1

Person Reflective Journal

EDUC 5613-A1
Shaina Peter-Paul
St. Thomas University

Table of Contents
Methods & Strategies
Round Table Pg. 2
One Stray Three Stay Pg. 3
Continuum Line Pg. 4
Ice Breakers Pg. 5
Inquiry (20 Questions) Pg. 6
Photo SQL (See, question, learn) KWL Pg. 7
Discrepant Event (Story) Pg. 8
Sponge Pg. 9
Teach Through Drama Pg. 10

Article Response
Week 1: Creating a Caring Classroom Pg. 11
Week 2: Lesson Planning Pg. 12
Week 3: People, Place and Environment Pg. 13
Week 4: Learning Centers Pg. 14
Week 5: Continuity and Change Pg. 15
Week 6: Discovery Box Pg. 16

Round Table
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Purpose:
The purpose of this method is to get students working in groups or whole class sharing their
knowledge. This method could be used as a sharing circle and instead of each student taking the
time to speak, students can write on the communal piece of paper. This method could also act as
an Ice Breaker, if it is used for the activity Uncommon Commonalities. During class time, this
method can be used as a tool to gather students knowledge on certain topics/___. As well as a
tool for equal participation within groups working on a project together where students need to
express ideas and opinions, and overall a great tool for group work brainstorming.
Materials:
Paper
Writing utensil (Pencil, pen, crayon, marker, etc.)
Time Required:
The time required depends on the number of students participating in the activity. Every student
should have the opportunity to participate. It should take approximately 30 seconds per student.
Steps:
1. Gather students into groups of approximately 4.
2. Students should all have a writing utensil and all groups to have a piece of paper.
3. The teacher will instruct what the topic or point of the activity is or provide students with
a prompt
4. Groups will pass the paper to every member, allowing each of them approximately 30
seconds to write their ideas, opinions or answers to any teacher prompt.
5. Once everyone has written on the paper, have a group conversation about the information
gathered on the paper.
End Result:
The end result of this method is for students to share their ideas, opinions and/or knowledge
through writing on a communal document. Providing the students with a document containing
information gathered from all members of the group.

Article/ Web References:

https://educators.brainpop.com/teaching-tip/roundtable-learning-strategy/
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4777?ref=search

One Stray and Three Stay

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Purpose:
This strategy provides students to be in control of their own learning and learning through peers.
Students will become knowledgeable about a certain topic and then be responsible to teach what
they know to small group settings with their peers.
Materials:
- Information on a variety of topics that students are expected to learn.
- Recording sheet
- Writing utensils
Time Required:
Approximately 30 minutes, but dependent on the information the students are required to learn
and/or the number of students in the class.
Steps:
1. Students will be put into groups of 4 preferably (Groups could range if need be).
2. Groups will be provided information on a variety of topics, enough for each of the
students in the group.
3. The group will have a short period to read their information and present to their groups
main ideas/points.
4. The group will then decide who will be the three to stay at their table and wait for strays
from the other groups. The one who will be the stray will go teach the topics to other
groups.
5. Those that stay are provided a recording sheet to capture the main points of all the topics
taught by the stray students.
6. The stray will come back to the table and the group will summarize the other topics to the
stray student.
End Result:
The end result is for students to become knowledgeable on all topics discussed, but also are able
to learn and listen to their peers and take away some knowledge from each of those that stray.
share and learn information within group settings in the class.
Article/ Web References:
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/two-stray-one-stay
http://betterlesson.com/lesson/reflection/21396/three-stray-one-stay

