Chapter five was certainly an extensive chapter. This chapter was all about the curriculum. The first thing that stood out to me in this chapter was the fact that up until recently there was not really any set national standards or really state standards in place. They started putting national standards in place in 1994, and then in 2001 NCLB act (No Child Left Behind act) got passed while President Bush was in office. Since then common core standards have been implemented in many states including Illinois. This means that I will have "guidelines" so to speak to keep in mind as I am doing my lesson plans.
The second thing that caught my eye was the whole head, heart, and hands analogy that was brought up in the chapter video. Head, heart, and hand was referring to the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. I will have to keep these three in mind when I am writing my objectives for my lesson plans and curriculum. I also loved this because I can use this as a pneumatic device to always remember to use this throughout my lesson planning and curriculum planning. Another aspect that went along with the hand. heart, and head was the spiral curriculum. This starts in the younger grades, then my job as a middle school teacher is to reinforce the spiral curriculum.
The third thing that really struck me was the phases of pedagogical reasoning. There are six different phases that are discussed and articulated. These will certainly be important for me to keep in mind while I am creating my lesson plans for my middle school classroom. This is because these phases will help me not only make sure my lessons are prepared well, but also implemented well. These phases will also insure that my middle level learners will benefit the most from my lessons. I know I will benefit greatly from these phases so to help me always remember I will have my own personal copy to ensure that I always use these phases when doing my planning,
The fourth thing that I really took away from this chapter is the three different approaches to curriculum. These also go off of head, heart, and hands. The first approach is the knowledge approach.The second approach is society approach, The third approach is the learner centered approach. I personally believe with my teaching philosophy that I will be using the learner centered approach. This is because I believe that especially with middle level learners that I need to center what I teach around them, and that I need to be a facilitator or partner in their learning. I also believe that by using this approach, my students will benefit by them feeling like their voices are being heard because I will be implementing their ideas into the lessons I plan.
A fifth thing that I thought the authors did a great job discussing is the whole textbook versus no textbook. I truly believe that with all of the technological advances and changes that have taken place that the authors are right in saying that we might see hard copy textbooks go extinct. I think this is especially in the middle schools because of how much technology adolescence know how to operate.
Overall, this chapter has so many good points that I could talk about, but I decided only to list a few out of those many good points and tips. , It also had so many great definitions of words that have to do with lesson planning and the curriculum that were great refreshers for me so that I can remember to incorporate them all into my curriculum and lesson planning. I look forward to reading the rest of these chapters and implementing these tips and facts into my curriculum!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Chapter 4 Post
Chapter four was very informative as have been all of the chapters thus far. This chapter in particular was all about the learning environment and managing the classroom. The first thing that struck me about this chapter was just how differently classroom management is looked at and viewed from the 1800s to today. It really opened my eyes to how even generational perceptions in regards to theories. This showed me that I should not be focused on punishment as previous theorists have thought. Another point that was brought up that I thought was a good one that goes along with this idea is that you should develop or come up with your own approach to classroom management. What this means is that what works for one middle level teacher may not work for me. This is also true because each class you have has a different culture to it which means that the same approach may not work not only for all classes but even from day to day. This means that I really need to be in tune to how my students are and their temperaments. This can prove to be difficult especially when it comes to middle level ages because of all the transitions that they do go through.
A second part of this chapter that stood out was how even the physical layout to your classroom can prevent some classroom management issues. I think one of the most important tips they gave was to be flexible in the arrangement of your classroom. I think this is important because this is true not only this area but classroom management as a whole. It truly makes me reflect and make sure that I am doing that to make sure that I either change it if I'm not or continue to do it if I am.
A third thing that stood out about this chapter was the idea of proscriptions and prescriptions. These are behavioral expectations that we should expect of our students. However, even though it is expected of our students that does not mean that we won't have to refresh their memories so to speak from time to time. This also doesn't mean that every student will follow this 100% of the time. Even your quote good students will have days that they may need reminded. I think the previously mentioned point it important to remember especially with the middle level students because of this being such a transitional and awkward time in terms of finding themselves as they make these transitions. This means that my teaching has to be flexible as mentioned previously so that way I can help my classroom run smoothly to avoid classroom management situations.
