B.
My personal vision is centered around preparing students for what the 21st century demands. This includes: technological skills, word processing skills, colloboration, higher level thinking skills, and the willingness to reflect on their thinking, actions, and efforts to be the best person they can be. As an educator, I view powerful teaching being one that can take the curriculum given and design in it a way in which students are responsible for the construction of their own knowledge. According to Bizar et al. (2001) students must be taught to create knowledge, it is not something they learn by restating other's ideas. It is a learning process that is often challenging, but produces authentic results in students' learning for self.
One action I will implement in CP 2 is to become apart of my school's culture. I will do this by getting more involved in students lives by asking students question and giving them time to talk about what they did over the weekend. I will also share my interests and weekend activities. Seeing as though my class size is small, it will be extremely important that I develop relationships with my students on a much deeper level. I will also make it appoint to get involved in school activities such as, dances, performances, volunteer at events and so forth so that I am able to meet parents, teachers, adminstrators and learn more about the school's culture through through the eyes of the faculty in addition to observation.
I plan on developing a risk taking mentality. I plan on using PE journals even if my colleagues disagree. I plan on teaching students with special needs through hands-on and cooperative learning activities that produce knowledge, not meaningless work that have no context or connection to standards or student's lives. Although to many this may not display risk, but from what I have seen in schools, students are not writing in PE and students with special needs are not learning in small groups in which every student has a role and makes a meaninful contribution. Students are not being challenged and are held to low expectations that are never raised.
An action I will implement later in my career will be to co-teach with colleagues. I am interested in teaching PE in connection with other disciplines (health, math, and/or science). This will not only help me develop greater content knowledge and expertise in my area, but it will help those students that may struggle in one of those areas develop mastery over concepts. I understand the value of collaboration and more importantly, I want students to see how colloboration works.
In sum, my position toward transforming public education is to first understand where my students fall in the order of hierarchy and their particular needs. My purpose for becoming an educator is to teach students what they haven't learned about themselves yet. Why? Because I know how valuable a role model is in adolescents lives particluarly if they can relate to students and their community. Thus, I will begin by taking risk that I feel are appropriate, positive and small in nature. I will also make it appoint to become part of the school's culture through extracurricular activities and designating personal time in getting to know students. Last, I will work to collaborate with colleagues on assessments, content, ITU's and the like so that I can continue working and reflecting on teacher effectiveness. In the end, I want students to leave school prepared and with as many options as possible to do great things.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Reading Reflection 6- Tiffany- Change Agent
I think before change in public education can be addressed on a wider scale, it must first occur within our classrooms. One of my efforts in moving us toward positive change in public education will be by making the invisible students visible. All students need to feel safe, supported and apart of a school's culture/community. Once students feel that they have a personal connection with the school and are safe, the more motivated they are to go along with change as well as be an advocate and take risk for change. I think it also comes downs to getting students to believe in themselves. Our students need to know that we as teaches believe in them regardless of whatever hand they are dealt and hold high expectations for all students.
I also want to create an atmosphere starting in my class, then expanding throughout the school, in which students want to come to school. They want to learn for self and they see the value in peers contributions and thought process. I believe for this to happen students must not only feel apart of the school's culture, but they also must trust the people they see daily. In visiting the social justice department at Lincoln High School and having the opportunity to observe one of the best social justice teachers at the school, I noticed beyond his authentic style of teaching, that his role as an educator extended beyond the classroom. Not only did he involve himself in community events, he brought the community inside his classroom. Students were drawn to him, not because he was a cool guy, but that he could relate and more importantly he cared about each and every student. I noticed this the first fifteen minutes I was in the class. Students have to know and feel that we care on a much deeper level. I think once students understand we care to learn what is going on in their lives and make connections back to their community in our classrooms, change can begin and learning can begin on a much more profound level.
In addition to displaying acts of caring, I plan to develop a risk-taking mentality. This will be a challenge for me, but at the same time I know it's in me. I know that the motivation behind this attribute, is much stronger than for me to ignore. Thus, I will start with small positive acts of risk, and then see what happens from there. In understanding that change is never initiated by passive actions, but risk taking qualities, I will start slowly in becoming the change agent, I know students and on a much larger scale we need to transform public education.
I also want to create an atmosphere starting in my class, then expanding throughout the school, in which students want to come to school. They want to learn for self and they see the value in peers contributions and thought process. I believe for this to happen students must not only feel apart of the school's culture, but they also must trust the people they see daily. In visiting the social justice department at Lincoln High School and having the opportunity to observe one of the best social justice teachers at the school, I noticed beyond his authentic style of teaching, that his role as an educator extended beyond the classroom. Not only did he involve himself in community events, he brought the community inside his classroom. Students were drawn to him, not because he was a cool guy, but that he could relate and more importantly he cared about each and every student. I noticed this the first fifteen minutes I was in the class. Students have to know and feel that we care on a much deeper level. I think once students understand we care to learn what is going on in their lives and make connections back to their community in our classrooms, change can begin and learning can begin on a much more profound level.
