I found these chapters to be helpful in describing how to keep your students interested in your class and how to make them want to come to school and learn. This chapter is really devoted to having faith in your students and believing that they can do the work. I really liked the section on not giving support for only final drafts. It makes it easier for the student if they are being coached the entire time and if they get continuous feedback. This way if the student is doing something wrong then they do not practice the wrong way and then find out that they are wrong. Continuous feedback allows students to constantly be improving. I really like the section about how to help students take risks and answer questions in class. I felt that they really hit the nail on the head with the different types of pressures that students feel at all times. Most people understand that a student feels pressure from their peers and from home and some of the other obvious places, but it seems that you have to be a student to understand about the pressure of always getting the right answer. Always being the one that the teacher relies on holds a lot of pressure and can be just as demanding as the other pressures.
I found that in a lot of my classes I was one of the students that the teacher would rely upon to keep the class moving. At times I would be thinking, “Oh, come on. Don’t call on me. Both of us already know that I know the answer. Ask someone else that does not get to answer questions a lot.” There was just as much pressure for me to pass in all my work and get good grades as anyone else even though I was getting good grades. I have had English teachers that would not correct your paper until the final copy. This always made me mad because I felt like I could not learn about the writing process if I did not know what I had done wrong. Then I have also had teachers that seemed to want to write my paper for me. I found this even more annoying than the teachers that gave no feedback. I understand that there is a certain format that the paper should follow but allow me to choose the topic and the words that I use to convey my point. I really liked how the book talks about setting clear standards. I have had teachers that did not have clearly stated standards and I would always wonder what was allowed during class. This added one more pressure that I did not need as a High School student.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior
I like how this chapter deals with the idea of classroom management from the students’ point of view. I found it very interesting how all the students wanted the classroom to be orderly and how they recommended setting boundaries on the first day. I think this is one of the hardest things to do as a new teacher because you want to be liked but your class so you tend to be more lenient and then class gets out of hand. I agree that it is important to be consistent with your rules. If a rule applies to one kid than it should apply to everyone and if you tell the student that you’re going to call his parent then call his parent. I found the part about why students are disruptive to be very helpful, if you are able to tell why someone is being a nuisance than you are one step closer to helping him and calming him down. One of the most helpful parts of the chapter was when they had tips from the students. Many of the tips seemed to be common sense but if the students felt that they were important enough to mention then it probably means many teachers do not follow them.
I have classrooms that were completely run by the students, classroom that were dictatorships, and some that were in between. The classes that were run by the students were not always with new teachers, I also found the same thing happened when teachers were about to retire. They seem to get to a point were they figure that they are going to be gone and there was no reason to just let the students do what they wanted to do. It did not matter who the teacher was, I found that I was unable to learn in these classes and I generally did not like the class. The classes that were run like a dictatorship were fewer but I found that they same thing would happen, I would not like the class and I would not learn. The classes that were somewhere between were the classes that I really liked, where the teacher had control but let the students make some decisions. These classes were fun and I was able to learn a lot from them.
I have classrooms that were completely run by the students, classroom that were dictatorships, and some that were in between. The classes that were run by the students were not always with new teachers, I also found the same thing happened when teachers were about to retire. They seem to get to a point were they figure that they are going to be gone and there was no reason to just let the students do what they wanted to do. It did not matter who the teacher was, I found that I was unable to learn in these classes and I generally did not like the class. The classes that were run like a dictatorship were fewer but I found that they same thing would happen, I would not like the class and I would not learn. The classes that were somewhere between were the classes that I really liked, where the teacher had control but let the students make some decisions. These classes were fun and I was able to learn a lot from them.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Type I and Type II Technology
Type I technologies do not change how things are taught and do not use technology to its fullest extent.
1) When I think about Type I technologies I think about my High School Freshman English class. We had the new laptops but they were never used. They sat in the carts and the only time we used them was when we had to print off a paper or type a paper. They were never used to look up information or to augment our learning.
2) The next class that we never used technology to its fullest extent was in my High School Computer class. In this class we would walk in and sit down at a computer and spend the rest of the time following onscreen instructions for typing. We never even learned about the different programs in Microsoft Word or how to use the features. If any of us were to try to explore the computer and learn about other programs on our computer we would be told to get back to work and be disciplined.
3) Another class that Type I learning seems to be primarily used is in math classes. Many math classes use calculators to do basic math and for the most part nothing else. Calculators are useful devices but can be used in many more ways then just the four operations and for the most part they are not needed when it comes down to the four operations.
Type II technologies change how things are taught and use innovative ways in which to teach.
1) The first example that comes to my mind when I think about Type II technologies is when I think about my High School Calculus class. Every class period we used our TI-83 calculator to help us solve problems. We used almost all the different functions on our calculators to supplement our learning. When we were graphing we used the calculators to learn how adding and multiplying functions changed the derivatives after we made hypotheses on how we thought the graphs would change.
2) The next example that comes to my mind when I think about how technologies have supplemented my learning I think about Sophomore English in High School. My teacher was younger (just out of college) and was receptive to using technology in his classroom. We would use movies and make songs during the class. One lesson was taught as a “Survivor” type game with a lot of it filmed and each contest incorporated parts of the lesson plan.
