In Anita Woolfolk's podcast on Martin Luther King Day and cultural diversity in the classroom, she spoke about ways a teacher can incorporate diversity into the daily routine as well as ways to turn a conversation around when you hear degrading remarks come from your students. "Words can hurt" (Woolfolk, 2007). Teachers need to be mindful of the way they use words as well, that way they are modeling for their students the proper uses of a particular word.
Students use many words in a ways they think is not hurtful to others. An example of this are the words "gay" or "retarded". Young children, if they have not been told these words are not adjectives or positive descriptions of a person, use them in response to questions from friends. "You hear these words in schools all the time. Students saying 'That's so gay". One teacher says whenever she hears that language in her classroom she says 'What was homosexual about that? Then uses the moment to discuss the usage of slang and derogatory language" (Woolfolk, 2007). If students have not been taught about cultural diversity, they do not know they are using the language in a hurtful way. As teachers we need to use every situation as a learning experience and cultural diversity should be a part of the daily routine just as reading is every day.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Incidents of Learning in the Classroom (Cluster 9 Fieldwork Assignment)
For fieldwork observations, I have been in a second grade classroom in the Newburgh School District and it has definitely been a learning experience. I have been lucky enough to observe this class since the spring 2015 semester had started, so I was able to view moments of learning occur during my time with them.
When I started observing the class the children were in the midst of subtracting double digit numbers. I would see be introduced and would then watch the learning occur.There is one particular student who has had difficulty with mathematics since she started in September, this information I received from the observing teacher. The teacher told me she has watched her grow confidence in herself and now raises her hand to answer the questions.
I was fortunate to witness a moment of learning for this child in the last two weeks. The class has moved into subtracting three digit and two digit numbers by using their place value charts and number disks. The particular problem was 117-98=?. This problem focuses on how remainders effect the problem. This young girl worked through the problem and self-corrected herself a few times, then I saw the joy on her face and her hand shot up into the air to answer. It was fascinating to witness because there is the saying "A light-bulb went on" and that is literally what I witnessed. She was so excited to answer the question that she even told the class of her mistakes, how she self-corrected and then involved the class in a group discussion of the mistakes. This lesson became student centered very quickly which was amazing to see.
In order to promote positive behavior and participation this teacher uses a token system of reward. The way the positive reinforcement works is when a student completes a task or answers a question correct they may be rewarded by receiving a ticket token. The teacher decides randomly when a ticket will be rewarded. The token are then put into a bucket and at the end of the week the teacher picks out five tickets who will be able to pick a prize from the prize bin. The also keeps the behavior and participation at a high because the more tickets you receive the bigger the chance you will be picked for a prize. I asked how long she has been using this system and was told for about ten years she has been implementing this reward system of positive reinforcement and it has been very helpful in keep the negative behavior at a low and increase the classes participation.
I was fortunate to witness a moment of learning for this child in the last two weeks. The class has moved into subtracting three digit and two digit numbers by using their place value charts and number disks. The particular problem was 117-98=?. This problem focuses on how remainders effect the problem. This young girl worked through the problem and self-corrected herself a few times, then I saw the joy on her face and her hand shot up into the air to answer. It was fascinating to witness because there is the saying "A light-bulb went on" and that is literally what I witnessed. She was so excited to answer the question that she even told the class of her mistakes, how she self-corrected and then involved the class in a group discussion of the mistakes. This lesson became student centered very quickly which was amazing to see.
In order to promote positive behavior and participation this teacher uses a token system of reward. The way the positive reinforcement works is when a student completes a task or answers a question correct they may be rewarded by receiving a ticket token. The teacher decides randomly when a ticket will be rewarded. The token are then put into a bucket and at the end of the week the teacher picks out five tickets who will be able to pick a prize from the prize bin. The also keeps the behavior and participation at a high because the more tickets you receive the bigger the chance you will be picked for a prize. I asked how long she has been using this system and was told for about ten years she has been implementing this reward system of positive reinforcement and it has been very helpful in keep the negative behavior at a low and increase the classes participation.
The classroom management talk
Classroom management is a term teachers and teacher candidates hear from day one of their professional career. It is ultimately one of the most important aspects of teaching because if there is poor classroom management the learning environment is not going to work.
By now everyone has completed their final project to create what our ideal classroom would look like and how it would run to foster the construction of knowledge for our students. A portion of the assignment involved creating classroom rules. This part of the blog is where Anita Woolfolk's podcast on classroom management comes in. She spoke about a study of classroom management and the difference between a smooth running class and a poorly managed class. "In the smooth running classroom, the teachers had planned and thought rules and procedures from day one" (Woolfolk, 2007). This is a part of the learning environment as a whole. If students are not given specific rules or develop them with the teacher they are less likely to abide by the common rules of school. These teachers that Anita spoke about taught the rules of the class just as they would teach mathematics or reading. It was an important part of the daily routine, especially in the beginning of the year (Woolfolk, 2007).
Many of the classes at the Mount, especially in the special education department focus on classroom management. I have had a lot of experience reading about the best techniques but until I am able to be physically in the classroom I will not know if I have good classroom management skills. Anita spoke about ways to make sure the teachers are prepared and have the tools to incorporate positive classroom management.
