Chapter 8: Teacher Learning (b)

QUALITY OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Unfortunately, there are only two local conferences that I have attended (since 1997) that have focused on teachers’ needs. One conference that was held several years ago for the Notre Dame schools had mini workshops for teachers and staff. The TriHigh Symposium Committee, made up of faculty and staff members from the four SSND schools, organized workshops that were geared towards every discipline. One workshop, conducted by a Catholic priest focused on the mission of Mother Theresa Gerhardinger, the foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The faculty and staff who attended Father Eric’s workshop came to a greater understanding of their ministry because he explained Mother Theresa’s life and what her intentions were to educate the children of God. Other workshops at this conference were geared towards how faculty and staff members could maintain a balanced meal during a busy day, how to incorporate the fine arts into science and math classes, or creating lesson planning.

Another beneficial conference was the BASICs sponsored conference day held in spring 2006. I was motivated by other teachers to bring technology into my classroom. I attended a Movie Maker workshop conducted by Mae Angeles and Dym San Nicolas. Naturally, I was drawn to this workshop because it entailed visual and audio components, but I was quite impressed that the presenters were math teachers. They used Movie Maker to show how their students solved certain math concepts. Their movies were exceptional. I could tell from the presentation that their students were engaged and understood the subject matter.

Indeed, educators must have more opportunities to attend workshops that are “learner-centered.” After all, “experience is the best teacher.”

Chapter 8: Teacher Learning

I probably would not have gained any interest in incorporating technology into my classroom if my husband, sister, and cousin did not share their experiences with online grade books, PowerPoint, or online lesson plans. I come from a family of teachers and although we do not have a “teacher’s lounge” at home, we often exchange ideas. The ideas we exchange have made me a more resourceful and creative teacher. Because of them, I have shared my expertise with online grade books or PowerPoint with my colleagues throughout the years.

I learn a great deal from teachers who have been teaching for two years to teachers who have their names engraved on walls of some schools. And yes, this great deal of learning on my part has stemmed from conversations in the hallway, the infamous teacher’s lounge, and at Kmart (to name a few idea exchange spots).

I appreciate that my family has encouraged me to pursue this master’s degree in instructional technology because the knowledge I have been receiving is so important for a teacher to learn in the 21^st century. I fear that my students are always going to be more knowledgeable than I am in regards to technology. I do not want technology to outpace me.

Educators must take advantage of learning opportunities. While funds to produce such educational opportunities may be tight, administrators must tap on their own faculty members’ expertise to conduct in-service workshops.

Chapter 7: Effective Teaching: Examples in History, Mathematics, and Science (a)

History teachers are amazing. And the teachers mentioned in Chapter 7 are a tough act to follow. After reading about Bar Johnson, I immediately thought of my high school U.S. History teacher, Mr. Kelley. I knew he loved history with a passion because of the conversations he initiated and entertained about the subject matter. While he may not have had as many classroom activities as the teachers described in this chapter, I always looked forward to his class because of his energetic attitude about learning history. His lectures were not boring; in fact, I even loved writing papers for his class because of his positive feedback on my papers. Of course, he did have to give us tests based on dates and events but that was important information so that I could understand his lectures. I have gathered (from Chapter 7) that when a teacher has a deep understanding of the structure and knowledge of the discipline, the students will come to an understanding and appreciation for the discipline as well (163).

Chapter 6: The Design of Learning Environment (b)

“A key environment for learning is the family (148).”

What happened to the good ol’ days when families watched television together? How many of our students can familiarize with this photo? As stated in the chapter, “television has played an increasingly prominent role in children’s development over the past 50 years.” While parents are the primary monitors of what their children watch, educators are just as responsible. Let us take advantage of the programming offered on PBS, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. Educators can create that learner-centered approach by inviting the attitudes and beliefs that our students bring into the classroom.

Chapter 6: The Design of Learning Environment (a)

The content in Chapter 6 made me evaluate where I stand at this point in my teaching career. The chapter presented four important perspectives on learning environments: learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment centered, and community-centered. As an educator, I understand that I need to be more learner-centered so that my students will be able to “construct their own meanings, beginning with the beliefs, understandings, and cultural practices they bring into the classroom (136).” In regards to knowledge-centered environments, I am challenged to “help students become knowledgeable by learning in ways that lead to understanding and subsequent transfer (136).” In my composition II classes, I always emphasize that writing is a survival skill; without the written word, many of us would not be able to communicate with one another. Also, we may not be up-to-date with world news or knowledgeable about history if the written word was not taken seriously. In an assessment-centered environment, I am challenged to give feedback on a continual basis. As chapter 6 states, “feedback is most valuable when students have the opportunity to use it to revise their thinking as they are working on a unit or project.” Whenever my Chorus students have finished performing a certain song, they always ask me, “How did we sound?” Whatever my comments may be, they always want to do better not only to sound well, but to feel that they have achieved a goal. The community-centered environment is important as well. This section of the chapter reminded me of my four-year-old daughter’s teacher who gets my husband and I involved with “Family Projects.” My daughter is so eager to submit her project the next day because “mommy and daddy helped me.” I now realize why these family projects are so important; including families in classroom activities and planning “hold promise of bringing together two powerful systems for supporting children’s learning (149).” I truly believe that “A key environment for learning is the family (148).” Overall, this section of the chapter presented many challenges and new approaches to improve students’ learning environments.