Continuum Line
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Purpose:
The Continuum Line is a great method that teachers can use to divide students into pairs or
groups. The method is very interactive and gets students working together, and the randomness
of the continuum makes for fair groupings. This method can also be used as an ice breaker
because the continuum gets students up, moving, conversing and problem-solving with their
peers.
Materials:
Only materials that would ever be needed is if the way students are to line up by writing their
answers on paper. Then that would need to include:
- Paper
- Writing utensil
Time Required:
This method should take approximately 5-10 minutes. The time is dependent on the number of
students in the class and/or the method of getting the students to line up.
Steps:
1. The teacher will ask students to line up in a certain way that can be measured. For
example: Line-up in order of birthday, Line-up by height, Line-up by the number of
siblings you have
2. The students will then converse amongst each other and use their problem-solving skills
to determine how they should line up.
3. The teacher will then make the decision on how groups will be formed. Some of the
options include pairing/grouping with the person to the right/left side or folding the line
into half and pairing/grouping students.
End Result:
The end result of this method is for students to be able to form unbiased pairs or groups for class
assignments or projects.
Article/ Web References (2-3)
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104014/chapters/Human-Continuum.aspx
http://streetlaw.org/en/Page/898/Teaching_About_Controversial_Issues_The_Continuum_Metho
d

Icebreakers
Purpose:
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Ice breakers are a great way for everyone in the class to get to know each other a bit better. They
are specifically very useful during the beginning of the school year and when new students join
the class. Icebreakers are simple activities that are not long in length and it allows students to get
to know each other on a personal level. Icebreakers are also a great way to get students up and
moving, they are activities that are very engaging for students.
Materials:
The materials needed for icebreakers would very between each activity. However, icebreakers
tend to be easy to prepare for and need very little materials. See below for examples of
icebreaker activities.
Time Required:
Depending on the icebreaker activity chosen, the time will vary. Icebreakers do not need a lot of
time to accomplish, they should last no longer than 10 minutes.
Examples:
Get to Know You Bingo
1. The teacher prepares a bingo card like sheet and in place of number there will be brief
descriptions such as: Has a pet, Has a sibling, Likes cookies, Can draw. The
teacher will provide every student with the sheet.
2. Once all the students have the sheet, the teacher will instruct the student to begin looking
for a classmate who can sign their name on a box that describes them.
3. The end of the activity can be when someone can fill in all the boxes on the sheet.
Another option is putting on a time limit of how long student must fill in the boxes.
4. When it is finished, have students sit at their desks.
5. The teacher will then go over each of the descriptions (or at least a few) and have
students raise their hands if that describes them.
End Result:
The end result is for students to get to really know their peers. It is important for everyone to
know each other and it is especially important for the teacher and students to get to know each
other. A classroom should be a learning community and that community begins by getting to
know each other.
Article/ Web References:
http://www.teachhub.com/back-school-icebreaker-activities
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy001.shtml

Inquiry (20 questions)

Purpose:
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20 questions are a great strategy that allows students to practice their questions and problem-
solving skills. Students will benefit from this activity but it provides the opportunity for students
to think critically and try to decode a word/phrase based on minimal clues. This activity will get
students engaged and participating, and it is a great way to begin a lesson.
Materials:
Dependent on how the teacher wants the student leading the activity to present their mystery
word or phrase. It can be done in a variety of ways: oral, written on chart paper, whiteboard,
Smartboard, etc.
Time Required:
The time is dependent on the difficulty of the mystery word/phrase but should not last more than
10-15 minutes.
Steps:
1. A student is assigned to present a word or phrase to the class.
2. The student will come to class prepared to present their specific word or phrase.
3. The presentation should provide the class a chance to see the word/phrase and how it can
be used in a sentence.
4. The class will come up with 20 different questions to try and understand the meaning of
the word/phrase. (The questions must be answerable with either a yes or no.)
5. If the meaning is not discovered within 20 questions, the presenter will provide the
information on the word or phrase to the class.
End Result:
Students will use their questioning skills to discover the meaning of the presented word or phrase
within 20 questions. By the end of the activity, all students should have learned a new word or
phrase and its meaning.

