Next week our Group Lesson Presentations begin.
**Reminder: the Research papers will be due next Tuesday, July 12. Please e-mail them to me unless you prefer to have a hard copy.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
After Class Nine
Next week our Group Lesson Presentations begin.
**Reminder: the Research papers will be due next Tuesday, July 12. Please e-mail them to me unless you prefer to have a hard copy.
Have a great weekend!
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“Scenarios are always a good way of considering the different situations that children in your classroom may have and what you can do to find solutions to a problem or work out alternative approaches of learning for a particular child. This sort of activity always seems to open my eyes to the kinds of situations that children are in or how life outside of school effects what goes on at school. Every child is different and some need the extra guidance, encouragement or whatever else to help them get through a certain stage in their education. Teachers need to be aware of where the children are in terms of learning, where they can be, and what sort of support they need to get there.
ReplyDeleteThe “Diversity in the Classroom” true and false activity that we did was interesting. Some of the wording was really odd and some of the questions were just confusing but it made for some good conversation anyway. This activity provided some insight into the statistics that are out there, some of which seemed unreal. There were a few question that I was totally sure I had the right answer but it turned out I didn’t, just goes to show that sometimes you think you know what’s going on but under the surface it’s completely opposite. I especially thought that the statistics about economically disadvantaged children were interesting. At the highschool that I went to it seemed that the “disadvantaged” kids had more motivation to do well in school and they did do really well while the economically “advantaged” kids were mostly off in the forest smoking pot or skipping class, not saying that they all did that but there seemed to be quite a few who did. I can see how young children would be behind, if they haven’t had exposure to many books or educational tools but for a kid who is seventeen to be lagging about 2-4 years behind the “advantaged” kids seems crazy. Especially now when once kids start school they usually have access to all sorts of books, internet and other resources.”
We discussed cases of students not seeming to perform to their ability and concluded that many factors affect student’s performance including personal issues with family or friends, test anxiety, learning disabilities or shortfalls in skills of some form. As teachers, we have a lot on our shoulders, and to be able to help the students in these cases it is important to know them. Some ways of getting to know students and sense where they are “at” personally and socially include having an attendance question, mood board, or “face” for students to describe their current emotional state. Another way to keep up with students academically and personally is to set aside time (perhaps during centres activities) to meet one on one with each student, not just the ones that seem to need help. (Based on suggestions from other classes). Of course in elementary it is easier to know where students are at, some teachers just make a point of greeting their students personally each morning to check in with them.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that test anxiety was brought up so often, as this is probably my “blind spot” – I didn’t really ever experience it myself. So how can we as teachers reduce test anxiety for our students? Would significant prepping of what’s on the test and practicing of the thought processes and types of questions on the exam help? Would it help to let students redo answers they got wrong (maybe with some re-teaching before re-testing)? I know the tendency is to provide projects as an assessment form instead of tests, which is more realistic for life – if you study something, you probably plan to use or share your knowledge with someone, unless you’re a trivia buff. The challenge I have with projects is that they take so much time, but if the students take them home, some will get far too much “support” from their parents, with little to no learning or thinking happening on their part, while students who need the support (ESL etc.), will not get it. (I have observed this happening). Any thoughts or better ideas?
The True/False questions we discussed about at-risk youth were quite interesting and engaging. They made it clear to me just how many assumptions and misconceptions there are about at-risk youth, even within the teaching community. One thing I am grateful for as a future teacher is the policy of inclusion that our province abides by. While it often presents many logistical challenges, I feel that from a moral standpoint it is a necessity. It sends the message, in my opinion, that everyone is entitled to learn, have a variety of educational experiences, and be treated with dignity. It is also important to research different learning difficulties as a teacher so that the needs of every student can be met. Overall, however, each student is an individual with specific needs and strengths as a learner. It is this that a teacher must consider above all else (in my opinion).
ReplyDeleteI'm finding the group work in this class really valuable. Working together on a lesson plan for our upcoming presentation, for example, exposes me to a number of different opinions and experiences. I feel that together, we are putting together a stronger lesson plan than any of us could do on our own. Often as a teacher, I feel quite strongly about MY way of doing things. Hearing what other people have to say is helping me learn that there are a variety of different teaching styles and methods and that there is not necessary one that is "best". The ability to use different styles in different contexts is a skill that I'm sure will come in handy as a future teacher.
