Letter to an Administrator

Dear Math Curriculum Director,

            Throughout the last year we have read a lot of negativity towards the Common Core in relation to textbook companies monopolizing the Common Core and to the difficulty. I find that neither of these statements is true and we have the opportunity to improve our mathematic classes during our transition to these benchmarks by participating in the regional initiative to use Assessment Literacy (Assessment for Learning) in the classroom.

            Within the middle school we have two texts currently that we have used as a resource for the Common Core. Both claim to be aligned to the Common Core, but have very different ways of assessing students’ knowledge of the same standards. The Common Core is loosely framed and is not intended to be a curriculum. The Common Core website states that it is not a curriculum. Since the math teachers are already using their time to create classroom units including activities and assessments based on the Common Core standards it would be essential for the teacher to deconstruct the standards at a local level to allow real local interpretation of the standard versus the textbook loosely aligned versions. This is one of the focuses of the training in Assessment Literacy. I found that when I completed a classroom unit after going through the process in my training the focus, expectations, and outcomes were much clearer for the teacher and student and the students assessed at a much higher level than in the past.

            Another perceived drawback to the Common Core is the difficulty level for the students. There are several examples of outlandish problems that students have to be completed posted by parents on social media websites that are created by the textbook companies. Again, if the teachers had the time to deconstruct the standard they could alleviate a large portion of the difficulty. Another reason it is perceived as difficult is due to the way students are assessed. Common Core encourages for problem solving and critical thinking vs. the old skill driven standards. However, it is hard for students and teachers to change their classroom when assessments are perceived as a threat. In fact, in my experience, for many students after being told they are wrong or are pushed to deepen their understanding they often quit. It is easier for them to quit than to fail. In a recent TED talk by Ken Robinson he discusses how in Finland, one of the world’s highest ranked school systems, there is a low dropout rate because testing supports learning and doesn’t obstruct it. When testing is used in this fashion standards are clear, learning has the opportunity to extend and seem more natural, and the tests are not perceived as a threat to the teachers and students for their futures. However, we continue to give homework and grade homework when often it is the child’s first attempt at trying.

Assessment for Learning would allow our students and teachers to work with less threat, at a local level. After a teacher learns how to deconstruct standards they also learn how to properly create activities that are assessed formatively in a way that gives information to the student and teacher. Things are still “graded” but do not count against the student’s grade until the summative test. They are simply used as a tool to allow the students and teachers what skills need to be studied and what skills are already mastered. This allows the students to take risks, increase student participation, and self efficacy. At the district level we performed action research with this program and we found gains in all age levels and different subject areas. The highest gains were found in the students that generally achieve at the lowest quartile.

I hope that you can see the positive impact this program could have towards our transition to the new standards and the overall atmosphere for the classroom and staff.

Thank You,

Andrea Colville

TE 818- Theme 5 Finals Thoughts

There were several big ideas expressed in the readings by myself and my peers. The idea that came up the most is whether or not a national curriculum i.e. the Common Core is a good thing for us. Overall, it seemed like most people liked the idea of the Common Core and the guidelines it would place for teachers to keep on track. Most of us also saw the Common Core as loosely framed to be able to adapt to how the teacher wants to use it within the classroom. Like the Common Core website states, it is NOT a curriculum. It is intended to be able to be interpreted and used as the teacher/district sees fit to accommodate and adapt to local issues and diversity.

Two of the largest hindrances to the Common Core are the complaints about the difficulty especially for the kids on the lower end of the spectrum and the textbook companies that tend to monopolize on the idea of the Common Core. One of the my fellow classmates spoke to the idea of how expectations are often lowered for students in a basic classroom versus an advanced classroom. Research shows that when expectations are lowered, so are students results. Maybe the higher expectations are not a bad thing. I find that the changes in the curriculum are not necessarily too demanding, they just require the students to think critically instead of skills based and it will take time for the students to learn this way. As for the textbooks, districts, teachers, etc need to understand that a textbook company is out there to make money. It is still important for the staff to deconstruct standards, create a meaning for them based on their local level and determine how to teach the material. Maybe you use a textbook as a general source, but you may need to look beyond the textbook at some levels. A textbook is a resource, not an outline for a course. It is also important to know that even if the textbook claims to be aligned, that does not really mean it is. I have a textbook right now that is "aligned" to the Common Core and the Michigan Standards. The connections are a stretch and the material is all smashed together to create an impossible amount of material for one year. Educators are the experts, not the textbook companies.

Finally, the last big theme is the place of testing in the school system. I argued before that I do not think that there should be so much accountability placed on one test. There should also be some sort of acknowledgement to the different factors that are outside of school control that may impact education if it is going to be used as an accountability tool. However, a fellow classmate referred to Ken Robinson speaking of Finland schools and the low dropout rate they have because "testing supports learning and doesn't obstruct it." This seemed to be the key for me. I am doing this training with Assessment FOR Learning where a large part of the training is learning the appropriate times for formative vs. summative learning and how the final test is not the end all. It is a tool for the students and educators to see what still needs to be learned so it can be revisited and then retested. Not just looked at as accountability and then forging ahead.

TE 818: Theme 5- Standards, Measurement, and Testing

This week we were asked to read several articles about a common curriculum and testing. We also watched a TED talk where Ken Robinson speaks about No Child Left Behind and the disconnect between educational policy and the voice of students and teachers.

I started this week by reading the Made to Measure by Hoff. This I believe was the perfect starting point as it discusses the history of testing. Much of this knowledge was new to me and it was very interesting how tests have evolved over time from being a private tool used by administrators to gauge school success and has now transformed into a very public tool used for accountability for administrators and teachers. The article warns against the use of single tests for accountability purposes and the claim that tests do not always match up to the broad standards that are set by states. I find that I agree with the articles warning. I do believe that there should be some sort of accountability for schools to make sure that they are teaching students to high standards. However, I do not know how it is fair to use these standards for all children. In the article it states, “students’ family backgrounds and the socioeconomic makeup of their schools were more meaningful factors in student achievement than the quality of their schools.” There is no statement that I could believe more. So if we used a single test (the MEAP) to measure achievement between a low socioeconomic area plagued by problems within homes such as an inner city school versus a school in an affluent area where parents read, check their students homework, and teach their children skills that are needed to succeed in school it would almost definitely show that the teachers/administrators are not as competent as the teachers/administrators in the affluent area. When in reality the teachers in the low socioeconomic area may be working twice as hard to have meetings with parents and social workers, creating interventions to help keep students focused and attempt to battle conditions that are outside of the schools control, and trying to establish a close relationship with students so that they feel safe. Do not take this is as a stab at educators in affluent areas because they do work hard, and would do what all teachers are trained to do if they have the situations with students that arise in low socioeconomic areas, but I am stating that they may not have to deal with as many problems, their students overall are more prepared and mentally able to focus on the content, and there is more time to focus on delivery and instruction.

