In this final week of our online class I hope to solidify some of the new ideas I have learned in this class. I feel like there is so much I want to integrate into my work.. although the three lessons were tough--especially during the revision process, I have learned so much about how to think about lessons and the repeated work helped me to remeber all the various points.
In this week I really want to make these ideas a solid foundation for my future planning.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
My Philosophy
Here is my speech and powerpoint. No audio yet...waiting for my voice to come back since I have been sick. The audio will come in a few days :)
My philosophic beliefs regarding education are in line with the beliefs set forth by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and developmental-behavioral pediatrician Mel Levine. In his writing Levine (2002) suggests that “The growth of our society and the progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of many different kinds of minds” (p.13). Thus, it is essential that teachers and parents become aware and make appropriate accommodations knowing that all minds are vastly different and interact with the world in unique ways. Children are born innately motivated to interact and explore the world in order to make meaning. As infants, curiosity manifests itself in the form of kinesthetic movement such as throwing a rattle down the stairs to test the limits of the environment and of self. What sound will it make? What will happen? Will it happen again if all elements remain the same? These are the essential questions being answered by the infant in this stage of development. With age, the mode of interacting with the environment becomes increasingly more sophisticated and varied. Because the mind varies so greatly, deficits and strengths may develop as children grow. Teachers must be cognizant that “All students can be helped once we identify the strengths of their minds as well as the potholes that get in the way of their success or mastery” (Levine, 2002, p. 15). Teachers must truly believe that all areas of challenge can be managed and overcome with the right accommodation and attunement to the child’s needs. The task of the educator is to strengthen areas of deficit without taking away the uniqueness of that child’s mind.
Piaget (2005) suggests that children enter the world as little scientists whom without instruction test their surroundings and engage in sense making. However, this natural process is abruptly stopped when children enter school. For the first time, an external force is imposing a set of goals for the child and his experiments with the world. However, when teachers allow students to become co-creators of their curriculum and feel active in the process of their learning student motivation soars.
It is common knowledge that traditional education makes little effort to include all learners by using multiple modalities of instruction. Instead it prescribes one static form of learning modality to all, there is an over-reliance on the use of oral instruction or written word. Given that traditional education values linguistic learners, “…kids who are good with language are more likely to succeed throughout school. On the other hand, those poor souls with even the mildest (often unapparent) language inefficiencies are apt to suffer agonizing pain trying to make it in our schools” (Levine, 2002, p.32). Verbal acuity is a rare commodity in the special education classroom. My school, The Parkside School specializes in working with children with speech and language disorders. Due to late diagnosis of their language deficits, all of my students at one point in their academic career were placed within a typical education classroom. In these classrooms where linguistic language was most readily used, my students failed to acquire the basic principles and concepts required at their stage of cognitive development. It was assumed that these children were inept because they failed to mold to the traditional instructional style set forth by traditional educators. Their parents were told “Your son/daughter will never learn to read, write, or attain higher order thinking skills”. These students came to our school with battered self-esteem, acutely aware that something about their thinking was dysfunctional. As Levine suggests “Some price, modest, or substantial, must be paid any time a mind is forced or attempts to learn or perform something in a way for which it is not wired” (Levine, 2002, p. 23). In order for children not to experience the undue stress of constant failure, teachers must be cognizant to make close and continuous observation to identify deficits earlier and provide the support needed at critical times in development.
Having come to The Parkside School, all of these so called “inept” children have been able to succeed and learn through the use of their preferred modalities of instruction. Thus, teachers must broaden their audience to include all students by presenting their lessons in a wide variety of ways such as the use of movement, music, art, role playing, and the like. Applying these principles only to the special education classroom is limiting. Instead, teachers can apply the principles of universal design and multiple intelligences so that accommodations are made for all learners (special or typical) who need them but do not distract or take away from those who do not.
It must be explicitly stated that no modality of learning (kinesthetic, music, linguistic) should be preferred or valued over another. Just as teaching through auditory and written language is limiting, so is teaching through the use of visuals as a sole means of conveying information. A holistic education is created when multiple modes of instruction are used simultaneously. Imagine for a moment that you are a young child learning how to tie your shoe laces. It would be difficult at best to learn this skill through oral directives without being able to try out each step oneself. Conversely it would also be difficult to understand the steps had you never seen them completed by another person. In this same vein, limiting instruction through the use of one modality will result in the concept/principle remaining continually in abstraction. As Dewey so aptly suggests, “All principles by themselves are abstract. They become concrete only in the consequences which result from their application” (Dewey, 1938, p.21). In order to increase comprehension it is the task of the teacher to facilitate these quality learning experiences that build upon one another. That is to say, that no experience is detached from another as this would lead to compartmentalized thinking towards the application of concepts. It is of equal importance to note that the quality of an experience should not be determined by the level of enjoyment the child shows. We know too well that children will happily sit and watch a video despite it having very little educational value in terms of increasing purposeful thinking. This example, clearly illustrates the complex process through which information is internalized and applied.
A staple of any classroom should be the process of reflection. However, reflection cannot supersede experience. Children will have a hard time reflecting on such abstract concepts as injustice without having experienced injustice through a socially constructed exercise created by the teacher. As Dewey suggests, “There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young. But they are periods of genuine reflection only when they follow after times of more overt action and are used to organize what has been gained in periods of activity in which the hands and other parts of the body beside the brain are used” (Dewey, 1938, p. 63).