I was away for Tuesday’s class and there was no textbook reading so I will write about what I think the topics for the class were, based on classmates’ posts. If I am correct some conversations were based on student performance and the factors that affect student performance. I feel that teachers often become so engrossed in the need to get through curriculum that sometimes they forget that the students have a life outside of school. What occurs at school as well as at home most definitely affects their attitude, behaviours and school work. A large aspect of my teaching philosophy revolves around building relationships with each one of my students. I think that if teachers understand their students personally and where they are at academically then teachers can adapt assignments or situations to help that child succeed to the best of their ability. For example, many students have test anxiety and if a teacher knows this then they can make adaptations which can include allowing that student to have more time to write the test or the student has the option of doing a project. Another example is a true story from my practical experience. I had noticed that one of my students had been acting out of character for a few days so I decided to take the time to sit and chat with the student. From this conversation that student informed me that he was in a dark place and was thinking about hurting himself. If I had not built a relationship with the student and did not pay attention to his behaviour then this issue may have gone unnoticed. Overall, I feel that teachers need to take the time to build community in their classroom and get to know each student as best they can.
ReplyDeleteKristina wrote:
ReplyDeleteThoughts on the private school versus public school discussion:
The discussion in class was quite interesting and there are some points I would like to address from my personal experience. I went to private school for both elementary and high school and have worked as a special education assistant in the private school system. My experience was always very positive and the sense of community was so great. I knew every teacher and every teacher knew me. They knew what teams I played on and who my friends were. I would have been able to go to any of the teachers if I had a problem. Working in the private system, I found the same thing. Considering there were only 240 students from K-7, I knew them all and their families quite well. The community is a great place to turn to for support and I am still in touch with them. As far as entrance exams go, I wrote one to get in to high school. The placement exam I wrote eventually had me placed in an advanced math class, which was excellent because it provided me with a challenge. I think placement exams are extremely valuable because they give the school an idea of the child’s ability. I believe students are examined to a whole range of people, not just the “brightest,” because going through school I had a boy with Down’s syndrome in my class. He taught my peers and me so many invaluable lessons and prepared us for interactions with people with special needs. The teachers were always very invested in the welfare of their students. They spent so much time after school with us if we needed extra help or coaching us in a variety of sports. We were taught in high school how to be “jugglers,” juggling academics, choir, sports, and community service. I know there are two sides and both public and private have their pros and cons, but just thought I would share my positive experience in the private school system.
No “One Best Way”:
The notes this class presented the idea that teachers should consider that there is no “one best way” to teach students. Teachers should be adaptable, flexible, and take advantage of teachable moments. I really believe flexibility is a key component of teaching. If teachers are too rigid in their plans, or not open to ideas from others, then they are doing a disservice to their students. Taking part in the PDP program has helped me become more flexible. I like to be organized, but have learned to stray from my lesson plan and day plan when it is necessary and beneficial for the students. When teachable moments come up, it is crucial to seize them and go with the flow. Paying attention to students’ interests will make students know that their opinions are valued and motivate them. Each student learns differently and teachers need to recognize that what works for one student will not always work for the others. Tailoring lessons to meet the needs of all students is so important. There are different types of learners, a range of abilities, and different interests and needs within one class and if a teacher can differentiate instruction to meet all students then everyone can experience some success.
Rachel wrote:
ReplyDeleteTo start off with a personal comment, I was almost heading to a breakdown before our lecture, realizing Sue is not in class yet and thinking that she might be stuck in horrible traffic and therefore the class might be cancelled this week (It was the most difficult day for me to wake up early in the morning and catching the bus on time from North Van). Thank God our lecture was on schedule :D
CASE STUDY
Group discussion about the case study was very interesting, not simply because there are so many different types of learners in the classroom but because we as a group (and as a class) came up with a variety of ideas what the students’ problems might be in each of the cases and how we, as educators, might help them from struggling academically and socially at school. We, as 404 PDP students, generally learn a lot about the importance of meeting the needs of all students in the classroom; however, even from my own teaching experiences, I sometimes don’t know how to deal with students who specifically need more attention although I am aware it is my responsibility to assist them in their learning as well. Some of the suggestions we came up with were ‘this student needs additional practice with phonological awareness’ or ‘perhaps, this student can read silently instead of reading aloud to help him/her lessen the fear of public speaking’ and so on. I can see myself applying such ideas in my own practice with my children while teaching; nonetheless, I am yet unsure about how I could deal with issues related to family problems, physical abuse causing students’ behavior at school, as well as parents not accepting the fact that the child has learning disability etc. There seems to be just so many possibilities a student faces struggle/problems at school interfering their own learning and as a future educator, I don’t know how far I will be able to help these students and provide positive influence on all learners.
DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM
Related to the first discussion of case study, the T/F questions about classroom diversity were also very informative and helpful. One of many interesting ideas I would like to point out is question #8 – that is, economically disadvantaged children must be given more thorough explanation and assistance, assuming these students will not receive as much help from their parents at home as those who are more economically advantaged. One important idea to remember, however, is that teachers must first assess the students’ ability rather than directly thinking that all economically disadvantaged students fall behind in academics because they do not have enough support/resources outside of school. I know that my dad, the youngest of his 6 siblings, has lived his life in an extreme poor living condition and his parents could never afford to pay for his school since middle school. Still, he received scholarships all through his post education until graduation despite his family was unable to support him financially. I believe financial issues indeed influence students’ academic/social achievement in schools, but teachers should not think that all economically disadvantaged students need additional support and thorough instruction because they are more likely behind than average students.
Case Studies: Illiterate 16 year old
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of last class we examined case studies of various students. In one particular study, a sixteen year old student was illiterate, yet was in grade ten. It is interesting that this student managed to make it to high school considering he lacked the requirements necessary for his grade level. This is why it is important for teachers to be able to recognize problem areas of a student and figure out solutions. It is also possible that the teachers could have passed this student to ensure he’s socially interacting with his peers. Whatever the reason that this student was passed, it is vital that action be taken. If I was the teacher in this situation, I would place the student in a program where he can get extra assistance. Perhaps, an afterschool program may be more beneficial, so the student does not have to feel singled out during the school day. I believe there are many similar cases where students have slipped through the cracks due to lack of responsibility on the school’s part. I think it is imperative that teachers pay attention to student behaviours as well. This way, teachers will know where to place the student or what areas they should work on to help the individual.
Poverty, Parental Support and Learning
In the second half of class, we discussed the “Diversity in the Classroom” worksheet. One particular area that interested me was poverty and how it could affect education. Recently, I went to a seminar and observed a short film of a teenage boy who came from a very poor household. Despite the boy’s lack of resources, he managed to maintain his grades and was even eligible for a sports scholarship. Unfortunately, the mother was not supportive of her son’s achievements and made comments such as “He thinks he’s better than us”, “Don’t understand why he needs to do this.” Thankfully, the boy managed to succeed and ended up attending college. What if this boy wasn’t determined to succeed? He would probably have listened to his mother and simply given up. In fact, the teenage boy in the video, did have a younger brother who did not have any goals and lacked motivation. If the mother was a little more supportive, I am certain that both of her sons would be successful. By attending this seminar, I learned that poverty can indeed have an effect on a student’s learning. A child can grow up in an environment where education is not valued. It is even worse for a child to grow up believing that he or she is not good enough to attend college, simply because his or her parent may say that college is only for the privileged. Poverty is a big issue in many schools and teachers should recognize this. Perhaps, teachers can set up an appointment to meet with the parent and discuss ways the student can improve.
Students Below Grade-Level
ReplyDeleteThis is really a fascinating topic. Not because it is surprising that students can be in grade X without being able to perform grade X work, but because people take such differing opinions and actions over quite an unavoidable situation. First of all, I think we all agree that people learn at different rates and it isn’t limited to students. I may pick up a new computer system faster than Joe and Joe may pick up how to make that perfect crust on top of crème brulee faster than me. That being said, our school system is based on the idea students should be able to gain a general mastery over the same things in generally the same amount of time. This system is unlikely to change to the “at your own pace” structure any time soon so we need to learn how to deal with the inequity that is bound to happen between students’ learning.
In elementary school, teachers cannot fail a student. I was in a school and classroom where many students were not completing, never mind understanding, assignments and lessons. One student, over the course of the year, completed 30% of the work assigned and even then, it was done late, poorly and under coercion. This student was in grade 7 with a reading level at grade 2, largely illegible writing and an extraordinarily high rate of absenteeism. For this student and the others in the class who also struggled at below-grade level in many subjects, the problem did not rely on their struggles remaining hidden. The close-knit staff knew all the students and regularly discussed their students’academic struggles, intervention and support. The problem of course came from a multitude of sources, one of which keeps teachers’ hands tied in regards to sending students through the system. For the grade 7 student described above, his teacher knows exactly his grade-level abilities in Language Arts, has tried to help through many means, and is all too hesitant to send him onto high school. Unfortunately the teacher had no choice of whether or not to award this student with a grade 7 “graduation certificate” and he is now onto high school in September.
As educators it is so important for us to recognise that while we are going into this profession to be “saviours”, realistically we cannot reach everyone and we will come into contact with students who have failed to keep up with their peers. We are obligated and I hope, driven, to serve those students well and do all we can for them but we cannot demonise ourselves or the teachers before us for the below grade-level status of some students. This is no excuse to become apathetic or excuse ourselves from having to give extra attention to struggling students. It just means that we need to recognise the complexity of all that contributes to students’ learning: learning disabilities, home life, SES, exposure, language, personality, previous experiences, etc. We should never believe our classrooms are self-contained bubbles of learning unaffected by the world around us.
