Monday, November 15, 2010
NCLB and Charter Schools
This presentation was really cool! All three of you made it not only informative but fun. I loved that you used video, volunteers to demonstrate the funding problems within our schools, and group activity. Plus candy doesn't hurt either! I really enjoyed learning about NCLB (No Child Left Behind) since I have not had much experience learning about this legal issue. I especially loved that you let the groups create their own schools, this was one way in which not only everyone was participating but everyone was enjoying it! Plus it really got me thinking about what I would want to include in a school, the wishes the I have for the future of our school systems. I also loved that we discussed the pros and cons with NCLB because all too often only one side of the story is told. It was also really interesting to learn about charter schools considering I did not know a lot about them, what they do, who can start them, and what types of laws or state restrictions they have to adhere to. I want to let you guys know that you did an awesome job!
Monday, November 8, 2010
"Waiting for Superman" Blog Reflection
In the blog posting by Wesley Fryer entitled “Waiting For Superman: A Good Film to Provoke Conversations We Need” he discusses his quick views on the educational system in relation to the new movie “Waiting for Superman”. He also discusses a couple major points that he believes that movie “misses”. One of the first things that Fryer brings up is the idea of accountability in schools and NCLB (No Child Left Behind), as a major proponent for more of the former and getting rid of the latter, he believes that schools should have never been thought of as businesses. We began to see our schools and the educational system as one way, as a business, and they simply are not. Therefore in order to properly run a school, we need to alter our mindset. In addition, Fryer declares that the problem is not a short supply of good teachers or good classrooms but rather a constant and unchanging educational system that is not working for our students or our teacher anymore. There are learners in our classrooms that all learn differently and as such we need to start helping them to learn differently. “The educational process is more than knowledge transfer and regurgitation”, our educational process is something that needs more attention and diversity to reflect the audience for which it is geared.
Relationships are another aspect that Fryer discusses because of how crucial they are to our education. Relationships between students, teachers, parents, administration, and community members need to be seen as a crucial and evident aspect of the classroom learning process. However, towards the end of the blog, I sensed that Fryer was a little critical of the movie, not allowing a lot of room for more interpretations. He anticipated the movie to cover more aspects of education than what he saw. Motivation in relation to education is one of the most important factors in not only students but teachers as well. In the blog, we are aware of much motivation can affect teaching, learning, staffing at the school, and also the entirety of the educational system. There needs to be, in relation to motivation, a want to do better, to do more. There needs to be more involvement in schools at every level with every person, student, teacher, administration, parents, and community. Education is a gift not for a certain group of people with a high economic status in a nice neighborhood with the “right” physical characteristics. Rather, education is for every person, of every race, at every economic level.
If nothing else, this blog, and it sounds like the movie as well, serves a greater purpose than reiterating the problems with education and schools today. They serve to help promote more action and more conversation as to the reasons behind the problems of education. I think this would be a great movie to see. I wonder if I will have the same reactions or issues with the movie as Wesley Fryer.
Relationships are another aspect that Fryer discusses because of how crucial they are to our education. Relationships between students, teachers, parents, administration, and community members need to be seen as a crucial and evident aspect of the classroom learning process. However, towards the end of the blog, I sensed that Fryer was a little critical of the movie, not allowing a lot of room for more interpretations. He anticipated the movie to cover more aspects of education than what he saw. Motivation in relation to education is one of the most important factors in not only students but teachers as well. In the blog, we are aware of much motivation can affect teaching, learning, staffing at the school, and also the entirety of the educational system. There needs to be, in relation to motivation, a want to do better, to do more. There needs to be more involvement in schools at every level with every person, student, teacher, administration, parents, and community. Education is a gift not for a certain group of people with a high economic status in a nice neighborhood with the “right” physical characteristics. Rather, education is for every person, of every race, at every economic level.
If nothing else, this blog, and it sounds like the movie as well, serves a greater purpose than reiterating the problems with education and schools today. They serve to help promote more action and more conversation as to the reasons behind the problems of education. I think this would be a great movie to see. I wonder if I will have the same reactions or issues with the movie as Wesley Fryer.