3) The last Type II teaching that I can think of was in my Middle School Science class. My teacher had us build all sorts of things like when we were learning about Morse code we built a telegraph between our classroom and a couple of other classrooms and we actually sent messages back and forth.
Maddux, Cleborne D., and D. LaMont Johnson. "Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning." Computers in the Schools. Vol. 22, No. 1/2, 2005, pp. 1-5
1) When I think about Type I technologies I think about my High School Freshman English class. We had the new laptops but they were never used. They sat in the carts and the only time we used them was when we had to print off a paper or type a paper. They were never used to look up information or to augment our learning.
2) The next class that we never used technology to its fullest extent was in my High School Computer class. In this class we would walk in and sit down at a computer and spend the rest of the time following onscreen instructions for typing. We never even learned about the different programs in Microsoft Word or how to use the features. If any of us were to try to explore the computer and learn about other programs on our computer we would be told to get back to work and be disciplined.
3) Another class that Type I learning seems to be primarily used is in math classes. Many math classes use calculators to do basic math and for the most part nothing else. Calculators are useful devices but can be used in many more ways then just the four operations and for the most part they are not needed when it comes down to the four operations.
Type II technologies change how things are taught and use innovative ways in which to teach.
1) The first example that comes to my mind when I think about Type II technologies is when I think about my High School Calculus class. Every class period we used our TI-83 calculator to help us solve problems. We used almost all the different functions on our calculators to supplement our learning. When we were graphing we used the calculators to learn how adding and multiplying functions changed the derivatives after we made hypotheses on how we thought the graphs would change.
2) The next example that comes to my mind when I think about how technologies have supplemented my learning I think about Sophomore English in High School. My teacher was younger (just out of college) and was receptive to using technology in his classroom. We would use movies and make songs during the class. One lesson was taught as a “Survivor” type game with a lot of it filmed and each contest incorporated parts of the lesson plan.
3) The last Type II teaching that I can think of was in my Middle School Science class. My teacher had us build all sorts of things like when we were learning about Morse code we built a telegraph between our classroom and a couple of other classrooms and we actually sent messages back and forth.
Maddux, Cleborne D., and D. LaMont Johnson. "Type II Applications of Technology in Education: New and Better Ways of Teaching and Learning." Computers in the Schools. Vol. 22, No. 1/2, 2005, pp. 1-5
My MEL Experiences
· Student/Teacher Relationship: When I think about a teacher that I had that developed strong relationships with students my High School Sophomore English teacher comes to mind. Mr. Finch was a beginning teacher and he was always a big hit with the students. He assigned a lot of work and his class was hard to get a good grade in but he found a way to make it fun. He would assign projects where we would make a medieval torture devise, film a reenactment of Macbeth, and he designed an entire lesson plan around “Survivor.” While he was able to connect to students he also made sure that while you were one of his students that you were not “friends” and that he would not play favorites.
· Helping Students Succeed: The teacher that has pushed me the most and still does stay in touch with me and continues to push me is my High School Calculus teacher. I feel that he saw my abilities in math and instantly knew what I was capable of and if I tried to pass in something less than what he thought I could do, he wouldn’t accept it. Going into the AP exam for that class he told me that he expected me to get a 5 (the highest possible grade) on it. He knew that I had the knowledge that I needed and just came out and told me.
· Hands-On: The class that was the most hands-on for me was High School Chemistry. Everyday we would do a new experiment or activity in our small groups. We would be given an objective and the supplies needed with an overview on how to proceed but then we were left to ourselves for the most part.
· Learning Styles: High School Physics is a class that I feel was designed to apply to the majority of learning styles. Some of the class was spent doing experiments and that would interest physical and logical students. The small lectures and board work with reading to go along with it kept the visual and auditory students engaged while the dinosaurs used in many of the experiments appealed to the natural students. Every lesson plan involved parts that would get all students interested.
· Interest: The class that held the most novelty for me is my Honors Encounter with Western Canon class that I took at UMF. The class was really driven by the students and if we wanted to read a certain book that pertained to the subject we could read it and write an essay on it. The class always got to decide what we were going to do next and if we had questions the rest of the class would help us find the answers.
· Autonomy: The worst class I have ever taken in respect to having autonomy was High School Biology. When class started we had to be sitting down and then there would be a lecture for the rest of the class. I only remember doing two experiments and those were highly structured in such a way that everyone’s final product was almost the exact same except for the name on the front.
· Avoid Rewards: As enriching as my High School Physics was my teacher refused to avoid rewards. He had a part in his class where we would all go out into the “glass corner” and he would ask us questions dealing with anything. Anyone who could correctly answer a question would get a piece of candy (usually a Starburst). This was done everyday and I feel that my teacher used the time to make sure that we were all on the same page because while we were out there we would also discuss the experiment or lecture of the day.
· Connections: The class that seems to always connect to previous classes is math. Calculus I builds off from PreCalculus and is continued in Calculus II. Then the ideas of derivatives and integration are used in Physics to help define acceleration and velocity. These tie in to my life because I am a runner and while I run I find it easier to know my time when all I know is my position and speed just by using some basic calculus. These concepts also apply to my life because one day I will be teaching them to students.
