Closing Post

The first five things I would do about education are:

1) Rid the nation of NCLB and all of its negative pressures and consequences on education. Make schools accountable for a more well rounded curriculum, rather than force dry, meaningless content matter upon students who do not retain any of the information

2) Infuse a mandatory science, arts, physical education, social studies curriculum into the already structured language arts/math schedule. In order to promote well rounded citizens, we must provide them with a well rounded education

3) rid tenure, or make it harder to attain tenure. 2 years to attain tenure is not enough to measure a teacher's success. We are all constantly changing and adapting, make tenure at least 5 years.

4) Provide incentives and extra support for those teachers who are willing and able (like myself) to accept a challenge and work in underserved, inner city, or low performing environments

5) Adopt better ways to measure student success. Multiple choice standardized testing is NOT the only way. Adopt comprehensive programs to measure students problem solving, critical thinking, and multiple intelligences; not just whether they can read a passage and choose the best answer.

2. The most meaningful parts of Ravitch's book was her constant questioning, reasoning, and thinking. She is a strong, intelligent female role that has chosen to go against the grain and that has been very powerful as a young teacher to read about. While everyone is swimming with the flow, she is swimming against it, trying to find reason as to why things are not working. I especially enjoyed reading the parts where she advocated quality education for ALL students; not just those who are motivated to apply for better options. Education should serve all, and without any exceptions.

3. Given the state of the current education system, I like Ravitch can do only what I know how to do best. BE there for my students, show them I care, I am there for them, genuinely wish for their best success, and give my heart and soul into the class for my 9 months out of the year with them. While the system may require what I have to teach, I can still do it with the love and liveliness I have in my heart. I believe that I am given a gift to reach others, and I take this very seriously.

4. The National Education Association has a section under "Issues and Actions" on the achievement gap. There are many resources here on which groups are most affected by gaps, research done, and tools educators can use to close the achievement gap http://www.nea.org/home/1051.htm



5. Over the next three years I plan to...

a) still like to see
-More public library program offerings for young students in Oakland, San Francisco, and surrounding inner city areas.
-Children's Oakland Museum, Exploritorium, Academy of Sciences, etc.
-826 Valencia's creative writing nonprofit program  http://826valencia.org/our-programs/
 b) still like to read
-The Vicious Cycle ( about housing segregation, schools and inter generational inequality)
- Narrowing the Achievement Gap in a (Re)segregated Urban School District 
-Closing the racial academic achievement gap by Matthew Lynch

taken in san francisco as a passerby

Mr. Roberts & The Technology Presentation

1. Discuss what was the most relevant parts of Dr. Robert's presentation for you. What further questions do you have regarding this subject.


One of most relevant parts of Dr. Roberts presentation was the point of multitasking; the use of several technologies at any given time. Wether it is watching TV and playing on the computer, or listening to music while playing games, it is ultimately taking away from the ability to focus on one event at a single time. I think this concept of multitasking effects other aspects of a student's life. If one is constantly trained to switch attention from one stimulus to another, then it is going to carry over into settings like the classroom. The student will seek a stimulus to switch over to, or will be unable to focus on the task they are on. I think multitasking can be dangerous and needs to be monitored closely.
I also found the aspect of technology exposure vs. technology use very profound. While one can be using technology for 5 hours, they can actually be exposed to it for double it they are multitasking. This was fascinating and shocking to me! Dr. Roberts shared that some students were exposed to over 15 hours of technology a day! Between school and sleep (hopefully 8 hours), I can't imagine that there was any time for outdoor play! Relating to my above statement on multitasking, using two or more technologies at once will expose you to more spent on technology
Finally, the last point that I found relevant presented by Dr. Robert's was that students who used less technology reported better grades. Those who used more technology reported to have worse grades than their counterparts. I found this a strong correlation to keep in mind, because essentially, the more a student spends time on his homework and less time on a game or TV, the better they will do in school.




2 & 3. Read the NY Times article "More Pupils are Leaning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality" Discuss the implications for education, for your school community, and for your own teaching.


