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).
Showing posts with label EDC 665. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EDC 665. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
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.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 9 Blog
From your experience in OMET thus far, what design practice has resonated with you the most? Why?
The design practice that has resonated with me the most through OMET is creating learning experiences (or "adventures") that really make an impact on your learning. That sounded vague... but my explanation is here:
I believe that creating learning experiences for anyone that allows them to be active in their learning is key. Regardless of how the plan is set up, the curriculum should be taught with activity involved. For example, I was teaching about the gold rush yesterday and we were discussing how strenuous working as a gold miner must have been. We all got out of our chairs, and tried to pan for gold as long as we could before our legs and backs started to ache. While it was a silly simulation, my students really won't forget the laborious work the 49'ers went through.
Group projects are also fantastic for students to be engaged in. Students teach each other an incredible amount. My favorite example of this is teaching math. I teach an advanced group of students and I love hearing them talk about math with one another. One student asks how their partner got the answer they did and the learning begins. "I changed the 6(6) to 6x because I was trying to show that it will cost 6 dollars for any amount of weeks, and x can stand for the number of weeks..." etc. Especially in math I value learning experiences that are rich in explanation such as these.
The design practice that has resonated with me the most through OMET is creating learning experiences (or "adventures") that really make an impact on your learning. That sounded vague... but my explanation is here:
I believe that creating learning experiences for anyone that allows them to be active in their learning is key. Regardless of how the plan is set up, the curriculum should be taught with activity involved. For example, I was teaching about the gold rush yesterday and we were discussing how strenuous working as a gold miner must have been. We all got out of our chairs, and tried to pan for gold as long as we could before our legs and backs started to ache. While it was a silly simulation, my students really won't forget the laborious work the 49'ers went through.
Group projects are also fantastic for students to be engaged in. Students teach each other an incredible amount. My favorite example of this is teaching math. I teach an advanced group of students and I love hearing them talk about math with one another. One student asks how their partner got the answer they did and the learning begins. "I changed the 6(6) to 6x because I was trying to show that it will cost 6 dollars for any amount of weeks, and x can stand for the number of weeks..." etc. Especially in math I value learning experiences that are rich in explanation such as these.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 8 Blog
In your ARP, are your learners engaged in their learning? Why or why not?
My students are engaged in their learning through my Action Research Project. As a matter of fact, it is entirely designed around their learning and make their experiences connect to information they have learned in class.
My students are given "scavenger hunts" with their partners for my cycle #2 and are sent to explore areas of the Internet. Most of the questions are to be found out by researching and many are open-ended. The great thing about them researching is that it relates entirely to what they are learning, or have learned in class.
I've also noticed that many of my students haven't been given the tools to be good researchers before. They've never figured out how to find interesting information online that is not drab like a textbook. I am hoping that given their inherent curiosity for learning, that they may not be turned off by textbooks and discoveries when they can find very cool things just by researching. I also want them to see that it can be done by them... even at 9-11 years of age.
I've recently sent them on discoveries (my hands off, I walk around to make sure content is appropriate on screens and answer questions both partners cannot figure out together) to solve math problems using Google, decrease search results by doing advanced searches on volcanoes, narrowing down their resources by searching Google images to find out information, cracking the code on true and fake websites, and the list continues. They've even been using del.icio.us and have recently begun using our class blog to blog about their learning, comment, and show others great things they have discovered.
My hope in the future is to get them involved in webquests and become experlike novices of researching on the web!
So far... it's all hands on. I love it!
My students are engaged in their learning through my Action Research Project. As a matter of fact, it is entirely designed around their learning and make their experiences connect to information they have learned in class.
My students are given "scavenger hunts" with their partners for my cycle #2 and are sent to explore areas of the Internet. Most of the questions are to be found out by researching and many are open-ended. The great thing about them researching is that it relates entirely to what they are learning, or have learned in class.
I've also noticed that many of my students haven't been given the tools to be good researchers before. They've never figured out how to find interesting information online that is not drab like a textbook. I am hoping that given their inherent curiosity for learning, that they may not be turned off by textbooks and discoveries when they can find very cool things just by researching. I also want them to see that it can be done by them... even at 9-11 years of age.
