Helping Students Succeed through Curriculum

In this module, there are a lot of different ideas. I believe the overall arching ideas were similar to the big ideas in education. How do we make sure that our students are learning the most that they can under the best circumstances so that we can help them become functioning well-rounded citizens? We started out our discussions with ideas on overlying ideas for education, and what our perspectives or approach to education are. I think it was interesting to read how different people’s view are, yet they are all based around these four ideas, though I saw more behaviorist speaker’s incorporated somehow in everyone’s posts. Embedded in those questions were ideas that come from our own classrooms. It was interesting to read how all the different age groups and subject matters incorporate different aspects of implicit curriculum, or how they collaborate with others. Many people had the same ideas of self-discipline, respect, a comfortable, safe environment and self-confidence. I thought it was interesting that many people did not incorporate collaboration or cooperation. Maybe it was implicit in one of their other implicit lessons, but I think one of the most important skills we can teach our students is to work well with others, no matter who those people are or what ideas they have.

My favorite article was Anctil’s, which discussed the three A’s. Last year, it was very difficult to handle all of my 504 and IEP students. In one class I had six students, in addition to a couple ELL students, plus a few with behavior issues. When I was reading about the three A’s, I was like, “hey, this is what I was doing every day for 6^th period last year!” It was a huge learning experience, and at the time quite frustrating at times. I had to keep up with multiple changing 504s, make sure my IEP kids were getting the right assignments and material in their Learning Strategies classes, and make sure the parents were in the loop about what was expected of their child and what I could do to help. I am sure that I will have to handle a similar situation this coming year, but I feel I am much more prepared for the task by myself after my experience last year.

Phase 5 of EDU 6120 project

Group project: Presentation to give new teachers

What worked well?

I thought that this project would have worked better if we had figured out a way for all members to attend our group discussion sessions. I liked the group discussion times, and they were helpful in keeping me on track to finish my individual portion, and then help with the group collaborative portion.

What were the challenges?

The challenges were our entirely different schedules. We have one member on the East coast, one member who is coaching two sports, I believe, at her school and one member who is just finishing up the year for student teaching and taking a full load of classes. We are on very different time schedules as well. Some people go to bed early, while others get home late. It was difficult to work out times when we could all “meet” online.

Are you satisfied with the quality of the charter, essay or presentation (whichever is appropriate for the phase you are on)?

Yes, somewhat. One group member did not include enough citations, nor did they include notes on their slides. I tried to alert her to the oversight, but she did not respond.

Are you satisfied with the individual and collaborative work of your team?

Yes, somewhat. Pretty much the same reason as the last question, because it is hard when group members do not follow given instructions and then are not around to fix the issue. I gave her about 8 or so hours to fix it, and it was hard to not get any response, even the next day.

Describe how you personally did, in terms of following the charter?

I thought I did well. I kep ton top of everyone for the power point, and made sure that everyone had all the parts they needed. I added my information to the outline before the deadline and I looked over the final essay to make sure it was high quality.

How did the team do?

As a team, I thought we did well. We completed every part of the whole project and I liked all the final products. I learned a lot from my group members and I hope they learned a lot from me.

Were there technical challenges?

none. I figured out how to post everything to google docs, which allowed us to post everything on the blackboard site easily.

Module 9- must all children attend school?

The courts have stated that children do not have to attend school if they are Amish or if they are home schooled by their qualified parent(s). I thought it was interesting that the Amish religion is the only religion covered under this law (Teachers and the Law, p 2). What about devout Christians that do not believe in evolution? I thought it was interesting that students can opt out of certain subjects, like the father who did not want his daughter to study grammar, and it was only because he did not feel like having her learn it. The court agreed because it was not necessary to be a good citizen. But students could say that about chemistry, or math. How can those subjects be essential for becoming good citizens? How can high school, besides the social aspect, be considered to create good citizens? One could argue that only history is needed after junior high, with the logic of the court. The reading also discussed the idea of extra-curricular activity participation for home-schooled children. The state of New York ruled that students who do not attend a public school full time could not participate in extra-curricular activities. I think this is a good idea because the schools pay for the activities, and the parents are not paying into the fund that pays for the activities. The sports especially have other ways to participate, such as club sports, or recreation sports through the YMCA.

