Week 7 The Final Countdown

Blog Conclusion

 

                It was a pleasure sharing my thoughts and reading my classmates comments on my blog throughout the past seven weeks. I also enjoyed reading through my classmates posts, many times they offered me many alternate perspectives and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of course content and how we can apply it to our individual teaching situations.

                In my eyes, theorist John Dewey has been the most influential to the institution of education in society. Before Dewey, most education was teacher based and students were expected to memorize information presented to them. Dewey was a major player in making education about the student and having their educational needs meet their interests. By applying real life situations, Dewey was able to create inspired learners. Dewey also introduced the concept of integrated education, known today as cross curricular education. Dewey made education about the student rather than the teacher, and is one of the most influential theorists I have come to learn about.

                In addition to Dewey, my beliefs on education most closely relate to Maria Montessori. I love the hands on approach she implemented in schools. I also enjoy the portfolio and grading systems she created for her schools. It is my personal belief that we place too large an emphasis on numbers in education. I am a big believer in student based education and in Montessori’s schools the teachers act more as observers and guide their students to lead the students to a self-directed style of learning. This style most closely relates to my ideal education which would be students based and students would be given more electives and opportunities to work in fields of interest in middle and high school levels. I feel that the student based education that theorists such as Dewey and Montessori believe in are essential concepts that all schools will eventually adapt to.

                I cannot decide which stage of life interests me the most. After the information I gathered from the course I am much more intrigued by education of a child in the developmental stages. People are learning something new every day from birth until their last days on earth, so choosing a stage of life that interests me the most is a tough question to answer.

                My favorite assignments in EDU 502 are the assignments that forced me out of my comfort zone and made me experiment with technology that I am not familiar with. After this course I experimented with Prezi, iMovie, and even gave ‘go animate’ a shot. This experience inspired me to create more dynamic lessons for my students. I enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on weekly content and really enjoyed how everyone shared personal information as to what motivates them. After this course I felt a connection with my cohort that I did not feel in my previous course. While the assignments may have been difficult (in terms of technology) I feel I am a better educator because of it—now here’s hoping my iMovie will upload to blackboard :/. Thank you all for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it.

Week Six Motivation and Classroom Management

               

 Week six consisted of three articles and a video that discussed both motivation and classroom management techniques. The articles were (37) The Perils and Promises of Praise by Carol S. Dweck, (41) Middle School Students Talk about Social Forces in the Classroom by Kathleen Cushman and Laura Rogers, and (43)  From Ringmaster to Conductor: 10 Simple Techniques Can Turn an Unruly Class into a Productive One by Matthew A. Kraft. The video was titled Motivation and Emotion and was produced in the Discovering Psychology series.

 

                Article (37) discusses the effects that praise has on motivation. There are two main views of intelligence that this article focuses on, fixed intelligence and developed intelligence. In education we must stress the latter. Those that view intelligence as a trait that can be developed and improved are more often to exhibit traits associated with success in both school and life. On the other hand those that viewed their intelligence as fixed “become excessively concerned with how smart they are, seeking tasks that will prove their intelligence and avoiding ones that might take a back seat” (Dweck, 1999, 2006). Students with a fixed mindset will often seek out activities that they know they will succeed in and avoid challenges in fear of failure. Students with a growth mindset will take more risks in the hopes of learning more. The main difference between these two types of students in their view of effort. Effort is seen as a positive attribute in the developed intelligence students, whereas it is seen as a negative thing to students with a fixed intelligence perspective. In order to deal with these types of students and create a developed intelligence view in your classroom, one should praise effort as opposed to intelligence. For example a teacher should proclaim, “I really enjoy how hard you are working on the problem.” As opposed to saying how smart a student is for completing a task. If we, as educators, are able to convey the fact that intelligence is learned we will see a greater effort out of our students and it starts with praising effort.

 

                Article (41) looks at the perspectives middle school students have about their education and time spent at school. There are many factors (social, emotional, sense of belonging, etc.) that help determine how a student will act in school. This article stresses the importance of relating to your students and knowing the many internal and external factors that will shape a student’s behavior. In this article students are interviewed and quoted. Their answers are sometimes entertaining, informative, and sad. It offers a perspectives that easy to overlook. Of the 42 students interviewed there were many common themes that resonated that teachers should be aware of.