I've recently sent them on discoveries (my hands off, I walk around to make sure content is appropriate on screens and answer questions both partners cannot figure out together) to solve math problems using Google, decrease search results by doing advanced searches on volcanoes, narrowing down their resources by searching Google images to find out information, cracking the code on true and fake websites, and the list continues. They've even been using del.icio.us and have recently begun using our class blog to blog about their learning, comment, and show others great things they have discovered.
My hope in the future is to get them involved in webquests and become experlike novices of researching on the web!
So far... it's all hands on. I love it!
Monday, February 18, 2008
EDC 665 -- Book of Choice -- update #2
I completed the rest of the Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts... book and was somewhat lost with RSS feeds, but found some of the information valuable.
Since I am a novice to podcasting, I appreciated the reading on that area of technology and hope to use it eventually. As a matter of fact, I vaguely remember reading that podcasts were the technology of the next semester classes... so I may be required to make one! (I hope so)
For our group meeting to make decisions about our project for my EDC 665 class, Todd, Jessica, Rita, and myself decided to use Skype voice chat. With voice Skype, Todd said he has a software that allows him to record the conversation for later review. In essence, this is a podcast. In the book, it mentions downloadable software called www.powergramo.com. I am considering this software because I already have Skype.
Audacity is another piece of software to use. I also learned a bit about flickr and how to annotate a photo as a learning experience for students. I would like to learn more about screencasting, of which the book also covers, but I feel like I have to get podcasting down before I use podcasting with video.
I am impressed with the number of teenage kids who are masters at podcasting and all things digital. Although podcasting does not tie into my ARP, I would love to learn the trade and be able to teach future students or understand their love for the technology.
Maybe I should start by buying an MP3 player.
Since I am a novice to podcasting, I appreciated the reading on that area of technology and hope to use it eventually. As a matter of fact, I vaguely remember reading that podcasts were the technology of the next semester classes... so I may be required to make one! (I hope so)
For our group meeting to make decisions about our project for my EDC 665 class, Todd, Jessica, Rita, and myself decided to use Skype voice chat. With voice Skype, Todd said he has a software that allows him to record the conversation for later review. In essence, this is a podcast. In the book, it mentions downloadable software called www.powergramo.com. I am considering this software because I already have Skype.
Audacity is another piece of software to use. I also learned a bit about flickr and how to annotate a photo as a learning experience for students. I would like to learn more about screencasting, of which the book also covers, but I feel like I have to get podcasting down before I use podcasting with video.
I am impressed with the number of teenage kids who are masters at podcasting and all things digital. Although podcasting does not tie into my ARP, I would love to learn the trade and be able to teach future students or understand their love for the technology.
Maybe I should start by buying an MP3 player.
EDC 665 - Week 7 Blog
For your ARP, how did you select the technologies that you are utilizing? How have your learners responded thus far?
For my ARP, I selected the Internet in general as the main technology I am using. In teaching fourth grade, I realized that many of my students were intrigued with the Internet, but were not wise in using it. When asked if they knew even the most simple things about web browsers, and search engines, many had little to tell me about why they chose the technology they did other than to play a few video games and "google" topics of interest.
With a wide range of students in my classroom at all levels of understanding, I made the decision to teach them to be more conscious Internet consumers and show them the WHY of what they are using.
After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.
So far, they have only visited the computer lab at our school once but they are enjoying it and learning a lot. I spoke to a few students after our last Wednesday's session and they were really enthused about what they were learning. This Wednesday will be another visit.
More updates to come! I have another fun day planned for them this week that includes using Google to solve math problems, using Google images to research and using advanced google searches to find factual information and weed out information that may be incorrect.
I am hoping to make my students great (and smart) consumers of the technology they already use (but don't fully understand).
For my ARP, I selected the Internet in general as the main technology I am using. In teaching fourth grade, I realized that many of my students were intrigued with the Internet, but were not wise in using it. When asked if they knew even the most simple things about web browsers, and search engines, many had little to tell me about why they chose the technology they did other than to play a few video games and "google" topics of interest.
