Last Day of Edu 100

It's been such a long semester! I have learned a lot, as well as had some challenges both personally and professionally speaking, but I made it through! So glad to have taken this class and learned what I did. I know more than ever that I want to be a teacher and I know it is my passion.

I really enjoyed learning about the different types of curriculum (explicit, implicit), teaching methods and models. Also, it was very eye-opening to learn about educational structure in different countries and how they compare with the United States. Lastly, I found it very interesting to learn about how law affects education and how the government is connected.

So I've learned a lot. I've learned about myself, what works for me and what doesn't. I have realized even more that I want to be a teacher. My reasons are:


1) I love kids - I feel like I do better relating to kids..My sisters call me the "Baby Whisperer" (babies like me!). I feel like I understand them well. Being with kids on a daily basis for my career would be so wonderful.

2) I love seeing someone's face light up when they realize they learned something new...nothing better...

3) I am really creative. I think I can come up with fresh new ideas and exciting teaching plans.

4) I'm good at communicating. I think I get along well with people and I am well respected by my peers. I will enjoy working with other teachers, parents and administrators.

5) I want my summers off...Sorry, just had to throw that one in there!

6) I think Education is by far one of the most important assets that we have. No one can take away our education. Giving kids knowledge is giving them power.

7) I like seeing kids make progress...I can't wait to see a student on the first day of school and see how far they go by the end of the year.

So that's it...I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. Have a great summer :)

8) I feel it is what I am most passionate about, what is in my heart and my true calling.

Teens, media and violence in schools

Over the past few decades, overall violence in the country has decreased. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, crime rates have fallen in our society, but school-based studies have revealed that many violent behaviors have increased among children and adolescents. One of the reasons is believed to be attributed to the internet. With the exploding popularity of Facebook, Twitter, usage of cell phones and other media sources, violence has increased in our schools. In addition, video games have become more advanced and violent as technology has increased.

So is there a connection? Does media influence the amount of violence or is it a coincidence? According to a study conducted by Ohio State University, "high school students who had more exposure to violent video games held "more pro-violent attitudes, had more hostile personalities, were less forgiving, believed violence to be more normal, and behaved more aggressively in their everyday lives."

The internet has become an amazing tool that has changed the way that we live. While it is mostly used for good, there is a darker side as well. Many teens have become the target of bullying and internet targeting. Predators can now stalk kids and pretend to be people they are not. With technology changing on a daily basis, educators need to stay on top of what is going on around us in order to protect our students.

Sources:
http://www.crf-usa.org/school-violence/causes-of-school-violence.html

http://www.nssc1.org/how-does-media-promote-violence-in-school.html

Teaching Philosophy of Montessori

I chose to research Maria Montessori's teaching methods. Dr. Maria Montessori lived from 1870 until 1952 and was instrumental in her educational philosophy. "Montessori education is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development." She opened her first classroom, the Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House, in a tenement building in Rome. Montessori strongly believed in a model of human development, where children engage with their surroundings and interact with their environment. She believed that children should have the freedom to choose their path in learning and this would create optimal development.

I disagree.

I knew a little about the Montessori schools before doing any research because several children that I babysit for attend one of the charter schools. I can tell you that I was not a big fan of this particular teaching method. First of all, I do not like that the students call their teachers by their first names. I find this very disrespectful. Second, I do not agree with letting children choose what they are going to work on that day. I really believe in more structure and setting expectations for kids. Montessori schools very rarely assign homework and I find this to be a diservice to children. Most of the Montessori schools only go through 8th grade, which means that when a child gets to high school, they are going to be in shock with the amount of homework that they get. "Critics allege that a child who transfers to a traditional school and is required to do homework will have trouble adjusting, although research has shown the opposite" (http://www.k12academics.com/alternative-education/montessori-method/criticisms).

I find some problems with the teaching methods, especially with Math. Montessori emphasizes using materials when solving mathematical problems. I feel that this is having students rely too much on a crutch. When helping one of the children I babysit for with their homework, they said that they could not do their math because they did not have "materials" at their disposal. I feel this is just as bad a kids using calculators to solve math problems. In the United States, we are falling further behind in academics and suffering in math and science. I do not feel that the Montessori method is helping to educate kids in this particular area. It is not preparing them for the real world in which homework is a very important part of the learning process.

Regardless of how I feel, the Montessori teaching method is one of the most recognized in the field of education and there are definitely advantages to this type of education. In a 2006 study of Montessori students and public school children it was found that "On several dimensions, children at a public inner city Montessori school had superior outcomes relative to a sample of Montessori applicants who, because of a random lottery, attended other schools. By the end of kindergarten, the Montessori children performed better on standardized tests of reading and math, engaged in more positive interaction on the playground, and showed more advanced social cognition and executive control" (http://www.k12academics.com/alternative-education/montessori-method/criticisms).

