Final Service Learning Project by Kira Rodriguez https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey December 14, 2017 en-us 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC 2017-12-15 04:34:34 UTC hello@padlet.com Reflection on Service Learning Experience: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656830 My Service Learning Experience will be unforgettable. It's such a blessing and I'm very lucky for even getting to work with  teachers and help them complete their goals.Students are eager to learn and are always ready to take on new challenges.  Motivation is the major key in the classroom. Motivation directs behavior toward particular goals. It affects learning and achievement and without it, we can’t achieve our goals.I gained more experience in this class than I've had in any class ever before in college. The amount of time and dedication I put into this project proves it. Working together with teachers helped me build leadership skills and civic responsibility. I can now demonstrate knowledge and skills related to teaching and learning,differentiation of instruction and the learning environment needed to meet various learning needs and styles.When I reflect back, the person I was before I took  this course, had no idea or knowledge that the physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting student morale and learning or that students' involvement in the process of creating their environment can empower them, develop community and increase motivation.The person I was before taking this course was clueless and I had no idea if I actually wanted to continue my future career as a teacher. After taking this course my views and perspectives changed on the career of a teacher. The experiences I learned will be carried with me in my future career. The amount of respect I earned was an incomparable benefit that I received from this service project.If there is one thing I want people to know it’s that I am enormously grateful for this experience and I hope future students taking this course can have a moment that is as life-changing. I will continue to volunteer in schools and I will continue to change the way students view "school" as.]]> 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656830 Impact on Student Learning: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656831  The SMART Goals, strategies and challenges students had,  proved to be helpful to the students and provided Ms. Irizarry feed back on what students can improve on. After reviewing some assessments the students took this month, Ms. Irizarry determined that every single student made progress in Reading and Math! It shows that my instructional practice met the needs of the students as well as encouraged their learning by their overall final mastery of the content, making my hard work a strong impact in all students education and learning! I would always let the students know that I was available before and after school and during lunch if they needed extra help with anything.  I found that many students took advantage of this and it was reflected in the grades they received and the assessments they completed. How I originally planned this Service Learning Project is how it went and I couldn't be more proud of the teacher, myself and the students, because their progress really showed.]]> 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656831 Lessons Learned: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656833 I have learned from students that new learning can be overwhelming. Many students have great difficulty when challenged by rigorous coursework and that's why it is super important to always provide the help they need,when they need it. I have learned that different students learn at different rates because some made more progress than others and learned it in a shorter amount of time. Students are exceedingly concerned with their final grades and miss the value of learning the content. This is the most frustrating lesson I have learned. Students of this generation are often pressured to achieve. Failure is not an option and will never be an option in school.The lessons I  learned from the students and teachers challenge me to acknowledge the diversity in learning styles, knowledge, qualities and skills. Feedback is critical to success and thanks to Ms. Irizarry I have learned feedback is one of the most important things in the teaching career, because not all teachers are the same and they each have their own teaching styles.If we can set aside our insecurities, people will often give us great insights we couldn’t receive any other way.True learning is not just about gaining knowledge or sharing knowledge, it's also about willingly wanting to change and grow. It’s about searching for answers and guiding students in the right direction and that's one of the most important lessons I have learned.

]]> 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656833 Challenges: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656835 Even though there were many challenges, the one I found to be the most challenging was teaching each of the students how to write in complete sentences.For that, I came up with three verified steps that helped the students check on “completeness” when writing sentences and students made a big improvement in Writing. It was difficult (but not impossible) to have non-English speaking students understand some of the classroom material. I began to teach them how to write simple English sentence structures in order for them to keep improving this school year in Reading and Writing.Teachers often only have resources for their own grade, but are challenged with meeting the needs of students who are ahead or behind their grade levels, which was one of the challenges Ms. Irizarry and I also had. Challenges will never stop me from having students improve and progress. At the end of the day, all that matters is that a student made progress and will continue to improve educationally.]]> 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656835 Overview of Learning Project: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656836  During my service learning hours, I made a great amount of progress in a short amount of time. I assisted Second Grade students with reading, writing and math when they needed help or improvement. Overall, my main focus was to have students improve in different learning areas, which was very successful. By analyzing the student’s work, I could gather data on what students needed most help with, this is what led me to implement new strategies and give Ms. Irizarry new advice based on my view and perspective. I supervised and worked with groups up to 5 children in all subjects. It’s impressive how a student can quickly develop a skill if you just sit down with them and provide them with the help they need. Students achieved mastery on all the SMART goals and our goals were extremely successful. I established a trusting and honest relationships with students and teachers through positive interactions and conversations. My Service Learning Project was overall an unforgettable experience, meaningful and most importantly, successful. ]]> 2017-12-13 01:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656836 SMART Goals: kirarodri https://padlet.com/kirarodri/9sjf0e9a0sey/wish/215656837 The Smart Goals we have made progress in our classroom environment are:
1. Have greater knowledge in math skills (Addition, Subtraction) by December.
2. Help below grade level students in Reading and Math skills so students could make progress and be on grade level.
3.Acquire better reading skills (Phonics, Comprehension) by December.
4. Meet students needs in Reading, Writing and Math.
5. Gain skills in writing complete sentences, by December.
6. Move below grade level students to grade level and others above grade level.
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