This will the last post that is not on an observation that I recorded. This post is a summery of all my posts so far, and there are some things that stick out above all the words that are spoken. These things will be discussed and conclusions will be drawn from them so you can see what my beliefs are and so I can figure out what my beliefs are.
The first thought that seems to be prominent in my blog posts is this need for a strong foundation before a child can start learning. This can be drawn to the need to connect with the students and parents from a teachers prospective. I believe that students will learn more effectively when the parents are involved in the education and the student feels comfortable with what they are doing. This strong support from home and the teacher forms a foundation that the student can rely on for both questions and answers.
The second thought is that the students will learn when the students want to learn. Students, I feel, only do as much as we ask them to do because they don't have to go above and beyond that standard. If they do then a teacher can praise them on their good work and set a new standard, but the student chooses when to perform that way. Branching off of my first thought, the student will grow out of this foundation that is set. The student will have many ideas and creative impulses, but I feel that they will show those talents when the student is comfortable enough in their learning environment. I have someone very close to me that fits this description perfectly. He is one of the smartest people you will ever meet, but he always fails his classes in high school. Why is this? After talking to him, he says that school is a waste of time for him, and in a way I can see why this is true because the school system does nothing to benefit his learning style or needs. When this person wants to graduate, he will graduate and then can go on to do anything he wants to do, because he has the insight to do so. This subject of independence leads into my next thought, the need for open mindedness
This is the last thought that I can find that sticks out in my blogs. No matter what you do, I feel like the need for the student to become independent in what he or she thinks. I feel that this is arguably the most important subject for me because I feel that the students will need to become independent thinkers before they can develop the ability to critically think about any topic. I feel that this cannot be achieved through a lecture, but rather a hands on activity that focuses on real world problems or problems that do not have a true solution. These problems can range from ways to solve a problem at home, or all the way around the world to try to think of why countries are scared of the middle east. Problems like these have no true answer to them, but only suggestions, and the development of suggestions can help a student form their own thoughts that reflect their beliefs. However it is important to teach them what kind of thoughts are tolerable. Students need to have a tolerance in their head for a multitude of things that range from sexuality to something as small as sharing.
So there it is, a collection of the beliefs that have formed throughout the year, and how they relate to the subject of education. They are very opinionated and personal, but that is what a belief is. There are no wrong beliefs but there are those that are accepted and rejected. Just remember to stay independent in your thoughts because you are the person who knows what you believe best.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Cleveland Heights high school Observations
Cleveland Heights is a public high school in the greater Cleveland area. I went in with the question, "how does the teacher involve the students in their learning?" This question guided my observations and also my interpretations.
My observations were in a chemistry class room and the first thing I noticed was teachers positioning in the classroom. Her desk was in the back of the class opposite of the whiteboard and projector. This seemed odd to me because the teacher had to keep walking back and fourth in order to teach her lesson. The teacher also did a fair amount of group work. Taking a look at her lesson plan for the next couple days, it all was various group activities. The kids were quite active and loud in their learning and some never stopped talking until the teacher asked them a question.
When it came to interpretations, my thoughts were that the teacher had her desk at the back to keep an eye on the class, and for group work, maybe the kids learn better in groups because the kids who understand can help the kids who do not understand. As for the kids who were being loud and did not stop talking, I figured that they were not that excited about learning and the teacher was trying to get them to at least mention the topic and that is why she called on them.
There was only one thought that I had dismissed and it was that the students who did not stop talking were disrespectful kids. I thought this at first, but there are many factors that go into a classroom dynamic, and maybe they are the best students in another class. I do not know them so I gave them the benefit of the doubt about this. Everything else about the class and school didn't warren these types of thoughts, so I am getting better at not judging people when I first see them which is a problem of mine.
My observations were in a chemistry class room and the first thing I noticed was teachers positioning in the classroom. Her desk was in the back of the class opposite of the whiteboard and projector. This seemed odd to me because the teacher had to keep walking back and fourth in order to teach her lesson. The teacher also did a fair amount of group work. Taking a look at her lesson plan for the next couple days, it all was various group activities. The kids were quite active and loud in their learning and some never stopped talking until the teacher asked them a question.