Article/ Web References:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/inquiry-based-learning-asking-right-questions-georgia-mathis
http://www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/spotlight-on-strategies/try-a-strategy/item878653

Photo SQL (See, question, learn) KWL

Purpose:
This strategy gets students thinking more deeply and critically at a primary source or image.
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Students will take the provided image and look to see what they already know about what is
shown. Students also practice their questioning skills but looking beyond the image and trying to
decode the message through questions. Lastly, students will gain knowledge from this activity by
learning more about the image from the teacher but also learning from their posed questions.
Students learn a lot through inquiry.
Materials:

- An image or primary source

- SQL or KWL chart for student recordings
- Writing utensils
Time Required
Approximately 10-15 minutes.
Steps:

1. Present an image to the class as well as a SQL or KWL chart to each student.
2. Students will then observe the image and write what they see and their questions.
3. Once all students are completed or time expired, direct students to the image and discuss
the questions students had.
4. After a discuss, reveal the significance or meaning of the image selected and have
students fill in the last section on their chart.
End Result:
The end result is for students to using their prior-knowledge and questioning skills to find the
significance of an image/source and reflecting on what they had learned.

Article/ Web References:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/chart-a-30226.html?tab=2#teaching
http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/21806

Discrepant Event (Story)

Purpose:
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Using the discrepant event strategy in class, provides students the opportunity to use their
questioning and problem solving skills. Students will be able to take an event/story and be able
to analyze the content to understand the meaning and conclusions. With the teacher providing
prompts to the students, it guides students into the right direction of discovering the
meaning/conclusions.
Materials:
- Handout with an event, story or puzzle that is relevant to current course content.
Time Required:
Approximately 15-20 minutes, it depends on the length and complexity of the event, story or
puzzle that is shown.
Steps:
1. The teacher will provide students with an excerpt of a story or event, or a puzzle.
2. Students will read the except provided and look for context clues to understand the
message or conclusion of the story or event.
3. When students are all finished, the teacher will gather the students attention and begin a
class discussion.
4. During the discussion, the teacher will get the students to discuss their opinions or
questions about the excerpt. The teacher will also provide prompts for students to get
them thinking critically about what they had read to understand the message/conclusion.
5. After a class discussion, the teacher will explain the full details of the story or event and
explain the significance of the excerpt.
End Result:
The end result is for students to be able to understand how conclusions can be drawn from clues
within a text and how to critically think about written passages to discover their meaning.
Article/ Web References:
https://historytech.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/tip-of-the-week-visual-discrepant-event-inquiry/
https://doingsocialstudies.com/2013/10/24/how-i-use-discrepant-event-inquiry-in-my-classroom/

Sponge
Purpose:
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The purpose of this strategy is to allow for enrichment for those who finish their work early. The
activities provided to the class are not essential for learning, so students will not be missing out if
they were not finished early. The sponge activities also act as great activities to use if there is
additional time at the end of lessons.
Materials:
This will be dependent on the type of activities chosen for the sponge.
Time Required:
Approximately 5-10 minutes.

Steps:
1. Provide a sponge activity at the center of tables or if students are in individual desks, set
up a certain spot in the class for students to get the sponge activity.
2. Make sure all the materials students may need other than pen and paper is provided with
the sponge activity.
3. When students finished, the assigned work asked of them and there is time remaining in
the lesson, they can look at the sponge activity.
4. The student will quietly partake in the sponge activity until the teacher ends the lesson.

End Result:
The end result of the activity is that students who complete early can have additional work
already available to keep them engaged and active during the remainder of the lesson.

