I just got rick-rolled watching this Schoolhouse Rock video.

BioSketch

Hello, I am Mrs. Clarissa Rangel.  I am a loving wife, devoted mother, and determined student of life.  I married my high school sweetheart and together we have a beautiful four year old daughter.  Our household is structured and multigenerational.  My father-in-law completes our unique family dynamic and provides a great source of moral support.  Though I have obtained a well rounded education, I am still learning each and every day.  I am eager to learn from my future students.

As for my background, I grew up in northeast Amarillo in a low income household.  I understand how hard a life in poverty can be, especially for those children and young people who cannot help their situation.  I feel that I have the ability to encourage determination among young people in low income families because I have found that education is a key to escaping poverty.  I hope to one day work in a Title I school so I can put my best abilities to work.

I chose to study social studies in college because I really enjoyed history and government in high school.  For me, they were the most interesting subjects.  In my quest for higher education, I developed a great talent for the Spanish language.  As it stands, I will be certified as a Social Studies teacher in grades 6-12.  However, I plan to get a certification in Spanish so that I can teach a foreign language in the event that a social studies position is not available.

My love for history and Spanish has blossomed into a great interest for Latin American history.  In college, I enjoyed classes like Colonial Latin America and Modern Latin American History.  I am very fortunate to have found a great Spanish tutor who has become a great friend. She has invited me to visit she and her family in Popayan, Cauca, Colombia this coming December.  It is a great opportunity to become acquainted with another Latin culture, advance my Spanish speaking abilities, and experience the rich history of a Colonial Latin American city.

Some of my extracurricular interests include crochet and needlework, singing, reading and writing poetry, and keeping up with my personal blog.  I also enjoy critiquing local restaurants.

Little Rock Nine History Project Documentary

Here is an interesting video created by ninth grade student, Shea Higgins.

When I decided to become a teacher...

It was my senior year of high school and I was selected to be an AmeriCorps member.  It was the most exciting time in my life!  I was so proud of the work I was doing.  Each day we served 30 low-income students after school.  We provided a snack, help with homework, and an activity.  I really hope that our group of students at Glenwood Elementary School were as impacted by us as we were impacted by them.  Of the seven pictured here, four have gone on to have careers as educators:  Far left, Mrs. Kaci Charnesky AISD Substitute; Third from left, Mrs. Nina Hunter, Math teacher at Caprock High School;  The male in the group, Mr. Fabian Saldaña, Orchestra teacher Bowie Cluster; And me!  Mrs. Clarissa Rangel, teacher in training.  

My Educational Philosophy

Education provides the keys to the future.  It facilitates advancement and progress within the community and society.  The role of an educator is to hold high expectations for each and every student and provide the resources and encouragement necessary for students to fulfill expectations. 

Students learn best in a positive and safe environment.  It is my job as a teacher to provide such a learning environment coupled with high expectations and encouragement.  Within such and environment, there is absolutely no limit to each student’s potential. I owe it to my students to enter the classroom each day with consistency, determination, and encouragement so that they will ultimately be inspired to hold such traits in the future. 

In my classroom, students can expect a positive and safe environment that encourages self expression and appreciation of different view points.  Students will learn to accept and respect the views and beliefs of others.  They will learn how to contribute to society through volunteerism and intellectual ingenuity.  Students will learn how it feels to accomplish goals both individually and collectively. It is my personal goal that each student leaves my classroom feeling as though they have done something great for themselves as well as the local community.  

Reading Response Log

Social Studies is notorious for being boring and unappealing to secondary students. Students often lose interest when all they must learn are names and dates. Although it is true that many very important events have shaped our country to what it is today, many history books only touch on the experience of emotion of people who lived through the events. However, emotion is necessary to memorization. If students can identify how they feel about an event, they are more likely to remember history later in life.

I showcased the following books because I feel they offer interest and emotion to some of the most important events in U.S. History. I chose to search for books that were below reading level for a high school class so that students with reading disabilities would be able to successfully complete any coinciding activities. I also felt that lower level books with illustrations and pictures would be more effective to introduce students to independent research of history.

I enlisted the help of the our course textbook and the National Council for the Social Studies to find appropriate books then acquired them through public interlibrary loan. The main question I answered with each of these books was how could I incorporate this into a lesson? I found it quite interesting and entertaining to find several ways to use one book. Also found myself looking for books that could be paired together as well as used independently.