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ReplyDeleteCase Studies
ReplyDeleteThis week’s case study activity highlighted the importance of maintaining a student-centered approach to teaching. Each case study presented a different student with unique character and a variety of implications that contributed to their struggles. In education, there is the danger of relying on mechanical responses and tactics to working with struggling students. Such approaches neglect the individuality of the student and the specific circumstances that have contributed to their struggles. While research-based strategies are essential tools for education, it is important that teachers use the individual as the focus for establishing what methods are appropriate and would best benefit a particular student. It is substandard to respond to a characteristic of an individual without contemplating who they are, where they're from, or what’s their background. Focusing on a learning disability, and not the student, limits educators from understanding the basis of an individual’s struggles.
Poverty
Exploring the “Diversity in the Classroom” survey helped to identify some of the common misconceptions about students in the classroom. The survey touched on a variety of subject areas that helped to paint a picture of the diversity that exists in the modern classroom. One area of the survey that really stood out to me was the subject of poverty. Specifically, how educators often lower their expectations for the students that are affected by poverty through teaching to more basic or lower level skills. I had previously come across this information as I was doing research for my class paper on the impact of poverty on literacy achievement. Literacy BC, identifies the tendency of teachers to lower their expectations, as a major contributor to the cycle of poverty. The low expectation of educators has a significant impact on the motivation and achievement of students. With regards to literacy, low expectations (in association with other factors) contribute to low literacy achievement. Students with low-literacy achievement are more likely to dropout of school and twice as likely to be unemployed as other adults. Such individuals have a higher likelihood of living in poverty. Consequently, the cycle of poverty persists.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed looking at the case studies this week and appreciated the encouragement to look at them from a more holistic point of view. Teacher have to deal with a lot of different people and attitudes from students, colleagues, parents, and others on a daily basis and I think that it can very easy for them to become jaded about the reasons why a students may have become disinterested in their work or has begun to act out in class. Most of the teachers that I have encountered have not fallen into the habit of attributing behaviour or work-study changes to a student “just being lazy” or some other general comment; however, I have encountered some who prefer to write off a radical change in students’ behaviour or work ethic attributing it to laziness or boredom. This is very saddening to me and I think doing exercises like this should be a continual part of professional development to remind us of how complex our students’ lives are regardless of their age. One of my favourite quotations (and I have not idea who said it originally, but I hear teachers saying it all the time), is “we don’t teach subjects, we teach people”, I think we need to remember this when these sorts of change in behaviour come up and do our best to monitor and get to the root of it so that we can do our best to ensure that our students are safe and successful.
Unit Planning:
One thing that I have really taken from this course is the opportunity to incorporate literacy into all aspects of the curriculum. I have to say that I find our text to be very practical, especially for new teachers, it has great examples and I love the step by step break down on how to set up units and/or workshops. In Chapter 11 we review a lot of the information that we have spent time on over the course of the semester and the one idea that keeps coming back to me is the idea of inquiry or theme based units. I think that adopting the lens of another subject area is extremely effective in increasing literacy. I think it also give credit to the fact that literacy needs to be developed within the subject areas – science has a very different vocabulary and language from socials, and in that is an opportunity to improve literacy through vocabulary and use of terminology. I also like this idea because it communicates to students that all skills and subject areas have interdisciplinary qualities. Being in a high school in my practicum, I realized how compartmentalized subject areas are and I think that this is really unfortunate. I know one of the reasons this has yet to be done is partly logistical, and partly due to the fear that some subjects may end up being neglected, but I hope in the course of my career to see a more holistic approach to teaching subjects at the secondary level.
Case Studies
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this case study assignment. To have a case study such as this our groups got to use a lens of examination that was not based upon educational theories and instead was based upon what we perceive to be more realistic scenarios. For example, we made assumptions regarding aspects of student`s social and personal lives that could be affecting their work and performance. This was significant because too often we tend to scrutinize ourselves as the teacher when students fall short of our expectations. However in many cases there can be a wealth of other factors that are consequentially affecting students. Thus, it was important for us to make this connection with this case study as it provides us with multiple lens to look at specific scenarios and make inferences accordingly.
On a side note, I also believe case studies are a highly effective approach to student learning. It allows students to use critical insight to determine solutions. Furthermore, it allows them to also think outside of the box to solve specific problems, rather than simply using the most recently taught strategies to arrive at a solution. Regardless of the subject area, I have always believed cased studies to be a valuable tool to engage students, especially those who are struggling learners as they can use their own prior knowledge to create equally valid solutions.