The next overwhelming idea to myself while reading through these articles is the idea of a common curriculum, the framework that is intertwined with our proposed national curriculum the Common Core, and the idea that a common curriculum and testing would lead to the classification of people and create a “hegemonic power” to overtake control taken by social movements.

Even with all the negative kickback that is associated with the Common Core I find that I still agree with the notion of the common curriculum. I personally believe that the negativity, especially from any teachers, mostly comes from the measurement using the testing that has been created for the Common Core particularly in New York. I do think it might be necessary to revisit the testing if it is not working, or possibly wait several years for our students to adapt to the changes and allow them to learn how to think the way the Common Core asks. However, there are a numerous amount of positives that go along with the national curriculum such as no gaps for students that move around, bringing the nation to the same standards and expectations k-12, and promoting the idea of critical thinking around broader ideas. Sleeter and Stillman quote a study by saying, “researchers came to considerable consensus about the most helpful instructional principals and processes, emphasizing the importance of contextualized rather than skill-driven instruction, and the connections between language, thinking, values, culture, and identity.” (30) I believe that the Common Core moves away from the skill-driven instruction that is currently upheld by using the Michigan Curriculum Framework. I am able to see as a math teacher how ideas are linked and themed throughout the 7^th grade and am able to move into a much deeper understanding rather than only focusing on the rote process of a skill before moving onto the next one. Although I find the positives in this process I find that the opposing views say that the common curriculum takes away from local control and takes away the progress made by social movements. I find both of these statements ridiculous. First, the framing of the Common Core is very adaptable to local curriculums. The standards focus on contextualized ideas and do not give prescriptive details for teachers to follow. Teachers are still able to use their expertise to decide delivery and assessment within their own classroom. I also do not understand how this would break down any social progress made through movements for race, sex, or any other minority group. There is still room in the curriculum to create problems, lessons, etc to teach about multiculturalism and have non gender biased questions. Books are not chosen in ELA classes nor topics.  Within the ELA class in the 7^th grade they have to learn how to write about Argument Writing. Nowhere does it say what they have to write about. This could easily be used as a way to talk about public policy around social policy.

Extension:
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/09/common_core_either_you_re_against_this_new_push_for_academic_standards_and.html
I found this article interesting when speaking of the Common Core. This author tries to take an unbiased approach at why there are pushbacks about the Common Core.

TE 818 Theme 4: Final Thoughts

Like I stated before I find the most important aspect of teaching (from my experience and perspective) is the development of objectives. It brings a focus and clarity to lessons for both the students and the teachers.  I mentioned in the past that I found some connections between what Tyler and Doll suggest for curriculum creation such as objectives (although Tyler's are concrete where Doll's are flexible for richness and rigor), reflection, and teaching to mastery. I find that though I agree it is important to be able to include the higher order thinking and creating a time for deeper learning, it is incredibly hard to be flexible with where these standards are heading like Doll presents with our current school structure. If a student is going to move up in class levels with different teachers it is hard to make content transitive rather than concrete. If it is possible then that would be the way to go. However, overall, I think the main importance is that there is a focus and the objectives are clear for the students to understand the focus and content.

I mentioned in my past reference that standards given by the state are not an entirely bad thing. I think the cons outweigh what would happen if schools were given free choice to teach what they want and when. However, it is important to include voices of educators within these decisions. I found an interesting article about how 11 educational leaders that were never teachers...extremely frustrating! It is important to keep all voices in mind with research to make curriculum choices.

I was asked about the common core and the ability to use the model of asking the students what they want to learn and then transforming it to meet the standards that are required by the state. I think that there is more of an ability to do this with the Common Core than there is with the Michigan State GLCE's. There are far fewer standards with the Common Core that focus on the ideal's of Doll which include depth, higher order thinking and Tyler's which includes processes and steps. With there being less standards it allows you to go in much more depth about a topic and actually allowing you to probably answer and extend more of what the children are wanting to learn. Granted, many teachers probably do not use this model often because there are mandated standards that they know they are going to teach, but this is a great teaching strategy to create an importance and reason for the students to learn. This is the closest a teacher can probably get the students to feel like they have a say in education.

Referring back to my quote "teaching is an interactive process with learning a by-product of that interaction. (Doll 271), I find this to speak to the actual classroom rather than just the standards created by curriculum creators. There is more to a classroom than the standards. Teachers still have choices in the classroom (in most places) as to how to teach content. How is it delivered, what collaborative experiences are going to be used, how are you assessing it in the classroom, and even what order are you teaching the content throughout the year. The interaction is seeing what the students are able to understand and adjusting the curriculum until the student meets the standard you are looking for and if time permits to create that richness to allow deeper knowledge for the future. However, I find it completely wrong for a state to mandate scripted curriculums that take away those choices from teachers. At that point you are disgracing their education and their ability to be the master's of their craft.

TE 818- Theme 4: Curriculum Creation

I chose this picture as my extension because I felt like this quote encompassed the whole idea behind curriculum creation. How do we create curriculum to benefit the children? What ways benefit the children the most?

While reading these articles I was again brought back to many basics we are taught as teachers. The first is developing objectives and bringing purpose to objectives. Tyler states, "We are devoting much time to the setting up and formulation of objectives because they are the most critical criteria for guiding all the other activities of the curriculum-maker." (62). I find as a teacher, policy-maker, administrator, or even a business person the objective is what sets the path. It is important to have a clear objective that is obtainable. Throughout many Professional Development trainings I have experienced such as Curriculum Instruction That Works and Assessment for Learning there is a large emphasis placed on creating objectives and the role they place in the classroom. Like this chapter, this P.D. experiences have had differing opinions about how to create the perfect objective and their place in the classroom. It must be important if the reading by Tyler was written in 1949 and it is still used as a resource for the background of objectives and their purpose in the classroom.

