Technology in the Classroom

Today's presentation on technology made me think about a lot of my different philosophies on teaching. My biggest issue with using technology in the classroom is that teachers often use technology or the sole purpose of using technology: i.e. using a smartboard as a glorified whiteboard. I feel that in order for technology to be useful in the classroom it must be appropriate, relevant, and beneficial for students. When teachers use technology just to say that they did, it is not beneficial for students. They are not learning anything useful. It would be the same as if an English teacher gave a lecture in Spanish just so they could say they gave a lecture. Is it appropriate for students? No. Is it relevant to the material? Maybe, but most students won't be able to understand in how it is relevant. Is it beneficial? No.

Technology can be so important when it is used properly. When it properly engages students while still allowing them to learn. So many different technologies are interactive and can be used to help students further understand texts. These are the most useful and sensible technologies.

Voices of Educational Pioneers

Throughout reading this packet, I found that there was almost no philosopher that I aligned with completley, but I found a great number of these "pioneers" that I agreed with in some small way. Mostly I found that I agreed with those that had held the learner to be an individual. Piaget in particualar recognized this and understood that all students are in different developmental stages. While there are far fewer stages during secondary education, students will always be learning at different rates. Making sure that the teahcer is there in order to facilitate the learning is key. Ralph Tyler and John Dewey had similar views on education with which I highly agree. Tyler believed that the process of education had a major goal to change the way the student thinks, feels, and acts. As for this, I mostly agree that as a teacher I want to show my students that there are other ways of thinking and believing. I also want to strive to change their feelings where they have been influenced environmentally by parents and friends. I feelt aht in order to make our students ready for the "real world" we must prepare then in every single way for what they will be faced with and if they are toting around their parents viewpoints without reasonably considering another. Dewey similarly believed that we must focus on the children and the "evolving society". Educators must look to the society that is changing around them and make sure that they are helping to foster a generation that wants to do better than the one that came before. If we allow for cookie cutter human beings to be made we will enter into a cycle that will never be broken. Looking back to Jesus, had some fantastic views on education. Even though he came before a public system, he has very modern views. He uses different methods in order to rach student and motivate them. I feel that this is important becuase when you vary your methods students will be unable to check out and will be motivated to stay awake and see what comes next. My favorite quote in this whole packet came from the section on Augustine. "Having a student memorize and recite someone else's text is not teaching". I completely agree with this. Students can learn FROM what we aske them to read, but asking them to regurgitate someone else's work does nothing for us or them. We must look into what we are asking of our students and aske ourselves if it is valuable for them. School is not a Broadway musical, therefore we should not be asking our students to memorize lines.

Eight Theories Behind the World of Teaching

The eight different theories that fall alongside the different philosophies are as follows. Essentialism disctates that there is a central set of information that everyone should be taught and should know in order to functionin society. Behaviorism says that one's actions depend on environment not upon genetic make up and heredity. Positivism says that laws of matter and motion dictate everything, therefore spirituality and consciousness are null and void. Progressivism encourages student freedom and inquiry. Humanism looks to better the individual and contemplates goodness of each person. Constructivism looks at what things mean to the individual through experience and how experiences relate to life. Perennialism dictates that there is a set of important topics that should be understood by all. Reconstuctivists attempt to pass on a culture while adapting it for future generations. We as teachers tend to be either teacher-centered or student-centered. Teacher-centered philosophies such as behaviorism, positivism, and essentialism, are highly focused on controlling what students learn, how they learn it, and the procedures that should occur in the classroom. Student-centered philiosophies such as progressivism, humanism, and constructivism, however, place greater importance upon the meanings that students take away from what they learn and how they can apply it to their own life.

In my own opinion, I feel that I am far more student centered in my philosophy. I feel that while it is my job to choose what students will be learning, it is also my job to apply it all to their lives and make it meaningful to them. When students feel disconnected from what they are learning it makes learning seem trivial. Students that feel as though they are being taught something "because the teacher said so" will take far less from what they learn. Due to my opinions, I feel that I am a foremost constructivist. Following this, I would say that I also hold true to humanistic philosophy as well as those applying to the progressive side of things. I feel that these philosophies all hearken to what I want to instill and uphold in my classroom. When students have the freedom to explore within a subject, it becomes easier for them to construct personal meaning and be motivated to continue learning whether in a hands on way, or in a traditional setting.