Diversity in the Classroom Activity
I really enjoyed the Diversity in the Classroom activity. While I found it extremely frustrating to overlook many of the “grey areas” within each statement, it still had an impact on me. Before going through this activity, I never could have imagined many of the listed situations as being true. The fact that slow learners make up such a high percentage of our population and that ESL learners learn faster if they are 100% immersed in English speaking learning is simply fascinating. As emerging teachers, I think it is extremely important for us to recognize that many of these seemingly over exaggerated statements are in fact a reality. That being said, it is up to us as teachers to come up with standardized and innovative methods of helping ensure that such diversity in the classroom does not go on to sour one’s educational experience and at the same time allows these students to have a positive outlook on their present and future education.
Case studies: Looking at the case studies through a hollistic approach demonstrated that there are many different reasons for a student's behaviour and/ or attitude towards school. For instance, our group’s case study was about a young girl who refused to read aloud from the board in front on the class. However, when she was in a small group working environment she demonstrated that she could read aloud just fine, therefore a lack of phonemic awareness was probably not the case. Immediately our group came to the obvious conclusion that she simply had a fear of speaking in front of a large group of peers. However, once we began to look at the bigger picture of the situation we started to come up with some less obvious solutions. For example, she may have an eye sight problem, which would make it difficult for her to see the board, and thus read from it. She may also have problems reading; but masks it by memorizing the lines of her book as well. The activity taught me that there is a wide range of different possibilities as to why a student may be having difficulty in school, and as teachers we need to assess all of these options before jumping to the most obvious conclusion.
ReplyDeleteGroup lesson Plan:
I have found it very beneficial to be working in groups for our first lesson plan because I have chosen to do a lesson for a grade that I am not at all familiar with. I have finished both of my practicums and therefore when I TOC (if I get a job) I want to have some idea of how to teach the primary grades. It has been a bit of a challenge to plan a lesson for grade 2, when I am used to planning for grades 6 and 7, but I think that it has helped me to develop professionally. My other group members have done their practicum in the primary grades, and they have already taught me alot about planning for a primary lesson. I am very glad I had this opportunity to explore how to teach the younger grades.
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ReplyDeleteI found that quiz to be very thought-provoking. I had trouble answering many of the questions which made me aware of how large so many of those issues are. In particular I was interested in the literacy rates of at risk children. We have spent a lot of time in class discussing having books in the home and exposing young children to literature etc. Those statistics make it all very real that children that are less privileged are more likely to miss out these types of exposure which in essence results in their lower literacy rates. Of course, there are children from lower-income families whose parents go out of their way to take them to the library and read to them but, sadly, this seems to be a rarity based on the statistics. Still I am reluctant to believe that it is altogether an issue of little early exposure to reading. Being at risk these children must have a range of personal issues that make it difficult first to be exposed to literacy and then, once in school, to be able to concentrate on school. Home life issues for these at risk students may result in a variety of reactions such as shutting down at school, acting out for attention etc which would also play a large role in literacy troubles once in school. Sadly, it seems to be a combinations of little early exposure coupled with troubles at home once exposed to literacy in schools that make it all the more difficult for these students to learn how to read and keep up with their more privileged peers.
ReplyDeleteKnowing these statistics is not enough. What can teachers do about this to make sure that students at risk learn how to read and write proficiently? First acknowledging that students learn at different rates is central. This is where grouping, buddy reading and other activities that aid students at different levels come into play (for all grades, not just the traditional primary grades). Teachers need to differentiate their programs to work at the level of each student which is sometimes more work for the teacher but is absolutely necessary for the success of all students (at risk or not). Someone needs to step up and make sure these students do not just get shuffled through the system. They, like every other child, have the capacity to learn to read and write, they just need someone willing to put in the extra work to see that it happens.
Public vs. Private Schools
ReplyDeleteThe discussion we had last class about public and private schools was really interesting for me to participate in because I went to private school and the issue is personal for me. While I could rebut many of the points my peers made during the discussion I won’t because I think that this the distinction between religious and high academic schools is more important. It is not appropriate to make generalized statements about all private schools when they are so different in nature depending on which kind they are. I went to a religious private school from kindergarten to grade 12; there are no entrance exams, anyone who wants a religious education can attend; the cost is proportionate to your parent’s income; the school is competitive, but there are students who choose not to attend post-secondary school when they graduate; and yes, you do grow up with similar minded people but it doesn’t mean you lack the social skills required to be successful outside the private school bubble. High academic private schools (or what ever you want to call them) are much different, and I cannot defend or argue against them because I do not know enough about their policies and school culture to do so. However, I can say for certain that I loved my private school experience, including the small classes small and small student body population; the well developed personal relationships with my teachers; and the opportunity to participate in as many extra curricular activities that I wanted, including joining the soccer team, debate team, student council and Model UN club. And yes, there are drawbacks, such as a limited variety of course offerings, but EVERY school has drawbacks. Most importantly, I think that if people want to defame private schools, they need to be more informed and more accurate about what kind of private school they are talking about.