References
Woolfolk, A. (2007, August 13). Podcast #12 - Beliefs about Classroom Management. Anita Talks
about Teaching. Retrieved from https://anitatalks.wordpress.com/
Caring is Caring
Anita Woolfolk recorded a podcast on the Importance of Teachers. I particularly enjoyed this podcast because it reminded me why I am pursuing a career as a teacher. When I tell people I am going to school to become a teacher many make a face as to say "Really?" or voice their negative opinion on the topic, such as "Are you sure you're going to find a job? Isn't that a thankless field? You're going to have to work two jobs just to get by because you'll make nothing in teaching". All over there are negative opinions about teaching and the school system, but Anita reminded me why I choose this path in the first place. Teachers can be some of the most important role models to students.
Anita spoke about the correlation between student achievement and efficient teachers. Anita recalled a study that followed a school districts third graders until fifth grade and found that students in a class with an effective teacher were in the 96th percentile on their mathematics achievement test (Woolfolk, 2006). They also found that the students who had the least effective teacher were in the 44th percentile on the same exam. This study showed the effects that a teacher has on a students achievement.
When an individual feels a connection with a place is when they are intrinsically motivated to participate and succeed. "Students have a sense of belonging when teachers care about the
m, their learning and their lives" (Woolfolk, 2006). Students need to feel that they are important and belong to the schools community. Without this relationship there are higher drop out rates and more students can fall into peer pressured situations to name a few. The following video is from a TED conference on education. Rita Pierson was an educator for forty years and grew up in a family full of educators. Take a look and see if you can see the similarities between student-teacher relationships and the achievement of the students.
Anita spoke about the correlation between student achievement and efficient teachers. Anita recalled a study that followed a school districts third graders until fifth grade and found that students in a class with an effective teacher were in the 96th percentile on their mathematics achievement test (Woolfolk, 2006). They also found that the students who had the least effective teacher were in the 44th percentile on the same exam. This study showed the effects that a teacher has on a students achievement.
When an individual feels a connection with a place is when they are intrinsically motivated to participate and succeed. "Students have a sense of belonging when teachers care about the
m, their learning and their lives" (Woolfolk, 2006). Students need to feel that they are important and belong to the schools community. Without this relationship there are higher drop out rates and more students can fall into peer pressured situations to name a few. The following video is from a TED conference on education. Rita Pierson was an educator for forty years and grew up in a family full of educators. Take a look and see if you can see the similarities between student-teacher relationships and the achievement of the students.
References
Woolfolk, A. (2006, August 25). Podcast #1 - The Importance of Teachers. Anita Talks about
Teaching. Retrieved from https://anitatalks.wordpress.com/page/3/
Skinner the Behaviorist
For my theorist project I choose to research the learning theory of behaviorism, focusing on B.F. Skinner. I was aware of Skinner's research prior to the assignment due to my undergrad psychology degree.
Even with my prior knowledge I found out new information about him that intrigued me. One key detail I found out was that Skinner developed a pigeon program during World War 2. He trained the pigeons using a behaviorist approach to learn and the pigeons would peck the enemy in order to keep them in one spot for the launch of missiles from the United States (Frye, 2015). I also learned that he was basically the founder of applied behavioral analysis, which many schools use today (Morris, E., Smith, N., & Altus, D., 2005). I only learned this theory after researching articles for the paper portion of the project. I wish I had come across this research so I could have implemented it into my presentation and add more to the slide of his impact on psychology.
All in all I was very impressed with the research I learned about Skinner. Due to this assignment I was able to fully understand the behaviorist learning theory and the importance it has in behavior management. I also am aware of the negatives of behaviorism, such as punishment. I have knowledge on the topic and I am able to implement portions of this theory into my behavior management skills so I can use the proper techniques in my future classroom. If you would like to learn more about B. F. Skinner here is my presentation and the paper I wrote.
Even with my prior knowledge I found out new information about him that intrigued me. One key detail I found out was that Skinner developed a pigeon program during World War 2. He trained the pigeons using a behaviorist approach to learn and the pigeons would peck the enemy in order to keep them in one spot for the launch of missiles from the United States (Frye, 2015). I also learned that he was basically the founder of applied behavioral analysis, which many schools use today (Morris, E., Smith, N., & Altus, D., 2005). I only learned this theory after researching articles for the paper portion of the project. I wish I had come across this research so I could have implemented it into my presentation and add more to the slide of his impact on psychology.
All in all I was very impressed with the research I learned about Skinner. Due to this assignment I was able to fully understand the behaviorist learning theory and the importance it has in behavior management. I also am aware of the negatives of behaviorism, such as punishment. I have knowledge on the topic and I am able to implement portions of this theory into my behavior management skills so I can use the proper techniques in my future classroom. If you would like to learn more about B. F. Skinner here is my presentation and the paper I wrote.
References
Frye, T. (2015). B. F. Skinner’s Theories: Lessons and Quiz. Retrieved from
http://study.com/academy/lesson/bf-skinners-theories-lesson-quiz.html#lesson
Morris, E., Smith, N., & Altus, D. (2005). B. F. Skinner’s contribution to applied behavioral
analysis. The Behavioral Analyst, 28(2). Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755377/
Testing 1-2-3
So the multiple choice tests were the bane of my existence during this course. As I have said in my previous post about standardized testing I said I have never been a good test taker. I especially dislike multiple choice tests because there is only one correct answer. I learn more content when the tests are open ended questions and I am able to use what I have learned to create the answer.