Every lesson has multiple teaching points that are intrinsic to learning; every lesson has the capacity to increase the child’s self-worth, feelings of ability, and their understanding of themselves as a learner. Making sure that lesson plans are inclusive of all students is essential to the mastery of the material being taught.
Philosophical Quotes:
“All students can be helped once we identify the strengths of their minds as well as the potholes that get in the way of their success or mastery” (Levine, 2002, p. 15).
“The growth of our society and the progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of many different kinds of minds” (p.13).
“Some price, modest, or substantial, must be paid any time a mind is forced or attempts to learn or perform something in a way for which it is not wired” (Levine, 2002, p. 23).
“…kids who are good with language are more likely to succeed throughout school. On the other hand, those poor souls with even the mildest (often unapparent) language inefficiencies are apt to suffer agonizing pain trying to make it in our schools” (Levine, 2002, p.32).
“All principles by themselves are abstract. They become concrete only in the consequences which result from their application” (Dewey, 1938, p.21).
“There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young. But they are periods of genuine reflection only when they follow after times of more overt action and are used to organize what has been gained in periods of activity in which the hands and other parts of the body beside the brain are used” (Dewey, 1938, p. 63).
“..the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purses which direct his activities in the learning process… to secure the active co-operation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying (Dewey, 1938, p. 67).
My Own Beliefs:
Respect for all minds uniqueness is essential
All areas of challenge can be managed and overcome with the right accommodation and attunement to a child’s specific needs.
Understanding a child’s strengths and weaknesses can help inform the way to best reach the child.
Teachers must create a balance between external imposition of their goals and curriculum and student’s freedom interests. Teachers provide experiences so that students feel it is a collaborative experience as opposed to one that was predetermined with little regard for their interests.
Reflection is essential but should not supersede experience
Experience must be built into the curriculum so that abstract concepts can be made concrete through application
Multiple modes of instruction (Gardner/multiple intelligences) should always be used to increase student understanding.
References:
Cole, M., Cole, S.R., Lightfoot, C. (2005). The development of children (5th ed). New York: Worth Publishers.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. London, UK: Collier Books.
Gardner, H., James, C & Weigel, M,(2009). Learning: Peering backward and looking forward in the digital era. [Electronic Version]. International Journal of Learning and Media, 1, (1). Retrieved June 5, 2009.
Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York, London, Toronto.
Paul, R. W & Elder, L (2002) Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional & personal life. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education.
My philosophic beliefs regarding education are in line with the beliefs set forth by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and developmental-behavioral pediatrician Mel Levine. In his writing Levine (2002) suggests that “The growth of our society and the progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of many different kinds of minds” (p.13). Thus, it is essential that teachers and parents become aware and make appropriate accommodations knowing that all minds are vastly different and interact with the world in unique ways. Children are born innately motivated to interact and explore the world in order to make meaning. As infants, curiosity manifests itself in the form of kinesthetic movement such as throwing a rattle down the stairs to test the limits of the environment and of self. What sound will it make? What will happen? Will it happen again if all elements remain the same? These are the essential questions being answered by the infant in this stage of development. With age, the mode of interacting with the environment becomes increasingly more sophisticated and varied. Because the mind varies so greatly, deficits and strengths may develop as children grow. Teachers must be cognizant that “All students can be helped once we identify the strengths of their minds as well as the potholes that get in the way of their success or mastery” (Levine, 2002, p. 15). Teachers must truly believe that all areas of challenge can be managed and overcome with the right accommodation and attunement to the child’s needs. The task of the educator is to strengthen areas of deficit without taking away the uniqueness of that child’s mind.
Piaget (2005) suggests that children enter the world as little scientists whom without instruction test their surroundings and engage in sense making. However, this natural process is abruptly stopped when children enter school. For the first time, an external force is imposing a set of goals for the child and his experiments with the world. However, when teachers allow students to become co-creators of their curriculum and feel active in the process of their learning student motivation soars.
It is common knowledge that traditional education makes little effort to include all learners by using multiple modalities of instruction. Instead it prescribes one static form of learning modality to all, there is an over-reliance on the use of oral instruction or written word. Given that traditional education values linguistic learners, “…kids who are good with language are more likely to succeed throughout school. On the other hand, those poor souls with even the mildest (often unapparent) language inefficiencies are apt to suffer agonizing pain trying to make it in our schools” (Levine, 2002, p.32). Verbal acuity is a rare commodity in the special education classroom. My school, The Parkside School specializes in working with children with speech and language disorders. Due to late diagnosis of their language deficits, all of my students at one point in their academic career were placed within a typical education classroom. In these classrooms where linguistic language was most readily used, my students failed to acquire the basic principles and concepts required at their stage of cognitive development. It was assumed that these children were inept because they failed to mold to the traditional instructional style set forth by traditional educators. Their parents were told “Your son/daughter will never learn to read, write, or attain higher order thinking skills”. These students came to our school with battered self-esteem, acutely aware that something about their thinking was dysfunctional. As Levine suggests “Some price, modest, or substantial, must be paid any time a mind is forced or attempts to learn or perform something in a way for which it is not wired” (Levine, 2002, p. 23). In order for children not to experience the undue stress of constant failure, teachers must be cognizant to make close and continuous observation to identify deficits earlier and provide the support needed at critical times in development.
