Elementary Education, Writing sample

Looking through the pet shop window at a bright eyed little puppy, the last thing most people think about is animal cruelty and many wouldn’t know that by buying that puppy they could be supporting it. Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that mass produce dogs for a profit. Because of this the welfare and health of the dogs often become last priority.  Pet stores want to get their dogs for a low price so they can sell them for a bigger profit and in order to do this puppy mill owners don’t spend little on housing, vet care and other necessities so they can sell cheap. Many of them stay in business by selling to local pet stores and online websites. Most of the mill puppies sold from pet stores and online even come with false papers and seemingly real records.

The conditions in there puppy mills is horrifying. Hundreds of dogs crammed into stacked kennels and forced to live in their own filth. Some of these dogs have lived a kennel for so much of their lives that when they are rescued they don’t even know how to walk on solid ground. Many have sore and wounds from the cages.  In severe cases the dogs have been bred so many times that some of the puppies come out without eyes or limbs due to over breeding. When parents are over-bred genes can become defective and cause

Puppy mill dog with an eye defect due to over breeding.

abnormalities. If the puppy mill is not caught these dogs are usually killed because they cannot be sold. Many of the rescued dogs are also sick and extremely thin and most have matted hair due to their living conditions.

Figure 2 puppy mill kennels stuffed with dogs

Most puppy mill breeders usually sell to pet stores through a middle man or broker. NO pet store will admit buying from one and many will tell you they don`t using the middle man as a cover.  Some people might feel ok about buying the puppy thinking they “saved” it but what they need to remember is that most of  their money will go back to support the puppy mill they came from. Even though most mills are located in agricultural states like Missouri, Kansas, and South Dakota, they are sold to pet stores all over the country.  The real victims of are not only the puppies who aren’t lucky enough to make it out alive but the adult dogs used to breed them. To the breeders they are nothing but machines. Many adult dogs will literally be bred to death, forced to have multiple litters every year. Many of the puppies sold to unsuspecting owners have behavioral and psychological problems, fears and anxiety and many more are sick. Puppies brought home from mills can be infected with worms and parasites or even have kennel cough or even more dangerous parvo.

So why aren’t their laws against it? There are, but they aren’t working. In 1966 The Animal welfare act was passed by congress, outlining minimum standards for dogs, and other animals being bred for “commercial “or “resale” purposes. But breeders who sell directly to the public are not affected.  Enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture large scale “commercial” breeders are required to have a license and undergo inspections. But too many of these puppy mills have passed inspection with horrible conditions. Missouri’s “dirty dozen”, were selected as some of the worst licensed kennels in the state based on the number of violations the kennels have received.  Remember all of them are licensed by the USDA, the state or both! But all have numerous violations against the health of their dogs, many with photos to support. The violations include everything from thin coated breeds like grey hounds shivering in severe weather, inadequate or no vet care to sick or dying dogs and even failing to dispose of already diseased animals. One kennel made the list because it stated in a USDA program for vet care that it intended to dispose of unwanted dogs by clubbing them. One hundred and seventy two was the average number of dogs and puppies at these twelve sites. And eight hundred and thirty is the number of pages in inspection violations these kennels had.  Yet they are still running! Some kennels like this will drop their license after multiple violations but will just start selling directly to the public legally!! The atrocity committed by legislation that has failed to be carried out properly is sickening and the public is the only way to stop it.

These people stay in business that’s what it is to them, and as long as the public is buying from them they won`t stop!  Many well meaning dog lovers have seen the cute little “puppy in the window” not knowing that they could be supporting one of the hundreds of puppy mills in the U.S. There are however many ways to get your new best friend while avoiding puppy mills. Rescue shelters put down hundreds of dogs every year, some even at young ages.  Many shelters team up to have huge local adoption days, where you can spend the day browsing hundreds of adoptable dogs from the shelter. No matter what type of dog you want or what age you can find a good place to get your dog. If there is a specific breed you are interested in chances are they have breed specific non-kill rescues devoted to it , with all ages from puppies to already trained adults. Just look in your area and you would be surprised. Many purebred dogs like golden retrievers and labs have rescues devoted to them. Rescue dogs end up there for many reasons, if they were lost or abandoned, or even given by owners who love their pet but could no longer keep them. They can be rewarding and great ways to find a new best friend.  A reputable rescue will have non-profit status be sanitary, provide vet care and spay or neuter all dogs and be knowledgeable about each pet.

