Haiti Information Packet

Under this page you will find important documents regarding Haiti and our mission over there for the summer. Again, this experience was incredible and life changing while also very challenging.



 GENERAL

Table of Contents
COVER Page
SUMMARY of Education Project
I.         THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN HAITI
II.         GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
III.         EDUCATIONAL SECTION
Phase 1.1: Summary
Phases 1.2: Details

IV.         TECHNICAL SECTION
Phase 2.1: Summary
Phase 2.2: Details
V.         PROJECT RESULT
Phase 3.1 Summary
Phase 3.2 Details
VI.         TIME AND COST ESTIMATES
VII.         ORGANIZING AND STAFFING
VIII.          EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATION
APPENDIX
Representative Client Assignments
Project Staff Resume

Educational Research Project Proposal


Submitted by:
Marquise Paillere

      I.         THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN HAITI
Haiti is a French colony located in the Caribbean gained her Independence in the late 18th century after the first major slave uprising in the western hemisphere involving nearly half million slaves led by Toussaint L'Ouverture. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. According to the CIA World Fact book; Haiti is considered as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line. As poverty is directly linked to education; Haiti has had a long history of poor access to education in all its history. As the massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince; an estimated 2 million people were living within the zone of heavy to moderate structural damage with over 300,000 people who lost their lives. Among the people who lost their lives were a vast number of students who attend night school. The night school students are mostly students from very low income families who in the day time hold jobs such as selling fruits and vegetables in the public markets. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in the region over the last 200 years and consequently Haiti’s educational sector is a fundamental area that is currently experiencing a severe setback.
As a result of my examination of the current crises currently going on in Haiti after the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake; and the pre-existing factors regarding education in Haiti I have developed the following understanding of Haiti’s youth population.
As in any society the youth is the future of tomorrow, and education is the basis and extremely crucial component that plays a major role in the advancement of any society.
·       In Haiti the youth is presently composed of more than 70% of the population and less than 20% of that 70% were enrolled in school before the earthquake happened.
·       For more than 50 years there have been vast amounts of farmers migrating from the rural areas to the capital (Port-au-Prince) of the country in search of a better life. Which in turn resulted in shacks and improper building of houses everywhere, they did not fit and they became the merchants in the streets thriving to survive with no support system from the government.
·       As a response to the high literacy rate that has existed for the past century, I decided to start from the grassroots up.
Starting from the grassroots up will require adopting a new way of teaching in the ways that the youth is taught. The norm in Haiti has always been a lot of memorization and regurgitation of information. Hence experiential learning is something that is hardly heard of in Haiti and memorization is the only norm. As memorization is a crucial component in learning it is not really beneficial if we don't teach kids early on how to think critically by themselves so that they too can apply the things they learn in the classrooms in their real life situations. This new idea is extremely hopeful because it will serve as an intervention that will make a lasting difference in the way that rural students learn.
To get this process started, with the help faculty members and fellow classmates I created “Educators and Students without Boarders”. The purpose of this organization is to recruit Educators and Students from the US to provide training for the teachers in the school. The idea is that after professionals from the United States have helped provide some basic training for the Haitian teacher, then this knowledge can be passed on by those teachers. The organization will still keep providing ongoing training workshops as we get volunteers from the United States.

·       To have a decent education a child should be taught in a friendly, comfortable, and technologically up to date environment.
Through careful and extensive research and interviews of Haitian teachers and students who reside both in Haiti and in the United states I have found this school located in the rural region of Haiti called Bainet and I will utilize this school to test all my (theories and  hypothesis)
The school’s name is Ecole la Providence de Begin. It is located in Bainet (Creole: Benè) is a City in the South-East Department of Haiti with 166,890 inhabitants. Currently has 210 students enrolled, ages of pre-k through 12 years old.  The school seeks to enroll a total of 300 children. 
The students enrolled are the first generation in their family to ever attend school; and therefore feel privileged for attaining this right.  There is a scarcity of qualified teachers in the area, especially for the early childhood education division
The school does not have a proper building
The garden on the school premises will serve many purposes. Students can eat the food that they grow while also teaching them about the significance of planting and preserving the environment. Ninety eight percent of the trees in Haiti are cut to produce charcoal causing deforestation, 66% of the economy is based on agriculture. With a total population of 10,033,000 million two thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector.