Discipline

Students have been acting out and misbehaving since the beginning of school. The one thing that has changed is how we deal with this issue. What is the best way to deal with disciplining our students? I believe that in my classroom it makes the most sense to make a set of guidelines that students need to follow. Students should have a hand in putting them in place and they should be agreed upon by students and myself. I feel that there should not just be punishments, but rewards as well. I feel that there is only so much that disciplining students can do. I would love to read a book on effective discipline, and perhaps creative discipline, because I honestly don't believe that the run of the mill detention holds much weight anymore, especially for repeat offenders. I feel that when we empower students to take their behavior into their own hands and allow them to decide what is and isn't appropriate, that they will have a higher level of respect for the classroom and the time they spend within it.

Empowerment

Why are there always teachers that give up? All of us are handed challenges. Whether that comes in the form of the bratty clique of girls, the jock who does only enough to stay on the team, or the kid who has been stuck in the same spot because nobody has faith in him, we need to face each of these challenges with the same passion. In enty 139, the teacher has a student who has been told all of his life that he will never succed. He has already repeated the 8th grade 3 times and each time has watched as his peers move on while he is stuck in the same spot. The teacher in this instance knows that while every other teacher and administrator has said this boy will not succeed in anything, this student is perfectly capable of anything he damn well pleases. The one thing that is holding him back is that these teachers have made it known that they don't believe in him. What the hell kind of teaching is that? It is in my opinion that you should always have faith in your students even if they are the most unlikely underdog. Each student with a little encouragement and faith has the opportunity to succeed. It is our JOB to give them the tools with which to do so. I hope that I never allow my colleagues to get inside the head of my students and make them believe that they are incapable. Don't give up. Stand up, do your job, and watch as your students grow.

Philosophies in Education

As with any profession there are many different basic philosophies that apply to those that work within them. Education  no different, having 4 basic philosophies that apply to teaching. The first philosphy, Idealism, believes that ideas and concepts are the most important things to know and understand above all things. Everything else is an inaccurate depiction of what is "out there". The next philosophy, realism, believes that reality, knowledge and value exist whether we know it or not. Realists oppose idealist beliefs in that they don't adhere to the point of ideas being the most important aspect of reality. The third philosophy, pragmatism, believes that evolving is better than just generally being. Pragmatists are unique because they believe that change is always occuring and that we should "become" rather than "be". The final philosophy, existentialism, argues that our reality is only existing. Nothing is inherently true, false, or in between; it just is.

I feel that as a teacher I relate most to the Idealist and Pragmatist schools of thought. I believe that we should learn the concepts that are out there in order to learn more about what is around us. Yet I also believe that in doing this, we should always be working to better not only ourselves but the wrold around us. I want my students not only to learn the ideas and concepts that they must learn in order to successfully complete high school, but to learn about that which they need to understand in order to go out into the world and make a difference. I want to be able to use a book in my classroom that teaches friendship, metaphors, and symbolism; yet I also want that piece of literature to stand as a window into the larger world in order for students to possibly see that they can go out into the world and change how things are in order to create a better experience for someone else.

A Multicultural Education

Wow. This presentation kind of brought out my passion for teaching. I suppose I don't understand why we are not all educating our students with a multicultural perspective? I understand that currently it is more difficult (with most curricula) to teach this in certain disciplines, but in at least English and History classrooms this must be addressed. The fact that we are all different in so many different ways must be addressed by students any way possible. Students should understand that people believe different things, feel different things, are treated differently, experience different things, and are generally different. Their view of diversity cannot be limited to the fact that their best friend is a brunette when they are a redhead. It must extend tot he fact that across the world there are people going to bed when they are waking up, and those people have a different belief system than they do. In my classroom I will strive to use literature that shows viewpoints of different religions, sexual preferences, genders, nationalities, haircolors, skin colors, shoe size.... ALL types of differences. Students need to understand that not everyone in the world is like them. Allowing them to think so just allows for a generation of ignorant people that will hate those different from them once they figure out about them. Could I live with myself if I passed through my career in education teaching only white anglo-saxon literature? No. Shouldn't we all make a pledge to teach our students with multicultural perspectives in mind? Yes. Yes, we should. I hope that throughout my career I am able to have a hand in creating a curriculum where this is both possible and required across all disciplines. Won't our children be better for it? I'd like to think so.

