11-24-2015

Professional Meetings Reflection

During my clinical placement at Trace, I attended a few professional meetings. Attending
these meetings was a valuable experience, as I got to see how data is analyzed and used, as well
as the importance of communication between teachers. The first meeting I attended was a 3rd
grade team meeting. This was a meeting between each of the 3rd grade teachers. The 3rd grade
team had a discussion about technology and project based learning. The technology part of the
discussion was about using it effectively in the classroom. One of the teachers shared a tutorial
on how to use Google Slides. This tool is like power point, but it is connected to Google Drive
and allows students to work on the power point together. I got to see this tool utilize by my 3rd
grade teacher. The students created presentations through Google Slides on the regions of the
United States. Google Slides is a great resource to allow collaboration during projects in the
classroom. I am going to be adding Google Slides to my resource list I have been building up
this semester. I think there were many good resources shared during this meeting. However, I
think some teachers have a tendency to rely too heavily on technology. In connecting this
professional meeting to something Mrs. Joyner said in her maker movement presentation, there
is an appropriate place for technology in the classroom. As a teacher, it is your job to make sure
you are using it to support instruction, and not use it as a time-filler, or for instruction.
Also in this 3rd grade team meeting, they discussed project based learning. PBL is when
students come together and solve a problem. The 3rd grade team was discussing a problem to give
the 3rd graders to solve for a PBL experience. The problem that they decided on was: hunger
within the communities around Trace. They plan to have students collect cans and have
discussions on the issue of hunger in the community. This project is going to last throughout the

year. I think PBLs are a great idea to use with students. I think it prepares them for college, and
their professional life, where they will have to collaborate with other people to solve a problem. I
think it is a great learning opportunity, and I hope that I have the opportunity to do PBLs in my
future classroom.
The second meeting I attended was a data meeting between the 3rd grade teachers, the
principal and vice principal, and the math/reading coaches. In this meeting, they discussed tier I
students in the 3rd grade. They discussed the progress the students were making. The 3rd grade
teachers also discussed students who they have identified who may need to be placed into tier I.
Attending this meeting, allowed me to see the importance of data and how it is used to improve
student learning. It also allowed me to see the process of placing students into tier 1 and moving
them up a tier. This meeting made me see all of the effort that goes into supporting students. The
teachers and administration at Trace care a lot about students and their education, and it shows.
In the future, I hope that I have the same environment at the school I work for.