Week #6 Prompt: Evaluating Sources

I found an article called From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools by Gloria Ladson-Billings.  The article discusses the achievement gap between black students and white students as reflected in test scores.  She suggests that we need to take historical, economical, sociopolitical, and moral factors into consideration when analyzing why there is such a large achievement gap.  The gap has been around for a very long time.  From a historical perspective, blacks weren't allowed an education during the slave period.  When education was finally offered to black students, it was defined by the government as a separate but equal education.  However, most people would agree that it wasn't actually equal education.  From an economic standpoint, the funding of schools with mostly white children is much different than that of a school filled with mostly black children.  Sociopolitical debt reflects the way colored communities are being/have been excluded from things like voting.  Moral debt is the most difficult to describe, but it relates to the idea of knowing what is right and doing what is right.  We recognize that we have moral debt to people like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr.

Based on what I know about urban education, I find Ladson-Billings article to be quite accurate when describing the reasons behind the achievement gap.  I believe that it is important to take these things into consideration when attempting to close the achievement gap, because it is not something that is going to close quickly.  We have done years and years of damage.  It will take time for all of those things to heal.  It is also important to recognize what decisions were made in history that could help or hurt the recovery.

Citations:
Ladson-Billings, Gloria. "From the achievement gap to the education debt: Understanding achievement in US schools." Educational researcher 35.7 (2006): 3-12.

Week #7 Free Post: Video Games in the Classroom

Okay, so I just finished tutoring a 2nd grader in math.  He spent the entire time telling me that he couldn't wait to get home to play Minecraft.  Now, you have to understand that I have this stereotype that all video games are bad for you and that video games reflect negatively on your school work.  However, having spent an hour with this student, and having spent time previously with other children talking about video games, I have realized that I am not going to be able to avoid video games and disregard them as a useless waste of time.  An effective teacher uses relatable examples in her classroom.  So, I suppose I am going to have to figure out how to teach addition and subtraction methods using Minecraft.  For those of you like me that don't know what Minecraft is, head to their website and watch the introductory video.

Here is an article about how to use Minecraft for education.  It doesn't have ideas for simple addition and subtraction, so it doesn't solve my problem with my student, but it has some good ideas that apply to early elementary geometry.

• Explore a theater (or other building) and label the parts
• Practice ration and proportion (set a scale to build things, determine the volume of object built)
• Learn about survival
• Visualization and reading comprehension

Additionally, here is a Huffington Post article about why video games are actually good for you.  I'm not sure I could justify playing just based on the reasons they give, but it's something to consider anyways.

If anyone can think of a way to teach basic addition and subtraction using Minecraft examples please comment.  We were working on borrowing in subtraction problems.  

Citations

Miller, Andrew. "Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom." Edutopia. 2014 The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

"Minecraft." Minecraft. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.

Week # 7 Prompt: Is an online education good or bad?

Pros

• Students can choose from a wide variety of courses that might not have been offered in their school
• Allows for flexibility in scheduling
• Allows for networking opportunities with people across the nation
• Students can work at their own pace
• Often costs less than traditional schools
• Save gas money
• Students can choose the learning/evaluation system that works best for them
• Studies show that it is effective, and that online students outperform traditional students
• Can provide a more equal education for everyone

Cons

• Require more time than on-campus classes (communication has to be typed, reading lecture materials can take more time than listening...)
• Easier to procrastinate
• Can create sense of isolation
• They can provide more freedom than the student can handle
• Doesn't promote face-to-face social skills
• Limited instructor interaction
• Technology isn't always 100% reliable
• In low-income districts, some students don't have required technology

What causes the controversy?

• Change
• There are clear arguments on both sides
• Some people have the perspective that there is more to education than knowledge
• Some people believe those "extra" things can be acquired elsewhere and don't need to be taught in schools
• Some people are more traditional, trying to avoid being consumed by technology
• Some people are progressive, wanting to move towards a more technology encompassing future

Citations

Littlefield, Jamie. "10 Reasons to Choose Online Education." About.com Distance Learning. About.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

Chamberlin, Sean. "Ten Disadvantages of Online Courses." Montgomerycollege.edu. Montgomery College, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

Week #6 Free Post: Why America's Education System is Tanking

I watched this video on TED called "How to Escape Education's Death Valley" by Ken Robinson.  In the video, he suggested that America's system is corrupt because the education system contradicts human nature.  He pointed out several things that were wrong by using an example of a country that seems to be doing things right.