Chapter 5: Mind and Brain (b)

Another interesting process I found from Chapter 5 is the “important role that experience plays in building the structure of the mind by modifying the structures of the brain” as well as “practice increases learning”.

In chorus, my students practice for performances numerous times a week in order to produce a perfect performance in terms of sound and timing. I involve my students in at least three to four public showings a semester. When performance time rolls around, I can definitely vouch that the countless rehearsals we have had enhanced their singing skills.

Chapter 5: Mind and Brain (a)

Chapter 5 presents many interesting processes that ultimately make up the human mind. The section which I relate to on a daily basis in my classes is that of Memory and Brain Processes where it was reported that “people’s memories for words with their memories for pictures of the same objects show a superiority effect for pictures. The superiority effect of pictures is also true if words and pictures are combined during learning.”

In chorus, I have found that when introducing music symbols, students are more able to grasp the material when I show the symbols versus when I simply write down terms.

In composition, I currently lecture along with a power point presentation. Last semester when I divided my classes into two, one with power point and one with standard lectures, I found that those in my power point classes where more engaged and attentive when words and pictures where flying across the screen. This year I use power point in all my classes in order to tap into more of their multiple intelligences (linguistic, logical, spatial, interpersonal, musical) that were presented in Chapter 4.

Chapter 4: How Children Learn (b)

More interesting topics which grabbed my attention were Dweck, Elliot, and Leggett’s two main classes of beliefs about children: entity theories and incremental theories.

I have met more incremental theorists than entity theorists. However, there are many “in betweens” who have existed throughout my years in education. Chapter 4 states that “Although most children probably fall on the continuum between the two theories and may simultaneously be incremental theorists in mathematics and entity theorists in art, the motivational factors affect their persistence, learning goals, sense of failure, and striving for success (102).” I agree with this statement and it becomes apparent to me the students who have positive motivational factors those who don’t. After reading about the entity and incremental theorists, I began to reminisce about all my students who fit such categories. I realize that incremental theorists may make me a better teacher because they are, as Chapter 4 states, the ones who seek challenges. They are the students who keep me looking for more and new ways to deliver lessons which will keep them engaged in the topic at hand. For the entity theorists that I have met, they were probably the students who I asked to encourage and assist those “incremental theorists”. Also, they were probably the ones who I comforted when they received a low “A” on a test.

I particularly find the last statement of this section so important, “Teachers can guide children to a more healthy conceptualization of their learning potential if they understand the beliefs that children bring to school (102).”

This statement reminded me of the latest movie “Freedom Writers”. If you have not already watched it, I encourage you to. (I know time is rare.) In this movie, a new teacher struggles to get her students to want to write. After witnessing several shocking events on campus and in her classroom, she realizes that she needs to approach her students differently. She later realizes that she must get to know who they are and where they come from in order to gain their trust and most especially their interest. After “understanding the beliefs” which her students brought to school, she began to reach out to them in ways that no other teacher has.

We are more motivational to our students than we think. As an English Composition teacher, journals have revealed so much about how students feel about their teachers. Their thoughts are more positive than we realize. The meanest and most demanding teacher was (as my student wrote) a favorite among one of my students. They may not tell us right after they graduate or after ten years out of high school, however, when we see how they are positively contributing to our society, I would take that as a big “thank you”. If it wasn’t for us, being those “motivational factors”, students may not be as successful as they are today.

Hats off to you! For you have one of the toughest, but most rewarding jobs in this world!

Chapter 4: How Children Learn (a)

“Although a great deal of children’s learning is self-motivated and self-directed, other people play major roles as guides in fostering the development of learning in children.”

I agree. Learning is a community effort. Working together with parents and establishing open communication with parents are essential aspects in education. More so, parents are not the only guides in fostering children’s learning. Caretakers and coaches, as chapter four mentions, are guides to fostering the development of children’s learning.

My parents were my first teachers. In fact, they are still my teachers. Without their guidance, I would not be the parent I am to my daughter and son. Every time I discipline or teach my kids something, I always think of my parents and say to myself, “So this is what mom and dad went through while raising me and my siblings.” In regards to my students, I always try to establish open communication with them and their parents. I encourage parent participation. I have noticed that my students are proud of their work when their parents have taken part in it.

“Together Everyone Achieves More”. This TEAM concept is what coaches, at least the ones I have seen and met, try to instill in their students. Many students will excel even more in a sport because the athlete looks to the coach as a role model. (Many of us may have become teachers because we were influenced by a teacher we have had in our formative years.) Club advisors are important as well. I will never forget my high school Student Council advisor. He is the reason why I am able to conduct or facilitate meetings with my colleagues without feeling nervous or intimidated. Robert’s Rules of Order was a book I had to read, not because I wanted to but because he required it. At first, I felt, “Gosh, another book to add to my senior pile of books to read.” Now, I realize why he stressed the importance of the book.

Other important tools, as mentioned in chapter four, such as cultural artifacts, television, books, videos, and technological devices can serve as guides. I only agree with this statement to an extent. We, the classroom teachers, need to channel these technological tools in the right direction. And yes, these tools are powerful guides. Nowadays, texting and mySpace.com have become such powerful forms of communication amongst teens that they are forgetting how to write and communicate properly.

As a graduate student, these courses in technology have become a positive guide for me. I am learning how to integrate technology into my lessons which will only benefit my students and their future where technology will be even more prevalent.