All of this argument can be found in this handy dandy link!
This is an argument weighing the pros and cons of schools and teachers for our society. I weigh in on both sides, but ultimately, I feel that teachers and the school system do more good than harm, they just need some improvement!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Models of Instruction
The 4 Models of Teaching chart and Approaches to Teaching article explained several different approaches to instruction, ranging from direct instruction, to discussions, to fully indirect instruction, all the way to independent study. All of these approaches are valid, but for the sake of better teaching to each student, a teacher should probably use a variety of them, not just their favorite one or two. Much like we discovered when I took Curriculum and Assessment, where we created a variety of lesson plans, it seems that these methods can all be spliced into a lesson, beginning with direct instruction, and moving on to indirect, or independent study for example. This sort of variety helps to differentiate instruction and reach all students, making the lesson more effective overall.
Letter to Future Me! *Warning: Letter May Contain Dangerous Levels of Snark and Wittiness* (9)
Dear FutureMe,
It is not really December fist when you wrote this - it is/was November 30, 2016. I hope at this point, you are not such a horrible procrastinator, but knowing you/me, we will be getting around to procrastinating less sometime next year. HAHAHA WE AM SO FUNNY! :D
Seriously though, Nature of schools has been insightful, if a bit confusing at times. Remember how we learned so much about the education system in general? About the different kinds of schools, and how you, despite the pros and cons of it, still wanted to be a public school teacher? Remember how you discovered in your observations and in teaching, that you have a great propensity for bonding with your class, and developing a good teacher-student relationship? Now poke yourself in the head and let it deflate, and remember that, again, you are a horrible procrastinator, and we, back now, hope that you have made at least some progress on that because you hopefully remember how useful you found planning better to be now and then! If you haven't, then get off your behind and do a bit more of that time-budgeting-type-plan-y-stuff! It helps to streamline things and leave you less confused later! We hope that your views on educational philosophy have been serving you well, and that your students are asking you more questions than you can shake a stick at - that's how you know that you are doing it right, after all!
Best wishes, and most blunt reminders,
- Derek
P.S. Whose name did you think would be at the bottom of this letter? Wow, you really must be as forgetful as we give ourselves credit for, if you are actually reading this. Even if you aren't, you can't say anything snarky back to past you, so I guess that means that you win! Wait... that's not..... aw whatever, we both know we are just having some fun now anyway!
It is not really December fist when you wrote this - it is/was November 30, 2016. I hope at this point, you are not such a horrible procrastinator, but knowing you/me, we will be getting around to procrastinating less sometime next year. HAHAHA WE AM SO FUNNY! :D
Seriously though, Nature of schools has been insightful, if a bit confusing at times. Remember how we learned so much about the education system in general? About the different kinds of schools, and how you, despite the pros and cons of it, still wanted to be a public school teacher? Remember how you discovered in your observations and in teaching, that you have a great propensity for bonding with your class, and developing a good teacher-student relationship? Now poke yourself in the head and let it deflate, and remember that, again, you are a horrible procrastinator, and we, back now, hope that you have made at least some progress on that because you hopefully remember how useful you found planning better to be now and then! If you haven't, then get off your behind and do a bit more of that time-budgeting-type-plan-y-stuff! It helps to streamline things and leave you less confused later! We hope that your views on educational philosophy have been serving you well, and that your students are asking you more questions than you can shake a stick at - that's how you know that you are doing it right, after all!
Best wishes, and most blunt reminders,
- Derek
P.S. Whose name did you think would be at the bottom of this letter? Wow, you really must be as forgetful as we give ourselves credit for, if you are actually reading this. Even if you aren't, you can't say anything snarky back to past you, so I guess that means that you win! Wait... that's not..... aw whatever, we both know we are just having some fun now anyway!
Emaze Presentation and Teaching Philosophy (6)
Elaborate 6
I have found, through the various quizzes and evaluations on teaching philosophy that our class has taken, that I am far more influenced by the arguments that support student-centered approaches to teaching, rather than those that center around teachers. While to some degree, some of the values in the more teacher-centered categories are important here and there, I find that a student-centered approach always felt more natural and appealing to my classmates and I back when I was a student, and I also find that today's students seem to respond similarly well to these approaches as well.
