Thinking & Writing Wrinkles

Letter from Mrs. Jordan

Mrs. Jordan sent the nicest letter to Mrs. Hooper about the Georgia State student's visit to J. H. House. Mrs. Jordan gave me permission to post this for you to see.  You should feel proud because all of you students are what make J.H. House so special!

GSU Literature Circles Group Meets the Wrinkles Group

    

This past Monday, November 3rd, was a very special day at J. H. House Elementary School!  The Georgia State University preservice teachers (who are participating in the Literature Circles EduBlog group) made a field trip to this dynamic elementary school.  They had a day full of  learning.  They visited classrooms and some of the special teacher classrooms like art, music, and technology.  The goal was to let these students see the importance of these classes to the regular curriculum.  They also learned about the "At-Risk Committee that oversees every child.  You see every child at J. H. House is considered at-risk in that the staff doesn't want any child overlooked from those with specific learning needs, to the average child, to the gifted child. The needs of the growing ESL population are also addressed through this committee. The committee is composed of administration and classroom teachers and believe me, no child falls between the cracks at this school!

The highlight of the visit for my Wrinkles group was that they came to the cafeteria near the close of the day to meet and interview the GSU students.  They had lots of questions to ask.  Not every student could answer every question but they sure gave it a valiant effort.  During class today my Wrinkles students wrote stories and published the compiled results of the interview.  The title of the story will be the question asked.  You will enjoy reading these stories.  This was a golden opportunity for the younger weblogging students (JHH) to interview the older webloggging students (GSU) and I had a great time taking lots of pictures!

The interview questions follow.  I have to complement Derrick and Jerry as they finished our first assignment first today and they compiled not just one, but three interview questions each!  Hats off to them and the entire group.  All of you webloggers out there know how much fun it is to meet other webloggers face-to-face!  The GSU students are going to comment on the stories this coming Monday.  Now that's something my kids are looking forward to.  Of course, as always, we welcome your comments, too!

What did you learn in your music class?

What did you learn in your technology class?

What did you learn in your art class?

What did you learn about the At-Risk Committee and the ESL population?

What was the most awesome thing you saw today?

What was your favorite part of the day?

What were the three most important things you learned today?

What do you think about the children in this school?

If you had to write one paragraph about this school, what would it be?

What impressed you the most at this school?

Do you have any suggestions for this school?

What are your reactions to this type of field trip?

If you could ask the educators in this school some questions now, what would they be?

Do you think you would like to teach at this school?

Is there anything that you would like to say about this school?

What did you think about the Wrinkles weblog that these children are doing?

What do you think about the children in this school?

From Derrick.....

What do you think about the children in this school?

• Awesome! Students were courteous, helpful & were accountable for their won behavior.  I had a great time!
• They are fabulous! This school is so calm and comforting. An outsider can see that these children feel at home!
• They have many opportunities to encounter different things.
• These children appear to be well-adjusted and love the school. They are obviously well engaged in their lessons because the behavior here is excellent.
• The students are so well-behaved! They are extremely polite & friendly!
• They are SO well behaved. They are very mature & helpful. I can tell they really enjoy school & learning.
• Well-behaved, respectful, warm/welcoming!
• They are able to express themselves, even in front of adults!
• Very well mannered.
• The children are very enthusiastic learners!
• The children in this school are extremely well-behaved. There is tons of learning going on in each classroom.
• The children are very fortunate to be in this school.
• Theyâre just as cool as they can be!
• They are very well behaved.
• They are so well behaved!
• WOW! They are so well behaved!
• The children are very involved. They work one-on-one with each other & with the teachers. They are also very friendly, helpful, & bright.
• Fully engaged children who are ready to lean & motivated to become life long learners.
• The students seem very well-behaved and like they are eager to be at school learning.
• The students in this school are well behaved. They seem so engaged into the lessons. As I walked down the hallways, all the classes were on task.
• The students at JHHES are very smart and awesome!
• They are ready to learn and so well-behaved.
• They were very well-behaved.
• They are very well behaved and seem very eager to learn.
• They seem to love school and are very well-behaved.
• They are extremely hard working, behave and intelligent individuals.
• Great!

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

What are your reactions to this type of field trip?

From Jerry......

What are your reactions to this type of field trip?