I understand the importance of self-assessment in the construction of knowledge but the amount of assessments this edlab expected of us was a lot. The pretest was meant to gain a sense of our prior knowledge of the topics and then the posttest was to see how much we learned after reading the text.
What I did not agree with was the learning objectives we needed to complete if we received a low score on the pretest. I feel that the pretest is meant to be the basis for our learning. Like Laura said in class as well as Rachel in her blog post, it felt like we were being punished for not have sufficient prior knowledge on the material we had yet to read about. I feel that the learning outcome activities should be a suggestion alone without needed to be completed in order to move onto the post test. If we would like to gain more knowledge on the topics we are able to complete the activities but if we would rather go to the post test we should be able to do that.
Also Pearson's edlab had restrictions while I used it. The program would be under maintenance during the week so I was unable to complete the tests. I found to be very frustrating. There was a day when the site was under maintenance for two complete days so I had to wait to complete the tests and also do read the text because the text is attached to the website.
This etext experience had its ups and downs but I feel it will be useful in our future classrooms. Technology is being used in every classroom in the country in some way, such as Smart-boards, iPads, and computer labs are just some ways our students are coming in contact with technology. In ten years we may even have a computer for every student in our class instead of the lab. There also may be classes that meet strictly in a online format, so this testing format has made me prepared for the future classroom and texts I may come in contact with during my teaching career.
I understand the importance of self-assessment in the construction of knowledge but the amount of assessments this edlab expected of us was a lot. The pretest was meant to gain a sense of our prior knowledge of the topics and then the posttest was to see how much we learned after reading the text.
What I did not agree with was the learning objectives we needed to complete if we received a low score on the pretest. I feel that the pretest is meant to be the basis for our learning. Like Laura said in class as well as Rachel in her blog post, it felt like we were being punished for not have sufficient prior knowledge on the material we had yet to read about. I feel that the learning outcome activities should be a suggestion alone without needed to be completed in order to move onto the post test. If we would like to gain more knowledge on the topics we are able to complete the activities but if we would rather go to the post test we should be able to do that.
Also Pearson's edlab had restrictions while I used it. The program would be under maintenance during the week so I was unable to complete the tests. I found to be very frustrating. There was a day when the site was under maintenance for two complete days so I had to wait to complete the tests and also do read the text because the text is attached to the website.
This etext experience had its ups and downs but I feel it will be useful in our future classrooms. Technology is being used in every classroom in the country in some way, such as Smart-boards, iPads, and computer labs are just some ways our students are coming in contact with technology. In ten years we may even have a computer for every student in our class instead of the lab. There also may be classes that meet strictly in a online format, so this testing format has made me prepared for the future classroom and texts I may come in contact with during my teaching career.
To Procrastinate or Not to Procrastinate...
An interesting point Anita made was that procrastination can be environmental, such as the assignment is not of intrinsic interest to the individual or procrastination can be individually developed, such as being a perfectionist (Woolfolk, 2007). I never thought that perfection could be related to procrastination. If the individual wants the project or assignment to be complete perfect with no errors they may take even longer to edit or revise due to the perfection aspect. This comment made me think of a friend I have who always wanted everything perfect. If she received a 98% on a test she would be very unhappy and ask the teacher why. To most of us 98% is great and it is still an A but to a perfectionist it is not good enough. She also procrastinated her undergrad thesis because she felt she needed to add more and more to make it the best. Ultimately she was docked a whole letter grade because it was not received on time. I felt this portion of the podcast was important because it showed the opposite side of procrastination.
This is a short musical video on procrastination. It made me laugh and instantly gave me the jump start I needed this morning to accomplish all the tasks for the end of this summer course. Hope you enjoy!
References
Woolfolk, A. (2007, May 31). Podcast #10-Procrastination. Anita Talks about Teaching. Retrieved
from https://anitatalks.wordpress.com/
Thursday, June 18, 2015
It's the Final Countdown!
The final countdown has begun! This is the last week of the summer session one and our final presentations happened today. I honestly can say I was a little scared when I saw the amount of work this presentation was going to be. I also was a bit nervous about incorporating a voice over to go with my prezi slides. Once I really got engaged in the development of this project I became intrinsically motivated to develop a project that I would be proud to share with my classmates. I felt excited to share my research on the constructivist theory but I was more excited to develop what my classroom would look and feel like once I incorporated this theory.
I worked hard to explain the approach I would use in my classroom. I focused on the constructivist theory because it involves student activity and social interactions toward constructing knowledge (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 397). I want my students to be engaged in the lesson material. I do not want to be a teacher who lectures the entire time but one who engages her students in inquiry based learning in order to further their knowledge. I feel if students are actively involved in their education they will be well-rounded individuals who are able to problem solve on their own and are prepared for the future problems they come in contact with.
The most difficult aspect of this project was starting the paper. I felt I had to start the paper off with a philosophical theory and its relevance to me. What I found out was if I write about my enthusiasm during this project, the writing will not be difficult to complete. Once I got writing I did not stop until I finished explaining my classroom environment. I was aiming for at least five pages and I was surprised I made it to eight pages. This just shows how being actively engaged in the learning process can spark an excitement in students that they are able to surpass their own goals they set out for themselves.
References
Woolfolk, A. (2014). Education psychology: Active learning edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning
Inc.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Motivation: Be More Awesome
Who doesn't like this kid! He is so inspiring!