Title: John and Abigail Adams: An American Love Story     

Author: Judith St. George

Publisher: Holiday House

Copyright: 2001

IBSN #: 13-978-0823415717

Genre: Non-Fiction

Location: Canyon Area Library

Summary:

John Adams was a founding father of the United States of America. In 1759, a 23 year old John Adams became acquainted with a 14 year old Abigail Smith and the two soon became friends. Writing each other over the subsequent years, the two grew fond of each other and their relationship blossomed into a passionate and intellectual union that lasted 54 years. Through political upheavals, personal tragedies and separations of up to five years long, their letters to one another throughout John Adams’ political career. Through the letters, we learn of the personalities, hopes, and fears of the Adams's and others of the time like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others who shared in the passion of shaping a nation.

Personal Comments:

St. George compiles these letters to compound the marital relationship of John and Abigail Adams. However, the way the couple communicated and entertained each other with current events made for and interesting first hand account of the American Revolution. It shows the emotion of the events especially with Abigail’s concern of the treatment of women within the new nation. Grammar and spelling have been updated for maximum comprehension among young people.

Suggested Use in the Classroom:

I would use this book to help students find the emotion of the events of the American Revolution. I would ask critical thinking questions to start a discussion about the feelings of the young Abigail Smith and John Adams as they witness the events unfolding before them. I would also assign a timeline exercise where the students would place the dates of the letters along with the coinciding events of the American Revolution in order to communicate the feelings of the events.

Title: Hiroshima No Pika                                     

Author/Illustrator: Toshi Maruki

Publisher: Harper Collins

Copyright: 1982

IBSN#: 13-978-0688012973

Genre: Non-Fiction

Summary:

Hiroshima No Pika follows the events of the dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, Japan. It is a narrative of a family who is trying to escape the counter attack of the U.S. Coupled with the artwork of the author, who lived through the event, this book offers a very emotional account of the events of August 6, 1945.

Personal Comments:

The illustration alone is quite compelling. However, coupled with the text and first hand account of a Japanese family who escapes after the atomic bomb has been dropped on their town makes for an emotional read. This book does seem one sided, but it also illustrates the ignorance of the Japanese citizens who had no idea that their government refused negotiations with the U.S.

Suggested Use in the Classroom:

I would use this text to introduce the issues of WWII. I would present this first to students in order to open a dialog about what lead to the events of the bomb’s dropping. In the following lectures, we would discuss the events that lead to America’s involvement. I would then use the following book, Attack on Pear Harbor to give the students other perspectives of the events. In the end of the WWII lesson, I would present this book, Hiroshima No Pika again to ask the students how they feel about Maruki’s depictions.  The goal of this would be to ask students to analyze these accounts in order to decide which one is more accurate. Then I would assign an alternative history writing assignment where the students would ask themselves, “what if Japan never bombed Pearl Harbor?” or “What if the U.S. didn’t drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima or Nagasaki?”

Title: Attack on Pearl Harbor: The True Story of the Day America Entered WWII  

Author: Shelly Tanaka

Illustrator: David Craig

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Copyright: 2001

IBSN #: 13-978-0786807369

Genre: Non-Fiction

Location: Amarillo Public Library North (Interlibrary Loan)

Summary:

This book follows the lives of American and Japanese civilians, sailors, and airmen in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. With compelling photographs, memorabilia and illustration, this book recreates the events of the infamous day that America entered WWII.

Personal Comments:

I felt this book presented the facts of what happened at Pearl Harbor. It provides a narrative from several perspectives that allows the reader to identify with events. The illustration is remarkable and eye-catching. At times, I felt as if I were reading a graphic novel. The book also showcased actual photographs from the events as well as graphic illustrations of planes flying overhead. I found this book to be quite gripping and had me wanting to learn more.

Suggested Use in the Classroom:

I would present this book in the middle of a unit a lecture of Pearl Harbor to spark a discussion of how this author presented the history of the event. See the previous book’s Suggested Use for further.

