) on 44th St., until you reach Burlingame Ave. Then make a left turn on Burlingame Ave., and head (North) on Burlingame until you come to Prarie Pkwy. Make a left turn on Prarie Pkwy., and service (West) all of the way to Wilson Ave. Make a right turn on Wilson Ave., and go (North) on Wilson Ave. to Washigtion St. Make a left turn on Washingtion St., and go past Grandville Public Library & City Hall Complexes. Continue (West) until you come to Chicago Dr. NW; then make a right turn to wayside as currently done by Route 28 due (East) on Chicago Dr. back up to 28th St. Now, continue (East) on 28th St., until coming to Burlingame Ave. Make a left turn on Burlingame Ave., and head (North) on Burlingame Ave., to Burton Ave. Now, make a right turn on Burton Ave., and head (East) on Burton Ave., until coming Cleavland Ave. Now, make a right turn on Cleavland Ave. Head back (South) to 28th St. via Cleavland, Dehoop to Pinnery Park. NOTE: Transfer to Route 16 will work better here than current connection which fails everytime at present. Continue (South) on Dehoop crossing 28th St. to Michael Ave. But, service Michael (South) to 32nd St. Make a left turn on 32nd St., and service (East) on 32nd St., until coming to Division Ave.; SW. Note the Route 1 changes to cover the leg of 28th St. (Both East & West) between Division and Clyde Park Ave. Now, at Division Ave., make a left turn and service (North) back up to 28th St. Make a right turn on 28th St., and continue going (East) until you get to Kalamazoo Ave. Make a right turn on Kalamazoo Ave. Serve the bus shelter at Meijer and then continue (South) on Kalamazoo Ave., until coming to 32nd St. Now, service 32nd St. going (East) until coming to Shaffer Ave. Now, take Shaffer Ave to 29th St. Make a right turn on 29th and service (East) to East Paris Ave. Now, make a right turn on East Paris Ave. Service (South) on East Praris until coming to 36th St. Make a left turn on 36th St., and go (East) on 36th St., until coming to Patterson Ave. Now, make a left turn on Patterson Ave., and service (North) to 33rd St., and go to Kraft Ave. Then make a left turn on Kraft Ave., and head (North) on Kraft Ave. until coming back up to 28th. Service stop at the Meijer on 28th St. & Kraft Ave. Then return on 28th St., going back (West) until coming to Lake Eastbrook Blvd. Now, as presently done by current Route 28 service Lake Eastbrook Blvd. back over to Woodland Mall and end of EASTBOUND LINE here! NOTE: Layover time MUST be no more and no less than 15 minutes for coadherance time-points. Otherwise, this change WILL NOT work.
WESTBOUND
Woodland Mall. Departure same way currently done to Lake Eastbrook Blvd. Once, on 28th St., service the entire reverse direction of the EASTBOUND as shown above. Once at Rivertown Meijer, layover also for no less and no more than 15 Minutes as this route design is configured to run the way I've designed it for coadherence purposes to every major route connection that is most important.
17 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe
Aldi 10/16-10/22
To contact us Click HERE
Go HERE for the full weekly ad and special buys. Special buy items are available starting on Wednesday of each week.
New to Aldi? Here are a few tips:
$0.89 Cabbage each
$0.99 Cauliflower each
$0.99 Red Seedless Grapes, sold in a 2 lb pkg for $1.98
$1.39 Red Potatoes 5 lb bag
$1.59 Pineapple each
$1.49 German Style Sauerkraut, 24 oz
$1.89 Cheese or Mushroom Spaetzle, 4.4-4.6 oz
$1.99 Bavarian Sweet or Mild Mustard with Herbs, 12.3-13.3 oz
$1.99 White Asparagus, 11.5 oz jar
$1.99 Milk or Dark Chocolate Domino Cubes, 8.81 oz
$2.19 Cinnamon Sugar or Original Pretzel Dough, 14.3-16.6
$8.99 Black Forest Smoked Ham, 3 lbs
Go HERE for the full weekly ad and special buys. Special buy items are available starting on Wednesday of each week.