Having come to The Parkside School, all of these so called “inept” children have been able to succeed and learn through the use of their preferred modalities of instruction. Thus, teachers must broaden their audience to include all students by presenting their lessons in a wide variety of ways such as the use of movement, music, art, role playing, and the like. Applying these principles only to the special education classroom is limiting. Instead, teachers can apply the principles of universal design and multiple intelligences so that accommodations are made for all learners (special or typical) who need them but do not distract or take away from those who do not.
It must be explicitly stated that no modality of learning (kinesthetic, music, linguistic) should be preferred or valued over another. Just as teaching through auditory and written language is limiting, so is teaching through the use of visuals as a sole means of conveying information. A holistic education is created when multiple modes of instruction are used simultaneously. Imagine for a moment that you are a young child learning how to tie your shoe laces. It would be difficult at best to learn this skill through oral directives without being able to try out each step oneself. Conversely it would also be difficult to understand the steps had you never seen them completed by another person. In this same vein, limiting instruction through the use of one modality will result in the concept/principle remaining continually in abstraction. As Dewey so aptly suggests, “All principles by themselves are abstract. They become concrete only in the consequences which result from their application” (Dewey, 1938, p.21). In order to increase comprehension it is the task of the teacher to facilitate these quality learning experiences that build upon one another. That is to say, that no experience is detached from another as this would lead to compartmentalized thinking towards the application of concepts. It is of equal importance to note that the quality of an experience should not be determined by the level of enjoyment the child shows. We know too well that children will happily sit and watch a video despite it having very little educational value in terms of increasing purposeful thinking. This example, clearly illustrates the complex process through which information is internalized and applied.
A staple of any classroom should be the process of reflection. However, reflection cannot supersede experience. Children will have a hard time reflecting on such abstract concepts as injustice without having experienced injustice through a socially constructed exercise created by the teacher. As Dewey suggests, “There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young. But they are periods of genuine reflection only when they follow after times of more overt action and are used to organize what has been gained in periods of activity in which the hands and other parts of the body beside the brain are used” (Dewey, 1938, p. 63).
Every lesson has multiple teaching points that are intrinsic to learning; every lesson has the capacity to increase the child’s self-worth, feelings of ability, and their understanding of themselves as a learner. Making sure that lesson plans are inclusive of all students is essential to the mastery of the material being taught.
Philosophical Quotes:
“All students can be helped once we identify the strengths of their minds as well as the potholes that get in the way of their success or mastery” (Levine, 2002, p. 15).
“The growth of our society and the progress of the world are dependent on our commitment to fostering in our children, and among ourselves, the coexistence and mutual respect of many different kinds of minds” (p.13).
“Some price, modest, or substantial, must be paid any time a mind is forced or attempts to learn or perform something in a way for which it is not wired” (Levine, 2002, p. 23).
“…kids who are good with language are more likely to succeed throughout school. On the other hand, those poor souls with even the mildest (often unapparent) language inefficiencies are apt to suffer agonizing pain trying to make it in our schools” (Levine, 2002, p.32).
“All principles by themselves are abstract. They become concrete only in the consequences which result from their application” (Dewey, 1938, p.21).
“There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young. But they are periods of genuine reflection only when they follow after times of more overt action and are used to organize what has been gained in periods of activity in which the hands and other parts of the body beside the brain are used” (Dewey, 1938, p. 63).
“..the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purses which direct his activities in the learning process… to secure the active co-operation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying (Dewey, 1938, p. 67).
My Own Beliefs:
Respect for all minds uniqueness is essential
All areas of challenge can be managed and overcome with the right accommodation and attunement to a child’s specific needs.
Understanding a child’s strengths and weaknesses can help inform the way to best reach the child.
Teachers must create a balance between external imposition of their goals and curriculum and student’s freedom interests. Teachers provide experiences so that students feel it is a collaborative experience as opposed to one that was predetermined with little regard for their interests.
Reflection is essential but should not supersede experience
Experience must be built into the curriculum so that abstract concepts can be made concrete through application
Multiple modes of instruction (Gardner/multiple intelligences) should always be used to increase student understanding.
References:
Cole, M., Cole, S.R., Lightfoot, C. (2005). The development of children (5th ed). New York: Worth Publishers.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. London, UK: Collier Books.
Gardner, H., James, C & Weigel, M,(2009). Learning: Peering backward and looking forward in the digital era. [Electronic Version]. International Journal of Learning and Media, 1, (1). Retrieved June 5, 2009.
Levine, M. (2002). A mind at a time. New York, London, Toronto.
Paul, R. W & Elder, L (2002) Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional & personal life. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
View more OpenOffice presentations from chloer.
Chloe's Teaching Philosophy
Philosophy of Education
My teaching philosophy is based on my beliefs about children as well as my role as a teacher. First and foremost teachers should promote an environment in which community is valued. According to CEC Standard #5, “Special educators foster environments in which diversity is valued and individuals are taught to live harmoniously and productively in a culturally diverse world (2008, p. 26).” It is important to ensure that students and teachers alike are treated with the utmost level of respect regardless of differences. Additionally, as a progressive educator I agree with Dewey’s philosophy in which he discusses instilling an inherent desire to become a lifelong learner, which I truly value and strive to achieve in my students. Dewey (1938) states, "For these attitudes are fundamentally what count in the future. The most important attitude that can be formed is that of a desire to go on learning (p. 48)." This can be achieved through providing students with an opportunity for hands-on learning in which they are actively engaged with the concepts and materials and therefore further their thinking. Children learn best through experiential and hands-on learning which fosters a sense of enthusiasm and enjoyment.
