This is a graphic organizer I created to aide students in developing a presentation that they will give to the class on a certain verb tense. The purpose of this assignment is to have students familiarize themselves with a verb tense, research its ins and outs, and present to the class their findings. The rest of the class then can learn from their classmates and it will give students the opportunity to share their ideas and practice their language skills in a safe environment.

The Michigan standard this follows is standard 1.3 for World Languages which is Presentational Communication. It says on Michigan's site that this standard is where students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience or listeners or readers on a variety of topics. 

To complete this assignment I used WebspirationPRO. I thought this site was very easy to use and I liked it a lot. I would recommend this website to anyone who is looking to create their own graphic organizers. I didn't encounter any problems even though it was my first time using a site like that.

Have a great day!

https://docs.google.com/a/cornerstone.edu/present/edit?id=0AT9uCmr6jIF-ZGZjd2diZmZfMGdicHBrNGhn

This is a link to my presentation that teaches students how to conjugate verbs in Spanish to affirmative or negative commands!

I hope this works so you are all able to see it!
Happy Spring Break!
Steph

Michigan Standards for Entry Level Teachers

I would say that the requirements for beginning teachers are fair. I think that I am in a good spot for the majority of them, but there is still so much more to learn. I feel confident that when I have a classroom of my own I will be able to have a teaching style that adapts to many different learning styles.

Some areas where I think I might be lacking is in the area of the Liberal Arts Education. Some of the areas discussed like American history and democracy were discussed in classes I took in high school, however I don't have to take any more classes on those subjects. I don't know how much we are supposed to know exactly about topic they mentioned. Also, while I am confident that I will be able to follow guidelines of the state for curriculum and technology, I don't know what they are or how they fit into what I will be teaching so I do feel inadequate in those areas as well. I am hoping that I continue in the Education program here, I will gain more knowledge and grow in confidence to be able to provide my future students with the best education possible. 

I think that it also might come down to studying up on these different requirements on my own when I am student teaching or am looking for jobs. Nearing the end of my education here I am sure I will have a better understanding of what I need to do to be an effective teacher.

Learning Styles Reflection.

What I learned about myself by completing surveys that evaluated my multiple intelligences and learning styles is not far from what I already knew. The multiple intelligence that I most fall into is interpersonal followed closely by intrapersonal. Logical and musical are the intelligences I lack in the most. Hopefully because I am aware of people and their needs, I will be able to evaluate the needs of my students well to be able to help them succeed in their education. Because I know myself and what tendencies I have I can manage how that might reflect negatively or positively on my teaching.
The learning styles evaluation was very interesting to me. I have always been able to do well in a the traditional classroom setting but I had never seen real results on how I learn. My learning styles are all ones. This means that I am pretty neutral in the way I learn, and I think it means I can adapt pretty well to the different learning environments. I think that because of this I might not (I hope I won't) fall into one learning style, making it difficult of students of different learning styles to access their education. Because I am able to learn through different mediums, I hope I will be able to present diverse resources for my students to learn also.
I will be sure to teach those unlike myself by providing alternative ways of assessment, different resources to learn the concepts, and incorporating as many different learning styles and intelligences into my classes as I can. Whether this means having podcasts for my students to listen to lectures at home, songs to remember grammar concepts, diagrams of grammar for visual students, and doing motions to remember vocabulary for those who learn kinesthetically.
I might use an evaluation like this with my students to figure out how I can best meet their needs as a student, and so they can learn about themselves to possibly help them in other classes where they are having a difficult time grasping the information.
Below I have provided the pictures of the results I received on both of the tests.
Have a great day and enjoy the snow!
-Steph

Why teaching? And some blog links.

Hi, I am Steph.
I would like to be a teacher because I have a passion for students, learning, and Español. In school, I didn't always have the most effective teachers. I think that those Middle School and High School years play a huge role in a student's search for identity and their future. I want to help grow in students a love for learning, language, and for truth. I hope to teach Spanish, ESL, and Biblical Studies (if I teach in a Christian School) at the Secondary Level in a way that is convenient and fun.

http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com/

This blog is for those who are teaching and learning Spanish. On this blog there are many free or reduced cost resources for Spanish teachers and learners alike. There are videos, magazines, subscriptions to receive free bilingual books, and many other resources.

http://www.senoritainthecity.com/2012/01/im-tired-of-working-for-crazy-people.html

I came across this blog which seems to share some interesting information. I did, however, come across this page which might be a little unprofessional. I don't know if I would want one of my superiors coming across a blog post like this by accident.

http://esl.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=esl&cdn=education&tm=40&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&st=10&zu=http%3A//azargrammar.com/grammarGuy/

This is different than the other two blogs I chose because it has many different teachers posting articles about their areas of studies and their expertise. It is also because it is a site for ESL teachers. I think I could learn a lot from spending some time on this site!