Reflection on 8 points
As an individual and as a future teacher, I believe that there are several things which set me apart from others. These things surround the way in which I will organize my classroom, academically and physically as well as how I choose to educate my students. My classroom organization is fairly open. I believe that a warm and colorful environment can help promote learning, a place in which my students feel safe, encouraged, and nurtured. The physical set up will include a flexible desk/seating arrangement, lots of books and resources, bulletin boards and crafts, and technology for ample use and creativity. The motivation in my classroom will not be based upon external objects, or rewards. I want my students to be able to discover the joy of accomplishment and success that comes from personal learning and want to achieve. Students must be internally motivated and they must want to learn to grow for themselves not because a reward is waiting for them at the end goal. When it comes to discipline I believe that without rules and guidelines in the classroom students can easily become disrespectful and disobedient with not only learning but general acceptable behavior. I believe the teacher should have control of the classroom but students must be able to have a voice, to have a say in not just their personal education but the classroom environment. Proper consequences are and should be expected when the proper behavior and attitudes are not displayed.
Assessment in my classroom will include an equal balance between formative and summative pieces. Formative assessment, as a collection of information on what students already know, will include various tools and ways so students can best express to me their previous education and experience, allowing for extended communication. Summative assessment, as information that will be used for final assessment such as a grade, moving to another grade level, exams, graduation, etc., is also important to help me assess where students may be on our educational journey together as teacher and student. I will use rubrics, journals, check lists, blogs, wikis, interviews, portfolios, games, posters, and even book reports, scavenger hunts, discussions, and multi-genre papers. Assessment is important to me, but so are the “ah ha” moments that cannot be measured on any scale but the scale of joy for my students finally excited and proud of their achievement.
My classroom climate is also important because I believe in being a figure that can not only achieve respect from students but give it as well. Caring for and helping my students is an overarching necessity for me as a teacher. I believe in a classroom that becomes a community in which all have equal rights, respect, spaces and voices that are earned not simply given. Students must know that in my classroom you must be respectful to all others, the classroom space, peers, animals, and adults. The learning focus in my classroom is centered on divergent thinking, or in other words, thinking that is developed and focused on multiple points of view. I do believe, however, that there are times when convergent thinking, focused on the answers or subject matter, is important and even necessary. Students must be allowed to discover their potential and then be allowed to follow that potential wherever it may lead. I believe a curriculum focused only on the subject matter and right answers leaves little to no room for multiple interpretations as well as creativity. I want my students to be able to express themselves in all areas of school and in every chance within my classroom. I believe that technology is an important tool in the classroom when used in the right manner and in the right balance. I believe that technology as a tool for resources, education, play, and creativity are important not only in a growing technological age but because my students want to use this tool. I will use blogs, wikis, Comic Life, Garageband, online educational games and sites, as well as music and slideshows. I know students have the ability to use these applications and I want to give them the outlet to do so. I will however balance the technological use with hands-on learning, fun, and opportunity that focuses on the more simple projects such as the classic poster board for more creativity. Technology can be used in almost any direction for the classroom but it is finding the right balance between use and abuse that is crucial.
Turning to my teaching and leadership style, I find myself remembering my vision for being a teacher when I was thirteen years old. I found myself envisioning the perfect classroom with the perfect students and as I grow older I realize my vision has changed. I hope I have a challenging classroom with difficult students who are searching for the person to come and show them not only what it means to be a teacher and leaner but what it means to care. I know that I want to be a guide, a model, and a coach. I want to be a person who students want to look up to and follow not only my words but my actions as well. I know that I will have an influence on my students and I hope that my encouragement and support will empower my students to learn and grow in ways they never thought possible. I know I hold the future of the world in my eyes, when I look at my students. But I hope that by the time each of my students leave my classroom they will realize the power they hold in themselves and make a difference for future generations to come.
