First Day of Class!

For the first day of Social Studies Methods, we were given the opportunity to complete a scavenger hunt. This scavenger hunt consisted of different tasks that would help us learn about the class and the education program. 

Above is a picture of our first task which was to go to the education office and talk to Theresa. We had to ask her about one of her favorite memories here at the Mount, and she told us about trying to achieve the NCAS certification. This task was very important because Theresa has a wide range of knowledge about the education program and the NYS certification and she is a great resource for us to go to.

We then had to turn to Eclass to discover the different tabs and resources for us there. Above you will see the table of contents, which is important because it contains the syllabus, different types of lessons, and the Social Studies Common Core Standards which we will be using. We also had to investigate the course assignments and grading area of Eclass and the rubrics for our assignments. This was helpful because it gave us a chance to access our grading materials. 

Next on our scavenger hunt was making a poster with the classroom rules. Our rules included being on time, not plagiarizing, staying off your phone in class, and dressing appropriately for fieldwork. We also included expectations that we had for the class, which included understanding how to have a discussion and give constructive criticism and being honest.

We then wrote down questions and surprises that we found while reading the syllabus. These included wondering when fieldwork would begin and what we would be teaching. We were also surprised that We had to complete two hours of service learning in Newburgh and that we had to do an extra lesson as compared to science methods. 

To end the scavenger hunt we stopped, reviewed, and reflected. We had to talk about why it was okay to fail, and we concluded that failing allows you to learn from your mistakes. If you never fail then you can never correct yourself and get better. 

Overall, I feel that the scavenger hunt was a great first day of class activity. It helped prepare me for what I am going to learn and allowed me a chance to explore my difference resources. I am excited for what this semester holds, and I can not wait to see what I will learn!