Prayer

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Learning Log 4

What
Because we are all different people we have different experiences which create our prior knowledge and beliefs that we use when we approach new situations. These different beliefs are an important thing to consider when creating lessons for your class because we need to meet their needs while still being respectful of their cultural beliefs they might have. It is also important that you treat everyone with equity so you can have a respectful classroom.

So What
As a teacher I will have the opportunity to many different students with all different types of cultures and beliefs. If I don’t take the time to find out a little bit about those students, then they may withdraw from the class. By taking the time to understand your students you can help improve their learning ability and overall interest in the class.

Now What
In my class room I want my students to feel comfortable and supported so we can have a creative learning environment. In order to achieve this I will get to know my students with their interests, their cultural diversity, and their achievements. I will ask for their opinions and I will respect their responses. I know that their might come a time when I might have a students whose cultural background I am not familiar with. When that time comes I will educate myself about the culture in which the students have grown up so I can build upon their cultural backgrounds.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Ch 3 Social and Moral Development

What
This chapter mainly deals with the development of humans and how their Social interaction reflects that. Another thing this chapter addresses is how the self relates to other and vice versa. For instance it talks about how their beliefs influence your cliques and depending on what clique you are in can influence your self esteem. One topic I found helpful was the topic of mixing Cliques so we can create a friendlier environment. We also talked about Erikson 8 stages including; Trust v. Mistrust, Autonomy v. Doubt, Initiative v. Guilt, Industry v. Inferiority, Identity v. Role Confusion, Intimacy v. Isolation, Generativity v. Stagnation, and Integrity v Despair. Some other theorist we discussed was Kohlberg’s theories on moral development and Gilligan’s Criticisms on boys v. girls.

So What
By understanding some of the factors that will influence their social interaction with class mates and how they develop their moral s I can adjust my lesson plans to help them develop into good siticins. Although I can’t make decisions for them, I can help them know their options and possible consequences of their options so they can make the best possible choice for themselves. I also understand that if I set high expectations then they will strive to meet them where as if I set low ones they will believe that I don’t think they are good enough.

Now What
Some factors that would influence their moral development include religion, family relationships, their environment, and their sense of self. Although I may not be able to change these factors I can set a good example for them in the way that I act and do things. Not only can I be an example but I can also talk about other role models, like Twyla Thwarp or Dee, who can be good examples as well. I can also set up moral rules with in my classroom, like Constructive comments only. I can also make sure that they aren’t tempted to steal by having them put their stuff in their lockers while in class. Another thing I can do is encourage my students to participate in various service activities, such as the food drive or sub for Santa. In order to promote interaction among cliques, first I would create an environment where everyone felt like they were equally important to the class by using positive feedback. Then I would encourage students to form new friends by splitting them up in groups that don’t consist of their typical cliques. Once they are in new groups I will give them task that force them to break their boundaries and work with the other students, such as by playing positive negative space.

Brain




What?
In class we learned about the brain and some of its main functions. At the beginning of class we took a test to see how much knowledge we had about the brain. Then we were split into partners to study a specific part of the brain. Then after we had time to research our part of the brain we split into two learning circles so every group had one person who had researched each section of the brain. We then spent a lot of the class discussing what each of us had learned from our research. This process of learning a subject and splitting into groups is called a jigsaw. Some of the parts of the brain we learned about include: Hippocampus (which helps with memory, learning, and emotions) and Wernicks area (which helps with understanding and comprehension). We also learned about how the brain develops from the back to front causing younger people to have problems with making decisions.

So What?
This topic is important to know about because it helps me to have a basic knowledge of how the brain works. This is also useful because as a teacher you have to plan lessons for a variety of students with different abilities but still make your lessons equal, or at least as close as you can get to being equal. However, if you are able to understand what some of their commonalities are you can create a diverse lesson which engages all your students. For instance, in class we talked about how teenagers have developed their emotional part of their brain but have not developed their rational/ decision making part of their brain.

Now What?
By understanding this I know that my teenager’s emotions will be all over the place but they won’t be able to make decisions or plan ahead. When I plan a lesson out I will want to help them make decisions without getting their emotions too involved to keep the situation neutral. I also have a nifty teaching strategy to use when I go into the classroom.


Monday, April 20, 2009

Chapter 5 Special Education

What
In every class room you will have different students with different needs. Although most kids in the classroom will have the same average abilities, there are some who may be retarded (below average general intelligence) or gifted (unusually high ability in one or more areas) who might need special modifications to be set. In 1975 the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 94-142 also known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Since it was passed it has been amended several times so now it grants educational rights from birth until 21 for people with cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities and guarantees them several rights. Just recently the federal government started to require students with special needs to be included in regular classrooms in neighborhood schools to the greatest extent possible. The student should also have the opportunity during inclusion to have the least restrictive environment or the most typical environment that with sufficient supplementary aids can meet their needs. In class we discussed five different learning theories which can help you reach your individual students needs, including:
Spergman’s G-he believed that there were two factors to learning 1. Individual cognitive tasks and 2. Individual intelligences. His theory is what the IQ test is based on.
Catell’s Fluid and Crystallized – believed in two distinctly different components of general education. 1. Fluid where you have the ability to change or adapt knowledge quickly 2. Crystallized where they accumulate knowledge and skills from their experiences.
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory – believed in three factors that incorporate intelligence 1. Environmental, adapt either the behavior or environment to fit the other 2. Cognitive process, required by tasks, 3. Prior experience, ability to learn because of past experiences.
Distributed Intelligence – Thinking facilitated by physical objects or technology, concepts, and symbols of ones culture.
Gardners Multiple Intelligence – Belief in eight different abilities or intelligences. 1. Linguistic, ability to use language 2. Logical-mathematical, ability to use reason logically 3. Spatial, ability to notice details of what one sees and to imagine and manipulate visuals objects in one’s mind 4. Musical, ability to create, comprehend, and appreciate music 5. Bodily-kinesthetic ability to use one’s body skillfully 6. Interpersonal, ability to notice subtle aspects of other people’s behavior 7. Intrapersonal, awareness of one’s own feelings, motives, and desires 8. Naturalist, ability to recognize patterns in nature and differences among various life-forms and natural objects

So What
Our classrooms today will have students who could be gifted and or retarded that will need to be included in our regular classes. As a teacher it is my job not only to meet the needs of my students but to also provide the least restrictive environment for any disabled student I might have. In class we discussed five different theories we can apply in our classrooms to help us achieve the individualized lesson which IDEA requires. We are also required by the state to make accommodations in our lesson plans for the different types of learners we might have.


Now What

Whenever I get the chance to teach I try to incorporate different styles of teaching so my kids won’t get board, so I can reach a variety of learners, and so I can help my students to remember what I taught. Most often if you go into a class where the teacher instructs the students in the same way every lesson you will notice that the students tend to lose focus because they are board. By varying the styles of the way I teach I can help my students to maintain focus and therefore be more involved in my lessons. Not every student learns in exactly the same way so if a vary my day to day lesson I have a better chance at reaching all the different types of intelligences or learners. This will also help my students to be able to recall what I taught because they will have several connections to that idea or concept. As a dance teacher I make it my goal to give my students opportunities for hands on experiences which incorporate several intelligences at a time giving them more opportunities to create and experience learning.