• Enjoyable and knowledgeable
• It was inspiring and reminded me of why I wanted to teach.
• I think this is a very good field trip because we were able to see a great idea of what teaching should be like.
• Great idea to model GSU program, but it could have been shorter.
• This was a very good idea. This trip allowed future teachers to see how a Îrealâ school should be. Everything flows with one another so well. There was something new & different in each area that we attended.
• Fantastic! I was worried at first, but now I think it was a great idea. I have been in six placements. This is the 1st time I have gotten to see an entire special.
• Great experience
• It was great to see an ãexemplaryä school. It was real motivating.
• Itâs good to see specials/real teachers in action.
• I have enjoyed it very much. It has been very informative for me as a future teacher.
• This is a great experience. These teachers should be our professors.
• I am delighted to get to see another school.
• It was wonderful ö a great learning experiment
• Great! I got more out of today than most of my placements.
• It was very educational and beneficial for us prospective teachers!
• This was a great field trip. It showed that we have not seen everything in education.
• It was very helpful to see the real-world. I found it very helpful to see ãclassrooms in action.ä
• I really enjoyed the school. It was nice to see how great teaching could be.

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

Do you have any suggestions for this school?

From Derrick.....

Do you have any suggestions for this school?

• Keep up the good work.
• No. You guys are doing everything perfect.
• You need to share your techniques with other schools and counties!
• Nope, keep up the good work!
• No - but I got suggestions for my own classroom.
• Let other teachers visit you.
• Integrate more about the student's culture. 53% is Hispanic. That's great Social Studies.
• No.
• Not at all.
• Absolutely not!
• The tiles in the Art room, why not paint all the tiles in the school?
• None.
• More student art work displayed on the walls other than around & in the art room.
• Share all your wonderful ideas and programs with other school systems.
• No.
• To hire all of the Georgia State students in May. Please share some of your procedures & curriculum with other elementary schools.
• NO! I wish that more schools could be like this one.
• Expand

Field Trip to J.H. House
Georgia State University Preservice Teachers
November 3, 2003

What impressed you the most at this school?

From Jerry.....

What impressed you the most at this school?

• The staff and the students
• No worksheets!  Everyone was doing something hands-on. No behavioral problems.
• Technology was used in every classroom.
• The technology and the hands-on engaging activities in EVERY classroom.
• I can see such engagement and involvement of the teacher, more than any school Iâve been in.
• All of the hands on work in the lessons.
• The use of technology throughout the school.
• There were no behavioral problems & I saw no worksheets!
• The technology integration throughout the whole school really impressed me.
• The amount of technology used in each classroom.
• Visual arts on the walls & in the classrooms.
• I enjoyed the openness. In addition to everything else I have written thus far I also like the salad bar the teachers have.
• How well-behaved the kids were!  Technology ö you have so much of it.
• The incorporation with technology!
• Technology
• The use of technology
• The use of technology in all classrooms. All teachers seemed to know how to use the technology that was in their classroom.
• I was most impressed by the behavior of the students at J. H. House.
• The students are very well behaved and respectful of others.
• The well-behaved students!
• The behavior of the students. Everyone is polite, respectful, and well behaved.
• EVERYTHING!
• How everyone here is working toward a common goal & plan their lessons according. Also, itâs apparent to an outsider that that goal is.
• The various technology that was used & the remarkable behavior of the students.
• The behavior of the students was excellent.
• The calm flow of the school day
• The dedication of the teachers and the enthusiasm of the teachers.
• Student behavior was excellent. The learning environment was comfortable & interactive. Everyone was on task & seemed genuinely happy to be here.
• The engaging activities in each classroom.

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

Is there anything that you would like to say about this school?

From Juana......

Is there anything that you would like to say about this school?

 

• It is very well run.
The building was so peaceful.
• Everything I have observed has been remarkable
• Thanks for having us!
• There seems to be no management problem because the students seem to be constantly engaged in fun and exciting activities. Everyone seems to be very relaxed and not rushed.
• Itâs not a surprise that your teachers love it here.
• This school should do workshops in other schools.
• It is great!
• Very well run
• Itâs awesome! These kids are lucky and itâs been a wonderful experience.
• I am very impressed with this school!
• Itâs one of a kind!

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

Do you think you would like to teach at this school?

From Cristian.....

Do you think you would like to teach at this school?  Why?

