Finally (:

After months of preparing for Senior Project I'm finally done. I didn't think I'd feel such relief but also a bit of sadness. The end is so close. 

Now I worry about college and how I'll be attending Cal State San Bernardino this fall. I'm very excited because I got into their Nursing Program and I can't wait to purse a career in really into. No one has said that it would be easy but in the end iPoly was worth all of the tears. 

I feel more than prepared to embark on this new adventure. The hard work has all paid off. 

Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I am most proud of being able to explain each of my answers to fullest capability and being able to relate personal mentorship experience to all of them. When I was practicing at home for my presentation I was hitting about 7 minutes on my answer one and another 7 minutes on my answer two. During my lesson though all of the information that I gathered up over the year seemed to flow out of me at all the right times and I started hitting over 10 minutes per answer. I felt like that was a great accomplishment. 


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

I would give my myself a P or P+ because I met all of the requirements stated on the contract as well as went a bit beyond into accommodating my room in order to transform it into something that would look more like my mentorship. I feel like I presented myself well and get through my presentation pretty smoothly. 

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P         AP       CR       NC

P or P+

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

What worked for me in my senior project way was that I had a solid idea of what I wanted to focus on and I had two mentored that were able to answer any questions I had. I feel like I had an advantage to others with their project just because of that fact. I also knew that these teachers were experts in their field because I remember them since I was in diet grade. They have a lot of experience and it made my senior project flow smoothly. 

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

If I could go back the only think I would change would be the amount of days I spent at mentorship. I wish I could've gone more often because I would learn so much on the days that I did go and I regret not finding out what I could've learned from those kids. 

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

My senior project was helpful because it helped me see that I would not be able to follow my career path of being a teacher because I have little patience when left alone with a class of 35 kids. I learned that although you can make great bonds with students you take a lot of their stories home and I felt like the responsibility to help them learn was entirely on me. It really was an eye opener to what could happen and what would happen if I chose this as a career, so I am now focusing on becoming a nurse. 

Blog 22: Mentorship

Content:


Literal
· Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties updated on the right hand side of your blog

(This is seen on my blog)

· Traci Johnson- E.J. Marshall Elementary School

Interpretive
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

The most important thing that I gained from my Senior Project was learning how to work for others and not just for myself. When I was put in charge of a class or lesson it was really my responsibility to help others learn without trying to assume they knew the obvious. I had to learn that it didn't matter how easy the topic was, I had to repeat how to get an answer multiple times without getting frustrated. I really learned to work for others because all the lessons I prepared were for students of a way younger age so I new I wouldn't benefit as much as they did.

Applied
How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ? Please explain.

I think what I've done helped me answer my EQ because I made sure to back up my research as well as asked about my researched when I had time with my mentor. I also implemented all the techniques I thought were useful from my research in a real class setting to see which worked, if they proved to be successful they were turned into my answers if there was enough evidence to support them. Nothing I did in my time there was done without a further explanation, I always asked my mentor why other authors and experts had strong opinions about topics, she would help explain why as well as show me in class how all those methods worked.

Blog 20: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

My essential question is, What is the most effective teaching method to raise standardized test scores? 

My three answers to raise test scores are, do not teach to the test, allow a creative outlet and implement a routine and alignment. 

My best answer would have to be to not teach to the test. The reason being that most articles and teachers try to implement this. It seems to be the most effective because it allows for all students to learn every step of the lesson all the time. Without missing steps it is easier for students to be involved and caught up in all classroom activities. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

Most of the reasoning behind me choosing it, was because of my mentorship and independent components. I really saw what it was like to implement this action myself when I taught lessons, and I was also able to catch it when either of my mentors did this during their class sessions. It seemed like the most important part to ensure your students were fully prepared and capable to take a cumulative test at the end of their year. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

The only problem I really faced was trying to compare how I was used to testing and teaching to the ways common core changed it. My mentors were being trained on the spot as well as the year went along, so I had to step in and educate myself on what these new changes would mean to the instructor and to the students. Trying to teach in a way I wasn't taught or used to made it hard to answer students questions of "why?"

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

The most significant sources I used were my mentors and my personal research that was only based around my best answer. Asking questions to my mentors would bring up new perspectives that I would later read about in my research and that allowed me to be able to apply this to my whole project while I was set to be in charge of a classroom. 

Be prepared with evidence and specific examples to support any response.  It is also significant to cite sources as you explain.

April Blog

Independent Component II:

ALL of April I was dedicated to my Independent Component. At first I didn't think it would be so much work, but all the small details are what made the research portion harder. Taking in the interest of every student made the project more complicated but also more personal. Each student was heard through this second time around compared to the first one where all I did was prepare a lesson. What made this part of my Senior Project special was the fact that I grew a lot closer to my students, even though it seemed to drag at parts I feel like it helped everyone all around.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Content:

LITERAL

(a) Include this statement: “I, Daisy Torres, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 31.5 hours of work.”