Private Schools vs. Public Schools
ReplyDeleteThe discussion between private and public schools was very interesting. As an immigrant to Canada, I did not go through the ‘Canadian’ Education system until university. However, having two children who are in elementary school, I see both the benefits in each kind of school. In public schools, students are assigned to different classes each year. As such, their classmates vary from year to year, unlike the private school. This enables students an opportunity to know other students in the school who are in the same grade as them (greater social interaction). Furthermore, in public schools, there are more resources allocated for students with special needs, English Language Learners, Gifted students or learning disabilities. I believe that this is a very important factor as it gives parents the necessary services and resources needed for their child’s education. This is especially true for parents who are unable to afford specialists. Where I come from, special needs children are not integrated into the regular school system. Instead, they are either kept ‘hidden’ at home or sent to special schools if and only if their parents can afford. Also, for ELLs or students struggling with English, ‘extra’ help was available only to students whose parents had the financial means (private tuition). In private schools, there is a smaller student-teacher ratio. For students who need more personalized attention, this would be a good factor to consider. Furthermore, students go into the next grade with the same group of friends each year. This helps students who have trouble dealing with changes each year. As such, students will be able to forge deeper friendships as they ‘grow up’ with the same group of classmates throughout their elementary, middle school years. I believe that both schools have their benefits and it all depends on which educational environment a child/student would thrive better in.
Diversity in the classroom:
In our groups, when we were discussing the statements in the handout (true/false), I was surprised to learn that there are 45 factors that consider students to be ‘at risk’. These include alcohol, frequent absences due to illness and poverty. In today’s schools, we have students from all walks of life. It is so important for us, teachers, to take the time to get to know our students so that we have meet their learning needs as well as their socio-emotional needs. I also found the handout a good reminder that there is no one perfect teaching strategy and method that is effective. As a teacher to be, I have to consider my students’ needs and adapt my instruction/ teaching strategies. As a visual learner, after my 401/02 practicum, I realized that the activities and teaching instructional strategies catered more towards the visual learners in my class. I have to make a more conscious effort in using various strategies to facilitate and cater to the oral, tactile learners in my classroom.
Sonja wrote:
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that I had to miss last class due to being sick. The case studies would have been interesting to discuss. Although I was not present, I am going to guess that for the first case study, “Carl” has dyslexia as he has no problem with comprehending the story when he hears it orally, but cannot understand it when he reads for himself. I have a very good friend who is a very successful Computer-Science student in the Masters Program at a highly respectable university. What many people might not realize about him is that he is dyslexic. It did not become fully apparent to teachers or his parents until high school when he admitted he had a problem reading words properly. He also had a problem spelling words correctly (“b” for “p” for instance). The school labelled him with a disability, which is about the last word that comes to mind when I think of him. He wasn’t happy about that but the benefits to being tested and finally diagnosed as dyslexic far outweighed the label. He started using a laptop in class and got extra time for tests. His natural ease with his laptop soon developed into a full-blown love of computers, as they had finally helped his world make sense. If a child is struggling with reading in any sense, I believe that it is a duty we have as teachers, to not just assume that he will eventually be fine. It’s shocking the number of illiterate adults we have in our first world countries, many of them are due to the fact that teachers believed the “act” that they pulled, or simply didn’t care enough to try and help.
After Class Nine
ReplyDeleteCase Studies
The case studies we worked with in class were really useful for developing insights into the many possible causes of difficulty for students in their academic progress. As we learned in class there may be physical aspects to the problem like hearing or sight loss or there may be social or family issues the student is dealing with. I would also like to comment on the value of the process we used in class to explore these many issues. When we first worked with partners, this seemed to be a good way to talk through the ideas and find the insights on a specific, given case. Then, once we shared with the whole class, we each benefited by listening to the findings of all the other students’ in-depth investigations. If on the other hand, we had each read 15 or more case studies on our own I am sure they would have started to blur together, thus we would each be much less able to clearly diagnose the unique features of each situation - or recommend steps to uncover and address them. I was sometimes reluctant to use this whole class sharing in my practicum as I was skeptical about what individual students were taking away from them. However, I now believe it is an indispensable process that allows each student to gain multiple perspectives on the topic being discussed. I will just have to find ways to monitor whether students actually do reap this benefit.
