Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Brandon Bennett-Teaching
In this video I will go into depth on how to multiple fractions and mixed numbers. It explains the process and vocabulary needed to understand multiplying by fractions.
Making the video was very easy. I used my iphone. Sending the video to Vimeo was painless but the wait time to upload it was terrible. Once it was uploaded then it had to convert the file which took over 30 minutes. I am glad I was not in a hurry when doing this project because I would be in deep water if I was. The embedding process was simple. Over all the project went well. The only negative was the wait time.
Making the video was very easy. I used my iphone. Sending the video to Vimeo was painless but the wait time to upload it was terrible. Once it was uploaded then it had to convert the file which took over 30 minutes. I am glad I was not in a hurry when doing this project because I would be in deep water if I was. The embedding process was simple. Over all the project went well. The only negative was the wait time.
Untitled from Brandon Bennett on Vimeo.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
CMP- Research & Interview
When looking at Inquiry Based Instruction and Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) there are many similarities. Inquiry Based Instruction is a model that focuses around students’ own ability to critically think and process information in how it relates to the students. It is closely related to the constructivist model of teaching where the teacher poses questions that are open-ended to challenge the student to think and make the jump to complete understanding. CMP is a model of instruction that relates to these ideas. CMP’s format is Launch-Explore-Summarize. In class, instruction is based off of inquiry and investigation of mathematical ideas embedded in real world questions. Homework is a task for students to grasp the concept not to plug and chug. CMP guides students with open-ended questions through mathematical concepts. There are very few plug and chug problems. The purpose of the curriculum is to have students grow in their ability to effectively reason, represent graphs, numeric, symbolic, and verbal forms of mathematical ideas and concepts. The ultimate goal of CMP is to relate concepts to real world application. CMP has all the qualities of Inquiry Based Instruction.
CMP does have a few qualities of direct instruction. CMP is based off of underlying concepts, skills, or procedures supporting the development in an appropriate developed sequence. The curriculum builds and connects investigations in a unit-by-unit, and grade-by-grade style. The style in which the teacher is required to teach is introduces concept, model, and then individual work. During the individual work is where inquiry based instruction comes into play.
1.How does the CMP curriculum align with the national Common Core and NCTM standards?
As a whole the Connected math curriculum covers all the grades 6-8 Common Core State Standards. However, CMP2 no longer fully lines up grade to grade. Pearson’s is in the process of developing Connected Mathematics Project 3 that will align with Common Core State Standards. In the meantime Pearson’s is providing supplements for aligning CMP2 with Common Core. Standards are ever evolving and as teachers it is important to stay as current as possible to ensure that our students are meeting the standards.
2.Numerous students are a year or more behind in the basics. How does one address the needs of these students on a daily basis so they can get up to grade level and also experience success in the inquiry to investigation philosophy of the CMP?
This is probably the hardest part of CMP because the investigation are built upon each other with the assumption that students have the prior knowledge. When talking about students that are merely not getting it but are able to do grade level math the key is to use the building upon information to one's advantage because it is like continually reviewing. However, for those students that struggle with basic mathematics skills like adding and multiplying the job of the teacher becomes much more difficult. I think if there was a good answer to this question we would see a lot more success with those students. The problem is there does not seem to be a good answer. A double dose of math each day helps some students. Spending the first couple of 'team building' session focusing on the basis allows myself to see the level at which all my students are currently at and thus I can structure my lessons and scaffolding as much as possible around those skills levels but it is still something I struggle with.
3.What is the role of homework (and accountability) in the CMP?
CMP provides great practice problems that can be assigned as homework. I think because there are so few problems in each investigation homework is essential in mastering the concept. Through connected math we have gone away from practice, practice, practice and more about taking the time to understand the ideas behind the concept through inquiry. The hardest part about assigning homework is the rate of return. Those students that ‘mastered’ the concept with the investigation do the homework those students that struggled in the investigation do not. Because these students do not have the opportunity to practice through the investigation and choose not to do the homework they tend to fall further behind.
4.CMP Investigations compose of small-groups (pair-share, teamwork, cooperative learning).
Because CMP incorporates the use of small-group it is very important from day one to lay the ground work for successful small-group work. How to work in a group has to shown, modeled and reiterated constantly. One technique I start with is the use of pairs. Students have to learn to work in a pair successful before they can work in a group. The students know they are accountable for the work and when they start working in larger groups they continue to be accountable. When working in larger groups I always have meaningful roles developed. The key is meaningful, one student can't just get the materials and disengage for the rest of the assignment. Each student has to be fully engaged in the work. Before the activity we go over each role. The group assigns the roles to each group member and writes it on the top of the piece of paper. After group work I like to provide an 'exit slip' which is based on a question from the group assignment. Each student has to do it individually. This helps me see who was actually doing the work as well as check for understanding. CMP classroom techniques can go on forever but the advice I have for any teachers starting to teach CMP is make sure students can prove to you that they can work in groups before any mathematics takes place. It is really the basis of successfully teaching CMP.
CMP does have a few qualities of direct instruction. CMP is based off of underlying concepts, skills, or procedures supporting the development in an appropriate developed sequence. The curriculum builds and connects investigations in a unit-by-unit, and grade-by-grade style. The style in which the teacher is required to teach is introduces concept, model, and then individual work. During the individual work is where inquiry based instruction comes into play.
1.How does the CMP curriculum align with the national Common Core and NCTM standards?
As a whole the Connected math curriculum covers all the grades 6-8 Common Core State Standards. However, CMP2 no longer fully lines up grade to grade. Pearson’s is in the process of developing Connected Mathematics Project 3 that will align with Common Core State Standards. In the meantime Pearson’s is providing supplements for aligning CMP2 with Common Core. Standards are ever evolving and as teachers it is important to stay as current as possible to ensure that our students are meeting the standards.
2.Numerous students are a year or more behind in the basics. How does one address the needs of these students on a daily basis so they can get up to grade level and also experience success in the inquiry to investigation philosophy of the CMP?
This is probably the hardest part of CMP because the investigation are built upon each other with the assumption that students have the prior knowledge. When talking about students that are merely not getting it but are able to do grade level math the key is to use the building upon information to one's advantage because it is like continually reviewing. However, for those students that struggle with basic mathematics skills like adding and multiplying the job of the teacher becomes much more difficult. I think if there was a good answer to this question we would see a lot more success with those students. The problem is there does not seem to be a good answer. A double dose of math each day helps some students. Spending the first couple of 'team building' session focusing on the basis allows myself to see the level at which all my students are currently at and thus I can structure my lessons and scaffolding as much as possible around those skills levels but it is still something I struggle with.
3.What is the role of homework (and accountability) in the CMP?
CMP provides great practice problems that can be assigned as homework. I think because there are so few problems in each investigation homework is essential in mastering the concept. Through connected math we have gone away from practice, practice, practice and more about taking the time to understand the ideas behind the concept through inquiry. The hardest part about assigning homework is the rate of return. Those students that ‘mastered’ the concept with the investigation do the homework those students that struggled in the investigation do not. Because these students do not have the opportunity to practice through the investigation and choose not to do the homework they tend to fall further behind.
