Equity and Social justice have been the core values through my experience in the Credential program that I will continue to follow and believe in as I have my own classes. It will be the focus of the reason why I will teach.
1.) Some of the key components for my personal vision for Secondary Schooling in the 21st Century include the idea of powerful teaching. In order to be an effective teacher, I will take advantage of all the resources available to me and educate my students on how they could benefit from these as well. For example, technology is becoming such an important part of curriculum and using web 2.0 tools online can help students understand and research better. Also being able to create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable and part of the group will lower the affective filter, and engage everyone in a more cooperative learning setting. Everything I have mentioned before could only be possible with the practice of Respect for their peers and teachers, as I too will show them the respect they deserve.
2.) Besides being a "risk-taker", I will implement the idea of becoming a reflective practitioner. Not just for myself, but encourage my students to do the same. This will be a form of testing the waters because students are not used to critical thinking, or thinking beyond the assignment, which during my clinical practice, will be a challenge. I have ideas for implementing reflections in a journal as a homework assignment as an activity beyond what we did that day in class. They will have the opportunity to do this on their own time, when reflecting is best and write about what they thought of the activities and assignments we did in class, what the purpose was, if they achieved those goals, and what they liked or what they would improve.
3.)During my first two years I would also implement the art of questioning. Why we do the things we do? Does it work best like this? And, What can I do to change it and make it better? When applying this in the classroom, students can slowly use this to reflect and question the work that they created or work they have read about or seen. I think this allows for the students to be held accountable for their own thinking and development, when later they will be able to become their own advocates in the educational world. I think this is a great way to progress and move forward with changing times and hopefully, the students will also see the benefits.
4.) Later in my career, when already established in the educational community, I will hopefully inspire those still unsure of how to take on their own future. By becoming a powerful teacher, many minds can be reached. Students can find their way in their school community, and other teachers can learn to be more open to the changing of the time and how they should approach school and students. My fear is that creating a world where questions can impact the decision of a major community or group will turn away from the purpose of why we reflect and come up with the most ethical solution. The idea of an ITU and how beneficial it can be to a community of teachers willing to share an integrated unit, can help the learning environment of a school.
5.) Using all three plans for implementation will reform Secondary Education parallel as the changing times and expectations. It will allow for different curriculum that will apply more to the students and not so much teacher lectures. It will allow for individual accountability and assessment for the students as well as the teachers. It allows support from all angles including parents, community, teachers and administrators. The idea of powerful teaching will take a hold of those teachers who feel like there is no use trying to reach and enrich the students' lives. Schools will transform from the traditional education, to a new, more hands-on experience, which will create new professional roles for parents, teachers, and student voice.
March 8, 2010
March 1, 2010
February 28, 2010
Reading Response 5- I'm Thinking...
I feel like I have had enough with the classroom management talk. I have been thinking that each class will be different, and I will need to have an approach when I get to know their personalities, and different learning needs and abilities. Classroom management could mean responding to many different aspects right? So then it is not easily something we can plan until it is ours-the classroom that is. But I feel that after reading Teaching in Secondary Schools by Baldwin, Keating, and Bachman, all of that can easily be organized with certain models that they discuss. Finally, clarity as to what we can do even before we have our own class.
They discuss the Power-Relationship Model, by Wolfgang (1995). I see these 'faces' or behavioral responses to the students being used, but are either ineffective or unpredictable. They sometimes work and other times, going even having to go through the continuum may not work. It also depends on the students individually. Whereas the Teacher Management Model by Froyen (1993) is able to address everyday and more difficult situations can be planned ahead by keeping clear and consistent expectations for every student (if followed correctly, of course). This is a way in which everyone in the class is held accountable and knows the expectations.
I think that I am well prepared for this now. At first, classroom management was my most difficult challenge to overcome, but with this, I now know that even with the uncertain and different responses from each student, I will still have something to fall back on if I clearly mark my expectations for every aspect including homework, adjusting activities, rules, and creating meaning curriculum.
They discuss the Power-Relationship Model, by Wolfgang (1995). I see these 'faces' or behavioral responses to the students being used, but are either ineffective or unpredictable. They sometimes work and other times, going even having to go through the continuum may not work. It also depends on the students individually. Whereas the Teacher Management Model by Froyen (1993) is able to address everyday and more difficult situations can be planned ahead by keeping clear and consistent expectations for every student (if followed correctly, of course). This is a way in which everyone in the class is held accountable and knows the expectations.
I think that I am well prepared for this now. At first, classroom management was my most difficult challenge to overcome, but with this, I now know that even with the uncertain and different responses from each student, I will still have something to fall back on if I clearly mark my expectations for every aspect including homework, adjusting activities, rules, and creating meaning curriculum.
Ethnographic Study of Mission Hills High school
Check it out.
We decided to take a funny approach to the professional outlook of the school.
http://web.me.com/jacob_english/Ethnography/EDSS_530.html
We decided to take a funny approach to the professional outlook of the school.
http://web.me.com/jacob_
Reading Response 4- Groupwork Ch. 4-5
After reading chapters 4-5 in Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom, I thought of the classes I will be teaching this semester and the classes I am currently in at the University. One idea that we touch upon but rarely revisit is the idea of individual and group accountability. Although it is expected in our university classes, high school students are rarely reminded or reflective of this practice. How can we introduce accountability for a group assignment or project? One thing that students will always acknowledge is the fact that there will always be that 'slacker' or 'free-loader' just trying to get by. In accordance with the chapter on group size, I feel as though a group of four will hold each student accountable for each task. If there are each individual tasks to complete, the idea of rewards will help the students benefit from a cooperative learning activity. When having one big task to complete for the whole group, four students will have to hold each other accountable. If they decide to split the task into 2, two students will do one part while the other two do the second. This way each student has a partner to hold them accountable. Each person in a group needs to feel like they are a vital part in the outcome in order to reduce that idea of the 'free-loader'. If they feel like they are an important part of the group and assignment, each student will motivate each other and allow for a better project.
For Spanish, group work can help each student become accountable for themselves and create more critical thinking within group development. The assignment may not necessarily be about the work and the learning objective, but rather the idea of creating social skills and accountability within a class. This can also be helpful when doing service-learning projects or even learning the language and culture more. If students are working on a project where they have to research and report on a Latin country, food, or famous person, they will be able to help each other with the language and the responsibilities that need to be divided between each other. I can either give them each roles, or make the directions very general so that they need to work out their responsibilities. As a concern, with the assignment being more general, I will not be able to ensure individual accountability unless I give them a group assessment at the end to grade each other. I feel that students are honest and capable, but there are times when they are not sensible. They may feel like they had done most of the work, when in reality it could have been shared evenly.
For Spanish, group work can help each student become accountable for themselves and create more critical thinking within group development. The assignment may not necessarily be about the work and the learning objective, but rather the idea of creating social skills and accountability within a class. This can also be helpful when doing service-learning projects or even learning the language and culture more. If students are working on a project where they have to research and report on a Latin country, food, or famous person, they will be able to help each other with the language and the responsibilities that need to be divided between each other. I can either give them each roles, or make the directions very general so that they need to work out their responsibilities. As a concern, with the assignment being more general, I will not be able to ensure individual accountability unless I give them a group assessment at the end to grade each other. I feel that students are honest and capable, but there are times when they are not sensible. They may feel like they had done most of the work, when in reality it could have been shared evenly.
February 8, 2010
School Reform at lunch
http://www.altusinstitute.net/
Name of school: Altus Institute Network of Charter schools
Reform: size (smaller schools within one high school)
Name of school: Altus Institute Network of Charter schools
Reform: size (smaller schools within one high school)
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