SERVICE LEARNING JOURNALS

Aymee PrietoEDF2085Assignment #4

SCHOOL INFORMATION

Palm Lakes Elementary

7450 W 16th Ave, Hialeah, FL 33014

(305) 823-6970

Ms. Lisette Cintado’s 5th Grade Gifted Morning Class

Mostly Hispanic Population

Due to teacher’s request I was not allowed to photograph the students.

ENTRY NUMBER ONEStudents in Ms. Cintado’s class

worked to create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast how weather has changed due to global warming. The students worked in groups of three.

As the students worked I walked around and offered my help for those who I thought were struggling a bit understanding the concepts. However to my surprise they worked diligently and did not need my assistance. I understand as a gifted class they are more independent workers but it is amazing to observe how well they preform over all. Many of us focus on those who lack the skills and we tend to forget those who’s ability exceeds others.

Not only did the activity reassured me of their talent and ability but it opened my mind to observe them more carefully and learn to find these good characteristics in others.

ENTRY NUMBER TWOWe visited the garden before P.E. Ms.

Cintado showed the students the garden which the students the year before had worked on. However they were planning to reconstruct the garden and plant different types of spices. The teacher showed the students the space they had to work and the tools they would be using.

Although it was a quick lesson or overview you could see the excitement in the student’s faces. I understand that technology has played a huge part in our lives and it is great that the students are partaking in the future, but the actual hands on experience in irreplaceable. Students and teachers can bond, communicate and learn from these. It is fun and educational at the same time. I saw the students laughing and investigating their surroundings and all with good intentions.

ENTRY NUMBER THREE Vocabulary maps are a great tool for the students to thoroughly understand the words given to them. It is not only a memorizing tool but they are also working with the words in different aspects. The following map was created by Ms. Cintado and posted in the front of the classroom to remind the students of what the had to do when they received their spelling words.

During one of my visits the students were taking a vocabulary assessment and the teacher asked me to observe how those students who completed all the vocabulary maps using the words in the assessment performed. I noticed that those who used the map did better on the test than those who did not, what a shocker, right?

Overall, although I didn’t interact much with the students, I got to see strategies that help them preform better and more effectively in the classroom.

ENTRY NUMBER FOURThis lesson was by far one of the

easiest lessons I witnessed. The students had to form compound words. It was a small review assignment to enhance what was taught. I think that the students completed this in about five minutes. Once again reassuring me that these are students who exceed in whatever they do no matter how big or small.

In my personal opinion I thought that the students should have done something a little more challenging for their level of understanding. However I do agree that sometimes a little easy work does help the mind relax and allow the students to get some rest from the challenging work.

It was amusing to see the students work so rapidly and how accomplished they felt as they completed the assignment.

ENTRY NUMBER FIVE

One of the last assignments the students had to do while I was attending the school was creating a poem. The teacher told me that she had previously shown them different types of poems, and the elements of poetry. She had them come up with an idea for their poem (what they wanted to talk about). As I walked around and read their drafts I was shocked at their writing abilities and endless creativity.

CONCLUSION

Overall my experience at the school has always been a pleasurable one. Since I was younger I've worked with small children, ESOL

students, students with disabilities, and now with those who excel in all subject matters. It was a pleasure as a future educator to see what such young minds are capable of. It is a great feeling to know

that future generations will be able to achieve such greatness.