Title: All the Colors of the Earth                             

Author/Illustrator: Sheila Hamanaka

Publisher: HarperCollins

Copyright: 1994

IBSN#: 13-978-0688111311

Genre: Children’s Poetry

Summary:

All the Colors of the Earth is a great poetic book that captivates the reader with every word. Paired with Hamanaka’s own oil paintings, the book shows children and adults alike that although people have many differences from skin color to hair texture we are all innately the same by love. A very lyrical piece, its easy to read and entertaining to hear.

Personal Comments:

Although this is in my personal collection, this book is easy to find in the library system. So many schools and public libraries in our area have it. I love this book because it shows children to appreciate each other’s differences with artistic reference rather than negative. It also expresses how deep down beyond skin and cultural differences, one thing remains at the end of the day each person wants to love and be loved. The book reads easily and sounds lyrical as it is read. I enjoy reading this book as well as the message that the book conveys.

Suggested Use in the Classroom

I would present this book when teaching the Civil Rights Movement. Many times, the Civil Rights Movement is portrayed as only an African American struggle. While it is true that African Americans fought for equal rights, it was not only for their race but for all races. After presenting this book, I would assign a class service learning project. In pairs, students will choose a children’s book that celebrates diversity in the U.S.. Then they will prepare a 5-7 minute presentation and discussion questions of their chosen book to be presented to the class at a later time.

Title: There Comes a Time: The Struggle for Civil Rights                      

Author: Milton Meltzer

Publisher: Random House for Young Readers

Copyright 2002

IBSN#: 13-978-0375804144

Summary: This book is an informational overview of the civil rights movement in America. It opens with four young men staging a sit-in on January 31, 1960 at Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. Then spans over 300 years from the roots of slavery to the compromises of recent presidents. Meltzer examines all aspects of the civil rights struggle and history of racism in our nation. He includes excerpts from the speeches and letters of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as showcasing other notable African Americans through history.

Personal Comments:

Meltzer has written this book to go hand in hand with teaching the civil rights movement. His perspective asks students to think critically of the past and of the future. It is a great short history of the civil rights movement written at a very understandable level and evokes passion for the reader. It is a rather inspiring book and creates a want within the reader to continue to work toward racial harmony and equality with in our nation.

Suggested Use in the Classroom:

I would assign this book for students to read independently with reading assignments. Each day we would spend 10 minutes discussing the content they read. After reading the book, I would assign a writing assignment in response to the book where students would answer “What events sparked the most emotion for you and why? Do you feel the information was clearly communicated? Was there anything discussed in lecture that was left out of the book? What are some ways that you can honor those who fought for civil rights?” These questions would then be a great spring board for discussing community service.

Go to these websites for more information on literacy in the classroom. 

Website Evaluation #1

Name of Site:  International Reading Association

Website Address:  www.reading.org

Copyright/ Last Update:   ©1996-2010.  The website is well maintained with current information.  Most notably, the site’s homepage is advertising for an upcoming IRA Annual Convention in Chicago April 25-28 with an emphasis on Reading in Many Languages.  Also the site is also advertising an editor search for The Reading Teacher, the IRA’s flagship journal.  Applications for the position are due March 31, 2010.  Under “What’s New”, upcoming volumes and articles within them are showcased in a flash box.  

Author/Organization Credentials:   ©1996-2010 International Reading Association.       The website seems to be a collaborative effort from within the Association. 

Website Design/Ease of Navigation:  The website is very designed to be very professional.  From the looks of the homepage, this website is very easy to navigate.  Along the upper-right hand corner of the page, once could login, view their shopping cart, join/renew a membership, or contact the Association.  To the left of the page, one finds links that navigate the page.  The links are divided by General, Resources, and Information.  

Under the General links, one can locate the IRA’s Calendar, information about Meetings & Events, and Publications.  Teachers can access Lesson Plans, Booklists, and Professional Development opportunities found under the Resource links.  The site also offers Information for parents, advertisers, sponsors, and exhibitors; distributors- IRA books and journals for schools, and the press.  

Response and Suggested Use in the Classroom:  A large portion of the site is devoted to the members of the International Reading Association.  However, non-members like myself are able to access valuable information through the Resources links.  One such resource that may prove helpful to all teachers is IRA Reading Radio.  It features a monthly web-radio show that deals with different topics of teaching literacy.  The radio shows are available through BAM Radio Network which specializes in educational radio broadcasts.  Although the radio-show access through the site is only through Windows Media Player, the radio shows have been converted to podcasts to accommodate Mac users.  I would utilize these podcasts in order to continue my professional development as a literacy teacher.  