In the end, it is the parent's decision on which education method they are most comfortable with and what is the best for their child. Whether they go to public school, private school, or are home schooled, education is the key to a child's success and becoming an educated individual.

Sources:

http://www.montessori.edu/

http://www.k12academics.com/alternative-education/montessori-method/criticisms

Social Justice in Education - What Makes a Family?

During the time that my parents were growing up in a school system, in greater Boston, they were used to going to class with other white, European descent, similar class students. It was rare to have a child that was very different from the other kids. In those days, everyone was alike. In my generation, I am much more used to being around other students who are very different from me. I went to school with kids from all different types of ethnic backgrounds, races, and family situations.

Now that we are in the year 2011, society has vastly changed. No longer are we expecting that a child comes from a family with a mother and father, most likely still married and living together. These days, there are all different kinds of families. Kids are coming from a home where the parents may be divorced, remarried, with a new girlfriend or boyfriend, or even with a member of the same sex.

According to the article "What Makes a Family" in Newsweek on September 30, 2010, the vast majority of Americans now view gay parents with children as "families". So why is it that so many people are dead set against educating children in school systems on these "types" of families. In Lexington, a father sued the school system when his child was read a book that featured a gay couple. If it is socially acceptable, why would so many people have such a problem with this type of education?

As teachers, we walk a fine line of what is acceptable and what is not when we are teaching America's youth. I personally think the more exposure the better. My best friend comes from a family where her dad is gay, and her brother is gay. Her niece and nephew know that they are both gay and it is completely acceptable and open to talk about. On the other end of the spectrum, my sister got upset with me for mentioning my "gay" friends in front of my two young nephews. She didn't want them exposed to that kind of lifestyle until they had to be. I was very upset by this, but I had to realize that this was her right to feel that way. To me, why not educate our youth on what is going on around us? I am not gay, but I have many friends who are, and I support them 100%. It upsets me when someone believes that they made a choice, or that they are abnormal because of their sexual orientation. I just know that is the way they were born. But so many people do not agree with that.

So my question is this - is it better to educate kids on what is going on in the world, or do we have to step around certain subjects? It does seem that it's a highly debated topic that doesn't have an answer. It will be interesting to see what happens years from now and if it is a subject that we can talk freely about in our schools.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/04/what-makes-a-family-more-americans-say-gays-count.html

Education is like a board game...

With twists and turns along the way. Sometimes you lose a turn, sometimes you have to repeat a mistake you made, other times you move right through with little struggle. When comparing Education to a game, I think of the game Chutes and Ladders. This was one of my absolute favorite games when I was younger. When thinking about school and learning, I think of moving forward and sometimes moving back a couple spaces. There are times that you win, and times that you struggle. In the end, you reach your goal, which is graduation. However, in education there is no clear finish line or definitive end. Education continues on. It is a life long process that never stops, and like Chutes and Ladders there will be bumps and bruises along the way. Sometimes we take a wrong turn, or fall down a long chute. Other times, we get ahead and climb up a long ladder of success. As educators, we need to constantly be educating ourselves as well as the children. Like a game, we face challenges as well as triumphs throughout life, and the more educated we are, the more chance of success we will have.

Teaching Philosophy

The teaching philosophy that I chose to talk about is the theory of constructivsim. This refers to the theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge from their experiences and their behaviors. between their experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. The biggest change in this method of teaching is that learning is based solely on cognitive theory as opposed to behaviorsim. An example of using this type of method involves using technology such as the internet or interactive learning.

Some of the major points of constructivism include:

1. Knowledge is constructed by learners who are involved in active learning;
2. Knowledge is symbolically constructed by learners who are making their own representations of action;
3. Knowledge is socially constructed by learners who guide their meaning making to others; and;
4. Knowledge is theoretically constructed by learners who try to explain things they don't completely understand.

Constructivism environments work with students to create hands on, interactive learning environments as opposed to the traditional style of lecture teaching. I definitely agree with this philosophy and think it's a much more useful way to learn.