Assessment in my classroom will include an equal balance between formative and summative pieces. Formative assessment, as a collection of information on what students already know, will include various tools and ways so students can best express to me their previous education and experience, allowing for extended communication. Summative assessment, as information that will be used for final assessment such as a grade, moving to another grade level, exams, graduation, etc., is also important to help me assess where students may be on our educational journey together as teacher and student. I will use rubrics, journals, check lists, blogs, wikis, interviews, portfolios, games, posters, and even book reports, scavenger hunts, discussions, and multi-genre papers. Assessment is important to me, but so are the “ah ha” moments that cannot be measured on any scale but the scale of joy for my students finally excited and proud of their achievement.
My classroom climate is also important because I believe in being a figure that can not only achieve respect from students but give it as well. Caring for and helping my students is an overarching necessity for me as a teacher. I believe in a classroom that becomes a community in which all have equal rights, respect, spaces and voices that are earned not simply given. Students must know that in my classroom you must be respectful to all others, the classroom space, peers, animals, and adults. The learning focus in my classroom is centered on divergent thinking, or in other words, thinking that is developed and focused on multiple points of view. I do believe, however, that there are times when convergent thinking, focused on the answers or subject matter, is important and even necessary. Students must be allowed to discover their potential and then be allowed to follow that potential wherever it may lead. I believe a curriculum focused only on the subject matter and right answers leaves little to no room for multiple interpretations as well as creativity. I want my students to be able to express themselves in all areas of school and in every chance within my classroom. I believe that technology is an important tool in the classroom when used in the right manner and in the right balance. I believe that technology as a tool for resources, education, play, and creativity are important not only in a growing technological age but because my students want to use this tool. I will use blogs, wikis, Comic Life, Garageband, online educational games and sites, as well as music and slideshows. I know students have the ability to use these applications and I want to give them the outlet to do so. I will however balance the technological use with hands-on learning, fun, and opportunity that focuses on the more simple projects such as the classic poster board for more creativity. Technology can be used in almost any direction for the classroom but it is finding the right balance between use and abuse that is crucial.
Turning to my teaching and leadership style, I find myself remembering my vision for being a teacher when I was thirteen years old. I found myself envisioning the perfect classroom with the perfect students and as I grow older I realize my vision has changed. I hope I have a challenging classroom with difficult students who are searching for the person to come and show them not only what it means to be a teacher and leaner but what it means to care. I know that I want to be a guide, a model, and a coach. I want to be a person who students want to look up to and follow not only my words but my actions as well. I know that I will have an influence on my students and I hope that my encouragement and support will empower my students to learn and grow in ways they never thought possible. I know I hold the future of the world in my eyes, when I look at my students. But I hope that by the time each of my students leave my classroom they will realize the power they hold in themselves and make a difference for future generations to come.
Bright Futures
I choose to read and reflect on “Bright Futures: A Framework of Twelve Core Practices for Maine Middle Grades Schools Developing Full Academic, Personal and Social Potential for Maine Young Adolescents,"” which is a report, focused on middle school, which gives a meaningful look into ways in which we can create better schools for our students and children. There are twelve main points to this report and they include:
1. Students have access to curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory and is organized and executed to maximize accessibility for all students.
2. Teachers use research-based instructional practices in their classrooms that are effective in increasing the learning and achievement of young adolescents.
3. Teachers in all content areas use teaching and learning practices that are anchored in 21st century literacy’s.
4. Students have access to one-to-one computing technology integrated throughout the curriculum allowing them to acquire the critical thinking skills related to information, media, and technology.
5. All middle level students experience learning opportunities that emphasize creativity and innovation.
6. School leaders, using a collaborative and democratic leadership model, focus on establishing an environment that supports the learning needs of young adolescents.
7. Faculty, administration, and students collaboratively build a safe and caring climate that nurtures the individual while creating a sense of community where everyone is valued.
8. Students benefit from organizational structures within the middle grades that maximize the sense of community, support meaningful relationships, and optimize curriculum delivery.