Tyler explains several viewpoints for objectives and I found that I agree with bits of all of them! The first viewpoint is "The Learners Themselves." This is about creating student centered goals based on their needs and interests. In my Middle Level Education program we learned that if a group of students is presented with a topic and asked what they want to learn about it, most of the time, the topics that need to be taught are proposed by the students, but then the student takes more interest and responsibility in the topic. However, this is not always the case from what I have learned from my professional experiences. However, I agree when Tyler states, "Educators recognize the value of beginning with present student interests as a point of departure."(11) When students are proposed with ideas and give feedback to the teacher there is always enough there to create bridges to the objectives required by the state. The next viewpoint was contemporary life. I feel like this is a given. If students are able to see a significance to their life in their learning they are naturally going to have more interest in their learning and attain more. Subject-Specialists are clearly what are objectives are created off of in the United States, but I love the question proposed, "What can your subject contribute to the education of young people who are not going to be specialists in your field" (26). I feel like this question is the question proposed to me almost daily in math classes. "When am I going to use this in real life?" I mean sometimes it is hard for me to come up with something. From the philosophy point of view I loved the quote, "An education program is not effective if so much is attempted that little is accomplished." (33) This is an ongoing problem in mathematics. Do I slow down for mastery or do I keep going so I can actually finish the objectives required of me? Either way you are putting students in an unfair situation somewhere.

In the article written by Doll Jr. I found that although it states it is an "alternative to the Tyler Rationale" it still seemed very similar. I loved how it compared the focus of past generations Readin', Ritin', and Rithmetic" to what it needs to be today. It is clear that objectives need to change with the times and with societies and technologies changing at an alarming rate it seems to be the question, what should the objectives for today societies be. In Doll's article he still speaks to the ideas of having significant objectives that are able to be interpreted in different directions based on student interests or connections to society. He speaks to the idea of reflections and teaching to mastery without overloading content. Overall, he sums the learning experience up best by quoting Dewey, "teaching is an interactive process with learning a by-product of that interaction. (271).

I again am left with the question, as are many others, what theory towards creating curriculum is the best? What combination would be best? However, I don't think there is one. I think it varies depending on each teacher and their beliefs and educational values they bring to the classroom. It may differ from classroom to classroom. However, it is important that when creating curriculum there is a clear answer to the four fundamentals of curriculum defined by Tyler:

1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?
2. What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?
3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?
4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained?
   

However, even though I contemplate which combination would be best and I state that I think it depends on the classroom, it is out of the classrooms control. Objectives are currently a top-down approach and are out of the teacher or schools control most of the time.

TE 818 Final Thoughts- Controversial Subjects

Last week we began reading and discussing how schools approach controversial topics such as differing views of history, different cultures, race, LGBTQ, etc... It was clear that even among our class there were a lot of differing opinions. However, when I read articles that involve such extreme measures taken by students because of the way schools and the community react to what I call "touchy" subjects, there needs to be a change. I personally think that many of these reactions come from the hidden curriculum that is taught to children from the time they are young. This curriculum includes movies, stories, etc that show heterosexual relationships, has white people as heroes, etc. Throughout this exposure students are "taught" to what is considered the norm. Then when these topics are brought up, they are often ignored or barely touched upon because of the fear of making someone angry. I think the best measure to fix this problem is to allow exposure from the beginning to children so subjective norms are not established. Then as topics are brought up a teacher can take grasp of a teachable moment and prevent future problems through a series of short conversations throughout life. I think this would be MUCH more beneficial than hiding these issues until a student reaches middle school or high school and then trying to create lessons about the appropriateness of the topics and dealing with programs such as anti-bullying programs. It is always better to be proactive!

TE 818- Theme 3B: What Schools Should Teach- Controversial Concepts

 This week we read about two controversial issues: the dismantling of Mexican-American history in Arizona and the bullying/deaths resulted from LGBTQ issues. These are two very strong examples of issues that are not taught about directly within the schools.

I had never read/heard about the dismantling of the multiculturalism taught in Arizona until I read this article. I had heard of books being banned in the past for various reasons, but this seemed absurd to me. Throughout all of my classes and studies as an educator we are taught to find connections to our students lives' and teach to diversity to create warm, safe environments that give students a reason to learn. So why would they get rid of this? Jeff Biggers references books banned written by Mandela in South Africa and the fact that we knew this was to stop people from beginning a movement against the government, and continues that with the question, "What is the Tucson school district afraid of?" I found that question interesting, especially since it seemed to teach the students public discourse where the students used their rights to express their opinions. This topic appears to me as a topic that should be taught from the very beginnings of school. Learning about everyone's cultures. How we came to be a nation, especially with the history down there. Unless the teacher is sending the message that Mexican-Americans should begin a revolt to make this area part of Mexico again, what is the problem? We want our students to be critical thinkers and learn how to make decisions. That is the big push with 21st century skills. This hinders that ability by only allowing one view be taught with critical discussions. Rather, the students will read on their own in the libraries and create their own opinions with no guidance.

The next topic was very disheartening and a hot topic in the news today with the controversy over same-sex marriage. It is sad and disheartening that it has to be about this. The fact of the matter is there is a large percentage of people that fall into the LGBTQ category. There is no need to dance around it. The articles that included arguments against the teachings about this were majority religious people. Schools are supposed to separate church and state. There is no reason not to. However, in my school (since this is probably the only sort of diversity that we have) the principle gets extremely nervous and discourages teaching about anything with this topic because of parents. One time, we watched Channel One and it spoke to creating alliances and he had a fit. His argument was maybe it would be okay for older children. However, we had several students in that grade that were already speaking about being gay. I believe, as did several other teachers, that if we danced around the topic the unknown is weird to the overall student population and the students would get bullied.

Overall, my impression is that a lot of times touchy subjects are not taught because parents might get angry. However, they are/become touchy because they have always been the topics that educators and the general population skirt around. If intertwined into the curriculum in subtle ways, overtime, these topics become less touchy. If parents object to this, then I agree with the articles that parents should have the right to have their kid set aside for that. Or if it involves a reading lesson or something, an alternative approach. Similar to students that have certain religious beliefs that sit out during the pledge or during celebrations.


Extension
This is a book that could be used to teach multiple persepectives in a Social Studies classroom. I had to read it in my MLE program and it was by far the most interesting book I had read to that time about Social Studies because this was the FIRST time I was exposed to information that was not the classic british, american, male point of view. There are numerous books that he makes. There are numerous GLCE's that would work for this and other touchy subjects in Middle Grades such as

7 – H1.2.4

Compare and evaluate competing historical perspectives about the past based on proof.