New to Aldi? Here are a few tips:
- Prices vary by region.
- You must have a quarter to get a shopping cart; you get it back when you return the cart.
- Payment options are only debit cards or cash.
- You bag your own groceries and bring your own bags, they have bags for 5¢ at the register.
$0.89 Cabbage each
$0.99 Cauliflower each
$0.99 Red Seedless Grapes, sold in a 2 lb pkg for $1.98
$1.39 Red Potatoes 5 lb bag
$1.59 Pineapple each
$1.49 German Style Sauerkraut, 24 oz
$1.89 Cheese or Mushroom Spaetzle, 4.4-4.6 oz
$1.99 Bavarian Sweet or Mild Mustard with Herbs, 12.3-13.3 oz
$1.99 White Asparagus, 11.5 oz jar
$1.99 Milk or Dark Chocolate Domino Cubes, 8.81 oz
$2.19 Cinnamon Sugar or Original Pretzel Dough, 14.3-16.6
$8.99 Black Forest Smoked Ham, 3 lbs
Observation Report 1/Draft
To contact us Click HERE
Respect, engagement, knowledge, and positive expectations promote intellectual growth.
Observation purpose:To gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them. In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to and understand them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and incorporate things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences and tools that they can relate to, thus hopefully diminish a cultural learning barrier that we may be unaware of. Awareness: I realize that I have to be open to watching for biases within myself. Effective teachers enable effective learning.
Group plan: use Prezi to share what we have learned about the culture of adolescents from our combined observations (Tammy, Ellyssa, Anne, and Ana).
What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?1. Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well). The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together.2. Most have cell phones or smart phones.3. Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful. The boys tend to wear hats. When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group. 4. High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school; 5. Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.6. It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same race.7. High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.8. High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch. 9. Most purchases were made by students in high school. 10. Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.11. All ages and sexes like going to movies.12. African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.13. All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.14. Some families are mixed races.15. Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more16. Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.
Observation purpose:To gain an understanding of what youth from different cultures do, how they interact, what their interests are, and what appears to be important to them. In attempting to understand these factors, we can better relate to and understand them, find commonalities to share, celebrate differences, and incorporate things that are of interest to them into lesson plans that will not only engage them, but offer real world experiences and tools that they can relate to, thus hopefully diminish a cultural learning barrier that we may be unaware of. Awareness: I realize that I have to be open to watching for biases within myself. Effective teachers enable effective learning.
Group plan: use Prezi to share what we have learned about the culture of adolescents from our combined observations (Tammy, Ellyssa, Anne, and Ana).
What do I know from the observations at Rivertown Crossings Mall?1. Adolescents like to hang out at the mall as couples, threesomes, groups, and with family (especially with Moms and often with Grandmas as well). The central meeting area is the food court and most of them eat together.2. Most have cell phones or smart phones.3. Younger (middle schoolers) are more active, louder, and playful. The boys tend to wear hats. When the group separates to explore the mall or stay behind, they separate by genders (males together, females together), then come back together as a mixed group. 4. High school students hang out as couples; not so much with middle school; 5. Even at the mall students may be bored as evidenced by a few middle school girls while the boys were away.6. It seemed to me that the groups or trios were primarily comprised of the same race.7. High school girls like shopping at Charlotte Ruse.8. High school and middle school boys shop at Pac Sun and Abercrombie and Fitch. 9. Most purchases were made by students in high school. 10. Group of 3 Latino high school boys wearing non-name brand clothing.11. All ages and sexes like going to movies.12. African Americans primarily in larger groups, may be mixed in age bringing along younger siblings.13. All ethnicities appear to favor Monster energy drinks.14. Some families are mixed races.15. Adolescents were with families more during the early part of the afternoon; late afternoon and early evening, they were without parents much more16. Several teens worked at clothing stores or restaurants; girls mostly at clothing stores.
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