I also believe that all voices of children should be heard. This can be accomplished through providing students with the opportunity to write and/or discuss their thoughts. It is important for students not to feel a sense of pressure when asked to share. A supportive environment should be created where students feel comfortable enough to speak their mind. This idea is in line with my belief about a classroom community. I am a firm believer that children need to feel as if their class is their community and it is a safe place in which learning and growing can occur. Building a classroom community provides the two elements every teacher seeks to achieve, which includes student achievement and fewer behavioral problems. I am aware that a classroom community is not built overnight, therefore its construction must begin within the first days of school. When the time is taken to build a community with a clear sense of self-worth, well-being, and pride, a safe environment will be created in which optimal learning can occur (Charney, 2002, p. 23). There are countless community-building activities that set the stage for establishing a sense of trust, respect, and support. In terms of support I believe teachers serve as a support system that fosters learning. This support system is established through the teacher’s clear understanding of his or her students as various types of learners. According to CEC Standard #3, “Individualized decision-making and instruction is at the center of special education practice (2008, p. 25).” Such individualized attention is critical to the success of each student in my classroom. CEC Standard #8 also discusses the idea of individualization and its benefits on the learning process. CEC Standard #8 states, “Special educators use the results of assessments to help identify exceptional learning needs and to develop and implement individualized instructional programs, as well as adjust instruction in response to ongoing learning progress (2008, p. 27).”
Additionally, teachers must establish set routines and behavioral expectations to maintain a well-run classroom. According to CEC Standard #5, “Special educators actively create learning environments for individuals with exceptional learning needs that foster positive social interactions and active engagement (2008, p. 26).” These routines and expectations must be established at the beginning of the school year and remain consistent throughout the year. This can be accomplished through set classroom rules and corresponding consequences as well as explicitly stated expectations.
The teacher must also establish a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. The classroom environment should be bright, with adequate colors, a variety of resources, and accessible to all students with and without exceptional learning needs. According to CEC Standard #5, “Special educators shape environments to encourage the independence, self-motivation, self-direction, personal empowerment, and self-advocacy of individuals with exceptional learning needs (2008, p. 26).” A productive classroom environment promotes this level of independence. One such way to increase this sense of independence is by developing a skill in using the available resources and references in the classroom (Pinnell and Fountas, 1998). Such resources include charts created by the teacher, dictionaries and other reading materials, as well as other students. In terms of independence and empowerment children should be aware of their learning strengths, weaknesses, goals, and strategies in order to progress. This can be accomplished through effective conferencing and note-taking on the teacher’s part. Taberski (2000) notes that when conferencing with a student it is critical to start with a positive remark about his or her learning since it sets the tone for the child. It is critical to not discourage your students from using the strategies talked about during the conference. After a conference, my students should have a more clear idea of a strength, a struggle, and a strategy in order to address their particular area of weakness.
References
Charney, R.S. (2002). Teaching children to care: Classroom management for ethical and academic growth, K-8. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.
Council for Exceptional Children. (2008). What every special educator must know: Ethics, standards, and guidelines (6th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. London, UK: Collier Books.
Pinnell, G. & Fountas, I. (1998). Word Matters. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Taberski, S. (2000). On Solid Ground: Strategies for Teaching, Reading, K-3. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Teaching Manifesto
References:
---Au, W., Bigelow B., & Karp, S. (2007). Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice (Vol. 1).
--Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Touchstone.
--Levine, M. (2002). A Mind at a Time. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
--Paul, R.W., & Elder, L. (2002). Critical Thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional and personal life. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
--Taberski, S. (2000). On Solid Ground : Strategies for Teaching Reading K-3. Chicago: Heinemann.
--Weigel, M., James, C. & Gardner, H. (2009). Learning: Peering backward and looking forward in the digital era. International Journal of Learning and Media, 1(1), 1-18.
p.s. I'm pretty sure google is taking over the world.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Eva Broder: Link to my speech
http://www.slideshare.net/Evabroder/eva-broder-speech
I had to do my sound separately. I used a four track to record and upload my speech. I will try to post it on this blog.
Enjoy!
Eva
I had to do my sound separately. I used a four track to record and upload my speech. I will try to post it on this blog.
Enjoy!
Eva
Educ 513 Philosophy Of Teaching
Here is a link to the audio recording of my speech, and below is my Power Point. Many thanks to Amanda for teaching me how!
Educ 513 Philosophy Of Teaching
View more OpenOffice presentations from areininga.
