I can't believe this course is already finished and I'll be in the classroom for my internship this month!
When we started the course and were told our final evaluation was to create a unit, I was honestly worried...six weeks didn't seem like enough time. Fortunately, I was wrong. Learning about Backwards Design made planning my unit easier, because I always had to have the end in mind to make sure the means were always justified. Working through each phase so intently has helped me see what it really takes to thoughtfully integrate subjects and construct authentic Social Studies units. Now that I have done that, I am not so nervous to create units in my own classroom.
I personally enjoyed and learned so much from our class trips to the North Carolina Museums of History and Art. The experiences made me seriously think like an educator and how I could use the resources offered from those places, and the community at large, with my own students. I loved seeing the features and exhibits and thinking about what I would want my students to see and interact with in and out of the classroom.
Looking at my previous posts related to Social Studies, I am beginning to pull different pieces together of my personal teaching philosophy. First, I am a planner who likes to know what and how I am going to present material to students. I know how to go with the flow, but I also know that failing to plan can be a plan for failure. Next, this course has increased my comfort level with the idea of integrating the curriculum. As my post on this topic says, I was not sure where to start. Now I know and the unit plan has helped me to see that it is not as challenging as I thought it would be. Another post was my point of view on history. As I look at that, I want my students to know that while biases exist, there are ways to learn about the same topic from different perspectives and that history is important from every side of the story. The post about reward systems had me investigate what I deem as appropriate rewards for students. While I do want to acknowledge students for a job well done, I do not want them to think they have to get something every time they do something.
The bottom line: This course has shown me where I have been and where I am going as a teacher. I see that as the program is winding down, I am becoming more cognizant of myself and the decisions I will be making as I enter the classroom. As it says on Harry's golden snitch, "I Open at the Close".
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Rewards
What are your thoughts on reward systems? What have you seen in your field experiences? What have you considered for your own classroom use?
I think reward systems are useful and necessary for elementary school students. They seem to enjoy working for something tangible that is not for a grade. I like that they are versatile and can be used for students individually or as a class. In my field experiences, I have seen school-wide incentives for individual students like Blazer Bucks at Banks Road Elementary and Honey Money at Smith Elementary. This is awarded by teachers and the students can cash them in for prizes/rewards in their classrooms. Also at Banks, classes can earn Compass Coins that are displayed in the hallway and when they fill their board, can earn rewards as a class. Some of those rewards are popcorn parties and extra recess. In the classrooms, I have seen more of an individual student approach for rewards. I have seen pickle parties (for those who have finished work), free tech time, homework passes, and special days for the class (i.e. pajama day).
Based on my experiences, I would utilize the system put in place by the school, but vary the rewards to what would best suit the environment of my classroom. I like rewards that are cost effective (or free) like homework passes and tech time. I would focus on positive student behavior and be cautious that my rewards are not heading to the area of bribery. I want students to do well because they want to and know what is expected of them; not because they will get something in return.
The bottom line: Students like rewards and they can be effective when utilized appropriately. We do have to be careful that students are not just working for the carat, they need to do well because they have high expectations of themselves, not because they want a prize.
I think reward systems are useful and necessary for elementary school students. They seem to enjoy working for something tangible that is not for a grade. I like that they are versatile and can be used for students individually or as a class. In my field experiences, I have seen school-wide incentives for individual students like Blazer Bucks at Banks Road Elementary and Honey Money at Smith Elementary. This is awarded by teachers and the students can cash them in for prizes/rewards in their classrooms. Also at Banks, classes can earn Compass Coins that are displayed in the hallway and when they fill their board, can earn rewards as a class. Some of those rewards are popcorn parties and extra recess. In the classrooms, I have seen more of an individual student approach for rewards. I have seen pickle parties (for those who have finished work), free tech time, homework passes, and special days for the class (i.e. pajama day).
Based on my experiences, I would utilize the system put in place by the school, but vary the rewards to what would best suit the environment of my classroom. I like rewards that are cost effective (or free) like homework passes and tech time. I would focus on positive student behavior and be cautious that my rewards are not heading to the area of bribery. I want students to do well because they want to and know what is expected of them; not because they will get something in return.
The bottom line: Students like rewards and they can be effective when utilized appropriately. We do have to be careful that students are not just working for the carat, they need to do well because they have high expectations of themselves, not because they want a prize.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Self-Efficacy
Discuss self-efficacy. In what areas do you have a high degree of self-efficacy? What do you think contributed to this (experiences, people, opportunities, failures, etc.)?
I think of self-efficacy as when a person can produce an expected outcome successfully on their own. In the realm of Social Studies, self-efficacy is about teachers effectively presenting material to students. For students, it means feeling and being capable in the work they are doing in all subject areas.