Finland is known for it's successful education system.  Robinson suggests reasons why Finland is so successful:

• little to no emphasis on standardized tests
• broad approach to education, including humanities, physical education, art...
• support for individuals in trouble so they don't drop out
• value individuality
• value teachers and seek to support them through means of professional development, investment
• place responsibility in individual schools rather than federal/state government to get the job done

America spends lots of money on education, but Robinson suggests that it's going the wrong direction.  What can we do to get it back on track?  Is Finland right?  I certainly think they are on to something.  Standardized tests aren't important in the real world, but curiosity and creativity when combined with knowledge of math and science could bring about drastic changes for the world.

Citation

Robinson, Ken. "Ken Robinson:How to Escape Education's Death Valley." Ted.com. Ted Conferences, May 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

Week #5 Free Post: Waiting for Superman

I had to watch this video called Waiting for Superman in one of my classes this week.  It discussed some interesting statistics about education specifically related to test scores, urban education, and charter schools.

Interesting thoughts from the movie:

• The U.S. averages 20-35% of students proficient in reading and scores are low in math too
• A dropout factory is a school that has less than 40% of students graduate on time
• There are over 2,000 dropout factories in the U.S. 
• Failing elementary/middle schools feed into high schools where students are years behind
• Dropouts often end up in jail, where it costs the government $33,000/year 
• Private school costs $8,300/year
• $33,000 x 4 years (average time in prison) = $132,000
• $8,300 x 13 years (years spent in school) = $107,900
• Paying for private schools is extremely difficult for single parent families in an urban setting
• Enrollment for boarding/charter schools works like a lottery system, all the names are placed in a drawing and only 10/135 applicants will get to attend that school

Argument for charter schools:

• Higher reading/math scores
• Better graduation rate
• Freedom to hire/fire teachers (they aren't tenured)
• Parents are more involved since they had to work to get their student in

Argument against charter schools:

• Opportunity is not obtainable by every student
• Less than half of the charter schools out-perform private schools, and that is in a state where charter schools are good
• High teacher turnover rates, which can be confusing
• Don't have to meet state curriculum requirements
• Spend more time preparing for tests results in less well-rounded students
• Not a good place for special education or ELL (students learning English)

Questions:

• Would it make more sense to spend more on education so we could spend less on prison?
• Did you go to a charter school?
• Are charter schools beneficial or are they only a band-aid to the problem?
• What should be done to correct the broken education system?

Citations:
Waiting for "superman". Dir. David Guggenheim . Perf. Anthony. Paramount Home Video, 2011. Film.

Week #5 Prompt: Ethics

The National Educational Association has a code of ethics on it's website which I will investigate for this post.  I will compare that statement with my own code of ethics and then tie it all together by explaining how my college experience is helping to prepare me for work in my field with the ethical guidelines in mind.

Some of the main points in the NEA's code of ethics are:

• belief in dignity and value of each individual
• devotion to excellence
• recognizing importance of pursuit of truth
• nurture of democratic principles
• commitment to help student realize their potential
• stimulate spirit of inquiry, knowledge and understanding
• raise professional standards by ensuring trustworthy and qualified educators are teaching

My own code of ethics:

• honesty
• integrity
• responsibility
• respect
• doing my best

College experiences helping prepare me:

• Classwork - preparing me to do my best work at all times in order to achieve excellence
• Dorm life - living with a roommate forces me to practice respect and professionalism
• Tutoring - allows me to work individually with students to encourage them and help them value themselves and understand their potential

Citation:

"Code of Ethics." NEA.org. National Education Association, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

Week #4 Free Post: Two Islands Process Drama

During a Professional Development event I went to we learned about a process drama, which is something I had never heard of before.  It is a very interactive form of learning that engages students and allows them to really take control of their learning and develop independent thinking skills.  The meeting leader took on the role of the teachers and I (along with other classmates) were the students.

The process drama started by having the room split into two halves where one half was the island of Greenel and the other was the island of Graynel.  She started by reading us descriptions of our islands.

"Once there were two islands, Greenel and Graynel. They sat in the middle of the ocean with a wide stretch of deep water between them.  The very first people who came to the island of Greenel found a peaceful place with tall green trees and dark, fertile soil. Their leaders said, “Since we are here in the middle of the ocean, and our island is only so big and no bigger, we will all have to work very hard to tend it and keep it as lovely as it is today. If we are careful and wise we will be able to grow our own food and learn to make the other things we need to be happy and comfortable.”  And down through the years, that is the way it was on Greenel. Life was simple and it moved at the pace of the Sun and the Moon and the changing seasons.
The first people who ever came to Graynel found an island very similar to Greenel—quiet and green and lovely. But their leaders said: “Since our new land is here in the middle of the ocean and is only so big and no bigger, we will have to work very hard if we are to keep up with the rest of the world. We will have to build ships and factories and use all of our land very wisely or we will never be able to make and buy all the things we want.”  There were changes on Graynel, big changes. Even though the island was small, it kept up with the world, and life on Graynel moved at the pace of the shipping timetables, the factory clocks, and the traffic lights."