(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

"Sixth Grade Math Worksheets." Free Printable Sixth Grade Math Worksheets. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 

Apr. 2015.

"Everyday Mathematics." Everyday Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

Another very helpful source was my second mentor Mr. Ball. I've been spending most/almost all of my hours in his classroom. He taught me how to manage the class and helped me plan my lesson and survey.

(c) Update your Independent Component 2 Log (which should be under your Senior Project Hours link)

You can look at these hours on my blog. 

(d) Explain what you completed. 

With my independent component I did service hours helping with many lessons in class as well as helping the students learn. I was able to take a survey with abstract answers and turn it into a lesson that would help the students in the long run. 

 
INTERPRETIVE
Defend your work and explain the component's significance and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work. 

This senior project component was significant because it is based around most of my best answer. I was trying to prove that by relating a lesson or subject with things that the students like then they will be able to enjoy the process and remember it for a longer period of time. Since I was a bit more experienced this time around I was able to handle a class on my own for longer lessons which helped me get the feel of how I had to teach my own lesson. I also learned a lot just by volunteering so often to get my hours done, by getting to know my students I was able to create a very personalized lesson because of the survey. That was a key part to this project, I learned so much from the prerequisites I gave myself that I realized what I needed for my actual lesson. 

(Below are pictures of the environment I worked in as well as screenshots of my created survey and worksheets.)

 
APPLIED
How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 

This component helped me answer my EQ because I revolved it around the evidence I had found. I had controlled groups to see if relating the review sheet to what students liked would actually help, versus traditional numbers. I also took into account what students were interested in prior to trying to teach them a new topic. I feel like my results really proved what a teacher must do in order to help with long term memory for the end of the year tests. most students had said that lessons weren't fun and that they crammed to study for things like the CST, I tried to eliminate all the negative aspects of what they thought and applied my answers to them, and I have to say that even my mentor was impressed by how fast students were grasping the mini lessons I taught.

March Madness

This month at mentorship was a bit slower than others. Prep for testing has now begun and even though my best answer is to not teach to the test, this is what I am seeing most in class. The students seem to react normal to this because it's what they have been taught in years prior but I think if my mentor tried to teach her own way the students would find it more fun and would remember everything better than they do now. I hope that once everyone is back from spring break, the students also come back with the enthusiasm to learn everyday until summer.

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

Content: Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. The focus of your questions should be on your answer to your EQ.

What is the most effective method to raise standardized test scores?

1. What is the most helpful source you turn to for new teaching methods?
2. Have you seen a change in student performance with the new Common Core State Standards?
3. How do you manage to keep your students on task at all times?
4. What was a method you used for the old California Standards test?
5. Is there any teaching method you implement that works no matter what you teach?
6. What is one method that definitely doesn't work in any classroom?
7. How do you adapt your students to new strategies? 
8.  What excites the students most about learning?
9. Do you think that creating level groups in class helps the students learn better? Why?
10. What do you think is the hardest part of getting high test scores at the end of the year?
11. Have you tried implementing the arts to teach new concepts? Did it work out?
12. How would you explain your personal teaching style?
13. Do you think the students should adapt to the test, or the test to the students? Why?
14. Should the parents be more involved in the students' learning?
15. How does Common Core training help you in the class?
16. Do you think some of the material you teach is outdated?
17. Would a technological approach help students raise their test scores? Why?
18. What is a struggle that people fail to see within a classroom?
19. How can a teacher get at least 75% of their class to pass with a Proficiency score?
20. How would you go about answering my essential question?

Blog 17: Third Answer

Content:



What is the most effective method to raise standardized test scores?  

One of the most effective ways to raise standardized test scores is by allowing a creative outlet during lessons. 

• Creativeness helps students retain information for longer periods of time. 
• When students are allowed to do something they love along with a lesson they become more attentive. 
• Students look forward to learning. 

Press, Associated. "Here's a 50-state Look at How the Common Core Is Playing out in the U.S." Deseret News National. N.p., 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2014 

I think this answer might be my second best, I feel like children and teachers both benefit from this method.

Finding Answers

Recently at mentorship I've had a lot of time to help students out one on one, and to see how they've progressed with their grades. I find that since Common Core is still very new, it's hard to try to help answer all their questions as well as trying to answer my EQ. It has been through research that I've come to find answers. I'm hoping that through my second independent component I can find an answer that fits my needs. 

Blog 16: Answer 2

1.  What is your EQ?

What is the most effective teaching method to raise standardized test scores? 

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

One effective teaching method to raise standardized test scores is to not teach to the test. 

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Another teaching method to raise standardized test scores is to teach with alignment. 

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

-organization 

-time management 

-learning with discipline 

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

"Teaching Challenges: The Challenges of Teaching." Teaching Challenges: The Challenges of Teaching. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014. 2009

6.  What other source supports your answer?

Another source that helped me come up with this is my mentor. 

