Module 2

The statement "Students should be grouped according to ability" brings up an extremely controversial discussion. The only way to prove whether this is true or false is to research and study by experimenting. There will need to be a controlled group experiment where they group the high ability students together and the lower achieving students together. This study was done by the UCONN Gifted Educators.

I chose this article because of the highly qualified individuals that researched the topic and studied the topic. They state that higher achieving students who are grouped together proved that they accelerate faster in a task than the lesser achieving students. The lower achieving students are not harmed at all by grouping and actually can gain knowledge and self esteem. They can gain academic ground by this which allows them to work at a higher rate. 

Module 1

Teachers today are crucial to the development of our generation because of the lack of attentiveness we have a whole.  Constantly multi-tasking has become a norm with us whether it be on our phones or, talking to amongst each other . These days teachers  have it much harder than ever to be able to appropriately handle the situation as well as accommodate the many learning styles we have. I have had several teachers who were able to work with my ADHD. They were patient and willing to work with my disabilities without becoming frustrated and giving up on me. With hard work and some guidance from them it allowed me progress and excel in that particular subject. To this day I have never had a teacher or professor that has completely swayed my career choice yet; they have definitely guided me into a direction in which I could better my future. I have had teachers that joke around with me too much when I get off topic because they see me as a "friend" in a way. I like how they can feel this way with me but that is not what I need. To be the best scholar possible I need a professor that will get me back on track in a way that I can relate to. I see nothing wrong with having some fun or getting a little off topic every now and then but, personally I need to be the subject matter in a fashion that is enjoyable no matter how dull or shitty it is. The best teachers for myself personally, are the ones who can do this each class day in and day out.

Maslows Hierarchy

1) Can children learn in school if they are hungry or feel unsafe in their neighborhood? Take Maslow's hierarchy of needs into account when answering this question.

2)What criticisms would you offer about this hierarchy?

Answers

1.            No child will be able to learn if all they are worrying about is when their next meal will come, or if their going to get beat up on the walk back from school.  A child's lower level hierarchy needs will also take importance to the factors toward the top (people must fulfill their lower level needs such as for survival, safety, followed by belonging and then self-esteem first).

One criticism I would offer is how it says its a universal hierarchy, but there is no way it is relevant to everybody. It says that self-safety is before family, but I know plenty of mothers that would take a bullet for their child and vice versa.

Case Study 2

Paulo Nzambi moved from his home in Angola to the United States in the fifth grade. While his English and schooling were adequate, his teacher Katie Wyant worried about his social adjustment. His quiet demeanor and soft voice were, in many ways, the opposite of his male peers. Paulo appeared hesitant when interacting with her as if he was unsure about how to behave. As the year progressed, Katie noticed he had not made any progress in adjusting to the classroom. She decided she needed to be proactive in finding a solution. (Cluster 6 / Unit 5).

         1)   In order to acquire a better understanding of Paulo and make school a more positive experience, what three types of relationships would assist Paulo as well as Miss Wyant?

       2)  What aspects of culturally relevant teaching might Katie Wyant employ to assist Paulo Nzambi in his transition to an American classroom?

Answers

1.            The three types of relationships Miss Wyant should develop with Paulo to help them both out are:

•  Efficient home-school relationships

•  Helpful teacher-student relationships

•  Effective peer relations

     2. Miss Wyant could interact with the students by setting up games in which they get to know other classmates on a personal level. This could make the children introduce themselves to each other and interact by telling each other personal information. Another aspect could be giving lesson on their histories to show them their pastime. This could give Paulo a sense of how we came to be here in America. Also giving the entire class new information of what happened before they were here on this earth.

Case Study 2

Many beginning teachers become overwhelmed when they discover they have numerous students in their class with special needs. First year teacher Paige Morris was no exception. Of her 25 students, seven were identified as needing special education services. While Paige was certified in special education and elementary education, she felt ill-equipped to write and implement so many Individualized Education Plans. To make matters more concerning, three of her students were identified as ADHD. Miss Morris began to imagine herself trying to control a chaotic classroom without the tools she needed to succeed.

 1)   List the parts of an IEP which must be in writing, Identify the aspects of the IEP for which Paige is responsible.

2) Which parts of  each child’s program would assist Miss Morris in better understanding her students before they begin the school year.

