What I liked best about this presentation was the fact that it wasn't an extensive overview of the entire act. Honestly, that's what I was afraid was going to happen and I was really happy that's not what the girls chose to do. Presenting the pros and cons was a great way of covering all aspects of "no child left behind" without being boring or monotonous. I really liked the youtube clips. They added to the information presented and it was really interesting to hear how people really feel about "no child left behind". It's also really interesting to hear that as we enter a time in our country where that act could be overturned or at least seriously revamped.
Great job guys, I wish I could have seen the whole presentation : )
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
How my philosophy will affect my classroom (an excerpt from my final paper)
From day one, my students will know that my classroom has a zero-tolerance policy and so do I. Students will be expected to respect one another at all times and under no circumstances will any deviance be tolerated. That is the only rule regarding classroom management that I will set myself. The rest of the rules will be created by the students themselves. From my experience as a resident assistant, I familiar with this method and feel it can be applied to many situations. This act of getting people to set rules together is referred to as creating “community standards” and I will employ this same concept as a teacher. During the first class I will explain that the classroom is a democracy and that students will be expected to participate and take responsibility for their actions. From there I will help them create their own set of expectations for each other and help them create a classroom they are comfortable being in. Once the rules are created (which can be anything from the consequences of tardiness or talking out of turn to confidentiality and absent homework) they will be posted on the walls. I think this practice gives students ownership and control over their environment and also builds community.
The classroom will not only be a safe place, but it will be a comfortable place as well. Desks or tables will be in a circle so that students can all see one another. There will be plenty of books for students to read and a quiet corner for them to escape to order to work on projects and books. My students will be allowed to eat in my classroom and I will adopt only the school policy on bathroom breaks because it is a basic truth that students cannot learn unless their basic needs are met. My goal is not to make every student love reading and writing, but to help them discover their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their likes and dislikes in terms of literature and writing. Again, it is about helping students make connections to their world and further their self-awareness.
I want students to have input into what they are learning. As a rule, there are always standards within a school system that need to be met and goals that need to be accomplished. There are required texts and S.A.T.s and graduation requirements. I believe that some structure is good and helps guide students towards success, but I feel that how students reach those end goals should be in a way that works best for them. This learner-centered philosophy closely mirrors my own, for I feel that students should have the power to choose their future and find a way to reach their goals. After all, who knows our students better than they know themselves? Why should we direct their lives until the graduate and then expect them to be able to stand on their own? That doesn’t seem fair. This is why I feel that independence and autonomy need to be valued in the classroom and students should always have input in everything they participate in at school. As a class, we discussed alternative schools where students had different levels of control over their education. Through my research I encountered institutions that were rigid, like military or rehabilitation schools and I also encountered schools that were more open, like Summerhill in England and Souhegan in New Hampshire. I realize that being able to choose your education is a powerful gift that not all students have the opportunity to take advantage of. This is why I will be dedicated to giving students a voice no matter where I end up teaching in the future.
As far as assessment goes, the majority of the marks students earn will come from the process and not the final product they produce. While I feel the final product is important, the process is just as important, if not more so, because it is the backbone of the work itself. I want the work my students produce to be a reflection of how they are thinking. That way, I can truly gauge their level of understanding. The only way I can see how much my students are really learning is by seeing them apply the content I teach. This is why my instruction and assessments will be differentiated and range in style. While I personally value hands-on learning and respond positively to it, I realize that some students are more comfortable with more traditional methods. My objective will be to balance both. This will allow all students in my class to benefit from the content and it will give them the chance to highlight their strengths without being penalized for their individual learning style.
As a learner, I was often stereotyped by school administration and peers alike. I was recommended for many tracks, ranging from special education to advanced placement. As a result of this, it is vital to me that no student be tracked unless it will directly benefit them to be in a certain group pertaining to their individual needs. I believe that students of all abilities and backgrounds can learn together in a classroom and it is my job to ensure that success. I will rise to the challenge by getting to know my students, understanding who they are as learners and varying my approach so that I may meet their needs.
The classroom will not only be a safe place, but it will be a comfortable place as well. Desks or tables will be in a circle so that students can all see one another. There will be plenty of books for students to read and a quiet corner for them to escape to order to work on projects and books. My students will be allowed to eat in my classroom and I will adopt only the school policy on bathroom breaks because it is a basic truth that students cannot learn unless their basic needs are met. My goal is not to make every student love reading and writing, but to help them discover their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their likes and dislikes in terms of literature and writing. Again, it is about helping students make connections to their world and further their self-awareness.