Article/ Web References:

http://eds-courses.ucsd.edu//tep129/EducationalSponges.pdf
http://mshorton25.weebly.com/transition-and-sponge-activities.html

Teach Through Drama

Purpose:
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The purpose of this strategy is to allow students to explore the arts to express their knowledge.
Students will engage in Role Play to re-live certain people, times, things, or places. Allowing
students to explore concept through role play provides them a better understanding of their
content and allows them to connect with their learning.
Materials:
- Role cards: Each role card will have all the information students will need to understand
their character/setting.
Additional resources that could be useful but are not necessary:
Music, posters, art, artifacts, etc.
Time Required:
Approximately 20 minutes.
Steps:
1. The teacher provides students with role card that contains all the information a student
will need to understand how to best reflect the character.
2. Students will be given a chance to read and get into character.
3. The students will engage in role play. The structure of how students are to present is
dependent on the teacher.
4. Once finished, students will have a chance to reflect on what they had learned. This can
be done orally through a talking circle or through writing using journals and prompt
questions.
End Result:
The end result of the activity is that students will be able to have a deeper understand of a certain
person or event and be able to represent their role through acting.
Article/ Web References:
http://susanpope.com/lesson-plans/social-studies-drama-lessons.html
http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/yl/2503/250309.pdf

Article Responses:
Week 1: Creating a Caring Classroom
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Greer, J., Greer, B., & Hawkins, J. M. (2003). Building a sense of family in the
classroom. Social
Studies and the Young Learner, 16(2), 23-26.
The article Building a sense of family in the classroom by Greer, Greer and Hawkins
(2003) is a great resource for any teacher looking to build a caring classroom. The beginning of
the article explores the correlation between home lives and academic success. The article argues
that children who do come from unstable backgrounds need the sense of family in the class. The
rest of the article then includes an abundance of strategies and activities that can be done either
individually, pairs, whole class and even things the teacher can do to create a sense family within
the classroom.

In the activities designed for individuals, I had read a few that I had seen in my
practicum. My favorite out of the activities provided would be the Random Act of Kindness
Award. At my school for practicum, Random Acts of Kindness was a big deal. Every morning
during announcement, students would be rewarded for an act of kindness. They would then go to
the office to get their award, name, and action placed on the Kindness Tree. Students who got a
Random Act of Kindness award would go to the tree and place their name on their class leaf.
Every student I had interacted with loved getting this award. Students would be going out of
their way to help their peers as much as they could, it was very sweet to see.

For groups of any size, there were plenty of activities and strategies provided. I had to
take a second look at a lot of the strategies, because most of them I had previously heard of such
as peer tutoring, homework buddies, making cards and applauding. I had not realized how these
simple activities could create a family within a classroom, but looking deeper I can see how and
why they are important. One of the activities I had really enjoyed reading about was the
classroom password, handshake or t-shirt. Creating something that only the class would know
about will have students feeling special and provide a feeling of being a part of
community/family. Students need to feel secure to be able to really flourish. Teachers can use
these suggested activities to get students working together, getting to know one another and
having fun. I will be reflecting to this article and taking it with me wherever I go and would
recommend it to my peers or any teacher looking to build community within their classroom.

Week 2: Lesson Planning

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Alleman, J., Brophy, J., & Knighton, B. (2008). How a Primary Teacher Protects the Coherence
of Her Social Studies Lessons. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 21(2), 28-31.
I found the article How a Primary Teacher Protects the Coherence of Her Social Studies
Lesson by Alleman, Brophy and Knighton (2008) was very useful for teaching social studies but
also teaching in general. The beginning of the article was very interesting, because the author
was focused on providing the reader with information on handling unexpected examples,
misconceptions and uncertainty from students. When I had initially read through this section, I
immediately thought where was this article while I was in practicum!?. This section alone is
very useful for answering question from the students, because they seem to always provide an
example that leaves you baffled as to how to handle the question. I found that there was a lot of
great strategies and tips on how to handle these moments within the class effectively. The article
also talks about how even though the misconceptions and unwanted examples may not be good
when learning the content, but the authors suggest that once the students have a solid
understanding of a topic, then thats when it would be a good time to discuss the unexpected
examples, the misconceptions and uncertainty.

