I'm not going to lie, I was dreading this class. I heard so many different things about it. So much work to do, so many assignments, you have to travel to Newark, and so many other things. But at the end of it all, I'm surprisingly thankful for all of this. The trips to Newark were interesting and got me excited to become a teacher. I loved observing, meeting the students, and seeing what I am going to be doing in the future. I enjoyed our class discussions and liked discovering different ways of looking at things.
As a teacher it is important to go into things with an open mind and be ready for whatever may come your way. This class got us prepared for that and we now are closer to our final destination. This class took a lot of work. We could not miss more than three, we had take home tests, blogs, writing assignments, hours to get done, observations, and an inquiry project. Yes, this is a lot and remembering back to the beginning I was dreading getting it all done, but now that it is the end I'm proud that I got it all done and that I achieved it all. Not only did this class make me absolutely sure that I wanted to become a teacher, but it also taught me how to manage my time well and prepared me for the work that I will be receiving in the future. I am excited for classes to come and more observations that I will be doing, but I am also excited for the chance to stand in fornt of my own classroom and teach my own students.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Inquiry Project
For our inquiry project I worked with Maryann and Lauren. We met at the library a couple of times and took advantage of our time in class to get things done. We are very happy with the turn out of our paper and are ready to present with our poster. I thought at first that this was going to be a lot harder than I expected. I heard 12 page paper and was ready to run, but grouping together for a group of 3 made things a lot easier and the paper was actually finished very quickly. If I had to give anyone advice for taking this class and having this assignment, it would be to do it in a group. There is a lot of writing and things to do that goes along in this course and a 12 page paper, along with other finals and projects is not something that can easily be done by yourself. It was helpful that throughout the semester we had to hand in things but still, once the end rolls around it is still a lot to handle on your own. So I would inform everyone to get together with people in your class and write together. Divide it up, and research separately then pick a couple hours to collaborate it all. Not only will things get done faster, but you won't have to do the presentation by yourself and you get to meet new people!
The good, bad, and ugly
A lesson we did in class regarding the different teachers, students, and a couple other things that fit into different categories such as good bad and ugly made me realize a couple things. The category that left me thinking was that of the students. I personally think that it is too difficult to put students in such categories. Yes, there are some with more challenges and difficulties to overcome than others but they all have potential. With the proper help and guidance a student can reach that potential and achieve its greatest. I;m not saying that every student can reach Harvard and graduate with stellar grades, but they have a level that is their best that can bee reached with some help. To put students in a category and have them be defined right off the bat as a good kid, bad kid, or discipline problem student, then we as teachers are already downgrading their potential and putting them either down further to prove themselves or up higher to prove themselves. As hard as it is I think that most important thing is too look at each student individually and with a clean slate. Yes, I'm sure another past teacher of theirs is going to come in and "warn" you about their problems, but that was the relationship that that student had with that student. You are a whole new person with a different personality that can bring out the best in that student. It requires a lot of patience and a lot trial and error but it can be done and I think that it needs to be done. Our students deserve to be treated equally and with respect. If we as teachers want respect from our students then we should do the same for them.
Conclusion of Inquiry Project
After researching, we have discovered that there are many different teaching styles and it is important to understand how to use them effectively. We learned that all students have different learning abilities and ways of obtaining information so as an instructor it is important to know who your students are in order to apply an effective teaching method. Educators do not have to stay with one particular teaching style, it is better to choose which aspects of each work best for your classroom. Overall, one universal method should not be used when teaching a class. The instructor should change their lesson plan or classroom work, and how they would teach it based on the students that make up each individual class. It is the instructor’s decision to decide what is best for his or her students that will result in classroom success.
Introduction of Inquiry Project
As future educators we need to be aware of different students learning abilities and the varying intelligence levels that make up our students. We should also be considerate of how to incorporate different learning styles to accommodate the diverse learning abilities students have. There are many methods of teaching that benefit some learning styles over others. We will explore the different teaching styles which will provide us an understanding of how students’ best obtain information. We will also talk about student based learning, teacher and student based learning, teacher based learning, as well as the level of intelligence students acquire.