Sources:
http://www.accesswave.ca/~hgunn/special/papers/hypertxt/conlearn.html#Constructivist

http://wilderdom.com/philosophy/SampleEducationPhilosophies.html

Inclusion in the classroom

Inclusion is a word that we hear a lot these days when talking about education. Years ago, children with special needs or disabilities would be put into "special ed" classes, separated from children in mainstram classrooms. It has been the trend for the past several decades to change this. In today's classrooms, we see kids of all different abilities, ethnic backgrounds, race, religion and family environments. The practice of inclusion means "more than just placement in the regular class within school. It means being included in life and participating using one's abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community" (http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm). By allowing everyone to mix and work together, students can learn from each other's strengths, and help overcome weaknesses.

Some of the problems associated with lack of inclusion in schools:

Appropriate supports and services not available in general education classes

    Students with disabilities not considered in decisions that affect all students

    Teacher preparation not adequately addressing inclusion of students with disabilities

    Paraprofessionals not trained in inclusion

    Funding used as a reason for not identifying and appropriately supporting a student's needs

    Disability not considered when teaching about diversity

    Separation between general and special education -- two systems

    Lack of accountability and failure to collect data objectively

    Laws being disregarded for students with disabilities

    Policies and procedures that ignore students with disabilities

    Parents not informed about the possibilities, laws and rights

    Staff, parents, administrators, government, and school boards uninformed about inclusion

    Universal Design is rarely recognized or considered

    Low or no expectations for students with disabilities

    Stereotyping by label and categorical placements

    False perceptions that "children" must be ready, instead of classes being ready for students

    Lack of Assistive Technology, related services and information

    Little to no local interagency collaboration

    Best practices for people with disabilities is not brought into the general classes

Sexuality Education - Does it Belong in the Classroom?

There seems to be a lot of controversy about whether or not the idea of sexuality should be taught in the classroom. Many argue that kids need to be educated about differences that people have. Others argue that the school is no place to teach children about such a sensitive topic. Many people are super religious and feel that the idea of homosexuality is a sin. This debate is a topic that has cause a lot of heat, especially when we get the school involved.

So what is right or wrong? What is providing too much information?

In 2005, David Parker of Lexington contacted the school district complaining that his then kindergarten student had been subjected to homosexual teachings in the classroom when his teacher read a book about different types of families, including same sex parents. Mr. Parker was ultimately arrested for trespassing on school grounds and refusing to leave. In my opinion, he went completely too far. He also seems to be completely uneducated about homosexuality. Just because it is talked about in the classroom doesn't mean that a child is going to "turn" gay. Mr. Parker has since waged a war against Lexington with the group MassResistance. This group is an anti-gay group that is committed to overturning same-gender marriage in Massachusetts. This group is now classified as a hate group.

To me, this type of behavior is completely ignorant. This father is teaching his child how to hate. A child isn't born knowing how to judge other people, or thinking that being gay is wrong. It is taught. This father is teaching his son that only their way of thinking, and their way of doing things, is the right thing. I strongly disagree.

The following article was written in response to this father's actions:

http://www.lexingtoncares.org/LexingtonMinutemanHateGroupArticles.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/education/15education.html

Article - Obama Insists on Performance Standards for Teachers

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/07/obama-insists-on-performance-standards-for-teachers/60586/

A hot debate - are teachers paid for the amount of work that they do?

This week I will be talking about an article that I read that really offended me. There seems to be a debate of whether or not teachers should be paid more or less than they are now. I believe that teachers are severely underpaid while others believe that they should be paid LESS. In the following article, the writer makes his argument as to why teachers should get paid less:

http://www.libertarianminds.com/lowering-teacher-wages-and-requirements-to-increase-teaching

"Teachers often complain that they are underpaid and/or overworked. It is the purpose of this article to explore this question and expose its myth. In fact, it is the conclusion of this article that teachers are overpaid and overly qualified. Furthermore, it is this articles’ presumption that lowered barriers of educational entry would not only decrease teaching salaries but would also increase teaching capability."

The writer of this article argues that teachers only work on average 1384 hours per year in comparison with other professions where someone works 1856. The writer claims that teachers are only in the classroom 6 hours a day, 36 weeks a year and on average works 25% less than other people do. I do not agree with these findings. Yes, teachers get summer vacations and holidays. But there is so much more work involved aside from just teaching. There are meetings to attend, parent-teacher conferences to coordinate, after school activities, lesson planning, correcting and so forth. On average, teachers put in an extra 2 hours per day in addition to the work that they do in the classroom.