4.CMP Investigations compose of small-groups (pair-share, teamwork, cooperative learning).
Because CMP incorporates the use of small-group it is very important from day one to lay the ground work for successful small-group work. How to work in a group has to shown, modeled and reiterated constantly. One technique I start with is the use of pairs. Students have to learn to work in a pair successful before they can work in a group. The students know they are accountable for the work and when they start working in larger groups they continue to be accountable. When working in larger groups I always have meaningful roles developed. The key is meaningful, one student can't just get the materials and disengage for the rest of the assignment. Each student has to be fully engaged in the work. Before the activity we go over each role. The group assigns the roles to each group member and writes it on the top of the piece of paper. After group work I like to provide an 'exit slip' which is based on a question from the group assignment. Each student has to do it individually. This helps me see who was actually doing the work as well as check for understanding. CMP classroom techniques can go on forever but the advice I have for any teachers starting to teach CMP is make sure students can prove to you that they can work in groups before any mathematics takes place. It is really the basis of successfully teaching CMP.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Closure and Anticipatory Set
The closure part of a lesson plan has a few key components that will allow a teacher to effectively finish a lesson. The key components to a closure are checking for understanding, wrapping up an idea or thought, and answering questions. When checking for understanding there are many different ways to do this in the classroom. One example is to use an exit cards. Exit cards are questions around main ideas that were covered in the class period. The student has to write about or solve the problem before he/she is allowed to leave. Wrapping up an idea or thought is a great way to summarize the day’s lessons into 2-3 main points. This allows the students to see what was relevant and reinforce what they needed take away from the lesson. The last key component is questions and answers about the day’s lesson. It is important to give students adequate time to ask questions they may have before leaving for the day. My goal is to implement all three of these components into my closures each day. It should take no more than 5 minutes.
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/closure.htm
• http://www.mymanagementguide.com/project-closure-template-key-steps-to-closing-a-project/
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/closure.htm
An anticipatory set refers to an activity that gets the students mentally and physically ready for the lesson. There are four key components to an anticipatory set: learning, purpose, transfer of learning and motivation. When designing this portion of the lesson plan, taking into account these four components will allow you as the teacher to create an anticipatory set that not only gets the kid excited but has meaning behind it. During the anticipatory set you as the teacher want to focus on prior knowledge, how what they will learn relates to real life, and how they can apply it. When creating an anticipatory set like this you will have students motivated and ready to tackle the lesson.
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/anticipatoryset.htm
• http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/anticipa.htm
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/closure.htm
• http://www.mymanagementguide.com/project-closure-template-key-steps-to-closing-a-project/
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/closure.htm
An anticipatory set refers to an activity that gets the students mentally and physically ready for the lesson. There are four key components to an anticipatory set: learning, purpose, transfer of learning and motivation. When designing this portion of the lesson plan, taking into account these four components will allow you as the teacher to create an anticipatory set that not only gets the kid excited but has meaning behind it. During the anticipatory set you as the teacher want to focus on prior knowledge, how what they will learn relates to real life, and how they can apply it. When creating an anticipatory set like this you will have students motivated and ready to tackle the lesson.
• http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/g/anticipatoryset.htm
• http://www.edulink.org/lessonplans/anticipa.htm
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Practicum- sharing a Lesson
The only lessons I have very taught are on the football field.
Learning Objective: The player will be able to demonstrate a drive block at full speed with 90% accuracy in 5-second intervals.
What worked for me during the lessons was not only modeling the action I wished to see but also breaking down each position of the body during the block verbally and visually. I used different players to demonstrate what I was saying verbally so that my players could see visually what it should look like. I also activated prior knowledge by describing specific body positions to weight room positions knowing that every one of my players had lifted a weight before.
After I described how the block needed to be performed I then quizzed them on some important parts of the block with the terminology I had just used in the lesson. I also had them perform the block at full speed and watched their technique correcting them if necessary.
During the lesson I watched my players’ faces to see if they completely understood what I was saying. When I checked for understanding if I got similar wrong answers I tried to relate that portion of the block to something I knew they had all done before.
If I were to re-teach the lesson I might fix the amount of time used to describe the block. I feel I spent about 3 minutes more than I wanted to. I would also pose more open ended questions that had more than one answer. Most my questions were direct and had only one answer.
Learning Objective: The player will be able to demonstrate a drive block at full speed with 90% accuracy in 5-second intervals.
What worked for me during the lessons was not only modeling the action I wished to see but also breaking down each position of the body during the block verbally and visually. I used different players to demonstrate what I was saying verbally so that my players could see visually what it should look like. I also activated prior knowledge by describing specific body positions to weight room positions knowing that every one of my players had lifted a weight before.
After I described how the block needed to be performed I then quizzed them on some important parts of the block with the terminology I had just used in the lesson. I also had them perform the block at full speed and watched their technique correcting them if necessary.
During the lesson I watched my players’ faces to see if they completely understood what I was saying. When I checked for understanding if I got similar wrong answers I tried to relate that portion of the block to something I knew they had all done before.
If I were to re-teach the lesson I might fix the amount of time used to describe the block. I feel I spent about 3 minutes more than I wanted to. I would also pose more open ended questions that had more than one answer. Most my questions were direct and had only one answer.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Warm-ups in Math Education
I see math warm-ups as an interregnal part of the class. Students are coming in from different subjects and using different parts of the brain and the warm-up can be used to focus them into the mindset of math. It is no different than lifting weights when you switch from a chest lift to a back lift. You do a warm up set to get the body to realize it is going to have to use a new muscle group. I plan to use math warm-ups as a way to stress the importance of the previous days work along with future lessons. I feel making word problems that relate the previous days lesson to real life scenarios is a great way to get kids to buy into math along with getting them thinking about math in different contexts.
Warm-ups also allow students to know what to expect when they walk into the class. I am a strong believer in routine that is consistent and fair. Students know that when they come into class and the bell rings they need to be working on the warm up.
Warm-ups should be no longer than 5-7 minutes to do the problems and review the answers. The purpose of the warm-up is for review of material not a time for students to mess around. I believe constantly changing the style of the warm-up to keep students engaged is also important. For example having students work in pairs vs. individual can be one change. Another one could be passing out markers to students and those with the markers are assigned to do the problem on the board.
One thing I have noticed recently that has bothered me is that in Salem-Keizer the warm-ups are centered on review for the OAKS. The district seems to rely on the warms-up to teach/review the material that the class hasn’t covered yet that will be on the OAKS. This leads to warms up lasting much longer because instead of review it becomes a teaching session. Instead CMP should be structured around what the majority of the students are going to need to know in order to pass the math class. Last year one of my colleagues watched 1/3 of the 7th grade OAKS test be on volume but the teacher did not teach volume until the second to last week of school. The warm ups were the only time the students had seen volume the entire year.