If you want to buy from a breeder there are reputable breeders around you, sometimes it will be more costly but you are paying for the quality and will avoid future health problems too. If you are interested the humane society provides a list of reputable breeders based on their criteria for a good breeder. Other things to keep in mind when choosing a breeder: a good breeder will not sell a puppy less than eight weeks old. Puppies need eight weeks with their mom before they are ready to leave the nest. Also they should have a health guarantee of some sort and been started on their set of shots and de-wormed. Most good breeders will also require a contract of sale for the puppy that explains what they expect from you as an owner and require the dog is spayed or neutered. They should also be willing to be there to answer questions throughout the life of your dog. Above all you should be able to visit the puppies where they are being cared for and see the mom and the conditions of where they live.   They should also be able to tell you how many litters the dog has every year and how long they have been breeding.

This is absolutely a real issue and Public knowledge is the best tool against this monstrous act. More needs to be done about the legislation and enforcement of this industry as well and the public can help with that too. If more people stopped buying from these places we could put them out completely.

Elmentary Ed. Philosophy on Student Assessment

One of the most important things in accessing student learning is to compare the student to themselves not others. I feel it is important to measure their learning based on what their prior ability was and not what the other students can do. This way you know can more accurately access where each student personally needs to improve and then help them individually improve in those specific areas. Also when you compare to an average you miss the seeing personal improvements that have been made in some students.

At the kindergarten I volunteer at each child individually is accessed in math, and reading as well as other subjects in a few ways. One is that they are individually pulled aside to answer questions or complete a work sheet designed to measure their level of ability. Then we know each students personal ability and where they struggle. For example in one student was able to complete all the math questions about adding correctly but struggled with subtraction then we would know how to help them and where to focus.  Another child might have the opposite results and we know to focus the other way with that child individually as well.

Reading works in the same way in small groups where they read a story and are then asked to answer questions to measure their comprehension.  Each student is individually assessed every month and their scores are recorded and from there we know what areas to help each student with for the month.

Then the students can be grouped in with students with similar needs and when we go around the classroom to help the students we know how to best help the group of students and where to focus.

I have seen a lot of improvement through this method and strongly believe that students should be expected to improve on their own skills and not expected to be at an average.  Sadly the kind of one on one attention and assessment of student learning seems to become less and less as the higher up in

Elementary Education Resume

Resume

I have had a wide range of field experience,

I spent my senior year of high school working in a preschool. This was a unique experience.

We each individually had the opportunity to work with one child as their teacher, helping them learn

and teaching them how to count, spell, and even helping them with things like fine motor skills, through

games and individual attention. We also had opportunities to teach the class as a whole. During this

time I designed lessons plans, individual centers, games, and even meal plans. These we aimed to

structure around a specific theme or reading goal as well. We also made bulletin board to decorate the

classroom and even display the children`s work. We also tracked our child’s progress in reading, spelling

math, motor skills and even social skills   then held parent teacher conferences with student and their parent s to help them see how their child was doing and to get them involved with their students learning at home.   As the year went on we kept out lesson plans and collected supplies such as stories, art projects, worksheets, and games to take with us and help us be prepared for the teaching world. For this class we also attended other schools and helped the teachers for a day or two to see what they were like. We attended academic minded schools like challenger, and even Montessori’s and daycares.

I also had the opportunity to help in a grade third. This was a fun experience because I dot to attend my old elementary school again.  Here I also got to help one on one with students and was able to head groups from the class and interact with and teach the students. In one group the students in the group read a story and then we decided how they would act it out to the class. This was a fun and interactive way for them to read and understand the subject. I also got to grade their papers and help the teacher organize which helped me learn this skill of teaching. During work time I got to help the class with questions and keep them on task.