    II.         OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

Contact Hours: I will be working 8 hours per day for a total of 40 hours per week Monday through Friday. I will start working on May 24th of 2012. I will be on the site starting June 27th of 2012 until 24nd of August.
  III.         EDUCATIONAL SECTION: Detailed Description and Training
The proposed project’s major objectives are divided into three phases
Phase 1.1
Do initial evaluation to assess the standards of the teachers followed by an 8 weeks intensive teacher training program.
Examine Current qualifications of Teachers and Future Professional Advancement
Develop detailed requirement from which Ecole Providence de Begin can develop a bid specifications package for the school’s educational infrastructure for the students and also for teachers’ ongoing education training.
This includes detailed data from which they will be able to make decisions.
Indentify the pros and cons associated with the specific layout of new curriculum that will be put in place to train teachers
Help to select the design approach
Help Draft School Policy
Help Draft and Establish Rules and Guidelines for all Faculty and Staff
Set up well-organized follow up training for Teacher’s professional advancement.
Integrate into the curricula those 5 key concepts: Hands on, experiential education, Sustainability Eco-literacy Citizenship and Stewardship
Phase 1.2: Improving School/Professional Development Center’s Infrastructure
Establish School Board Members
Prepare a set of requirements to be used to develop the base of teacher’s training program.
Identify strategic decision issues for layout of curriculum.
On the basis of information obtained the school board members and I will help identify strategic decisions Ecole la Providence must make prior to completing the layout and ongoing curriculum design and implementation.
Phase 1.3
Create Supplement Educational Programs designed for Teachers
Incorporate Technology and interactive learning.
Follow up training will be provided by: Recruited volunteer Educators/Students from the US.
Conduct a comparative study of Student’s academic success related to teachers teaching methods and qualifications.
I will be the Course Coordinator/Translator for the education workshops/seminars that will be given for the duration of two months.

  IV.         Current and future space requirements
Currently the school does not have a proper building, a one room house is leased on a yearly basis and in front on the house a with an extended shack that is build to add more room to receive the students. There are no walls. When it rains the students do not attend school because everywhere is damped.
Future space requirement: School/ Professional Development Center requirements: Supplies (including architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing approaches, and specialized security interfaces)
I will create a project board composed of individuals who will be in charge of planning Fund Raising events to raise money to purchase the land for the building of the school.
Architectural requirements for the building
Mechanical requirements
Electrical requirements
*All three Phases will occur simultaneously.


    V.         PROJECT RESULT
This project will contribute to the decentralization of the densely packed capital
-Encourage farmers to work the land because that where the richness of the country is.
-Build a community of future educated farmers who will contribute to Haiti’s economic development.
-Benefit other surrounding communities, and environment 
-Develop communities, encourage leadership, and serve as a blueprint for other rural communities to follow.
-Will be a Regional training facility for training other teachers in the surrounding rural areas of Haiti.
-Benefit health and wellbeing of Bainet children with improved education and learning environment
-Empower the children with stronger education
-Enhance adult job skills for future employment
-Educational modernization

This project will also enable and encourage the youth to be and live sustainably since the school is located in a rural area curriculum will include gardening for students. This required assistance will include the design of the school, a garden on the school premises which will teach the kids environmental and health values that will stay with them for life.
  VI.         TIME AND COST ESTIMATE: To Be Determined while all phases 1, 2 and 3 are in progress.
Details: Current cost of land to be purchased for the building of the school: USD 10,000.

