Rosa Giangregorio

I found this particular model extremely helpful. I was a substitute teacher for a year and would have greatly benefitted from all of the valuable resources made available to us as part of this community.  When I took over the program, I was not able to access the curriculum map or lesson plans which meant that I had to figure out a way to create a whole new curriculum!  It has taken me many years to create a new program of studies, but I have always felt rushed.  I am coming away from this experience with a deeper appreciation for… >>>

Formative assessments allow teachers to use multiple ways to check student's progress and their own teaching. Summative assessments should be used at the end of instruction and must be aligned to the learning objectives.  I also learned that we need to provide all students opportunities for success and a good way to do that is to ensure our assessments are authentic to the job and by including all learning domains (cognitive, psychomotor and affective) when developing assessments. 

There was a lot of valuable information/resources in this module.  I liked the idea of using a rubric to assess workplace skills and the importance of teaching those skills early in the school year.  The Career Prepped Whitepaper was pretty eye opening and helped me understand some of the key differences in the new vs. the old work paradigm.  I especially loved the quote by Alvin Toffler that talks  about the illiterate of the 21st century being those who cannot learn, relearn and unlearn.

I've learned about the importance of creating a positive learning environment.  Most importantly, I was reminded about the fact that we must due our due diligence and be consistent about holding students accountable for breaking the rules and following safety procedures in the classroom.

RESPECT goes a long way! We need to establish a community in the classroom, making sure that everyone feels valued and heard is just as important for the teacher as it is for the student.  I've really appreciated the links to resources throughout the course.  There is so much to learn about teaching and learning. 

I learned/confirmed the importance of having a mentor and not being afraid to ask questions, seek guidance and rely on those who've walked in your shoes.  

I appreciated being reminded that we have to set boundaries.  At times I have felt like I need to relate to students on a more personal level and may share stories to prove a point.  However, this module is making me think twice about what I share and how that could have the opposite effect.  

From this module I learned about the rich history of CTE.  I have a co-worker who is often quoting "Dewey" and so it was kind of cool to see why.  While I am not new to CTE, I realize that I have to be patient and that CTE has been around for a long time.  There are some states who have led the way and I need to learn to use the many resources that are available to us.