Inquiry Based Units
There are significant advantages to using an Inquiry model over traditional learning within separated subject areas. The prime reason to use it is to encourage students to be self directed learners and several features of an inquiry unit may do this. First, as stated in the textbook, students “engage in diverse activities and achieve similar, but not identical outcomes”p454. Since each student has a wide range of learning activities to choose from, each will need to chart an individual path to follow in investigating the broader topic. As well, with the need to set individual goals the students will develop ownership and thus intrinsic motivation to understand the content and demonstrate their knowledge. There is also the fact that students have a meaningful issue to learn about while they practice different learning strategies like using KWL charts and quick writes to engage more thoroughly with the content. With a central issue to explore, the students can come to appreciate these strategies as purposeful and useful activities rather than as exercises with only a contrived rationale. Finally, a well developed framework for an inquiry unit, like the one on Climate Change in the text (p460), shows the students that they can make use of everything they learn during the unit. If they learn about government policy on the issue from an informational text like Climate Change: Creating Solutions for Our Future, for instance, they can apply what they know by taking part in a debate. Or if they read a fictional story with climate change as a feature they can write persuasively about whether this is an effective way to personalize the issue. This approach is far more likely to provide intrinsic motivation than reading a chapter of, say, science content and answering the supplied questions.
Private School versus Public School
ReplyDeleteI must say I do have a bias when it comes to this topic. I feel very strongly that children learn so much from the entire school community, and not just while they are in class. To me, it is so important for students to see a representation of their entire community in their school. Now, I recognize that many parochial schools do give a broad representation of the community and it is certainly not fair to paint all private schools with the same brush, but many of the more “elite” schools do have specific academic entry requirements. One of my son’s teammates from soccer went to a private school in West Vancouver. He had to take an entrance exam to get into kindergarten, which he passed, but then when he was struggling academically in grade three he was asked to leave the school. This is the same school that likes to tout their high academic standing in the Fraser Institute report every year. It’s not surprising that they have high academic achievement when they have practices such as this. Maybe even more damaging in this scenario is the narrow view of the world these students are getting. At my son’s elementary school there is a girl with Down’s Syndrome who is like a gift to the school. Not only does she help the students gain a sense of empathy, she also inspires them by what amazing things she can do. This is an education that the students at the “elite” school will never receive. Unfortunately it will not show up in the Fraser Institute’s report.
Diversity
I found the diversity “quiz” that we did quite enlightening. I was very surprised by the high percentage of “slow learners” that were identified. However, to me, the most interesting statistic was the correlation between low socio-economic status and poor academic performance in school, although this was not necessarily a shock to me. One of the problems with this issue is that many times there seems to be a lack adherence to standardized marks across school districts. I was helping out at a school in an affluent area of North Vancouver when another student moved in from an inner city school (also in North Vancouver). This student had been an “A” student at his previous school but was getting “C’s” and “C+’s” at his new school. When his parents expressed concern, his work from his old school was compared to his work at his new school. The work itself was consistent. It just seemed like because his work at his old school was better than his school mates, he received an “A”, even though it may not have lived up to district standards.
(The irony is not lost on me that while I would not want my students to go to a private school, I also would not want them to go to school in a overwhelmingly lower socio-economic neighbourhood.)
Private Schools:
ReplyDeleteI thought today’s discussion on private schools and the difference of education between them and public schools was very interesting. I also thought the divide of opinion between students that have attended private school and their own experiences very interesting as well. For me personally, I see both good and bad in private schools and the high expectations they place on their students. On the one hand, it is great that students that are serious about school have a place to go with huge focus on getting you into higher education. On the other hand, I think putting that much pressure on young students can be very detrimental and as we discussed, the confidence issues and pressures can really get to students. I have mixed feelings when it comes to the isolation aspect of private schools as well. On the one hand, because they are often smaller schools they have a great community aspect. But on the other hand, because of this it might be harder to integrate these students into the giant classrooms that there are at universities. As well, another argument that can be made about private schools is their uniforms giving a sense of unity. However, I disagree with the argument that because of uniforms it puts an end to bullying because everyone dresses the same. There will be bullying no matter what kids wear and even with uniforms it is still easy for students t see socio-economic differences between each other. So, I am still divided but find this all very interesting and would love to study and learn more about this.