VII.         Support: Educators and Students without Boarders
                        I.           A key element in my approach to this project is the assignment senior personnel who have significant teaching, school/professional center structural design, planning, operations and management experience. I will work on establishing a  h a project team that not only possessed a seasoned, realistic perspective but also can provide practical suggestions for improvement in such areas as school/professional center educational infrastructure and construction.
Mentoring: My site supervisor will be Fritz- Gerald Zephirin, I will meet with him three times a week to evaluate all my work progress.
Marketable skills: I will be able to develop verbal communication skills, and build strong relationships with other people and enrich my interpersonal skills. 
Completing this research will help me enhance my problem solving abilities. Since I plan to teach in Haiti later on in my career this internship will give me a better understanding of the teaching methods and how to be an effective teacher, because quality teachers are the cornerstone of quality education.
What I expect to get from this internship:
I expected to do an experimental research and collect new data on the state of Public education in Rural Haiti. This will allow me to do a need assessment of resources needed for the school to keep functioning both academically and financially.




Ecole la Providence de Begin
Teacher Training Program for Professional Advancement
Welcome!
Ecole la Providence de Begin’s Teacher Training Program for Professional Advancement is a program aiming at ensuring that our students have competent teachers equipped with the latest practices in regards of education. The school’s Teacher Training Team’s goal for your seminar is to be as productive and beneficial as possible to the teaching methods currently being used by implementing and improving the existing practices. You will experience a wide variety of useful techniques and ideas you can take back to your classroom and put in use immediately! This handbook was created to give you numerous resources, key handouts, guidelines, and sample materials to incorporate into your teaching.
We welcome any questions that you may have. Our presenter is excited to have a chance to meet and discuss ideas with you during the breaks that we will have during the sessions.
Our Educational Plan for our students is to enrich their education by combining traditional instructions with modern methodologies which will extend beyond the classroom into the community.
At the conclusion of the seminar, we would love to hear your comments and feedback as we will consistently striving to bring you the most fulfilling experience possible! An evaluation form is located on the last page of this handbook, please take a moment to complete the form and share us thoughts with us.
*Active Learning: The value of active learning for deepening student understanding of course materials is extremely vital. That is to say this class will involve a number of hands-on assignments. The vision is for the class to be an active learning community. Therefore, we will all have important roles to play. We all have the capacity to be both teachers and learners. We will have class activities in small groups frequently. The role of your presenter/presenters is to facilitate this goal. Always come prepared to class and ready to participate.
Homework: There will be a variety of weekly homework assignments (To be determined). Many of these assignments are designed to give you hands-on experience with education. Some of the assignments may be done in pairs or in small groups (if so it will be explained). Homework assignments will be distributed in class.
Grading Rubric for homework:
·      Exceptional (insightful, thorough, completely error-free, truly exceptional work) assignment will earn ten points;
·      Complete, satisfactory assignments will earn nine points
·      Complete, but, unsatisfactory assignments will earn five points
·      Late or incomplete assignments will earn a zero
Note: All homework must be handed in to your presenter at the assigned date, unless otherwise noted or under special circumstances (with the permission of the presenter/presenters.
Reading Evaluation: In order for us to spend more time engaged in active and collaborative learning, it is very important for you to prepare for each class in advance by completing the reading. With the exception of week 1, each week will start off with a brief evaluation on the reading for that week.
Evaluation will be 10 multiple choice and true/ false questions and done first individually and then in a group. Each one is worth 100 points. Your individual grade is 50% of your evaluation grade and the group grade is the other 50%. You must be present at the beginning of class to take the evaluation. Please don’t be late.
These weekly reading evaluations are intended to meet a number of objectives. They will help you keep up to date on the readings, help prepare you for the exams and help encourage attendance. The evaluations will also provide you with a collaborative learning opportunity. Finally, they will also help your presenter/presenters assess your progress and determine which areas need more emphasis and elaboration.
Exams: Exams will be a combination of multiple choices, true-false and short answer questions. Exam dates will be announced in class 2 weeks prior the date in class. The final exam is cumulative.
Grading System: 4.0 (A):95-100   3.7(A-): 90-94   3.3 (B+): 87-89 3.0 (B): 83-86   2.7(B-): 80-82   2.3(C+): 77-79
2.0(C): 70-76   1.7(C-): 67-69    1.3 (D+): 64-66    1.0(D):60-63    0.0 (F):59 or lower.
Course Policies
Attendance and participation are a must and will be reflected on your grade on the course.
Academic integrity: You are expected to be aware and uphold academic integrity. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated.
Extra credit: extra credit assignment may occasionally be offered when events arises that connect to topics of the course. There may be no opportunities for extra credit. Please plan accordingly and seek any needed assistance as soon as possible. The presenter/presenters will be very glad to help you succeed with flying colors.
                             