Draft of Professional Development Plan

The Professional Development Plan helps a teacher determine how they are going to keep growing as a professional. I drafted mine today, but I plan to develop it a lot more as my career progresses.

What knowledge is of most worth?

I learned that Herbert Spencer believed that those activities that led to self-preservation and preservation of the human race. I learned that Spencer believed that science was the most important subject of knowledge because science leads to the advancement of the human race, such as advancement in health and medicine. However, he did not foresee that science could be used to make weapons or other means of war. Finally, Spencer made the radical suggestion that learning should be based on discovery, not direct instruction type activities (Ellis, slide 14-15). I wondered why he is only thinking about the human race. What about the Earth? Sustaining the Earth is a necessity if the human race is to continue existing. I thought it was a short sight that Spencer did not include this idea.

Horace Mann came up with the idea that the public need and deserve an education, so that the republic will not remain ignorant. He also thought education must be paid for, controlled and sustained by an interested public (Ellis, slide 19-20). I think it is interesting that he thinks everyone should have an education but everyone should also have to pay for it. What about people who cannot afford an education? Do they not need or deserve it?

I love the idea that my subject is of the most worth, according to Spencer. However, I think it is important to remember ethics when it comes to science. Spencer did not foresee the consequences of all scientific technology, and therefore possibly did not foresee the need for teaching ethics of using scientific breakthroughs. When I teach students about different scientific breakthroughs, such as cloning or using stem cells, we always talk about the ethical issues connected with the breakthroughs. For example, we talked about the difference between using stem cells from a fetus versus using stem cells from an umbilical cord. We talked about how the cells can be used in different ways, and how the technologies could be advanced in the future. I think in the future I can have debates, or discussions to help students see all sides of each technological breakthrough.

Moral education in today’s schools

This week’s lecture discussed moral education in today’s schools. The church and state first separated in the early 17^th century, when government was based on a congregational system, with most of the power at the local level (Ellis). In early education, moral education was a necessary piece of every kind of education, because every individual is responsible for his or her own acts, and educators should help students have enough knowledge to take responsibility for those actions. Some school officials and political leaders have ignored moral education in schools because it seems like teaching Christianity to students, and many are part of some other religion or no religion at all. This approach seems odd, because morals to me are right from wrong, and we still have right and wrong in society that are not connected to any religion. Why can’t morals be seen like this in schools? C.S. Lewis found a solution to the dilemma that morals are based on one religion. He found a set of common values between many religions, which he calls “Natural Law” (Ellis). Ellis talks about how these practical principles are capable of being learned, which makes sense to me. However, he also talks about they have been “proven benefit to individuals and to the collective when employed in society.” How can he have proved that? And who says which morals those individuals that he may have tested were following his “Natural Law?”  Finally, it is suggested that school is a new venue for teaching moral education, because it seems that other venues, such as home church and community have failed to teach it. I disagree with this statement entirely. Who says these venues have failed? I do not think they have failed. I do think that they do not reach everyone in the population. School is a much more universal venue for the population to receive this education. However, I do think that home life needs to step up and teach these values. Theoretically, all parents have this knowledge. Why can’t they take care of this part of the education? Parents should be teaching these values starting before their children even start school. By high school, students are at the point where they think they know much more than the authority figures, such as teachers. These values need to be taught to the students long before high school, because high school students are unlikely to change their point of view. I do not think we should give up on teenagers entirely, but if they do not have a sense of moral value when they come into high school, they will not be able to take responsibility for actions such as not doing their homework, or cheating on a test. High school is when we are supposed to help them develop their self-responsibility so that they can be self-sufficient when they go off to college, or into the career of their choice. I think parents are the most important part of teaching children right and wrong and that education needs to start as soon as possible in life.

Meta-Reflection: Standard P- Understanding teaching as a profession

In my internship, I am quickly learning everything I must do, by law, for my students, especially my IEP and 504 students. I am finding ways to easily use all of the students’ accommodations with a lot of help from my mentors, even if it is as easy as making a copy of the notes I use in lectures, or letting them take an exam in their Learning Strategies class. I feel that these also create a professional setting between me and other faculty members and parents. The students benefit from this as well because they can see that the people around them, including their teachers, want them to succeed.