I believe that warm-ups can be a great way to teach test taking strategy. Students can go through the warm-ups and mark which ones are easy, medium, and hard. Once they have identified the easy ones the students can attempt to do the easy ones, then the medium ones and then the hard ones. They can use this same strategy when they take the OAKS test instead of getting frustrated and losing precious time on the hard questions.
Warm-ups also allow students to know what to expect when they walk into the class. I am a strong believer in routine that is consistent and fair. Students know that when they come into class and the bell rings they need to be working on the warm up.
Warm-ups should be no longer than 5-7 minutes to do the problems and review the answers. The purpose of the warm-up is for review of material not a time for students to mess around. I believe constantly changing the style of the warm-up to keep students engaged is also important. For example having students work in pairs vs. individual can be one change. Another one could be passing out markers to students and those with the markers are assigned to do the problem on the board.
One thing I have noticed recently that has bothered me is that in Salem-Keizer the warm-ups are centered on review for the OAKS. The district seems to rely on the warms-up to teach/review the material that the class hasn’t covered yet that will be on the OAKS. This leads to warms up lasting much longer because instead of review it becomes a teaching session. Instead CMP should be structured around what the majority of the students are going to need to know in order to pass the math class. Last year one of my colleagues watched 1/3 of the 7th grade OAKS test be on volume but the teacher did not teach volume until the second to last week of school. The warm ups were the only time the students had seen volume the entire year.
I believe that warm-ups can be a great way to teach test taking strategy. Students can go through the warm-ups and mark which ones are easy, medium, and hard. Once they have identified the easy ones the students can attempt to do the easy ones, then the medium ones and then the hard ones. They can use this same strategy when they take the OAKS test instead of getting frustrated and losing precious time on the hard questions.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Appropriate Use of Technology
Category 2
The activity I selected is a 6-8th grade level activity that originated in the Apache culture.
In this lesson the author clearly labels and states the standards being met by the activity and the learning target of the lesson in student friendly writing. The author used NCTM standards.
Objectives:
Students will:
• Collect and display data regarding the moves in a game of Sticks and Stones
• Use probability to estimate the average number of turns needed to win a game
• Modify the rules to create a different game
Purpose of this game mathematically is for the student to take data of the different ways the Popsicle sticks can land and find the probability of each scenario happening.
How you play the game
• Set the rocks up in a circle in sets of 10.
• There should be 4 groups of 10 in the circle.
• Take the Popsicle sticks and decorate one side and leave the other side blank.
• After the sticks are decorated you are ready to play. Throw the sticks to see what you get (Ex: 2 decorated and 1 blank).
• Follow the rules on how to move based off what shows on the sticks.
Materials needed for this activity
• projector
• graph paper
• pencil
• Popsicle sticks
• Rocks.
The teacher can show the activity on the projector and demonstrate using the computerized sample to model the way the game is played.
In this lesson the students are given a warm up game to get a good handle of the rules. I am not sure if this warm up game is beneficial. I worry that a student might identify the answer during the warm up. It would be something I would have to watch the first time I taught it and modify if necessary.
Students will need math skills to successfully complete this task. They will have to be able to take data using hash marks, graph the data on a bar graph, and be able to divide to find probability.
The anticipatory set for this activity is explaining the game as an Apache pass time. Explaining the importance of the game to the apache and allowing them to decorate the sticks how ever they chose based of the story about the games history. I like how this anticipatory set is interdisciplinary and if this activity was taught in 8th grade students might have already studied North American Indians and have some prior knowledge with the Apache tribe.
The sequence of activities is it will be direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice; reflection on how the project went.
Formative assessment will be happening as the game is going on. I will watch to see how the students take the data, graph their data and move their game piece to see if they understand the separation of the rocks in groups of tens. The summative assessment will be when the student turn in their raw data, graphed data, and their percentages for each possible throw.
To close this lesson I feel it is important to explain again what was the purpose of the activity was (collect and display data based off the moves in the game, use probability to estimate the possible number of turns it would take to win the game, be able to modify the rules to create a different game) and some common errors/achievements on the project.
Adding or subtracting the amount of stones used in the game could modify this lesson. For example instead of having 4 sets of 10 stones you could make it 8 sets of 5 stones. You may also want to use a hundreds board instead of the circle board to help students practice their place value system.
When reflecting on this project I will look for how students understood the relationship between the experiment results that they collected and the theoretical probability of each outcome. I will also reflect on if the students were engaged in the activity? A big part that I will need to focus on is was the game a motivating mathematics activity or did it provide a distraction from the objectives that were to be learned? Sometimes mathematical games can turn into “fun time” instead of further developing understanding. Another questions I will ask myself are, “How could the game be modified to eliminate those distractions?” and “Did the students meet the objectives of the lesson? If not how can I change the lesson for the better?”
Some of the methods and teaching strategies I noticed were guided practice. The students watched as the teacher explained the activity and showed them a computerized example of how the game was played (modeled). The students were then asked to play the game and ask question anytime they did not understand (guided practice). This was a great strategies were the students were able to prove to the teacher they understood the rules and process of the game. The students then played the game and took data (independent). By doing a lesson like this the students have had seen the game 2-3 times before they play it and take official data. This allows them to feel comfortable with the game and focus more on the data collection than the rules.
When looking at this lesson plan I did not notice that the students were asked to critically think. It was a great lesson in the idea of students collecting data, manipulating the data on a graph, and then being able to explain that data in probability outcomes. It was very straightforward and the process was clear-cut where the teacher wanted the students to start and finish.
If I were teaching the lesson I would have set up timetables for myself to gage the amount of time spent at each area of the lesson so that the lesson flowed smoothly. I also noticed there was no literacy component to the lesson. I would also add a modification for students that got done early or this activity was too easy for. For example asking them bigger concept questions or adding more stones and sticks to see how the probabilities changed.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L585
The activity I selected is a 6-8th grade level activity that originated in the Apache culture.
In this lesson the author clearly labels and states the standards being met by the activity and the learning target of the lesson in student friendly writing. The author used NCTM standards.
Objectives:
Students will:
• Collect and display data regarding the moves in a game of Sticks and Stones
• Use probability to estimate the average number of turns needed to win a game
• Modify the rules to create a different game
Purpose of this game mathematically is for the student to take data of the different ways the Popsicle sticks can land and find the probability of each scenario happening.
How you play the game
• Set the rocks up in a circle in sets of 10.
• There should be 4 groups of 10 in the circle.
• Take the Popsicle sticks and decorate one side and leave the other side blank.
• After the sticks are decorated you are ready to play. Throw the sticks to see what you get (Ex: 2 decorated and 1 blank).
• Follow the rules on how to move based off what shows on the sticks.
Materials needed for this activity
• projector
• graph paper
• pencil
• Popsicle sticks
• Rocks.
The teacher can show the activity on the projector and demonstrate using the computerized sample to model the way the game is played.
In this lesson the students are given a warm up game to get a good handle of the rules. I am not sure if this warm up game is beneficial. I worry that a student might identify the answer during the warm up. It would be something I would have to watch the first time I taught it and modify if necessary.