Course Schedule*:                      Topics and Readings:                                                       *Course schedule is tentative, subject to change.
Week 1: (7/16, 18, 19, 20,)   Evaluation and Assessment of Teachers credentials and their Current Teaching Practices.
                                                Open discussion. What are their academic interests and concerns? Talk about the current state of    education in Rural Haiti.  Effective teaching Methods, Qualities of the effective teacher: Understanding your students “Different learning styles of students” “Reading Comprehension” 7 Keys to Comprehension that a teacher needs to master in order to guide their students.  
Week 2:  7/23, 24, 25, 26) First Evaluation. What is critical thinking? Introduction to the Science of Education. Intro/ Presentation of suggested methods for improvement. Hand outs, Introduce and brief overview on Childhood development. Multiple Intelligence
Week 3: 7/27, 30, 31, 8/1) Second Evaluation.  Mechanisms of Effective lessons planning, drafting instructional goals and plans for the day.
                                                  Creating collaborative teams in classrooms. “Tools for Effective Classroom management.” Using poster boards to facilitate learning. “Encouraging critical thinking in a classroom.”
Week 4: (8/2, 3, 5, 6)       Third Evaluation Ten Principles for creating an atmosphere of trust and support. (Soderman and Farrel,   2008). Your role as teachers.
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Week 5: (8/7, 8, 9, 10) Fourth Evaluation Music in the classroom: the research behind music in the Classroom. Why is guided reading important? Having smart centers for facilitating learning. 4 Components to every Smart Center
Week 6: (8/13, 14, 17)          Fifth Evaluation to be announced in class*
Week 7: (8/20, 21, 22 23,    Final Evaluation to be announced in class*
Bridges Log

Student- ___________________________Major- _______________________________
Meeting Date-________________________________________

Academic progress- How do you feel the seminar is going for you? How are you progressing?


Personal Issues-



Next time-








Haiti curriculum for Summer 2012

Styles of Learning

Each student is different, which means they all learn differently. There are several styles Howard Gardner explained how students learn. Meeting their needs is one tool for educational success. The information came from Wikipedia.org

Style 1. Visual (spatial): The ability to visualize with the mind’s eye. Such people would be artists, designers, architects, etc. Spatial relates to space, so students with this learning style learn best when given projects such as designing a plan for a house or creating a piece of art work. They learn best with images, art, creating, etc.

Style 2. Linguistic (auditory): “This area has to do with words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and by discussing and debating about what they have learned.” (Wikipedia.org)

Style 3. Kinesthetic (hands on): This style of learning involves using your hands and body to learn. Using manipulatives while teaching is the best way to help these students learn. Examples that suit their interest are athletes, dancers, actors, soldiers, etc.

Style 4. Musical: Sounds, tones, rhythms, and music are sensitive to these learners. These learners like to sing, play an instrument and compose music. They learn best through music, and such interest includes singer, disc jockey, writer or composer.

Style 5. Interpersonal: These learners like to work with others. They can easily understand others and work with their needs and emotions to complete a task. Managers, teachers, counselors, etc. are areas of interest.

Style 6. Intrapersonal: An intrapersonal learner knows whom they are, what they like, how they will react to situations, and really understand themselves. Critical thinking comes natural and people with this intelligence are counselors, authors, psychologist, etc.