Different ethical issues have come up this quarter, and I feel that I have done a pretty good job of dealing with them. One incident involved a student drawing something inappropriate on a student’s poster from a previous period. I had to have a conversation about respect in that period, which was really hard because I could not believe I had a student that could be so rude. I have since been able to control myself a lot better, and not gotten so angry when things like this happen, which is good because I feel like I can deal with them better when I am in control of my emotions. Unfortunately, I have had to talk about respect towards others multiple times in this same class. Another incident was between one student and a group of students. The group was bullying the one student, making fun of him because he is different and because he reacts a lot, which is exactly what the group wants to see. It is very disruptive, which means we get through less material in class as well. I had to bring up this issue with the entire class because most of the class was involved. We again had to discuss what it means to respect others and their property and talk about how we can respect other classmates. Another day, I was absent and they had my mentor as a sub. I have been teaching this class since the beginning, so the students are not used to having my mentor as a teacher. They were very disrespectful towards her, and were not treating her how they would normally treat me. I had to have words with them again, and this time made them write her an apology letter. The next time she subbed for me, the class was better behaved.

I feel that it would be extremely difficult to be a teacher and not be reflective about your teaching. Every time I give a lesson, I always think about how I could have done it better, or what needs to be changed, or how I could have prepared the students better for the lesson. I think my whole blog is an artifact for this component, because it shows how much I think about my students and how to make learning easier or more fun for them. It is very easy to get ideas when you collaborate with your peers. I try to ask everyone in my department for ideas, so I can get different ideas and put together something that works for me. In April, I was observed by both my assistant principals and the principal. One of the assistant principals gave me some ideas for classroom management. We used ActiVotes in my sophomore biology class. A couple students were not participating by choosing multiple choice answers on their votes that were not choices on the power point. I asked the students to participate fully by not choosing answers that did not apply to the question I asked (I asked questions with answers A-D, but the voters had choices A-F). I still had students choosing answers E and F. The assistant principal suggested I say something positive to the students who were choosing A-D answers. I reflected on it and came up with saying “thank you to those students using A-D answers.” Talking to students positively rather than berating those students that are not following the rules reinforces positive behavior. It can help those students who are not behaving strive to get my approval by doing what I asked. I even used this tactic when the principal observed me. It didn’t end up working as well, but I have used it in other scenarios and it works very well.

I have had a few situations in class where my explanation of the material does not work at all, and both my students and I leave class confused and frustrated. I want to be able to teach my students and have them understand the material without me confusing them first with explanations. One of these times was when I was trying to teach the students how to predict products of single replacement reactions. My students did not understand how to complete the problems, and I could not understand why. I could not figure out why the students did not understand the material, nor could I think of a way to represent the material the next day to help them. Frustrated, I went to our faculty meeting, where we were continuing a study of Teaching with the Brain in Mind. From the presentation, I was able to reflect on my own teaching, and figure out what I was going to do for my lessons the next day.

Every time I use a new activity in chemistry (which is essentially everyday), I am always reflecting on how the lesson went. I think about what went wrong, where the students were confused, issues with my worksheets, etcetera. I have had many lessons where the way I explained something in 2^nd period did not work very well, and I had to think about how to change my explanation on the spot. We usually would talk it out, and I had students who understood explain it their way. Sometimes, I used a student’s explanation in 4^th period. Just last week I made a worksheet that I thought made sense when I was creating it, but once the students started working on it, I immediately found issues. I came up with a work around, and had the students write it into their worksheets. For 4^th period, I made the work around a little easier to understand and gave it to them right off the bat, and things went much smoother.

Our biology department works collaboratively in our entire curriculum. We all have the same materials, same activities, even the same exams. We collaboratively go over what we are doing at least bi-weekly, if not weekly, to make sure that we are all on the same page. We go over exams, and compare ideas for changes to the exams, and then send around the final copy. We have even had meetings discussing specific questions on the exam, and how we grade them to ensure that we are making every students have an equal opportunity to succeed.