9. Students have access to a co-curricular program that encourages all students to participate, develop skills, be a member of a team or activity, and simply have fun.
10. Teachers' professional development is an ongoing process that is embedded into the daily life of the school.
11. Parents are actively involved in the life of the school and their child’s education.
12. Teachers, administrators, and staff who are responsible for the education of young adolescents are knowledgeable about their developmental needs and appreciate them for their uniqueness.
The points included in this list may have been ideas developed at some point but as are many good ideas regarding education, hard to implement. But the first step in being able to change our educational system or better yet our ideas and usage of education is to recognize what we are currently doing and acknowledge ways of changing. If these ideas were taken in and put to use in every Maine school we would be looking at a future for our educational system that would help to ensure not only the success of the students but of the teachers and entirety of the school system. Part of putting these ideas into practice requires teachers, schools, and educational leaders to work together in order to promote this change. In addition working together in the school with collaboration is crucial. Allowing teachers and students to interact and learn from one and other as well as inter-mingling the subjects creates a connection for all. This idea of connection needs to trickle down into the actual teaching in the classroom. Making connections to students’ lives with the material at hand is important not only in promoting more academic learning but in moving students towards a “brighter future”. There needs to be, as this report stated in multiple ways, common goals not only for schools and teachers but looking towards the future and the end result. The common goal here is to build students who are not only confident and successful but prepared for what their future will bring.
This report was really interesting to me not just because it allow me to see what can be done with the education of our middle schools but because it gave the good and the bad examples for each point and allowed us to see scenarios in which such points could be used. Being able to see good and bad also allowed us to see how well the student is taken is recognized, and in this case we see that the report took the entirety of the student into consideration. Being able to teach to each student as well as their learning needs and abilities is crucial in education. I loved that this report allowed me to see how students’ lives outside the classroom, outside the world of academia is important. Not only are extra-curricular activities important but their personal or home lives influence their learning and being able to not just make connections but really know their lives allowed for richer educational experience based upon that relationship. This report, I believe, acknowledges that school is a place not just for learning but where students should feel nurtured, cared for, and guided through material, discovery, and life.
1. Students have access to curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory and is organized and executed to maximize accessibility for all students.
2. Teachers use research-based instructional practices in their classrooms that are effective in increasing the learning and achievement of young adolescents.
3. Teachers in all content areas use teaching and learning practices that are anchored in 21st century literacy’s.
4. Students have access to one-to-one computing technology integrated throughout the curriculum allowing them to acquire the critical thinking skills related to information, media, and technology.
5. All middle level students experience learning opportunities that emphasize creativity and innovation.
6. School leaders, using a collaborative and democratic leadership model, focus on establishing an environment that supports the learning needs of young adolescents.
7. Faculty, administration, and students collaboratively build a safe and caring climate that nurtures the individual while creating a sense of community where everyone is valued.
8. Students benefit from organizational structures within the middle grades that maximize the sense of community, support meaningful relationships, and optimize curriculum delivery.
9. Students have access to a co-curricular program that encourages all students to participate, develop skills, be a member of a team or activity, and simply have fun.
10. Teachers' professional development is an ongoing process that is embedded into the daily life of the school.
11. Parents are actively involved in the life of the school and their child’s education.
12. Teachers, administrators, and staff who are responsible for the education of young adolescents are knowledgeable about their developmental needs and appreciate them for their uniqueness.
The points included in this list may have been ideas developed at some point but as are many good ideas regarding education, hard to implement. But the first step in being able to change our educational system or better yet our ideas and usage of education is to recognize what we are currently doing and acknowledge ways of changing. If these ideas were taken in and put to use in every Maine school we would be looking at a future for our educational system that would help to ensure not only the success of the students but of the teachers and entirety of the school system. Part of putting these ideas into practice requires teachers, schools, and educational leaders to work together in order to promote this change. In addition working together in the school with collaboration is crucial. Allowing teachers and students to interact and learn from one and other as well as inter-mingling the subjects creates a connection for all. This idea of connection needs to trickle down into the actual teaching in the classroom. Making connections to students’ lives with the material at hand is important not only in promoting more academic learning but in moving students towards a “brighter future”. There needs to be, as this report stated in multiple ways, common goals not only for schools and teachers but looking towards the future and the end result. The common goal here is to build students who are not only confident and successful but prepared for what their future will bring.
