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!

Philosophy Impact

My personal philosophy of education will impact my future classroom in a lot of different ways. This impact will determine my effectiveness as a teacher and I am hoping for it to be a positive one! My philosophy will affect classroom organization, student motivation, discipline, assessment, classroom climate, technology integration, learning focus and teaching and leadership styles.

Classroom Organization
As a teacher, I want my classroom to be welcoming, organized, and full of books. I want my students to feel comfortable and excited to be in my classroom. I want student work on the walls and a work station that has a variety of supplies that students can borrow (pens, pencils, glue, tape, rulers, markers, etc). It is important to me that everything has a place. I want an organized desk and many organized shelves. I would like to have an entire bookshelf dedicated to books and magazines that my students would be able to sign out and borrow.

Motivation
After putting together a presentation on motivation, I certainly have some better ideas about how I would like to motivate my students. The most important thing is to connect the students to what they are learning. One way to do this is by connecting it to their interests. A student will get more excited about something if it is something they enjoy doing. Along with that, I also believe in the importance of giving students choice. This is time for students to develop a sense of responsibility. One of my favorite ways to motivate students is through the use of technology. Students can use their laptops to do a lot more than just type a paper, and I intend to use it to its full potential in the classroom.

Discipline and Classroom Climate
For me, discipline isn’t about punishment. It has a lot to do with positive and negative reinforcement. Students will learn better from being told when they are doing something correctly as opposed to be being punished when they do something wrong. When a student does act out in class, it is important to deal with it immediately. I certainly don’t believe in sending students to the principal’s office because it doesn’t really teach them anything. I would much rather find a way to turn their negative behavior into a positive one. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom at all times. I will not tolerate bullying, interrupting or inappropriate language. From the beginning, I want to establish a set of rules (created with the students’ help) that everyone understands and agrees with.

Assessment and Teaching Style
The key here is variety. Tests are helpful on occasion, but I don’t see myself using them on a regular basis. I like the idea of projects that require many skills in order to show what has been learned. There are many ways I could do this. One of my favorite projects in high school was based on choosing from the multiple intelligences. We could sing, draw, write, organize, relate it to nature, etc. Our options felt endless and it made it very enjoyable to design the project in our own way. This is the best way for students to show what they have learned. I also intend on using a variety of teaching styles within the classroom. Discussion, collaboration and blogging are some instructional strategies I would love to use on a regular basis. I am a firm believer in formative assessment and would like to make sure that my students are on the same page as me throughout the entire lesson.

Technology Integration
I believe that technology integration is crucial to helping students better learn the material. It is interactive and provides an opportunity for exploration and collaboration. I also want to make sure that I am not using it to say that I am using it. In other words, I want to use it in an effective and productive way. There are so many great websites and programs out there that I would love to implement in my classroom. I want students to be aware of them and know how to use them, but be able to choose the ones that work best for them.

Learning Focus
The student should always be at the center of the learning. Students are the ones doing the learning and therefore, the focus should be on them and their differences. I am one person. My students will all be very different and my lessons need to reach each and every one of them. I believe in giving them some choice when it comes to learning and showcasing that learning.

Leadership Style
Over the past few years, I have found myself in many different leadership positions. I’ve come a long way to get to the point that I am at now when it comes to being comfortable as a leader. I want my students to look up to me and I want my colleagues to respect me. I intend to stand up for what I believe in and want to encourage my students to do the same. In the classroom, I want to start a conversation that my students can effectively take over and have it on their own.

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.

Promising Futures

Abstract
Promising Futures: A Call to Improve Learning for Maine’s Secondary Students is a comprehensive report put together by the Department of Education and the Maine Commission on Secondary Education. Originally published in September 1998, the document reviews the effectiveness of Maine high schools by looking at schools that were doing well and schools that were struggling. In order to provide a better chance for all schools, this document highlights six Core Principles and fifteen Core Practices that all schools should embrace. The six core principles include the following:

1. A safe, respectful and caring environment
2. High universal expectations with a variety of learning opportunities
3. Understanding and actions based on assessment data
4. Teacher practice which values and builds upon the contributions and needs of the learner
5. Equitable and democratic practices
6. Coherence among mission, goals, actions, and outcomes