Personally, I am a scientist as well as an educator, so the western-centered, more authority-emphasizing views of the other side of the philosophical spectrum are not very appealing to me. While I acknowledge that respect for authority is important, I also feel that that respect should be earned through actions, and that authority that conflicts with one's reason should be questioned. This falls right in line with my future career as a science teacher -- students in a science course should question the world around them. It is important that students experience and observe phenomena for themselves and come to their own conclusions about the world around them. I may tell them that gravity is real and they will agree because they experience it, but when I tell them that the acceleration of gravity on the surface of earth is approximately 9.81m/s2, they should question that. "Is it always that number? What about out in space, or on other planets? I want to do a lab and see it myself!" These are the questions I feel my students should be asking, not simply bowing to my rank as their teacher and silently writing it down.
To this end, I will have to use strategies like thinking aloud to model this thought process for my students. When addressing that unit on gravity, I need to say something like, "Who doesn't believe me? Who wants to prove whether or not this is correct in the lab? I bet that If I shoot a metal ball out of a little cannon over here, you guys can measure how far it fell, and how long that took, and tell me if that 9.81m/s2 is right!" And when students ask questions, it will be important for me not to brush off any of that honest curiosity (related to the class, of course). Ignoring or shutting down a student when they are curious and expressing their interest is a good way to keep them from asking more. Realistically, class time is limited and I might not be able to answer every question then and there, but I can also answer a few students on their way out the door, or if they have a free period and stop by to ask something, or even after school. If my philosophy is to support that inquisitiveness and students interest, then I have to actually reflect that in practice, and let the students know that it is welcome.
My Emaze presentation on the subject.
I have found, through the various quizzes and evaluations on teaching philosophy that our class has taken, that I am far more influenced by the arguments that support student-centered approaches to teaching, rather than those that center around teachers. While to some degree, some of the values in the more teacher-centered categories are important here and there, I find that a student-centered approach always felt more natural and appealing to my classmates and I back when I was a student, and I also find that today's students seem to respond similarly well to these approaches as well.
Personally, I am a scientist as well as an educator, so the western-centered, more authority-emphasizing views of the other side of the philosophical spectrum are not very appealing to me. While I acknowledge that respect for authority is important, I also feel that that respect should be earned through actions, and that authority that conflicts with one's reason should be questioned. This falls right in line with my future career as a science teacher -- students in a science course should question the world around them. It is important that students experience and observe phenomena for themselves and come to their own conclusions about the world around them. I may tell them that gravity is real and they will agree because they experience it, but when I tell them that the acceleration of gravity on the surface of earth is approximately 9.81m/s2, they should question that. "Is it always that number? What about out in space, or on other planets? I want to do a lab and see it myself!" These are the questions I feel my students should be asking, not simply bowing to my rank as their teacher and silently writing it down.
To this end, I will have to use strategies like thinking aloud to model this thought process for my students. When addressing that unit on gravity, I need to say something like, "Who doesn't believe me? Who wants to prove whether or not this is correct in the lab? I bet that If I shoot a metal ball out of a little cannon over here, you guys can measure how far it fell, and how long that took, and tell me if that 9.81m/s2 is right!" And when students ask questions, it will be important for me not to brush off any of that honest curiosity (related to the class, of course). Ignoring or shutting down a student when they are curious and expressing their interest is a good way to keep them from asking more. Realistically, class time is limited and I might not be able to answer every question then and there, but I can also answer a few students on their way out the door, or if they have a free period and stop by to ask something, or even after school. If my philosophy is to support that inquisitiveness and students interest, then I have to actually reflect that in practice, and let the students know that it is welcome.
My Emaze presentation on the subject.