This report was really interesting to me not just because it allow me to see what can be done with the education of our middle schools but because it gave the good and the bad examples for each point and allowed us to see scenarios in which such points could be used. Being able to see good and bad also allowed us to see how well the student is taken is recognized, and in this case we see that the report took the entirety of the student into consideration. Being able to teach to each student as well as their learning needs and abilities is crucial in education. I loved that this report allowed me to see how students’ lives outside the classroom, outside the world of academia is important. Not only are extra-curricular activities important but their personal or home lives influence their learning and being able to not just make connections but really know their lives allowed for richer educational experience based upon that relationship. This report, I believe, acknowledges that school is a place not just for learning but where students should feel nurtured, cared for, and guided through material, discovery, and life.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Assessment Presentation
This presentation about Assessment was really informative. I think that it included a good amount of history without talking too much during the presentation. I think the media used to enhance your points was rich and provided some leading questions as to how we feel and what we think about testing and assessment in general. I enjoyed the background of testing and the history of the SATs as well as information on the NCLB (No Child Left Behind). Although most of the presentation was focused on testing, I really liked that you mentioned as well as your activities included and allowed for formative and summative assessments. I began to wonder about what happens when you have someone or a large amount of people who are not only highly educated but are pursuing an educational career and they cannot pass the tests that are needed in order to fulfill their goals or career? In so many cases, and in that of one of my good friends, she changed her major and left the University of Farmington because she had taken the praxis over 6 times and could not pass. We may have just lost one of the great educators for our schools all because of a test.
Students have begun, as the presentation mentioned, learning the answers and not the process simply due to the fact that teachers are grading on the final answer not how students got there or the work they may have done. The final activity was neat. It showed the good and bad points to standardized testing as well as good and bad assessment. I really hope that in the future we have many more teachers who feel as strongly, as this class does, against standardized testing and promotes good or “awesome” assessments for their students. I want to believe that the next generation of teachers will change the way not only our students learn but the way in which our future unfolds. Great job guys!
Students have begun, as the presentation mentioned, learning the answers and not the process simply due to the fact that teachers are grading on the final answer not how students got there or the work they may have done. The final activity was neat. It showed the good and bad points to standardized testing as well as good and bad assessment. I really hope that in the future we have many more teachers who feel as strongly, as this class does, against standardized testing and promotes good or “awesome” assessments for their students. I want to believe that the next generation of teachers will change the way not only our students learn but the way in which our future unfolds. Great job guys!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Voices- Educational Pioneers
“The History and Philosophy of Education: Voices of Educational Pioneers” was an incredible read that highlights the major educational philosophies that have helped to create the educational system we have today as well as the philosophical views that I, myself, hold for education. With each educator we learn their stance on the role of the teacher and the learner, their view of the curriculum and their methodology, the purpose or goal of education, and what their major contribution was to education or to our current society. Some of the educators named who I have learned from include, Confucius, Sappho, Socrates, Plato, Charlemagne and Alcuin, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Christine de Pizan, Erasmus, Martin Luther, John Locke, Rousseau, Mary Wollstonecraft, Herbart, Froebel, Hakadah-Native American, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Webster, Emma Willard, Catharine Beecher, Gallaudet, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, Bethune, Ralph Tyler, Maria Montessori, and Paulo Freire. All of these educators, although I cannot entirely relate to each one have influenced the educational system that I am a part of and for that I must simply acknowledge, in part, who they are to education and to me. They are a piece of where our educational system has come from, where it is now, and even where it will be in the future for me and my children.