I also had the opportunity to help out at a kindergarten class recently. In this class I learned a lot about organization and the importance of having a good class routine. Each student knows what to be doing and transitions easily to each task.  Each center they do is planned around a certain theme and helps reinforce what they are learning that week. Sensory, reading, writing, art, and even dramatic play centers all help them learn the subject in different ways.

Education

I started my education for becoming a teacher in high school. Here I took a child development class as well as teaching preschool. Then in my senior year I interned at a kindergarten class. From there I took college courses to help me with my major such as English, math, physics and music. Now I am taking elementary education classes and another child development/ human development class. From there I hope to enter a teaching program at the Utah state university and complete more education and student teaching.

Bowling

Lifelong wellness is not something you would expect to learn from a bowling class. I expected to learn how to become a better bowler and I did but I also learned more than just that. The first thing I learned from this class is persistence, Sometimes you have to keep practicing and you don’t always get it right the first time. I also learned to concentrate on my own improvement and not compare myself to the people around me. Both these things helped me improve my skills and confidence. I also learned that “lifelong wellness” can be fun and come in many different forms. Many people don’t think of bowling as a sport or being too active but during this class I learned that it can be challenging and even be a great work out sometimes. I also learned that being active and persistent at anything can pay off and contribute to lifelong wellness.

I hope I can apply what I have learned in this class not only to my lifelong wellness but to everything I do. I think practice and persistence are great things to apply to anything you take on in life. Also just being active and staying healthy just by doing anything is rewarding.  I think anyone can learn and improve at anything as long as they apply both of these things.

I hope to continue to practice these things in my life and I also hope to continue to practice my bowling skills as well. It was fun to improve and learn how to become a better bowler. I am excited to take my family bowling now and maybe teach them something. I will enjoy bowling even more now that I have improved and I think as I practice I will only get better. I don`t think there is much that could be improved about this class. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot.

English 2010 Reflection

The first Pieces I chose show how I have revised pieces that I worked on during the semester and adapted them for other audiences. Something I hadn`t don`t before and really enjoyed. The first piece I chose to post was a  profile on my cousin in Japan. I adapted the piece from an earlier assignment and changed it to fit the internet. I added links to video logs of exchanges students as well as links to different exchange programs for those who are interested. The next piece I chose was also a colaborative project. We based this on a prevuios paper I had wrote on puppy mills. This paper focuses on the problem of mills and the solution to ending them. This was by far the most fun and well done collaborative project I have ever done. I also added my first paper on puppy mills that I wrote by myself as a commentary. I have a lot of passioin on the subject and I think that comes through in the piece and is well suppoted by evidence and research. I also like the contrast it shows with the collaborative piece. I also chose to post a review. I feell this piece shows how I have changed because I usually have a hard time writing reviews but this class helped me learn how to write a better review and I got to review something I really love, Broadway plays. I think all of these are a good example of the things I have learned and what I have acompished in this class. they also represent my favorite pieces and the pieces I am most proud of .

Math 1010 Reflection

This math class helped me a lot. I really liked the pace that this class moved. We could always ask questions even if it took up time. The examples and explinations also helped a lot. During this class we also did problem demonstrations on the board and helped each other with homework problems. this helped a lot because it helped me see things from the other students perspective and not just the teacher.  I also liked helping others when I did my problem demonstarions because it helped me more to teach. It also helped me see how to complete difficult problems. over all i think I learned a lot from this class and understand  math better than I did before.  Sometimes the work was hard but we always had help and time to get our work done. We also had very good reviews for tests and would go over problems the whole day before the test and got to work on the review for a couple of days. This helped me remember what i needed to know for the test and reminded me of what I needed to study which  really helped. We also had a lot of fun and laughed, it wasnt always just a serious class, even though we were doing math we still had fun! I think of all of the math classes I have taken the things I have mentioned above have made this class the best math experience I have had, and even though I still am not a math genius I think this class helped me a lot.

Math 1010 Project: page 1

Math 1010 Project: page 2

Math 1010 project: Page 3

Math 1010 Project: Graph