The site also features a link to lesson plans.  Although once it you arrive at the Lesson Plans page, you are directed to go to another website titled readwritethink.org.  I will evaluate this website at a later date.  Although this may prove to be a more thorough site for lesson planning.  

Maybe the most helpful link is the Booklists.  Teachers can choose from Children’s Choices, Teachers’ Choices, or Young Adults’ Choices.  I chose to research the Young Adults’ section.  Through this page, teachers can refer to past choices of booklists.  Under the title it states “the Young Adults’ Choices Project has developed an annual list of new books that will encourage adolescents to read”.  Possible application in the classroom would be to research the booklists for books that may have a historical or social aspect.  From those books, I could assign books to students for an independent book report assignment.  I would ask students to present their report to the class.  

Lastly, I would use the Resources by Topic link to access information about Adolescent Literacy, Assessment, and Comprehension.  With these resources, I am able to find advice to problems I may experience as a teacher in the classroom with regard to literacy or listen to a podcast that pertains to the subject.  I can review myself and learn new assessment techniques, find the latest in adolescent literacy, and get help with helping students with reading comprehension.  

Website Evaluation #2

Name of Site:  Read Write Think

Website Address:  www.readwritethink.org

Copyright/Last Update:  © 2010.  This site is very well maintained and shares some of the same announcements as the International Reading Association such as upcoming conferences for the IRA and National Council of Teachers of English.  There are also upcoming essay deadlines that are advertised to end soon.  

Author/Organization Credentials:  © 2010 IRA/NCTE. This site is a collaborative effort of the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English.  

Website Design/Ease of Navigation:  Read Write Think has a very professional design, much like www.reading.org. Along the top of the page are four navigation tabs titled Classroom Resources, Professional Development, About us, and Parent & After School Resources.  On the left of the page, there is an option to search by keyword within the website.  There is also an option to filter by grade levels.  Below, the Resources tab organizes quick links pertaining to the four navigation tabs.  Following Resources are Learning Objectives and Theme.  Along the bottom of the page, Teachers can explore resources by grade level.  In the middle of the page, teachers can  explore at a glance topics like lesson plans, professional development, parent resources, and community stories.  

Through several avenues, I was able to find lesson plans for the grade levels I plan to teach.  I first clicked on 9-10 grades and was immediately directed to a page with lesson plans.  In the middle of the page, I was able to see a title for the lesson plan as well as a short synopsis.  I was also faced with examples of student interactives that students could use to organize their writing.  

Response and Suggested Classroom Use:  I must say that I would definitely use this site when planning lessons.  Just by browsing through the lesson plans, I found myself applying it to my future classroom.  One such lesson was Censorship in the Classroom:  Understanding Controversial Issues.  Through this lesson “students examine propaganda and media bias, research a varied of banned and challenged books, choose a side of the censorship issue and support their position through an advertising campaign”.  This would be perfect for a high school government or speech class because it requires students to form an opinion and create an argument based on that opinion.  

Not only did this website give me ideas for my future plans, I also found a wealth of professional development material that could benefit my professional career. Read Write Think had several guides for teaching with technology and differentiating instruction.  A professional library of articles written by colleagues were available to me without a membership.  I think Read Write Think should be in EVERY teacher’s arsenal! 

Website Evaluation #3

Name of Site:  Texas State Reading Association

Website Address:  www.tsra.us

Copyright/Last Update:  © 2008. The website is well maintained with current information on upcoming conferences.  The website dated the welcome section with March 2010. 

Author/Organization Credentials:  ©2008 Texas State Reading Association.  The website design and development is by a company called Creative Web Designs.  

Website Design/Ease of Navigation:  At the upper right hand corner of the page lies a Search box.  Along the left hand side are links to several items within the website such as Membership information, Events Calendar, and Advocacy.  Below the links, there are buttons to view the 2011 State Conference Information, Information on the 2010 IRA Conference, and how to contact TSRA.   Along the bottom of the page, there are boxes containing the event calendar, Links to 2009-2010 Lone Star Criteria, and links for Membership information.  The website has easy navigation.  I had access to publications, special projects, and other literacy links.  