Rejuvination

Throughout this chapter of Teaching Hope, each entry told the story of a new teacher and the rays of hope that they get from their job. The success of each teacher or student makes the teaching profession worthwhile against the odds of poor pay, unpaid after hours work, and more "clients" than any high paying lawyer would ever work for at once. I thoroughly enjoyed entry 112. The teacher in this scenario was a teacher with all the odds stacked against him. Working with troubled youth in a live-in facility for little money, he admits he contemplated quitting. I feel that most teachers worth their salt have these moments: they are at the breaking point where nothing can go right, test scores are down, Billy just punched Jimmy and Sally is gossiping about Kelsey, nobody liked the new youtube video shown at the beginning of class, and the list goes on. It is when that one student has a break through that it becomes worth all of the pain and strife to get there. In the case of the teacher in #112, the break through came in the form of a break down. His student goes absolutely crazy and flips out, throwing things, punching walls and people, and pouring water across the room. In a moment of mutual amusement, they connected to diffuse the situation. In this case the teacher was able to sweep the assault under the rug, choosing the best for the student. The teacher made sure to make the student aware of his lucky position. I feel that this instills a great deal of respect between the student and teacher. Where many teachers in a normal school would hand out a detention or ISS and not think twice, sometimes it is best to take a moment to create a teachable moment. Reach the student and teach them that there are better alternatives to certain classroom behaviors. I feel that students get discouraged when they are constantly harshly punished but when they feel that they are respected they are more likely to behave during class. Why don't we take a minute to try to understand why our students are acting out instead of just writing them off and immediately punishing them? I know I will try my best.

Welcome to the Future

In the final installment of the Story of School series, we looked at what has happened in schools since the 1980s. Throughout the episode we saw that while we may have made certain advancements, we are in no way living with a prefect system. Since the beginning of the American education system we've seen m any things that have improved schools and learning in general. This includes things such as movement throughout the school during the day, professionalization of teachers and teacher certification requirements, teacher empoowerment, accountability for students, magnet schools with specialized learning focuses, charter schools and other alternative education options. These things have brought us forward in our profession and have advanced education for our students. In the same vein, we have also institudted many ordinances, practices, and laws that have impeded our progress. In brief, these include busing, tracking, segregation, and so many more. What we, as educators, must remember is that we must think of what is best for our students in the longrun. What will help our students just as much today as it will 10, 50, or 100 years down the road? Can we think that far ahead? What should we do to make our schools the best that they can be?

"Three bushels of wheat and half a cow"

This section of "The Story of School" really brought it back. It examined the educational system as we moved out of the founding of our country and what formed from there. Originally, only larger towns were required to build schools. If you didn't live in one of those towns, there was no free/public schooling available and only the wealthy were able to attend. Noah Webster decided that he wanted children to learn the great legends of the origins of America such as that of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree. He took everything that it meant to be American and put it into one book: the Blueback Speller (eventually becoming the Webster Dictionary). Now anyone getting an education was learning the same stuff. Then good old Thomas Jefferson came around. He decided that it would be a good idea to provide everyone with a small amount of universal education and give scholarships to a few citizens so they might attend college. Well, Jefferson's idea of "everyone" went like this: boys attended school however they wanted, girls were only allowed 3 years of schooling, and slaves were banned from the school system all together. By the time the 1830s rolled around, Horace Mann became the first secretary of education. He standardized the classroom with teacher training, the state bureau of education and free/tax supported schools. This made it so that the impoverished were finally able to attend school free of tuition and only had to rely on taxes for a free education. Around this time, the Irish immigration began to flood the eastern seaboard. The problem here lied in the fact that there was an influx of Catholic students trying to be educated in a system modeled around the protestant religion. This made it difficult for them to learn and they did not feel welcome in the American schools. Finally, the board of education was created and, along with it, so were Catholic school systems. As time marched on, Frederik Douglas stood up and said that black students shouldn't be forced to attend schools outside of their district. They should be able to go to the schools that are closest to them just like everyone else. After some hemming and hawing from the Massachusetts government, they were the first state to outlaw segregation in schools. As our eastern centralized nation began to disperse toward the west, there was a new need for schools. In order to attract residents to a new town in the west, people would build schools. Sometimes, districts covered up to 1,000 miles. Here, it was finally made acceptable for middle class women to travel west and teach because Katherine Beecher said that one day teaching would be among law and medicine for the male professions. Hopefully someday this comes true.