Abstract for Inquiry Project
The purpose of this paper is to explore why it is important to use different teaching methods. This is necessary because each student has his or her own way of obtaining info. Data and statistics from scholarly journals were collected to investigate the different teaching methods and what makes them effective. We learned that all teaching methods are made up of positives and negatives and that it takes multiple methods to make up a successful classroom. In conclusion these methods will provide skills needed to develop ourselves for our classrooms in the future.
Community Service and Meetings at The Arts
During my time at Arts High School I was able to attend two meetings and do ten hours of community service. At the first meeting I attended it was only the math department. The second meeting I attended was a faculty meeting. I must say that the one I enjoyed most was the department meeting. During my community service hours, I helped a lot in the guidance department, sorting out papers and ballots for different events. It was a nice environment that I got accustomed to easily. All members of this department were excited to see students enter in and out of the office and always had smiles on their faces.
Since the orientation I was so curious as how the math department was able to incorporate the arts with mathematics. At the department meeting the math fair and math Olympics were discussed. This math fair had things such as “Mathematics of Sound” and “Architecture of Acoustics”. Not only was this highly math related, but it also incorporated the arts of the students. I was eager to pay attention and see what else was in store.
As an outsider at both meetings, I was able to sit back and relax and take in the relationships among the teachers. They seem to have a strong unity and all seem to be on the same page with each other. It is apparent that working in a school is teamwork and can not be fully successful if each person only fights for themselves and works to only achieve for their own satisfaction. Working together on different projects and collaborating only makes the school a stronger and more welcoming environment for the students. Every teacher has one thing in common and that is their students. It is extremely noticeable at Arts High School that the teachers and staff are there for the students and want to see them succeed to the fullest. It was so nice to see the staff know every student’s name and have a quick compliment or reminder to tell them. I know if I felt comfortable and at home that the students definitely did as well.
Since the orientation I was so curious as how the math department was able to incorporate the arts with mathematics. At the department meeting the math fair and math Olympics were discussed. This math fair had things such as “Mathematics of Sound” and “Architecture of Acoustics”. Not only was this highly math related, but it also incorporated the arts of the students. I was eager to pay attention and see what else was in store.
As an outsider at both meetings, I was able to sit back and relax and take in the relationships among the teachers. They seem to have a strong unity and all seem to be on the same page with each other. It is apparent that working in a school is teamwork and can not be fully successful if each person only fights for themselves and works to only achieve for their own satisfaction. Working together on different projects and collaborating only makes the school a stronger and more welcoming environment for the students. Every teacher has one thing in common and that is their students. It is extremely noticeable at Arts High School that the teachers and staff are there for the students and want to see them succeed to the fullest. It was so nice to see the staff know every student’s name and have a quick compliment or reminder to tell them. I know if I felt comfortable and at home that the students definitely did as well.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Required Question for Take Home 1
During class we have had much discussion about defining what makes a person an “educated citizen.” It is not something that can be easily defined and can not be easily explained. Many of my classmates, including myself, had some difficulty figuring out how exactly to answer this question. Does it mean a citizen that has attended all levels of education and now holds a job that corresponds to their degree? Does it mean a citizen that is active in many different organizations and fights for what they believe in? Does it mean a citizen that is familiar with all politics and what is occurring around them regarding the government? All of these possible definitions are great ones, but what is the right one?