Answers

1.            The parts of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that must be in writing are as follows: 

•  Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance

•  The progress of the child

•  Special education and related services along with supplementary aids and services

•  Program modifications or supports for school personnel

•  Extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children

•  Individual accommodations

•  Projected date for plan along with frequency, location, and duration of project

Paige would be held responsible for the progression of the child, any program modifications, all individual accommodations, and the projected date, frequency, location and duration.

2.            The entre program for the child will not just give Ms. Morris an illustration of what to assume in the year, but better prepare her in the sense of creating a beneficial curriculum to better suit the accommodations of the entirety of the class. Better preparation means she can be ready for almost anything and know to stay calm and handle the situation efficiently. Being perfectly equipped can create a better learning environment and eliminate any speculations that the class may have.

Case Study 3

Haley Williams sat in Dr. Karr’s office, once again, having to explain why she could not get along with her teacher. “I don’t know why she picks on me in front of the class. All I know is that when she starts to yell at me I lose my temper. I’m not even sure what I am supposed to do! It seems like everything I do is wrong according to Ms. Kemp. I know we have talked about getting along and how that would be better for everyone, but Dr. Karr, I just don’t like her and she does not like me. Can’t I be switched to another class?

1)  Is Ms. Kemp doing anything that actually contributes to Haley’s poor behavior? Explain your answer.

2) What could one assume about Ms. Kemp’s reprimands if Haley’s behavior has not decreased?

Answers

1.             Haley says that Ms. Kemp is screaming at her and embarrassing her in front of everyone. That doesn't sound like Ms. Kemp is doing anything to help her behavior. 

2.           Ms. Kemps reprimands could be anywhere from just a talking to, to possibly a detention, depending on how bad of a reaction Haley has. The teacher is always the authoritarian figure and should be respected, no matter how much you dislike them. Haley shouldn't have expressed her dislike, and instead went to the counselor to get switched out privately. 

Bullying

11.   Teasing and bullying are not the same thing. Teasing is usually a playful thing done between a couple friends. Teasing hardly ends up an issue. Bullying on the other hand has the intentions to hurt somebodies feelings or even harm them physically. 

2.           Teachers can easily tell when they need to intervene. Obviously if someone is getting hurt physically then they should step in, but its a little more tricky when its words. They could just be kidding, who knows? Which is why I believe teachers should always intervene when they see teasing or bullying going on. 

3.            Teachers can declare it bullying with indications such as, if the kids are actually physically harming each other, or if its two kids you rarely see together yelling hateful things towards each other. 

4.            A teacher should report any sign or degree of bullying to the parents of both the bully and the victim immediately. The sooner this can be dealt with, the quicker both students will be able to go back to school and further their educations. It would be a weight lifted off the shoulders of the victim and a wake up call to the bully.  

Television Families

The Griffin Family from Family Guy includes two neglectful parents, Peter and Lois, who struggle to find the time to be parents to their three children, Meg, Chris, and Stewie.

1.            One of the main challenges the children often face is dealing with their drunk, stupid and careless father Peter. As a result the kids tend to act out. Stewing, the youngest, is always finding new ways to try and kill his mother. I believe this is a form of him begging for his mothers attention which he so desperately needs. 

22. To be honest pretty much everything challenges Peter and Louis. Peter does whatever he wants whenever he wants, then after that hell go to the Clam (a bar) to get drunk with his friends. Louis for some reason allows him to do whatever he wants, which gives the impression that the kids can do whatever they want without punishment, which is why they act out so much.

33. Chris, Stewie and Megs behaviors stem directly from their parents. Their parents set the example that there is no punishment to anything. The kids then think its okay to do whatever they want.   

Module 5

Students who are in the Zone of Proximal Development require an extensive amount of attention from parents, guardians, and teachers in order to reach their top level of education to guarantee them success and advance in education and mind expansion. Without the guidance and assistance of peers, students may not feel as proficient and be more likely to not fully grasp ideas and context well.  What is a way for teachers to measure the levels of students in the Zone of Proximal Development zone?  There is no one specific method that is used due to the fact that there are so many ways to address the situation of a student's success.  Parents as well as teachers must make it apparent that they are monitoring the students ability to work individually. Whether the student is successful or not they must make an attempt to recognize the student for trying to work alone. 