One of our assistant principals had the biology team do 5 meetings over the course of the year. We discussed student learning and strategies we use in the classroom. We graded one set of test questions together to determine what criteria we each used, and how similar our expectations and rubrics were. All our expectations were pretty similar, and we agreed on the individual pieces we were looking for to get points. We gave one point for the correct arrow direction, one point for describing why the water moved in that direction, and one point for describing how the cell size changes, and one point for stating the correct vocabulary term for how the cell is changing. We also talked about how we were going to give partial credit (see the test copy above).

As a bio team, we also discussed our failing and almost failing students. We talked about reasons why they may be failing, and how we may be able to help them bring their grade up to passing. For example, we talked about how some of the students do not complete their homework, then ways we can help them complete it more often, such as asking everyone to write it down in their planner, or calling/e-mailing home to have the parents help remind the students.

Because of this exercise, I realized how important it is to have rubrics, even if it is for how you grade an exam (reflection). On one of my chemistry tests, there was a question that required the students to fill out a table. I graded on the basis of the students’ understanding. The table asked for three things, but each of them fed off the previous box. I gave students points based on how they carried their understanding through the problem. If they got the first part wrong, but if the next two boxes matched their first, I gave them points for the second two boxes only. This caused some discrepancy with the students because some students got points off for the second two boxed even though they had the correct answer. My thinking was that if the students put an incorrect answer for the first box, then a correct answer for the second box, they did not understand the problem. My mentor agreed with my thinking. Student exam examples: A, B.

Our whole faculty at Skyline is participating in a study of the brain and how it affects learning by doing a book study of Teaching with the Brain in Mind. We began with a introduction to the book during the week before school started and did a dissection of a sheep brain, to introduce the faculty to the parts of the brain and to show them what an actual brain looks like. This prompted the biology department to do a short presentation on the brain on the first day of classes, which showed the students how the brain is affected by learning. We have had a few more presentations on the how the brain is affected by learning, the teenage brain, how the teenage brain is affected by learning, and other related topics. I am looking forward to the continuation of this series in following faculty meetings.

Teachers have to be watchful for issues that students may be having. They must care for their students’ well-being, and be mindful of things they may try to hide from others. This includes possible child abuse. I talked with a counselor at Skyline to learn about how they handled suspected cases of child abuse. Teachers always need to be on the lookout for how to help their students. It is not our job to be counselors, but that does not mean that we should be blind to our students needs outside of learning. Only with a supportive environment can our students learn to their best ability.

This year I have learned a lot about being a professional teacher. There are many things about teaching besides how students learn, and how to convey the material in way he can understand. There are many things that teachers are expected to do in addition to helping students learn and there are many ethical and moral things teacher must think about when assessing student learning. This year has been a huge learning experience, because it is hard to learn about all of these different ideas without experiencing them first hand.

Meta-Reflection: Standard P- Understanding teaching as a profession

This is the standard I feel I have only just scratched the surface on. In my internship, I am quickly learning everything I must do, by law, for my students, especially my IEP and 504 students. I am finding ways to easily use all of the students’ accommodations with a lot of help from my mentors, even if it is as easy as making a copy of the notes I use in lectures, or letting them take an exam in their Learning Strategies class. I feel that these also create a professional setting between me and other faculty members and parents. The students benefit from this as well because they can see that the people around them, including their teachers, want them to succeed.

Different ethical issues have come up this quarter, and I feel that I have done a pretty good job of dealing with them. One incident involved a student drawing something inappropriate on a student’s poster from a previous period. I had to have a conversation about respect in that period, which was really hard because I could not believe I had a student that could be so rude. I have since been able to control myself a lot better, and not gotten so angry when things like this happen, which is good because I feel like I can deal with them better when I am in control of my emotions. Unfortunately, I have had to talk about respect towards others multiple times in this same class. Another incident was between one student and a group of students. The group was bullying the one student, making fun of him because he is different and because he reacts a lot, which is exactly what the group wants to see. It is very disruptive, which means we get through less material in class as well. I had to bring up this issue with the entire class because most of the class was involved. We again had to discuss what it means to respect others and their property and talk about how we can respect other classmates. Another day, I was absent and they had my mentor as a sub. I have been teaching this class since the beginning, so the students are not used to having my mentor as a teacher. They were very disrespectful towards her, and were not treating her how they would normally treat me. I had to have words with them again, and this time made them write her an apology letter. The next time she subbed for me, the class was better behaved.