· Context: One class that I took that I have never found a use for the information taught is the computer class I took in High School. Just about the only thing I learned in that class was were all the keys were; however, I had already been taught that in Middle School so going back over it in High School did not help me. I know that I am expected to use computers in real life but I feel that where I already had the knowledge that it was a waste of my time to be in the class relearning what I already knew.
· Helping Students Succeed: The teacher that has pushed me the most and still does stay in touch with me and continues to push me is my High School Calculus teacher. I feel that he saw my abilities in math and instantly knew what I was capable of and if I tried to pass in something less than what he thought I could do, he wouldn’t accept it. Going into the AP exam for that class he told me that he expected me to get a 5 (the highest possible grade) on it. He knew that I had the knowledge that I needed and just came out and told me.
· Hands-On: The class that was the most hands-on for me was High School Chemistry. Everyday we would do a new experiment or activity in our small groups. We would be given an objective and the supplies needed with an overview on how to proceed but then we were left to ourselves for the most part.
· Learning Styles: High School Physics is a class that I feel was designed to apply to the majority of learning styles. Some of the class was spent doing experiments and that would interest physical and logical students. The small lectures and board work with reading to go along with it kept the visual and auditory students engaged while the dinosaurs used in many of the experiments appealed to the natural students. Every lesson plan involved parts that would get all students interested.
· Interest: The class that held the most novelty for me is my Honors Encounter with Western Canon class that I took at UMF. The class was really driven by the students and if we wanted to read a certain book that pertained to the subject we could read it and write an essay on it. The class always got to decide what we were going to do next and if we had questions the rest of the class would help us find the answers.
· Autonomy: The worst class I have ever taken in respect to having autonomy was High School Biology. When class started we had to be sitting down and then there would be a lecture for the rest of the class. I only remember doing two experiments and those were highly structured in such a way that everyone’s final product was almost the exact same except for the name on the front.
· Avoid Rewards: As enriching as my High School Physics was my teacher refused to avoid rewards. He had a part in his class where we would all go out into the “glass corner” and he would ask us questions dealing with anything. Anyone who could correctly answer a question would get a piece of candy (usually a Starburst). This was done everyday and I feel that my teacher used the time to make sure that we were all on the same page because while we were out there we would also discuss the experiment or lecture of the day.
· Connections: The class that seems to always connect to previous classes is math. Calculus I builds off from PreCalculus and is continued in Calculus II. Then the ideas of derivatives and integration are used in Physics to help define acceleration and velocity. These tie in to my life because I am a runner and while I run I find it easier to know my time when all I know is my position and speed just by using some basic calculus. These concepts also apply to my life because one day I will be teaching them to students.
· Context: One class that I took that I have never found a use for the information taught is the computer class I took in High School. Just about the only thing I learned in that class was were all the keys were; however, I had already been taught that in Middle School so going back over it in High School did not help me. I know that I am expected to use computers in real life but I feel that where I already had the knowledge that it was a waste of my time to be in the class relearning what I already knew.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Learning Style Inventory Results
I think that this captures me very well. I do find that I am very well balanced with a little less in auditory than the other areas. I was not surprised to find that my highest area was in logical because I love mathematics and I always read any articles that I find about math that interest me. Overall I think that this is a very good website and fairly accurate.learning-styles-online.com
Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness
The part that caught my attention the most was the part about the two coaches. One coach has a laissez-faire style of coaching while the second coach made sure that the students ran the laps they were supposed to run.
I have had both of these types of coaches. In high school my cross-country coach let the team get away with not running or running fewer miles than we needed to run in order to be ready for races. Now in college the cross-country coach makes sure that everyone runs the miles needed. The way the new coach trains us is that if an athlete does not run during practice than he does not run in the races. I really like this way of teaching because it promotes the idea that someone must work hard to succeed which is what I believe.
I have had both of these types of coaches. In high school my cross-country coach let the team get away with not running or running fewer miles than we needed to run in order to be ready for races. Now in college the cross-country coach makes sure that everyone runs the miles needed. The way the new coach trains us is that if an athlete does not run during practice than he does not run in the races. I really like this way of teaching because it promotes the idea that someone must work hard to succeed which is what I believe.
Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well
The idea of having the students keep a journal appeals to me. This is discussed by both the students in the book and by the author. I like the idea of having a journal that is not graded (unless it is graded on participation).
I have had a few of my past teacher make me keep a journal and looking back on that experience I find that I really enjoyed keeping a journal during classes. Being a math student I complained about having to write but it did give me a chance to tell the teacher what I was thinking without having to go to the teacher directly. It also gave me a place to tell the teacher more about me and organize my own thoughts and ideas.
I have had a few of my past teacher make me keep a journal and looking back on that experience I find that I really enjoyed keeping a journal during classes. Being a math student I complained about having to write but it did give me a chance to tell the teacher what I was thinking without having to go to the teacher directly. It also gave me a place to tell the teacher more about me and organize my own thoughts and ideas.
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