Module 4

During the adolescence stage the brain releases hormones which help develop the body as well as the mind. Puberty is an extremely important stage which takes place during the adolescence stage. Puberty can be defined as "the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction". This emotional stage changes drastically, as new thoughts cycle through their minds. Having an “appearance” becomes a major thought of a teenagers head and brings along the thought of “is this going to make me popular or not”?  The allusion that can be taken statement that has to due with the instruction is that, guidance in some form should be offered to every adolescent.

While confrontation between peers has good ideas that could come from it. I feel as though it wouldn’t be effective that much. If adolescents have problems, whether it be from inside or outside, I don't believe he or she will be able to find an answer or solution from a peer who is most likely going through the exact same problem. But with that I strongly feel talking to a peer about a particular problem the child will be more likely to open up and discuss the situation without any holes in the story due to the comfortably the peer will bring. The same comfortably may not be present when talking to a parent or teacher

The most efficient form of instruction is student-to-teacher confrontation. Being an adult and having gone through the adolescent stage in their life, knows how to handle a variety of situations and circumstances knowing the most likely outcome. The finest knowledge can be passed from the teacher to the student so that the student can find the solution for the problem in the most effective way. Although the student might not feel the same comfort confronting a teacher rather than a peer, about his or her issue, the end product or solution will be beneficial and a much more reliable outcome.

Module 3

According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, a qualified teacher is someone who "holds a bachelor's degree or higher from a 4-year institution, has the content knowledge required to teach core academic subjects, and, usually based on a test of their content knowledge, a state teaching license" (Amrein-Beardsley). Basically, a teacher needs to be an expert in what they are teaching and needs to be knowledgeable in how to teach it. To assess the qualifications of a teacher, according to the NCLB Act, test scores are used to evaluate "increases in academic achievement" (Amrein-Beardsley). Good teaching is when the teacher is able to convey the course work and still make it interesting for the kids. Good teachers can adapt in different circumstances, but most importantly are reflective, meaning "they constantly think back over situations to analyze what they did and why, and to consider how they might improve learning for their students" (Woolfolk, 8). To measure good teaching, the teacher is also evaluated using test scores to assess student achievement, but more importantly the relationships he or she shares with each individual student.

Student achievement and success is mainly based off of how qualified a teacher is. An unqualified teacher may have experience, but does not obtained proper knowledge and expertise on the subject material that they teach. Also, a teacher that is not qualified doesn't possess a traditional certification, but rather has either an alternative or emergency certificate. The last thing and probably most important thing an unqualified teacher would not have is their bachelor's degree from a 4-year institution (which is why they would need a certificate). Highly qualified teachers usually have their bachelor's degree, masters degree, and several certificates.

There are 2 possibilities in which School systems that may have deal with paucity of qualified teachers can meet the requirements of NCLB:

1.            Schools in areas like those could increase salaries for the qualified teachers; this would then attract new teachers who are also qualified to enter the school system. This may seem like the most effective way to handle the situation but, in reality there’s not enough money to be thrown around like that in most schools. It would be a struggle to increase current teachers' salaries, but an even more difficult matter would be paying the new incoming teachers the same wage, if not more depending on their qualifications and experiences.

2.            An eco-friendly and efficient solution would be, having teachers help each other out and offering assistance in particular areas. "These [qualified] teachers could share their experience with other, less-qualified teachers in professional development activities, training activities, structured coaching, mentoring relationships, and adding to professional capital of all teachers at these schools" (Amrein Beardsley). Helping one another, there can be a larger amount of qualified teaching in school while, being able to keep an even steady budget. More money in the school means that there can be money used towards students education, such as, books, utensils, etc.

       

Module 2

"New research on education is constantly conducted to better understand learning and to improve teaching. How do you think teachers can use this research? How might teachers in classroom and researchers collaborate? Do you think teachers can also be researchers? If so, how? If not, why not?"

Teachers can use the research to better their teachings. Once they find out about the research they can apply it to their own ways and make their teaching better. Teachers and researchers could collaborate by letting them sit in on their classes. The researchers can take notes on what works and what doesnt. Teachers could also be researchers by seeing what techniques work best with the kids.