What's Inside Your Shoebox?

Yesterday in class we were involved in a very interesting activity where we had to put personal items into a shoebox. Sounds simple right? Well, the meaning of this project goes deeper. We had to put items into our shoebox that we would grab if say there was an emergency and we had to leave our home within five minutes not knowing if we were ever going to be able to come back. Items had to be able to fit in a regular size shoebox. My classmates and I all brought in our shoeboxes to class on Thursday where we met in small groups to discuss our 'artifacts' and why we chose to put them in our shoebox. Afterwards, our entire class put all of our items on a table in the room where we were able to analyze our belongings with our professor Sydney. Sydney asked us questions to further the discussion about the meaning of this activity and what conclusions we could make from observing what others had brought.


This is a picture of all of the items that were sitting on our table.

Many people brought pictures, stuffed animals, trinkets, digital cameras, flash drives, cell phones, MP3 players, and books. It was very interesting to see what items our classmates brought in their shoebox. We noticed how many of us brought pictures of our family and friends. In the past pictures may not have been as popular due to the lack of technology and accessibility of photography. If individuals 100 years from now would dig up our 'artifacts' they may be able to determine that we were family-oriented, enjoyed capturing life's moments with photography and videography, and were quite dependent on technology in general.

When Sydney told us we could take a picture of our items on the table many of us found it amusing when the majority of us quickly stepped towards the table to grab our digital cameras and cell phones. It's amazing the major role that technology places in our lives during the 21st century.

This activity can be a great way for students to find similarities and acknowledge differences between one another. This is an easy way to also work on building a classroom community and have students show respect for one another and their beliefs.

In my shoebox I included many items that I felt were extremely important to me and that I "couldn't live without". I brought along pictures of my dog, best friend, family, and friends. I had a teddy bear, my cell phone, my iPod, car keys, house key (if my house would still be there when I came back), antlers from my first buck I shot, and my external hard drive with all my pictures, music, college work, and videos on it.

When browsing the internet for other blogs pertaining to artifacts and this particular shoebox activity I was very surprised not to find many. However, I was tickled to come across two other blogs from previous Block 2 students who also wrote about their experiences from this activity. It was interesting to see how our classes were similar and/or different.

http://teachoutsidethetext.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-great-way-to-get-students-really.html

http://makingconnectionsinschool.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-would-your-life-in-shoebox-look.html

This is an interesting article about a 9th grade social studies teacher who implemented a shoebox activity into his class as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-alderman/whats-inside-your-shoebox_b_697210.html

Paper Clips Are More Than Just Office Supplies

In class today we watched a very touching and emotional movie called Paper Clips which follows a project led by students and educators at a middle school in Whitwell, Tennessee. When learning about the Holocaust, it was hard for the students to comprehend the idea of 6 million people which is the number of individuals Hitler is responsible for annihilating. After some research, students discovered that paper clips had connections to its history and could be used to represent each person who was a victim.

At first they had struggled to get 6 million paper clips, but once their project became more well known they received thousands of letters and clips. They even received feedback from famous individuals like Tom Hanks, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. The Paper Clips Project was featured in the Washington Post and on many news stations. Paper clips and letters came piling in from around the world. The middle-schoolers, teachers, and community members made a memorial at their school for the survivors and victims of the Holocaust which included a railroad car which transported many Jews to concentration camps. The students also listened to talks given by Holocaust survivors and their families. The students were proud to show them their memorial and efforts.

As I watched this video in class it was hard to hold back the tears. I believe that this project was so meaningful for the students, educators, Holocaust families, community, and the country. It is amazing how much students learned about intolerance and prejudice through this learning experience. They also learned about the powerful effects of letter writing, how community members can give insight to historical events, and how to work in a classroom community which has the same goals. I feel that all educators should watch this movie and reflect on their feelings and views of others. There is no place for prejudice in our classrooms or outside of the school building. Without the teachers' direction and scaffolding this project may not have become so meaningful. As teachers, we must absorb this responsibility that we have to our students to encourage learning that truly touches them and connects with them personally.

I found many other bloggers who had also watched this movie and shared their summary and feelings about it. I have included some of these links below. Feel free to check them out.


http://notoverthehill.com/blog/view/id_12844/title_paper-clips-and-butterflies/

http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/blog/2006/08/paper_clips_pro.html

http://blog.iamequalproject.org/paper-clips-project/

http://kidsoffthecouch.blogspot.com/2009/04/paper-clips-jewish-memorial-kids-off.html

Creating a Classroom Community Through a Cookbook

We are going to be working on an exciting activity in our social studies course. Each person in our class had to bring in a family recipe today which included the title, ingredients, directions, and a description of the person who is responsible for it and why we picked that certain one. We had to share what events the food is made for and how it came to be.

Creating a class cookbook isn't just for fun. There are many educational advantages that go along with this activity. In terms of social studies, this project can help create a classroom community and allow students to learn about the differences in families and their culture.

The recipe I provided for our class recipe book was amazing banana pudding which we call "Going Bananas Banana Pudding". I have provided my recipe below.

Going Bananas Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar

6 1/2 tablespoons of flour

Pinch of salt

1 can of evaporated milk and enough water to make 4 cups

1/2 stick of margarine

3 egg yolks-beaten

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Nilla Wafers

Bananas

In a sauce pan mix sugar, flour, and salt. Add the milk and water slowly while stirring until the flour is dissolved. Add margarine and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Let it cool about 15 minutes and then layer beginning with Nilla Wafers, bananas, and pudding.