We are all entitled to our own opinion and here lies the opportunity to state and back up our own individual opinions. It would be easy for my to pick one of the above stated definitions, but I would not fully agree with any of them. I think an “educated citizen” is one that has a broad understanding of how things around them work and how they can use the things around them to the fullest to help them achieve what they want to achieve in life. Yes, you can become educated by going through years and years of schooling, but are you going to achieve everything you want to by just attending school? It is important to realize that education goes beyond the classroom and involved learning from mistakes and learning from what life hands you. Every individual comes from a different background and goes through different events to make them who they are. Yes, some people might go through different things than others, but they are all equally educated because they have an understanding of what has occurred. Being an “educated citizen” should come naturally and you should want to be one. Every person should be going through each day feeling lucky and grateful for what they are learning about themselves, society, and in the classroom. It is not about the information you learn, it is about what you do with that information.
Although schools are not the only place where a citizen becomes “educated” it would be helpful if public schools could help this process along. The normal math problems, history tests, grammar checks, and much more are very important, but there are some other things that children and young adults should learn to make them more “educated.” On page two of the article “Educating the ‘Good’ Citizen: Political Choices and Pedagogical Goals” there is a chart that describes three different citizens; the Personally Responsible Citizen, the Participatory Citizen, and the Justice-oriented Citizen. Not only does this chart describe different “good” citizens, but I think that it is also describing different educated citizens. To act responsibly in his or her community, organize community efforts, address areas of injustice, and much more are all listed in describing these citizens. These details are not taught in schools. Yes, students learn the facts and know what is right from wrong, but how they be able to put their education into full effect if they do not know how to act like an “educated citizen.” It is one thing to be able to say you are something, but it is something completely different to be able to show it. Public schools need to guide students and show them how to use their knowledge in other areas and help where they see help needed.
We are all entitled to our own opinion and here lies the opportunity to state and back up our own individual opinions. It would be easy for my to pick one of the above stated definitions, but I would not fully agree with any of them. I think an “educated citizen” is one that has a broad understanding of how things around them work and how they can use the things around them to the fullest to help them achieve what they want to achieve in life. Yes, you can become educated by going through years and years of schooling, but are you going to achieve everything you want to by just attending school? It is important to realize that education goes beyond the classroom and involved learning from mistakes and learning from what life hands you. Every individual comes from a different background and goes through different events to make them who they are. Yes, some people might go through different things than others, but they are all equally educated because they have an understanding of what has occurred. Being an “educated citizen” should come naturally and you should want to be one. Every person should be going through each day feeling lucky and grateful for what they are learning about themselves, society, and in the classroom. It is not about the information you learn, it is about what you do with that information.
Although schools are not the only place where a citizen becomes “educated” it would be helpful if public schools could help this process along. The normal math problems, history tests, grammar checks, and much more are very important, but there are some other things that children and young adults should learn to make them more “educated.” On page two of the article “Educating the ‘Good’ Citizen: Political Choices and Pedagogical Goals” there is a chart that describes three different citizens; the Personally Responsible Citizen, the Participatory Citizen, and the Justice-oriented Citizen. Not only does this chart describe different “good” citizens, but I think that it is also describing different educated citizens. To act responsibly in his or her community, organize community efforts, address areas of injustice, and much more are all listed in describing these citizens. These details are not taught in schools. Yes, students learn the facts and know what is right from wrong, but how they be able to put their education into full effect if they do not know how to act like an “educated citizen.” It is one thing to be able to say you are something, but it is something completely different to be able to show it. Public schools need to guide students and show them how to use their knowledge in other areas and help where they see help needed.
Orientation at The Arts
To be honest, I was nervous and I did not want to go. I did not know what to expect. I did not know where the school was, who I would be meeting, and what I would be doing. Driving to Arts High School I was well aware of my surroundings and I realized that I have been in this area before and was somewhat familiar with it. Once I realized I have been around here before I became more at eases, but still, I had no clue what to expect. Walking in to the high school it felt like a welcoming environment. Art was hanging everywhere in the entrance and it looked like a great creative school.