• Yes. The teachers seem to work well together and seem extremely productive.
• The students are also very open and willing to learn.
• Possibly.
• Yes, because the teaching styles that I witnessed are how I would like for myself to teach.
• Yes, because the teachers are very energetic and seem to incorporate a lot of hands-on activities.
• Yes. There is always something to do.
• Yes, if it was closer.
• Yes, the administration staff, teachers, and students are helpful. Everyone seems to strive for the same goal.
• Yes, because this school is so focused on students needs and interests.
• Yes. Positive behavior, use of Bloom­s Taxonomy, engaged students, and academic pacing.
• I would definitely like to teach at the school. I was impressed by all the creative and hands-on knowledge applied.
• Yes! The amount of technology integration is amazing. I would also like to complement this school on the amount of integration throughout the school.
• Yes, because I love the way technology was used in every classroom.
• Absolutely!! Positive atmosphere, everyone works together (including kids). This school is for the kids!! J
• Yes, because the principal seems so nice to work with. I would learn a lot from her.
• Yes, I would like to teach at this school because there is so much learning and growth happening her.  The classrooms are engaged in fun, educational activities.
• Yes, because the materials are integrated.
• I would like to teach at a school with similar teaching ideas.
• Yes, because it appears from a brief visit, that you are really putting theory into practice here. It is a very POSITIVE environment.
• Yes! It is a good atmosphere. Everyone seems supportive of each other. The teachers are supportive of the students. The administration supports the teachers.
• Yes! I have never felt more comfortable and excited to be at a school.
• If I lived closer- absolutely. I would like to teach at a school similar to this closer to my house.
• Yes, I love the organization I have seen so far. The entire school shows that structure is an important element to have in order for academic instruction to flow.
• Absolutely!  I think that this school is full of resources (other teachers) that would greatly benefit a new teacher!
• Yes!!

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

If you could ask the educators in this school some questions now, what would they be?

Interviewing Georgia State Students
By Luz

Have you ever know  how many  girls want to be teachers?  Well the   school brought a lot of girls that want to be teachers . I am certain that   the group of girls that came  will became teachers . I  was scared that I will do something wrong, but when  I started  asking the questions I feel more comfortable. I was having  a lot of fun. My partner was Jennifer. She  is a very smart girl. She wants to be an artist  when she grows up.   I said that I wanted  to be a music  teacher . I had a very fun day but the best thing  is that  they  wanted to be teachers for this school.

Look below for the answers to the following interview question.

If you could ask the educators in this school some questions now, what would they be?

• What management skills do you use to keep your students so well-behaved?
• What is the level of parental involvement?
• What is your secret to management?
• What problems are you working on now?
• How do you put so much technology in your lessons?
• Is your schedule flexible?
• How can I get hired?
• Why do you believe that the kids are so well-behaved?
• How do you have access to so much technology?
• How do you manage to be on the same page?
• Where do you generate such good ideas?
• What are the management strategies school-wide?
• Do you teach most of your lessons without worksheets?
• What are your behavioral expectations?
• Are you required to incorporate hands-on activities during every lesson?
• How much outside planning is required for a typical day?
• How does your school compare to others?

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003

What was your favorite part of the day?

From Jennifer......

What was your favorite part of the day?

• The Art room. I love art, the teacher was great. In addition, the room was awesome ö everything showed student involvement.
• Very hard! Tie between music & art.
• My favorite part of the day was art class. I had never considered being an art teacher until I met Ms. Anthos.
• I enjoyed music- I really liked singing and playing the keyboard with my student-helper.
• Music, it was very engaging and fun!
• I can't narrow that down either!!
• Art class, music class, CNN time, technology ö It was so hard to pinpoint just one, we liked it all.
• Art class was my favorite.  I got to use oil pastels for the first time.
• I liked peeking in P.E. & talking with the weblog students.
• á My favorite part of the day was visiting the art room. I loved the painted ceiling tiles the most.
• My favorite part of the day was coloring with pastels in art.
• Going to art room & CNN.
• I enjoyed going to music.
• Watching the CNN lesson!
• Art class.
• It was all really interesting.
• Playing on the keyboard in music.
• School wide integration. Art was very interesting. She integrated it with social studies.
• Art, music, technology ö all of them!!!
• Speaking to the teachers.
• Playing the keyboard in music.
• The art class.
• Seeing hands-on learning!  What a nice surprise!
• Watching the students do art projects.
• Art & CNN
• Talking to the interviewing children.

Field Trip to J. H. House
Georgia State University preservice teachers
November 3, 2003