As an elementary school teacher, the prospect of turning over core subject matter  to computer based classes frightens me. Human development occurs well past the age of 16; the child is still developing motor skills, mental processing, coordination, etc. As a young child, learning MUST incorporate an environment in which the child can move, write, read, play, touch, etc. It is dangerous to me, to require children at such young ages to take courses online. How will they develop if the subject is not offered to them in a multidimensional aspect. I understand the implications for wanting online courses; more options, remediations made possible for higher graduation rates, and lower costs. But, it's frightening, it really is. If this method filters down to elementary schools where ALL courses are taken online, I can only imagine the limitations and detriments that child will face; lack of face to face skills, lack of discussion, a constant docile and seated position staring into a neon screen like a robot. I strongly oppose this new found education online, ESPECIALLY at the elementary level where learning is not just reading a text and discussing its underlying meaning, it is about a multifaceted learning experience where children get to hear, listen, touch, discuss and reflect on the subject. Students can not do this if they are required to type away on on a computer for 6 hours a day.




4. Review the "Technology Resources for Teacher" document. Explore a minimum of four links with which you are unfamiliar and discuss how each can support student learning in your classroom- now or in the future.


http://www.teachertube.com I liked how all content on this site was education related, and organized effectively into categories. The videos can provide as a supplemental resource to any lesson from songs to interviews to exerpts from literature. I cam across a great geography song called fifty nifty united states. It would be great to use this song as a way to help students to learn the 50 states in America, but in a fun and participatory way.


http://www.donorschoose.org I've heard about this website since I started the Saint Mary's program. Both of my master teachers utilized this website to get the most amazing supplies for their classrooms. My first grade master touched got manipulative math games, magnetic white boards, and clocks with moving hands. My third grade teacher received loads of science supplies; from butterfly nets, to magnifying glasses, to science experiment kits. I can't wait to use this organization in my own classroom since I will most likely be teaching in a low funded district. It gives me confidence that there are people out there that want to donate to the world for a better cause.


http://www.dropbox.com/ I thought this was a neat tool to have uploaded onto various computers. Instead of having to email documents to myself, or save it onto a hard drive, this will be much easier to drop documents, files, pictures etc. into a folder and have it when I get to the classroom. I think it will also be useful when I want to collaborate and share ideas with fellow teachers. I will definitely use this resource!


http://quizlet.com I really like this resource for ELD use. When I taught ELD, there were many simple vocabulary terms in the unit that students misunderstood or did not know. I like how there are preset flashcards that are related like "fruit" or "things with wheels." The flashcards provide both the picture and the word together, and can easily be flipped to the next card. I will use this source for ELD to supplement understanding for a certain unit. I think photographs and pictures can be a powerful resource. Often, students have the background knowledge; they know what the object is, they just don't know what it is called.




5. Respond to one other blog in the class.

Interdisciplinary Subjects : Week of July 17th

I commonly teach language arts, in fact it is required to take up a huge portion of the day's schedule in the elementary classroom. No doubt, because NCLB requires all students to be proficient in language arts and math by 2014, a chunk of the day must be devoted to the skills on the test. Every day, practice in comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and reading takes place in the classroom. I believe that a lot of this content can be dry, repetitive and boring. It causes the students to check out during instruction, and therefor lose educational value. I have a heavy desire to incorporate other subject matter into language arts, especially science, so students can learn valuable language arts skill through rich and meaningful texts and hands on experiences. Whoever said that literature had to be structured in rigid ways, and multiple choice questions had to follow? No! Literature can be fun, interesting, colorful, and interactive. As science is already lacking in many classrooms, I am currently seeking research and activities for ways to incorporate and fuse these two subjects together.