1.       Social factors often dominate behavior. Students do not want to act too well and be labeled as a “goody-goody”. They are also hyper-sensitive when it comes to the opposite sex at this age. Teachers should be aware of these notions and do their best to accommodate the students concerns.

2.       Being different hurts. Students easily notice the differences that exist in the classroom, whether it is race, intelligence, personal hygiene, etc. teachers need to emphasize acceptance in the classroom and be willing to offer help to students struggling to fit in.

3.       Students need to find a common ground with other students. Teachers should try their best to encourage group activities, take interest inventories, and play ice breakers to get students off on the right foot. School is much more enjoyable when it is spend with people you enjoy spending company with

4.       Teachers must treat the students fairly and have clear cut rules to avoid any misinterpretation of what is fair and what is not fair.

5.       Students want and need to be part of the conversation. Students need a voice in the classroom. It is our job to give those students that voice. Some ideas would be to have the class make their own set of rules that that can police themselves. Another example would be to choose projects that students have interests in. make school relatable to their own lives.

6.       Students want to be treated with the same respect. Do no give attention only to those acting out and refuse to play favorites. Students are very sensitive to whom the teachers favor and teachers should try to avoid that behavior.

7.       Teachers should guard a student’s right to a fair decision. Teachers should talk openly with students about issues of bias. Students will often think you are letting the kids that misbehave get away with things, or be treating one race different that another. These situations should be nipped in the bud with open communication.

8.       Hold up the norms that were agreed upon. Establish clear cut rules and remain consistent. Avoid subjective situations and do not make so many rules that they are hard to follow.

9.       Students want to be rewarded with things they like.

10.   Help students learn from mistakes. Do not embarrass students in front of everyone. Try to pull students aside and have them learn from their mistakes.

11.   Students need supervision. Students like knowing they are safe and want teachers around. Teachers should try their best to make themselves available to the students

If teachers can uphold these 11 underlying themes they will be taking a major step in ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment.

                Article (43) discusses ten techniques to help teachers with an unruly class. There are two major areas of focus when dealing with a class with issues, classroom management and behavior management. There are five tips for each.

Classroom Management

1.       What you teach. Make your curriculum as interesting as possible. Relate the content to your audience.

2.       Nonnegotiable rules. Instead of creating many rules that are hard to police, have a set of non-negotiable rules that are always clear and specific.

3.       Clear expectations. Establish classroom protocol and always make it clear what you expect of the students.

4.       Managing transitions. Eliminate down time with bell ringer activities for when the students enter the room. I tend to have a trivia question of the day in my health classes and have stations set up in my P.E. classes.

5.       Getting attention. Do not yell over the students. Rather you should set some sort of attention grabber to begin class such as a bell or turning off the lights. Only raise your voice when needed so your voice remains strong.

Behavior Management

1.       Behavior modification systems. Have a clear cut system in place for behavior issues. One technique I began last year was a restorative justice approach where I sat down two or more students involved with the problem and had them discuss. Most of the time they came up with their own punishments and was much more effective than me giving a typical punishment.

2.       Avoiding public confrontations. Do not single out students in public. Use eye contact or body language to help get students back on task.

3.       Private conversations. If a student is a constant disruption, pull them aside and have a conversation to see what the problem is. Many times it can be something outside of the classroom that is eating at them.

4.       Overcome the discipline myth. Tell the students that you are not there to be a disciplinarian. You are there to teach lessons, and the worst part of your job is yelling at students. Try to relate to them and their behavior will fall in line.

5.       Communication about moods. Have an open communication with your students. Make it a two way street where students can convey their feelings towards you and you towards them.

These ten rules will help any teacher, of any level, not matter how rookie or veteran they are.

The video, Motivation and Emotion by Discovering Psychology, discussed the relationship between motivation (why we do things) and emotion (how we feel about them). Motivation are often related but considered separate things. Emotion often is involved in what motivates us to do things. People are motivated by many sources. Motivation can be self-oriented, social, sexual, environmental, etc. Motivation is linked to movement. Our motivation is what causes us to do what we do. Our motivation and emotion culminate into two outlooks on life, optimism and pessimism. Optimism is the thought that when negative things occur it is a one-time thing or they are bound to turn around, whereas pessimism is hopelessness where one blames themselves for the things that go awry.

