NCLB, Acheivement Gap, Alternative Assessment

This presentation was both fun and informative. The variety in the activities made it very easy to stay engaged and excited. I really liked how the group opened up with a game. It was fun and gave us a quick overview of the three topics we would be covering in the presentation. I liked how the three stations were all very different because I could take away something different from each one. At the alternative assessment station, I liked how we were given resources (which I would have liked to keep!) and got to apply it right away to different students. I'm a huge fan of alternative assessment and certainly want to use them in my classroom in any way possible. The achievement gap station was a lot of fun, but some of the statistics were quite scary. This station certainly got me thinking about all the ways students can be affected. The No Child Left Behind station was an interactive way to learn about the many different issues we have in our schools. My group focused on differing state standards and how students can be affected by these. It is unfortunate when students can't reach their highest potential just because they suddenly had to move. Overall, I found this presentation to be interactive, extremely informative, and personable. Great job, ladies!

Technology Integration

Today's presentation about technology really got me thinking about some of the issues that can come from having technology in the classroom. Sometimes, at schools with limited technology, it is hard to figure out who gets to use it and when. I also learned about positive ways to use it. The opening discussion was a good way to get us thinking about the topic of technology. I do, however, wish we had focused more on the history. We started to have some good conversation, but I feel like we very quickly glossed over it. Polleverywhere.com is an interesting concept and I certainly feel like I could find a way to use it in my classroom in a number of different ways. Of course, I will have to be aware of the students that may not have a texting plan. The scenarios were interesting and we had some good discussion, but I wish there had been more variety. At the very least, I think I would have liked to use technology a lot more. Overall, though, it certainly got me thinking and excited about using technology in my classroom.

Discipline

I absolutely loved the setup of this presentation by Sara and Ryan. They did a great job providing an overview through various activities. The Line Game is a classic, and I'm not sure I'll ever get sick of playing it. It was a great way to get us in the mind set of discipline in the classroom. I have taken a discipline style quiz before, and I believe I had the same result: authoritative. I believe in independence and giving students reason for what I have them do in the classroom. They way they grouped us was effective because of how like-minded we were based on the quiz. Acting out scenarios is another activity that I probably won't get sick of for a while. It really helps to understand the differences between what's right and wrong. They're also a lot of fun! The book activity was a good one because it is funny to see how things have changed since the 80s. Teachers were allowed to be much more harsh to the students. I'm glad things have changed because I would not feel comfortable hitting or humiliating students. The movie that they played at the end was hilarious. Even though the teacher's mistakes were very obvious from the beginning, it was helpful seeing the good and the bad back-to-back. Overall, I definitely feel like I learned a lot. It is important to be aware of the different discipline styles, as well as having a bag of tricks for those tricky scenarios that will most likely occur. Looking at the different resources is also a good reminder that there are resources out there for us to use. Some of them may suck, but there are certainly some that could probably help us out a lot. Great job, Sara and Ryan!

Multicultural Literature

I really enjoyed the Multicultural presentation by Ted, Andrew, and Corinne. It was great that they got us up and moving while also interacting with each other. I like how they broke it down into three major categories: gender/sexuality, religion, and curriculum as a whole. It really got me thinking about a lot of different issues. With gender/sexuality, I certainly see the importance of allowing related discussion into the classroom. I just get nervous about how parents may react to it. I would love to teach a book like Boy Meets Boy but I do wonder if angry parents would get involved. Something as simple as the children's book about the two kings caused a lot of uproar a couple years back, so I wouldn't be surprised. If I were to use a book like that in my classroom, I would have to clear it with my principal and probably even get permission from the parents. As for religion, I'm not sure I would want to use specific religious literature (like the Bible for example) but I certainly wouldn't ignore novels that highlight certain religions. I think it is important to expose students to many types of religion. It is okay to talk about, as long as I don't place a bias on one particular religion. These topics can't easily be ignored if we want to expose our students to a variety of literature that they can learn from. Parents and principals alike have to be aware of this. Ted's question at the end was also very thought-provoking. I definitely agree that schools should do a lot more than just add a little multiculturalism here and there. Schools should really consider reworking their entire curriculum. This might be expensive, but certainly worthwhile for the students and teachers.