School Boards (3)
Elaborate 3
1. In order to endorse the establishment of the Escalante charter school, I would need to know much more about the people who would be running and establishing it. Some of the paperwork recognized in the school board meeting is vague in stating its goals, and I have heard much over the past year or two about the workings of charter schools. There are many that are poorly/fraudulently run, and even some that have been shut down mid school year, leaving students without a school and in need of enrolling somewhere to continue their education. With the information presented, I feel that I cannot support the establishment of the prospective charter school.
2. School boards can often be resistant to change. The amount of paperwork and involvement in implementing change are certainly a deterrant to this -- after all, it is much easier to maintain what is currently in place than it is to make changes. Due to the uncertainty in many of these decisions, they often (sometimes quite reasonably) opt to maintain the stability of what is, rather than implement changes that they are uncertain about.
Notes on Evaluate:
I did not definitively know much of the vocabulary, but was able to figure out what was what with only one wrong answer based on reasoning and vocabulary techniques. As far as the school governing quiz went, that was about 50/50, so it seems there is much for me to look into, though the things that I got correct were things that I feel it would be in everyone's best interests to change (the cultural and financial composition of the school board, for example).
1. In order to endorse the establishment of the Escalante charter school, I would need to know much more about the people who would be running and establishing it. Some of the paperwork recognized in the school board meeting is vague in stating its goals, and I have heard much over the past year or two about the workings of charter schools. There are many that are poorly/fraudulently run, and even some that have been shut down mid school year, leaving students without a school and in need of enrolling somewhere to continue their education. With the information presented, I feel that I cannot support the establishment of the prospective charter school.
2. School boards can often be resistant to change. The amount of paperwork and involvement in implementing change are certainly a deterrant to this -- after all, it is much easier to maintain what is currently in place than it is to make changes. Due to the uncertainty in many of these decisions, they often (sometimes quite reasonably) opt to maintain the stability of what is, rather than implement changes that they are uncertain about.
Notes on Evaluate:
I did not definitively know much of the vocabulary, but was able to figure out what was what with only one wrong answer based on reasoning and vocabulary techniques. As far as the school governing quiz went, that was about 50/50, so it seems there is much for me to look into, though the things that I got correct were things that I feel it would be in everyone's best interests to change (the cultural and financial composition of the school board, for example).
An Older Quote for an Older Time... Still Relevant in a Way? (2)
Elaborate 2
There are many differences between the schools of the past and schools now, and I feel that the quote given from the New England Primer is very indicative of that. It may just be my interpretation, but when I read that piece of text, I find it very evident of the emphasis on both religion and the teaching of basic societal values of the time. We've moved beyond that now, and in our schools of today, we teach more information and knowledge based values. Religion has moved away from (public) schools, and students are not so capitally punished for their behavior. Rather than simply punish bad behavior, now we try to correct it, all as part of a learning process to become a better person and citizen. On that word citizen though, that really is also what schools have been trying to do ever since colonial times here in the United States, and I think that for all of the changed values within the quote, that one goal has remained: trying to educate well-intended, more informed, intelligent citizens who are prepared to be helpful, productive members of society.
Do I Feel What They Feel? (1)
Elaborate 1
There are many strengths and weaknesses to the American school system. To begin with its less fortunate parts: there are other countries that have students far more well-versed in math and the sciences, America really seems to find itself lacking in adequate foreign language instruction and retention among students, and our school system is run by a veritable bureaucratic entanglement of red and yellow tape, much of which does not officially require any sort of educational background to become a part of!
Now, on the not e of strengths of the American school system, there is quite a bit to the benefit of our students as well. Students are allowed a great deal of freedom to make their own decisions, there is a heavy emphasis on personal creativity in our schools, and perhaps most significantly, whether intended or not, there is a massive social development aspect ingrained in the the way our schools are run and how their students are put in situations in which they are encouraged to interact with their peers. Creativity and social development are things we emphasize quite well in this country, and it feels like, measured aside scientific advancement, the general public ignores this great strength, taking it for granted that social skills are not difficult to learn. Having heard conversation about this topic from immigrants from some other countries, that is not the case. Not every nation's schools allow the degree of social freedom that America's do. This is important because I am sure anyone will agree that, without the ability to properly communicate with others, it doesn't matter how intelligent a person is -- they need to be able to share that knowledge as well.