 

 

http://zinnedproject.org/materials/a-young-peoples-history-of-the-united-states/
http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States-Volume/dp/1583227598

TE 818- Unconventional Teaching Final Thoughts

The articles, videos, and discussions of this theme have left me thinking about what schools should look like in the United States. The one thing that is clear to myself is that I do not think the traditional approach of education that we use with intense graduation requirements truly create college and career readiness. I do believe that students need a well rounded education, but I still find myself asking why students would need classes like Physics, Algebra II, Anatomy, etc if said student was not going into that career field. Especially when students are missing out on opportunities that involve technology, finance, etc that is almost guaranteed to be in their future at some point. It is also important to realize that information is more available to people than in the past with the internet at their fingertips. So what would be the best change for schools? I am still not sure of the answer to this. However, I would think that there would be some balance between a thematic/career focused classroom and instruction in basic skills. I wonder if it would be possible, without completely overhauling the US Education system to do this. For example, what if for half of the day skills taught in math (which could include finance instead of Trig or Algebra II), ELA, Government, etc could be taught. That way, if a student was poor in a subject such as math and knew they were not going to be tracked in a career that involved a lot of math could take slower, more in depth classes to ensure that students had their skills mastered up to a certain realistic point such as Algebra I or Geometry. While also ensuring that students get classes in public discourse and other basic necessities that are necessary for a successful life. On the other half of the day students could work on projects that are more career/project focused. Allowing students to work more in depth in skills that they are passionate about. The part of the day that is devoted to their passion could include more direct instruction at higher level classes as well as in depth projects. Students would learn soft skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. By no means is this idea perfect, but just a thought at how we could create opportunities for students to have a more specialized, interesting time in school.

Side Note: I use math examples all the time because I am the most comfortable and knowledgeable with the math curriculum.

Theme 3a Extension

As I was reading the posts of my fellow peers tonight I realized that I did not post an extension! I am going to blame this on pregnancy brain!! As soon as I realized, I immediately knew what I wanted to post because this last weeks topic really intrigued me.

http://www.amle.org/AboutAMLE/ThisWeBelieve.aspx#122516-the-16-characteristics

These are the characteristics that are spoken about in the book "This We Believe" provided by the Association of Middle Level Education. In my Middle Level Program in undergrad we lived by these goals and focuses. I found that you could argue for all of these focuses in the arguments provided by each of the articles/videos that we read today. The characteristics really do catch the spirit of what school should be about. The characteristics are at the above link. However, the book is definitely worth a quick read!

TE 818- What Schools Should Teach? Unconventional Methods

This week throughout the readings there were several messages that came across loud and clear. The first thought is what are schools teaching now? Eisner created a strong argument that there are many messages taught in school that are "numerous, subtle, and consistent." (88) Many of these messages (such as compliance, competitiveness, and a timetable) are created through the use of a traditional curriculum. The question that remains, is a traditional curriculum the best system for the future? Sugatra Mitra argued that it is not. He spoke to the idea that schools are outspoken and were created for a "Bureaucratic Administrative Machine" that was necessary in the past for survival.

Throughout the readings/videos there were several ideas and concepts for new schools. Mitra argued that with new technology (computers and internet) and a coach that doesn't have to be trained in the specific skill, students are able to teach themselves if posed with a "sexy" way of learning. He shows proof that students posed with questions were able to learn a subject way beyond their years. However, these students were only focused on that one question, thematic learning. Mulgan spoke to a project completed in England where schools were created for 14-19 year olds that focused on job specific skills. The work experience was intertwined with the study of the subjects, creating a hands-on experience where bored students were able to see life connections and jumped from the bottom performers to the top. Several others speak to the fact that schools lack in training in computers. When almost all jobs and people use computers on a daily basis, why aren't students taught how to use coding, the basics of operating programs and computers? Then finally, a poll on parents shows that they do not believe schools teach skills to create good character such as higher well-being, building stronger relationships, manage finances, being healthy, and being involved in the community.

All of the previous ideas and concepts are extremely thought provoking. Times have certainly changed and the requirements needed for jobs have changed dramatically. Children do not have the patience that we had when we were young with the internet at the tips of their fingers. However, what is the right way? I feel that it is important for students to have a basic knowledge and exposure to all subjects. If they did not, how would one really find a passion for a subject in their future? I truly liked the idea of the school created in England. By the time a student is getting to the age of 14 they should have a general idea of their likes and could start working on a more hands on way in topics of passion. At least then, if they decide they dislike it, they did not waste thousands of dollars and time at a university. I also don't find that all students really need to learn all subjects to the depth we force in the traditional curriculum. If a student knows they are going to work in a business world why do they need to take biology and anatomy? It would definitely then be possible to have a "coach" help guide students to learning by self exploration like Mitra spoke of. This would be possible due to the students connections to real life, the increased passion the student would have for that subject, and the plethora of information that students can find on the internet that they no longer need a teacher to tell them.

TE 818 History of Curriculum is still Changing...and Should Always. Theme 2 Final Thoughts

Throughout my readings of peers posts I tried to focus on the central theme of the History of Curriculum. In the Popekwitz article it is stated how curriculum began with roots from the church. I believe this was appropriate for the time period and research available. However, as the times changed, so did the curriculum. We are at a time where there is a plethora amount of research available stating that students need real life experiences and connections to their lives. Saying this, a one size fits all approach does not work for students. The information they need, needs to be up to date, using current resources and technology. This is a large change from the past. This is a large change from the past, where a one size fits all curriculum was easiest and perceived as best for the kids. In the future we may find more research and there will certainly be more technologies and focuses that may become more important with the time period. Curriculum is ever changing. As educators, we need to see that and embrace it. 

However, it is hard as an educator to constantly be changing with the times. Especially, with the many different perspectives there are regarding education. Teachers need to be flexible and open to new ideas; life-long learners. When there are differing perspectives, since I feel it is hard to be a little of all of them, that's where teamwork can benefit the students. Build off of working in teams collaboratively, accepting the best of each one of us. The number one concern should be what is best for kids. 

TE 818 Theme 2 - History of Curriculum in the U.S.

"There is little doubt, in short, that the field of curriculum is in a crisis of principle." (Schwab 126) This quote represents to me the fact that curriculum is always a topic of debate. Laws and policies are created with different views in mind that are often conflicting and restricting.While reading the articles of this week I found two common concepts that stuck out to me.

The first concept is that there are an endless amount of purposes and reasons that drive education. The History of Curriculum spoke of the various purposes throughout time, Perspectives on Four Curriculum Traditions speak of four views from a teachers standpoint, The Child and the Curriculum argues if schooling should be child-centered or academic focused, and finally The Practical: A Language for Curriculum speaks of the many characteristics that drive theory. In all of these articles there is argument for all sides. All of these arguments brings me back to the conversations from theme 1. What is the right principle of education? Should there be some sort of combination? Schwab says, "...a defensible curriculum or plan of curriculum must be one which somehow takes account of all these subsubjects which pertain to man. It cannot take only one and ignore the others; it cannot even take account of many of them and ignore one." It is clear that as time has passed, education has become more complex. Teaching began by experience, expanded to include civic rights, then to segmented academic disciplines. It is simple to see that as it becomes more complex it would be easy to find a time or situation that would prove each theory right in some fashion.