We entered the library and the orientation began. Mr. Denard introduced Jasmine to do a poetry reading and I was blown away. I wanted to know. Who are her teachers? What classes us she taking? What does she want to do after high school? I had all these questions and was so intrigued and I wanted to know so much more. Then, I realized there were hundreds of other students with similar talents throughout the whole building. I was instantly interested and ready to get started and to meet more students.
After reviewing the paperwork and understanding the hours, observation, and community service we have to complete we divided into groups and were able to have open discussion with some teachers for Arts High School. They were all teachers that were only a few years into their careers. We were able to ask anything and I took full advantage of it. I wanted to know how they adjusted from being a student to being on the completely other end of it. They explained that it is an adjustment and it does not come easy. It may take a couple years of different classes to fully get used to the routine. I also wanted to know about how they managed all the students in their classroom. With each student learning at a different pace it must be hard to keep all of them on the same page. They explained that it is a bit difficult, but it takes trial and error to uncover what is the best approach. Some students learn visually so incorporating some of that while also incorporating physical learning is important. All of these answers were so helpful and really helped me to understand some things I would not learn in the classroom.
Observing the teachers just at the orientation I could tell that they all got along and friendships were strong. They bounced off each other during discussion and were always backing each other up. They all had smiles on their faces and you could tell they enjoyed where they were and what they were doing. Just the fact that they were all there to help Mr. Denard says a lot. I am excited to go to Arts High School and learn more. I cannot wait to meet more students and see how the teachers interact with each other. The orientation went above and beyond my expectations and I cannot wait to get started.
We entered the library and the orientation began. Mr. Denard introduced Jasmine to do a poetry reading and I was blown away. I wanted to know. Who are her teachers? What classes us she taking? What does she want to do after high school? I had all these questions and was so intrigued and I wanted to know so much more. Then, I realized there were hundreds of other students with similar talents throughout the whole building. I was instantly interested and ready to get started and to meet more students.
After reviewing the paperwork and understanding the hours, observation, and community service we have to complete we divided into groups and were able to have open discussion with some teachers for Arts High School. They were all teachers that were only a few years into their careers. We were able to ask anything and I took full advantage of it. I wanted to know how they adjusted from being a student to being on the completely other end of it. They explained that it is an adjustment and it does not come easy. It may take a couple years of different classes to fully get used to the routine. I also wanted to know about how they managed all the students in their classroom. With each student learning at a different pace it must be hard to keep all of them on the same page. They explained that it is a bit difficult, but it takes trial and error to uncover what is the best approach. Some students learn visually so incorporating some of that while also incorporating physical learning is important. All of these answers were so helpful and really helped me to understand some things I would not learn in the classroom.
Observing the teachers just at the orientation I could tell that they all got along and friendships were strong. They bounced off each other during discussion and were always backing each other up. They all had smiles on their faces and you could tell they enjoyed where they were and what they were doing. Just the fact that they were all there to help Mr. Denard says a lot. I am excited to go to Arts High School and learn more. I cannot wait to meet more students and see how the teachers interact with each other. The orientation went above and beyond my expectations and I cannot wait to get started.
Monday, March 2, 2009
What is the role of public education in creating citizens? What types of citizens do we need in this changing society?