With a wide range of students in my classroom at all levels of understanding, I made the decision to teach them to be more conscious Internet consumers and show them the WHY of what they are using.
After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.
So far, they have only visited the computer lab at our school once but they are enjoying it and learning a lot. I spoke to a few students after our last Wednesday's session and they were really enthused about what they were learning. This Wednesday will be another visit.
More updates to come! I have another fun day planned for them this week that includes using Google to solve math problems, using Google images to research and using advanced google searches to find factual information and weed out information that may be incorrect.
I am hoping to make my students great (and smart) consumers of the technology they already use (but don't fully understand).
Saturday, February 16, 2008
EDC 665 -- Book of Choice -- update #1
I am currently 2/3 done with my book of choice for Melissa's class. The book is by Will Richardson and is titled Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms. Jessica and I selected the same book because our backgrounds and ARP's are similar.
At first, I read reviews about the book and was a bit apprehensive because a couple people commented that the information provided was "nothing innovative" and information they already knew how to do. Well, given that I am relatively new to using these tools (although I know a bit about each one), I really was looking for ways to incorporate what I, an adult, use at home with my students (fourth graders) in the classroom.
The first 50 pages or so are devoted to Will's accounts of blogs. He speaks in great lengths about ideas for blog use within the classroom and hits on the richness of using blogs to teach writing (of which I had a bit of an "aha" moment given that I love writing and have a background in that, as does the author. I wasn't too impressed with the blog information, but appreciated the links to other popular education blog sites. I was also not as impressed with the blog section because I recently did my own online research on blogs for my ARP and just learned all of the first 50 pages from reading other people's blogs to learn how to create my own. I then set up a blog and added my entire class of 31 kids to it at learnerblogs.org. If I had read the book a week prior, I would have had more to highlight.
I then learned quite a bit about wikis. I understand the use and all, but really appreciated the real-life accounts from actual educators who use wikis for group projects with kids, etc. I did feel a bit outcasted given the majority of examples are from the high school perspective. I learned a couple cool things about wikipedia and how they have wikirecipes and wikitravel ---of which I love both ideas. The wikirecipes is for people to share their favorites. Wikitravel is used to update on best travel deals.
Back to education... I leared about PBwiki of which I've only heard Margaret mention a few times in class. I might play around with one and set one up during the third phase of my ARP.
Finally, I ended today's reading with learning about RSS feeds. This is something I have struggled with, but also don't know how applicable the feed is for my students as we use the blog site. Given their age (9-11) and their conservative parents, I selected an education blog site that allows me to add only the kids I want and it is password protected. I think for now, that is all I am comfortable with. It didn't require any RSS feeds but just me using my blog to add users.
The final, really cool thing I learned was about RSS feeding of information I would like. For example, I could subscribe to all the RSS feeds out there about "global warming California"...etc. I could also subscribe to feeds from my favorite news sources so I no longer have to go to my favorites and run down the list everyday.
I am looking forward to learning about podcasting (if there is anything new to learn). Fun fact: Alan November was mentioned under good blogs sites. We just met him at FETC. It's cool to place the education connection.
At first, I read reviews about the book and was a bit apprehensive because a couple people commented that the information provided was "nothing innovative" and information they already knew how to do. Well, given that I am relatively new to using these tools (although I know a bit about each one), I really was looking for ways to incorporate what I, an adult, use at home with my students (fourth graders) in the classroom.
The first 50 pages or so are devoted to Will's accounts of blogs. He speaks in great lengths about ideas for blog use within the classroom and hits on the richness of using blogs to teach writing (of which I had a bit of an "aha" moment given that I love writing and have a background in that, as does the author. I wasn't too impressed with the blog information, but appreciated the links to other popular education blog sites. I was also not as impressed with the blog section because I recently did my own online research on blogs for my ARP and just learned all of the first 50 pages from reading other people's blogs to learn how to create my own. I then set up a blog and added my entire class of 31 kids to it at learnerblogs.org. If I had read the book a week prior, I would have had more to highlight.