The second concept that stuck out to myself is that in some fashion the child should be part of the focus. It is not a new knowledge that students are able to learn more if they have some sort of real-life connection to the material. Even when the many theories are argued, they all speak towards the learner and how the information effects the learner. The question is do you start with the student or do you start with curriculum and alter it to work for the student. Dewey speaks of "continuous reconstruction." To me this meant that yes, we do have organized disciplines, but the teachers should constantly be reevaluating the information, even if unchanged, to find connections to the students own lives. With different generations there are different experiences, interests, and personal connections to the material. Dewey also stated later that a student, 'is told to think things out, or work things out for himself, without being supplied any of the environment conditions which are requisite to start and guide thought." This quote reminded me of many things that are taught in the Algebra curriculum. I am asking students to figure out problems when they can not see any real connection to why they should have to learn the information many times. And many times, even if I wanted to, it is impossible to give them real life connections because they are so extended from the students' own lives that the information still feels disconnected.

Throughout the theories I find myself to be the closest to a social behaviorist. I think students should be taught the disciplines but through investigation and critical thinking. If students are taught to be critical thinkers, they should ultimately be able to naturally find a way to succeed in the future.


Extension:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-environments-paul-bogdan

This article speaks of change where a classroom is student centered. It also gives several resources to allow teachers to explore more into the idea of student centered learning.

TE 818- Theme One Final Thoughts

            When I began reading these articles I was able to instantly think of connections to each of the themes referred to by Labaree. It is clear to see a purpose that is dominating in different timespans throughout the history of education.  Throughout my reflections and the reflections of others I was able to see that others had the same conflicting thoughts I did about these purposes. For example, I still wonder if “equal” education is really equal for all students. Before and after this, I still believe an equal education is giving each student what he/she needs; not giving all of the students the same education.

            Another theme I noticed is that all of us find that laws and policies are often conflict due to different drives of purpose. I contemplated the idea of finding a balance between the three, but as I read others posts I don’t know that it would ever be possible to find a solution that all would agree upon. It was clear that we all had different opinions in class. Schools often pick a mission, vision, and have some sort of purpose. However, even if we tried to localize purposes, it would never work with a system that has so many layers of administration and lawmakers.

            Maybe we should just focus on the idea of having happy students like suggested in the Noddings article. It is said that students that have relationships with their students often produce better work. Maybe then would the three ideals fall into place, creating a blend by not making any specific one the focus.

Theme 1: Conflicting Notions of the Purpose of Schooling

Much like the teacher in the article "The Aims of Education" by Nel Noddings, when a student asks me why they have to learn the Pythagorean Theorem my answer often moves towards how they will need to know the information when they take Geometry so they will be able to finish proofs yadda yadda. Aside from standards, I have never really taken a step back to look at what the forefront of education is/was. However, as I read through the Noddings article and the article "Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle Over Educational Goals" by David Labaree I instantly connected and thought of moments or times when the different purposes of education took a forefront in how I was teaching/learning.

Both authors speak of the democratic purposes of schooling. Throughout my classes for teaching social studies I remember most of the instruction being focused on how to create lessons to create a responsible citizen. In fact, it is stated the GLCE's, "balance disciplinary content and processes and skills that contribute to responsible citizenship and form a foundation for high school social studies coursework." So you can see that from the very beginning I was trained to give explanations as to why on the basis of responsible citizens and future coursework.

The statement that stuck out the most to me was "the U.S. promotes general education at even the high levels of the system, in comparison with other countries, where specialized instruction begins much earlier." (Labaree 44) While reading this I instantly thought of my experience in London and how the students took a test at the end of year 5 that began tracking students into different schools and different career paths. I agreed with Labaree when he said this limits opportunities for some students. Middle school students mature and grow so much and I think of how some of the students that I have had in 6th grade that are now top achievers. However, I am unsure that I believe that NCLB or even the idea of equality is any better.

The next purpose Labaree speaks of is Social Efficiency. While reading this section all I could think of is consistently hearing that students need to learn Science and Mathematics because we do not have enough educated workforce for the jobs available in the current day.

Social Mobility reminded me of school while I was in school. School was competitive. School was what the student took out of it. There were opportunities to become successful at all levels. Some students went to career centers and some students were able to take college classes while still in school.

Noddings also speaks of the purpose of schooling to interests and happiness. If a student is happy and interested they are more likely to succeed. 

I was able to connect to all of these purposes and can think of policies and situations that conflict the purposes in schooling today. The real question would be what is the best policy? IF politicians agreed (which is improbable) would any specific purpose be better than the others. Or is a blend of these purposes the best option? We are moving towards pushing careers that are for the workforce, competition is coming back to school systems in a small measure, and equality still plays an overwhelming importance with NCLB and frameworks like the Common Core.

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/mom-congress/melissa-taylor/what-purpose-education
This article shows parents quotes of what the purpose of school is. Each parent has different opinions that show support of the various purposes explained above.

Beginning of TE 818-Course Intro

Hi! I am Andrea Colville. (Contrary to the title of this website. I got married in September last year.) I began using this blog for several of my technology classes and have found it quite useful for all of my classes in the MATC program.

Outside of my life as a teacher I like to spend a lot of time with my family and friends. We spend a lot of time up north on Torch Lake in the summer and walking the trails with our Brittany puppy. However, if we are stuck inside the house it is common for my husband and I to get sucked into tv series or I might read a book. My husband and I got married last fall and bought our first house. At the beginning we got the unexpected surprise that we will be having our first child in March! It has been a very busy year!!

I am currently finishing my last semester for my Masters. I am taking both TE 818 and TE 870. Within the MATC program I completed the technology specialization. Before my experiences with MSU I completed by undergrad at Central Michigan University. While there I completed a double major in Math and Social Studies. I also received a minor in Middle Level Education. I had the opportunity to study abroad and spent a short amount of time teaching in London, England.

I am currently beginning my fourth year at Whitmore Lake Middle School. While working there I have taught 6th and 7th grade math, social studies, and technology.  My school is very small so I have gotten the opportunity to be on several committees such as the district curriculum committee. I personally do not have the desire to move towards anything administrative in the future, just to further my success as a teacher.

Qualities

This image reflects my passion and curiosity as a teacher that is learning and integrating technology into the classroom.


If you can not see the image you can go to the following link: http://www.glogster.com/lytle1aa/passion-and-curiousity-quality/g-6km8stqi3t4ib5q32rf32a0

Education Tech Needs

My latest task in CEP 812 was to survey my fellow staff members to determine the wants/needs within my district towards technology. You are welcome to see my survey at the following link. Or you are welcome to take the survey and add to my data.