Throughout this course we have been speaking about different teaching techniques to helps students learn. We have spoken about child development and we have spoken about behavior modifications. During the last portion of this course we have spoken about the constructivist approach to learning. Constructivist believe that students should be active in their construction of knowledge as well as have peer involvement (Woolfolk, 2014). A portion of the consructivist approach involves motivation. In order for the students to play an active role, they need to be motivated by the topic or activity.
I watched the video taken from the website Annenberg Learner about motivation in the classroom. In the beginning portion of the video it shows an elementary class participating in a geography lesson. During this portion of the video the viewer sees the students engaging in the activity. Social interactions are evident throughout this geography lesson. "When kids discover something on their own or with a friend, they feel like they own it. They are very proud of themselves" (Annenberg Learner). I remember as a student if I helped another student I felt important and wanted to assist more of my friends. Even today as a graduate student I enjoy the process of student-student interactions and while some group assignment can be frustrating, you come out of them with more knowledge and a different perspective. Being able to create lesson plans that motivate and inspire students will help in their construction of knowledge. By allowing the students to be an active participant in the process they will have a solid understanding of the content.
Resources
Annenberg Learner. Expectations for Success- Motivation and Learning (Episode 12).
Retrieved from http://www.learner.org/courses/learningclassroom/session_overviews/motiv_home12.html
SoulPancake. (2013, September 9). Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs
Woolfolk, A. Educational Psychology: Active Learning Edition (12th Ed). Boston, MA: Pearson
Learning Inc.
The Development of an IEP
For cluster 4 one of the active learning connections at the end of the cluster asked me to do a web search on IEP's and a particular area of study. I chose to focus on IEP development in NY state, since I will hopefully be a future teacher in New York.
As you all are probably aware this is what the Individualized Education Plan for NY looks like. During my time at the Mount I have only completed an IEP once during my behavior management class. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Since I had no prior knowledge of filling out an IEP I made sure to pay special attention during the class instruction. "The IEP is an agreement between the parents and the school about the services that will be provided to the student" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 148). It was an interesting webquest on the topic. Most of the websites I cam across were from a education department but also IEP Direct which uses software so teachers can input the IEP electronically with more ease. IEP Direct has a library of accommodations and goals already in the system so teachers and teams just need to go to a pull-down tab. While this seems like a great idea, I feel it can take the importance out of writing this document. An IEP is meant to accommodate a students needs in the classroom so it should be completed with the same amount of car as teacher puts into their lesson plans. As long as the professionals completing the IEP have the students best interest at heart then the development will go smoothly.
I know a teachers day is already short in regards to free time. There is a lot of expectations put on teachers and most teachers take their work home with them. The work week does not end when that bell rings on Friday at 3:30 pm. Here is an article I found on Facebook about a teachers summer time off. It has nothing to do with this blog but I felt it was an interesting read.
I know a teachers day is already short in regards to free time. There is a lot of expectations put on teachers and most teachers take their work home with them. The work week does not end when that bell rings on Friday at 3:30 pm. Here is an article I found on Facebook about a teachers summer time off. It has nothing to do with this blog but I felt it was an interesting read.
References
Goodman, L. (2015, January 19). Why Teachers Deserve the Summers Off. Retrieved from
http://boilsdown.com/2015/01/19/why-teachers-deserve-their-summers-off/
Woolfolk, A. (12th Ed). Educational Psychology: Active Learning Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Inc.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Constructivist in the classroom! (Cluster 10-15 Fieldwork Assignment)
Currently I am observing a second grade classroom. The teacher uses the constructivist approach to learning not entirely but for particular portions of the day. Her room is set up in three groups of eight students. The students desks are formed into a rectangle and throughout the day she has them engage in group activities. "Social interactions are important in this knowledge construction process" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 397). This teacher involves the students in group activities during lessons that involve content she wants the students to completely understand.
I observed this technique being used during a math lesson involving subtracting. The students were subtracting double digit numbers and were learning the process regrouping. She presented the lesson to the students and then broke them into groups to work on the remaining questions. The teacher then walked around the classroom listening to their conversations about the questions. The students were allowed to use their place value charts or they could work out the lesson by drawing their representation. This technique allowed the students to be actively involved in their learning, which is an important part of the constructivist approach (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 397).
Although this teacher did use social interaction and active learning to help the students construct their knowledge, she could have used more of the constructivist approach throughout her day. I only really saw this approach used in the math lesson. I feel that this approach can be used for science and domain lesson as well. Allowing the children to explore their environment and become actively involved in their learning with give them a deeper understanding of the content. There are so many tests involved in education that giving the students a break to engage in the learning on their own or socially makes it less stressful. Learning will then become a fun activity instead of a chore.
I observed this technique being used during a math lesson involving subtracting. The students were subtracting double digit numbers and were learning the process regrouping. She presented the lesson to the students and then broke them into groups to work on the remaining questions. The teacher then walked around the classroom listening to their conversations about the questions. The students were allowed to use their place value charts or they could work out the lesson by drawing their representation. This technique allowed the students to be actively involved in their learning, which is an important part of the constructivist approach (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 397).
References
Math & Learning Videos 4 Kids. (2013, June 5). Subtraction with Regrouping - Math Video for
Second Grade. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Buyaqe_L5-Y
Woolfolk, A. (12th Ed) Educational Psychology: Active Learning Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson
Learning Inc.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
I think I can, I think I can...