I came across another fellow blogger; Melissa Stewart and a nonfiction writer of over 150 science books for children. She advocates an interdisciplinary approach to teaching science through language arts. She claims on her blog that "nearly 86 percent of scientists who reported loving their jobs could trace their interest in science to someone they knew or an experience they had when they were 7 to 10 years old." As an elementary teacher, it is so exciting and inspiring to know that we have such incredible power to light their interests this young! Melissa gives several links and strategies for infusing science through language arts.
Reading Buddies adapts science-themed picture books into fun Reader's Theatre scripts that Elementary students will love practicing and performing.


Using animal books for Readers Theatre. Scripts based on animal books can easily include a role for every student in the class.


Pairing fiction and nonfiction literature is a great way to introduce and reinforce science concepts. This link gives great science titles for literature too.


You can find Melissa Stewart's website here.


Blogs I responded to:


Debamitra http://rdguha.blogspot.com/
Christina http://missbaronian.blogspot.com/

In Response

For Session 2's posting, I responded to


Debamitra Guha http://rdguha.blogspot.com/
Lauren Rowe http://rdguha.blogspot.com/
Jenna Joseph http://JennaJosephMAT.blogspot.com

Mind the Gap; Session 2

In Response to; The Death and Life of the Great American School System by Diane Ravitch


1) In Chapter One, Ravitch makes a number of reflective opinions on education reform. Of the many provocative statements made, one regarding testing and accountability resonated with me. 


On page 12, Ravtich claims, "I concluded that curriculum and instruction were far more important than choice and accountability...Testing, I realized with dismay had become a central preoccupation in the schools and was not just a measure but an end in itself. I came to believe that accountability, as written into federal law, was not raising standards but dumbing down the schools."


I experienced this first hand this past spring in the third grade at Cambridge Elementary during my student teaching placement. Labeled a Title One, low performing school with a 98% Hispanic English Learner population, testing was a priority and there was no hiding this. As Elementary classrooms are self contained; all subject matter is expected to be taught within the classroom and by the lead teacher. Did I ever see Science, Social Studies, Art, History, or Physical Education being taught? Rarely. And shockingly so. One day, I asked students to point out the State of California on the map, and their fingers pointed to Florida, New York, even Hawaii; everywhere BUT California. I was appalled by the lack of basic skill in third grade, but boy, did they know how to fill in a bubble, underline key words in a test question, sit silently behind privacy boards during a test, etc. The preparation for the STAR test was horrifying. Test preparation started months before the actual test, and the content was dry and boring. Students tuned out, and if they did not, they were accustomed to the methods of test taking skills and got through it in a drone like fashion.There was no interest, no fascination, no fire in their eyes. As an entering teacher to the field, it was horrifying and disheartening to watch this take place in a classroom where students were being tested on basic skills, but couldn't even point to their own state on the map. Ravitch proves a good point when she says testing is an end itself. So many educators throw around the phrase "teaching to the test," and it is unfortunately hindering the knowledge these tiny little sponges of students are allowed to explore. Because there is no geography section on the STAR test, I suppose these students will continue to be coined "proficient," yet lack the basic skills of identifying countries, states, and cities on a map, what I consider a basic skill no matter where one is from.


On page 13, Ravitch states, " We as a society cannot extricate ourselves from fads and nostrums unless we carefully look at how we got entangled in them. We will continue to chase rainbows unless we recognize that they are rainbows and there is no pot of gold at the end of them."


I admired how Ravitch expressed this quote, because I feel as an American society, this chasing the rainbow mentality applies not only in education, but across the board. We are a culture who wants it all, and wants it right now. So, by creating fads and reforms, it is a way for our society to acquire success, wealth, fame, fortune, etc. fast and now. Patience is a virtue. My parents always say, there is no substitute for hard work. I believe this is the point Ravitch is trying to make; that even though these reforms look and sound appealing, and promise results of change and success in a very short time, we as a community of educators must refrain from these pretty lights, and focus on a well founded base of instruction and curriculum. America loves big cars and bigger homes, quick weight loss schemes, get rich quick methods, fast food, etc. Everything is expected now. I must remind myself to not get persuaded in these quick solutions and focus on what always works; hard work. I hope Ravitch would agree. :)


2) On page 16, Ravitch states that a well educated person "has a furnished mind, shaped by reading and thinking about history, science, literature, the arts, and politics. The well educated person has learned how to explain ideas and listen respectfully to others." I strongly agree with Ravitch's statement, because a well educated person should be well rounded, and knowledgeable in a variety and wide array of subject matter; not only in mathematics and language arts like the STAR test proposes. 


