I can’t believe that this semester is almost halfway over. It seems like we have just barely scratched the surface! So much to do still. I can’t wait!

1.  Four major strands of work

          Communication – Communication has been effective and timely. I have really appreciated the weekly e-mails. They have helped me stay connected to what is going on in class and where I need to be with my learning. I feel that I have been efficient in communicating my questions and concerns and have always received answers to my questions. I also believe that the channels of communication in this class are always open. I appreciate that.

          Research  - I am thinking about ideas for my story. I am a little behind in the textbook reading, but I will be able to catch up as soon as midterms are over. I have read about half of the short stories in my storybook. My coursework in my multicultural psychology class is shaping up to be a nice compliment to this class. The material that I am studying there has a lot of cross over.

          Technology – I had fun making the web page last semester and am happy that I can continue to use it for this semester. I enjoy being able to submit work to a web page. It is fast and earth friendly! I wish more instructors would do this.

          Collaboration  - We haven’t had to collaborate much so far. Most of our class time has been discussion. We haven’t started the work yet. But, that will all change next week when we start working with the elementary students and developing the stories. I am sure that we will have plenty of time to bounce ideas and suggestions around and actually work together when we start at Apache.   

2.  Five dimensions of learning

          Confidence and independence – I am lucky already have some classroom experience from going to Tibbetts. My confidence was boosted from that and now I feel confident in going to Apache. I was able to work independently at Tibbetts and I look forward to doing the same at Apache. I feel that I will be able to make a positive contribution to the class and gain more experience this semester.

          Knowledge content – I have learned a lot from the text and have enjoyed learning some sign language with Vicki. I feel like I am where I should be with my knowledge in this class.

          Skills and Strategies – We haven’t had much experience in this area yet. I think that once we start at Apache and begin working with the kids we will be able to use our skills and plan strategies.

          Use of prior and emerging experience – I took a creative writing class in high school and a poetry class. I think I will be able to use that past experience and my experience at Tibbetts to be effective.

          Critical Reflection – This has always been a strong point for me and I feel that I am very capable of being able to step back and see a situation from an analytical point of view. I have had experiences recently with my Encore classes where I have had to sit back and think about my own teaching style and what I could do to help my students. I have also been in situations where cultural beliefs have needed to be addressed and I have done that.

Midterm Evaluation

Estimated evaluation in terms of grade – I have participated in all the classes and have tried to make the most of my learning opportunities so far. I would give myself an A.

Suggestions for your further development during remainder of semester – I want to focus on my time at Apache and making sure I keep up with the reading in both books.