Darling-Hammond Reflection Ch:4-6 After reading through Darling-Hammond, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be a teacher in a district like Napa Valley Unified. There seem to be plenty of inspiring stories of other countries excelling in their different approaches to education. Which makes it so upsetting to examine our own country’s internal battle for educational reform. One notion that I found very agreeable, was the importance of improving our own teaching, especially for newer teachers. In order to improve our skills as educators, teachers must be encouraged to collaborate with others, within and across disciplines. There is so much for new teachers to learn! I am only in my second year of teaching, and I feel like learning something new is a habitual part of my day. I have so many questions and with today’s modern advancements, it sometimes feels like too much to navigate on your own. Fortunately, there are some programs in place to help support incoming teachers, such as BTSA, now called “Induction”. This program strategically partners new teachers with more experienced ones, known as “support providers”. These senior teachers take time to observe their new counterparts, provide helpful feedback, and collaborate on all sorts of strategies,lessons and ideas. Even with this kind of dedicated help from another teacher, it can still feel like a lot to handle. That is why teachers should be connecting school wide, and beyond. Some of the most impactful trainings I have participated in, are those that mix different schools and grade levels. Sometimes what you need is a completely fresh set of eyes, a different experience that only comes from collaborating with others. I am grateful for my support provider and especially grateful to teach in a district that understands the importance of professional development through collaboration. My ELA department meet and coordinate projects on a frequent basis. It is a truly helpful experience. The Napa Valley Unified School District has made it a goal to imbue students and teachers alike with 21st century skills which I find very comforting. Technology is becoming more and more important to everyday life, thus we as educators need to prepare our students to utilize these increasing valuable resources. This brings us back to improving our teaching. Darling-Hammond mentions the need for professional development. Other countries have realized the benefit of first improving their teachers as a means of improving their students. I enjoy teaching and I care deeply for my students. Therefor, I need to be supported in my quest for professional development.
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Learning Environments that Kids Need
Case study #1: The first case I examined did not necessarily focus on the incorporation of technology, but rather on creating a unique learning environment that engages students. One message that the teachers really emphasized was the importance of collaboration. The teachers in these classes provide students with “open seating” in different areas around the classroom. This means students are encouraged to select their own seat on a daily basis. This allows students to reflect on their own work habits and consider their own needs when it comes to working individually as well as collaboratively. It is clear that the students are not only comfortable, but actually learning because they all look genuinely engaged in what they are doing. Many of the students are sitting in very unique, less traditional styles of chairs such as couches and on pillows, usually alone in a unique place, even a little loft! When opportunities to collaborate occur, they all seem to be engaged and participating. What I learned from this video was that I should give more consideration to the environment that I create for my students. I should focus on providing my students with a classroom where they each feel comfortable working. I will give serious consideration to the idea of a building a “reading corner”. Perhaps a couch on a carpeted area, with some interesting pillows. I worry though, that many students would be tempted to take advantage of the relaxed setting and the effect it might have on their work. Worth trying! Link: http://www.edutopia.org/practice/flexible-classrooms-providing-learning-environment-kids-need Collaborative Digital Presentations Enrich Projects Case study #2: The focus of this video was to demonstrate how students can work collaboratively while using Google applications to create a lesson. Big picture, these students are being asked to teach the rest of their classmates on a specific topic. The means of their lesson however, are very open ended. The teacher only has 3 requirements: Visual aides, a physical handout, and some type of activity. I would make the assumption that the students are learning as they appeared to be very engaged in the task. The students explain what they are creating, and the digital tools they use to accomplish it. One student even mentions that he believes, “Projects make learning more interesting.” As a PBL teacher, I found it very interesting how much creative freedom the students were allowed, outside of the simple 3 point criteria. I especially enjoyed the teacher’s mention of different modalities of learning, and how she asked the students to try to reach all types of learners in their presentation. I fully approve of this lesson. In a PBL school, I really see myself as a facilitator and therefor I support these types of activities and learning opportunities for students. We do similar work in my classroom. Students need voice and choice in the classroom and often it yields positive results! Link: