Jeffrey D.

Mohr
04-20-2015
Professional Developments
Teaching to the Analog Brain in The Digital World
Professional Development
Faulkner, V. (2012, May 16). Teaching To The Analog Brain In The Digital World: Valerie
Faulkner at TEDxNCSU. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYFwwl-DIU
This video is a great explanation on why students often struggle when learning different math
concepts based around neuroscience. It specifically talks about how you can teach math concepts in a
way that will work with the way in which the brain processes information as well as challenges the
notion that math skills are based on talents and not effort. It is a great way to help frame your thinking
about how you plan to your math instruction.
Team Teaching: How to Improve Each Other's Game
Professional Development
Fauteux, M., & Zapata, R. (2011, May 27). Team Teaching: How to Improve Each Other's
Game. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/how-to-team-teach-high-school-video
This is a professional development video and article that talks about how teachers can use
videotaping of their lessons in order to work with their peers to collaboratively identify areas of growth
and or areas that they can improve upon their instruction as well as provide support when engaging in
team teaching within your classroom. This will help me to see areas that I can improve my instruction
by having someone with fresh eyes look at one I am doing and be able to see things that I may not.

STEM Education Resource Center: Professional Development

Professional Development
STEM Education Resource Center: Professional Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/stem/professionaldevelopment/
This website provides several modules and units to help prepare and support teachers in
engaging in STEM instruction about climate change. This is also very helpful for me since it provides
lessons and resources that I can use to provide greater substance to my science instruction.
Socratic Seminars
Discussion Groups
Filkins, S. (n.d.). Strategy Guide Socratic Seminar. Retrieved from
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/socraticseminars-30600.html
This website provides an overview and guide for how to conduct Socratic Seminars in your
classroom as a way to engage students in discussions about texts as well as other academic topics. It is
primarily designed for 6-12 grade but since it provides such a good design for getting students engaged
in talking about a text or topic I feel that with some changes and scaffolding on the part of the teacher
this can be applied within an elementary classroom to great effect.
Running Records
Assessments
Running Records. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.readinga-z.com/guided/runrecord.html
This website provides instructions and guides to conducting Running Records for your students
as a means of progress monitoring. It provides a quick way to get an understanding of how a student is
performing in reading and helps the instructor provide targeted instruction in a timely manner. I want to
use this method for reading assessments as it can be done quickly in a more informal manner and is thu
less stressful on the student and can be done more fluidly in the classroom.

The Reading and Writing Project

Book lists
A New Arrival. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://readingandwritingproject.org/
This website provides a lot of resources to help teachers plan instruction for both writing and
reading along with a list of many nonfiction texts that are free to download and use in the classroom. I
plan to use this sight to help find texts that are relevant to the subjects that we are discussing in class
and can serve as supplemental resources for the students.
Graphic Organizers: eduplace
Graphic organizers
Classroom Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
This sight provides a large assortment of different types of graphic organizers that students can
use to help them formulate and develop their thoughts. Although CMAPP provides some graphic
organizers not all of them are useful for every student and having this set of extra types of graphic
organizers can help me provide my students with an array of resources that will fit their specific needs.
Book Club Kits for Kids
Book Club
Book Club Kits for Kids . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://guides.wakegov.com/content.php?
pid=298219&sid=2447927
This website has a set list of different kits that the Wake County Libraries have that can be
checked out and use as a part of a book club for students in the upper elementary grades. They come
with copies of the text as well as discussion guides and can be used to help supplement the texts that a
teacher has access to at their school. I plan to use these to specifically help me provide small group
instruction that will target the needs of each group and have texts that the will find engaging and
interesting.

Mini-lessons for Literature Circles

Book Club
Daniels, H., & Steineke, N. (n.d.). Mini-lessons for Literature Circles. Retrieved from
https://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00702/minilessons.pdf
This texts provides examples of how to provide targetted mini-lessons that are relavent to a
Literature Circle style of small group guided reading instruction. It provides practical lessons along
with examples of how they may look when used within your classroom. I plan to use this as a means to
help me plan my small group instruction in a way that will build students confidence and serve as a
basis for my own mini-lessons.
Story Jumper
Student Publishing
Make your own book. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.storyjumper.com/
This is a great website for students to use as a means to take their writing and make it into a
publishable text. It is very user friendly and is easily used by students independently from the teacher
and thus lets them own their own work and start building their confidence in their own writing skills. I
plan to use this as a way to publish my students work in a manner that looks professional and will make
their work more meaningful to them.