Another main topic found in this article was on Enhancing Coherence Across Lessons.
This section was very intriguing and had addressed some great sub topics that allow the reader
gain a better understanding of how to create a coherent lesson. The article suggested using
foreshadowing, tie-backs, and across time and space strategies. I have already been aware of
foreshadowing and using tie-backs, because it is a great way to make the lessons flow and
students have a better grasp and understand of the lesson. Across time and space was a strategy I
was unaware of, and I am so glad to have found it. The strategy involves looking at the lesson
being taught and find ways to tie this lesson to past or provide examples through history of a
certain topic or item. This allows students to see concepts through a historical lens and to think
deeper about the content being taught. Overall, this was an excellent article that I would
recommend to anyone looking to create a more coherent and sound lessons.

Week 3: People, Place and Environment

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Britt, J., & LaFontaine, G. (2009). Google earth: A virtual globe for elementary
geography. Social studies and the young learner, 21(4), 20-23.
The article Google Earth: A Virtual Globe for Elementary Geography by Britt and
LaFontaine (2009) was a mind expanding read. The authors took a free resource and used it as an
interactive tool for students to use during social studies. As silly as it may seem, but I would have
never thought to use Google Earth as a virtual globe. Students will be able to better connect with
the concepts being taught about the Earth when the real version is available with a click of a
button. This tool can have students learning about the geography of the world around them, and
find real live examples. What is so great about this article is that it provides a unit of how Google
Earth was utilized in a Grade 1 class. The lesson had students learning about landforms, and
learning skills for reading a map/globe.

The lesson on teaching students how to read a map, I found it very interesting that the
teacher first created a school map and gave the students a tour using the map. This simple
activity was the start of reading maps for the students and it was something that they were
familiar with. From there, the teacher had scaffold the students their way to understanding maps
and how to create one. I very much enjoyed how the entire lesson was relevant to the lives of the
students, which I am sure had them completely indulged in the lesson.

The article had concluded by providing additional strategies that can be used when using
Google Earth in the classroom. All the strategies involve students questioning and thinking
deeper as well as allowing them the opportunity to use their hands to learn. I think all of which
are very beneficial for any classroom, and can be used for almost every grade. To conclude, the
author provided great resources that teachers can use in the classroom, such as literature for the
students and online resources. I found this article had an abundance of information for teachers,
and great examples of lessons that provide a visual for teachers to understand how to apply this
tool in the classroom.

Week 4: Learning Centers

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Reutzel, D. R., & Clark, S. K. (2011). Organizing literacy classrooms for effective instruction: A
survival guide. The Reading Teacher 65(2), pp. 93-105.
The article Organizing literacy classrooms for effective instruction: A survival guide by
D. Day Reutzel and Sarah Clark was the most eye-opening article I have read. The authors focus
for the article was creating an organized and effective classroom and the article was directed
towards novice teachers. I found this the most useful article because it answered a lot of
questions that I had. The article was laid out in a question and answer style which I found was
perfect for the audience the authors were targeting. I found this article helped piece all the
information we have learned thus far in the program and provided me great examples, ideas and
advice that I will take with me in my career.

The first two questions that the article presented, were the two burning questions I had
prior to reading the article. The first question was What do I do to organize my physical
classroom environment to support literacy instructions?. Although the answer talked about an
environment that supports literacy, some of the strategies and advice given can be applied to
supporting all subjects in the classroom. The authors gave great advice on starting to plan the
classroom layout as soon as possible and that can be done by taking measurements, pictures and
using that information to create a floor plan to plan around. During my practicum, I had only
realized then how important the layout of the classroom is. My teacher mentors had a floor plan
that they would refer to when they needed to move furniture around or finding an area to
implement a new center. The care my mentors took into planning the layout had really paid off, it
allowed them to create an organized and effective learning environment for their students.

The second question that had really stuck with me was What do I do to develop an
effective classroom management plan?. This question was important to me, because every
educator I had a privilege to gain advice and insight from, always mentioned that classroom
management is key to a successful year. A lot of the information that educators, my mentors and
my supervisor had provided me was reflected in this article. I would highly recommend this
article to all my peers in the program. There is an abundance of information that is key to
surviving the first year of teaching.