I want students to have input into what they are learning. As a rule, there are always standards within a school system that need to be met and goals that need to be accomplished. There are required texts and S.A.T.s and graduation requirements. I believe that some structure is good and helps guide students towards success, but I feel that how students reach those end goals should be in a way that works best for them. This learner-centered philosophy closely mirrors my own, for I feel that students should have the power to choose their future and find a way to reach their goals. After all, who knows our students better than they know themselves? Why should we direct their lives until the graduate and then expect them to be able to stand on their own? That doesn’t seem fair. This is why I feel that independence and autonomy need to be valued in the classroom and students should always have input in everything they participate in at school. As a class, we discussed alternative schools where students had different levels of control over their education. Through my research I encountered institutions that were rigid, like military or rehabilitation schools and I also encountered schools that were more open, like Summerhill in England and Souhegan in New Hampshire. I realize that being able to choose your education is a powerful gift that not all students have the opportunity to take advantage of. This is why I will be dedicated to giving students a voice no matter where I end up teaching in the future.
As far as assessment goes, the majority of the marks students earn will come from the process and not the final product they produce. While I feel the final product is important, the process is just as important, if not more so, because it is the backbone of the work itself. I want the work my students produce to be a reflection of how they are thinking. That way, I can truly gauge their level of understanding. The only way I can see how much my students are really learning is by seeing them apply the content I teach. This is why my instruction and assessments will be differentiated and range in style. While I personally value hands-on learning and respond positively to it, I realize that some students are more comfortable with more traditional methods. My objective will be to balance both. This will allow all students in my class to benefit from the content and it will give them the chance to highlight their strengths without being penalized for their individual learning style.
As a learner, I was often stereotyped by school administration and peers alike. I was recommended for many tracks, ranging from special education to advanced placement. As a result of this, it is vital to me that no student be tracked unless it will directly benefit them to be in a certain group pertaining to their individual needs. I believe that students of all abilities and backgrounds can learn together in a classroom and it is my job to ensure that success. I will rise to the challenge by getting to know my students, understanding who they are as learners and varying my approach so that I may meet their needs.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Voices
Confucius expected his students to be motivated and active learners who would take the initiative in their learning.
Education, he felt, improved the moral character of a person as well as the intellect.
Sappho believed the role of the teacher was to be a mentor for her students.
Socrates defended the teacher’s academic freedom to think, question and teach.
Aristotle said “We are the sum of our actions and therefore our habits make all the difference.”
Augustine talks about the ‘flash of insight’ we get when we understand.
Aquinas believes that education is a matter of helping students develop their intellectual abilities and form their character by using their power of choice well. They may develop good habits through their exercise of their own free action.
Christine said “Who makes the effort to acquire learning and good habits will find it pleasing in both this world and the next.”
Luther believed that teachers were to ‘speak kindly to each child in a low tone and shower, in a friendly way, how each defect could be corrected.’
He felt that learning was a natural activity and as long as appropriate instructional techniques were used, it should not be much of a burden to a normally endowed human being.
Rousseau said that education should be centered on who is taught (the child).
Education should interfere as little as possible with the free, natural development of the child – both physically and psychologically.
Pestalozzi believed in educating the ‘whole child’.
He also believed that learning had to be stimulated by the interests and motivation of the child, not by punishment and fear.
Hebart felt that interdisciplinary instruction would help the student to develop multi-sided interests.
Froebel said “In play a child reveals his own original power.”
Jefferson believed in the equality of men, no matter their race, religion, or habitat.
Webster advocated universal public education. He felt that colleges and academics should not be only for the sons of the rich.
Mann believed that public education would be the ‘great equalizer’ and that the common school would only be effective with well-trained and professional teachers.
DuBois said that “Education and work are the levers to uplift a people. Work alone will not do it unless inspired by the right ideals and guided by intelligence. Education must not simply teach work – it must teach life.
Dewey felt that part of the role of education was to foster mutual respect among the diverse cultures. He believed in “child-centered education.”
Piaget saw the purpose of schooling as helping children to learn, to think, to discover, and create.
Freire felt education is for freedom.
Montessori believed in allowing children to teach themselves as they worked with the materials that made up the properly prepared environment for their spontaneous activity.
“When we see all these things… which they have learned to enjoy so deeply, we are moved in spite of ourselves and feel that we have come in touch with the very souls of these little pupils.”
Counts said that education needs to educate for democracy and create a generation eager to serve its communities, nations and world in times of peace.
Counts called for a broadening and deepening of the training of teachers.
Counts said that “teaching is the greatest profession in terms of service to our people and to all mankind. Also I think it is the most interesting and challenging of all occupations and ways of life.”
Tyler encouraged teachers to introduce new experiences to their students.
“Before I go to sleep I always ask myself three things: one, what did I learn; two, what did it mean; and three, how can I use it?”
Education, he felt, improved the moral character of a person as well as the intellect.
Sappho believed the role of the teacher was to be a mentor for her students.
Socrates defended the teacher’s academic freedom to think, question and teach.
Aristotle said “We are the sum of our actions and therefore our habits make all the difference.”
Augustine talks about the ‘flash of insight’ we get when we understand.
Aquinas believes that education is a matter of helping students develop their intellectual abilities and form their character by using their power of choice well. They may develop good habits through their exercise of their own free action.