My school is very low income and does not have a lot of technology. We have two computer labs in our middle school. I am not sure in our other schools. However, this seems to be a large problem in our school. In fact, it is a deterrent to try and create lessons that would need technology. Through my own personal feelings and opinions I had felt that most of the teachers do not have much experience with technology. (In fact, one time, a teacher came to my room upset because her computer did not turn on. She had only turned on her monitor.) Our staff is small, but I did get 22 responses. Of the 22 responses here are the percentages for each grade level:

As you can see, I received a proportional amount between the different schools in my district. One of the first questions I asked was how comfortable the teachers feel with technology. Here are my results. 1 is the lowest representing not at all, 3 representing average, and 5 represents excellent

You can see the majority ranges towards the level of 5. However, I do not believe that the majority of the teachers really understand what it truly means to understand using technology daily. When asked what technologies they use in their classroom including the categories laptops/ipads, smartboard, document cameras, social networking, classroom websites, google apps, stand alone resources, universally designed lessons and classroom management systems only one averaged above a 3. This category was classroom websites. So only classroom websites were used on a sometimes rank.

Overall, the staff that was surveyed would enjoy to have PD in the area of technology. Here is a visual representation of if they would choose to have PD in technology:

I only had one staff member that chose no in this question. A clear minority. In a free response question it asked what types of pd or technologies would the teachers like to learn about. Within this response the majority of teachers asked to learn about various technologies. It was not about ideas learned about in the CEP program such as creating websites, using social networking, StAIR, UDL lessons or various tips and tricks. It was straight forward such as "smartboards" or "ipads" and the integration of being able to use these more often to create smoother transitions and more effective lessons.

Overall, through the survey and my own personal reflections and observations it is clear to me that my staff is lacking in knowledge when it comes to technology. The staff is still very focused on the basics and could benefit from having lessons in the how to's from using various technologies. However, I truly believe the staff would benefit more from learning how to use technologies to show collaboration and creativity in projects. If this was used, the how to's would come along for the students. (This is definitely how I learned various programs such as Google App's in this program.)

My infodiet

 
This week in CEP 812 I was asked to evaluate and expand my infodiet. Many of us use the internet as a tool to find information that we have interests in and rarely expand from there. The internet not just a tool to find quick facts, but a tool for evaluative, critical thinking. As a teacher (particularly a technology teacher), I really should be modeling the many powers of the internet. Right now my infodiet is very limited. I get on facebook, pinterest, check the weather, my e-mails, the news and that's about it. Aside from what I am asked to do for classes I rarely expand what I use the internet for. In fact, sometimes when I am bored I might check the same 6 sites over and over. There is an endless amount of information on the internet that should be able to keep my brain entertained, but yet I don't get out of that comfortable zone. My students probably go on more sites than I do!

So to begin my search I thought of topics that generally gain the most interest from myself. They included formative assessment, my school district being restructured, and common core. (Do I continue to transition? Do I not? Does our state government not realize that good teaching takes time to plan!??!) When searching I found some very interesting articles.

The first item that I found to expand my infodiet is Csv Tchrs of America ‏@ConservTeachers. This user posts several articles that definitely includes points of view that I do not share. For example, there is an article posted about Jeb Bush explaining his views on the common core and how it gave the power of common core away from the public to a privately funded company by Bill Gates. He also continues to talk about how through the common core eventually will be to teach by reading a script. This is just one of many articles that bash the idea of common core and the smarter balanced assessment. 

As my search continued I found another site that does not support the common core. The site is called Hoosiers Against the Common Core. This website has several articles from different standpoints about the common core. Some ideas that I had read were that the pilot test in New York was too hard for the students and could have unintended consequences, teachers are "bound" to silence when talking about the common core though contractual agreements, and that the common core embraces a "trade-school mentality."

The last website I am going to speak to is a website posted by @freedomworks that was stated testimonials about why the common core fails by teachers and parents. When I reached the website, I found the title "Common Core Fails." This gave very quick blurbs about merit based pay, not being internationally competitive, special interest groups writing the tests, etc. All seemed very short with little or no references. However, to a parent or someone not educated within the educational field this could be very concerning. It gave links for people to find groups fighting against the common core. 

Overall, I found expanding my infodiet for opposing very frustrating. When reading some of these articles I was astonished. However, at the same time it did open my eyes to some opposing arguments that exist. I do only have a one sided view of the common core, based on what my administrator has taught me or conferences that I have been sent to. 

References

Hoosiers against common core. (2013). Retrieved June 09, 2013 from http://hoosiersagainstcommoncore.com/

Freedom Works. (2013). Common core fails. Retrieved June 09, 2013 from http://commoncore.fwsites.org/category/the-facts/ 

Howard County Public Schools. (2012, Sept 03). Technology education. Retrieved June 09, 2013 from http://lrhs.hcpss.org/Departments/technology 

Spunkypundit. (2013, May 30). Jeb bush in mi peddling common core. Red State. Retrieved June 09, 2013 from http://www.redstate.com/spunkypundit/2013/05/30/jeb-bush-in-mi-peddling-common-core/

Working Memory Disorders and Technologies to Support

            In the school system that I currently teach in our special education population is completely mainstreamed into the general education setting. Thus requiring myself to teach math to students with disabilities that I never really had any training in.

 For my latest tech education assignment I was required to choose a disability that effects my students learning and find a technology that would assist those students. Automatically the first problem that came to my mind is when the students can not remember steps in multiple step problems and/or follow directions that include several tasks. I run into this problem a lot in math class and really struggle with helping those students. I often feel at a loss, because aside from repeating myself a thousand times, what could I do for a student like this?

My first task at hand was to find out what sort of disability would really cause a student to struggle with this. When reading up on various disabilities many of them included aspects of what could cause a student to get off task, not remember steps, and even have a low self-esteem. However, a common factor in all of these disabilities is some sort of working memory disorder.

The working memory is the part of the brain that holds information for short term so the brain can manipulate that information for cognitive tasks (Rasmussen, Treit, and Pei 2013). These processes are often used in math and reading. Students are required to remember the numbers while following the various steps, manipulating the information, to create an answer. In reading the students are required to remember the sequences of stories and create inferences. It also includes tasks such as planning ahead, organizing, paying attention, and problem solving.  With the working memory essentially being the “post-it note” of the brain, this makes these tasks extremely hard for students.

There are two main functions of the working memory. The first function is the verbal working memory. This function is the focus on being able to remember auditory instructions and repeat them mentally to complete tasks. This also includes learning language and comprehension tasks. The second function is the visual-spatial working memory. This is the brains ability to envision something. This is used primarily when working with math skills that allow the students to envision patterns, images, and sequences of events (Stuart 2013).