We can learn a lot from motivation. As educators we have a job to not only motivate ourselves, but the hundreds of students we encounter each year. Finding your own personal motivation will go an extremely long way to having a successful life. Motivation is what makes us tick, and knowing that I can make a difference in a student’s life by offering them a type of motivation is just one of the many reasons I love my job.

References

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Dweck, C. S. (2007). The perils and promises of praise. Educational Leadership, October. pp 34-39.

Cushman, K., Rogers, L. (2008). Middle school students talk about social forces in the classroom. Middle

School Journal, 39(3). pp. 14-24.

Kraft, M. A. (2010). From ringmaster to conductor. Phi Delta Kappan, April. pp. 44-47.

Week Five Learning Styles Blog

              

  This week we focused on different learning styles in education. We completed Keirsey’s Temperament Sorter, to discover our personalities and the potential personalities of our students. We also read two articles in Cauley and Pannozzo’s text Educational Psychology Edition 12/13. Article 26 was titled Classroom Assessment and Grading to Assure Mastery by James P. Lalley and J. Ronald Gentile and article 27 was titled Backward Design: Targeting Depth of Understanding for All Learners by Amy Childre, Jennifer R. Sands, and Saundra Tanner Pope. These articles discussed the importance of assessment and planning to suit the needs of all learners and ensure mastery of content.

                The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a test of 50 questions of two choices. The results categorize people into four groups, guardians, idealists, artisans, and rationals. This is a good tool to give you a general idea of what your personality is and the career paths that you might choose. As educators, almost every student was categorized as a guardian. Guardians are very people-friendly and often times work in service careers like teaching and healthcare. The tool is a good one for self-reflection and can be used to help you deal with the many different personalities your will encounter as a teacher.

                In article 26, Lalley and Gentile discuss the importance of assessment in education. They found that there are four critical errors many schools make in assessment “(a) demonstrating mastery is conceptualized as the endpoint rather than the initial phase of the learning/memory/application process, (b) mastery tests and activities are limited to the knowledge/comprehension of the thinking curriculum, (c) there is no requirement or grading incentive for going beyond the initial mastery and (d) assessment of student achievement remains embedded in a competitive or norm-referenced grading system” ( Lalley and Gentile, 2009). In order to overcome these pitfalls there are four targets for quality assessment.

1.       Clearly stated and published objectives. Students must be aware of the requirements expected and how they build upon those objectives.

2.       A sufficient high standard for demonstrating mastery. Teachers should set high standards of competency for their students. Students should be functioning at the top levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and be able to create based off knowledge acquired.

3.       Multiple forms of criterion referenced tests with corrective exercises and retesting. Students should be assessed based off criteria dictated in the beginning of the unit. Students should also be retested to minimize loss of knowledge. And

4.       Grading incentives to encourage reaching beyond initial mastery. In education we should go beyond the test. It is great when a student passes with a high grade; however, much of that knowledge is lost if not utilized. As educators we must encourage our students to pursue deeper levels of thinking.

Ultimately, if we can achieve these four benchmarks our students will have a deeper understanding, enjoy their education, and pursue more long-term educational goals.

                In article 27, Childre, Sands, and Pope focus on a four step approach to targeting depth of understanding for students a various learning styles.

1.       Step one is to identify classroom needs and individual student needs. Teachers should also be aware of any circumstances that could affect the group such as socioeconomic status and previous education.

2.       Step two is to identify curricular priorities. Teachers should consider setting goals for the class and posting them for all to see. Previously taught skills should be scaffolded and educational goals should be clear.

3.       Step three is to design assessment framework. Provide students with various assessments that target all skills. A good mix of presentations, quizzes, and informal assessments that target different learning styles should be used.

4.       Step four is to create learning activities. Engage students with stimulating lessons and activities. Utilize technology when possible and allow students to make real life connections.

By installing a backward design it keeps your goals in the forefront and allows teachers to create more meaningful activities with a solid end goal in mind.

                Ultimately, it is our job as educators to get the pulse of the classroom. We must target all learners by using a variety of instruction and assessment. If teachers teach with their students in mind they are more likely to make an impact on a student’s life.