Students will need math skills to successfully complete this task. They will have to be able to take data using hash marks, graph the data on a bar graph, and be able to divide to find probability.
The anticipatory set for this activity is explaining the game as an Apache pass time. Explaining the importance of the game to the apache and allowing them to decorate the sticks how ever they chose based of the story about the games history. I like how this anticipatory set is interdisciplinary and if this activity was taught in 8th grade students might have already studied North American Indians and have some prior knowledge with the Apache tribe.
The sequence of activities is it will be direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice; reflection on how the project went.
Formative assessment will be happening as the game is going on. I will watch to see how the students take the data, graph their data and move their game piece to see if they understand the separation of the rocks in groups of tens. The summative assessment will be when the student turn in their raw data, graphed data, and their percentages for each possible throw.
To close this lesson I feel it is important to explain again what was the purpose of the activity was (collect and display data based off the moves in the game, use probability to estimate the possible number of turns it would take to win the game, be able to modify the rules to create a different game) and some common errors/achievements on the project.
Adding or subtracting the amount of stones used in the game could modify this lesson. For example instead of having 4 sets of 10 stones you could make it 8 sets of 5 stones. You may also want to use a hundreds board instead of the circle board to help students practice their place value system.
When reflecting on this project I will look for how students understood the relationship between the experiment results that they collected and the theoretical probability of each outcome. I will also reflect on if the students were engaged in the activity? A big part that I will need to focus on is was the game a motivating mathematics activity or did it provide a distraction from the objectives that were to be learned? Sometimes mathematical games can turn into “fun time” instead of further developing understanding. Another questions I will ask myself are, “How could the game be modified to eliminate those distractions?” and “Did the students meet the objectives of the lesson? If not how can I change the lesson for the better?”
Some of the methods and teaching strategies I noticed were guided practice. The students watched as the teacher explained the activity and showed them a computerized example of how the game was played (modeled). The students were then asked to play the game and ask question anytime they did not understand (guided practice). This was a great strategies were the students were able to prove to the teacher they understood the rules and process of the game. The students then played the game and took data (independent). By doing a lesson like this the students have had seen the game 2-3 times before they play it and take official data. This allows them to feel comfortable with the game and focus more on the data collection than the rules.
When looking at this lesson plan I did not notice that the students were asked to critically think. It was a great lesson in the idea of students collecting data, manipulating the data on a graph, and then being able to explain that data in probability outcomes. It was very straightforward and the process was clear-cut where the teacher wanted the students to start and finish.
If I were teaching the lesson I would have set up timetables for myself to gage the amount of time spent at each area of the lesson so that the lesson flowed smoothly. I also noticed there was no literacy component to the lesson. I would also add a modification for students that got done early or this activity was too easy for. For example asking them bigger concept questions or adding more stones and sticks to see how the probabilities changed.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L585
Standards, Standards Everywhere
When looking at the 3 different standards websites it was quite daunting to start because each set of standards had a different language for the same concept. As I was able to familiarize myself with the sites I started to see similarities. I noticed patterns and themes about what they were expecting students to know. My partner and I looked at data analysis and probability. Both sites focus on the concept of students being able to use data from one or two different categories and describing the similarities and differences of the data by graphing. The students were then expected to demonstrate how this data could be shown in different graphing styles. I really like how these standards focus on real world application and future skills needed for employment in many different professions.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Best Practices Research
Best Practices in Education
Homework
How much homework is too much homework? The National PTA recommends 10-20 minutes for 1st grade and 10 minutes for each additional grade. That means by the time you are in 12th grade you should be doing 120 minutes or 2 hours of homework a night. I believe homework is key to becoming proficient in a subject. The more you practice and the more you see concepts or ideas the better chance you have of remembering it or being able to reflect on what you are seeing daily. This subject is important to me because as a future Math teacher homework is one of my biggest assessments of how I teach to what my students understand. It is an easy way to assess what was not stated clearly the day before in class. I feel the National PTA is pretty close on the times. If you figure that a student has 6 classes then they are spending about 20min per class on homework. I would expect to see about 30 minutes per class to be right on. While this standards seems reasonable the real question becomes how to get one’s students to turn in the homework but that question is for a later day and time.
http://www.nea.org/tools/16938.htm
Peer Tutoring
Peer tutoring can benefit both students involved. Peer tutoring has been proven to help not only the student being taught the information but the student teaching the information. Peer tutoring shows its best gains when the students are from different levels of proficiency. This will play a huge role in my classroom because whether I am teaching Math or Special Education peer tutoring is a great tool for building social skills, motivation, academic achievement, and improved relationships with peers. I believe all four of these benefits are vital for students to learn in school and are easily translatable as essential skills in the workplace. This type of group work works really well in math class because students who may be struggling get to hear and see math from a different perspective than his/her teacher. Also the students teaching gain a better understanding because they have to explain in words what each step is and the reason for that step.
http://www.nea.org/tools/35542.htm
Best Practices in Instruction
Clear Objectives and Timely Feedback
I believe setting objectives and feedback is vital to student’s education at any level. Being able to set clear reachable objectives can make or break a lesson. I like to take it a step further and ensure that the objectives are in student friendly language and have students explore relevance (i.e., real world application). For example when working on algebra you give specific goals and objectives for them to complete the problems and then ask the question “how do you use algebra in your life?” You will get 30 different perspectives of how this style of math is related to everyday situations. The second part of this best practice is feedback. Giving students feedback in a timely manner is more important than just giving feedback. The sooner you can give your students comments on how they did and how they can fix it the sooner you will see progress. All students want to know their results on assignments. As a teacher giving timely feedback will help me quickly understand where there are misunderstandings that I need to address.
http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/marzchat1.html
Non-linguistic representations (i.e., Visuals/Manipulatives)
Non-linguistic representations can help student’s access information through their visual and auditory sensors. Giving your students 2 ways to understand things will activate their brains and allow the students’ brains to process the information quickly and efficiently through stimulation. The reason why I believe this technique in instruction to be important is because I work with students who need a visual support for all verbal directions. Not only have I noticed those students academics improve when implementing the visual cues but other students have shown more growth also. Pictures are a universal language where words can be jumbled up and misunderstood. Not only that but pictures re-enforce the verbal directions or cues. In math getting my students out of their seats and have them move from one side of the room to the other to represent each side of an equation will help them not only see mathematically what needs to happen by why the process is used.
http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/marzchat1.html
Homework
How much homework is too much homework? The National PTA recommends 10-20 minutes for 1st grade and 10 minutes for each additional grade. That means by the time you are in 12th grade you should be doing 120 minutes or 2 hours of homework a night. I believe homework is key to becoming proficient in a subject. The more you practice and the more you see concepts or ideas the better chance you have of remembering it or being able to reflect on what you are seeing daily. This subject is important to me because as a future Math teacher homework is one of my biggest assessments of how I teach to what my students understand. It is an easy way to assess what was not stated clearly the day before in class. I feel the National PTA is pretty close on the times. If you figure that a student has 6 classes then they are spending about 20min per class on homework. I would expect to see about 30 minutes per class to be right on. While this standards seems reasonable the real question becomes how to get one’s students to turn in the homework but that question is for a later day and time.