I think I have a high degree of self-efficacy in work and when things change. I think I plan effectively and adapt to changes well. Things that I believe contributed to to this are people, opportunities and experiences I have had. People in my life have propelled me forward to know that I can be successful in what I do as long as I plan my work and work my plan. The most particular experiences that have contributed to my personal effectiveness have been through my time as a camp counselor. I have had to change activities at the drop of a hat, entertain a group that cannot go outside due to rain, and the list goes on. Sometimes I was unsuccessful. Through those failures, I learned to reflect on what I did and could do better the next time to be more effective. Having experiences where I had the opportunity to prove I could do something well contributed to my self-efficacy because I was really proving this to myself. Others knowing I could be successful was just a bonus.
I think of self-efficacy as when a person can produce an expected outcome successfully on their own. In the realm of Social Studies, self-efficacy is about teachers effectively presenting material to students. For students, it means feeling and being capable in the work they are doing in all subject areas.
I think I have a high degree of self-efficacy in work and when things change. I think I plan effectively and adapt to changes well. Things that I believe contributed to to this are people, opportunities and experiences I have had. People in my life have propelled me forward to know that I can be successful in what I do as long as I plan my work and work my plan. The most particular experiences that have contributed to my personal effectiveness have been through my time as a camp counselor. I have had to change activities at the drop of a hat, entertain a group that cannot go outside due to rain, and the list goes on. Sometimes I was unsuccessful. Through those failures, I learned to reflect on what I did and could do better the next time to be more effective. Having experiences where I had the opportunity to prove I could do something well contributed to my self-efficacy because I was really proving this to myself. Others knowing I could be successful was just a bonus.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Hook, Link, and Think
Hook Lesson Rationale
The objective of my hook lesson is for the students to create a strong definition of what culture is through their eyes and in their own words. I chose to hook them in this way so they have control of the way they see the word culture. Using a dictionary is great, but I think they will have a better connection if they tussle with their thoughts to create a definition. We would start the lesson with the question: what do you think of when you hear the word culture?". From there we would move into a read-aloud of the What is Culture? by Bobbie Kalman and discuss different examples of cultural characteristics of the groups in the community, region, and even the classroom culture. Students will work in collaborative groups to brainstorm and develop definitions and examples with thinking clouds. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students would come together and combine all of their thinking clouds to create a class definition of culture. This should get them excited to further investigate the cultures represented in the community and region, because they would be investigating based on the definition they created. This hook lesson would be used as a form of pre-assessment to see the students' original thoughts and ideas on the unit topic and how they work collaboratively with their classmates.
The objective of my hook lesson is for the students to create a strong definition of what culture is through their eyes and in their own words. I chose to hook them in this way so they have control of the way they see the word culture. Using a dictionary is great, but I think they will have a better connection if they tussle with their thoughts to create a definition. We would start the lesson with the question: what do you think of when you hear the word culture?". From there we would move into a read-aloud of the What is Culture? by Bobbie Kalman and discuss different examples of cultural characteristics of the groups in the community, region, and even the classroom culture. Students will work in collaborative groups to brainstorm and develop definitions and examples with thinking clouds. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students would come together and combine all of their thinking clouds to create a class definition of culture. This should get them excited to further investigate the cultures represented in the community and region, because they would be investigating based on the definition they created. This hook lesson would be used as a form of pre-assessment to see the students' original thoughts and ideas on the unit topic and how they work collaboratively with their classmates.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
POV on History
What are your reactions or experiences with point of view, perspectives, biases in history? How will you assist a child with disabilities or an English as a Second Language (ESL) learner in your classroom?
Is there a particular point of view, perspective, and bias in history education in the US? Yes there is. As a person of non-European descent, I have seen this first hand. I remember having to learn all about history from the majority's perspective with other cultural perspectives peppered in when appropriate. Meaning, we would learn about other cultures, but only around certain times of the year (think Black history in February). Looking at textbooks, the dominant culture had the majority of the book with other cultures only taking up at most a few chapters. Luckily, I learned more about my culture at home through books and family, which I hope is still being done for students today. I think that these biases and perspectives in history education are inadvertently teaching children of different backgrounds that their culture and history is not very important, which is a disservice to everyone. Students need to know that even though their culture is different and not talked about much in a textbook, it is still important because it is a part of who they are as an individual.
To assist and support ESL students and those with disabilities in my classroom, I would first do my research to learn more about their disability or native background. I want ALL students to feel comfortable to be who they are in my classroom and with their classmates. Learning more would help me eliminate my possible preconceived biases which I could pass on to the rest of the class. I would encourage those students to educate the class about themselves and their disability or where they come from to build a sense of community among the students. For the school work aspect, I would adjust assignments and assessments as necessary so they can be successful. I would have more than just textbooks available in the classroom so they can have access to other perspectives and point of views on history and other subjects. I would assess myself, what I am doing, and my classroom to be sure that I am doing everything I can to support students as they learn and achieve.
The bottom line(yes, I brought it back): Biases exist in history and students need to know the story from different perspectives and points of view, not just the one written in a textbook. ESL students and those with disabilities need to feel welcomed in the classroom and this could be the best way to assist them, to let them know they belong.