Resources

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Lalley J.P. and Gentile, J.R. (2009) Classroom assessment and grading to assure mastery. Theory Into

Practice, January pp. 28-35.

Childre, A., Sands J. R., Pope, S.T. (2009) Backward design. Teaching Exceptional Children, May/June pp.

6-14.

Week Four Technology in Education

            This week’s content focused on the role of technology in education. Technology is constantly emerging and changing our society. Technology is also important to incorporate into education to keep our students on pace with the rest of the world. Week four contained one video, Digital Media: New Learners of the 21^st Century, and four readings: What is Technology Education? A Review of the “Official Curriculum”, Plagiarism in the Internet Age, Transforming Education with Technology, and Assessing Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Conduct and Consequences and Their Behaviors Regarding the Use of Social Networking Sites. Week four discussed the importance of technology, while minimizing the potential negatives that accompany technology in the classroom.

            The negative aspects of the increase of technology in our students’ lives are high cost of technical devices, over ambitious and hard to calculate goals of technology education, increased opportunities for plagiarism, cyberbullying, and internet predators. With the exception of the high cost of devices, most potential problems with technology can be solved with thorough supervision and proper education of acceptable use. As educators we must be willing to incorporate technology in the classroom, and properly educate our students as to the advantages and potential dangers that the internet poses.

            The goal of educational technology is “produce students with a more conceptual understanding of technology and its place in society, who can thus grasp and evaluate new bits of technology that they might not have seen before” (ITEA 2000, 4 cited in Brown & Brown, 2010). It is broken into five categories: nature of technology, technology and society, design, abilities for a technical world, and designed world. The nature of the overriding goal is hard to quantify, yet important to strive for in order to create well-rounded individuals.

            There are many befits to technology in the classroom. Technology provides a teacher with an opportunity to create an environment for students where they are in charge of their learning. Students that can relate to what they are learning are more willing to learn and try new things. Technology gives us the opportunity to inspire our students to strive for success. The internet allows for information to be distributed at a rapid pace. IPads, smart phones, smart boards, laptops, etc. should be looked upon as instructional devices, rather than potential distractions. Innovative teachers can use these technologies to inspire learning initiatives.

            Overall, the damaging potentials of technology are dwarfed in comparison to the positive aspects of technology. When using technology educators must teach of the dangers that technology can cause. Proper use of technology can develop a love of learning for our students, and is something that should be seen as a positive rather than a negative aspect in education.

Resources

Brown, R.A., Brown J.W. (2010) What is Technology Education? A Review of the "Official Curriculum". The Clearing House pp. 49-53.

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

 

Week Three Blog

            Unit three discussed the individual differences among learners. Part A discussed exceptional learning needs, part B discussed servicing the gifted and talented, and part C discussed diversity. I chose to read and elaborate on part B. As a teacher in a private K-8 elementary school, I come across a lot of exceptional learners. I have been blessed with the opportunity to educate some extremely bright children. I have chosen this section because it is most relevant to my profession and at the time I was curious as to which articles Cauley and Pannozzo would choose for the subsection. I read many article and have taken many classes that highlight the importance of inclusion and special education in schools. I cannot recall one instance of undergrad education the highlighted the needs of gifted students. This made this particular reading very interesting to me.

            Article 17, How Can such a Smart Kid Not Get It?, discussed ‘twice-exceptional” students and gifted students with disabilities (G/LD). This article struck a chord with me as it pertains to a student whom I have taught for the past three years. To explain this I will reference a prior article that we have read in this course titled, Inspired Responses by Carol Steele. In this article Steele states, that educators go through four stages unaware, aware, capable, and inspired. When I first began my teaching career I was in the unaware stage. Each day was an adventure from which I gained much pedagogical knowledge. I labeled this student as a problem child. He had a bad attitude, a distain for school, and a demeanor that I resented. I was in the unaware stage when I first met this student. After reading Yssel, Prater, and Smith’s article How Can Such a Smart Kid Not Get It?, I realized how I jumped to conclusions about this students before taking the chance to get to know this student. As this student progressed throughout school and I matured as a teacher I gained a new respect for him. This student was labeled with a learning disability and had an accommodations checklist, but as we formed a connection I truly saw how bright this student was. The student I reference thrives in certain areas, especially social studies. He is a history buff and can answer any question about American history. I suggest you try to stump him, you will be impressedJ. Yssel et al. discuss how we often look at gifted students with disabilities and only treat them for their negative qualities, rather than their strengths. I wonder if we could have made a difference by picking up on this student’s strengths and cultivating them instead of medicating him for his disabilities. As a third year teacher, I reflect on my first year and realize how I was unaware. I would be naive to say I have progressed through Steele’s four stages but I feel I have at least matured through the first stage and into the aware stage. My hope is that I can progress further from here.