Scheduled annual hours (40 hours × 36 weeks):	1,440 hours
- Personal days (8 hours × 3 days):	24 hours
- Sick days (8 hours × 4 days):	32 hours
= Annual hours worked:	1,384 hours

"Public school teachers work 25% fewer hours less per week and commute, on average, 26 hours less per year than other comparable professionals. Furthermore, it has been presented above that teachers may in fact be overqualified given the nature of their work and the variables that shape learning (notably experience and preparation time). Given this, it is within all likelihood that individuals of lesser education may well work year-round for the same pay (thus increasing hours worked by 25%) or work the same hours for 25% less in salary. Furthermore, given that the supply of potential teachers would increase as barriers of entry decrease, it is also within all likelihood that increased competition would translate into increased learning via teacher productivity."

Reasons to Become a Teacher

There are so many reasons why someone would choose the career path of becoming a teacher...I have heard from all of my teacher friends that you don't do it for the money, you just do it because you love it. According to the website http://k6educators.about.com/od/becomingateacher/tp/whyteach.htm these are the most popular reasons to become a teacher:


1) The energizing environment
2) The schedule
3) Your personality and humor
4) Job security
5) Intangible rewards
6) Inspiring students
7) Giving back to the community


Not every teacher will agree with all of these reasons, but they were important factors to me when making my decision about my career path. First and foremost, I love children. I feel it is my calling to work with them, and I am most comfortable with elementary school kids. Everyone who knows me thinks I am naturally good with kids. I just seem to "get them"...I have a lot of patience, feel that I can explain things well (especially to children) and make things fun.


Of course things like a teacher's schedule and having the summers off are perks, but I think that most people don't realize how much work a teacher puts in outside of school hours. I know that most of my friends who are teachers do a lot of planning and correcting at night, and spend school vacations and summer to further their careers and take more classes. I am really prepared that I won't have as much time off in the beginning as most people would think, especially since it will take a while to get into the swing of things.


The biggest reason for me to become a teacher is because it is so rewarding. How many people can actually say that they love what they do and that they make a difference in someone's life? Not many..people may love what they do, but teaching is one of the few careers where someone has so much influence in one person's life. I still remember the best teachers I ever had. They helped to shape who I am today.


I have several friends that are teachers, and I asked them what inspired them to become teachers. This is what they had to say:

Tiffany
"I went into teaching because I have always loved school and learning, and I wanted to be in an environment where that was the primary focus. I also love that teaching is never exactly the same day to day or year to year, and you have to be able to think on your feet. Finally, I truly enjoy building relationships with the kids I teach."


Michelle
"I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher... every ounce of me knew even though at times I tried to fight it... it's hard to say the exact reason. I guess I wanted to be the one to get to the students that really struggled and to validate the unique thinkers. I wanted to help them establish a love learning and feel good about themselves as they went through their education. These initial feels often still drive me today."

Louise 

"I went into teaching because I grew up loving the idea. I think it was because my mom was a teacher and I went with her to school alot. I loved the idea of helping others learn."

Megan

"I went into teaching because my Kindergarten teacher told me that I would make a great teacher someday because I liked helping people, teaching people new things and watching children get "that teachable moment" that they have been struggling on for weeks. I don't expect anything in return, but just knowing for one minute, I made a difference in a kids life"

Taking risks and making changes...

I am starting out my teaching blog. I am in my second semester as a transfer at Salem State University pursuing my degree in Elementary Education. I am so fortunate to be back in school, especially considering where I was just a year ago. I was working as a recruiter in an absolute miserable environment. I hated going to work every day and I only dreamed about going back to school to finish my degree...at that time it seemed so far away and so unattainable. Due to downsizing at my company, I was laid off and found myself with an opportunity. Through a state program called Section 30, I was able to go back to school full time and not look for a job at the same time. This has been such a blessing for me...I have been able to come to school full time and really concentrate on taking classes and doing well. Last semester I took 5 classes and managed to get a 3.4 GPA and made the Dean's List...I took one class over Winter Session and got a B+ and now I am taking 6 classes in the Spring. I'm even planning on taking classes over the summer!

I think that I am maybe more grateful for being in school than someone right out of high school because I know what it's like to be in the workforce and when you hate your job, how much you can feel stuck. I went to Northeastern right out of high school as an Architeture major, then switched to Music Industry and then finally went into Marketing. I ran out of money and decided to get a job. It was the WORST decision I had ever made. I got into recruiting (staffing) and ended up in it for 10 years. It was nearly impossible to continue going to school. Once you start making money, going to school seems less and less important. After 10 years of working as a recruiter and doing really well, I finally had had enough. I jumped at the chance to come to Salem State full time to become a teacher.

It's been a long road, with a lot of bumps along the way, but I feel so fortunate to be in the position I'm in. I have about a year left and I'm hoping to do my student teaching in England! I have learned it's never ever too late to change the direction your life is going in. It just takes some courage and a little bit of planning, but it can be done.