Nation at Risk

This article looked at what was happening in American education throughout the 1980s.  It was bluntly stated that American schools were crumbling around the nation. Statistics showed that students were achieving at a lower and lower rate every year. This was unacceptable and the report stated that the nation should be looking to correct the trend. 25 years later a second report was written that looks at what has occurred in education since the findings were published. Despite the fact that things have clearly improved across the board there is some belief that the original article was out of line. It will most likely always be unclear as to whether the publishing of this article was a help or hindrance to the education system.

I would have to argue that the one thing these articles lack is some sort of advice, or even a call for advice. For all the criticizing they do, they don’t offer the educational system and thoughts or musings upon what could help to improve the failing system in America. I’m not sure what impact this article had on the system. Sure, schools are doing better, but there is always room for improvement. Would schools have figured this out on their own, or did they need this abrasive wakeup?  This was definitely an interesting group of articles and I am curious to see how we continue on in this Nation at Risk.

Disillusionment

This chapter of Teaching Hope examined the more personal struggles that teachers face. Those problems that we hold inside and keep to ourselves. These are the issues that bring us down and make us ask "Why the hell did I choose this job?".  I was particularly drawn to entry #81. In this entry, a special educator is approached by a student asking why her regular teachers don't understand dyslexia and why don't they follow the modifications set in place. This makes me so angry. Like this student, I can't understand why a teacher wouldn't take the time to understand what their student is dealing with. Shouldn't we all want to do whatever it takes so that our students might succeed? Is it just me? I hope not. Yes. It might be impossible for our special education classes to teach us everything about every learning disability. But that doesn't mean that we can just turn a blind eye to those that we don't fully understand. The teachers in this situation should be looking up any information they can to understand their student. If they have questions about modifications, they should have a conversation with the special educator, the parents, or even the student. We should all be working toward a common goal: teaching our students in manners that foster success and confidence. When we are able to allow our students to become successful in the face of a "disability" they are able to see that they are "ABLE". Teachers that continue to be ignorant of what affects our students should honestly have a reality check. When you refuse to take the time to understand what students are struggling with, you have no business giving them a low grade. Give yourself one. Let someone who cares teach this student. It might take a little more effort, but isn't that what teaching is all about?

Engagement

The one thing we are all waiting for in the years to come: a breakthrough moment. Isn't that the reason most of us are working towards becoming teachers? I know it is for me. I want to strive for each one of my students to achieve something they never thought possible, or make them think in new ways, or make them feel like someone cares. One moment. That's all I'm looking for. I suppose that my favorite entry in this chapter was #65. In this entry, a teacher is bombarded by questions from his fourth graders as he is about to leave and witness the birth of his daughter. One boy stands up from the rear of his class and announces "Guys, leave Mr. C alone. He doesn't need to worry about us; his wife needs him right now" (147). The teacher is surprised because this is the student that never speaks and is more often found with his head on his desk than his hand in the air. Upon returning from paternity leave, he realizes that this student sees his teacher as a male role model because he has been living without. While some might find this entry to make them feel nervous about someone taking on that role, or apprehensive that they will one day fill this role for a child, it is one of the reasons that make me so excited to become a teacher. You can't be distant from your students. You need to care about them and show them respect. For some students you might be the first to do so. As long as there are kids hurting in this world, they will need teachers to be there to reach out to them. Not because we have to or are expected to, but because we can. In all that we do we should be there for "every Jason who needs someone to love him, respect him, or just listen to him" (148). You never know, you might be the person that changes their life.