Week 5: Continuity and Change

 15

Cullinan, B., Dove, T., Estice, R., & Lanka, J. (2008). Becoming conscious of different
perspectives. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 20(4), 18-21.
The article Becoming conscious of different perspectives by Beth Cullinan, Tim Dove,
Robert Estice and Janet Lanka was an excellent read. The article had been directed towards
teachers teaching at the middle school level and the purpose of the article was to expand our
students worldview to see the world through different cultural perspectives. The article had
reminded me as to why we need to instill critical thinking skills and broaden the scope of our
students worldviews to different perspectives. Today, we live in a world with a lot of cultural
tension which led to various cultural perspectives clashing. As teachers, we have to be very
conscious of how to deal with world issues in the classroom, especially at the elementary level.
Students are very curious and eager to learn but it is the teachers job to make sure that what is
discussed if well thought out and planned.

One strategy that was suggested for developing different perspectives for students, was
inviting guest speakers. It can be challenging for a teacher to decide what should and shouldnt
be discussed, and how to deliver the information effectively and appropriately. I think that
bringing in guest from various backgrounds, would introduce students to those cultures. By
bringing in a variety of guests, it opens students minds to new cultures, countries, foods,
practices, and so much more. Doing so will provide an authentic learning experience for
students, and really open their minds to the diverse world we live in.

Another strategy suggested was developing a common language. Developing a bank of

words surrounding cultures will benefit the students learning progress. Right from the start,
teachers should be providing students with words like culture, norms, values, beliefs, etc. so
students know what they mean and how it can apply to their own lives. By creating a strong
foundation, students will build on those words and begin to think more in depth of the content
that will follow. My goal as a teacher is to provide an authentic and holistic learning
environment, and I found this article gave great advice on how to provide students with a well-
rounded education that allows them to see the world around them with different perspectives.
 16

Week 6: Discovery Box

Callahan, R., & Chan, K. C. (2007). " Aloha", Hoosier! A Pen-Pal Activity in the Third
Grade. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 19(3), 12-14.

I had enjoyed this weeks reading options, the one I had chosen was Aloha, Hoisier! A
Pen-Pal Activity in the Third Grade written by Raymond Callahan and Kam Chi Chan. I had
enjoyed this article because of their main idea, pen pals. Throughout my years in school, I have
had the opportunity to participate in pen pals. We had had pen pals from another district in the
province and we had also had pen pals in the Netherlands. No matter how near or far they were,
it was one of the best times in school. Our classes were able to learn about different cultures,
languages, countries, and so much more. Students minds will be expanded by the information
they can and will learn from their pen pals.

The article suggested three exchanges that pen pals should utilize. The first was culture
boxes, which I found very interesting. Students are able to bring things from home that represent
their culture or background and add it to the class culture box. Students are also encouraged to
create items that can be incorporated in the box. I feel as though this activity can be implemented
into the Social Studies classroom without using it for pen pals. The culture box could be a class
project that showcases the diversity within the classrooms. Students will be able to have their
culture represented while also learning more about their peers, creating a positive learning
environment. Culture boxes are beneficial for all students because they have a visual
representation of the cultures within a classroom and allows students to see the diversity. I will
definitely be implementing this strategy within my future classrooms.

The other two exchanges for pen pals mentioned in the article was thank-you letters and
postcards. Students can include a variety on information, that they feel is important to include
when representing themselves and where they are from. The use of pen pals in the classroom
sparks curiosity within the students and makes them eager to learn. During our pen pal program
with a class in Netherlands, our teachers would send items to each other, much like the culture
boxes. The items we had received were always so interesting and we all were so interested in
learning about our pen pals and where they are from. I will be holding on to this article when I
begin my teaching career, and holding onto all the connections I have made thus far in the BEd
program. Maybe one day, some of us in the program will develop our own pen pal connections.