A fourth thing that stood out about this chapter was the tips on how to start the school year/term. In particular the part about the first day is very informative. It really opened my eyes to just how I should run the first day of school with middle level students. I will certainly utilize the tips provided to make sure that I achieve success as the teacher of middle level students no matter what grade. This is particularly true when it comes to eliminating the possibility of dead time. This I believe I will need to work on and reflect upon greatly especially in the middle level grades because I am a first year teacher. This goes along with timing of lessons which was mentioned. In regards to this, I will always make sure that I have a back up plan so to speak or plan for what the students will do in case you finish the lesson early but I also don't want to rush the lesson either. This is where good judgment comes in as to know when to continue a lesson especially for instance if the class is having a good discussion going on a certain topic.
A fifth thing that really stood out was the positive and negative reinforcement concepts. I think it'll help me greatly to use both of these when appropriate especially when I'm teaching middle level students. Along with this though, as mentioned in the book and video, it is important that I am consistent when it comes to not only positive and negative reinforcement but to how I deal with certain situations in classroom management as a whole. This means that if I deal with a situation one way with one student I have to deal with it that way with another student, However, this doesn't guarantee that the circumstances will be the same in every situation either it just means that you have to be as consistent as you can with any situation that comes your way. Also along with this, I liked how the authors mentioned that not every situation should you have to deal with on your own. I thought that was important to remember because I certainly have that mentality that I need to deal with things and it makes me look weak it I ask for help. However that couldn't be further from the truth.
Overall, I learned so much from this chapter and I cant wait to learn more as the semester goes on, and as we get further into the book!
A second part of this chapter that stood out was how even the physical layout to your classroom can prevent some classroom management issues. I think one of the most important tips they gave was to be flexible in the arrangement of your classroom. I think this is important because this is true not only this area but classroom management as a whole. It truly makes me reflect and make sure that I am doing that to make sure that I either change it if I'm not or continue to do it if I am.
A third thing that stood out about this chapter was the idea of proscriptions and prescriptions. These are behavioral expectations that we should expect of our students. However, even though it is expected of our students that does not mean that we won't have to refresh their memories so to speak from time to time. This also doesn't mean that every student will follow this 100% of the time. Even your quote good students will have days that they may need reminded. I think the previously mentioned point it important to remember especially with the middle level students because of this being such a transitional and awkward time in terms of finding themselves as they make these transitions. This means that my teaching has to be flexible as mentioned previously so that way I can help my classroom run smoothly to avoid classroom management situations.
A fourth thing that stood out about this chapter was the tips on how to start the school year/term. In particular the part about the first day is very informative. It really opened my eyes to just how I should run the first day of school with middle level students. I will certainly utilize the tips provided to make sure that I achieve success as the teacher of middle level students no matter what grade. This is particularly true when it comes to eliminating the possibility of dead time. This I believe I will need to work on and reflect upon greatly especially in the middle level grades because I am a first year teacher. This goes along with timing of lessons which was mentioned. In regards to this, I will always make sure that I have a back up plan so to speak or plan for what the students will do in case you finish the lesson early but I also don't want to rush the lesson either. This is where good judgment comes in as to know when to continue a lesson especially for instance if the class is having a good discussion going on a certain topic.
A fifth thing that really stood out was the positive and negative reinforcement concepts. I think it'll help me greatly to use both of these when appropriate especially when I'm teaching middle level students. Along with this though, as mentioned in the book and video, it is important that I am consistent when it comes to not only positive and negative reinforcement but to how I deal with certain situations in classroom management as a whole. This means that if I deal with a situation one way with one student I have to deal with it that way with another student, However, this doesn't guarantee that the circumstances will be the same in every situation either it just means that you have to be as consistent as you can with any situation that comes your way. Also along with this, I liked how the authors mentioned that not every situation should you have to deal with on your own. I thought that was important to remember because I certainly have that mentality that I need to deal with things and it makes me look weak it I ask for help. However that couldn't be further from the truth.
Overall, I learned so much from this chapter and I cant wait to learn more as the semester goes on, and as we get further into the book!
Chapter Three Post
Chapter three was all about thinking and questioning skills. The first thing that really struck me was that not every student will be on the same level even if they are in the same grade or even the same age. This really got me to thinking how important it is especially in the middle level grades to get to know your students. Along with this point, I really like how it was mentioned that it is our job as middle level teachers to get them from one level to the next. This means that when I am preparing questions I need to make sure that I am challenging every student to help them reach that next level of thinking.