No, I don't believe that my personal feelings fall under the public perception of schools. I try to always be optimistic, and to look at the positive as well as the negative aspect of things, but I feel like schools have so much massive, publicized negative points that it is difficult for people to get around that and see the good in them too.
Questions
Why are teachers so underpaid and ignored (general attention-wise) if their public trust rating is so high?
Science and math aren't the be-all-end-all of education, just as we know that sports aren't either. Even as a science teacher myself, I wonder why we don't give more recognition to those other departments, and why it is that resources can't be provided more evenly. (I know the realistic answer to this, but wish to pose the question philosophically.)
Why are there so many teachers that, given the chance to do it all again, wouldn't still choose to teach?
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
First Classroom (11)
It may look a bit cramped, but one can attribute that to my lack of precision in properly resizing everything in the room to properly represent a science lab room (although, some of them really don't have too much extra space added on, and do have to squeeze seating a bit).
This layout that I envision for my first science classroom includes all of the necessities for such a room - a board (hopefully a Smart Board!) and a computer, seating for a full class of students (ideally, this should have been about 20 seats), a fully stocked lab area, with lab tables and cabinets for storage, garbage and recycling baskets, and storage for various paperwork and chemicals. The board on the upper wall and the desk under it are where assignments and extracurricular advertisements can be posted, and where assignments can be turned in, along with a shelf for extra loose leaf paper, and necessities such as a stapler and scissors. Lastly, the A/V carts have a distinct purpose - they are for transporting chemicals and other lab necessities from my desk and the storage next to it, over to the lab area for use in labs.
Monday, November 28, 2016
First Teaching Position - From Peer Review, to Thoughts on Merit Pay
Peer Review and Peer Coaching
This seems to me like a very reasonable, realistic way to help newer teachers learn, and help veteran teachers improve their practice. I can't see much of a negative context for learning and getting constructive feedback from one's peers.
As far as observing and rating performance goes, this again seems far more fair an approach than random administrative observations. Not only would teachers' peers seem more qualified to make judgments about performance, but as long as those individuals observing could be trusted to be honest in their review, it would seem like an incredibly more accurate method of observation as well.
I can say without a doubt that I would prefer to be observed and evaluated according to this method, as I feel that I would receive far more meaningful feedback that extends beyond a simple cookie-cutter response of "X is scored 2 or 3 out of 4, so this category of the rubric can still be improved."
Job Searching
From My experience using the search tools, the internet seems like a fine place for checking what sorts of jobs are available in the teaching field. All the same, I think that I would rather follow through with the actual application process by travelling to the places that I find, and filling out an application to hand in in-person. This not only allows me to better acquaint myself with the administration in the location of a prospective job, but also allows me to see a bit of what it is actually like there -- something that is difficult to tell from the other side of a computer screen.
Both the Education World and Finding Teaching Opportunities links were quite useful as job searches, however, many of the others either turned up pages with errors, or had further links to other sites for job searches of which I wasn't sure if I should trust.
The NBPTS: Latest Developments and Future Plans
The organization is currently making their ATLAS online library available, as well as promoting teacher leadership growth, in an effort to help teachers expand their horizons and better themselves, that their students might benefit from their teachers' growth as well. The Group works to provide schools with teachers who are better prepared, more experienced, and are more capable leaders, all through their provided resources and certification process.
NBPTS spells out in their "Get Certified" section what the worth of their certification is to teachers, students and parents, and schools and administration. It is a degree that really has no drawbacks to it, even to the point where a teacher working in a school could possibly get financial help from the school/district to pay for the fees required. It's an additional proof of a level of proficiency and competence that everyone, from teachers, to administration, to parents and students want to see more teachers have.