I feel that it would be extremely difficult to be a teacher and not be reflective about your teaching. Every time I give a lesson, I always think about how I could have done it better, or what needs to be changed, or how I could have prepared the students better for the lesson. I think my whole blog is an artifact for this component, because it shows how much I think about my students and how to make learning easier or more fun for them. It is very easy to get ideas when you collaborate with your peers. I try to ask everyone in my department for ideas, so I can get different ideas and put together something that works for me.

Our biology department works collaboratively in our entire curriculum. We all have the same materials, same activities, even the same exams. We collaboratively go over what we are doing at least bi-weekly, if not weekly, to make sure that we are all on the same page. We go over exams, and compare ideas for changes to the exams, and then send around the final copy. We have even had meetings discussing specific questions on the exam, and how we grade them to ensure that we are making every students have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our whole faculty at Skyline is participating in a study of the brain and how it affects learning by doing a book study of Teaching with the Brain in Mind. We began with a introduction to the book during the week before school started and did a dissection of a sheep brain, to introduce the faculty to the parts of the brain and to show them what an actual brain looks like. This prompted the biology department to do a short presentation on the brain on the first day of classes, which showed the students how the brain is affected by learning. We have had a few more presentations on the how the brain is affected by learning, the teenage brain, how the teenage brain is affected by learning, and other related topics. I am looking forward to the continuation of this series in following faculty meetings.

Although I do not have much concrete evidence for this standard, I still feel like I am learning a lot through my experience at Skyline. I hope to keep increasing my knowledge as the year continues.

Welcome to the Future… In Educational Technology

When making my digital narrative, I felt that what I was discussing was a good summary of everything I had learned over the quarter in this class. I had a lot of fun taking pictures of my students actually using technology in the classroom, but I noticed some interesting things. I saw that students were very familiar with using some aspects of technology in the classroom, while other technologies are not so wide spread. For example, most high school students are fluent in most Microsoft office programs, including Word, Power Point and Excel. Students can surf the internet with ease, though have trouble with determining whether a site is reliable or not. I also did not see a wide use of blogging in the classroom. Although students are familiar with social networking with facebook, myspace and twitter, they do not really use blogging. Blogging can be used for student collaboration; students can teach each other by explaining a concept in their own words. As blogs are public, the students’ work is being published. Students will work much harder if they know their work is being read and scrutinized by their peers, and the rest of the online community (November, 2006). If I were to have students begin a blog for the creative stories we write about science concepts, they may work harder to make sure it is their best work, and we could even talk about other ways of publishing their stories. Incorporating these kind of projects for students fulfills EALR 1 component 1.1 and EALR 2, component 2.4 of The Educational Technology Learning Standards.

I feel that are doing a pretty good job of preparing our students for their future careers, but we can do more. I think introducing them to technologies such as wikispaces, videoconferencing, or even website building would benefit their preparation immensely. Technology classes in schools may do this, but I think all students should be given sufficient practice with these programs. I think if we keep working to incorporate problem solving and creativity, such as incorporating computer games (http://medmyst.rice.edu/) or real life simulations (http://www.youdagames.com/online-simulation-games/) into our teaching, we will have prepared our students very well for their future careers. This incorporation will fulfill EALR 1, component 1.3 and EALR 2, component 2.4 of The Educational Technology Learning Standards.

I think we do a good job of talking about multiculturalism in the classroom, but the only way our students learn first-hand is if a student in our class has traveled, or if a student has moved to the US from another country. Using services like global-leap.org, we could connect our classrooms across the globe. Students could work with students from another country to compare ecosystems surrounding their schools. For example, my mentor just did a lab with her IB Environmental Systems and Societies class where they studied the numbers of three types of trees in the environment surrounding Skyline High School, as well as looking at what other organisms and biotic factors are present. We could connect with a classroom in other country (for example, somewhere in England or Australia) and run the same experiment, comparing the ecosystems and making conclusions about why the ecosystems are similar or different. This project could be used to fulfill all components of EALR 1 of The Educational Technology Learning Standards.