We live in a country that allows us to have a say. We vote. Every four years we vote for the person who runs our country and makes decisions that effect our every day lives. It is important to be a part of this and to actually care. I care. There are so many people that I know who don't and that is so frustrating to me. My family has always talked about it and has always been open about how they feel and informing me about the different issues so that I am able to make my own opinions. If it was not for my family I don't think I would know much. It is not taught in schools and it seems like it is hidden in schools. Teachers are not supposed to state their opinion and instead of putting their own opinions aside and taking the middle, they just decide to not talk about. Talk about voting and having a say in elections only came up my junior year of high school because we got closer to the age of 18, but that isnt soon enough. Students should be looking forward to voting and turning 18, but instead they barely register to vote and barely care about their say in what could happen. If you're not going to vote then don't complain about who gets elected and what occurs. I guess I kind of got off topic, but I've always felt strongly about voting and think that schools need to make it known that we are so lucky to have this ability and should teach our students to look forward to turning 18 and be excited to finally have a say!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Educating the "Good" Citizen
We all know how important education is, if we felt any different we probably would not be in this class and in this major. Education is meant to expand the mind and prepare students for future endeavors. It mostly consists of your typical subjects such as math, English, history,and the sciences. Another important subject that this article covers is that of our government and the way our country is run. Many students are not aware of how many branches of government there are and how long a senator's term lasts. This needs to be taught to our students. Just last semester I was assigned by one of my professors to research the government of New Jersey. I thought I knew a lot, but I was shocked that I was unaware of so many people. I am thankful for the assignment cause I realized that for some reason this information has been skipped over through all my years of education. I could tell you have to integrate and differentiate an equation but I can't tell you specifics of our government that effects my life everyday? Its scary and needs to be taught.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Arts
The trip to the Arts was a great experience. I enjoyed it all and I was extremely impressed. The poetry reading by Jasmine really blew me away. I was so impressed with her performance and could not believe that she was only in high school. It was a great way to introduce the orientation and grab our attention.
Talking to the younger teachers was a great help and I really enjoyed myself. They all seemed to have great information for us and explained things and put things into perspective that you might not learn in a college classroom. Teaching is an important thing and you should be in the major because of your love and desire to teach younger students. Many believe it is the easy way out and the simple thing to do, but it requires a lot of extra work outside of the classroom and you really have to love what you do in order to connect with the students.
I'm excited to go back and learn more and meet more of the students. It seems like it is going to be a great experience and that we are all going to learn a lot. The students all seem to really enjoy where they are and are making the best of their education and it should be a great environment to observe and learn more about.
Talking to the younger teachers was a great help and I really enjoyed myself. They all seemed to have great information for us and explained things and put things into perspective that you might not learn in a college classroom. Teaching is an important thing and you should be in the major because of your love and desire to teach younger students. Many believe it is the easy way out and the simple thing to do, but it requires a lot of extra work outside of the classroom and you really have to love what you do in order to connect with the students.
I'm excited to go back and learn more and meet more of the students. It seems like it is going to be a great experience and that we are all going to learn a lot. The students all seem to really enjoy where they are and are making the best of their education and it should be a great environment to observe and learn more about.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Arts High School
Well, I must be honest. I was not looking forward to this trip. Busy with so much school work and then dealing with my job, I felt it was a bit of a hassle. But after reading through the website and watching the videos I have become very interested and eager to see what it is like!
Whenever someone says the town Newark, people often get a bad taste in their mouth and think of it as this horrible crime driven town. Yes, it has its bad areas, but there is also some amazing things there and just by reading and watching a few videos I can already tell that Arts High School is one of those amazing things.
From everything I have heard from my friends that have already taken this course and have already visited this high school it is a great place for students to learn and strive to reach their highest potential just like every school should.
During my visit tomorrow I am excited to take it all in and really observe how such a successful school is run and how the students and teachers interact with each other. The only side of the classroom we know of is that of the student and I think tomorrow will bring shed light on the other side of the classroom that we are all trying to get to. We have a lot of learning to do and we have done a lot, but tomorrow we will leave the reading and midterms and papers behind and learn by observing and stepping right into an interesting and new high school.
Whenever someone says the town Newark, people often get a bad taste in their mouth and think of it as this horrible crime driven town. Yes, it has its bad areas, but there is also some amazing things there and just by reading and watching a few videos I can already tell that Arts High School is one of those amazing things.
From everything I have heard from my friends that have already taken this course and have already visited this high school it is a great place for students to learn and strive to reach their highest potential just like every school should.