Ausio for my speech
This is the audio to my speech "The Whole Child"! Please see slideshow below to follow along with the audio.
thanks,
lisa
thanks,
lisa
Great Resource if You Haven't Visited Yet: epals
I was exploring ways to engage with other classrooms outside of the standard blog/Skype experiences. One of the websites recommended by 21stcenturyschoolteacher.com was epals. I have been impressed, though I have not actually engaged in a collaborative project as of yet. As a teacher, you submit a profile. After it is approved, you can begin to seek out collaborative partnerships with other classrooms or you can submit your own proposal for a project. Within already created projects, you can search by topics, country, age and language. There are also a variety of forums presented by the site (some helpful, some not). Another feature I appreciated was the ease in which parents could participate/access the material. The parents of my students love to be involved but many of them have limited access and knowledge to computers. Attempting to explain blogs and involving them on Skype would have been difficult. This website, I found, was much easier to explain to them and get them involved in. If you haven't visited it yet, I recommend browsing to see if it would be a technology helpful to you.
SocialStudies Speech- L.Berenholz
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
SocialStudies Speech- L.Berenholz
View more OpenOffice presentations from lberenholz.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Philosophy of Teaching Speech (and tips)
Hello!
Below is my speech! I am so glad that I was able to make this actually work! It was a community effort, so thank you Jessica and the Bank Street Help Desk.
Here is what I did--it looks complicated, but it wasn't.
1. Download Audacity--http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
this is really quick and easy. I don't like downloading things, but this was great.
2. Record yourself in audacity--this was easy, you just click the red, round record button and speak! The harder part was how to edit, but you can figure it out. You can highlight the track and press delete, or the "cut" button.
File type--Audacity has it's own type of file, so you need to EXPORT the file as a .wav or .mp3. With all my struggles, I found that exporting it as .mp3 was my best bet.
3. Download Lame Library - http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/
You need to download this in order to Export the file as an .mp3
Save it to your desktop so that it is easy to find.
Audacity - go to FILE > Export as mp3
4. Then I uploaded my mp3 file (my speech) into the website http://www.divshare.com/
and linked the file to this post!
Please click here to hear my Philosophy of Teaching Speech.
Please click here to view my Powerpoint Presentation.
Below is my speech! I am so glad that I was able to make this actually work! It was a community effort, so thank you Jessica and the Bank Street Help Desk.
Here is what I did--it looks complicated, but it wasn't.
1. Download Audacity--http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
this is really quick and easy. I don't like downloading things, but this was great.
2. Record yourself in audacity--this was easy, you just click the red, round record button and speak! The harder part was how to edit, but you can figure it out. You can highlight the track and press delete, or the "cut" button.
File type--Audacity has it's own type of file, so you need to EXPORT the file as a .wav or .mp3. With all my struggles, I found that exporting it as .mp3 was my best bet.
3. Download Lame Library - http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/
You need to download this in order to Export the file as an .mp3
Save it to your desktop so that it is easy to find.
Audacity - go to FILE > Export as mp3
4. Then I uploaded my mp3 file (my speech) into the website http://www.divshare.com/
and linked the file to this post!
Please click here to hear my Philosophy of Teaching Speech.
Please click here to view my Powerpoint Presentation.
Philosophic Speech and how I sent it as a .m4a
Please see my speech below. I recorded it on Garage Band. To convert it to a .m4a I clicked on share and then on import to disk...then it just converts the file that you have already saved in garage band in to an emailable format.
P.S. I had no idea how to do this and went to the help desk at bank street to learn how, they were very helpful and nice and talked me through it while i took notes. If you have questions, please ask me and I'll do my best to help you out, or just go to the computer help desk.
My own perspective is that all students deserve a learning environment which, while holding them equally accountable for learning the material, respects the different ways in which their inevitably varying perspectives will contribute to and enrich the learning experience of fellow classmates. As Dewey points out, “the child can carry over what he learns in the home and utilize it in the school; and the things learned in the school he applies at home” (Dewey, 1990, p. 80). Therefore a classroom that accommodates children from different backgrounds and learning styles would benefit students by providing them with learning material from homes other than their own and ideas different from ones that they are growing up with. Until fairly recently, assimilation, or pressure on children to cast off their racial and cultural individuality and learning preferences in order to adapt to the school environment, was viewed positively by many.
Children who have different learning styles, including students with special needs, can bring much added value to a classroom by providing their peers with a varying perspective on material that they are learning. Including children from different backgrounds and with different learning styles in mainstream classrooms will serve to make the first step towards helping us as teachers to “bridge the gap between school and society and play some part in the fashioning of those great common purposes which should bind the two together” (Counts, 1959, p. 28). In the adult world we encounter many different types of people and the classroom should emulate that real life scenario as closely as possible.
Another important way in which teachers can help to support their diverse classrooms once they are established, is to set up a learning environment that is conducive to the needs of all types of students. Perhaps the most basic level of the classroom that needs to be set up is the rules and regulations that are in place to make it a safe and stress free environment for everyone. In Erikson’s Eight Stages of Man, he outlines the consequences of lording rules over children without giving them any insight into the meaning behind them. He addresses parents in his writing, cautioning them that they, “must not only have certain was of guiding by prohibition and permission; they must also be able to represent to the child, an almost somatic conviction that there is a meaning to what they are doing” (Erikson p. 222). These words are meaningful for teachers as well because seemingly meaningless rules imposed on children in a classroom could also bring about the same type of frustration that can lead, as Erikson mentions, to neurotic behavior.