            Article 18, The Relationship of Perfectionism to Affective Variables in Gifted and Highly Able Children, studies the effects of perfectionism on gifted children. This article hypothesized that perfectionistic tendencies in children left them as a risk for depressive behaviors. This article analyzed two separate cases of perfectionism, self-oriented and socially-prescribed. Ultimately, it was found that children do experience more depressive behaviors underneath socially-prescribed perfectionism. This study also posited that anxiety would be higher in perfectionist; however, the study found no proof of this. One problem I foresaw with this article was that all of the test and findings were based off of self-evaluation. This is an issue because children may have filled out what they thought would be the right answer, or may have filled untruthfully.

             Article 19, Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: Straight Talk, discusses the need to develop gifted children in schools. It is important to identify these children and challenge them to achieve to the best of their ability. Author, Tracey L. Cross, states the importance of moving from an “entity model, meaning [giftedness is] something that one is born with, to a phenomenon that is incremental in its development” (Cited in Cross, 2009). Tis mean that as educators we are in charge of the gifted. We have a unique position to develop the minds of many that can go on to make a difference in the world. It is this gift that inspires me to go in to work each day, knowing I can make a difference and inspire a child to make the most of himself/herself.

References

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Yssel, N., Prater, M., Smith D. (2010) How can such a smart kid not get it? Gifted Child Today, Winter, pp. 54-61.

Christopher, M.M., Shewmaker, J. (2010) The relationship of perfectionism to affective variables in gifted and highly able children. Gifted Child Today, Summer, pp. 20-30.

Cross, T.L. (2009) Social and emotional development of gifted children: straight talk. Gifted Child Today, Spring, pp. 40-41, 65.

Week Two Blog

                This week’s content discusses the cognitive, moral, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents throughout their childhood and school aged years. As educators it is important to have a firm grasp on the perspectives of development of our students so we can prepare and understand these stages in hopes to cultivate our students into successful adults.

                Article six, Play and Social Interaction in Middle Childhood, by Doris Bergen and Doris P. Fromberg discusses the value of play in a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. “…during play children practice their power to self-direct, self-organize, exert self-control, and negotiate play with others” (Bergen and Fromberg, 2009). Play allows children to be in control and socialize with other children. The open nature of play allows children to develop creativity and socialization skills that will serve as building blocks for further development. I work at a K-8 elementary school where the students are given a half an hour recess. As a physical education teach I can appreciate the value my school puts on unorganized play. This half hour allows the students an opportunity to express themselves and release the stresses that a long school day can put on a student. As teachers we have a role to facilitate play by allowing the children facilities to play, providing them with tools to play, and encouraging play amongst students.

Image from www.friendsofquinn.com

                Article seven, It’s All in the Game, by Kathleen M. Collins et al. describes the role that board games can play to foster communication and social skills. School is one of the many places that aid children in developing communication and social skills. Many students come off as extremely shy and introverted. The use of games, like board games, can help engage a shy child and offer them an outlet to express one’s self. The article provided the details of an idea of creating a large classroom sized board game. The students were able to make cross-curricular connections, work collaboratively, practice engaged research, and “express themselves through all of their available expressive, communicative, and cognitive languages” (Edwards, Gardener, and Foreman 1998, p. 7-cited in Collins 2011).

                As a Physical Education teacher, article eight Why We Should Not Cut P.E. by Stewart G. Trost and Hans Van Der Mars really struck a chord with me. Studies have shown that P.E. correlates with better grades and higher standardized test scores. Since its implementation in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act has placed an emphasis on Reading and Mathematics, causing schools to cut classes like P.E., music, and art. Although the research is limited to conclude for certain the P.E. allows for greater academic performance, no studies have proven that taking away P.E. correlate with better scores. With the growing rate of childhood obesity and heart disease, we are in need of inspiring P.E. programs geared towards getting students active for a lifetime.