Style 7. Naturalistic: This area has to do with nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. Examples include classifying natural forms such as animal and plant species and rocks and mountain types; and the applied knowledge of nature in farming, mining, etc. Careers include naturalists, farmers and gardeners. (Wikipedia.org)

**Note: Another style that isn’t discussed much but does exist is the spiritual learner. This learner has the gift to be natural. They believe they have it in them to meet a goal, and the goal is accomplished successfully.

            Now that you know that there are several different learning styles, it is important to remember that as educators we need to apply all the styles in the curriculum so each child can benefit. For example, when introducing new vocabulary to students, have the words written for your linguistic learners, an image relating to the words for visual learners, and a movement for each word for kinesthetic learners.


Reading Comprehension

7 Keys to Comprehension

1.     Create mental images: Good readers create a wide range of visual, auditory, and other sensory images as they read, and they become emotionally involved with what they read.
2.     Use background knowledge: Good readers use their relevant prior knowledge before, during, and after reading to enhance their understanding of what they’re reading.
3.     Ask questions: Good readers generate questions before, during, and after reading to clarify meaning, make predictions, and focus their attention on what’s important.
4.     Make inferences: Good readers use their prior knowledge and information from what they read to make predictions, seek answers to questions, draw conclusions, and create interpretations that deepen their understanding of the text.
5.     Determine the most important ideas or themes: Good readers identify key ideas or themes as they read, and they can distinguish between important and unimportant information.
6.     Synthesize information: Good readers track their thinking as it evolves during reading, to get the overall meaning.
7.     Use “fix-up” strategies: Good readers are aware of when they understand and when they don’t. If they have trouble understanding specific words, phrases, or longer passages, they use a wide range of problem-solving strategies including skipping ahead, rereading, asking questions, using a dictionary, and reading the passage aloud.                                     (Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins)

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Motion pictures of the Mind: If reading is vivid, exciting, memorable, and fun, it is easier to remember information. Not only does that mean images, but also smells, tastes, sounds and feelings. Visual can be used with images, videos, play, etc.

Activity one: Phonics Bingo – Have students learn new vocabulary or how to read by playing Bingo, but incorporate pictures. (Show example)

Activity two: Musical Big Book – Students create a book using an inspirational song. Students create an illustration for part of the lyrics in a song. Put the book together and sing the song showing each lyric and illustration.

Activity three: Comics – Have students create comic strips that explains the current concept.

**Activity four: Close your eyes. Imagine you are with someone you love at the park swinging on the swing. Finish the story, what happens next? Explain to group.

Modeling for the students what you expect and want them to do is one step. Model for them how you visualize, what you see when you read a book, what you imagine when you are listening to a song. Don’t just tell students what you see, tell them what you hear, feel, taste, etc. Modeling guides students in the right direction and they will use and practice this strategy more often until it becomes second nature.

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Background Knowledge: Background knowledge is built every day. Through experiences, relationships, conversations, traveling, background knowledge is built. People subconciously use background knowledge when they learn something new, and if they are learning something for the first time, the previous knowledge from what they already know will spark up. “Background knowledge enriches everything you read.” – (Zimmerman, 43)

Activity one: Introduce and reintroduce the same story – Introduce a story to students. Ask them questions that could help them relate to the text. Do an activity relating to the text and reread the story several days or months later. Students will remember the story but may react and understand it differently after having some experience with the subject.

Activity two: Field trip – Take students on a field trip. When they return, have them read a text relating the the area you visited. Or have students create a song, rap, play, etc. on their newfound discoveries.

**Avtivity three: Share a memory – After reading a story, have students write, create an image, create a poem, etc. about how they relate to a main character in the text. Give students options on how to express themselves.

It is important to remember that each person has different background knowledge, which forms various responses and experiences for each lesson. Although your experiences and responses may be different from your students, it is also important to consider their perspective. Although their answers and ideas may be different then what you expect, it doesn’t mean they are incorrect.