Christine said “Who makes the effort to acquire learning and good habits will find it pleasing in both this world and the next.”
Luther believed that teachers were to ‘speak kindly to each child in a low tone and shower, in a friendly way, how each defect could be corrected.’
He felt that learning was a natural activity and as long as appropriate instructional techniques were used, it should not be much of a burden to a normally endowed human being.
Rousseau said that education should be centered on who is taught (the child).
Education should interfere as little as possible with the free, natural development of the child – both physically and psychologically.
Pestalozzi believed in educating the ‘whole child’.
He also believed that learning had to be stimulated by the interests and motivation of the child, not by punishment and fear.
Hebart felt that interdisciplinary instruction would help the student to develop multi-sided interests.
Froebel said “In play a child reveals his own original power.”
Jefferson believed in the equality of men, no matter their race, religion, or habitat.
Webster advocated universal public education. He felt that colleges and academics should not be only for the sons of the rich.
Mann believed that public education would be the ‘great equalizer’ and that the common school would only be effective with well-trained and professional teachers.
DuBois said that “Education and work are the levers to uplift a people. Work alone will not do it unless inspired by the right ideals and guided by intelligence. Education must not simply teach work – it must teach life.
Dewey felt that part of the role of education was to foster mutual respect among the diverse cultures. He believed in “child-centered education.”
Piaget saw the purpose of schooling as helping children to learn, to think, to discover, and create.
Freire felt education is for freedom.
Montessori believed in allowing children to teach themselves as they worked with the materials that made up the properly prepared environment for their spontaneous activity.
“When we see all these things… which they have learned to enjoy so deeply, we are moved in spite of ourselves and feel that we have come in touch with the very souls of these little pupils.”
Counts said that education needs to educate for democracy and create a generation eager to serve its communities, nations and world in times of peace.
Counts called for a broadening and deepening of the training of teachers.
Counts said that “teaching is the greatest profession in terms of service to our people and to all mankind. Also I think it is the most interesting and challenging of all occupations and ways of life.”
Tyler encouraged teachers to introduce new experiences to their students.
“Before I go to sleep I always ask myself three things: one, what did I learn; two, what did it mean; and three, how can I use it?”
Monday, November 3, 2008
Discipline
I was really impressed with the presentation that Evan, Megan and Jess gave the class. I think what I appreciated most was their flexibility. Obviously they had done a lot of research and had many things to present about discipline. They had all sorts of blurbs about different approaches to discipline and bullet-points to present and yet the listened to what the class need and let us discuss our thoughts. I got a lot out of that discussion. I liked the icebreaker activity where we had to talk about the spectrum of reactions to discipline problems. It was a good catalyst for discussion. I also liked learning about discipline in the south and how corporal punishment is allowed in some places. It was interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about it but I was glad to learn about how it worked. Overall, I felt the group had researched a lot and had many ideas to offer as to how to handle classroom discipline. It is a daunting topic and I think they handled it well.
Promising Futures
"Promising Futures" is basically a call to action for Mainers. The Maine Commission on Secondary Education and the Department of Education explored the education system in Maine in 1998 and found that we have a lot to work on. In an effort to overhaul school systems and encourage change, "Promising Futures" was born. The program is a collection of suggestions on how to make school a better place. There are 15 practices to implement and 19 to "consider phasing out". There is also a special section explaining that schools cannot make these changes without support from the greater Maine community. In the end, "Promising Futures" is an action plan that is grant-based so that schools with 98% of their faculty in agreement, can receive funding to help implement the ideas presented in this document.
I like the premise behind this plan. I think that the schools do need to improve and sadly, even 10 years after this document came out, that need is still there. I feel like the suggestions are largely common sense, but maybe that back-to-basics mentality is what we need. Of course students should be respected. Of course teachers should have the resources they need to teach successfully. Of course students should be involved in their education and make their own choices. These things should always be in effect whether a school is labeled "Promising Futures" or not but maybe it takes something like this document to remind people that those principles lead to excellence in schools. I thought the idea of "phasing out" old practices is a good idea. I think using that vocabulary makes the whole plan seem less threatening. I also thought it was really essential that this book included the section on schools needing community help and support to implement this plan.
I like the premise behind this plan. I think that the schools do need to improve and sadly, even 10 years after this document came out, that need is still there. I feel like the suggestions are largely common sense, but maybe that back-to-basics mentality is what we need. Of course students should be respected. Of course teachers should have the resources they need to teach successfully. Of course students should be involved in their education and make their own choices. These things should always be in effect whether a school is labeled "Promising Futures" or not but maybe it takes something like this document to remind people that those principles lead to excellence in schools. I thought the idea of "phasing out" old practices is a good idea. I think using that vocabulary makes the whole plan seem less threatening. I also thought it was really essential that this book included the section on schools needing community help and support to implement this plan.
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