"Like going for a swim in a cement overcoat"

So, the first fifty years of the 1900s were pretty busy as far as education. Well, in the next thirty years, even more stuff started happening. One of the biggest issues facing the nation's schools at the start of the 50s was the overwhelming amount of segregation allowed by law. In 1950, seventeen states required segregation BY LAW. Black students attended all black schools taught by all black teachers. These teachers were more qualified than the white teachers, but it is hard to teach to your full potential when you are using second or third rate materials. Because of this imbalance, black students were at an unfair disadvantage. Some parents recognized this and sought to enroll their children in white schools. This is where the famed Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka comes in. In 1954, Earl Warren announced the ban on segregation in public schools in America. While this decision was appeased, it was not upheld in full. Students attended the same schools, but were on different sports teams, clubs, and organizations. Lyndon B. Johnson, however, came in and said, "Hey... cut it out!" and put a ban on all discrimination with the Civil Rights Act.
While all this was happening, in the background was the struggle for Mexican American students. In school, these students were denied the rights to their culture; most importantly through banning the use of the Spanish language. Students that used little English in the home were being expected to learn in completely English classrooms. This obviously didn't go well. Eventually because of the struggle of the students that cared enough to seek a better education, Bilingual Education became allowed in schools. Students of different nationalities were finally able to recognize their heritage as well as learn with greater ease with their peers.
Finally, one of the largest outrages for communities at this time was when girl students wanted to play sports. Imagine that! GIRLS playing SPORTS! Girls weren't allowed to have teams of sports unless they were cheerleaders. Even when girls were allowed to "participate" it was either on a club sport level devoid of competition (and sometimes skill) or among male teams where risk of harassment, injury, and unfair treatment was increased. Finally, due, once again to outspoken students, Title 9 was passed, making a law announcing that for each male sport team there must be a female sports team.
Throughout these thirty years, the term equality came under much scrutiny. If we must treat our students with equality, how can we treat them differently at the same time? We must understand, and continue to understand that "Fair isn't Always Equal" to borrow from a book. When we give students an education, it must be the best education we can give each student. That might mean teaching in a different language, making decisions about where we place our schools, or making a separate team for females to play on. As long as we continue to remember that each student deserves our best, we will be successful in this.

"I don't remember anything bigger than a bear"

Ok. So. Fifty years is a lot, right? Well I always knew that, but in looking at how America's school system changed in the beginning fifty years of the 1900s, fifty years seems like an eternity. At the beginning of the century, kids hated schools. Well, more than kids usually hate school. During this time students had the option of working in the mills and elsewhere. Here, students didn't have to read, no calisthenics, or listen to teachers. AND they got to make money (that they gave to their families... but still... come on!). So, while kids were hanging out, hating school and working in the factories, BAM: immigration! Millions of immigrants entered the United States, and they brought their millions of school age children. All of a sudden, schools were filled to the rafters, and schools often had to have shifts because there were too many bodies in one place. Eventually, to combat the overpopulation of schools, schools started being built at about the rate of one a day. (That's a lot). Students were able to filter into these schools in order to take some of the pressure off.
Problems solved, right? Well, not really. Things were pretty crazy. The whole "one room school house" thing wasn't cutting it anymore. Students were split into grades and taught completely in English. Yup, all of those people from countries that weren't English speaking countries were forced to learn in this new COMPLEX language. Well, ok. That's a problem that is still an issue. What else was happening? Well, John Dewey came around and decided to spice the educational system up a bit. He decided students should learn by doing. They should exercise their bodies as well as their minds. They should learn outside of the classroom. Kids should move around the school. Students should learn trades and useful things for later. All this learning should be fun. (And somewhere in there a zoo and bears and stuff happened... ?)
So while all that crazy stuff was going on, some French guy decided that IQ testing was a great idea. No big deal, it was just a system that was developed in order to achieve a Utopia filled with only smart people. The average mental age of an American man was 13.7. Smart, huh? Well, this test was used on students. White students tended to do fairly well, but the severely affected groups were those that differed in ethnicity. Apparently, being not white makes you stupid. Those students that didn't score an agreeable score were tracked into shop classes and other remedial programs.
Apparently, thus ends 1950. So, looking back, we might have made a few mistakes. And, who is to say that we aren't making mistakes now? I suppose what we have to do is continuously ask ourselves if what we are doing is beneficial to all learners. What sort of biases are we doling out? Are we giving the same opportunities to all learners regardless of age, ethnicity, ability, level, gender, sexual orientation, political standing, religion, etc etc etc... Also, do we have enough bears?