Is there a particular point of view, perspective, and bias in history education in the US? Yes there is. As a person of non-European descent, I have seen this first hand. I remember having to learn all about history from the majority's perspective with other cultural perspectives peppered in when appropriate. Meaning, we would learn about other cultures, but only around certain times of the year (think Black history in February). Looking at textbooks, the dominant culture had the majority of the book with other cultures only taking up at most a few chapters. Luckily, I learned more about my culture at home through books and family, which I hope is still being done for students today. I think that these biases and perspectives in history education are inadvertently teaching children of different backgrounds that their culture and history is not very important, which is a disservice to everyone. Students need to know that even though their culture is different and not talked about much in a textbook, it is still important because it is a part of who they are as an individual.
To assist and support ESL students and those with disabilities in my classroom, I would first do my research to learn more about their disability or native background. I want ALL students to feel comfortable to be who they are in my classroom and with their classmates. Learning more would help me eliminate my possible preconceived biases which I could pass on to the rest of the class. I would encourage those students to educate the class about themselves and their disability or where they come from to build a sense of community among the students. For the school work aspect, I would adjust assignments and assessments as necessary so they can be successful. I would have more than just textbooks available in the classroom so they can have access to other perspectives and point of views on history and other subjects. I would assess myself, what I am doing, and my classroom to be sure that I am doing everything I can to support students as they learn and achieve.
The bottom line(yes, I brought it back): Biases exist in history and students need to know the story from different perspectives and points of view, not just the one written in a textbook. ESL students and those with disabilities need to feel welcomed in the classroom and this could be the best way to assist them, to let them know they belong.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Integrated Curriculum
The main concern I have with integrating the curriculum is where to start, by that I mean which subject(s) to integrate first. I would want it to be a smooth transition for me and appropriate for my students. My next concern is timing. With so much to do as a teacher already, I am worried that I will not have enough time up front to plan for integration successfully. I am sure that once I start, it will be easier for me to integrate the curriculum as I gain more experience as a teacher.
I think the reason we are not seeing this more often in schools is standardized testing. The pressure of success on teachers and students has led us to teach to the test and hanging non-tested subjects out to dry. As I said, teachers have a lot on their plates already, and time is not on their side. I believe they feel overwhelmed and adding more might worry them. I think they may not receiving training on how to integrate curriculum like we are right now, so they may be reluctant to do so in their own classrooms.
I would advocate for non-tested subjects by using the Common Core because it lends itself to integration. In working with the standards, integrating other subjects seems like a natural fit and makes time in return. Another way I would advocate for these subjects, particularly social studies, is to inform others that I am teaching future leaders of our country and just because they are not being tested on the material does not mean they should not learn about it.
I think the reason we are not seeing this more often in schools is standardized testing. The pressure of success on teachers and students has led us to teach to the test and hanging non-tested subjects out to dry. As I said, teachers have a lot on their plates already, and time is not on their side. I believe they feel overwhelmed and adding more might worry them. I think they may not receiving training on how to integrate curriculum like we are right now, so they may be reluctant to do so in their own classrooms.
I would advocate for non-tested subjects by using the Common Core because it lends itself to integration. In working with the standards, integrating other subjects seems like a natural fit and makes time in return. Another way I would advocate for these subjects, particularly social studies, is to inform others that I am teaching future leaders of our country and just because they are not being tested on the material does not mean they should not learn about it.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Social Studies Lessons
What are the attributes of meaningful, well-planned social studies lessons?
When I think of what it takes for social studies lessons to be meaningful, my mind goes to the end result. Since we learned about Backward Design in class last week, I think this is pretty important for social studies because we are being intentional in what we do and present to students. One of our textbooks described it this way:
"Backward design may be thought of, in other words, as purposeful task analysis: Given a worthy task to be accomplished, how do we best get everyone equipped?" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p.19).
By knowing where we want students to end up, lessons and assessments can be better planned to help them get there. Planning in this way is another attribute to meaningful social studies lessons because teachers are not losing sight of the objectives. Learning experiences have to be authentic and intentional enough to meet the end results, yet captivate student interest. Interdisciplinary instruction is an attribute of social studies lessons because this is a subject that plays well with others. In social studies, there are opportunities to incorporate ELA, math, and even science. Since the school day is already busy enough, integration is the best way to insure students are getting the social studies (and arts) instruction they need.
When I think of what it takes for social studies lessons to be meaningful, my mind goes to the end result. Since we learned about Backward Design in class last week, I think this is pretty important for social studies because we are being intentional in what we do and present to students. One of our textbooks described it this way:
"Backward design may be thought of, in other words, as purposeful task analysis: Given a worthy task to be accomplished, how do we best get everyone equipped?" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p.19).
By knowing where we want students to end up, lessons and assessments can be better planned to help them get there. Planning in this way is another attribute to meaningful social studies lessons because teachers are not losing sight of the objectives. Learning experiences have to be authentic and intentional enough to meet the end results, yet captivate student interest. Interdisciplinary instruction is an attribute of social studies lessons because this is a subject that plays well with others. In social studies, there are opportunities to incorporate ELA, math, and even science. Since the school day is already busy enough, integration is the best way to insure students are getting the social studies (and arts) instruction they need.
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