** “Background knowledge is like velcro. It helps new information adhere. The more background knowledge you develop and use, the more you can make sense of and remember new information.” (Zimmerman, 50) **

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Questioning: Who What When Where Why and How (5W and H questions) – Questions are extrememly important. Important to ask students and important for students to ask. There are a dozen ways to ask questions, but to really get your student thinking, you must ask them critical thinking questions. Which question is more thought provoking?

Did you have fun? vs. Did you have fun? Why or why not?

Instead of asking students yes or no questions, ask them questions in which they are required to think. They will use their background knowledge and apply it to their answer.
If you don’t know the answer to their questions, encourage them to discover the answers. Give them the materials they need. Have them ask a peer, teacher, or a parent.

Activity one: Look at the illustration on the cover of a text. Have students ask questions about the illustration before they read the text.

Activity two: Interview – Have students interview someone. Such as asking a parent/guardian about what they do at work.
**Activity three: “I wonder” – Look at a picture and ask “I wonder” question461098_422636991099555_100000597728315_1458432_791035090_o.jpg
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Drawing Inferences: “When the mind is thinking, it is talking to itself.” –Plato
Very similar to critical thinking, you expand your thinking and go beyond what you read. Using your background knowledge, you “personalize what you read to build deeper meaning.” This could be predicting how a story will end, figuring out an unknown word, asking questions, etc. What does evidence show? What are the sentences, words, and story telling you?
Activity one: Cartoons - Introduce students to funny or political cartoons, such as Garfield. Have them interpret it. They will relate it to their background knowledge and then ask questions such as, “What do you think?” or “How would you react in this situation?”

Activity two: Clifford - Read students a story where they create details. Read Clifford the Big Red Dog on disasters. The students have to think about why and how Clifford causes so many disasters.

**Activity three: Word Games – Have students fill in the blank. “As sticky as a _____________” Have each student fill in the blank using a new word each time.

Language for drawing inferences: “I predict…” “I think that…” My guess is…” “That’s just what I thought…” “Now that is a surprise…” “My conclusion here is…”

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Synthesizing: “The ability to distinguish what’s important in text and the ability to synthesize it, or determine the overall meaning and significance.” (Zimmermann, 119) Facts and information can be thrown at you, but you need to think about the main ideas and organize it internally. That is synthesizing. While synthesizing, students can better identify what is and isn’t important.

“Determining importance has to do with knowing why you’re reading and then making decisions about which information or ideas are most critical to understanding the overall meaning of the piece.” (124)

Activity one: Cover – Read a story to students without showing them the cover. When finished, have students create their own interpretation of the front cover. What are some things they should include in their illustration that the reader might predict? When students are finished, show them the cover of the text and compare. 

Activity two: Create a song/rap/play – Have students create a song/rap/play using the notes they have taken from an important unit. Instead of students studying notes word for word, have them take the important ideas from the unit to create a song/rap/play.

**Activity three: Create a story – Students will create the text using the illustrations. Cover up the text and have students write their own interpretation of the text.

Language for synthesizing: ordering, recalling, retelling, recreating, connect, visualizing.

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Fix-up strategies: If I don’t understand what is going on, how can I fix it so I do? Everyone does this daily, with everything from reading, writing, cooking, etc. Say you get stuck in the mud with your form of transportation, truck, bike, or feet. You are going to do whatever strategy you know to get yourself out. The same applies for students. Naturally, after gaining experience students will learn to apply strategies that work for them, whether it is in reading, math, history, spelling, etc.

Fix-up strategies: Reread, read ahead to clarify meaning, identify what you don’t understand (vocabulary, sentence, idea), read the illustrations, talk with a peer, adult, or teacher, take notes, do some research, make predictions, stop to think, mentally imagine, read author’s note, drawing inferences, etc.

Activity one: Sticky notes – Using a text, have students read the text and put a sticky note on the parts that confuse them. Have a class discussion on the areas of confusion. This clarifies information while also getting everyone’s input.