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

I feel like my second answer won't be my best answer but I know it'll move me along in the process of finding more examples and activities to go song with my presentation. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2

Content:

Please review the component contract on page 12 of the senior project packet.   The Independent Component 2 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research.  The goal of the component is for you to explore your answers in more depth.  On Friday, April 24, 2014, you will be turning in the following to your blog to prove completion of this component:

·       Log of hours on an digital spreadsheet (with total number of hours included)

·       Evidence of the 30 hours of work (e.g. transcript, essays, tests, art work,    

        photographs) as digital artifacts

·       LIA

The senior team expects that your log will be on the right hand side of your blog in the Senior Project Hours link.   In addition to this,  we expect that you will be able to prove the total 30 hours of work by submitting evidence to the blog by the due date.  For this blog post and approval, please answer the following questions.

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I'm honestly not sure what I plan on doing but I was thinking along the lines of helping the teacher with end of the year testing. So I'd be researching and helping my mentor get the students ready to test. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I think I'll show evidence by taking pictures like last time, making my worksheets to turn in and showing up he research that went into it. 

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This component should help me find in depth research about Common Core and that helps because my whole project is based off of the Common Core Standards and how to teach them. 

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.

I did this. 

Independent Component 1

• LITERAL
  (a) Write: “I, Daisy Torres, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 33.5 hours of work.”

• (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

"A Positive Approach to Teaching Negative Numbers | Scholastic.com." Scholastic Teachers. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.

Apart from that article that really narrowed things down and put the topic into perspective, both of my mentors, Mr. Ball and Mrs. Johnson also helped me find new ways to teach. 

• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.

I have my hours updated and you can see those through my blog. 

• (d) Explain what you completed. 

Through my independent component I completed hours or service and helping kids as well as the teachers with the stuff I could handle in class I also learned new methods and taught myself, with help, how to teach a new subject to a group of elementary school children. 

• INTERPRETIVE 
  Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  
  

I feel like my independent component is significant because it actually was teaching me how to apply myself when teaching. My whole senior project and answers are based around how to teach and why certain methods are better than others. By me getting prepared with research and by helping the teachers I was able to teach a lesson with a lot of confidence. Not only did I do work while at mentorship but also on my spare time by just observing small things such as how children learn to read. I feel like I truly gained a lot from this experience and I already have plans for my second component. 

• APPLIED
  How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this. 

This component helped me understand my topic foundation better because I actually had to go out and dig for answers on my own, not just by interviews. It was a real life experience that I didn't just read about in an article. During my teaching I realized that sometimes it's very hard for a teacher to get to all the questions because you have to focus on the needs of the whole as well as the individual. While I executes the lesson I had been planning for I would have 4 kids with their hands up at a time, and by knowing the children I would know who to go to first and answer their question. I also came to find that relationships with students are very one on one and you build a personal relationship that allows you to understand each of them better. I feel like my first answer really came out of my time with my mentor because I would see the struggle when a student couldn't remember how to do a certain step. I hope that the rest of my time there will be just as insightful. 

Independent Component

With independent component being due right around the corner I have been devoting
a lot of my time to research and rehearsing how I would present this to a class
of sixth graders.  It's nerve-racking to try to teach someone that is younger
because they don't comprehend topics the same way I do. I know I will need a lot of
patience but I have it planned out with a worksheet and I'll have them partner off so
that they can also teach other. I feel like my time at iPoly will definitely influence
the way I'm going to teach this topic on Tuesday.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

Content:

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

What I am most proud of is how well the activity went. I honestly thought that people wouldn't be engaged but I guess the concept captivated them and that surprised me.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I feel that I deserve a P because once you look down the contract, I met the specific requirements of time, intro and conclusion, volume, eye contact and professionalism. I kept my presentation clean and to the point in order for everyone to understand with multiple examples. 

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

I think what worked for me was the fact  that I recited what I wanted to say at least 10 times before actually performing it. 

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

I would definitely try to improve my time, I was very close to be short on time by about 15 seconds. I need to learn how to pace and how to add for informative content. 

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

I feel like my answer two will be alignment in the classroom with activities, work and tests. I would have to find more evidence to prove it right. 

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

Content:

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship? 

I am doing my mentorship at E.J. Marshall Elementary School in Chino, CA. 

2.   Who is your contact?

My contact is my mentor Traci Johnson, she is the one I spend most of my time with. 

3.  How many total hours have you done?

In total I have completed 15 and a half hours without including independent component. 

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

The 10 hours of service I have done included; grading tests, helping the students with Native American projects, teaching them to use PowerPoint and helping them on class work. 

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project? 

Over break the only work I did on senior project was try to change around my lesson plan because I couldn't really meet with my mentor because they were out for break as well. I also tried to start planning out my lesson 2. 


2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

I honestly think that the only thing I learned on break was how to manage time a bit more efficiently because I didn't do research all I did was plan out lessons and components. 

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I feel like I would want to talk to someone who has had a wide variety of teaching places and grade levels to see if one strategy works for everyone.