Blog: What theory, discussion and/or application from this course most impacts your ongoing action research project?
Backwards design is the number one impact on my life in teaching, and my action research project. The ARP gradually changes every cycle because I have found myself changing. My views have been changing in respect to what I value as a teacher and what I feel my students should learn.
While I have always known that backwards design existed (recent teacher ed. graduate), I rarely found time to spend on it. Teaching can be a whirlwind, and it's important to create a list of how and what is important to you in your practice. It's just that: a practice. We must change and design our curriculum to suit our student needs.
The second most important piece that I value is using differentiated instruction. I currently use it in my classroom and daily routines, but I really see value in differentiating in my ARP. Students are exploring how to use the Internet in relation to web searches and I think that my student pairings and expectations are different per pair. Some need additional attention, but in all, I expect that all students will understand my essential questions (or in this case, research questions).
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Power Mentoring w/Jen Part 4
An update on my and Jen's mentoring relationship. We've talked casually recently and wanted to post her recent needs as I remember them. We also have dinner planned for this week to discuss these items even further and also catch up as friends (because that's also very important!).
Jen is concerned about making new teacher friends that she "clicks" with at her new school location. Being the department chair at her current high school, she was part in the hiring process and quickly found connections with her apprentice teachers. She was also a support provider in BTSA -- the beginning teacher program required for year 1 and year 2 teachers in California. It is nice to have friends in the department you work in, and I understand Jen's concern there. We can somewhat relate to this issue as I am working at a school that I could leave tomorrow with now holds if required. I love my students and the parents and administration is supportive, but the teachers aren't the most friendly. They don't go above and beyond in their jobs and the parking lot is often empty before 4:00 on any given day. I can barely get students out of the classroom and the last straggling tutoring my students request before most teachers are off into the sunset. So, I understand and we had a great connecting conversation.
One of the other concerns she brought to my attention through her transition was learning to deal with what parents bring. It's a difficult task to figure out proper ways to approach phonecalls, emails, etc. Coming from a school where the demographics include many students who aren't legal residents (hence the parents are not complaining out of safety) and the majority of parents who are uneducated, not bilingual, and not involved, there is a great concern for the abrupt change. To this concern, I can relate completely. This was one of the main reasons why I selected Jen as my mentee because she is in need of assistance on the very thing I had such a learning curve on just a couple years ago. I am better versed now. A friend of mine substitute teaches at my school and her husband is a high school math teacher at the school Jen will be switching to. They will be in the same department and have taught at the same starting school. Given their similiar connections, I was able to speak with that teachers wife about his transition and to offer some advice for Jen. The wife, Julie, mentioned that she is excited Jen will be jumping into their group and that it was a struggle to watch students feel so "privileged" at this new "elite" high school as opposed to the one both of them starting their teaching careers in. It's trying at first, but he has been there now for over 25 years so he obviously warmed up to the student population. The important thing to note is that although it's an affluent area, there are students from all over and not all of them have a supportive family and background. Struggle can be found everywhere and we all have the same basic needs to be loved and appreciated.
Those were some heavy topics. More to come on Thursday/Friday.
Jen is concerned about making new teacher friends that she "clicks" with at her new school location. Being the department chair at her current high school, she was part in the hiring process and quickly found connections with her apprentice teachers. She was also a support provider in BTSA -- the beginning teacher program required for year 1 and year 2 teachers in California. It is nice to have friends in the department you work in, and I understand Jen's concern there. We can somewhat relate to this issue as I am working at a school that I could leave tomorrow with now holds if required. I love my students and the parents and administration is supportive, but the teachers aren't the most friendly. They don't go above and beyond in their jobs and the parking lot is often empty before 4:00 on any given day. I can barely get students out of the classroom and the last straggling tutoring my students request before most teachers are off into the sunset. So, I understand and we had a great connecting conversation.
One of the other concerns she brought to my attention through her transition was learning to deal with what parents bring. It's a difficult task to figure out proper ways to approach phonecalls, emails, etc. Coming from a school where the demographics include many students who aren't legal residents (hence the parents are not complaining out of safety) and the majority of parents who are uneducated, not bilingual, and not involved, there is a great concern for the abrupt change. To this concern, I can relate completely. This was one of the main reasons why I selected Jen as my mentee because she is in need of assistance on the very thing I had such a learning curve on just a couple years ago. I am better versed now. A friend of mine substitute teaches at my school and her husband is a high school math teacher at the school Jen will be switching to. They will be in the same department and have taught at the same starting school. Given their similiar connections, I was able to speak with that teachers wife about his transition and to offer some advice for Jen. The wife, Julie, mentioned that she is excited Jen will be jumping into their group and that it was a struggle to watch students feel so "privileged" at this new "elite" high school as opposed to the one both of them starting their teaching careers in. It's trying at first, but he has been there now for over 25 years so he obviously warmed up to the student population. The important thing to note is that although it's an affluent area, there are students from all over and not all of them have a supportive family and background. Struggle can be found everywhere and we all have the same basic needs to be loved and appreciated.
Those were some heavy topics. More to come on Thursday/Friday.