http://www.nea.org/tools/16938.htm
Peer Tutoring
Peer tutoring can benefit both students involved. Peer tutoring has been proven to help not only the student being taught the information but the student teaching the information. Peer tutoring shows its best gains when the students are from different levels of proficiency. This will play a huge role in my classroom because whether I am teaching Math or Special Education peer tutoring is a great tool for building social skills, motivation, academic achievement, and improved relationships with peers. I believe all four of these benefits are vital for students to learn in school and are easily translatable as essential skills in the workplace. This type of group work works really well in math class because students who may be struggling get to hear and see math from a different perspective than his/her teacher. Also the students teaching gain a better understanding because they have to explain in words what each step is and the reason for that step.
http://www.nea.org/tools/35542.htm
Best Practices in Instruction
Clear Objectives and Timely Feedback
I believe setting objectives and feedback is vital to student’s education at any level. Being able to set clear reachable objectives can make or break a lesson. I like to take it a step further and ensure that the objectives are in student friendly language and have students explore relevance (i.e., real world application). For example when working on algebra you give specific goals and objectives for them to complete the problems and then ask the question “how do you use algebra in your life?” You will get 30 different perspectives of how this style of math is related to everyday situations. The second part of this best practice is feedback. Giving students feedback in a timely manner is more important than just giving feedback. The sooner you can give your students comments on how they did and how they can fix it the sooner you will see progress. All students want to know their results on assignments. As a teacher giving timely feedback will help me quickly understand where there are misunderstandings that I need to address.
http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/marzchat1.html
Non-linguistic representations (i.e., Visuals/Manipulatives)
Non-linguistic representations can help student’s access information through their visual and auditory sensors. Giving your students 2 ways to understand things will activate their brains and allow the students’ brains to process the information quickly and efficiently through stimulation. The reason why I believe this technique in instruction to be important is because I work with students who need a visual support for all verbal directions. Not only have I noticed those students academics improve when implementing the visual cues but other students have shown more growth also. Pictures are a universal language where words can be jumbled up and misunderstood. Not only that but pictures re-enforce the verbal directions or cues. In math getting my students out of their seats and have them move from one side of the room to the other to represent each side of an equation will help them not only see mathematically what needs to happen by why the process is used.
http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/marzchat1.html
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
About ME
Some of my hobbies/interests are football football and more football. I have the pleasure of spending 7 hours a day in a dark film room or on the practice field studying and coaching the game. The thrill you get when you have schemed up a team so well that no matter what they do they have no chance of winning is amazing. Some of my other hobbies/interests are traveling, exploring national parks, camping and reading. Some of my most recent adventures were at Yellow Stone National Park and Glacier Nation Park.
9.8 mile round trip hike to Ice Berg Lake
Friday, May 20, 2011
Education Weekly #25
In the article The New Role of Money In Admissions: Is This The End of the Meritocratic Ideal states that prestigious schools such as Oxford and UCLA may be allowing students to buy their spots in the schools based on nothing but financial ability to pay. These schools believe that they will be able to gain a huge financial profit form doing this.
The problem I see is that students are no longer going to be judged on their performance in school but their check book. This gives the wrong impression to affluent kids that may lack the motivation to work hard in high school. College is a place students should have to earn the right to attend through hard work in high school. I also believe that college should be affordable, but from what my degree tells me from an economical standpoint is that the demand for these schools will rise and so will the price making it even less affordable for the average family. Other than the financial gain these institutions will receive, I do not see much positive.
The problem I see is that students are no longer going to be judged on their performance in school but their check book. This gives the wrong impression to affluent kids that may lack the motivation to work hard in high school. College is a place students should have to earn the right to attend through hard work in high school. I also believe that college should be affordable, but from what my degree tells me from an economical standpoint is that the demand for these schools will rise and so will the price making it even less affordable for the average family. Other than the financial gain these institutions will receive, I do not see much positive.
Education Weekly #24
In the article Discuss: 2 million dollars to track what kids eat it states that they have designed technology that will be able to take pictures of what a student eats and the student eating it. Then the camera will take a third picture with what is left on the students plate. This data will allow for tracking of what and how much food each student eats to see if they are eating correctly and receiving enough nutrition.
I feel the concept is a great idea but the implementation is incorrect. By teaching students the proper way to eat and having the cafeteria follow those guide lines will help keep students off the junk food. The problem is that students eat off each others trays and may even throw their food on the ground. Taking this into account you will have some skewed data with the cameras. I also think the article hits the nail on the head when they said it does not matter if we track what they eat at school if the second school is over they walk to the quicky mart and grab junk food or go home and eat the junk food. In the article it states that these changes need to happen at home first before we can make the changes in school.
I feel the concept is a great idea but the implementation is incorrect. By teaching students the proper way to eat and having the cafeteria follow those guide lines will help keep students off the junk food. The problem is that students eat off each others trays and may even throw their food on the ground. Taking this into account you will have some skewed data with the cameras. I also think the article hits the nail on the head when they said it does not matter if we track what they eat at school if the second school is over they walk to the quicky mart and grab junk food or go home and eat the junk food. In the article it states that these changes need to happen at home first before we can make the changes in school.
Education Weekly #23
In the article Reading at 16 linked to better job prospects says that students who read where shown to have a 10% greater chance or having a career at age 33. It also states that if these same students where to play an instrument they would be twice as likely to have a career at 33. Their data also shows that if a student only plays video games then they are a third less likely to succeed. In conclusion if you are into the arts and or reading you have a better chance to have a career later in life.
I believe that reading and playing an instrument makes the mind stay sharp and allows for the imagination to grow. When a student uses their imagination they are capable of anything. I also feel that the students who are reading for pleasure at 16 already have their head on straight, and will attend college and go onto a career later in life. What reading does do for students is it allows them to relate the material to everyday life. This gives students a deeper understanding of what is going on around them and how it relates to them. So the question is, does reading for pleasure at 16 help you later in life, yes.
I believe that reading and playing an instrument makes the mind stay sharp and allows for the imagination to grow. When a student uses their imagination they are capable of anything. I also feel that the students who are reading for pleasure at 16 already have their head on straight, and will attend college and go onto a career later in life. What reading does do for students is it allows them to relate the material to everyday life. This gives students a deeper understanding of what is going on around them and how it relates to them. So the question is, does reading for pleasure at 16 help you later in life, yes.
Education Weekly #22
After reading the article Feds: All kids, legal or not, entitled to school, I can not agree with it more. In 1982 a federal law was passed stating that you may not deny a student public education based on whether they are legal or not. In the article schools in the South have been getting warned that denying students because they are not able to show proof of citizenship is not legal. These schools are choosing to hassle these families because of the financial cut backs they are facing in the coming year.
