Reflective Journal Entry 4

Amanda Lilly

Ms. Albanese

MAS 7998

November 27, 2012

Journal Entry #4

(Classroom)

Observation	Reflection	Questions Raised/ Answers Attempted
I observed Mrs. D’Agostino working with students around a long table working on their reading homework. The students were given a word box and they had to fill in the correct words throughout a story where there were blanks. They had to know what each word meant and if it made sense where they put it in their stories. Some of the students were struggling with this activity, so Mrs. D’Agostino labeled the columns in the word box one through five. This way if the students were struggling they asked what column the word was in and she was able to give them a number. This was a way for them to narrow down their options. The students also had to identify the antonyms of words. They seemed to understand that antonyms meant opposite, so they didn’t need as much assistance with this section of their homework. Next Mrs. D’Agostino had the student’s line up at the door and walked them to the computer lab to work on Success Maker to improve their reading concept skills. Mrs. D’Agostino walked around the computer lab to monitor their progress. When students had a question they raised their hands and she helped them get to the correct answer by asking them questions. Once the students were done she checked their scores to see who passed with a 75% or higher. All of the students passed, so she allowed them to go on educational game sites, such as www.braingames.com - help train your brain. The students seem to enjoy game like formats, which is why I think the success maker was successful in improving their reading skills.	Mrs. D’Agostino has established a very structured environment. The students seem to remain engaged and follow procedures well during the after school academy. They have a daily routine that they expect every day and this helps minimize disruptive behaviors. The students are always working on something and when they have finished the task at hand their option is to read a book. If they don’t have a book Mrs. D’Agostino provides one for them or they can go to the library to pick one out. I enjoyed observing Mrs. D’Agostino’s and liker her method of modifying the homework assignment by narrowing down the options available.	Q: What is Success Maker?   A: Instructional software that delivers reading and math skills and provides measurable data for teachers. This program also implements remediation strategies to help strengthen student’s weaker skills.   Q: Why is reading a main focus of the after school academy program?   A: The common core standards will soon be implemented in schools, where reading is expected in every subject. This is a way for them to get a head start on encouraging reading in all programs at BIS.