I then learned quite a bit about wikis. I understand the use and all, but really appreciated the real-life accounts from actual educators who use wikis for group projects with kids, etc. I did feel a bit outcasted given the majority of examples are from the high school perspective. I learned a couple cool things about wikipedia and how they have wikirecipes and wikitravel ---of which I love both ideas. The wikirecipes is for people to share their favorites. Wikitravel is used to update on best travel deals.
Back to education... I leared about PBwiki of which I've only heard Margaret mention a few times in class. I might play around with one and set one up during the third phase of my ARP.
Finally, I ended today's reading with learning about RSS feeds. This is something I have struggled with, but also don't know how applicable the feed is for my students as we use the blog site. Given their age (9-11) and their conservative parents, I selected an education blog site that allows me to add only the kids I want and it is password protected. I think for now, that is all I am comfortable with. It didn't require any RSS feeds but just me using my blog to add users.
The final, really cool thing I learned was about RSS feeding of information I would like. For example, I could subscribe to all the RSS feeds out there about "global warming California"...etc. I could also subscribe to feeds from my favorite news sources so I no longer have to go to my favorites and run down the list everyday.
I am looking forward to learning about podcasting (if there is anything new to learn). Fun fact: Alan November was mentioned under good blogs sites. We just met him at FETC. It's cool to place the education connection.
Monday, February 11, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 6 Blog
As learners, we are often focused on completing assessment activities successfully as opposed to acquiring the outcomes indicated by the course- why is this? Describe a learning experience where either you have combated this learner tendency or you felt a teacher handled this well.
This might be the most applicable blog to date. As a student/learner (for the majority of my life) and now teacher, I have struggled with this aspect of the "hurry up and finish" mentality. As I am writing this, I wonder if I am giving enough thought and time to this posting as not to finish for finishing's sake.
As a student, I always felt a threat to complete before everyone else for the reason that I am competitive. But moreso, I wanted my teachers and professors to feel validated as they have students who take their teaching seriously and want to contribute. I also admit a sense of arrogance to completing first as I know this is the way to shape others' responses and "set the bar" so-to-speak. Finally, I am also the type to like to see a clean slate and not mull over things too long. I don't like seeing 10 assignments left to finish but enjoy "knocking them out" one-by-one.
This blog is perfect to add that I recently posted a blog under the name "zeros are heroes" (or something to that affect). I am sure if you scroll down it will appear... this posting explained my OCD issue with seeing zeros rather than seeing many postings to read. I climbed Mt. Whitney last year with my fiance and our two friends and was asked to be in the back because I lead the group too quickly and would have run us out of energy going too quickly. I'm also a pretty strong type A. (no laughing Brent, Todd, of Greg who give me plenty of crap for this...)
All this to say... I don't know where I picked this up. I see my students rushing often and not putting thought into everything they do. I encourage them to take a few breaths and mull over their thoughts to fully formulate what they want to expand on. I wouldn't consider myself the best role model for this behavior but know this struggle is something I live with everyday. I watch fellow hardworking classmates put a lot of thought into their work and wonder if I should slow things down a bit.
If I were to take a guess of why people are this way, I would say that everyone likes to be validated and the compulsive nature that pushes us to achieve the "assignment" as opposed to seeing the greater outcome is a way of checking a box. With so many "outcomes" to fulfill, I think as learners we settle for some lost outcomes and some gained, as long as we can save face with others seeing our completions. ?!? Looking forward to hearing some others' responses to this... I am struggling!
This might be the most applicable blog to date. As a student/learner (for the majority of my life) and now teacher, I have struggled with this aspect of the "hurry up and finish" mentality. As I am writing this, I wonder if I am giving enough thought and time to this posting as not to finish for finishing's sake.
As a student, I always felt a threat to complete before everyone else for the reason that I am competitive. But moreso, I wanted my teachers and professors to feel validated as they have students who take their teaching seriously and want to contribute. I also admit a sense of arrogance to completing first as I know this is the way to shape others' responses and "set the bar" so-to-speak. Finally, I am also the type to like to see a clean slate and not mull over things too long. I don't like seeing 10 assignments left to finish but enjoy "knocking them out" one-by-one.