Submitted by: Jenn Fink

Origin of recipe: Jan Fink (my mother)

This dish is made by my mother for every family reunion and sometimes for picnics. She occasionally makes it for other holidays when it is requested. I enjoy this recipe because she has also taught me how to make it so that it will be passed down from generation to generation. Although it is a simpler recipe it sure is yummy! We usually eat this dish as a dessert.

Ms. Bogdanski's blog provides her viewpoint on the implementation of a classroom cookbook into her class. She highlights that it can help students learn about diverse traditions and cultures. To conclude her unit she had the students create the dish and bring it into the class for a celebration. Bogdanski also lists the requirements that are expected to be included in each recipe. Feel free to read her blog entry by clicking on the following link:

http://msbogdanski.blogspot.com/2008/04/classroom-cookbook.html

Reflection, Reflection, Reflection

This past Tuesday's class gave us insight into the many aspects involved in the teaching cycle while stressing the importance of reflection as a teacher. Our assigned chapter to read also focused on reflection in the classroom. At first I believed that reflection took place after a lesson had ended, but now I understand that this is false. So much reflection occurs before and during a lesson that it seems it should come naturally to a teacher. Reflection should occur in all lessons throughout the day no matter what subject is being taught whether it be language arts, social studies, mathematics, or science. Reflection should be an integral part of the school day for educators.

Let's break down the three steps as described during Tuesday's class by my professor Sydney Bontrager. First, we have the step of planning the curriculum. Now this step is very complex and involves a lot of reflection. As teachers we must reflect on our students' abilities and background knowledge in addition to applicable standards, resources, and assessments just to name a few. During instruction, we must ask ourselves "Is this working?" and if the students are really understanding the material. If not, we need to have a backup plan. Many more aspects of instruction also demand reflection as well. Moving onto the assessment piece of the lesson, we need to reflect on how we will grade students, whether or not they have met the objectives, if possible extensions or reteaching needs to take place, and what the next step will be as the teaching cycle continues.

It is extremely important to be a reflective educator in all phases of the teaching cycle. I look forward to using reflection in my future classroom and during the rest of my education program at Indiana University South Bend. I foresee myself learning how to also be a more efficient reflector while I get better at reflecting with every lesson I teach.

I have found an interesting blog entry written by Mr. Kevin Bibo as he describes his take on reflection in the classroom. He describes numerous ways to reflect on one's teaching such as sending out surveys to students, watching yourself on videotape teaching a lesson, and having others observe you. Feel free to check out his blog entry at the following link:

http://calteacherblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/teacher-reflection.html

A Picture Says 1,000 Words

In Thursday's class we each brought in a picture that we personally felt was connected in some way to social studies. We took a look at each other's pictures in a small group and analyzed them while taking into consideration six questions. The questions we asked ourselves were:

1. What do you see? (These included facts that we could determine just from looking at the picture.)



2. What can you infer?



3. What is the "story" from looking solely at the picture?



4. What or how does it relate to your life?



5. What would you want to inquire about from analyzing the picture?



6. What standards could you meet with this photo?

Personally, I brought in a picture of the devastation in Nags Head, North Carolina from the recent Hurrican Irene that hit the East Coast. I talked with my group about facts that I could gather from simply looking at the picture. I stated that the road had flooded over and that many houses had water underneath them. I could infer that there would be a lot of time needed for clean up in this area. The story that I felt was behind this picture was that some major occurance had caused this devastation. In terms of how this picture relates to my life I reflected on how my family was planning on visiting Nags Head and the Outer Banks in North Carolina next summer in 2012. When I was younger we also frequently vacationed there as well. I wanted to inquire about how many people lost their homes, who would help with clean up, and how would the city rebuild after this horrible event. When thinking about standards in context with this picture I brainstormed that I could talk about economics as many people had damage to their homes while the city had damage to the streets and other buildings. We could also talk about community as people need to work together to help clean up the area. This would also provide jobs for individuals as well.

The use of analyzing pictures can serve many purposes in the classroom. Having students work in groups can increase participation and collaboration. Students could be involved in many different types of writing such as a friendly letter to the people of Nags Head, a persuasive piece to others who can help during these hard times, or a poem about what they see from the picture.

I found a great blog entry involving how pictures by themselves can make such a strong statement. The particular book in this entry talks about earthquakes but we can also use the pictures for social studies. Just like with my picture of the devastation from the recent hurricane, we can use those pictures to go beyond the idea of the natural diaster itself and think about how it will affect our society and history. The blogger adds how including interesting pictures into our teaching can keep our students engaged and excited about learning.

Feel free to check out the effects of integrating pictures in our classroom by clicking on the following link. Notice how the blogger states that pictures can be "powerful". This is such a strong idea as we reflect on how we can incorporate pictures into many of our classroom lessons.

http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/2619

In addition, I found another blog by Keith Schoch where he focuses on the Civil War and how pictures can bring out feelings in children and make those times come to life so many years later. The images in the books he selected are very vivid and almost look like they were taken with a camera. The information he provides about the role of pictures in social studies is exciting.

Feel free to check out his blog at the following web address:

http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/nation-divided-exploring-civil-war.html