As discussed by Kessler who addresses the politics of play, when the teacher in a classroom made “a conscious decision…not to impose their views on the children’s self-expression and knowledge construction, the children themselves were quite active in their attempts to influence each other and take control of particular situations”(Kessler p. 66). A striking result of this tactic was a boy who instructed a classmate to pick up an item that had fallen off the table as if he “were filling a kind of void left by the teachers’ purposeful relinquishing of authority” (Kessler p. 67). Evidently, children are able to imitate and internalize certain community regulating modes of behavior when left to their own devices.
As stated by Vygotsky who discusses the zone of proximal development “Studies are proving new insights into the ways in which adults gradually shift the responsibility for solving a problem from themselves to the child, how adults monitor the child’s interest and enthusiasm, and other details of the teaching process” (Crain 215). Therefore, providing useful tools and a productive environment are ways that teachers can urge children to learn. Adults do not hand down learning to children, but instead they learn through their own interactions with the environment around them. As discussed by Piaget, “development is an active construction process, in which children, through their own activities, build increasingly differentiated and comprehensive cognitive structures” (Crain p.103). The cognitive and emotional leaps made by children with special needs as they navigate the social and academic rules of a classroom can be supported through his or her teacher’s careful construction of a community.
References
Counts, G. 1932/1959. Dare the School Build a New Social Order?
Crain, W. (1992). Ch. 6 Piaget’s cognitive-development theory, In Theories of Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice hall, pp.100-233
Crain, W. (1992). Ch. 10 Vygotsky’s social-historical theory of cognitive development, In Theories of Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice hall, pp.193-221
Dewey, J. 1900, 1915, 1990. The School and Society/The Child and the Curriculum.
Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and Society. (2nd ed.).
Accessing older blog posts
Just as an FYI - only 7 blog posts show up on the screen at a time. Make sure you click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page so you see all the posts from your classmates!
-jessica
Resource to Share: Material World
In the early 1990s, after hearing a story about "Material Girl" Madonna's latest self-promotional enterprise, photojournalist Peter Menzel had a vision: Rather than take viewers into the mansions of the rich or the "cribs" of MTV celebrities, he wanted to capture the material life of average families around the globe. His resulting book, Material World, offers extraordinary images of families in front of their dwellings with all (or nearly all) of their possessions. Experts at the United Nations and World Bank helped determine the criteria for average families according to location (urban, rural, suburban, small town, or village), type of dwelling, family size, annual income, occupation, and religion.
This website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html presents five of the photographs Menzel and his team produced, along with updated statistical data for each country. It's fascinating!
This website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html presents five of the photographs Menzel and his team produced, along with updated statistical data for each country. It's fascinating!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
SmartBoard Notepad
I am not sure how many of you are familiar with using a SmartBoard, but they can be such an amazing tool in the classroom. If used effectively and appropriately, SmartBoards can reach all kinds of learners. Notepad is a special program that is used with SmartBoard and it has such amazing tools. It is similar to Powerpoint in that it has different "pages" or "slides," but it easy to use and very clear. Notepad has a gallery that not only has photos and videos, but it has interactive math games and materials, speeches, entire lessons, etc. I understand that not everyone will be able to use Notepad, but if you have heard of it, or if you have it in your classroom but don't know how to use it, this is a plea!! It is amazing! Fiddle around with it and teach yourself, or have a colleague teach you, or go to a workshop! I wish I could post a Notepad document to our blog, but I am not quite sure how I would do that.
Anybody else love Notepad??
Anybody else love Notepad??
Learning to Love You More
So, this website is really awesome and if I had better internet access in my classroom I would use it all the time. There are certain tasks that different classrooms and other random people do and then they post results of their project on the website. They can then compare and contrast their results to others results around the world. I could see a lot of these prompts being pertinent in a social studies curriculum. For example this prompt about interviewing someone that has been in a war could provide a lot of useful information for students studying the effects of human conflict. I suggest that you do one...it is very rewarding:)
-Kimmy
-Kimmy
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Lesson 1 - Summer & Stephanie
Summary of Unit:
My classroom is very diverse with students coming from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Holland, and the like. The students will explore a country whose culture is vastly different. With an increased amount of immigrants migrating over to the US from Spanish speaking countries, the relevance of knowing about such cultures is of utmost importance. "Cultures are dynamic and change over time" as each culture begins to influence another (NCSS, 2008, p.12). This lesson is yet another opportunity to teach students about the "concepts of likeness and difference through school subjects such as language arts, mathematics, science, music, and art" (NCSS, 208, p.12) Our students will explore the concept of cultural diversity through the study of Costa Rica. We will begin our study by having students identify their own culture of origin. As an introductory assignment, the students will be given the responsibility to interview a member of their family about their families migration to the United States from their country/countries of origin. In addition, the students will ask their family member the reason for their travels. Students will use this information in our group discussion. We will use the Smartboard to display a large map of the world and students can connect their country of origin to the United States. Student will then use rulers to compare the distance that their family traveled to immigrate the United States. It will launch an interesting dialogue about the distance families had to travel when migrating to the United States. We will begin to discuss why people might migrate to a different country. Next, we will want students to begin to think about what defines a country and its inhabitants. To do this, we will have student construct their class meaning of the word "culture". They will use their constructed meaning to help them compare and contrast their own lives with Costa Rican life (including climate, agricultural production, home life, school life, etc).
Content Specific: I want my students to understand: The Parkside School environment is one of cultural and economic diversity and it is important that students become aware and accepting of similarities and differences in themselves and others.
