I learned that communication is a key factor when working in the schools. It is so important to not only be able to communicate with your students and get to know them and their needs, but it is also important to be able to communicate with your colleagues. Being able to talk to as well as listen to your students and colleagues will help you be a successful teacher.

     Research is also a key element. One of the best ways in my opinion of learning something or expanding your knowledge about a subject is to do research. For example, the research we did on our author and illustrator helped a lot when reading or viewing the pictures in a book. It allowed for a deeper sense on the author/illustrator when reading their book or viewing their pictures why they went that direction. It brought to light their personal feelings, background feelings on the subject, and a little history about who they are. It was really a fun project and I enjoyed learning about one of my favorite authors and illustrators.

     The use of technology this semester has been very rewarding for me, both in and out of class. I have really enjoyed building my own website that will allow me to share my experiences with others as well as recieve insight through the websites of others. It has also given me insight on how to work with developing a website which will come in handy when I have my own classroom. Everything is going to the technology age and most schools have websites, not to mention most teachers. It is a great way to keep parents informed on a daily and weekly basis what is going on in the classroom. It has also been applied in my home life as I have set up a website with photos for friends and family as well as a blog for them to stay updated. With the use of technology in this classroom, it has made it easy for me to have a permanent place for my work instead of scattered all over.

     Working with my fellow students and collaborating with them in the best interest of the students we worked with, we were able to bounce ideas off of each other and come up with lessons that worked best for the students. Collaboration is important when working in any type of job, but especially with students. Talking and working with other teachers and parents allows us to develope a plan and lesson that will work best for the students. Sometimes others will have ideas that will work better or they can offer different solutions that we have not thought of. It comes back to that old saying "two heads are better than one."

     Most of this class, we worked as independent learners with guidance and support from our peers and instructor. I was able to develope my skills as an independent learner through reading various books of different genres, the study of genres, authors, and illustrators, and the production of my personal learning website. Throughout this course, I have gained indepencence in developing learning skills best suited for me and the confidence in using those skills to further my way as a life long learner. There are still some areas I need to work on but through support and my own ambition, I am sure these areas will too be mended.

     Although working with middle schoolers is not my area of interest. I really enjoyed working with the students in Penny's class. While working with the students, I was offered insight into the needs of several different students. Through practice and collaboration with my peers, we were able to discuss the needs of the students and plan accordingly. In my opinion, the students did not seem to comfortable starting the discussions in the literature circle. As a way to engage the students, we asked questions for them to think about and respond to. From there, the students directed the discussion in a way that best suited them. It allows me to put into practice listening to students. By doing this, students are able to express their needs and interests. I believe that listening to students and allowing them to express their needs in their own way is a very important skill for all teachers to know. Also working with the students in small group form gives them more individualized attention. Reading to them or with them is one of the best ways to not only share with them the joy of reading to them and introduce various types of genres, but also allows for the one on one time or more individualized instruction each child needs and deserves.

     I have always had a hard time working with older students. Call is unsure of myself and my abilities as a teacher with older students or just the fact that I feel like I am not much older then they are. For most of my UNM experience, I have chosen to work with the lower elementary levels out of comfort. For this class, I was to work with older students, focus on their needs, and work with them through literary discussions of a common book we were reading. Though mildly uncomfortable with talking to them at first, I soon discovered that they are just like every other child in the fact that they have a desire to learn and to be listened to. By learning this, I was able to more comfortably discuss with the students the story we were reading. I related my personal experiences to the children from my life that related to the book and extended to the students the opportunity to do the same. While working on the genre and literary element study, I was able to gain a better understanding of literature in general. By knowing the difference in genres, it will provide useful in creating a classroom library with a variety of books the children can read.

     This class has been so enjoyable and very rewarding for me. I have made connections to students as well as peers that I normally shy away from. I have been able to explore various types of books whether they were ones I would normally read or not. I was able to expand my knowledge of books, their content, and their different uses in the classroom. I typically enjoy journaling but struggle with it when it is made a requirement. During this semester and this class, it has been very helpful to write down ideas, observations, and those fun ah-ha moments. The documentation will come in handy in the future as reference for classroom needs and personal learning.