I can understand the frustration that these schools and districts are going through with the financial cut backs and funding issues, but I don't believe it to be fair to deny a student education. We are a free country where as the law states all students are eligible for free schooling. I agree with this law. I work in special education were 20 years ago these students were not allowed in schools either. It is wrong to not give a student an opportunity to be educated and given a chance to be successful.
I can understand the frustration that these schools and districts are going through with the financial cut backs and funding issues, but I don't believe it to be fair to deny a student education. We are a free country where as the law states all students are eligible for free schooling. I agree with this law. I work in special education were 20 years ago these students were not allowed in schools either. It is wrong to not give a student an opportunity to be educated and given a chance to be successful.
Education Weekly #21
In the article Chicago Study Finds Mixed Results for AVID Program, studies have been showing that students who are in the AVID program have not been scoring higher than the students who are not in the program. AVID is a program designed to assist students with their study skills, note taking, reading for understanding, and teaching them the proper steps to get in and succeed in a four year university. Some of the cons to the studies they have been doing is that the data they are collecting is over a 1 year bases. The experts believe that this program is designed to have students make progress over a 4 year period to where they are proficient in the skills by the time they leave high school.
I believe that for a program that is teaching students study skills, reading for understanding, and note taking, will take data more than a year to see results. I am not saying that this program is helping or hurting our students but that for students who are middle of the road in school as it is, to gain these skills over night is just not possible. It takes time to break bad habits and them implement the system you wish the students to follow. I feel taking the time to check on students 3 even 4 years down the line will give a true understanding of how the program is helping.
From further research I believe this is a program that can help students succeed in school. Teaching students the proper way to take notes will help them out later in more advanced classes. These students will also gain from this more intensive program. I would like to see results from students who have been apart of the program for 4 years and see the progress they have made.
I believe that for a program that is teaching students study skills, reading for understanding, and note taking, will take data more than a year to see results. I am not saying that this program is helping or hurting our students but that for students who are middle of the road in school as it is, to gain these skills over night is just not possible. It takes time to break bad habits and them implement the system you wish the students to follow. I feel taking the time to check on students 3 even 4 years down the line will give a true understanding of how the program is helping.
From further research I believe this is a program that can help students succeed in school. Teaching students the proper way to take notes will help them out later in more advanced classes. These students will also gain from this more intensive program. I would like to see results from students who have been apart of the program for 4 years and see the progress they have made.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Education Weekley #20
In the article Developing Better Teacher Evaluation Systems they ask the big questions on whether teacher evaluation systems are working and how should we evaluate our teachers. This has been a question that has plagued school districts from adopting a value added system. Some issues that arise are what weight do you put student testing performance and administration evaluations. The article states that some states are thinking 50/50. The toughest part about student test scores is that students come to your classroom with prior knowledge or lack there of. In Hillsborough County, FL they believe they have a solution to this problem. They have students take a pre and post test for the year. This allows for administrators to see the progress a student makes during the course of the year, or the teachers 'added value'. I feel as a future teacher it would be unfair with out a pre and post test to be judged on a 'value added' system because you may have students that do not have the core curriculum to make the advancements in the subject matter. I feel 'value added' can be a great way to evaluate teachers but there still is work to do on the current system.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Education Weekly #19
In the article Work-related "burnout" more likely to affect the best lecturers, study's suggest. The article states that the more involved you are with your students and their needs the more likely you are to burnout. The reason behind this is because you have added extra stress into your life to make sure your students have the right support to make them successful. So in other words being a great teacher who cares and wants to be their for their students with burnout sooner? The studies have shown that this is more likely at the college level. Students need an extra level of support to make the jump from high school to a college level course.
As an employee in the school district and an after school tutoring program I feel that one can burnout very fast by being the best teacher they can be. You show up everyday and work your butt off to better yourself from the day before. You try and make those connections with your students and teach that days lesson with enthusiasm that will make all the students beg for more, can be exhausting. I see one major flaw in this idea. As a great teacher you have to know that taking time for yourself and making sure you are fully prepared for each day of work takes a personnel commitment to yourself and your well being. So I believe that to be a great teacher you must first make sure number 1 is taken care of before you can support your students successfully. I am so excited for the challenge.
As an employee in the school district and an after school tutoring program I feel that one can burnout very fast by being the best teacher they can be. You show up everyday and work your butt off to better yourself from the day before. You try and make those connections with your students and teach that days lesson with enthusiasm that will make all the students beg for more, can be exhausting. I see one major flaw in this idea. As a great teacher you have to know that taking time for yourself and making sure you are fully prepared for each day of work takes a personnel commitment to yourself and your well being. So I believe that to be a great teacher you must first make sure number 1 is taken care of before you can support your students successfully. I am so excited for the challenge.
Education Weekly #18
In the article What Does IQ Really Measure takes into account peoples IQ's based off motivation and intelligence. The article states that students who are motivated to be successful on the test do better more often. They were able to study this by offering everyday students a monetary gain for performance on the test and saw amazing results. What they concluded was students who show effort and drive towards a goal show promise in the future. Intelligence and a bus pass only gets you into town.
This article hit home with me. I am a strong believer that effort and a strong will to accomplish everyday goals will take you farther than anything else will. I have a motto for my football players. TINE- Talent Is Not Enough. Same expectation I will hold for my students in class. BANE- Brains Are Not Enough. I will expect my students to to show a level of effort that will make them successful in my class. Where there is a will there is a way. After reading this article and the studies they did it brings a new meaning to this phrase.
P.S. I have patented BANE.
This article hit home with me. I am a strong believer that effort and a strong will to accomplish everyday goals will take you farther than anything else will. I have a motto for my football players. TINE- Talent Is Not Enough. Same expectation I will hold for my students in class. BANE- Brains Are Not Enough. I will expect my students to to show a level of effort that will make them successful in my class. Where there is a will there is a way. After reading this article and the studies they did it brings a new meaning to this phrase.
P.S. I have patented BANE.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Education Weekly #17
In the article Primary Sources Enliven Civil War a group of middle school students reenact important civil war battles to gain a better understanding of what the men and boys went through during this time period. At Stonewall Middle School they strive to bring history to life. They have accomplished this by having their students research battles, use personal journal accounts, and then act it out in a real life setting. The students build sets, costumes, and even eat the food from the time period. These students are receiving a deeper understanding of what the civil war was about and why it was important in shaping our world today.
In my literature and theory class that I am taking right now we are working on a class lesson very similar to what the students are doing at Stonewall Middle School. We are exploring a multi-genre project where we take three or more different genres that have one relative concept and make them into a lesson plan. The topic I chose was the civil rights movement. Very similar to the article my students will take into account what it took for a black American to vote, songs from that time period, and expressing themselves and their feelings in a letter to their state congressman. I believe by making students research a topic through multiple points of view they will gain a better understanding of why this moment was important in American history. With this deeper understanding the topic can be related to the students and breed interest out side of the classroom.
