X.+Community+Principle

During my student teaching placement at Wilson Commencement I involved my students in a community field trip to the University of Rochester Department of Astrophysics. This field trip included professor of Astronomy Judith Pipher, who delivered a presentation on extrasolar planets and the detection methods that astronomers have developed for discovering these planets. Following this presentation the students received a tour of the Astrophysics laboratory where they were able to see detectors that the department designs for stellar imaging. To conclude the field trip the students participated in a computer simulation that allowed them to use a method of planetary detection described during Dr. Pipher’s presentation in order to determine if their extrasolar planet was in a habitable zone around its mother star (10.1a, p.2).
 * //__10. COMMUNITY PRINCIPLE__//**
 * //10.1//** **//Candidates value and seek out parental and community involvement.//**

I sought out and valued parental involvement during S.T.A.R.S. and my teaching placements. We asked for parental involvement in our S.T.A.R.S. program at our final celebration in January. My team made phone calls home and sent personalized letters inviting parents to the event. We even made arrangements with parents to allow us to pick up their child and bring them to the event so that they may participate in their celebration. I also worked with parents during my student teaching placements. In particular, one parent at Edison requested updates on her son’s backwork, upon which I supplied the paperwork and materials he had incompletes on.


 * //10.2//** **//Candidates are able to communicate effectively with parents/caregivers and colleagues.//**

When I was at Wilson Commencement I participated in an investigation to make a positive phone call home. I selected a student that I had seen development and achievement in their work and the benefit in receiving such a call home for their motivation and interest in their education. Though the phone call was not answered when I called, I left a message and a return phone number so that the parent could contact my cooperative teacher or myself and I could share the positive news. The parents did return the call, which my cooperative teacher answered and provided the positive feedback (10.2a). I also participated in a parent-teacher conference at Wilson Commencement. I was able to effectively talk towards a students achievement and needs by displaying that students grade report and involving the student in the conversation, both regarding how they felt they were doing, and a plan to increase their achievement.

I had numerous opportunities to interact with colleagues in both my placements, as well as in S.T.A.R.S. and the GetReal! Science Camp. At Wilson Commencement I was in a paired placement with an Earth Science student teacher. We were able to effectively plan lessons together, co-teach lessons by altering topics to teach, and share the workload of a regular teacher, such as daily attendance, phone calls home, grading, etc (10.2b). In co-teaching lessons we would often alternate between one of us presenting material or facilitating a discussion, while the other observes the room or works with any student in need of understanding or help. I was also able to interact with other teachers at Wilson Commencement during a field trip to Watson Homestead near Corning, NY, where students investigated streams and ponds. This included supervising students, facilitating questions in the lab and in the field, and organizing events during the day. I also worked with colleagues by borrowing resources from other teachers for our instruction and student learning which included masses, dynamic carts, magnets, and power sources.

At Edison I was able to work with and observe the interaction between colleagues in a new venue. My cooperative teacher and another science teacher alternated teaching a 9th grade physics course. This required that they planned and communicated together effectively and almost daily in order to be prepared for their next class. When my cooperative teacher was absent for a few days I facilitated this communication by informing the other teacher of the behaviors, achievements, and setbacks of the class while the substitute implemented my cooperative teachers plan.

S.T.A.R.S. and the GetReal! Science Camp allowed me to plan lessons and co-teach lessons alongside colleagues from the cohort. For these lessons we had to set goals, and make objectives that aligned with NYS and National standards. We held weekly (S.T.A.R.S.) and daily (GetReal! Science Camp) meetings to plan these lessons and communicate with each other about these objectives, as well as the assessments and procedures for the lesson (10.2c, 10.2d). Each week/day would have a specified leader that would write up the lesson and be responsible for teaching the bulk of the lesson. The other teachers would work with the students to assist this instruction and provide the teacher with resource preparation and maintenance. In order to do this we had to ensure everyone understood the lesson during planning meetings and that we continuously communicated during lessons in order to foster smooth transitions and learning situations.


 * NSTA – Community Principle**
 * 10.d Candidates interact effectively with colleagues, parents, and students; mentor new colleagues; and foster positive relationships with the community.**

An example of a larger community interaction, which includes colleagues, is my involvement in presenting at Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) in Fall 2009. Two of my peers from the cohort presented with me on authentic assessment, discussing what authentic assessment is, why authentic assessment is important, the basis for authentic assessment, different opportunities for authentic assessment, examples of authentic assessment, and finally a comparison to standard assessments (10.d_a). This presentation was later brought back into our own cohort classroom, where my two peers and myself taught a lesson on authentic assessment to the rest of our cohort, effectively mentoring them on the topic. From this class we developed a list of assessments and identified their purpose in a four square chart that included formative and summative assessments as one dimension, and formal and informal assessments on the other dimension (10.d_b). I was able to interact effectively with parents at both the GetReal! Science camp presentations and the STARS celebration and presentations. This interaction was made visible during those presentations, as well as beforehand by phone calls home and reminder messages about the event dates.

[|IMG_1003.JPG] [|IMG_0996.JPG] [|IMG_0989.JPG] [|IMG_0979.JPG] || UR Astronomy Field Trip Pictures and Habitable Zone Student Work ||
 * //__Evidence__//**
 * Evidence # || Embedded or Linked Objects || Description ||
 * 10.1a || [|2010.01_-_Astronomy_Habitable_Planet_Simulation_Z+T_-_Turkett.JPG]
 * 10.2a || [[file:20091019-Investigation5-BTurkett.doc]] || Phone Call Home - EDF 416 Investigation 5 ||
 * 10.2b || [[file:Wilson Commencement Dec 14-18 Jan 4-15.doc]] || Wilson Commencement Warner Lesson Plans ||
 * 10.2c || [[file:20091129-EDU434StarsAppendixALessonPlans-BTurkett.doc]] || STARS Lesson Plans ||
 * 10.2d || [[file:20090803-EDU486UnitPlan-BTurkett.doc]] || Get Real! Science Camp Unit Plan ||
 * 10.d_a || [|2009.10_-_STANYS_Presentation_on_Assessment_-_Turkett.JPG] || STANYS Presentation Poster - Authentic Assessment ||
 * 10.d_b || [[file:Authentic assessment EDU 434.pdf]] || Authentic Assessment Presentation in EDU 434 ||

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