Rich Shepherd Refection 1 |
Today the class was a challenge but full of rewarding information. I struggled from the start to catch up and be prepared for the next activity. I thought I was really behind and missed something which was explained later as part of the exercise. I really enjoyed partnering up with Danette doing the exercise on changing their morning routine. It seemed to flow very well and was timed managed. This is a good activity for students to learn more about each other and use higher thinking skills to provide advice on a better morning routine. I could see my students enjoying this activity. The articles we read were informative on where education has been and that it has not been successful. This is something I would have written about if my IPAD would of allowed me to post comments. I'm not really sure why I was unable to accomplish this. The video at the end of the day was interesting and again following the theme of needing necessary changes on how we educate our students to be prepared for the 21st century.
Rich Shepherd Big Picture Reflection Chapter 1 and 2
Chapter 1
Q-5
I learn best from having time to understand the concepts or information through practice and discussion. This is why I enjoy taking classes in classrooms where there are different styles of learning and time to fail until you succeed. I always tell students that what I know or think on a topic doesn't matter and their ability to find answers or learn does. As learners we feel more comfortable knowing that if we are wrong or fail at something that we will still have the opportunity to learn it and succeed. I would teach this by creating groups for collaborate learning and have them problem solve real world problem related to government and economics. I would give them the resources to access information and allow them to present their ideas in front of the class. Through practice students improve their knowledge, writing and oral skills on the subject area.
Q-6
When I am learning I feel confident in what I know and believe in. If it was really difficult to learn you feel like you can learn anything and you want to share to the world this new found gift or understanding. Learning is a process that takes time and we all are not on the same pace. This is why the one test multiple-choice exam fits all is a total failure. I never felt great joy from scoring well on one of those exams. It was more like relief that I didn't score low and feel stupid. When you can really demonstrate knowledge and understanding that is where confidence and belief can realized.
Chapter 2
Q-2
One thing we would need to change is how the many parts view each other. Like what has been mentioned before, most decision makers have a set belief on how everything should look like in a school. This would need to change so teachers could become more creative in allowing students to have more say in their education. If teachers feel free to experiment and fail without consequences then more learning would occur. Its important that students take the initiative given to explore and challenge old ways of thinking and assessing learning. This process would take a few years to evolve into more learning through trial and error. This can only be accomplished by keeping the decision makers away from always needing data to measure success.
Q-6
Students drop out of school for many reasons. I think that the feeling of failure and believing they cannot learn leads them to give up and drop out of school. Over the years at Franklin High School I have known students who have dropped out to many challenges. They would say that their life is a constant struggle to make ends meet especially if they had a child in school. One of my former students has to work 3 jobs at low wages to support her child, mother, and other siblings. The inability to have success is well known without an education. What needs to change is our ability to care and work to provide students who have the most challenges. Create opportunities for them to enjoy learning and feel their ideas matter. We can't have students say that teachers only care about a paycheck and not us. Collaborative learning opportunities that allow students to feel comfortable is a necessary step to improve the learning process.
Q-5
I learn best from having time to understand the concepts or information through practice and discussion. This is why I enjoy taking classes in classrooms where there are different styles of learning and time to fail until you succeed. I always tell students that what I know or think on a topic doesn't matter and their ability to find answers or learn does. As learners we feel more comfortable knowing that if we are wrong or fail at something that we will still have the opportunity to learn it and succeed. I would teach this by creating groups for collaborate learning and have them problem solve real world problem related to government and economics. I would give them the resources to access information and allow them to present their ideas in front of the class. Through practice students improve their knowledge, writing and oral skills on the subject area.
Q-6
When I am learning I feel confident in what I know and believe in. If it was really difficult to learn you feel like you can learn anything and you want to share to the world this new found gift or understanding. Learning is a process that takes time and we all are not on the same pace. This is why the one test multiple-choice exam fits all is a total failure. I never felt great joy from scoring well on one of those exams. It was more like relief that I didn't score low and feel stupid. When you can really demonstrate knowledge and understanding that is where confidence and belief can realized.
Chapter 2
Q-2
One thing we would need to change is how the many parts view each other. Like what has been mentioned before, most decision makers have a set belief on how everything should look like in a school. This would need to change so teachers could become more creative in allowing students to have more say in their education. If teachers feel free to experiment and fail without consequences then more learning would occur. Its important that students take the initiative given to explore and challenge old ways of thinking and assessing learning. This process would take a few years to evolve into more learning through trial and error. This can only be accomplished by keeping the decision makers away from always needing data to measure success.
Q-6
Students drop out of school for many reasons. I think that the feeling of failure and believing they cannot learn leads them to give up and drop out of school. Over the years at Franklin High School I have known students who have dropped out to many challenges. They would say that their life is a constant struggle to make ends meet especially if they had a child in school. One of my former students has to work 3 jobs at low wages to support her child, mother, and other siblings. The inability to have success is well known without an education. What needs to change is our ability to care and work to provide students who have the most challenges. Create opportunities for them to enjoy learning and feel their ideas matter. We can't have students say that teachers only care about a paycheck and not us. Collaborative learning opportunities that allow students to feel comfortable is a necessary step to improve the learning process.