During my visit tomorrow I am excited to take it all in and really observe how such a successful school is run and how the students and teachers interact with each other. The only side of the classroom we know of is that of the student and I think tomorrow will bring shed light on the other side of the classroom that we are all trying to get to. We have a lot of learning to do and we have done a lot, but tomorrow we will leave the reading and midterms and papers behind and learn by observing and stepping right into an interesting and new high school.
Monday, February 2, 2009
How can understanding demographics help us better understand teaching and learning?
Teaching is a profession that is constantly changing. That change occurs through the teacher. Every year a teacher is faced with a different group of students and is faced with the challenge to help them grow and learn throughout the year. Every student learns and responds to things differently and as a teacher it is important to notice theses differences and try their best to help the students to the best of their ability. With this challenge comes the role of demographics. Not only do you have to adapt to children’s different learning styles, but you also have to understand their different backgrounds and where they come from. Their race, ethnicity, religion, class, and many other characteristics also play into understanding them better as students. Everyone comes from different homes and different customs and sometimes many people can grasp a concept easily if it is taught to them in a way that is familiar to them. Although this is a great thing to achieve, it is not easy. Classroom sizes are increasing rapidly and to cater to 25-30 students is a lot of work and is not something one teacher might be able to handle all by his or herself. It is important for a teacher to take these different characteristics into consideration and try their best to come up with a method that will affect the classroom as a whole. Many different teaching styles can be enforced for certain lessons and can be helpful for majority of the students at a time. It is important to be aware of the students in your class and their different backgrounds and to try your best to incorporate things that will help them achieve to the best of their ability.
Monday, January 26, 2009
What is the purpose of school?
School is something that everybody experiences. It becomes a normal routine. Wake up, go to school or class, come home and do homework, go to sleep, and then start it all over the again the next day. We tend to look forward to weekends when we are able to escape the constant routine and are free to spend our days doing something else. Although most people think of school as a chore or something that they just want to get through, it is a lot more important than that and opens many doors to many opportunities.
The common purpose of school is to get a job that allows you to make a decent salary. Everyone is striving for that wonderful salary so their future years are easier to get through and they can indulge in other expenses. Everyone seems to be so eager to reach the destination of their academic career they forget to enjoy the journey.
The real purpose of school, that not many people take time to realize, is that it is there to expand your mind and gather helpful information that will help in the future. Of course there are some things that we learn in school that do not grab our attention and we might find boring, but then there are other subjects that totally take us by surprise and really suck us in. The purpose of school is to give us an overall education and a variety of other information to help us succeed in the future. In our younger years of education we are exposed to many subjects and as we get older and enter into college we are able to turn our focus onto those things that really interest us and we are able to expand our knowledge greatly.
When we are lucky enough to target what interests us then we can go further in life with that topic and pursue a career in it. As the years go by it is important that we realize what we are really learning and enjoy the classes and information that is available to us. Yes, it might be a lot of hard work and it might not be what we would love to spend majority of our time doing, but there is a good side to it and it is an important thing to enjoy and get the most out of.
The common purpose of school is to get a job that allows you to make a decent salary. Everyone is striving for that wonderful salary so their future years are easier to get through and they can indulge in other expenses. Everyone seems to be so eager to reach the destination of their academic career they forget to enjoy the journey.
The real purpose of school, that not many people take time to realize, is that it is there to expand your mind and gather helpful information that will help in the future. Of course there are some things that we learn in school that do not grab our attention and we might find boring, but then there are other subjects that totally take us by surprise and really suck us in. The purpose of school is to give us an overall education and a variety of other information to help us succeed in the future. In our younger years of education we are exposed to many subjects and as we get older and enter into college we are able to turn our focus onto those things that really interest us and we are able to expand our knowledge greatly.
When we are lucky enough to target what interests us then we can go further in life with that topic and pursue a career in it. As the years go by it is important that we realize what we are really learning and enjoy the classes and information that is available to us. Yes, it might be a lot of hard work and it might not be what we would love to spend majority of our time doing, but there is a good side to it and it is an important thing to enjoy and get the most out of.
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