The first educator/philosopher that I related to was Aristotle. His belief that thinking and reflecting need to be encouraged and then time allowed for the practice of these skills enabled the teachers to acknowledge adjustments for each student. He believed that this would produce virtuous men of society. Cicero believed that time was important to education, taking into consideration the past, present, and even future of the students and of society. Human excellence here was born from an educated place in which a person embodied a cultured and articulate man. I believe that our history is crucial to our education and if we are to create not just citizens of society but education human beings we must know where we have come from, where we are now, and have some understanding of where we want to go. Quintilian’s philosophy supported the “teaching of the liberal arts and moral education within the professional educator of the orator.” Here the teacher is the one that must understand each student’s mental and physical developmental needs and levels. I believe that understand the development or the individual behind each student is crucial to me being able to teach to each child.
Although not entirely I can relate to the philosophies of Jesus and Augustine because they promoted a kind and caring teacher in which happiness is valued and our ultimate path or journey in life is not just here on earth. Who we are and who we are to become is important here as well as it is to me, as I strive to help each student discover a piece of themselves each day. Moving to Pestalozzi’s philosophy, he believed that the “whole child” was important, made up of the head, heart, hand, body, feelings, and intellect. A respectful and caring teacher student relationship is important here as well as to my own view of education. Mann’s philosophical view of education was one in which students are contributing citizens, responsible members of society, moral workers, and education can bring about a unity of body, intellect, and spirit. Here, public education, for every person, was key and was considered the “great equalizer”.
Elizabeth Seton’s philosophy of education really hit home because of the focus on “an educational program under the guidance and inspiration of religion.” This involved a kind teacher who saw or taught students as children of God and included various aspects of the child’s life such as a wholesome diet, healthy recreation in an environment with respect and discipline. The physical and spiritual well being was attended to and made sure that the students were learning more than just academic studies. Dewey initiated “cooperative learning” as well as the belief that education meant interactions with, knowledge of, and diversity (he embraced a multicultural environment) in the academic and social environment. He saw society playing an important role in education as well as the child’s potential for learning and succeeding. Lastly, the philosopher in which I most relate to is Piaget. I believe, as Piaget did, that the child must learn and develop not alone but in a social setting, placing an emphasis on the individual. The use of learning centers, individualized instruction (accommodating for each student’s readiness level), higher level thinking, and the purpose of schooling to helping children “learn to think, to discover, and create” rolls my beliefs into one giant ball of education philosophies.
There are several quotes which I related to the most while learning about each educator or philosopher. These quotes include:
-“We are the sum of our actions, and therefore our habits make all the difference.”- Aristotle
-“School is the workshop where young souls are formed to virtue”- Comenius
-“For it is my opinion that if public education does not take into consideration the circumstances of family life, and everything else that bears on a man’s general education, it can only lead to an artificial and methodical dwarfing of humanity.” – Pestalozzi
-“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”- Mann
-“Education should seek to bring its subjects to the perfection of their moral, intellectual, and physical nature in order that they may be the greatest possible use to themselves and others.”- Emma Willard
- “When so rich a harvest is before us, why do we not gather it? All is in our hands if we will but use it.”- Elizabeth Seton (and this one might be my favorite)
- “Education and work are the levers to uplift a people. Work alone will not do it unless inspired by the right ideals and guided by intelligence. Education must not simply teach work- it must teach Life.”- W.E.B DuBois (this one spoke to my philosophical view of teaching children “how” to think not what to think)
- “Every teacher should recognize the dignity of his calling.”- Dewey
The first educator/philosopher that I related to was Aristotle. His belief that thinking and reflecting need to be encouraged and then time allowed for the practice of these skills enabled the teachers to acknowledge adjustments for each student. He believed that this would produce virtuous men of society. Cicero believed that time was important to education, taking into consideration the past, present, and even future of the students and of society. Human excellence here was born from an educated place in which a person embodied a cultured and articulate man. I believe that our history is crucial to our education and if we are to create not just citizens of society but education human beings we must know where we have come from, where we are now, and have some understanding of where we want to go. Quintilian’s philosophy supported the “teaching of the liberal arts and moral education within the professional educator of the orator.” Here the teacher is the one that must understand each student’s mental and physical developmental needs and levels. I believe that understand the development or the individual behind each student is crucial to me being able to teach to each child.
