School talk

As I'm at the end of my first semester with my new school, I'm ready for it to end.  The first 3 months were smooth sailing.  I've enjoyed all four classes.  A lot of work was done.  A lot of things were learned.  I've especially loved the opportunity to observe a little preschool girl and then the opportunity to help in the classroom.  I'm definitely in the career field that I'll be most happy.

There was an incident last month where one classmate took my discussion post and made it her own.  Yeah, it happened.  Not sure the teacher did anything about it, but I did bring it to her attention.  The classmate is still in the class, as well as 2 of my other classes.  I guess plagiarism is okay?

The rest of this is a bunch of rubble that only I'll probably understand but I thought it would be fun to document the fun stuff that keeps me busy and not getting crafts done this year

November was a busy month.  A lot of papers were due, but the pressure will hit next week.  Although I have a bunch due in a small time frame, it's nice because all of my classes mix and the assignments that I do in one class are similar to what I do in another.  So, when I do these projects, I already know the terms and cases I need to use.  I have all the following due within the next week:

Testing and Grading

Final Unit Project Steps 1-5 (I have steps 1-4 done) - Due Dec 5th

Quiz - Due Dec 5th (usually easy)

Formative Assessment Project (not started...looks hard, so I'm scared to start, lol!) - Due Dec 8th

Create a Standardized Testing Letter (not started, but this one seems simple or not!) - Due Dec 8th

This class I've learned how to create a lesson plan, create domains and specifics, student learning objectives, creating a rubric, and grading.  

Sociological Foundations of Education

3 Discussion Questions (DQ) (due Dec 1-3, this class I can only submit one DQ a day...sucks!)

2 DQ (due Dec 7-8)

This class we did a lot of learning through current educational situations.  It was fun to learn different views on subjects.  I didn't enjoy the posting because the instructor was so strict.  That's good though, right?!  I only have one week where I got a 16 out of 25 because I used too much of my opinion and not enough outside sources.  All other weeks I've gotten 24 or 25 out of 25.  Not bad.

Development and Classroom Assessment

Project Part D (Due Nov 28th)

Project Part E (Due Dec 5th)

Quiz (Due Dec 5th)

Project Part F (Due Dec 8th)

This class papers are from the observations I did.  It hasn't been as easy to write as I was hoping, but I'm making my way through it.  This weeks paper is the hardest so far.  Doing some bell curve grading, standard deviation and standard error of measurements, comparison of reliability and validity and creating a rubric for the assessment I performed.  What did I get myself into?!

Issues and Innovations in Learning and Instructions

3 DQ (Due Dec 6th)

Quiz (Due Dec 6th)

This has been my easy class.  Only DQ and quizzes.  No real papers...although some of the DQ have been paper length.  

Next semester won't be the same.  I'm only allowed to take 2 classes a semester because the two major courses, CIEC 6950 (theory and research) and CIEC 6900 (master's seminar paper) are only offered to online students at certain times.  6950 is offered in the Fall and 6900 is offered in the Spring.  I can't take 6950 until after I've reached 30 credits.  I'm at 12 after this semester.  So, I'll have to be in school next fall 2016 and Spring of 2017.  Because of that I was recommended to space out my courses.  Part of the graduation requirements are that you must be registered for at least one class counting towards your degree until graduation.  So, if I'd take all my credits now, I wouldn't have any classes to take to fulfill that requirement.  It's confusing and I think I confuse myself over-thinking it.  I'm still working on my plan of study, so once I have that done, I should know where I stand each semester.  Because I won't be in classes full time, I won't receive the GI Bill housing allowance for taking classes full time.  That means, the kids will also get cut back in school because the money I received from that sent the kids to school.  Such a bummer, but I'm hoping it will still work out that they go 4 days a week, just mornings though.  So, as I was hoping to graduate in Spring of 2016 that won't be happening unless I go attend on campus.  Can't happen, so I suffer through 2 classes each semester until I get to the end.

Cruising along...