Activity two: Poem – Have students read a poem with unfamiliar vocabulary words. Make sure the concept is explained in the poem and have students use text cues to help them interpret the poem.

**Activity three: Read the illustrations (Picture Walk) – Imagine you don’t understand what the text is saying. Read each illustration and make a prediction before you read the text.

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Ten principles for creating an atmosphere of trust and support. (Soderman and Farrell, 2008)           

1.     Actively engaging with the children, saving social interactions with other adults for when children are not present
2.     Using language to demonstrate their interest in children by reflecting on what the children are doing, noticing children’s accomplishments, laughing along with the children, answering their questions, and acknowledging their comments
3.     Actively listening to children, replying thoughtfully to their ideas, accepting their ideas, remembering to follow up later on, and inviting children to elaborate on their ideas
4.     Speaking courteously to children, allowing the to complete their thoughts without interrupting them, demonstrating patience, using please, thank you, and excuse me
5.     Discussing children professionally by avoiding the labeling of children or their families and discussing issues in private only with appropriate parties
6.     Communicating informally with children throughout the day, focusing on individual children and their current needs and interest
7.     Using children’s ideas and interests to guide the conversation, following up on children’s leads in conversations, bringing up subjects they know will be interesting to individual children, using open-ended questions (Why do you think…?) and thought provoking questions
8.     Using children’s names in positive circumstances (never in place of negative commands)
9.     Using words to guide children’s behavior – to encourage, to assist with stress management, to help children change their behavior without damaging their self-esteem
10.  Using praise sincerely and constructively; delivering individual, sincere compliments that describe the child’s accomplishment; focusing on positive behavior and never putting others down

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6+1 Trait® Definitions
The 6+1 Trait® Writing analytical model for assessing and teaching writing is made up of 6+1 key qualities that define strong writing. These are:
                Ideas, the main message;
                Organization, the internal structure of the piece;
                Voice, the personal tone and flavor of the author's message;
                Word Choice, the vocabulary a writer chooses to convey meaning;
                Sentence Fluency, the rhythm and flow of the language;
                Conventions, the mechanical correctness; and
                Presentation, how the writing actually looks on the page.

The Ideas are the main message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with all the supporting details that enrich and develop that theme. The ideas are strong when the message is clear, not garbled. The writer chooses details that are interesting, important, and informative–often the kinds of details the reader would not normally anticipate or predict. Successful writers do not "tell" readers things they already know; e.g., "It was a sunny day, and the sky was blue, the clouds were fluffy white …" Successful writers "show" readers that which is normally overlooked; writers seek out the extraordinary, the unusual, the unique, the bits and pieces of life that might otherwise be overlooked.
Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing, the thread of central meaning, the pattern and sequence, so long as it fits the central idea. Organizational structure can be based on comparison-contrast, deductive logic, point-by-point analysis, development of a central theme, chronological history of an event, or any of a dozen other identifiable patterns. When the organization is strong, the piece begins meaningfully and creates in the writer a sense of anticipation that is, ultimately, systematically fulfilled. Events proceed logically; information is given to the reader in the right doses at the right times so that the reader never loses interest. Connections are strong, which is another way of saying that bridges from one idea to the next hold up. The piece closes with a sense of resolution, tying up loose ends, bringing things to a satisfying closure, answering important questions while still leaving the reader something to think about.