When it came to interpretations, my thoughts were that the teacher had her desk at the back to keep an eye on the class, and for group work, maybe the kids learn better in groups because the kids who understand can help the kids who do not understand. As for the kids who were being loud and did not stop talking, I figured that they were not that excited about learning and the teacher was trying to get them to at least mention the topic and that is why she called on them.
There was only one thought that I had dismissed and it was that the students who did not stop talking were disrespectful kids. I thought this at first, but there are many factors that go into a classroom dynamic, and maybe they are the best students in another class. I do not know them so I gave them the benefit of the doubt about this. Everything else about the class and school didn't warren these types of thoughts, so I am getting better at not judging people when I first see them which is a problem of mine.
What it takes to become a good teacher
Teaching is commonly viewed as an instrument that passes on knowledge to students, and then students will be tested on the information. Once the test is passed, then the students will most likely forget part of their learning and go on to the next subject to take the next test. It is up to the teacher to build bridges, which means to connect things that happen in the outside world to the students learning. These can be as simple as showing a student who has problems at home stories about other kids who have those problems, or something on a worldwide topic like learning about the middle east while we were at war with terrorists. However, there are different ways of approaching teaching so that the teacher does not lecture the students and the students do not regurgitate information.
The teaching style described above is called the "banking method" because the teacher stores knowledge only to ask on it later. This method is common among a multitude of teachers at all levels, but that doesn't make a teacher a "good teacher" to all kids. To be a good teacher, the teacher has to be able to make learning enjoyable for the students and has to make all students feel like they are part of the learning. This can be done by having them critically think about the problems that are brought up by the teacher or having them do group projects to come up with a solution, but not all kids would like that either. It is up to the teacher to find a way for each student to be able to learn effectively. This is what makes a teacher good, the ability to have each student learn in the best way for them. Albert Einstein once said "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." This follows the same policies discussed above, and if Einstein thinks this will helps education, there probably is some truth behind it.
The teaching style described above is called the "banking method" because the teacher stores knowledge only to ask on it later. This method is common among a multitude of teachers at all levels, but that doesn't make a teacher a "good teacher" to all kids. To be a good teacher, the teacher has to be able to make learning enjoyable for the students and has to make all students feel like they are part of the learning. This can be done by having them critically think about the problems that are brought up by the teacher or having them do group projects to come up with a solution, but not all kids would like that either. It is up to the teacher to find a way for each student to be able to learn effectively. This is what makes a teacher good, the ability to have each student learn in the best way for them. Albert Einstein once said "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." This follows the same policies discussed above, and if Einstein thinks this will helps education, there probably is some truth behind it.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Post It Up
The annotation I chose to develop was the phrase that teachers see the world as a "reality in process." This phrase has a very in depth meaning to it and there are a lot of factors that go into this style of thinking. In this blog I will attempt to provide an explanation to this saying and what it means for the teachers in the future.
This saying reality in motion, deals with the situations that are outside the classroom. A student has school as only a small part of his or her life and the teacher has to take this into consideration. If a plan is never changed to fit the situation of the students than a system where the teacher will give information to every student the same way and the students only store that information, or a banking system. Paulo Freier stated in his essay that "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves." This is vital concept moving forward as it helps students learn not only the material, but about themselves.
A lot of people are now moving towards a proactive learning style And it shows from the thoughts of a Northeastern University student, Sage Witham, "The role of a teacher and a student will always remain; however, it is the distance between the roles and authority of the two which should change." This quote sums up the essay because the teacher is not only responsible for giving out information but learning from the students that are present as well.
This saying reality in motion, deals with the situations that are outside the classroom. A student has school as only a small part of his or her life and the teacher has to take this into consideration. If a plan is never changed to fit the situation of the students than a system where the teacher will give information to every student the same way and the students only store that information, or a banking system. Paulo Freier stated in his essay that "In problem-posing education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves." This is vital concept moving forward as it helps students learn not only the material, but about themselves.
A lot of people are now moving towards a proactive learning style And it shows from the thoughts of a Northeastern University student, Sage Witham, "The role of a teacher and a student will always remain; however, it is the distance between the roles and authority of the two which should change." This quote sums up the essay because the teacher is not only responsible for giving out information but learning from the students that are present as well.
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