Diversity Quiz:
I was very argumentative during the quiz. For one reason I have a tough time with the wording of problems and always end up asking a lot of questions about the context and the variables within the question. For quizzes and questions like this, there are so many variables that could change the context and meaning of the question, and I feel like I could argue most of the variables to come up with different answers. Because of this, I did not like this quiz although I did find it interesting. A lot of the answers surprised me, and a lot didn’t and it was definitely eye opening to consider these facts and argue against them.
Case studies
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the different case studies we looked in the class. They were really useful to gain insights about the different problems that might be in a child’s way to understanding, learning and academic achievement at a specific development (or age) level. Examining the different case studies through the holistic point of view made me aware of the different needs of the students in the classroom and how we, as teachers, should be considerate of all the students and use multiple teaching styles, design multi level lesson to adapt to the needs and different learning styles of all the learners including struggling, gifted, visual, English as a second language, English language learners, etc. It is imperative for teachers to look at student’s emotional, personal, social, etc. background before coming to any major conclusion such as student has learning disabilities, developmental delays, etc. In general, this activity taught me that, to understand the students fully, the emphasis should be on them first and not on the learning disabilities.
Class 9:
ReplyDeleteAt-risk students:
Learning Difficulties-
When I first entered PDP I did not know how I would change lessons to help those of my students with learning difficulties learn the concepts I would be teaching to the rest of my class. I thought that some of my students would need to be taught in completely different ways than I would teach to the rest of the class. I was anxious because I wondered how I would learn about these different teaching skills and then how I would find the time to teach this different skill set to individuals during the regular school day. With what I have learned so far about adapting learning for all individuals (not just those with learning difficulties) I feel much better about my ability to teach all students. I have realised that students with learning difficulties may have more difficulties in learning in some areas and may still be at a stage in learning that some of their peers have passed. What this means is that I need to find out what level of development they are at in their learning and keep teaching skills at that level until they move on to the next stage in their learning. In this course I have learned that repetition is something that is beneficial to students who have learning difficulties. I have learned to differentiate my learning over the past 6 months and this will help me teach to all students’ needs.
Poverty-
When discussing the research about, “Diversity in the Classroom,” some of my peers thought that poverty would not influence whether a child is at risk in their learning or not. While I believe strongly that all of my students can succeed I have also experienced teaching in a school where many of my students were living in poverty. I taught in a Kindergarten/Grade 1 classroom. My School Associate told me that some of the students in our class were not read to by their parents. Two of the reasons included long work schedules for both parents (or for single parents) and that some of the parents did not value reading; however, the biggest shock to me was the idea that a lot of the students did not have books at home. In conclusion, yes I believe that all of my students can succeed but it is integral for teachers to provide access to resources such as books and reading to their students especially when students come from poor backgrounds. I believe that books and the act of modelling reading are the foundation for learning in all areas.
Posting #9 – July 5, 2011
ReplyDeletePublic versus Private Schools
I really enjoyed talking in class about all the different perspectives and beliefs about public and private schools. It made me realize how strongly all my classmates, as well as myself, feel towards this kind of topic. I definitely understand that both private and public schools have pros and cons in regards of providing a well-suited education for all children. Even though I have experienced both educational systems throughout my life, I personally believe that public schools can just as well, if not better, prepare students on becoming academically and socially educated individuals as private schools can. When I lived in Colombia ten years ago, I went to a private Catholic school. Even though I enjoyed my time there, I did not like the fact that everything was so highly controlled and influenced by money. My parents sometimes struggled to pay their monthly payments as times were difficult and, as a result, the school administrators recommended my parents to look for another school for both my sister and I. I think it is extremely disappointing how private schools can choose not to allow certain students admittance because of economic and status issues. Where does that leave equality of education? Public schools, on the other hand, allow all students regardless of their background, religious beliefs, academic and learning abilities, economic status, gender or any other factor. Everyone is welcomed because everyone deserves the right to education. Equality to me is fundamental and I believe that being able to associate yourself with people from all walks of life can significantly enrich your life for the better. Interacting with people that might be very different from you can teach you about life, social values and community building more than anything in this world. In this sense, I feel that private schools may not provide their students with a well-dynamic set of social values such as compassion, empathy and acceptance of others regardless of their culture and background. On another note, even though private schools may have more financial resources to provide endless educational experiences for students, including the use of high technology, I cannot help but to feel that teachers in public schools can teach just as well without having all the resources at hand. If teachers are passionate, knowledgeable, resourceful, and creative, they can make miracles happen! There are many other aspects that I can discuss regarding this topic because I feel extremely passionate about it. At the end of the day, both private and public schools do their best to create the most suitable learning environment for their students. However, my heart will always belong to the public school system and I would want my own children, one day, to be part of that and experience life in its simplest, yet most meaningful form.