Voice is the writer coming through the words, the sense that a real person is speaking to us and cares about the message. It is the heart and soul of the writing, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and breath. When the writer is engaged personally with the topic, he/she imparts a personal tone and flavor to the piece that is unmistakably his/hers alone. And it is that individual something–different from the mark of all other writers–that we call Voice.
Word Choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise language that communicates not just in a functional way, but in a way that moves and enlightens the reader. In descriptive writing, strong word choice resulting in imagery, especially sensory, show-me writing, clarifies and expands ideas. In persuasive writing, purposeful word choice moves the reader to a new vision of ideas. In all modes of writing figurative language such as metaphors, similes and analogies articulate, enhance, and enrich the content. Strong word choice is characterized not so much by an exceptional vocabulary chosen to impress the reader, but more by the skill to use everyday words well.
Sentence Fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear, not just to the eye. How does it sound when read aloud? That's the test. Fluent writing has cadence, power, rhythm, and movement. It is free of awkward word patterns that slow the reader's progress. Sentences vary in length, beginnings, structure, and style, and are so well crafted that the writer moves through the piece with ease.
The Conventions Trait is the mechanical correctness of the piece and includes five elements: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar/usage, and paragraphing. Writing that is strong in Conventions has been proofread and edited with care. Since this trait has so many pieces to it, it's almost an analytical trait within an analytic system. As you assess a piece for convention, ask yourself: "How much work would a copy editor need to do to prepare the piece for publication?" This will keep all of the elements in conventions equally in play. Conventions is the only trait where we make specific grade level accommodations, and expectations should be based on grade level to include only those skills that have been taught. (Handwriting and neatness are not part of this trait. They belong with Presentation.)

Presentation combines both visual and textual elements. It is the way we exhibit or present our message on paper. Even if our ideas, words, and sentences are vivid, precise, and well constructed, the writing will not be inviting to read unless the guidelines of presentation are present. Some of those guidelines include: balance of white space with visuals and text, graphics, neatness, handwriting, font selection, borders, overall appearance. Think about examples of text and visual presentation in your environment. Which signs and billboards attract your attention? Why do you reach for one CD over another? All great writers are aware of the necessity of presentation, particularly technical writers who must include graphs, maps, and visual instructions along with their text. Presentation is key to a polished piece ready for publication.

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Introduce NYS Core Curriculum


  
Assessment 1: Translated into Creole for students

Name: _______________________________                  Date: ______________________

Directions: Answer the questions using complete sentences.

1. What is the purpose for saving social interactions with other adults for when children are not present?


2. When is it an appropriate time to discuss issues with children and their families?


3. List four ways to communicate effectively with children.


4. Give an example of an open-ended question you should ask in your classroom during discussion.


5. Madame Jolene was having a conversation with a student on the life cycle of a butterfly. The student gave his input and Madame Jolene responded without letting the child finish. What is wrong with this situation and how could you fix it?


6. How can you show a child you are interested in his/her needs and wants?


7. If a student is getting under your skin, and you have tried all the possible positive reinforcement techniques, what can you do next?


8. What is praise, and how can you deliver it effectively?


9. This style of learning involves understanding and expressing oneself through playing an instrument, reading music, singing songs, writing, and etc. What style of learning is this and give an example/lesson to use in your classroom.


10. What is the difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal? Give an example of each.


11. Why is it important to include kinesthetic learning into your lessons?


12. What is a manipulative? Give an example.


13. Describe a naturalistic learner.


14. Create a lesson that includes three styles of learning.


**Note: This was the first assessment and the students did really well. All of them received an 85%<. I asked them for feedback and they liked how the questions made them think critically. They were expecting multiple choice, so some of their answers were not as detailed, but I told them for the next assessment I would keep a similar format, but some of them would need to give more detail in their answers. Overall, the first assessment was a success.

Assessment 2: Translated into Creole for students

Name: ________________________________                   Date: ________________________

1. What are the seven keys of comprehension? Give one example of each that you can use in your classroom. Give thorough and thoughtful explanations without writing a book. (70 points)

2. List three out of the fifteen ways to increase Children’s Self-Esteem and explain why you chose these. (15 points)

3. List three suggestions for providing opportunities for mastery in your classroom and explain why you chose these. (15 points)


**Note: The students performed well on the second assessment, scoring 82%<. There was some confusion with number one. Some students did not give examples. For that, we gave them their test back to finish and clarified the question. However, it is partially my fault because I wanted them to provide examples they could use in their classroom, not just simple examples. 




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