Listening to Anita Woolfolk's podcast on academic optimism made me instantly think of the picture above. I enjoyed the podcast because it brought in the teachers effect on student achievement. There are many debates on teacher efficiency going on today. The government wants to based fifty percent of a teachers evaluation on their students performance on standardized tests. Although this is a controversial issue, Anita brought up an important point regarding a students overall achievement in school. She said that if a teacher has high academic optimism then there students will likely perform better on tests. Academic optimism is "positive belief that you can make a difference in students lives by emphasizing academics and learning, by trusting students and parents to cooperate and by believing in your own capacity in overcoming difficulties" (Woolfolk, 2007). This involves the teacher playing a role in the student achievement not strictly by instruction but from developing a relationship with your students and their parents. Research has shown that "teachers who have a higher sense of efficacy are more devoted to their profession and participation in a students achievement" (Woolfolk, 2007). I thought this was a great point. There are many teachers our there who love what they do and have a real passion for helping children gain knowledge. There are also teachers who have lost sight of the reason they entered into this profession and may not have a high sense of efficacy anymore. We as teachers are in our students lives to help them construct their knowledge on topics, learn new topics, and but also develop a relationship with the student and their family. It is important for teacher candidates to understand the impact low academic optimism can have on their future classroom. If you would like to listen to Anita's podcast on the topic click on the link provided.
Resources
Woolfolk, A. (2007, April 13). Anita Talks About Teaching [Podcast 13]. Academic Optimism.
Podcast retrieved from https://anitatalks.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Intelligence and its Versatility (Cluster 5 Fieldwork Assignment)
Just as these four individuals showed different opinions and ideas, our students in the classroom will exhibit different opinions and ideas. We, as teachers, need to be aware of the different intelligence's and types of learning. In the classroom I am observing, it is filled with a variety of learners and all the students are intelligent. Some students seem to be more academically intelligent while other have great abstract skills. I spoke with the teacher and asked what she does to promote the different intelligence and types of learning and she said "I make sure to have different situation occur in my class. Meaning I encourage group work and also individual work when appropriate". She uses visuals and manipulatives during her lessons in order to help the children follow the instruction. She is aware that each of her students are intelligent in particular aspects and does her best to promote those qualities in the classroom.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
I've got skills, they're multiplying...
Above is a short video on basic addition skills for children. During the video it goes through a sequence of simple addition problems, presenting the mathematical sentence as well as pictures symbolizing the sentence. I choose this video because it has to do with the topic of automated basic skills.
Automated basic skills is defined as "skills that are applied without conscious thought" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 343). This regards the skills such as tying your shoe laces or write the letters of the alphabet. Once you have mastered the skill, there is little thought put into the process on a day to day basis. It was interesting to read about this topic because of the demographic I work with. I work with preschool aged children, and the skills I dismiss as everyday activities are difficult for the students. For example, one student of mine has just learned how to tie her shoelaces last week. She is still in the cognitive phase of this process of mastering the skill. The cognitive phase relies heavily on "declarative knowledge and general problem solving strategies to accomplish our goal" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 343). I can tell my student is in this phase of the process because her concentration is on only tying her friends shoes when she is performing the action. Many trial and errors have occurred during the past week or so. This is the step of the learning process where teachers play a key role. The teacher has the ability to help encourage the cognitive process. Due to many trial and errors occurring during this step, the teacher's role is to make a learning experience out of each misstep. An example is mathematics involves learning the numbers both physically on paper and abstractly in their minds before being able to add two numbers together to make a number sentence.
The second portion of the process of automated basic skills is the associated skill where "the individual steps of a procedure are combined or clunked into larger units" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 343). This step involved the steps become smooth transitions for the next one. An example of this is writing letters. Writing the letter "A" involved three lines; once the student starts the first angled line its cues the next two lines directly after. You would not write the first line of the "A", move onto another letter, and then come back to finish the "A".
The final portion of this process is called the autonomous stage. This stage is where the skill can be accomplished without much thought or attention (Woolfolk, 2014). Adults are in this stage of the process when it comes to tying our shoes or performing simple mathematical problems. For younger children this stage may not come easily. In my class I have half the students going to kindergarten and half the students staying for another year in our head start program. Even within the kindergarten group, some of my students have not mastered writing their name and yet some can write their name without a visual guide. As the teacher I am able to help the students who still need the help problem solving while observing the students developing automated basic skills. In order to assist your students in developing these skills your lesson plans must reflect the different stages of this development. If the content being taught is new, the focus should be on the cognitive stage since the students have no prior knowledge. If the content is prior knowledge, then the students might be able to work independently on the tasks being assigned. All in all the teacher needs to be aware of where her students are in the process of automated basic skills in order to benefit from the instruction.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Movement can be fun! (Cluster 3-4 Fieldwork Assignment)
I recently visited a second grade classroom in the Newburgh school district. I particularly interested in how Attention Deficit Hypertension Disorder was defined in cluster 4 because of the classroom I was observing in. This classroom had twenty-five students and only one teacher. Out of those twenty-five students, fourteen of them were male and eleven were female. When I spoke with the teacher at the end of the day, she shared with me that within her class, she had eight receiving services, such as reading or speech and five students were diagnosed with ADHD. Although this teacher is experienced and has been working with elementary students for the past fifteen years, she said she had to change the way she taught in order to accommodate her students needs.