This blog is perfect to add that I recently posted a blog under the name "zeros are heroes" (or something to that affect). I am sure if you scroll down it will appear... this posting explained my OCD issue with seeing zeros rather than seeing many postings to read. I climbed Mt. Whitney last year with my fiance and our two friends and was asked to be in the back because I lead the group too quickly and would have run us out of energy going too quickly. I'm also a pretty strong type A. (no laughing Brent, Todd, of Greg who give me plenty of crap for this...)
All this to say... I don't know where I picked this up. I see my students rushing often and not putting thought into everything they do. I encourage them to take a few breaths and mull over their thoughts to fully formulate what they want to expand on. I wouldn't consider myself the best role model for this behavior but know this struggle is something I live with everyday. I watch fellow hardworking classmates put a lot of thought into their work and wonder if I should slow things down a bit.
If I were to take a guess of why people are this way, I would say that everyone likes to be validated and the compulsive nature that pushes us to achieve the "assignment" as opposed to seeing the greater outcome is a way of checking a box. With so many "outcomes" to fulfill, I think as learners we settle for some lost outcomes and some gained, as long as we can save face with others seeing our completions. ?!? Looking forward to hearing some others' responses to this... I am struggling!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 5 Blog
Identify a standard that impacts your local environment or practice. Reflect on the value of the standard and its intended affect on student learning.
I am a bit unclear about whether this "standard" needs to be a content standard or whether it is the literal interpretation of the word standard as a set of rules or ways expected of being achieved...
I will answer the question in both manners.
I teach 4th grade and use state standards to guide my teaching of content. My students obviously are taught more than the standards give, but I do use them as a guideline to teach. In addition, our textbooks are aligned to state and national standards. In 4th grade math, I teach a high, gifted group of students. Currently, we are finishing up a unit on fractions and moving on to their relationship with decimals. A standard I am recently addressing is:
1.5 Explain different interpretations of fractions, for example, parts of a whole, parts of a set, and division of whole numbers by whole numbers; explain equivalents of fractions.
I see enormous value in teaching this particular standard, but really in teaching all of the standards. The reason is because I know my students will be using this material in their daily lives (I am a fan of Ms. Foster's grocery store wisdom -- saving money in the grocery store... how to compare ounces and get the best deals) and I often use life examples to illustrate the point among other manipulatives, etc. In addition, students will see this material in upcoming grade levels, in college, and beyond. I feel it is my duty to expose them to the content they will need to pass the tests (sadly) to get into college and create successful life opportunities for themselves. Although 4th grade grade is not significant grade wise, I feel that my job is to prepare them with as much as I can so the rest of their schooling is made simpler for them and one less thing to have to force into "learning" later.
Answering this question from the other perspective, a standard I use in my daily environment/workplace is this: Work amicably with other teachers as peers to create better learning environments and ultimately better learning opportunites for students that achieves success.
Our school/district recently went to a PLC model ---professional learning communities, out 45 minutes early/week for teacher collaboration to ultimately raise student achievement. Not necessarily student test scores, but achievement in all areas. We want our students to be successful. This is absolutely valuable. As professionals, we should see value in our students always achieving higher than they did yesterday. Not in a manner that pressures or hinders learning, but that teachers and staff commit themselves to constantly working on their end to better the opportunities for students to fulfill their own standards at an above optimal level. Being a teacher who is simply "okay" with status quo is not acceptable for students.
I am a bit unclear about whether this "standard" needs to be a content standard or whether it is the literal interpretation of the word standard as a set of rules or ways expected of being achieved...
I will answer the question in both manners.
I teach 4th grade and use state standards to guide my teaching of content. My students obviously are taught more than the standards give, but I do use them as a guideline to teach. In addition, our textbooks are aligned to state and national standards. In 4th grade math, I teach a high, gifted group of students. Currently, we are finishing up a unit on fractions and moving on to their relationship with decimals. A standard I am recently addressing is:
1.5 Explain different interpretations of fractions, for example, parts of a whole, parts of a set, and division of whole numbers by whole numbers; explain equivalents of fractions.