This seems like a great goal for the future to me. I would like to become NBPTS certified at some point later in my career when I have more experience, and have established myself. At such a point, I will be able to set aside the necessary time to complete this process, as well as have the background experience to properly benefit from it.
This seems to me like a very reasonable, realistic way to help newer teachers learn, and help veteran teachers improve their practice. I can't see much of a negative context for learning and getting constructive feedback from one's peers.
As far as observing and rating performance goes, this again seems far more fair an approach than random administrative observations. Not only would teachers' peers seem more qualified to make judgments about performance, but as long as those individuals observing could be trusted to be honest in their review, it would seem like an incredibly more accurate method of observation as well.
I can say without a doubt that I would prefer to be observed and evaluated according to this method, as I feel that I would receive far more meaningful feedback that extends beyond a simple cookie-cutter response of "X is scored 2 or 3 out of 4, so this category of the rubric can still be improved."
Job Searching
From My experience using the search tools, the internet seems like a fine place for checking what sorts of jobs are available in the teaching field. All the same, I think that I would rather follow through with the actual application process by travelling to the places that I find, and filling out an application to hand in in-person. This not only allows me to better acquaint myself with the administration in the location of a prospective job, but also allows me to see a bit of what it is actually like there -- something that is difficult to tell from the other side of a computer screen.
Both the Education World and Finding Teaching Opportunities links were quite useful as job searches, however, many of the others either turned up pages with errors, or had further links to other sites for job searches of which I wasn't sure if I should trust.
The NBPTS: Latest Developments and Future Plans
The organization is currently making their ATLAS online library available, as well as promoting teacher leadership growth, in an effort to help teachers expand their horizons and better themselves, that their students might benefit from their teachers' growth as well. The Group works to provide schools with teachers who are better prepared, more experienced, and are more capable leaders, all through their provided resources and certification process.
NBPTS spells out in their "Get Certified" section what the worth of their certification is to teachers, students and parents, and schools and administration. It is a degree that really has no drawbacks to it, even to the point where a teacher working in a school could possibly get financial help from the school/district to pay for the fees required. It's an additional proof of a level of proficiency and competence that everyone, from teachers, to administration, to parents and students want to see more teachers have.
This seems like a great goal for the future to me. I would like to become NBPTS certified at some point later in my career when I have more experience, and have established myself. At such a point, I will be able to set aside the necessary time to complete this process, as well as have the background experience to properly benefit from it.
Qualities of a Good Teacher... Or Perhaps Only a Great One?
The title here is quite appropriate for my feelings as I completed the "Qualities of a Good Teacher Survey." I found myself checking off a five on almost every box in the survey, as I felt that every quality that they listed was crucial in some way or another to being a truly good teacher, but upon seeing how my answers measured up to a nationwide percentage of people's answers on each quality, I found that perhaps my standards for a good teacher differed from many others'. Where I felt that certain qualities like having a good sense of humor, being innovative, and being adaptable to change were all crucial qualities to being a good teacher right along with things like knowing one's subject matter, the other quiz-takers didn't seem to agree with me. In fact, those former qualities that I listed were broken down almost evenly between people rating them four and five. While this still means that those people found them important, it also means that those taking the quiz felt that those qualities were of lesser important than the others on the list which might be described as "more professional" qualities and behaviors. It might just be that what I was defining as a good teacher others would define as a great teacher, but I would counter that in order to be a truly good teacher, one should hold themselves to a higher standard and strive to be the best that they can. So while my answers may not fall completely in line with those of others who have taken the survey, their answers still have not swayed me in what I truly believe a good, or even great teacher to be.
Link to Qualities of a Good Teacher survey:
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073525839/student_view0/chapter11/what_do_you_think_.html
Link to Qualities of a Good Teacher survey:
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073525839/student_view0/chapter11/what_do_you_think_.html
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Educational Technology for Me is Like...
I would say that for me, technology is much like having a third arm. It may not always be convenient, it might get in the wrong place sometimes, and it may even be annoying now and then. But when you coordinate properly with it, it can be a wonderful boon to both teacher and student!
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