                Article 9, Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs, by Ken C. Winters and Amelia Arria, links aggressive and impulsive behavior to brain development in adolescents. The article describes the development of the brain, specifically how the limbic area of the brain develops before the pre-frontal cortex region. The limbic area of the brain is associated with emotions and memories, whereas the pre-frontal cortex is connected with reasoning and regulating impulses. This development allows for greater risk taking behaviors, such as drug use and unsafe sex. This information is relevant for both teachers and parents, who should take every opportunity to describe the negative effects that these types of behaviors can have on a person. The best way to prevent a person from these behaviors is to fully educate them, model responsible use, and openly communicate with them.

                Article ten, Adolescent Decision Making, by Bonnie Halpern-Felsher is closely related to the previous article. Decision making is a very important process that oftentimes gets overlooked. There are many views of the process of decision making, but all have very similar characteristics. Assess the situation, weighing positive and negative consequences of your actions, willingness or ability to carry out actions, influences to make decisions, and making the decision. As in the previous article, this article discusses brain development and its role in decision making. As educators we must provide guidance to students in times of need, introduce healthy decision making practices, and provide appropriate consequences to the inevitable times where students make inappropriate decisions.

                Article eleven, Peer Contexts for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students, by Stacey S. Horn and Katherine E. Romero specifically deal with the acceptance, relationships, and attitudes towards individuals with different sexual interests. Students that experience attractions to the same sex can often feel alienated and alone. Both male and females tend to ostracize these individuals with the fear that embracing them will cause others to mistreat them. Adolescents often view being gay as wrong, yet they know it is wrong to exclude an individual that is gay. The older a person is the more willing they are to accept a person for being gay. The social environment that a student belongs to often molds their attitudes toward situations that deal with a student of a different sexuality. As educators we must do our best to convey to students that it is not wrong to be gay and that it is not a choice. Schools with groups in place to bridge the gap between gay and straight students often have a higher acceptance rate. Educators should teach of the differences amongst students and promote acceptance, even amongst issues like that that often cross religious backgrounds.

                As a health teacher, I enjoyed article twelve, What Educators Need to Know about Bullying Behaviors, by Sandra Graham. Bullying has become very widespread and is an extremely important issue in schools today. Bullying takes many forms, direct, indirect, through the internet, and amongst peers. This article dismissed many of the myths about bullying. These myths did not surprise me, but it was rewarding to hear that I was on the same page with this article when teaching students about bullying. In my experience, bullies are often popular and bullying often happens in groups. One myth that I found interesting me was the myth that zero tolerance policies reduce bullying. Instead of a zero tolerance policy, one method that I recently adapted is the restorative justice method. In this process I allow the students involved in the altercation to engage in a discussion amongst themselves with myself as the mediator. One process I have found that works is allowing the students to choose the punshiments for themselves in a group discussion. Many times these problems and misunderstanding get hashed out in the meeting; however, sometimes further actions are needed. Overall, educators need to teach the many forms bullying takes and the roles of individuals such as the bully, bystander, upstander, victims, and witness. Students should be aware of the consequences of bullying and appropriate actions should always be taken in bullying cases.

                Article thirteen serves as the summarizing article in Unit 2. The Bridge to Character by Will Damon discusses the four building blocks of character, “empathy, fairness, self-control, and obligation” (Damon 1992, 1999; Kochanska, Murray, and Harlan, 2000; Thompson, 1998; Wilson, 1993 cited in Damon, 2010). Teachers must mold students’ morals as they progress through their school aged years. Appropriate punishment for violations, character education, and encouraging students to consider others feelings will go a long way in developing a students with a good moral fiber. Teachers should pinpoint good examples given by students, and encourage students to help others. You can encourage community service, or giving to the poor. It is also beneficial to provide students with a worldly view and discuss real life models of character in society.

                Overall, there are many connections one could make with education and psychological development. Teachers who are aware of the development of their students and are inspired to practice their craft will make the greatest impact on their students. Encouraging play, collaboration, acceptance, and good morals will provide students with the building blocks in order to become successful and healthy adults.

References

 

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Bergin D., Fromberg D.P. (2009) Play and social interaction in middle childhood. Phi Delta Kappan,             pp.    426-430.

