EEND678Y2- Reflection Post 2

This semester, I am taking a technology class from the University of St. Francis. This the fourth technology course I have taken from USF, and this course had an assignment that required us to find and apply for an educational grant.  Grants have always seemed overwhelming to me. As a teacher who is fortunate to teach in a school district with many resources, and supportive Home and School partnerships, I has always been a little leery to apply for a grant for my classroom. I've worried that my school would seem "needy" enough for a grant, or my idea would not be worthy of a grant.My coworker found the grants that were available through the Meemic foundation, and I found that the application was much easier than I thought. I took a risk and applied, fingers crossed! 

I focused my grant on adding to my classroom break space. With the implementation of new Social Emotional Learning curriculum (SEL), we were encouraged to create Break Spaces or Cool Down corners within my classroom. I was fortunate that my principal bought me a beanbag chair last year to start my break space, and all kindergarten teachers were given a small divider to create a safe break space within our classroom. Our LBS and OT teachers also helped furbish several fidgets for our break space, but there were many other fidgets that I've added to our break space. With the funding from my Meemic grant, I would be able to have several new fidgets, and supply my teammates with new fidgets for their break spaces as well. I'd also have enough fidgets that my students could use them while on the carpet, or working at their desks, and not just within the break space. I also asked for a weighted lap blanket, to help my students with sensory needs, as several sensory seat cushions. I won't find out until August if my grant was selected, but I can't wait to see if mine was selected! 

Here is the link to find the grant application. 

EEND- 678Y2- Reflection Post 1

One of the requirements for EEND-678Y2 was to create a Problem Based Learning (PBL) Understanding by Design (UbD) unit. At first this assignment seemed daunting, as our district had switched several years ago from using the UbD model, to curriculum maps. As a result, this assignment really forced me to shift my thinking, and approaching lesson planning from a different perspective. It took some time, and collaboration from my peers in EEND-678Y2 to determine how PBL could fit into my kindergarten classroom. I was fortunate to have great conversations with another kindergarten and first grade teacher, who helped me narrow down my PBL ideas.

In the end I further explored our construction unit, and took a one day lesson, and expanded it into an entire unit. My students really enjoyed building bridges, which was one component of our construction unit. I was able to implement many of the activities I had selected for this PBL activity into my classroom this year, and my students LOVED it. While, we are receiving new science curriculum next year, and I won't be able to reuse this lesson, I am confident that I can take what I've learned and apply it to other subject areas.

J-Alltop PBL Lesson Plan