Students are excited about using all the modern technologies available today, but they do not necessarily know the safest practices for using them. Our students need to know how to protect themselves and their identities against predators, especially those online because it may not be apparent that they are present. We can use interactive means, such as the PBS Official Web License. We can also help counteract cyber bullying by reminding students to report any name calling or mean commenting they encounter. These interactive means fulfill EALR 2, components 2.1 and 2.2 of The Educational Technology Learning Standards.

Often times, students respond more strongly to their peers than they do to authority figures, even if both are relaying the same message. If students can discuss legal, ethical and moral issues associated with modern technologies with each other, their thoughts may have a greater impact on each other than my own thoughts. This is probably one of the reasons the commercials countering pirated music now star children and teens. If we can have a serious class discussion about what students consider appropriate actions when it comes to using modern technology, such as creative content posted online, the students may consider looking at creative content differently than they have in the past. We want to see a change in their behavior and perceptions towards content posted online (Microsoft, 2008). These discussions would fulfill EALR 2, components 2.1 and 2.2 of The Educational Technology Learning Standards.

References:

Freedman, Terry. (2006). Coming of age: An introduction to the new world wide web. Great Britain: Terry Freedman Ltd.

Global Leap. (2006). Videoconferencing in the Classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.global-leap.org/about/.

Microsoft. (2008). Digital citizenship and creative content curriculum. Retrieved from: http://www.digitalcitizenshiped.com/Curriculum.aspx.

Public Broadcasting Company. (2007). Get your official web license. Retrieved from: http://pbskids.org/license/result.html?a1=n&a2=n&a3=n&a4=n&a5=n&a6=n&a7=n&a8=n&a9=n&a0=n&name=Kirstin&x=125&y=36.

Changing times

Technological advances have changed our society a lot in the last few years. Especially since the creation of social networking sites, such as facebook.com, myspace.com, and twitter.com, interaction on the internet has increased. Many teachers, including those at Skyline now have websites that allow students to keep up with their homework, print off class notes, or reference the power point for the current unit. Some keep up an additional social networking site (usually facebook.com) to interact with their students outside of class, such as answering questions about material and/or homework.

These sites can also be used to allow students to work on and complete group homework assignments or projects when they cannot get together outside school. Many times, the students’ schedules prevent them from getting together outside of school. This new technology will allow students to work from wherever they can, and even allow for students needing to work at separate times (Johnson et al. 2009). I think this gives students much more freedom to collaborate on assignments with other students.

Asking students to work with technology to complete school work may help empower them to complete their assignments. They are surrounded by these technologies every day, and often times, students see these technologies as part of the real world, but school work is disconnected. If we can use technology to show that school and the real world are connected, maybe we can give them long term goals for connecting what they learn to what they want to do when they grow up.

Some advances we have seen may not help as much as we would like them to. The sixth sense technology described in the video, The Thrilling Potential of Sixth Sense Technology, shows how cool technology can be. We could give this technology to students to complete outside projects and assignments, and they could get very creative with what they record and describe. I could imagine students having much more freedom to create videos and spreadsheets that answer a scientific question. Students could be given an assignment to look for chemical bonding in their everyday lives. They could take pictures, then insert pictures of molecular models of those bonds they found and finally overlay shapes to show geometry of the bonds. I think projects like this are very beneficial because it connects students’ lives to the material they are learning in school.

However, I foresee many issues with this technology if it is widespread enough that students are using it consistently outside the classrooms. If students have access to this technology and can bring it in to the classroom, they would have access to their cell phone, the internet, and a camera extremely easily. With only their fingers as the interface, a student could take a picture of the first page of a test, send it to their friend, have their friend look up the answers and send the picture back. The picture could even be sent to the entire class. I think cheating in this fashion, or in similar fashions, could become rampant if this technology is allowed to spread. I think we would have an even larger issue with cell phones than we do now, because there is no way to separate the technologies, so students would always be able to access their phone. Technology can greatly benefit education, but there are always drawbacks to the best of intentions. I hope we can find ways to limit the inappropriate use of technology in the classroom so that we can use the upcoming technology to its fullest extent.

References:

1. Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.