ADHD defined by American Psychological Association as "a pervasive pattern of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 156). In this particular classroom it was evident that the five students were more inattentive and impulsive then their fellow classmates. Mrs. Apple (name has been changed to protect her identity) changed the way she structured her lessons. Normally she would teach her math lesson in the afternoon, but this year she needed ti switch her schedule. She found that she had her students attention more in the morning than the afternoon. I was able to witness their attention lapsing after lunch time. The children seemed restless, as if they had ants in their pants and could not sit still. These students would make random trips to get a tissue or sharpen their pencil during the afternoon lessons and would take the long way back to their seat.
In cluster four they give examples of different accommodations teachers can make for students with ADHD. The chart was developed by students who have the ADHD character trait. It includes "Don't just lecture, it's boring!, let me walk around the classroom, and be patient" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 159). This teacher took the heart what her students needs were. She broke up her afternoon lessons and guided the students in calisthenics workouts, such as jumping jacks, stretches. She also allowed a five minute break to color, draw, and read. This broke up the instruction but gave the students the needed break during the day. I asked if she found this effective and Mrs. Apple said "I saw a great improvement in my students overall attention during the afternoon. Yes they still get impulsive at times. The strategic breaks I have implemented have seemed to help". The observation and reading have given me a good ideas of ways I can accommodate my future students. I have always felt that students need mini breaks throughout the day and seeing it put into action and seeing the effect it has on the students makes me feel confident that it will help my future classroom.
ADHD defined by American Psychological Association as "a pervasive pattern of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 156). In this particular classroom it was evident that the five students were more inattentive and impulsive then their fellow classmates. Mrs. Apple (name has been changed to protect her identity) changed the way she structured her lessons. Normally she would teach her math lesson in the afternoon, but this year she needed ti switch her schedule. She found that she had her students attention more in the morning than the afternoon. I was able to witness their attention lapsing after lunch time. The children seemed restless, as if they had ants in their pants and could not sit still. These students would make random trips to get a tissue or sharpen their pencil during the afternoon lessons and would take the long way back to their seat.
In cluster four they give examples of different accommodations teachers can make for students with ADHD. The chart was developed by students who have the ADHD character trait. It includes "Don't just lecture, it's boring!, let me walk around the classroom, and be patient" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 159). This teacher took the heart what her students needs were. She broke up her afternoon lessons and guided the students in calisthenics workouts, such as jumping jacks, stretches. She also allowed a five minute break to color, draw, and read. This broke up the instruction but gave the students the needed break during the day. I asked if she found this effective and Mrs. Apple said "I saw a great improvement in my students overall attention during the afternoon. Yes they still get impulsive at times. The strategic breaks I have implemented have seemed to help". The observation and reading have given me a good ideas of ways I can accommodate my future students. I have always felt that students need mini breaks throughout the day and seeing it put into action and seeing the effect it has on the students makes me feel confident that it will help my future classroom.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
High school vs. Self-esteem
So far I really enjoyed cluster 3 on the self, the social, and moral. It focused on the theorist Urie Bronfenbenner and how self-concept and self-esteem are very different concepts even though they can be confused for one another. I was interested in the self-esteem portion of this cluster and how I could relate it to Bronfenbenner's theory of development. Self-esteem is the overall judgement we as individuals feel about ourselves. The book defines self-esteem as "an overall, general feeling of self-worth that incorporates your self-concepts in all areas of your life" (Woolfolk, 2014, p 109).
I was interested in self-esteem as a whole because adolescence is a time where self-esteem becomes a factor in academics. I can remember the feeling of judging myself too harshly because I did not look a certain way or felt different from my peers. Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself, and if you have poor self-esteem it can effect your academics. Girls are especially effected by self-esteem issues. Adolescence, in general, can be a tough time. Emotions are high and peers have a big influence on a high school students social identity. The point/counterpoint section of cluster 3 focused on what schools can do to help improve student's self-esteem. They spoke of including programs designed to increase a students self-esteem, such as, a curriculum that focuses on self-esteem issues, developing activities on sensitivity training, and structural changes on in the school to promote positive personal identitiy (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 110). I feel that these programs would have a positive effect on adolescents because if it is being taught and practiced by the school there will likely be less student shaming or bullying between students.
Urie Bronfenbrenner spoke about the bioecological model in development. This theory recognizes that the physical and social contexts in a persons life has an effect on the persons development, both social and academic.He developed the thoeoy surrounding ecosystems, because each piece of the of our life interacts and influences each other. I enjoyed learning about his theory through the cluster as well as through Becky's powerpoint presentation. I was able to test my knowledge on the topic and I was able to make a connection between his theory and self-esteem. The microsystem which is the personas immediate family members or activities can effect a persons self-esteem. If a mother is putting her child down constantly, that child will not have a good feeling about themselves. On the other hand if the child is constantly praised and loved, they would have a better feeling about their self-esteem. The mesosystem also has influence on the individual. This stage involves the social interactions the individual has in their life. This is the portion of the theory that peers have a big influence on the student's development and self-esteem. Because the student is in school a third of their day, they are greatly influenced by their peers and their peers opinions. This is where the school can make a difference. If the school is able to promote positive self-esteem programs, they may be able to guide the students in positive development both socially and academically.