Like previously stated, working memory problems are often a problem for children with various disabilities. These disabilities can include Down’s Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), learning disabilities, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and acquired brain injury (Rasmussen, Treit, and Pei 2013). Since there is such a variety there are many interventions and strategies used to assist students.

One of the first technologies that could be used to help a student with a working memory disorder is to have the students practice their memory-building skills. There are several online memory games that can help with that. A few of them are Memory Games by Lumosity, The Original Memory Gym, and Easysurf Memory Games. This would allow the student to exercise their working memory and hopefully strengthen that part of their brain.

Not only could you help train the brain, there are several other ways to aide the student. According to Gathercole, a teacher can “evaluate working memory loads and reduce as necessary, re-present information to the child as needed, encourage the use of memory aids, and develop the child’s strategies to support memory” (2008). There are a plethora of technologies that could be used to support these ideas.

The first strategy demonstrated is to evaluate the child’s memory load. This could be done through various programs that track data. It would be very clear for the teacher to track a student’s success rate on assignments and be able to identify trends and patterns to accommodate to the learner.

The second idea stated is to re-present information to the child as needed. This used to be a cumbersome task for teachers, and often very discouraging for both the teacher and the student. Now a teacher could record their lesson and upload it on a website for the student where it could be listened to over and over. Or the teacher could find various videos, that re-present the information with more visuals or different perspectives than the teachers own. Cutting down on the time and attention the student needs one on one with the student and also cutting down on the time the student could be waiting for the teacher to help them.

There are many memory aids available on the internet where students can create their own games. On www.superteachertools.com there are options to create a variety of interactive games such as Jeopardy. There are also websites that allow students to make flashcards such as www.quizlet.com.

The final strategy is to help the child develop strategies to support memory. This might include helping the student chunk instructions into sections. This could be done using the Internet to give instructions. The students could then break up the instructions into sections. One way this could be done is by creating a slideshow with each slide including one or two steps necessary to complete a task. Thus teaching the student how to break steps down to feel success and less anxiety. These are just a few suggestions of how technology could help with these principles. The amount of possibilities is very large and has the ability to be tweaked for each individual.

Overall, throughout this research I was able to put together several ideas and strategies that would allow a student more success with the aide of technology. Many of these ideas are ideas that were presented to us in a previous class where we learned of the UDL principles. If a teacher took the time to create their lessons with these principles in mind, I believe the students with working memory disorders (and many other disorders) could have much more success.

Gathercole, S. E. (2008). Working memory in the classroom. The Psychologist, 21(5), 382-385. Retrieved from http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm/volumeID_21-editionID_160-ArticleID_1342-getfile_getPDF/thepsychologist\0508gath.pdf

Rasmussen C, Treit S, Pei J. 2013. Memory Interventions for Children with Memory Deficits. In: JH Stone, M Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. Available online: http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/276/

Stuart, A. (2013). What is working memory and why does it matter?. Retrieved from http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/executive-function-disorders/what-is-working-memory-why-does-matter

Working Harder, Not Smarter

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            Throughout time humans have inevitably solved and created many problems. These problems include going to the moon, ways of transportation, global warming, big business, and etc… The list could continue on forever and ever starting as simple as an idea like the wheel to the complexities of the ecosystem. In order for humans to be smart there are several ideas that need to fall into place and several problems that stand in the way. In the book The Anti Education Era by James Paul Gee he argues that although humans have the ability to be smart, due to the obstacles that interfere with human learning, humans really are quite stupid.

      According to Gee, in order for a human to solve problems in a smart way five conditions must occur. “The conditions are: (1) initial mentorship to get us prepared to learn from experience in specific domains ; (2) lots of prior experience; (3) clear goals; (4) something being “at stake” (mattering to us emotionally); and (5) the opportunity to act in a way that elicits a meaningful response from the world.” (p. 13)

            I find these conditions extremely important in the day to days of my teaching career. I can not emphasize the amount of times I have heard the students say in my Algebra class “why do I have to learn this” or “my parents don’t know how to do this and they say I will never use this.” The first three conditions as a teacher I have a decent amount of control over. My students are given mentorship through myself, most have prior experience necessary to begin my class (but those who do not often do not stand a chance), and as a school it has been a clear expectation that goals be focused and woven into classroom lessons with meaning. However, it is often hard to make the content meaningful to a students emotions with the resources, infrastructure and funding of the school system. It is also extremely hard to create something that will have a meaningful response from the world. Quite often what is taught requires little action by the student, rather students are encouraged to read, listen, and memorize. This leads to one of the many problems Gee speaks of, the human memory.

            As a teacher, one of the topics that I have to teach my students is the idea of author bias. This is often pointed out by finding readings on a historical account of an event where the authors have very different accounts of what really happened. For example is Christopher Columbus a hero or a murderer? It really depends on whose point of view you account for. In his work, Gee states, “what we store in our heads is not ‘the truth,’ but a version of reality as we see it and sometimes as we wish it to be” (p. 20) Just like accounts of history, our minds create memories based on the five conditions necessary to learn. What matters and what the person wants to believe creates that persons account. The memory is not like a computer and should not be used for this reason.

            There are two problems Gee speaks of that as an educator I see the most. The first is “frozen thought”.  Gee describes this as, “once a solution is frozen, it takes lots of work to unfreeze it, to get people to rethink it and refreeze” (p. 88). There is not a better description that could describe people or schools. People do not like change. One of the hardest jobs as an administrator (I have seen my boss get frustrated with this when trying to sell the idea of formative assessment to the staff) it to create change for the better. The second problem I identify with is the need for quick solutions to complex problems. Gee references the idea of adding species into different ecosystems without knowing what will happen. Sometimes this is a great solution, but at times it causes chaos and more problems than were needed. Humans need to take a step back and test hypotheses in simulations.  

            I believe that Gee has some extremely interesting concepts that could positively impact the learning community. If as an educator we know that these conditions must exist and we understand the problems at hand, then maybe we can learn to accept change and create a system that allows our students to take action, reflect, and have patience to solve complex systems and create a smarter people. We can adapt from old primitive methods to work less hard and much smarter.

Gee, J. P. (2013). The anti-education era: Creating smarter students through digital learning. United States: Palgrave Macmillan.

Beginnings of CEP 812- Problems of Practice

My last post included the end of my chapter as a CEP 811 student. I have now opened my new chapter at Michigan State University as a CEP 812 student. The beginning lesson of this course included defining problems of practice within my classroom and resources that can help.