I also believe a well educated person should have an intrinsic enjoyment of learning, and a desire to continue learning. They should be open to ideas that are unlike their own, and be able to debate in a sense that does not undermine or demean an others' opinion. A well educated person should find time to read and reflect; but always keep their mind stimulated. Reflection should be an independent activity through writing in a journal or thinking quietly, or a collaborative idea through discussion or debate. In todays' world, I think a person should remain true to the qualities stated above, and be resistant to the new age ideas of fads and trends. However, in the modern age, as technology is being infused into the classroom, I believe a well educated person should be up to date and know how and when to use these tools, and use them effectively to enhance the learning experience. Finally, I think a well educated person should be able to identify their weaknesses, and learn from them by practice and investing time to improve on that weakness.


3) Thinking further about Ravitch's book, I continue to question the nature of these reforms. We see all sorts of fads come to the market; whether it lies in the form of food, fashion, fitness etc. And the nature of these fads are that they come and go. Fads usually have a short stint on the shelf and they move on their merry way. However, the genius lies in how they are presented to the public; the packaging, the words used to hook us in, the advertising. Fads illuminate America's business like nature, and we all want a piece. If there were no trends, everything would remain a pretty stable. And if one thinks like a businessman, there is no opportunity for money if things remain stable. This brings me back to the point of education reform.
I am skeptical about who lies behind all of these reforms whether they are business men whose only desire is a pretty penny, or actual educators who believe in bettering the nation. Someone must be profiting from these new trendy reforms; the ones that promise in big flashing lights that; "this is the way towards better test scores," or "this is the way to reach proficiency in 5 years." It all sounds so appealing and tempting, but this brings us back to the genius behind it all. The way it is presented to us; the advertising, the packaging, and the promises of words that hook us in. Observing this trend of reforms, I am glad to say that I hold many questions about current and future fads that may be presented my way.


For questions # 4 and # 5 click on Read More below

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images

read books

In Response

I responded on three fellow multiple subject colleagues blogs:


Christina Baronian The New Teacher
Heather Porch Miss Porch
Alex Iwaszewicz nutrition in the classroom

Content Knowledge in Reflection

1.
I believe outside of school experiences are crucial to the development and interests of a learning child. Particularly in the elementary years, one must try and "dabble" in all sorts of activities to discover and find areas of interest. It is in these elementary years, that students can try out, get their hands dirty, make mistakes, perhaps fall flat on their face, and have the opportunity to try it again. With a supportive base of both in school and at home assistance, elementary students have opportunities to participate in; school funded or extra cirricular programs (academic, athletic, and artistic), and begin building a base of experiential knowledge that will develop that student into a whole being. I refer to whole being, because I find it crucial for all people to get experience in many fields of study. We have all heard the term "book smart," but there are many other elements of intelligence. One can refer to Gardner's multiple intelligence theory to understand what I mean. Yes, there is "book smart", and the education system puts high emphasis on this, but there is also; musical intelligence (sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music,) linguistic intelligence, bodily-kinisthetic, inter/intrapersonal intelligence (working well with others, and being a self reflective learner) along with several others.  My point is, one must be given freedom to explore these multiple intelligences through an array avenues in their environment. Ideally, these opportunities would be provided in all classrooms, but with the current high emphasis on standardized assessments, we must find outer ways to deepen our content knowledge.I have been lucky enough to dabble amongst many of these outside of school experiences. I was the girl that went from the blue leotard to an african drum circle. From playing the saxophone to playing the drums. Changing from soccer cleats to basketball shorts. I was involved in music, tutoring, sports, and summer activities. I never found it to be a nuisance, or "too much," but rather I found it fun! As a multiple subject teacher, I advocate all young children to try as many things as they can. Some activities they will love, and build upon. Some they will hate and it will end there. But at least there is an effort in trying. It is important for children to have an open mind for outside of school activities because it sets a base for open-mindedness for upper elementary and seoncdary school settings. If one is willing to try, then that is half the battle. 