I see enormous value in teaching this particular standard, but really in teaching all of the standards. The reason is because I know my students will be using this material in their daily lives (I am a fan of Ms. Foster's grocery store wisdom -- saving money in the grocery store... how to compare ounces and get the best deals) and I often use life examples to illustrate the point among other manipulatives, etc. In addition, students will see this material in upcoming grade levels, in college, and beyond. I feel it is my duty to expose them to the content they will need to pass the tests (sadly) to get into college and create successful life opportunities for themselves. Although 4th grade grade is not significant grade wise, I feel that my job is to prepare them with as much as I can so the rest of their schooling is made simpler for them and one less thing to have to force into "learning" later.
Answering this question from the other perspective, a standard I use in my daily environment/workplace is this: Work amicably with other teachers as peers to create better learning environments and ultimately better learning opportunites for students that achieves success.
Our school/district recently went to a PLC model ---professional learning communities, out 45 minutes early/week for teacher collaboration to ultimately raise student achievement. Not necessarily student test scores, but achievement in all areas. We want our students to be successful. This is absolutely valuable. As professionals, we should see value in our students always achieving higher than they did yesterday. Not in a manner that pressures or hinders learning, but that teachers and staff commit themselves to constantly working on their end to better the opportunities for students to fulfill their own standards at an above optimal level. Being a teacher who is simply "okay" with status quo is not acceptable for students.
Monday, January 28, 2008
EDC 665 - Week 4 Blog
Using the same learning experience you reflected on last week, did each activity explicitly map to a goal? Implicitly? Did this impact your learning during the activities?
As far as the learning experience was mapped, not every activity mapped to a goal. There was a goal explicitly stated, however, there was a large amount of empty steps for reaching the goal. This makes me believe (and understand) that there are multiple ways to reach a goal. What I see in my teaching is that when I allow students the opportunity to select the "how" rather than give explicit directions, I am far more pleased with the outcome.
As a tangent, my students were learning about animal adaptations and they took an animal and were asked to (goal) change the environment of the animal... hence adapting them to their new environment. For example, a polar bear in the desert or a fish in the sky. As silly as the goal was, the students were extremely interested and creative.
Getting back to MicroWorlds and my own learning experience, I believe the mapping of the project was mapped implicitly, given the amount of tutorials and purpose of the learning activity. I believe the expectation was to work together, hence sharing our ideas to create a "how to" base. In the end, I was surprised with the amount of diversity, but impressed with the knowledge I gained mostly from others in the process.
This absolutely impacted my learning. Given a specific tutorial, I believe our voices would be one in the same as would our products. I am often pleased and hope to share these same kinds of experiences with my students as I am open and allow for the implicit side of goal setting and mapping.
As far as the learning experience was mapped, not every activity mapped to a goal. There was a goal explicitly stated, however, there was a large amount of empty steps for reaching the goal. This makes me believe (and understand) that there are multiple ways to reach a goal. What I see in my teaching is that when I allow students the opportunity to select the "how" rather than give explicit directions, I am far more pleased with the outcome.
As a tangent, my students were learning about animal adaptations and they took an animal and were asked to (goal) change the environment of the animal... hence adapting them to their new environment. For example, a polar bear in the desert or a fish in the sky. As silly as the goal was, the students were extremely interested and creative.
Getting back to MicroWorlds and my own learning experience, I believe the mapping of the project was mapped implicitly, given the amount of tutorials and purpose of the learning activity. I believe the expectation was to work together, hence sharing our ideas to create a "how to" base. In the end, I was surprised with the amount of diversity, but impressed with the knowledge I gained mostly from others in the process.
This absolutely impacted my learning. Given a specific tutorial, I believe our voices would be one in the same as would our products. I am often pleased and hope to share these same kinds of experiences with my students as I am open and allow for the implicit side of goal setting and mapping.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