In my literature and theory class that I am taking right now we are working on a class lesson very similar to what the students are doing at Stonewall Middle School. We are exploring a multi-genre project where we take three or more different genres that have one relative concept and make them into a lesson plan. The topic I chose was the civil rights movement. Very similar to the article my students will take into account what it took for a black American to vote, songs from that time period, and expressing themselves and their feelings in a letter to their state congressman. I believe by making students research a topic through multiple points of view they will gain a better understanding of why this moment was important in American history. With this deeper understanding the topic can be related to the students and breed interest out side of the classroom.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Education Weekly #16
In the article Sage on a Stage it discusses the pros to being a direct instructor. It breaks down lecture based verses problem solving style teaching. After years of collecting data the article states that students learn 1 to 2 months more information in a lecture based classroom. The reason why is that students are given the core knowledge needed for the subject matter. They do not have to create their own knowledge from an assumption of information, they can use information that is given to base their knowledge. Another reason why direct instruction has been more successful in the classroom setting is because teachers who try and use problem solving style teaching are not efficient in the style.
I plan to use direct instruction in my classroom. The reason why is because I feel my students need to have core knowledge on the subject matter. Without a base of information students will build their own assumptions. This could lead to students to having the proper understanding on a subject. By giving them the information lecture style you are not only able to know the information they are learning but you are able to create a classroom environment that is consistent and allows for students to understand the class expectations and procedures.
I plan to use direct instruction in my classroom. The reason why is because I feel my students need to have core knowledge on the subject matter. Without a base of information students will build their own assumptions. This could lead to students to having the proper understanding on a subject. By giving them the information lecture style you are not only able to know the information they are learning but you are able to create a classroom environment that is consistent and allows for students to understand the class expectations and procedures.
Education Weekly #15
In the article A Better Way to Teach Math John Mighton explains that for kids to understand math you need to break down each idea into multiple little steps. While your breaking down each step you take a quick second to asses each student to make sure they are on the same page. He believes by breaking down math into very small steps and assessing them on their performance, will help them succeed and give them confidence. Once his students start to understand math they ask to be challenged with harder questions. When a student has confidence you will see that student thrive.
I work everyday with students who are struggling with math. They have little to no confidence in themselves to succeed in the subject. When I grew up I learned math through the 'Jump' style. My teacher was able to break down each step into micro steps. This allowed me to relate what I already knew about basic math, then apply it to the advanced stuff we were learning that day. I try everyday to replicate this style of math to my students. I have seen tremendous results similar to John Mighton and his 'Jump' program. I also believe in what John Mighton says, confidence is key to school, especially math. I make it a goal to show my students everyday what they have accomplished to help give them a sense of achievement. As teachers we are here to educate not to follow word for word curriculum.
I work everyday with students who are struggling with math. They have little to no confidence in themselves to succeed in the subject. When I grew up I learned math through the 'Jump' style. My teacher was able to break down each step into micro steps. This allowed me to relate what I already knew about basic math, then apply it to the advanced stuff we were learning that day. I try everyday to replicate this style of math to my students. I have seen tremendous results similar to John Mighton and his 'Jump' program. I also believe in what John Mighton says, confidence is key to school, especially math. I make it a goal to show my students everyday what they have accomplished to help give them a sense of achievement. As teachers we are here to educate not to follow word for word curriculum.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Education Weekly #14
It has been brought to my attention that you can buy almost anything on Craigs list. In Lancaster a man was charged for writing term papers for academic submission. In 1972 the state passed a law saying that you may not sell tern papers or written works that will be submitted for academic credit.
Having the ability to access the world and all the information that goes with it in the click of a mouse has created a world with very few barriers. Creating laws that would prohibit or at least punish people from plagiarism would need to be enforced. If people don't have strong enough morals to not cheat then the laws and their consequences should help motivate them not to. This could be a double edge sword in that creating laws you could have issues with siting papers to people limiting the amount of information on the Internet. That would not be productive. So the question is then were has morality gone?
Having the ability to access the world and all the information that goes with it in the click of a mouse has created a world with very few barriers. Creating laws that would prohibit or at least punish people from plagiarism would need to be enforced. If people don't have strong enough morals to not cheat then the laws and their consequences should help motivate them not to. This could be a double edge sword in that creating laws you could have issues with siting papers to people limiting the amount of information on the Internet. That would not be productive. So the question is then were has morality gone?
Education Weekly #13
In Chicago their are schools that have decided to ban lunches brought from home. The reasoning is that kids are not eating healthy. Kids are bringing foods that are high in sugar and fats. The schools feel that by eliminating the option to bring lunches from home they can provide a much healthier choice for lunch.
I feel like taking away the option to bring lunches from home can be seen as negative in many ways. For example you have families that are not on free and reduced lunches that will now have to pay $2-3 a day for their child's lunch. If you were to make a sandwich or provide them with left overs it can be done for much less than 3 dollars a day. This can put families in a tough spot finacially. Another issue that is not mentioned in the article is how are they educating the children on proper eating. I feel that taking the time to educate the child on proper ways to eat and how to eat is more sustainable in the future. By doing this you can create a culture of children that know how and what to eat and why eating that way is better for them and their bodies. Without education of the proper way to eat children will revert back to their old habits of eating unhealthy foods.
I feel like taking away the option to bring lunches from home can be seen as negative in many ways. For example you have families that are not on free and reduced lunches that will now have to pay $2-3 a day for their child's lunch. If you were to make a sandwich or provide them with left overs it can be done for much less than 3 dollars a day. This can put families in a tough spot finacially. Another issue that is not mentioned in the article is how are they educating the children on proper eating. I feel that taking the time to educate the child on proper ways to eat and how to eat is more sustainable in the future. By doing this you can create a culture of children that know how and what to eat and why eating that way is better for them and their bodies. Without education of the proper way to eat children will revert back to their old habits of eating unhealthy foods.
Education Weekly #12
In The Education Masters Degree Factory article, it states that in Florida they have considered eliminating extra pay for teachers who have furthered their education. The reasoning for the cut is strictly for monetary reasons. It will save the state of Florida 3% of their teaching personnel costs. The first question that comes to mind is where will they allocate this money when the economy returns to previously seen levels. Will they use it for extra curricular activities, school renovations, or spend the money elsewhere. In my opinion the money should be pumped back into education for student's benefits.
I am pursuing my masters as we speak in Education. I believe that no matter what they do as a state or nation on the this subject will not deter me from teaching. I would be willing to say that most teachers have 2 reasons for attaining a masters, one for monetary purposes and obtaining necessary professional development to grow in ones career. As teachers we are always changing and adapting our style and curriculum to better educate our students. So I don't think that eliminating extra pay for being highly qualified will deter people from bettering them selves with more education. However if we look at the surveys taken by teachers that are currently negotiating their contracts, they have stated that the one thing they would not give up is their step increase. In any other profession when you further your education or professional development you are compensated for it. So the question arises will teaching still be considered a profession in the coming years?