EDC 665 - Week 13 Blog
In your current professional environment, how are educational experiences or programs assessed? Is the evidence collected from the assessment used to inform change? Why or why not do you think this occurs?
In my current professional environment, the educational experiences and programs are assessed in a few ways; as a school team, as an individual teacher, and at the district level. In our school district, we use PLC's (professional learning communities) where our teachers run the show and discuss progams and all educational experiences that affect our students in a wide setting with everyone involved, in grade level meetings, and in cross-grade level meetings. The universality of the prorgam is fantastic. We created norms to follow when in attendance and we follow up with major events regularly to assure what we are implementing is valid and necessary. For example, we have used PLC's to determine how money should be spent on our supplies, music program, Gifted Students, Physical Education, etc. Teachers are the first to have a say at school decisions and how we run specific programs unique to our site.
As an individual teacher, I am responsible for creating educational experiences for my students and I am lucky to have a school administrator and district that allows individual teachers the luxury of creating these experiences. Within my classroom, as long as I am supportive to my fellow team members (other teachers) and teach the standards, I can teach freely. I am not expected to jump through any hoops within the classroom. Because of this luxury, I have free reign to expose my students to fabulous programs. For example, I love teaching language arts with chapter books to my fourth graders. They equally love the non-scripted approach and flexibility to read a book they had a say in selecting. The point is to get them reading... not to teach them to dislike it!
At the district level, many decisions are made about programs that are out of our control... usually tying somewhere with money. For example, some years we have instructional vocal music and some years we do not. We don't have a P.E. program but we certainly teach our own students all because the money was not available. Professional development is incredibly helpful but we don't receive a lot of funding based on our demographics and location.
Evidence from assessments are absolutely used to inform change. If a program is not working and the outcomes are not the expected outcomes, or outcomes we didn't expect but showing growth, we are quick to re-group and change route. Teaching and school districts must be about change. If they are not, the growth will not be seen in the consumers (students). Given our actual assessment data, we saw a need for increased writing support. Our district and school adopted the Lucy Calkin's program of writing and is now training teachers in this fashion. It has been a huge success. On another note, conceptual understanding and problem solving is a huge push in math this year. I was on the CUPS committee and saw little value in the program. While the concepts are certainly important to review, it was not a good use of money and needed to be re-worked. The outcomes and assessment did not produce good results, thus informing the much needed change. I think that our district and school site uses assessment to inform change because time is not only of the essence, but it is the responsibility of an educational institution to support their students in the greatest possible way while being respective of the tax dollars they are spending. While corruption and disagreements can arise, it seems to be a fluid process within our district and I am proud to have a teaching position in the midst of great and conscious change.
In my current professional environment, the educational experiences and programs are assessed in a few ways; as a school team, as an individual teacher, and at the district level. In our school district, we use PLC's (professional learning communities) where our teachers run the show and discuss progams and all educational experiences that affect our students in a wide setting with everyone involved, in grade level meetings, and in cross-grade level meetings. The universality of the prorgam is fantastic. We created norms to follow when in attendance and we follow up with major events regularly to assure what we are implementing is valid and necessary. For example, we have used PLC's to determine how money should be spent on our supplies, music program, Gifted Students, Physical Education, etc. Teachers are the first to have a say at school decisions and how we run specific programs unique to our site.
As an individual teacher, I am responsible for creating educational experiences for my students and I am lucky to have a school administrator and district that allows individual teachers the luxury of creating these experiences. Within my classroom, as long as I am supportive to my fellow team members (other teachers) and teach the standards, I can teach freely. I am not expected to jump through any hoops within the classroom. Because of this luxury, I have free reign to expose my students to fabulous programs. For example, I love teaching language arts with chapter books to my fourth graders. They equally love the non-scripted approach and flexibility to read a book they had a say in selecting. The point is to get them reading... not to teach them to dislike it!
At the district level, many decisions are made about programs that are out of our control... usually tying somewhere with money. For example, some years we have instructional vocal music and some years we do not. We don't have a P.E. program but we certainly teach our own students all because the money was not available. Professional development is incredibly helpful but we don't receive a lot of funding based on our demographics and location.
Evidence from assessments are absolutely used to inform change. If a program is not working and the outcomes are not the expected outcomes, or outcomes we didn't expect but showing growth, we are quick to re-group and change route. Teaching and school districts must be about change. If they are not, the growth will not be seen in the consumers (students). Given our actual assessment data, we saw a need for increased writing support. Our district and school adopted the Lucy Calkin's program of writing and is now training teachers in this fashion. It has been a huge success. On another note, conceptual understanding and problem solving is a huge push in math this year. I was on the CUPS committee and saw little value in the program. While the concepts are certainly important to review, it was not a good use of money and needed to be re-worked. The outcomes and assessment did not produce good results, thus informing the much needed change. I think that our district and school site uses assessment to inform change because time is not only of the essence, but it is the responsibility of an educational institution to support their students in the greatest possible way while being respective of the tax dollars they are spending. While corruption and disagreements can arise, it seems to be a fluid process within our district and I am proud to have a teaching position in the midst of great and conscious change.
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