Generations Article

Abstract
This article examined the differences between people from the past four generations. Because we are from four very different time periods, there are huge differences in beliefs and expectations. Much of the difference can be seen when all four generations are placed in the work force together. This article outlined the specific beliefs across the board between the Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y and how these beliefs translate into the workplace. The author reminds all generations to keep in mind that we have all been raised differently within our generations and to remember these differences when working with older or younger generations in order to coexist peacefully.

Reflection
From personal experience I have seen the difficulties present when dealing with coworkers that are from a different generation. Many tend not to trust your teaching abilities due to lack of experience. It is hard to remember that they, too, were a first year teacher once. It was nice to see exactly what people from different time periods mean when they ask for certain things. Understanding what a request means from a different experience is really helpful. I think that it is important to understand where people are coming from, and hope that this will be able to work both ways for both me and my colleagues.

Challenges

This chapter pretty much summed up and put into one place all of the situations I worry most about dealing with as a teacher. It's not that I fear them, I only worry how I will handle myself and the students involved. Perhaps most of this worry comes from my own experiences throughout high school. Between 7th grade and graduation, it was a miracle to go six months without attending the funeral of a friend. I watched as friends withered away from cancer, got hit by cars, and slammed headlong into motor vehicles, trees, and bridges. I remember at each funeral the teacher that was closest to each individual would stand and deliver a eulogy or some meaningful memory to explain what this student meant to them. This is why entry 44 meant so much to me. This teacher is right. "no college professor's lecture or college textbook" prepares us to stand up and deliver a eulogy for a student. There is no "How to Read at a Student's Funeral For Dummies". It is rarely even stated in our classes, "Oh, and by the way, sometimes students die." This is why I worry about things like this: it is something constantly in the back of my mind because it happened so much in my school, and continues to happen there. This teacher handled this situation extremely well, and I hope that none of us have to endure the pain that is losing a student, especially when they are those that choose you as a friend and confidante making them "more than a student". Throughout our careers we will see examples of many of the stories held within this chapter on the challenges of teaching. I feel that the author of entry 32 put it best in saying that the stories we see in our students should become "tattooed on [our] heart[s]" and we should allow their voices to "stitch the open wounds of [our] past"

Anticipation

Throughout this chapter, twenty teachers shared their stories of anticipation. Each story moved me in its own unique way, but I feel that the biggest lesson that I drew from this section is that even though teaching is our experience, it is not about us. It is all about "them"... the students. In every instance, every teacher showed that although we go through rough times, get nervous, or have a shocking moment, each and every moment that we spend in the classroom (or sometimes outside) is for our students. Even for teachers that were completely out of their element realized that even though they might be uncomfortable, they can't let it get in the way of their profession. This isn't a fair weather job, and we must become comfortable with the notion that this sometimes we are faced with negative conditions in which we must flourish. As future educators, we must keep in mind that we have to bring unique experiences to our students and strive to foster an environment where they feel comfortable achieving as much as possible. When we successfully accomplish this, we, like teacher #10, will find ourselves working in a place full of love and compassion. This, perhaps, was one of the most touching readings, because it goes to show that when you care for students, they begin to care for you; when you are there for them during their tough times, they will return the favor and be there when you are in the same place. I feel that this is when you know that you have truly reached your students.

Chapter 7 Response

Due to the diversity of the students we teach as educators, we need to examine what we hold as required and uniform and what we can adapt for each individual learner. Students each have their own unique heritage and culture through which they learn the habits which they will use to accomplish tasks they are given. When we don’t take this into account and teach each student the same, we put many students at a disadvantage. In order to understand for themselves how they learn, students need to take an inventory and figure out how they know, think, decide, and act. As teachers, we must take an inventory of the different types of learners that are in our classrooms and take as many opportunities as possible to teach them in that ways that are most beneficial to them.

I feel that this article definitely highlights the importance of understanding the needs of each different learner. When teachers can successfully teach to the different styles students are better able to learn and succeed academically throughout school. Teachers are also given the opportunity to give each student the tools they need to become unique individuals through learning diversity. As students become comfortable in their learning styles they grow as a unique individual in a diverse world. Through this acknowledgment of diverse learning styles, students will grow to appreciate the differences they see around them and the peers around them.