Rich Shepherd Reflection #2
Today was a little better start for me. I was able to figure how to comment on the blogs. The technology sadly has been a bit of a challenge for me. I really enjoyed the video that illustrates what is being said. I feel like that enable the viewer to focus with better attention. The circle activity was fun. I could see many of us acting it out and enjoying it. I think that is a great activity to wake a class up or create bonding. Meeting and observing the kids was interesting. I'm used to 12th grade so talking with the younger ones wasn't as easy. They had a lot of energy which is different from High School. It is interesting how we change so fast in just a few years. The lesson we create should be fun. So far what we are reading and learning is giving me some new ideas to experiment with.
Chapter 3 The Big Picture
Q-1
It would be a lot different than the school I work at today. You would see more teachers that greet their students and actually like them. They would get to know them as people and demonstrate respect on a daily basis. If we could accomplish this happier kids would equal more learning and less High School drop out rates. You would see more collaboration that would lead to more innovation and ultimately a much better community than there is in Stockton today.
Q-2
Simply treating them with respect. Empowering them in the school with decisions that affect would demonstrate this too. If your going to bring students into a discussion group, they should be listened to and some of their advice taken. Sadly most schools like our attempt this but don't really take the students into consideration when creating policy. They cower to district officials and nothing ever changes.
Ch 4
Q-1
One size does not fit all. It doesn't with anything like shoes, clothes, or the amount food we all eat. People and students are all so diverse. We can look at a picture and see many different things. Some people can grasp all the detail while others focus on a single part. This is why no one teaching style can work and standardized testing is such a failure.
Q-6
There are many things we need to unlearn. We need stop thinking that test scores are the key measurement of learning. We need to change the idea that having the teacher as the only device for putting out information. Students who are quiet and sit in their desks are not learning if the are not interacting and collaborating with each other. We need to get passed the idea of talking about punishment for miss behavior. Since we are an institution for learning we should teaching students how to make better choices so when they graduate they will become well behaved contributors in society.
It would be a lot different than the school I work at today. You would see more teachers that greet their students and actually like them. They would get to know them as people and demonstrate respect on a daily basis. If we could accomplish this happier kids would equal more learning and less High School drop out rates. You would see more collaboration that would lead to more innovation and ultimately a much better community than there is in Stockton today.
Q-2
Simply treating them with respect. Empowering them in the school with decisions that affect would demonstrate this too. If your going to bring students into a discussion group, they should be listened to and some of their advice taken. Sadly most schools like our attempt this but don't really take the students into consideration when creating policy. They cower to district officials and nothing ever changes.
Ch 4
Q-1
One size does not fit all. It doesn't with anything like shoes, clothes, or the amount food we all eat. People and students are all so diverse. We can look at a picture and see many different things. Some people can grasp all the detail while others focus on a single part. This is why no one teaching style can work and standardized testing is such a failure.
Q-6
There are many things we need to unlearn. We need stop thinking that test scores are the key measurement of learning. We need to change the idea that having the teacher as the only device for putting out information. Students who are quiet and sit in their desks are not learning if the are not interacting and collaborating with each other. We need to get passed the idea of talking about punishment for miss behavior. Since we are an institution for learning we should teaching students how to make better choices so when they graduate they will become well behaved contributors in society.
Article of Interest 100 Words
The Article "Inspiring Students with Real-world Learning and 21st Century Skills"
In this article it describes teachers using technology in the classroom and creating projects that relate students to the real world. Students should not just sit in front of a computer screen. They should be able to use it to learn about and solve real world problems. Students should be allowed to collaborate and be creative. The author is a big believer in project based learning as a way to bring students into real world learning. As educators, we should not under estimate our students ability to learn through challenging projects.
In this article it describes teachers using technology in the classroom and creating projects that relate students to the real world. Students should not just sit in front of a computer screen. They should be able to use it to learn about and solve real world problems. Students should be allowed to collaborate and be creative. The author is a big believer in project based learning as a way to bring students into real world learning. As educators, we should not under estimate our students ability to learn through challenging projects.
Chapter 5 Big Picture
Q-4
Yes, I saved many papers and projects that had I was interested in or I felt had the most value. Like in the book, students who love the work they do hold on to it and it does not end up in the trash can. I have work that I completed in college over 30 years ago. If we create projects that are fun and kids enjoy them they will have special meaning and they will want to keep them. They will not end up like the tests we take or the homework assignments that get graded in the trash can.
Q-1
I would give her the opportunity to create a project around that topic she is most interested in. I would help guide her on how to conduct effective research so she can get the most out of internet research. Also, depending on the topic I might help her discuss with an outside source / person who has more expertise in the area. Most of all I want to give her the confidence that she can complete the project and an excellent level.