Damon, W. (2010) The bridge to character. Educational Leadership, pp. 36-39.

Week One Teaching and Learning Process Blog

 

 

The above picture shows a detailed version of the teaching and learning process; however, there is one crucial piece missing. Developing a personal connection.

                The teaching and learning process in schools is very multifaceted. Teachers must stimulate the students in such a way that the students feel inspired to learn. Students learn in many different ways; through instruction, relationships, and experiences just to name a few. Unit one in Educational Psychology editions 12/13 introduces articles dealing with perspectives on teaching. Article 1- Inspired Responses by Carol Frederick Steele and article 2- Reform: To What End? by Mike Rose discuss the qualities of effective teachers and how the education system should reflect the development of inspired teachers. Article 3- Embarking on Action Research by Catherine M. Brighton describes the significance of supporting the need for data to support the need for new and thought provoking teaching practices. Article 4- Teaching with Awareness: The Hidden Effects of trauma on Learning by Helen Collins Sitler and article 5 Supporting Adolescents Exposed to Disasters by Anne K. Jacobs, Eric Vernberg, and Stephanie J. Lee both discuss students need of social support in times of disaster and psychological issues.

                In Inspired Responses, Steele describes great educators as inspired, knowledgeable, have a considerable amount of life experience with the subject area, and possess an ability to read students, receive their cues, and comprehend the many signals students give us throughout the day. Teachers go through four stages of development: unaware, aware, capable, and inspired. As teachers progress to becoming an inspired teacher they reflect upon previous experiences, improve their craft, and develop an innate ability to respond to situations on the fly. Inspired teachers create a two way communication between classes, picking up on social cues, receiving messages from students, and reacting appropriately. Inspired teachers learn to develop relationships with students, understand patterns within the school, and understand the cultural and community characteristics of the school. Inspired teachers are willing to try new ideas, and are not afraid to fail. They gather ideas as they progress through their career and adapt it to the needs of their students.

                In Mike Rose’s Reform: To What End?, he describes the importance of educators creating learning friendly environments. Students need to feel supported, safe, and respected. Teachers should possess a genuine concern for their students, allow them to be smart, and take them seriously intellectually. We too often get caught up in a society obsessed with numbers and test scores. Rose posits that money should be allotted towards teacher’s professional development, not towards simply raising standardized test scores. If educators continue to develop over time, greater learning will then be achieved, thus raising test scores.

                Article 3, Embarking on Action Research, discusses the importance of investigating the classroom, finding ways to improve, and facilitating a change the will make a difference in the lives of students. While working with action research there are seven steps: identify a focus, develop a plan of action, collect data, organize data, draw conclusions from data, disseminate findings, and develop a new plan of action. Action research is important because it a person within a group that is facilitating the change, usually ensuring that the focuses being investigated are those with the betterment of the group in mind.

                Articles’ 4 and 5 are both very similar in that they deal with tragedy. Many tragedies can happen in a student’s life such as a death in the family or school community, divorce, natural disaster, etc. Sitler suggests that …“as teachers, we may be unaware that a students has experienced physiological trauma. Therefore, we need to teach in supportive ways” (p. 119 2009). We must always be compassionate and understanding as educators, always being attentive toward student emotions. Maslow (1987) suggests that an individual’s most basic needs are physiological, followed by a sense of security, and then emotionally (Cited in Sitler P. 120 2009). As educators, we must understand this and be able to support our students academically, as well as socially and emotionally. When dealing with tragedy we must be aware of student need and develop a school safety plan to ensure an appropriate mental health response from our schools, such as providing counselors, and having a system in place where students can go for help.

                The five articles in unit 1 all shed light on different perspectives on teaching. One common theme discussed in all five articles is the relationship teachers are able to develop with their students. The greatest educators are able to inspire their students and are looked upon favorably. An educator should care about their students and be dedicated towards bettering their lives. Teachers should be able to keep the pulse of the class, knowing the needs of the students, making personal connections, and providing resources to help students develop socially and emotionally.

References

Cauley K. M., Pannozzo G.M. Annual Editions: Educational Psychology 12/13. New York: McGraw-Hill

Sitler H. C. (2009) Teaching with awareness: the hidden effects of trauma on learning. The Clearing House, 119-123.