Response and Suggested Use in Classroom:  This site doesn’t offer much for the non-member.  There are several conferences I could attend that this website advocates attending.  I can read legislation about the laws regarding literacy in Texas Public Schools.  Parts of this website seemed incomplete.  When I clicked on the training link, I was directed to a page with a bad synopsis with misspelled words.  At the end of the small paragraph I found a link saying that more details were coming soon.  A link that referred me back to the home page.  To be quite honest, I am not sure if I would become a member of the TSRA because of their lack of information for non-members.  If I were able to browse through the selected publications to see what was in store for me, I might have taken further consideration.  

Website Evaluation #4

Name of Site:  Texas Education Agency

Website Address:  www.tea.state.tx.us

Copyright/Last Update:  © 2010.  Latest update seems to be dated March 25, 2010.

Author/Organization Credentials:  © Texas Education Agency (TEA) 2007-2010.  No specific author noted, must be a collaborative effort from within the TEA. 

Website Design/Ease of Navigation:  This website has several places to look for things you might need as a teacher, administrator, or a business.  First there is a search box at the top right hand corner.  Beneath that are links to specific parts of the website specifically designed for administrators, teachers, and businesses.  On the opposite side, there are links to the different aspects of the TEA.  First there is funding, followed by testing/accountability, curriculum, reports, news and events, and ARRA which deals with stimulus and stabilization.  In the middle of the page, there is Agency News that is updated on a regular basis.  On the right side there are links to FAQs and how to stay in contact with TEA through subscriptions and twitter.  There are also miscellaneous links to H1N1 Flu information and how to become a certified teacher in the State of Texas.  

At the top of the page there are other ways to navigate through the site.  The A-Z index would prove helpful when looking for specific reports on accountability and school statistics as well as  There is also a link to browse districts. 

Response and Suggested Use in the Classroom:  Although this website is easy to navigate, there are some aspects of TEA that may be foreign to new teachers.  Fortunately, I have worked with an organization that required the use of reports within the TEA website.  I would utilize these reports by printing them for use in statistical exercises with students for reports.  

I am absolutely positive that I will use the TEA website in the future because this is where Texas teachers find the TEKS that are required for lesson planning.  They are fairly easy to find.  Just click curriculum and then click curriculum standards/TEKS in the links below.  Also on the curriculum page, teachers can find resources for their specific subjects and levels.  

Website Evaluation #5

Name of Site: PBS Teachers

Website Address:  www.pbs.org/teachers/

Copyright/Latest Update:  © 2010.  Up to date deadlines and posts show that this website is well maintained and updated regularly.  

Author/Organization Credentials:  © 1995-2010 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).  No specific author is named.  However, PBS is a household name that everyone knows and trusts.  

Website Design/Ease of Navigation:  As with the other websites, this one has a search box in the upper right hand corner of the home page.   Along the top, there are links to the different grade levels.  Within the drop down menus, teachers can find lesson plans and ideas pertaining to their specific subject.  Below the grade levels there are tabs titled All, Classroom Resources, Discussions, and Professional Development. Under classroom resources, teachers can browse through unsorted resources.  They are classified with tags.  By reading those tags, teachers can choose which lessons will be best for their class and what  other subjects may be integrated in the lesson.   Under the discussions tab, teachers can ask for and give advice on a wide range of topics such as motivation, new school year, and ideas for nonfiction books for high school students.  Finally, the professional development tab has teacherline classes that teachers can use.  The subject I chose was Reading/Language arts.  The Teacherline classes offered a large array of advice for interdisciplinary teaching like teaching writing in mathematics, or teaching reading in science.  

Response and Suggested Use in the Classroom:  The PBS site looks to be very helpful to veteran and beginning teachers alike.  In the future, I can see myself using this site for interdisciplinary ideas.  This is also the place to get educational dvd’s for classroom use.  I would also utilize the peer-to-peer discussions to get and to give advice on lesson plans and motivation.  As I browsed through the discussions, I found that some student teachers have posted their lesson plans for review from veteran teachers.  This may be something that many preservice teachers can use to perfect their lesson plans before they are reviewed by their supervisor.