In addition to displaying acts of caring, I plan to develop a risk-taking mentality. This will be a challenge for me, but at the same time I know it's in me. I know that the motivation behind this attribute, is much stronger than for me to ignore. Thus, I will start with small positive acts of risk, and then see what happens from there. In understanding that change is never initiated by passive actions, but risk taking qualities, I will start slowly in becoming the change agent, I know students and on a much larger scale we need to transform public education.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I'm Thinking- Reflection 5
hus far my experience working with students with special needs has been a real eye opener experience. I have to some extent, completely let go of what I think the best teaching style is for my students, and have let my students show me what works best for them. I am currently teaching in a Special Day/Resource class and for most of the day I have five or less students. My fifth and sixth period also called Read 180 has about 15-20 students. The Read 180 class mostly consist of group work that is poorly implemented and has no real structure to it besides grouping students by five and spreading them out in different areas of the classroom to do work that can be done individually. For many of the students, they find this class a joke and take signing up to go use the restroom more serious than their teacher assigning them mundane reading tasks.
I have seen group-work done properly and members within a group reap the benefits of collaborative efforts. However, this is on a college level where the instructor has trained students on the roles and specific behaviors that accompany those roles along with cooperation skills needed for members to work successfully and respectfully within a group. I agree with Cohen, there must be some type of training of roles and cooperative skills if group work is going to work at its best. I also agree that it is important for teachers to be able to let go of their authority and delegate authority to students, while still maintaining authority of the classroom.
As I continue with student-teaching, I will want to try group work with my students using strategies and techniques posed by Cohen particularly in the Read 180 class. It is interesting because the Read 180 class is also team taught. There is a resource and a general education teacher in the class, but I feel as though students are not receiving relevant instruction, let alone meaningful tasks to help improve their reading. For example, a group of students listen to the teacher read a section of a text and then are directed to silently read. Students are not held accountable, let alone following what the teacher is reading. Unfortunately, there are students in the class that get stuck on reading the word “the.” Thus, once I begin full-time student teaching, I plan to try implementing some cooperative activities in which students work in groups to accomplish group and individual tasks based on their role, and see how it works. I don’t expect that it will be a grand success the first couple of attempts, but I do want kids to do more and me do less. I want to encourage more interaction from students in discussion and let them work around grasping the content or theme in the readings with support of their peers. In sum, I see the value of group work as a collaborative and effective tool for all students learning when implemented right. I believe the training of roles and cooperative skills among students’ is equally important to teachers’ being trained in implementing group work.
I have seen group-work done properly and members within a group reap the benefits of collaborative efforts. However, this is on a college level where the instructor has trained students on the roles and specific behaviors that accompany those roles along with cooperation skills needed for members to work successfully and respectfully within a group. I agree with Cohen, there must be some type of training of roles and cooperative skills if group work is going to work at its best. I also agree that it is important for teachers to be able to let go of their authority and delegate authority to students, while still maintaining authority of the classroom.
As I continue with student-teaching, I will want to try group work with my students using strategies and techniques posed by Cohen particularly in the Read 180 class. It is interesting because the Read 180 class is also team taught. There is a resource and a general education teacher in the class, but I feel as though students are not receiving relevant instruction, let alone meaningful tasks to help improve their reading. For example, a group of students listen to the teacher read a section of a text and then are directed to silently read. Students are not held accountable, let alone following what the teacher is reading. Unfortunately, there are students in the class that get stuck on reading the word “the.” Thus, once I begin full-time student teaching, I plan to try implementing some cooperative activities in which students work in groups to accomplish group and individual tasks based on their role, and see how it works. I don’t expect that it will be a grand success the first couple of attempts, but I do want kids to do more and me do less. I want to encourage more interaction from students in discussion and let them work around grasping the content or theme in the readings with support of their peers. In sum, I see the value of group work as a collaborative and effective tool for all students learning when implemented right. I believe the training of roles and cooperative skills among students’ is equally important to teachers’ being trained in implementing group work.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Reading Reflection 4
I find some merit to using group work as a social means to promote learning and higher level thinking skills. In looking back on group work throughout this semester, I can say I learned a lot from listening to other people’s views that differed from mine and it did stimulate higher levels of thinking among all members within the group. Cohen suggest how students work together depends on the objective of group work (routine or conceptual) and the level of interaction we want to see students engaged in. The objective of group work also determines the level of exchange among members within a group (limited exchange or equal exchange).
I find this true and interesting at the same time. In PE there are lots of opportunities for students to work on group tasks, however these task are simply fact/recall and usually includes a limited number of people taking control over the task. There are never really opportunities for students to produce high level thinking skills, but of course this rests upon the teaching methods. In Special education, I rarely see group work used as a tool for learning. I think depending on the needs in the classroom group work should be encouraged that promotes higher level thinking skills.