(#2 & #3: click on Read More)

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why it matters

words of wisdom

my worst pet peeve!

Reflections

Reflection on Course 1: Introduction to Inquiry

My expectations coming into the course were only to increase my knowledge base and to make myself more knowledgeable and aware in the field of education.
As a beginning teacher, I feel my building blocks can be arranged in a variety of ways and it is important to me that I research, read and accumulate a variety of sources, opinions and experiences from my colleagues that I can accumulate into my "beginner teacher" internal file. I feel that teaching brings me joy and fulfillment, and it is my duty to serve the public and share what I have to offer. I hold this as one of my strongest strengths; my willingness to give part of myself for the sake of bettering youth.
Other strengths I hold are; being able to connect on a personal level to my students. Wether it be through subject matter, art, music, or shared interests, I have made a conscious effort to try and connect to each one of my students. I also do a good job at articulating academic language and being aware of how my words are spoken and delivered. I also create a safe and equal environment where all students are urged to learn and do their best. Finally, I have a calm demeanor; I face issues in the classroom head on yet maintain a level of control while doing so.

This course has given me a great stepping stone to begin my research topic, and a way of thinking to do so. I was grateful to have the library sessions where we were introduced to various educational journals and databases, and techniques on ways to search for topics. Questions on my personal research topic, and in subject matter are sure to arise. As of yet, regarding cademic achievement motivation in Title One Elementary classrooms, I want to know if there have been any local studies that I can refer to. Local studies would be very valuable, as I want to work in the Bay Area. An open mind, and a diligent work ethic will be most helpful to me during the program. Because I am only doing the program part time, I find that I will have a valuable hands on experience and opportunity to collect research on my topic, but it will be important for me to think through the lens of a research analyst.

I look forward to continuing my search and quest to better myself and my skills as an educator.

never stop learning

Achievement Motivation in the Classroom

Guiding questions on my quest in achievement psychology

• How do we close the significant achievement gap between low and high socioeconomic classrooms.

• How can those students coined "destined to fail" overcome these labels and obstacles already placed upong them.

• How can we (educators) promote positive behaviors and thinking patterns to raise achievement for low and high socioeconomic students alike

(to be continued)

Summer is for rejuvenation

Summertime is for rejuvenation says "Sue Marston", Science instructor at Saint Mary's College. But who can do such, when my whole life is in limbo. Where will I be in September, what curriculum will I be teaching, what grade, what sorts of people, what character of colleagues and principal will I be working with. I am trying to take the novelty with a grain of salt and be open to whatever may come my way, yet I can't help but feel a little anxious as I step into a new and ever evolving career.

So, as part of me wants to scream out in angst, the other part of me is trying to remind myself to be patient, reinforcing the idea that I am qualified, ready, and fresh with ideas and energy and the school who hires me will be lucky!

I remain focused; studying, reading, staying focused on my goals, and yes I am trying to rejuvenate as well. Exercising (finally!), eating well, and sleeping often. After all, If i want to teach to the whole child, I need to live this philosophy myself...live a whole and full life!


Now, for some meaty research articles

“Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.”― Aristotle

Classroom in 35mm

1st grader engaged in a lesson on shorter than/longer than measurement

Masters in Teaching

Hi All! Fellow Educators. Teachers. Friends. Family. 
This blog is my journey in words, pictures, and art that capture my road to a Masters in Teaching at Saint Mary's College. It will also capture my life in the classroom. Teaching is an Art, and I hope to convey it as such. Follow me in "The Enlightened Classroom"

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Teaching, Like many professions

Teaching...Like many professions

is an ART

Love by Shel Silverstein