Yes, I saved many papers and projects that had I was interested in or I felt had the most value. Like in the book, students who love the work they do hold on to it and it does not end up in the trash can. I have work that I completed in college over 30 years ago. If we create projects that are fun and kids enjoy them they will have special meaning and they will want to keep them. They will not end up like the tests we take or the homework assignments that get graded in the trash can.
Q-1
I would give her the opportunity to create a project around that topic she is most interested in. I would help guide her on how to conduct effective research so she can get the most out of internet research. Also, depending on the topic I might help her discuss with an outside source / person who has more expertise in the area. Most of all I want to give her the confidence that she can complete the project and an excellent level.
Chapter 6 Big Picture
Q-1
Because someone else gets to decide what they will learn. The average High School student isn't motivated by listening to a teacher lecture for 45 minutes on a topic they are not interested in. Most of the time many teachers do not know their students very well and may not realize how unsuccessful their lessons are. This a constant challenge me just assessing where my students are at so that I'm not putting them to sleep on a daily basis. Because of testing we forget that making learning fun isn't on the pacing guide. We are pressured to cover lots of material so our students will at least see what they are going to be tested on. All of this is simply boring and uninteresting to most of our students.
Q-5
In answering this question I relate it to anybody. The person who would mentor students would enjoy being with them and interested in what they have to say. They wouldn't be bothered by the challenges they have in their lives. In fact, a mentor would see the opportunity to help them with those challenges, giving them good advice for the future. They would also get to know their interests and talking to them about anything from computers, sports, music, or dating. Its making these connections that shows you care and enables you to help and influence students for the better.
Because someone else gets to decide what they will learn. The average High School student isn't motivated by listening to a teacher lecture for 45 minutes on a topic they are not interested in. Most of the time many teachers do not know their students very well and may not realize how unsuccessful their lessons are. This a constant challenge me just assessing where my students are at so that I'm not putting them to sleep on a daily basis. Because of testing we forget that making learning fun isn't on the pacing guide. We are pressured to cover lots of material so our students will at least see what they are going to be tested on. All of this is simply boring and uninteresting to most of our students.
Q-5
In answering this question I relate it to anybody. The person who would mentor students would enjoy being with them and interested in what they have to say. They wouldn't be bothered by the challenges they have in their lives. In fact, a mentor would see the opportunity to help them with those challenges, giving them good advice for the future. They would also get to know their interests and talking to them about anything from computers, sports, music, or dating. Its making these connections that shows you care and enables you to help and influence students for the better.
Reflection #3
Getting familiar with Ebsco research cite was clearly very important for this class and the masters program. It is very easy to use and is helpful in writing a reference page. The last day of the week the APA review working with pairs was an excellent activity. We were really working to complete the assignment as perfect as possible. Reviewing all the different pairs work was really helpful in understanding how to cite the sources. APA is very challenging to get everything structured correctly. It easy to make mistakes if you are not paying attention to detail. Overall the Big Picture book is great read to help teachers analyze teaching and how they view students. I know I will try new things because of this example. I will be using this book in my education class to instruct students about teaching. I think this will give them a different view of how school should be.
Reflection 4 and Action Plan
It was a really fun experience working with my group creating a lesson that I knew very little about. I felt it was hard for me to relate since it has been a long time since my kids were newborns and had to think about their clothes. During the lesson the kids were wonderful and interested in designing the baby clothes. Some of the kids wanted to have their design selected and receive one of the pieces of clothing for their effort. It was fun having to work with kids outside what I an used to.
My Action Plan is simple. I want to create three learning sections in my classroom for my students. I plan to create activities for them to work on to understand my content subjects. I already use problem-based learning so I will need to adjust it so they have individual computer time and I am providing direct instruction to a smaller group. I hope to create an effective station rotation so my students will be prepared for group presentations, oral questioning, and written assessments. Here is an example of how to accomplish this for my United States History class. Teacher provides direct instruction on a contact area like Industrial Revolution. the second group would be watching a video from crash course U.S. History or Khan Academy on the Industrial Revolution. Then the third group of students would break into pairs using text books or internet sources of their choice and create a graphic organizer on the benefits of Industrial Revolution on society. In this example the outcome would be students answering an essential question on how did the industrial revolution benefit the United States?
My Action Plan is simple. I want to create three learning sections in my classroom for my students. I plan to create activities for them to work on to understand my content subjects. I already use problem-based learning so I will need to adjust it so they have individual computer time and I am providing direct instruction to a smaller group. I hope to create an effective station rotation so my students will be prepared for group presentations, oral questioning, and written assessments. Here is an example of how to accomplish this for my United States History class. Teacher provides direct instruction on a contact area like Industrial Revolution. the second group would be watching a video from crash course U.S. History or Khan Academy on the Industrial Revolution. Then the third group of students would break into pairs using text books or internet sources of their choice and create a graphic organizer on the benefits of Industrial Revolution on society. In this example the outcome would be students answering an essential question on how did the industrial revolution benefit the United States?