Below is a list of activities that follow from the above story as well as a list of things that can be learned from the activities, and how they could be turned into social studies or science lessons.

Activity 1: Draw a map of your island considering jobs, what you do for fun, government systems, what happens to the people that die...

• Demonstrate understanding of government systems
• Use of natural resources
• Artistic/fine motor skill development
• Practice working with a group to make decisions and exercise compromise skills

Activity 2: Greenel people circle around Graynel map and talk about what they see (keeping their job back on Greenel in mind) while Graynel people listen.  Graynel then has a chance to respond to the comments.  Same activity for Graynel people surrounding the Greenel map.

• Understanding and appreciating different value systems

Activity 3: Graynel and Greenel members line up and face each other and proceed to talk about "those people" behind their backs.  There is graffiti on some rocks that face the opposite island.  We are supposed to come up with what the graffiti says.  For example, a Greenel person might say "they say that those people all act like robots".  Graynel and Greenel islanders continue to insult each other trying to top the previous insults.

• Developing the plot
• Ability to think on your feet

Activity 4: Cautionary tales are told on both islands.  Greenel island members have to act out a scenario in which their fisherman went out to sea and got run over by a Graynel speed boat, was then captured and taken back to their island where he was poisoned but eventually escaped and rowed all the way back to his island.  The same story is then told from the Graynel perspective.  A Greenel man was fishing in a poisonous area so they went to stop him, discovered he was already passed out, brought him back to their island where he was treated with medicine and then couldn't find him when they came back to check on him.

• Acting
• One story can be twisted into multiple perspectives

Activity 5: Some people from both islands are proposing a bridge be built to connect the two islands so that they can share resources.  Based on your job on your island, decide whether you are 100% for the idea, 100% against the idea, or somewhere in the middle and then line up accordingly.

• Logical decision making
• Understanding of external factors effecting business

We didn't have time to finish the whole story, but you get the drift.  Through this process drama students are able to really interact with concepts they might have normally learned from a textbook.  This is not just a one day lesson, but is something that can be spread out over several days, even weeks.  There are also so many different variations of this that it can really be adapted to work for any age and any unit.

Have you ever experienced anything like this in a classroom?  What other lessons could you think of that might go along with this story?  Do you think teaching in this style is a good idea or not? Why?

Week #4 Prompt: Community of Teachers

This weeks assignment was to participate in a club's activity related to your field.  Since I am already a member of SMEA, I went to their professional development event on Wednesday.  SMEA stands for Students of the Michigan Education Association.  In this post I will talk about the community that was there, but in my free post I will elaborate more on the activity and what I learned as a teacher from this event.

A community of teachers is much different than a community of engineers.  I know this because I live on a floor full of engineers and am always witnessing them running around chasing robots or pulling their hair out trying to do math.  Teachers have a tendency to have a little more "fun".  I have noticed this especially in my education classes where conversation before and after class always seems to revolve around some sort of guy that someone met at a party the weekend before or their plans for Thursday night.  Obviously the club event I went to was much more professional than that, but I figured that might be something relevant to mention on a blog post about the teacher community.

The meeting was a group of females, each with their own unique hobby.  I know this because at the beginning of the event we had to say our names and do an action that would "say" something about us.  For example, since I am musically inclined I used my hands to play the piano and sang my name.  Others kicked a soccer ball and shouted their name or pretended like they were swimming.  I thought this was an interesting activity because it helped you learn names, but it also helped you get to know a complete stranger.

The ladies in the room did have some things in common though.  Obviously the overlying theme was teaching and education, but with that comes the ability to work well in groups, excellent participation skills, as well as listening skills.

This club uses Facebook as a primary source of communication.  There is a SMEA Facebook group where event information is posted.  In addition to the Facebook group, there is also a website to elaborate on more details and requirements for the club.  The club requires members to participate in community service, professional development, fundraising, and outreach to teach events.  There is a point system in place to ensure that everyone is participating.  The purpose of this club is to aid students studying to become teachers in the transition to the classroom.