As a special/physical education, it will be up to me to work and create higher level thinking tasks within small groups. This will be a challenge, but just from personal experience the benefits are endless. Students learn through conversation, disagreements and providing explanations behind what they believe. It’s a powerful thing. Of course, preparing students for cooperation is critical before any of this can occur, but using group work as a means to stimulation tool for further inquiry and discussion put learning back into the students hands.
I find this true and interesting at the same time. In PE there are lots of opportunities for students to work on group tasks, however these task are simply fact/recall and usually includes a limited number of people taking control over the task. There are never really opportunities for students to produce high level thinking skills, but of course this rests upon the teaching methods. In Special education, I rarely see group work used as a tool for learning. I think depending on the needs in the classroom group work should be encouraged that promotes higher level thinking skills.
As a special/physical education, it will be up to me to work and create higher level thinking tasks within small groups. This will be a challenge, but just from personal experience the benefits are endless. Students learn through conversation, disagreements and providing explanations behind what they believe. It’s a powerful thing. Of course, preparing students for cooperation is critical before any of this can occur, but using group work as a means to stimulation tool for further inquiry and discussion put learning back into the students hands.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Reading Response 3
Ch 1- Group Work As A Strategy For Classrooms
Designing group work entails small heterogeneous groups of students, each assigned a task with the ability to make choices in how they will complete the task, delegate responsibilities, and work within the group to accomplish the task. Designing group work is not grouping students by ability, one member of the group taking control over the whole task or the teacher having control of how students complete the task. My experience with group work at the college level, has been for the most part, successful. I think group work, properly designed around specific goals, is extremely beneficial to students learning, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills and constructing knowledge. It’s a process in which students have to trust themselves and members within the group to accomplish a task.
Ch 2- Why Group work-
Group work when implemented properly, presents various learning opportunities for students to become active and engaged learners through interaction, investigation, and exploration. Many of these learning opportunities allow students to get a feel of how it is to be an adult and collaborate with members to carry out a task. Not only does heterogeneous learning groups provide students the opportunity to give constant informal feedback, it lets students construct and extend conceptual understanding of what it is being learned through group discussion and explanation. The social support and encouragement that comes out of group work when students are trained in cooperative learning techniques presents a “Win-Win” situation. We are social creatures, let’s utilize everyone’s knowledge, experience and expertise, and help students see that their peers are also valuable resources in learning.
Ch 3- The Dilemma of Group-work
As a designer of group work, it is critical that I establish and teach students ground rules and skills needed for working in a group. I believe a teacher must be aware of each students strengths and weaknesses academically and socially. Perceptions based on status (societal, social, expert and academic) will be inescapable and will impact how students work and contribute within a group. Recently, I had a group assignment in which members automatically elected me as the group leader (probably because of my age- Lol!). I know it was not because of my competence as we have a bright and intelligent cohort, but I am perceived as organized and task-oriented. This did not bother me so much, but I felt to some extent that I had to carry the group. Too much pressure for one person =).
In closing, referring back to a statement in the text, “Students can often address other students questions more effectively than the teacher” made me think and influenced the way I will teach my students. Everyone in the class is a valuable resource and an expert on some topic or another so let students teach and learn from one another.
Designing group work entails small heterogeneous groups of students, each assigned a task with the ability to make choices in how they will complete the task, delegate responsibilities, and work within the group to accomplish the task. Designing group work is not grouping students by ability, one member of the group taking control over the whole task or the teacher having control of how students complete the task. My experience with group work at the college level, has been for the most part, successful. I think group work, properly designed around specific goals, is extremely beneficial to students learning, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills and constructing knowledge. It’s a process in which students have to trust themselves and members within the group to accomplish a task.
Ch 2- Why Group work-
Group work when implemented properly, presents various learning opportunities for students to become active and engaged learners through interaction, investigation, and exploration. Many of these learning opportunities allow students to get a feel of how it is to be an adult and collaborate with members to carry out a task. Not only does heterogeneous learning groups provide students the opportunity to give constant informal feedback, it lets students construct and extend conceptual understanding of what it is being learned through group discussion and explanation. The social support and encouragement that comes out of group work when students are trained in cooperative learning techniques presents a “Win-Win” situation. We are social creatures, let’s utilize everyone’s knowledge, experience and expertise, and help students see that their peers are also valuable resources in learning.
Ch 3- The Dilemma of Group-work
As a designer of group work, it is critical that I establish and teach students ground rules and skills needed for working in a group. I believe a teacher must be aware of each students strengths and weaknesses academically and socially. Perceptions based on status (societal, social, expert and academic) will be inescapable and will impact how students work and contribute within a group. Recently, I had a group assignment in which members automatically elected me as the group leader (probably because of my age- Lol!). I know it was not because of my competence as we have a bright and intelligent cohort, but I am perceived as organized and task-oriented. This did not bother me so much, but I felt to some extent that I had to carry the group. Too much pressure for one person =).
In closing, referring back to a statement in the text, “Students can often address other students questions more effectively than the teacher” made me think and influenced the way I will teach my students. Everyone in the class is a valuable resource and an expert on some topic or another so let students teach and learn from one another.
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