Global Statement: The physical, social, and biological worlds (including human beings and their institutions) show extreme variation.
Link to our full lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcpv8thx_17htnmqmcg
Summer and I feel strongly about the relevance this unit of study has to our students and the environment that surrounds the school they attend. We feel that it is extremely important that they maintain strongly connected to the content being studied and would love suggestions about how to incorporate different forms of technology into our lesson.
My classroom is very diverse with students coming from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Holland, and the like. The students will explore a country whose culture is vastly different. With an increased amount of immigrants migrating over to the US from Spanish speaking countries, the relevance of knowing about such cultures is of utmost importance. "Cultures are dynamic and change over time" as each culture begins to influence another (NCSS, 2008, p.12). This lesson is yet another opportunity to teach students about the "concepts of likeness and difference through school subjects such as language arts, mathematics, science, music, and art" (NCSS, 208, p.12) Our students will explore the concept of cultural diversity through the study of Costa Rica. We will begin our study by having students identify their own culture of origin. As an introductory assignment, the students will be given the responsibility to interview a member of their family about their families migration to the United States from their country/countries of origin. In addition, the students will ask their family member the reason for their travels. Students will use this information in our group discussion. We will use the Smartboard to display a large map of the world and students can connect their country of origin to the United States. Student will then use rulers to compare the distance that their family traveled to immigrate the United States. It will launch an interesting dialogue about the distance families had to travel when migrating to the United States. We will begin to discuss why people might migrate to a different country. Next, we will want students to begin to think about what defines a country and its inhabitants. To do this, we will have student construct their class meaning of the word "culture". They will use their constructed meaning to help them compare and contrast their own lives with Costa Rican life (including climate, agricultural production, home life, school life, etc).
Content Specific: I want my students to understand: The Parkside School environment is one of cultural and economic diversity and it is important that students become aware and accepting of similarities and differences in themselves and others.
Global Statement: The physical, social, and biological worlds (including human beings and their institutions) show extreme variation.
Link to our full lesson:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcpv8thx_17htnmqmcg
Summer and I feel strongly about the relevance this unit of study has to our students and the environment that surrounds the school they attend. We feel that it is extremely important that they maintain strongly connected to the content being studied and would love suggestions about how to incorporate different forms of technology into our lesson.
Something to consider...
Hey everyone!
Just a thought I wanted to put out there about our units of study. When Summer and I were thinking of a strong motivational activity for our lesson, we decided to put the kids up to the task of interviewing a family member about their native country and culture. We thought it would be an extremely effective way to immediatley integrate and engage the children into our unit about Cultural Diversity.
Additionally, we have talked a lot in this course about making the material relevant to the child. Having our students interview a member of their family allows them to have access to information that is tangible after coming up with a class definition of cultural diversity and differences. Lastly, all of us are aware of how essential family involvement is in the productivity of our childrens school work. Allowing the family to gain insight to their child's curriculuum is a fabulous way to tighten those parental bonds and build connections for future involvement.
Just a thought I wanted to put out there about our units of study. When Summer and I were thinking of a strong motivational activity for our lesson, we decided to put the kids up to the task of interviewing a family member about their native country and culture. We thought it would be an extremely effective way to immediatley integrate and engage the children into our unit about Cultural Diversity.
Additionally, we have talked a lot in this course about making the material relevant to the child. Having our students interview a member of their family allows them to have access to information that is tangible after coming up with a class definition of cultural diversity and differences. Lastly, all of us are aware of how essential family involvement is in the productivity of our childrens school work. Allowing the family to gain insight to their child's curriculuum is a fabulous way to tighten those parental bonds and build connections for future involvement.
Contributing an Idea
Hey guys one idea Stephanie and I would use if we had time to develop this whole unit in its entirity was the idea of use powerpoint as means for students to share their findings. Also powerpoint has a great program that allows you to make a game show. In my own class, we used the game show at the end of our costa rica study and the kids went crazy for it. With each question the kids were reminded of their experiences over the semester as well as all the information they had learned.
Voicethread - what it looks like when posted to a blog
I had a great impromptu Skype conversation with Amanda today, and she (& her teammate Kimmy) expressed interest in using a tool called Voicethread in their culminating lesson #3.
As a way of showing (briefly) what a Voicethread is and how it would look embedded in a blog post, I've posted below a short Voicethread I made about classroom design in one of my fieldwork placement sites: City & Country. Voicethread can accommodate photos, videos, or documents, and people can use a pen to highlight areas of the central image while they are leaving a comment. I encourage you to explore the Voicethread website and definitely look at their 1-minute "What is a Voicethread" piece for more information.
I've used Voicethread with quite a few teachers (including some faculty here at Bank Street) so if you are looking for inspriation or support, email me!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Lesson 1--Amanda and Kimmy--Immigration and Our Community
Summary of Unit:
In this social studies unit, students will analyze the reasons people move and immigrate. They will first look into their own family lineage and research why their family immigrated to either the United States or this neighborhood. Students will supplement this research with taking photographs of cultural items they see in their home. Students will then critically view their school neighborhood and create a video highlighting cultural influences of immigration that they see around them. Through journal entries and classroom discussions, students will express their understanding of cultural values, what it means to appreciate and value diversity, and become experts on their community. The students' culminating project will be a service project that shows they can be agents of change, that their differences can make the community richer, that their community will be a better place because of their volunteer efforts, and that they are able to affect change.