I was interested in self-esteem as a whole because adolescence is a time where self-esteem becomes a factor in academics. I can remember the feeling of judging myself too harshly because I did not look a certain way or felt different from my peers. Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself, and if you have poor self-esteem it can effect your academics. Girls are especially effected by self-esteem issues. Adolescence, in general, can be a tough time. Emotions are high and peers have a big influence on a high school students social identity. The point/counterpoint section of cluster 3 focused on what schools can do to help improve student's self-esteem. They spoke of including programs designed to increase a students self-esteem, such as, a curriculum that focuses on self-esteem issues, developing activities on sensitivity training, and structural changes on in the school to promote positive personal identitiy (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 110). I feel that these programs would have a positive effect on adolescents because if it is being taught and practiced by the school there will likely be less student shaming or bullying between students.
Urie Bronfenbrenner spoke about the bioecological model in development. This theory recognizes that the physical and social contexts in a persons life has an effect on the persons development, both social and academic.He developed the thoeoy surrounding ecosystems, because each piece of the of our life interacts and influences each other. I enjoyed learning about his theory through the cluster as well as through Becky's powerpoint presentation. I was able to test my knowledge on the topic and I was able to make a connection between his theory and self-esteem. The microsystem which is the personas immediate family members or activities can effect a persons self-esteem. If a mother is putting her child down constantly, that child will not have a good feeling about themselves. On the other hand if the child is constantly praised and loved, they would have a better feeling about their self-esteem. The mesosystem also has influence on the individual. This stage involves the social interactions the individual has in their life. This is the portion of the theory that peers have a big influence on the student's development and self-esteem. Because the student is in school a third of their day, they are greatly influenced by their peers and their peers opinions. This is where the school can make a difference. If the school is able to promote positive self-esteem programs, they may be able to guide the students in positive development both socially and academically.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Anxiety Problems with Assessment
While reading this cluster on assessment, I learned a lot of material I had previous knowledge of based on my psychology background. Although my psychology background identified the statistical portion of this chapter it did not approach the standardized testing and accountability which I found to be quite interesting.
I grew up in the public school system so I am well aware of the pressures of standardized testing on students. I remember being in elementary school coming home anxious over the ELA test four months away. My mother would always tell me to calm down but I always still had horrible anxiety. All through high school I had anxiety when it came to conventional testing. Even if I complete understanding of the topic I would feel unsteady.
The educational world makes decisions based on these standardized tests and conventional testing. So many students feel the pressure to succeed in order to get into that perfect college or the receive the honor of valedictorian. The pressure to pass these tests is not only on the students but it is also on the teachers because it effects their lively hood possibly or the schools funding. So the anxiety during those few months of testing is particularly high.
I grew up in the public school system so I am well aware of the pressures of standardized testing on students. I remember being in elementary school coming home anxious over the ELA test four months away. My mother would always tell me to calm down but I always still had horrible anxiety. All through high school I had anxiety when it came to conventional testing. Even if I complete understanding of the topic I would feel unsteady.
The educational world makes decisions based on these standardized tests and conventional testing. So many students feel the pressure to succeed in order to get into that perfect college or the receive the honor of valedictorian. The pressure to pass these tests is not only on the students but it is also on the teachers because it effects their lively hood possibly or the schools funding. So the anxiety during those few months of testing is particularly high.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Development is Unique!
Hi again!
I found this cluster to be very thought provoking. All the information I have learned before due to my psychology background for my undergraduate degree but there was still new information. I would define development as the overall changes that occur in living things during their lifespan. Development occurs in different ways. It can be psychological, physical, cognitive and social. Development occurs at different rates. An example is there are two babies who were raised in the same home but one can start walking before the other. Development can also be effected by environmental factors, such as if a child catches an infectious disease and it effects their brain development. Maturation refers to changes that occur naturally and genetically programmed. Physical development falls under maturation because it is already programmed how tall you will grow. All in all this cluster made me think of things differently. All the previous knowledge I had made it easier to understand the material but I was also able to learn new facts too.
I am hoping to be able to work with children in the middle childhood range. I am currently working in a preschool so I am dealing with children in the early childhood range on a daily basis. From the relate portion of Cluster 2, I chose to focus on Piaget's Cognitive development in children from these ranges because I am currently working with preschoolers but need to know about the cognitive development of the students I will hopefully be working with in the future.
Early childhood, according to Piaget, is in the pre-operational stage of development. The children in this stage are from two years to about seven years old. During this stage there is a lot developing, physically, socially and cognitively. Children in this stage are using language with more accuracy. "It is very difficult for the child to think backwards or imagine how to reverse the steps in a task" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 52). The child also egocentric so they think everyone in their life feels and thinks the same as them. They are unable to realize that everyone has different perceptions and feelings.
Middle childhood, according to Piaget, is the concrete operational stage of development. This stage is the "hands on thinking stage" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 52). The children are able to identify, compensate, classify and reverse during this stage. Learning become more of an interactive experience for the students because they have a deeper understanding of the topics and are able to manipulate the materials in front of them.
Both stages are important in the cognitive development of children. If the child does not master the pre-operational stage they will be unable to understand the operational stage tasks. This is why it is important to develop teacher-student relationships so you are aware of all your students strengths and weaknesses.