The second thing that struck me about this chapter was just how many types of questions there are to use. I in particular could see myself using the probing questions frequently with my style of teaching. However, I will certainly have to use all three to keep all of my students engaged. This also got me to thinking about my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this area of my teaching and especially in middle level grades, I will have to practice and reflect constantly to make sure that I am using all different types of questioning to engage all of my students.
A third concept that was discussed in this chapter was discrepant events. I had never really heard of these until now. After reading about them I certainly think that it would an extremely useful tool that I can use to jump start my students higher level thinking juices Another point that goes along with this is that there are three levels of thinking. They are lowest level, intermediate level, and the highest level. These levels are important because like I mentioned in the earlier paragraph my students need to be challenged and supported to reach the highest level of thinking.
A fourth concept that really got me thinking is the concept of think time. I had heard of think time before but that way the author went about it especially for the middle level grades really got me to thinking about my own think time techniques. With me as a teacher wanting my students to reach the highest level of thinking, think time is more important than ever. I must remember to always allow enough time for my students to ponder the question and generate a response. It's also true if I want my students to have a well thought out and detailed response. This chapter is full of great techniques with regards to questioning and thinking skills, and I am even more confident after reading this chapter in my questioning skills, and will certainly take an extreme conscious effort to use these tips and pointers to make sure that I help all of my students progress with these skills in my classroom.
The second thing that struck me about this chapter was just how many types of questions there are to use. I in particular could see myself using the probing questions frequently with my style of teaching. However, I will certainly have to use all three to keep all of my students engaged. This also got me to thinking about my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this area of my teaching and especially in middle level grades, I will have to practice and reflect constantly to make sure that I am using all different types of questioning to engage all of my students.
A third concept that was discussed in this chapter was discrepant events. I had never really heard of these until now. After reading about them I certainly think that it would an extremely useful tool that I can use to jump start my students higher level thinking juices Another point that goes along with this is that there are three levels of thinking. They are lowest level, intermediate level, and the highest level. These levels are important because like I mentioned in the earlier paragraph my students need to be challenged and supported to reach the highest level of thinking.
A fourth concept that really got me thinking is the concept of think time. I had heard of think time before but that way the author went about it especially for the middle level grades really got me to thinking about my own think time techniques. With me as a teacher wanting my students to reach the highest level of thinking, think time is more important than ever. I must remember to always allow enough time for my students to ponder the question and generate a response. It's also true if I want my students to have a well thought out and detailed response. This chapter is full of great techniques with regards to questioning and thinking skills, and I am even more confident after reading this chapter in my questioning skills, and will certainly take an extreme conscious effort to use these tips and pointers to make sure that I help all of my students progress with these skills in my classroom.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Chapter Two Post
Chapter two was all about the professional responsibilities of being a middle level teacher of adolescence. One of the items that really struck me about this about this chapter was the point brought up about making the switch from a more traditional pedagogy to a more constructivist pedagogy. I will seriously have to take that in as I am wanted to decide my pedagogy and make sure especially for this age to make them feel like their voices are heard whether that be through a discussion that I facilitate on the topic we are currently working on or even delving into the questions that the students might have and facilitate the research or discussion on that question.
The second thing that caught my attention was the three pillars and the philosophies of education. Of the three pillars, I would say I mostly align with cognitive-experimentalism. I truly do believe that in any mistake you make you can learn from which means that my students would be made to see that even though they made a mistake they would easily be able to find value in it be they learned something from it, This is especially my pillar because this pillar talks about the "process of becoming" which is adolescence in a phrase because they are constantly going through the transition. As far as philosophies of education go I would say I align with post modernism. I truly believe especially if teaching the middle level that you need to make sure that they know that you value their thoughts and opinions and will be the helper or aide in their educational endeavors not just an authority figure. I believe that this does align with AMLE standards. I believe it goes with all of the standards because by me teaching philosophy aligning with post-modernism, I will be challenging my students, valuing them, improving their self esteem by valuing them and listening to and catering to their ideas and making my lessons more inquiry based,
The third thing I noticed in this chapter is that it pointed out how to for example modeling appropriate behavior,etc. This is so important for us to know especially with this age group because of them being such sponges in terms of taking in how to act and get by in this world. This also goes along with the part in this chapter about creating a safe psychological environment for our students. This is truly important as the middle level years are some of the most tough psychologically especially when you are considering that they are constantly trying to adapt and get to the next stage. Another item that goes along with this is guidelines for using all kinds of technology. This is also of the utmost importance as we are now in the digital age which means that by the time they get to us in the middle level years, they will already know how to use many many types of technology. This means we have to incorporate that as middle level teachers when we are doing our lesson planning. This chapter has opened my eyes even more about how much responsibilities there are. I cant wait to keep learning more!