The first step was to define a well-structured problem (in short, problems that have a right/wrong answer) and a complex problem. The well structured problem that I defined included adding and subtracting integers. The resource that I used to help enrich this problem is the National Virtual Library of Manipulatives, that I have passionately spoken about in the past. This would allow classrooms to have an entire class set of manipulatives of any type. In this particular case it would allow the students to see the relationships by using color chips.

My complex problem is much more in depth. I have explained it further with the following video:

CEP 811 Final Reflection

Today is my final day in CEP 811. Throughout this course I have learned many useful tools that will help me integrate teaching with technology for any classroom. At the beginning of this class, I said that my personal goal was to learn resources and strategies to make technology usage more effective in the classroom. I believe that I have learned several strategies such as creating a lesson plan with UDL principles, a StAIR, and how to build effective webquests. Within these resources are many classroom management strategies by reducing confusion and chaos. I was also to able to see successfully how a lesson can be taught using a classroom management system by including elements in a way that mocks classroom procedures such as an introduction, learn (instruction), explore, create, and share. 

Throughout this course one of the most effective strategies, in my opinion, is the underlying principle that resources need to be designed well and for all students. Within the lesson plans with the UDL principles I was able to really improve a lesson that I had already built just by adding some adaptations such as linking resources for ESL learners, adding extra resources as an option, and stopping many of the roadblocks created in the lesson for various learners. In a classroom, this would free up my time helping students with simple fixes and really create a chance for good feedback and opportunities for students. The same principle was created with the StAIR project. The PowerPoint created an opportunity for the student to learn the information in various medias, receive immediate feedback, practice, and again create an opportunity for the teacher to be more of a coach rather than the teacher giving direct instruction. It also allows the students the opportunity to go back, review, and move at their own pace. Finally, and most importantly when designing a lesson that includes technology they should really be using TPACK. It is important for the teacher to find the sweet spot between technology, pedagogy, and content. It is too often that teachers focus on one aspect, maybe two, and throw in the third focus without it being meaningful. It should be a meaningful blend of all three.

Learning and understanding the various ways that we were able to enhance lessons that included technology really helped me analyze technology resources. Resources that I thought were amazing I then realized were not so amazing. I realized how much more efficient they could be by just making a few tweaks. Many resources are missing UDL principles, feedback, or even the TPACK principles. It also opened my eyes to the amount of opportunity in basic programs such as PowerPoint.

Although this class is ending and I have learned so much, I believe that I am still accomplishing my goals of learning resources and strategies that can enhance my teaching using technology. At the rate that technology changes and improves, this may become a lifelong goal. I am excited to continue learning and continue working towards my Education Technology Certificate. I am sure CEP 812 will open my eyes to more amazing resources and strategies.

The Online Experience

There are so many online resources that it can often be overwhelming to decide which ones to use and where to find them. The State of Michigan provides a really nice guideline with examples of different resources for the various reasons a teacher would use technology.

There are many technologies that are used for the online experience. The technology that intrigues me the most is the idea of a learning management system such as Blackboard, Moodle, or Edmodo. To myself this is the starting point. I like to keep things in a logical order and often with my students they are always students that breeze through things with technology and others that are as slow as molasses. These systems allow the teacher to keep organization for online learning and they are easy to use!

An online learning management system could be used for any subject at most grade levels. It allows the teacher the opportunities to really use any pedagogical strategies needed. The most obvious would be independent self-paced learning with a teacher available to coach students through lessons that are teacher-directed via internet tools. However, with the ability to create the assignments, add links, and use other internet tools intertwined with these systems you really could have your students use online collaboration with tools such as Google Docs or you could have students learn through Stand Alone Instruction Resources, Webquests, or games. Students would not only be learning subject content, but also be learning NETS standards and online ethics. All of this can be done while being able to manage the business end of being a teacher such as grades and feedback.

Like I stated before, these systems are rather easy to use. I think that most of the technologies that you use within a learning management system would be harder to use. There are various ones listed on the guideline document that seem extremely interesting and applicable to the classroom, but it would take time to learn and make sure you fully understand and are prepared to answer/help your students navigate through these issues.

Pythagorean Theorem- StaIR

Pythagorean Theorem- StaIR

StaIR- Pythagorean Theorem

For my technology class I was asked to complete a StaIR. This stands for Stand-Alone Instructional Resource. This is a resource that a student could use to learn a topic completely independently. It teaches the topic, includes independent practice, and feedback.

When asked to do this I wanted to make this for something that could be used within my classroom. I chose to complete a resource for the Pythagorean Theorem. This is a standard that is necessary for all seventh grade students. I will be able to use this to differentiate this in both my Math 7 and Pre-Algebra class.

Please feel free to use visit, download, and use my resource.
StaIR - Pythagorean Theorem

The Usefulness of Wiki

Wikipedia is a controversial subject when it comes to the world of education. I know that as a teacher in the middle school we never let our students use Wikipedia as a source. Most of our students do not yet know how to determine what makes a site credible and may not know until they have a technology class that is not even required for all of the students. Also, what really declares a blog credible. Anyone can add, delete, or edit information in a Wiki. For example, below I show a picture of the Wikipedia page of my school district. This page is very outdated and includes statistics for the school district from several years back. I do not know these statistics. However, I did change a few things that I am aware of. Before I had changed it it had the elementary principal listed as Michael Benczarski. This was true in 2010, but since the school year 2011-2012 Krista Bethke has taken that role and Micheal's sole principal ship is at the middle school. I also have added that the elementary is now listed as a focus school. However, even though I am a teacher in the district I would not consider myself as a credible person to write statistics for the school and had the ability to do so.

 

Even though I do not find Wikipedia often a great source for my students. I have been able to use wikis as a great tool of collaboration and communication. In my classroom website  I have been able to create pages for my students and parents aware of the schedule within my classroom. I have also been able to include copies of assignments and classroom notes. It also has links to many resources that we use within the classes. 

Not only have my wiki creations been used as a source for communication. I have created classroom webpages for a few classes that I have taught. With the Century 21 class that I taught, I used Wikispace as a source for collaboration. On the classroom website that I created for educational purposes I invited all of my students to the class. This website had privacy settings that only allow members to see and edit the webpage. This made it safe and secure for my students and helped keep parents mind at ease. On the website each student created their own page from our class homepage. When we worked on projects, we posted products on the page that each person created, and then peer edited each others work right on the website. Students were able to leave comments, help with other students grammar, and have the opportunity to share with the entire class rather than a few people chosen for a peer editing group. This was extremely fun when the class decided to study fairy tales and we created fractured fairy tales.

There are so many useful ways that blogs could be used within the classroom. However, the teacher needs to really take the time to understand and decide the best ways to use them.