My 21st Century Classroom

Section 1

     Hi, my name is Danielle McDunn and I am a 24 year old student at Edinboro University earning my Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. I am now halfway through my second year of college and with each class and each experience I go through, the fact that I am passionate about teaching not only remains, but is emphasized, and I am reminded that I am here for a reason--teaching is my calling. I am a single mother of a two year old daughter named Ariyah, she is my world, and a lot of my effort derives from my love for her and the strength that she provides me. Although raising a toddler on my own, living in an apartment, working full time, and attending college full time is a tough job, it's all worth it. I just remind myself of my future career, my future students, and all of the lives that will benefit from my passion and dedication to teaching.

     I've created a video entitled 'This I Believe' and it's purpose is to portray the reasoning behind my drive to succeed in college and become a teacher. I've taken a different approach in my video than most of my classmates, and I basically describe my life, the things that I've gone through, and how it has landed me where I am presently in life. Enjoy!

[INSERT VIDEO]

     As a future teacher, I plan to be teaching grades Pre-K through fourth grade. I have a big place in my heart for young children and I want to be that one teacher who makes students enjoy coming to school. I want to be that one teacher who makes school feel like a safe and welcoming place and even a possible escape from life for children who are struggling at home. I strongly believe in the importance of play, especially in younger children, and plan to implement that throughout each and every lesson plan. I believe that early childhood experiences are the building blocks for the future of every generation and I plan to successfully prepare my students for years to come in an academic and holistic fashion. I will continue my education throughout the rest of my life in order to keep up with technology, new teaching styles, and new ideas to capture my students' attention and keep them entertained enough to enjoy learning. I basically just want to make a difference in each and every one of my students' lives and make sure that every child has a sense of self-worth, self-efficacy, and high self-confidence.

Section 2

   The school that I will be working for is McKean Elementary, located at 5120 West Road in McKean PA, 16426. McKean Elementary is part of the General McLane School District. The school encompasses kindergarten through fourth grade. Classes begin at 9:00am and students are dismissed at 3:30pm. The school itself opens at 8:30am and closes at 4:00pm. "At McKean Elementary School, parents and teachers have established an excellent tradition of working together to create a warm, caring atmosphere where high standards exist...We ask no more of our children or ourselves and should expect no less."

     At McKean Elementary 24% of students are eligible for free lunches and 11% of students are eligible for reduced lunches. The student to teacher ratio is 13:1 at McKean Elementary, and the average for other Erie County schools is 15:1. Below are the demographics for McKean Elementary:

White-99%

Asian-1%

Hispanic-0%

American Indian-0%

Other-0%

     As for my own personal classroom, the composition of my students is all caucasion. I will be teaching kindergarten and I will have 15 students in my class, with one of those students having a hearing impairment. None of my other students have any other special needs. In my classroom I have 8 girls and 7 boys.

[INSERT CLASSROOM DRAWING]

     My classroom is based on a teaching theory known as the 'Creative Curriculum' model. Creative Curriculum helps children acquire social competence and the skills they need to succeed as learners. My classroom is set up in learning centers, which are independent stations throughout the classroom where students can explopre open-ended activities to foster creativity, problem-solving, social interaction and learning. These centers include blocks, dramatic play, art, reading, computers, sand and water (sensory), and music/movement.

     My planned daily curriculum, in addition to my classroom interest centers, consists of different areas of learning. Throughout the day my students will experience activities in each area: circle time, art, small motor skills, large motor skills, dramatic play, letters and numbers, and sensory. Each of these activities will incorporate with whatever lesson is being taught to give my students a holistic approach to education.

     I will go into detail about each area of the classroom, starting with the reading area. First of all, the entire room is carpeted, but in the reading area there is a specific 'reading rug' which is where my class gathers for story time. The book shelves are located near the reading rug. The reading area is separated by a half-wall and on the other side is the imaginary play area. This area includes shelves, drawers, and closets full of dress up clothes, as well as, a pretend kitchen area, and a few other child-size "toys" that deal with adult life scenarios. The sand and water area is self explanatory, it is a sensory area which can be used for basically any lesson plan. The block area is also self explanatory. The art area has three easels set up, a bulletin board showcasing my students' work, and a large amount of artistic supplies such as, markers, crayons, paint, glue, glitter, scissors, construction paper, foam pieces, etc. The computer area is four large desks put together to create one extremely large desk and there are six computers available for the students. This area is specifically monitored by me or my student teacher and students are not allowed to just get on the computers and 'play' whenever they feel like it. Last but not least, the music/movement area has foam mats set up on the ground, a verg large mirror for the students to see themselves in, and a stereo system set up. A lot of the decorations that the children make in the art area, are hung up in the music/movement area to give it a friendly and fun environment.

     My students sit at round desks, there are three desks, meaning five students at each desk. Although the tables are round, the chairs are placed so that the students are still facing the blackboard during times of teaching. My desk is in the corner, and I have the main bulletin board behind my desk which gets changed monthly depending on what I choose the theme to be. There is basically a whole wall of windows in my classroom because I believe in natural lighting. I have a lot of lamps in my classroom as well, to use rather than the actual classroom lights, to give my room a more welcoming feeling. I have a lot of plants set up around the class room, a lot of art (some made by students some bought from the store) and I also have an area set up for the responsibilities of the students as well as the agenda, which is right next to the door when you walk in.

     My classroom is set up so that my students feel warm and welcomed as well as academically appropriate for kindergartners.