I am pursuing my masters as we speak in Education. I believe that no matter what they do as a state or nation on the this subject will not deter me from teaching. I would be willing to say that most teachers have 2 reasons for attaining a masters, one for monetary purposes and obtaining necessary professional development to grow in ones career. As teachers we are always changing and adapting our style and curriculum to better educate our students. So I don't think that eliminating extra pay for being highly qualified will deter people from bettering them selves with more education. However if we look at the surveys taken by teachers that are currently negotiating their contracts, they have stated that the one thing they would not give up is their step increase. In any other profession when you further your education or professional development you are compensated for it. So the question arises will teaching still be considered a profession in the coming years?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Education Weekly #11
in Chicago the board of education started a new program to expand free breakfast to all students in elementary schools. Prior to this program is was only students from low income house holds that received this benefit. Some of the complaints that arose from the start of this program is that 10-15 minutes a day will be spend eating and not learning. The other is where the $41 million will come from to fund this new program.
I believe that this program of offering free breakfast to all students is a step in the right direction for learning in the classroom. Psychologist Abraham Maslow states in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that food and water are 2 important keys of the foundation of learning. If a student has not eaten then the chance of that student being able to learn according to Maslow is significantly decreased. By providing food for all students allows you as a teacher to know tat your students are well feed and have more potential to learn. Think about when your hungry, how do you function?
I believe that this program of offering free breakfast to all students is a step in the right direction for learning in the classroom. Psychologist Abraham Maslow states in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that food and water are 2 important keys of the foundation of learning. If a student has not eaten then the chance of that student being able to learn according to Maslow is significantly decreased. By providing food for all students allows you as a teacher to know tat your students are well feed and have more potential to learn. Think about when your hungry, how do you function?
Education Weekly #10
Grade fixing has started to become a large issue in schools around the country. A few reasons that attribute to this problem is that school administrators are being pressured to produce test scores and grades. When test scores and grades do not meet standards administrators are then brought into question about what reforms they plan to make and even can be fired. With these expectations of administrators to fix the problem of low test scores and low grades you could see an increase in grade fixing in the future.
I feel that a lot of pressure is put onto administrators for this issue. As teachers it is our job to educate the students and prepare them for the next grade level. Give them the foundation to succeed in the future. I believe that this can be accomplished with effort and time spend with students. One big issue that hinders teachers from accomplishing this goal is the No Child Left Behind Act. This act says that students will be pushed on to the next grade level. The problem with this is teachers are receiving students who are not up to grade level or even state and national standards. This is doing a disservice to students and teachers alike.
A solution to this problem is taking the time to build a foundations of important concepts, even if it means holding them back or making them spend valuable summer time to learn the information. This will assure that students know the material before they move to the next grade level. It could also intrinsically motivate students to want to learn because of the social issues of being held back.
I feel that a lot of pressure is put onto administrators for this issue. As teachers it is our job to educate the students and prepare them for the next grade level. Give them the foundation to succeed in the future. I believe that this can be accomplished with effort and time spend with students. One big issue that hinders teachers from accomplishing this goal is the No Child Left Behind Act. This act says that students will be pushed on to the next grade level. The problem with this is teachers are receiving students who are not up to grade level or even state and national standards. This is doing a disservice to students and teachers alike.
A solution to this problem is taking the time to build a foundations of important concepts, even if it means holding them back or making them spend valuable summer time to learn the information. This will assure that students know the material before they move to the next grade level. It could also intrinsically motivate students to want to learn because of the social issues of being held back.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Education Weekly #9
Does the food that our students eat matter? The USDA solicited a Washington-based policy group on what kinds of food our students should be eating. Their response was to offer more fruits and vegetables, low-fat to non-fat milk, and to use more whole grains than refined grains in the meals. They also stated that having minimum and maximum calorie amounts for all meals. These ideas are a great way to help our children today to eat healthier.
I believe that it is very important to make sure our children today eat healthier in schools. This is because funding is being cut everyday for athletic programs and physical education classes. If we as a country are not going to fund exercise activities for our students the least we can do is educate them on how to eat properly to stay healthy. We can do this by making their food choices well balanced meals, providing healthy treats and snacks, and by keeping the calorie count down. All this can be accomplished by limiting the fatty foods we offer in cafeterias.
I feel the USDA has the best intentions in mind for our students and their health needs. Making the school setting a place where they can be educated in the right way to chose their food for their meals.
I believe that it is very important to make sure our children today eat healthier in schools. This is because funding is being cut everyday for athletic programs and physical education classes. If we as a country are not going to fund exercise activities for our students the least we can do is educate them on how to eat properly to stay healthy. We can do this by making their food choices well balanced meals, providing healthy treats and snacks, and by keeping the calorie count down. All this can be accomplished by limiting the fatty foods we offer in cafeterias.
I feel the USDA has the best intentions in mind for our students and their health needs. Making the school setting a place where they can be educated in the right way to chose their food for their meals.
Education Weekly #8
Is the Law 'No Pass, No Drive' a good motivator for students to better their grades and attendance? From what the article says they have seen an increase in attendance and a decrease in student drop out rates in the school districts that the law has been implemented in. The 'No Pass, No Drive' law states that if a student is not in good standing with the schools attendance policy then the school can postpone or even revoked the students license until they meet requirements.
I believe that this law in theory has the potential to motivate a student to attend class more and even better their grades. Driving is a privilege and the right to drive should be earned. The big issue I have with this law is that it does not take into account all students. This law is focused on the middle to upper class students who have an incentive to get their license. They will get a car at 16 or even be able to drive their parents car. The biggest problem I see with this law is that the lower middle class to poor students might not be motivated by it. They might have little to no motivation to earn their license because they may not have a car available to them. They probably have parents who work multiple jobs and use the car. They might not even own a car. Where I grew up in the inter city 48% of the students that I went to school with did not get their license while in high school for the same reasons.
Prime example the article states McMinn County High School in Athens, Tn is where they have seen improvements. This school has an ethnic background that is completely different from the states. 88% of the student body is white where the state average is 66%. The amount of fund raising the district receives is 39 million where the state average is 26 million. They spend 41.5 million on the district where the state average is 27 million.
So this law as great as it sounds does not motivate all students. We as a country need to be able to motivate all our students not just a select group.
I believe that this law in theory has the potential to motivate a student to attend class more and even better their grades. Driving is a privilege and the right to drive should be earned. The big issue I have with this law is that it does not take into account all students. This law is focused on the middle to upper class students who have an incentive to get their license. They will get a car at 16 or even be able to drive their parents car. The biggest problem I see with this law is that the lower middle class to poor students might not be motivated by it. They might have little to no motivation to earn their license because they may not have a car available to them. They probably have parents who work multiple jobs and use the car. They might not even own a car. Where I grew up in the inter city 48% of the students that I went to school with did not get their license while in high school for the same reasons.
Prime example the article states McMinn County High School in Athens, Tn is where they have seen improvements. This school has an ethnic background that is completely different from the states. 88% of the student body is white where the state average is 66%. The amount of fund raising the district receives is 39 million where the state average is 26 million. They spend 41.5 million on the district where the state average is 27 million.
So this law as great as it sounds does not motivate all students. We as a country need to be able to motivate all our students not just a select group.
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