Although not entirely I can relate to the philosophies of Jesus and Augustine because they promoted a kind and caring teacher in which happiness is valued and our ultimate path or journey in life is not just here on earth. Who we are and who we are to become is important here as well as it is to me, as I strive to help each student discover a piece of themselves each day. Moving to Pestalozzi’s philosophy, he believed that the “whole child” was important, made up of the head, heart, hand, body, feelings, and intellect. A respectful and caring teacher student relationship is important here as well as to my own view of education. Mann’s philosophical view of education was one in which students are contributing citizens, responsible members of society, moral workers, and education can bring about a unity of body, intellect, and spirit. Here, public education, for every person, was key and was considered the “great equalizer”.
Elizabeth Seton’s philosophy of education really hit home because of the focus on “an educational program under the guidance and inspiration of religion.” This involved a kind teacher who saw or taught students as children of God and included various aspects of the child’s life such as a wholesome diet, healthy recreation in an environment with respect and discipline. The physical and spiritual well being was attended to and made sure that the students were learning more than just academic studies. Dewey initiated “cooperative learning” as well as the belief that education meant interactions with, knowledge of, and diversity (he embraced a multicultural environment) in the academic and social environment. He saw society playing an important role in education as well as the child’s potential for learning and succeeding. Lastly, the philosopher in which I most relate to is Piaget. I believe, as Piaget did, that the child must learn and develop not alone but in a social setting, placing an emphasis on the individual. The use of learning centers, individualized instruction (accommodating for each student’s readiness level), higher level thinking, and the purpose of schooling to helping children “learn to think, to discover, and create” rolls my beliefs into one giant ball of education philosophies.
There are several quotes which I related to the most while learning about each educator or philosopher. These quotes include:
-“We are the sum of our actions, and therefore our habits make all the difference.”- Aristotle
-“School is the workshop where young souls are formed to virtue”- Comenius
-“For it is my opinion that if public education does not take into consideration the circumstances of family life, and everything else that bears on a man’s general education, it can only lead to an artificial and methodical dwarfing of humanity.” – Pestalozzi
-“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”- Mann
-“Education should seek to bring its subjects to the perfection of their moral, intellectual, and physical nature in order that they may be the greatest possible use to themselves and others.”- Emma Willard
- “When so rich a harvest is before us, why do we not gather it? All is in our hands if we will but use it.”- Elizabeth Seton (and this one might be my favorite)
- “Education and work are the levers to uplift a people. Work alone will not do it unless inspired by the right ideals and guided by intelligence. Education must not simply teach work- it must teach Life.”- W.E.B DuBois (this one spoke to my philosophical view of teaching children “how” to think not what to think)
- “Every teacher should recognize the dignity of his calling.”- Dewey
Research Project- Technology Conference
I LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION! It was so much fun! I think that this was the perfect example of how to take something that we are supposed to teach (at any level) and turn it into something so much more. I think the fact that the three of you, split up this presentation and did a little history before hand, with several instances of media usage, along with the “workshop” style layout made the information that much more effective. I loved the three tables and the content at each. I have never seen so many resources for English before. I really liked Grammar Gorillas, Noun Dunk, Weboword and my favorite was SpellingCity.com, which I found at my first session Content. The second session I had was the “Must-Have” and I loved the join.me website as well as PaperRater, LearnBoost, Sortfix, and my favorite here was Tagxedo. The third session for me was Teacher Technology, during which I found 60secondrecap, Engrade, and one that I already use and love Curriki. There was so much information to sort through, websites to play with, bookmark, and utilize that I wish we would have had a whole other class to do so! I applaud all of the effort and time put into this project because it obviously shows how much you care, so, Great Job!
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