http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-collaborative-digital-presentations-video Free Online Resources Engage Elementary Kids Case study #3: The focus of this case was how to utilize free digital resources and various tools that can be accessed online in order to increase both student engagement and learning. Students were assigned to create a video. Similar to the previous case study, these students were also given a lot of choice when it came to what kind of video to make (personal narratives, tutorials, or poetry). Students then create their presentations; the worked first on their audio and then on their video, and put them together. Their teacher acknowledged the academic value of being able to share this type of differentiated work with others. The students appeared to be learning as once again they are deeply engaged in the creative process. There were opportunities for students to help each other with different parts, and sharing what they accomplished. They also engaged in a metacognitive reflection about what they're doing, and how and why they are doing it. My take away from this video was the importance of celebrating creativity as well as promoting the use of 21st century skills. I am always interested in new web applications that I can bring to the classroom. My students are actually a great resource for finding new and interesting applications and tools online. Currently my students all access Google drive/docs/slides on a regular basis, but new resources are being created everyday, it is hard to keep up! Link: http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-free-online-resources-video Driving Question (Round 2):
What is the impact of guided practice of textual analysis with 7th grade students? (Objective: RL.7.1 The student will cite textual evidence to support text analysis.) What problems in my classroom might point to my driving question? As you can see, my driving question has changed rather significantly from my last blog entry. Initially, I wanted to focus my research on my students' abilities to interact with the real world at the conclusion of their various projects. However, after further consideration, I have come to the conclusion that while I find that question very intriguing, it is not necessarily a signigicant concern for the time being. Fortunately, I have encountered a "problem" with my students. I am not typically a fan of the word "Problem" as I like to see every problem as an opportunity! Therefore, I have encountered a new opportunity to research an issue that is plaguing a large faction of my students: Textual analysis. What will I “Need to Know” to answer my question?
From my own experience, I know that being able to analyze a text and cite concrete evidence is a highly valuable skill. I know that my students not only need to be able to read the ideas of others, but also to internalize the significance of those ideas, paraphrase them into their own words, identify the underlying message, and draw their own conclusions. I also know that this is a lot to ask of your standard 12 year old student. Fortunately, I also know a lot of great teachers at my site. I know that they have encountered this problem themselves in the past and will be wonderful resources for me to learn from. Possible Driving Question: How can I provide my students more opportunities to apply what they have learned in a real world setting? Currently I teach two courses of 7th grade Accelerated English Language arts, one course of 6th grade AVID (a college prep ellective) and one course of ELD3D (a support class for English Learners). The school where I teach has fully embraced the Project Based Learning model. Many of my students respond well to the PBL model and as a teacher, I too find the process both educationally beneficial and innovative. What I find most appealing about this method of teaching, is how it requires students to solve complex problems through the use of 21st century skills to create a public product. Take for example our current project: "Antisocial" Over the last month, my students have been conducting research on the effects of social media on the development of social skills. A large component of this project is students working to gather strong and relevant evidence they believe will help support their claims. Ultimately, students will need to incorporate their findings in both of their final products: An arugmentative essay and a public service announcement. This is where my driving question comes in. Instead of asking myself, "What did my students learn?" I should be asking myself, "What can my students do with what they have learned?" My driving question focuses on just that. The outcome of any project is to allow students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the real world. Therefore, I want to pay special attention to the "product" phase of our current, and future projects. More specifically, I want to focus on improving the frequency and quality with which my students apply their new found skills in the real world. What might this look like? Rethinking what students do with their finished products for a start. Too often I have watched my students present amazing speeches and presentations to their classmates and peers and wished for a way to get them out into the real world. Taking students beyond the classroom, to the source of their inquiries. Perhaps inviting more relevant figures into our classroom to share in and inhance our learning experiences. At the very least publishing student work online. I will continue to explore this inquiry further, and as always, apply what I have learned. |
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December 2017
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