These six core principles create a list of goals for schools to reach for. In order to reach these goals, they can follow the fifteen core practices highlighted in this document. They break the practices down even further: statement, rationale, essential elements and a snapshot from within the classroom. The first eight focus on learning and teaching practices. The final seven focus on school practices that support learning and teaching. There are, however, other certain practices that are getting in the way of the core fifteen. These include, but are not limited to, the following: confining schedules, teachers being responsible for too many students, ineffective study halls, etc. The fist step to fixing our schools might be to eliminate some of these older practices and start embracing change. The document closes with a the belief that schools can’t necessarily do this on their own. It provides a number of helpful tips for involving other people and groups in the process. The document also opens and closes with a profile of a high school student as positive changes are taking place within the school.

Reflection
I found this document to be both interesting and encouraging. There may be some schools in Maine that still haven’t reached the proper level, but I believe this document does a good job determining what changes need to be made. I particularly enjoyed the section with the fifteen core practices. I like how the practices highlight the importance of individuality and that all students learn differently. Teachers need to understand that different students will make sense of the material in a different way. It is important to embrace this in the classroom as much as possible. Of the fifteen practices, I believe I connected with practice 12 the most. As a student who never really felt like I was academically on the same level as other students, being aware of developmental stages plays a strong role in my philosophy. Core Practice 12 stresses the importance that “Every staff member understands adolescent learning and developmental needs, possesses diverse instructional skills, and is a constructive model for youth.” I agree with this completely. It is important to meet the needs of all students. In order to do this, it is important to understand that all students are going to be at different stages of development.

Voices Reflection

Upon reading The History and Philosophy of Education: Voices of Educational Pioneers, I found myself connecting to a number of different philosophers. In some cases, I agreed with parts of it and disagreed with other parts of it. But throughout the entire packet, the five philosophers that I connected with the most are Comenius, Pestalozzi, Dewey, Tyler and Piaget.

Comenius
I agreed with Comenius’ ideas about how education should be universal for all, regardless of social background, religion, sex or intellectual ability. A person should never be denied an education. I liked how he was willing to teach everyone and believed that “all could be educated to some degree.” He also had the right idea with teaching students according to the developmental level of the child. Students go through stages as they get older and won’t always be learning in the same ways. As they get older, students can handle more abstract ideas. I also believe in the importance of teaching to the different intelligences, while also bringing in student interest whenever possible. Like Comenius, I believe that students should feel comfortable, but also challenged in the classroom.

Pestalozzi
I fond Pestalozzi’s philosophy to be quite similar to Comenius’ in the sense that, as teachers, we are teaching the whole child. He also put a lot focus on the developmental issues and the importance of emotional and social needs. These needs will change from week to week and it is important to embrace them in the classroom. I liked his idea of completing one stage of learning before moving onto the next. We can’t expect students to understand a certain concept, if they didn’t understand the concept that precedes it. I also agree that education should not be denied to anyone, no matter how poor or disabled.

Dewey
I think Dewey is spot on with the use of hands-on activities in the classroom. I’ve always been the type of person that learns better by doing and I know that I will have students similar to me in my classroom. Cooperative learning is also a big part of keeping students engaged. Meaningful interactions with peers can be more beneficial than lecture by the teacher. I also agree that students should have some say in their education. Choice is a very powerful motivator. If students enjoy what they are doing in school, they will be more likely to learn and retain the information.

Tyler
I think Tyler might be the philosopher that I connected with the most. I agree with Tyler’s ideas about the purpose of life and school. Learning shouldn’t be limited to one’s time in school. Learning should be a lifelong process that is constantly challenged and adapted. School should teach students how to learn through the development of problem-solving skills that they can carry with them into life after school. I really like the idea of educational programs that interest the students, meet their needs and prepare them for college. His life philosophy was also very interesting: “Before I go to sleep I always ask myself three things: one, what did I learn; two, what did it mean; and three, how can I use it?”

Piaget
I love Piaget’s theories about cognitive development and the importance of them within education. I agree that each student is going to be at a different stage of development and as a teacher, I will need to individualize instruction to meet the needs of my students. Although I like the idea of learning centers, I’m not sure this would be appropriate in all classrooms. It would work very well in an elementary classroom, but might be more of a distraction at the middle or high school level. I also believe in Piaget’s purpose of schooling as “helping children to learn to think, to discover, and create.” Collaboration among students is a great way to foster this purpose in the classroom. It is important for students to discuss abstract ideas and learn together.

Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered Philosophies

Teachers are bound to have different ideas in the areas of classroom management, teaching styles, motivation, etc. The eight education philosophies are broken down into two categories: teacher-centered and student-centered. The eight philosophies are perennialism, essentialism, behaviorism, positivism, progressivism, humanism, reconstructionism, and constructivism.

Teacher-Centered Educational Philosophies

Perennialism is a theory focused on humans and ideas. Ideas are relevant and meaningful throughout time. Little importance is placed on what students are interested in. They believe in the importance of ideas that are universal to everyone. There is a strong focus on scientific reasoning and mathematics because they never change.

Essentialism is a theory that wants to achieve a common core of information and skills for all individuals in a given culture. Essentialists believe in working hard and mental discipline. They put more focus on basic core information that will help students survive today, and therefore spend less time on ideas of the past. They accept that the core information will change as time goes on. Subject matters include literature, history, foreign languages, and religion. Teachers use a variety of methods: required reading, lectures, memorization, repetition and exams.

Behaviorism is a “psychological theory and educational philosophy that holds that one’s behavior is determined by environment, not heredity” (Johnson et al., 110). One argument of this theory is that the classroom environment can have a large effect on how students will behave. The most effective environment is one that is organized. Reinforcement plays another important role in behaviorism. This includes both positive (praise, privileges, good grades) and negative (reprimands, extra homework, low grades) reinforcers. The way a teacher reacts to the action of a student determines whether or not that student will repeat the action.

Positivism rejects any information that cannot be formally measured. It “limits knowledge to statements of observable fact based on sense perceptions and the investigation of objective reality” (111-12). It is the teachers job to make sure directions are clear and students understand what and how they will be learning. Through repetition and practice with different media, students are expected to have a clear understanding of the topic studied. Heavy focus is placed on testing students to ensure that all criteria have been met.

Student-Centered Educational Philosophies

Progressivism is a more developed version of pragmatism, emphasizing that “ideas should be tested by experimentation and that learning is rooted in questions developed by learners” (114). They believe that human experience is far more important than authority when it comes to learning. Like pragmatists, progressivists believe that change is occurring and should be embraced rather than ignored. Progressivism is all about organized freedom that allows students to take responsibility for their actions in the classroom.

Humanism is “concerned with enhancing the innate goodness of the individual” (115). Its focus is on individual development through a process of developing a free, self-actualizing person. Education should start with the individual and the choices made by the individual. The humanistic classroom is welcoming and caring. Students feel comfortable to share their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, fears, and aspirations with each other.

Reconstructionism is a philosophy that centers on the idea of constant change. The world is always changing and we need to change in order to adapt to the changes that are occurring. Reconstructionists like to focus on “reconstructing” one area of society. Curriculum is focused on student experience and taking social action on real issues such as violence, hunger, inequality, etc. Students are taught how to deal and ultimately fix these issues.

Constructivism “emphasizes developing personal meaning through hands-on, activity-based teaching and learning” (117). Teachers are responsible for creating effective learning situations rather than constantly lecturing students. Personal meaning is the best way for students to connect to the material being taught. Constructivist theorists “encourage the development of critical thinking and the understanding of big ideas rather than the mastery of factual information” (117). They believe that students will be more prepared for the ever-changing world if they learn how to develop critical thinking skills. Unlike traditional ways of learning, the constructivist classroom focuses on the way a learner internalizes, shapes, or transforms information.

Reflection
Although I see a small piece of most of these philosophies within myself, I think the one I can connect to the most is constructivism. I strongly believe in hands-on, activity based learning that is focused on the students as individuals. It is important for students to learn in a way that is interesting to them. I also like the idea of creating learning situations instead of lecturing students. This gives students the chance to learn the same material in a much more personal and interactive way. Another philosophy I find myself relating to is progressivism. It is very similar to pragmatism (which is another theory I connect to) in the sense that theorists in this philosophy are always moving forward. I agree that it is important for students to take part of the responsibility in the 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!