The second thing that caught my attention was the three pillars and the philosophies of education. Of the three pillars, I would say I mostly align with cognitive-experimentalism. I truly do believe that in any mistake you make you can learn from which means that my students would be made to see that even though they made a mistake they would easily be able to find value in it be they learned something from it, This is especially my pillar because this pillar talks about the "process of becoming" which is adolescence in a phrase because they are constantly going through the transition. As far as philosophies of education go I would say I align with post modernism. I truly believe especially if teaching the middle level that you need to make sure that they know that you value their thoughts and opinions and will be the helper or aide in their educational endeavors not just an authority figure. I believe that this does align with AMLE standards. I believe it goes with all of the standards because by me teaching philosophy aligning with post-modernism, I will be challenging my students, valuing them, improving their self esteem by valuing them and listening to and catering to their ideas and making my lessons more inquiry based,
The third thing I noticed in this chapter is that it pointed out how to for example modeling appropriate behavior,etc. This is so important for us to know especially with this age group because of them being such sponges in terms of taking in how to act and get by in this world. This also goes along with the part in this chapter about creating a safe psychological environment for our students. This is truly important as the middle level years are some of the most tough psychologically especially when you are considering that they are constantly trying to adapt and get to the next stage. Another item that goes along with this is guidelines for using all kinds of technology. This is also of the utmost importance as we are now in the digital age which means that by the time they get to us in the middle level years, they will already know how to use many many types of technology. This means we have to incorporate that as middle level teachers when we are doing our lesson planning. This chapter has opened my eyes even more about how much responsibilities there are. I cant wait to keep learning more!
Chapter One Post
Chapter one was certainly a great starting point to this book. It really opened my eyes as to just how many challenges I could face if I teach at the middle level. One of the things that really struck me and really got me to thinking was the difference between middle school and junior high. I realized that whether I teach in a middle school or junior high will determine how I will plan my instruction and activities.This is news to me because really up until now I never would have know that there was a difference, and I think its awesome that the author points that out because in the long run that will make me a more effective teacher for my students knowing that there are differences between the two. Knowing these differences might actually determine where I feel I might best fit when it comes to even applying for middle level teaching positions meaning would I fit better in a junior high setting or middle school setting?
A second thing that I took out of this chapter was that when I am teaching the middle level grades, I have to be mindful that this is a huge transitional period throughout these years. This is very beneficial to know because it may explain some of the situations that you may come across behaviorally, emotionally, or socially with your students. Along the same line, this also helps with how you may deal with individual students and their situations because you know going into it that they are in transition which means that they may respond differently to different learning and social situations differently depending on what transition they are in whether it be them moving from end of the adolescence spectrum to the other which piggy backs on Erikson's identity versus role confusion.
A third and final thing out of many that I noticed about chapter one is in relation to the blooms taxonomy. This will be extremely beneficial as I do my lesson planning for my middle level classroom because blooms taxonomy reminds me that there are different levels and domains that need to be stressed when teaching a lesson, I love how this class and book is starting and I cant wait to learn more as the semester goes on!
A second thing that I took out of this chapter was that when I am teaching the middle level grades, I have to be mindful that this is a huge transitional period throughout these years. This is very beneficial to know because it may explain some of the situations that you may come across behaviorally, emotionally, or socially with your students. Along the same line, this also helps with how you may deal with individual students and their situations because you know going into it that they are in transition which means that they may respond differently to different learning and social situations differently depending on what transition they are in whether it be them moving from end of the adolescence spectrum to the other which piggy backs on Erikson's identity versus role confusion.
A third and final thing out of many that I noticed about chapter one is in relation to the blooms taxonomy. This will be extremely beneficial as I do my lesson planning for my middle level classroom because blooms taxonomy reminds me that there are different levels and domains that need to be stressed when teaching a lesson, I love how this class and book is starting and I cant wait to learn more as the semester goes on!
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