I found this cluster to be very thought provoking. All the information I have learned before due to my psychology background for my undergraduate degree but there was still new information. I would define development as the overall changes that occur in living things during their lifespan. Development occurs in different ways. It can be psychological, physical, cognitive and social. Development occurs at different rates. An example is there are two babies who were raised in the same home but one can start walking before the other. Development can also be effected by environmental factors, such as if a child catches an infectious disease and it effects their brain development. Maturation refers to changes that occur naturally and genetically programmed. Physical development falls under maturation because it is already programmed how tall you will grow. All in all this cluster made me think of things differently. All the previous knowledge I had made it easier to understand the material but I was also able to learn new facts too.
I am hoping to be able to work with children in the middle childhood range. I am currently working in a preschool so I am dealing with children in the early childhood range on a daily basis. From the relate portion of Cluster 2, I chose to focus on Piaget's Cognitive development in children from these ranges because I am currently working with preschoolers but need to know about the cognitive development of the students I will hopefully be working with in the future.
Early childhood, according to Piaget, is in the pre-operational stage of development. The children in this stage are from two years to about seven years old. During this stage there is a lot developing, physically, socially and cognitively. Children in this stage are using language with more accuracy. "It is very difficult for the child to think backwards or imagine how to reverse the steps in a task" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 52). The child also egocentric so they think everyone in their life feels and thinks the same as them. They are unable to realize that everyone has different perceptions and feelings.
Middle childhood, according to Piaget, is the concrete operational stage of development. This stage is the "hands on thinking stage" (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 52). The children are able to identify, compensate, classify and reverse during this stage. Learning become more of an interactive experience for the students because they have a deeper understanding of the topics and are able to manipulate the materials in front of them.
Both stages are important in the cognitive development of children. If the child does not master the pre-operational stage they will be unable to understand the operational stage tasks. This is why it is important to develop teacher-student relationships so you are aware of all your students strengths and weaknesses.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Learning, Teaching and Virtual Classes
Hello everyone!
This blog will be all about my experience in reading Cluster 1 and my experience in our first virtual classroom. Our text Educational Psychology by Anita Woolfolk includes all the information we will need to become aware of the psychological development our students will be experiencing. The virtual classroom was a new adventure for me. I have never taken a course virtually before and am interested to see how it pans out.
For the CER for cluster one I read Audrey Amrein-Beardsley's article on highly qualified
teaching and it made me feel a bit angry. These policymakers are testing students with standardized
testing and are basing a teachers effectiveness on the student's score. "Test scores cannot capture
things like whether a teacher is caring, motivating, engaging, demanding, or has high expectations"
(Amrein-Beardsley, p. 2). I agree that our teachers need to be effective in order to give our student's
the best education, but the measurements the policy makers are using are ineffective in showing the
passion and emotion the teachers put into helping their students every day. Assessing the
qualifications of a teacher means acknowledging if the degree they received will work for the
classroom environment; meaning will the teacher be knowledgeable in the subject areas as well as
classroom management & etc.
I feel a teacher can be highly qualified and still have poor teacher-student relationships which
our text states as being a part of behavioral problems continuing into the middle school years.
School performance and teacher-student relationships have a strong association with one
another."The researchers concluded that the quality of teacher-student relationships in kindergarten
(defined in terms of level of conflict with the child, the child’s dependency on the teacher, and the
teachers affection for the child) predicted a number of academic and behavioral outcomes through
the 8th grade, particularly for students with high levels of behavior problems” (Woolfolk, 2014, p.
7). I think there are a lot of different personality traits, intellectual traits and classroom management
skills that go into a teacher being highly effective and if our policy makers took into account these
aspects as well as the student's scores we would have a very different education system.
Thanks!
Lauren Ott
This blog will be all about my experience in reading Cluster 1 and my experience in our first virtual classroom. Our text Educational Psychology by Anita Woolfolk includes all the information we will need to become aware of the psychological development our students will be experiencing. The virtual classroom was a new adventure for me. I have never taken a course virtually before and am interested to see how it pans out.
For the CER for cluster one I read Audrey Amrein-Beardsley's article on highly qualified
teaching and it made me feel a bit angry. These policymakers are testing students with standardized
testing and are basing a teachers effectiveness on the student's score. "Test scores cannot capture
things like whether a teacher is caring, motivating, engaging, demanding, or has high expectations"
(Amrein-Beardsley, p. 2). I agree that our teachers need to be effective in order to give our student's
the best education, but the measurements the policy makers are using are ineffective in showing the
passion and emotion the teachers put into helping their students every day. Assessing the
qualifications of a teacher means acknowledging if the degree they received will work for the
classroom environment; meaning will the teacher be knowledgeable in the subject areas as well as
classroom management & etc.
I feel a teacher can be highly qualified and still have poor teacher-student relationships which
our text states as being a part of behavioral problems continuing into the middle school years.
School performance and teacher-student relationships have a strong association with one
another."The researchers concluded that the quality of teacher-student relationships in kindergarten
(defined in terms of level of conflict with the child, the child’s dependency on the teacher, and the
teachers affection for the child) predicted a number of academic and behavioral outcomes through
the 8th grade, particularly for students with high levels of behavior problems” (Woolfolk, 2014, p.
7). I think there are a lot of different personality traits, intellectual traits and classroom management
skills that go into a teacher being highly effective and if our policy makers took into account these
aspects as well as the student's scores we would have a very different education system.
Thanks!
Lauren Ott
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
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