Objectives of our unit:
Values: “Societies and individuals often differ significantly in the values they hold” (Taba, 1971, p. 25).
A third grader could say: People and different cultures may value different things because of different reasons, but we as community members must appreciate and respect those different values because they can add to the betterment of our community.
Cultural Change: “How diversity is viewed in a community effects how people interact and treat each other” (Taba, 1971, p.25).
A third grader could say: The way a community thinks about the different cultures, different backgrounds, different religions that make up the community affects the opportunities that those people of different culture, background, and religion can have in the community. For example, if our neighborhood did not believe in the value of different religions, then mosques or temples would not exist in our neighborhood. For example, in our classroom, if we didn't value each other's differences then we wouldn't be able to take advantage of them and use them to make our classroom better.
Feedback!
We are still unsure as to what our culminating project should actually be. The school community is the Upper East Side of Manhattan and we have a list of potential community centers and culturally affilliated groups, however, we have yet to make a decision. Any feedback regarding how we could form our final project is much appreciated.
Link to Lesson 1: http://www.blogger.com/i.g?inviteID=4797692864384246516&blogID=1251640894050779937
In this social studies unit, students will analyze the reasons people move and immigrate. They will first look into their own family lineage and research why their family immigrated to either the United States or this neighborhood. Students will supplement this research with taking photographs of cultural items they see in their home. Students will then critically view their school neighborhood and create a video highlighting cultural influences of immigration that they see around them. Through journal entries and classroom discussions, students will express their understanding of cultural values, what it means to appreciate and value diversity, and become experts on their community. The students' culminating project will be a service project that shows they can be agents of change, that their differences can make the community richer, that their community will be a better place because of their volunteer efforts, and that they are able to affect change.
Objectives of our unit:
Values: “Societies and individuals often differ significantly in the values they hold” (Taba, 1971, p. 25).
A third grader could say: People and different cultures may value different things because of different reasons, but we as community members must appreciate and respect those different values because they can add to the betterment of our community.
Cultural Change: “How diversity is viewed in a community effects how people interact and treat each other” (Taba, 1971, p.25).
A third grader could say: The way a community thinks about the different cultures, different backgrounds, different religions that make up the community affects the opportunities that those people of different culture, background, and religion can have in the community. For example, if our neighborhood did not believe in the value of different religions, then mosques or temples would not exist in our neighborhood. For example, in our classroom, if we didn't value each other's differences then we wouldn't be able to take advantage of them and use them to make our classroom better.
Feedback!
We are still unsure as to what our culminating project should actually be. The school community is the Upper East Side of Manhattan and we have a list of potential community centers and culturally affilliated groups, however, we have yet to make a decision. Any feedback regarding how we could form our final project is much appreciated.
Link to Lesson 1: http://www.blogger.com/i.g?
Lesson 1 (Adrienne & Monica)
http://adrienne-reininga.blogspot.com/2009/06/lesson-1.html
Here is a link to lesson 1 of our unit entitled "Sharing Goals as a Way of Building a Strong Community: The Power of Community to Make Change," designed for 2nd graders (7-8 years).
My students identify with several different cultures (Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Honduran), and are poignantly aware of the ways in which these cultures differ. Conflict between cultures is very present in our neighborhood and school community. This lesson will allow students to begin constructing a meaningful, context-based understanding of what community is and why it is important to their everyday lives. This understanding will grow out of their explorations of existing communities on both a global and local level, as well as an imaginary community.
Here is a summary of this lesson:
To help students begin to think about what people who live in a community have in common (thereby beginning to construct their own understandings of what community is and why it is important), they will be introduced to an imaginary community that was established by actual children over 50 years ago in a neighborhood in Yuma, Arizona through the book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran. This will incite discussion in various forms of the students' background knowledge of community. In small groups, students will explore several different Spanish-speaking cultures (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras) and look for similarities shared by all communities. Community teams will participate in a community walk, identifying problems to be reported and fixed (this will also provide ideas for our culminating community-service project at the end of the unit). Finally, community teams will use recycled materials and photographs taken on the community walk to create model communities.
Although I now have a clearer idea of what essential understandings are, I'm still having some trouble designing the activities that make up the lesson so that they ultimately lead students to construct the essential understandings on their own. I would really appreciate some feedback in this regarding this challenge! Thank you.
Resources....Brushster
Hello class,
I am still new at this online stuff, and I have been racking my brain for some useful resources. While I keep thinking, I would like to share with you this amazing art website that my students love.
It is called Brushster and really allows students to familiarize themselves with color, design, and tools. Their imagination totally runs wild. It is also a really fun way to have students create art and then discuss why it is art, etc.
The website is: http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/brushster.htm
I am still new at this online stuff, and I have been racking my brain for some useful resources. While I keep thinking, I would like to share with you this amazing art website that my students love.
It is called Brushster and really allows students to familiarize themselves with color, design, and tools. Their imagination totally runs wild. It is also a really fun way to have students create art and then discuss why it is art, etc.
The website is: http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/brushster.htm
Resources to share
I searched for social studies standards/curriculum on the NYC DOE website and found some great lesson planning resources. I'll share the two that we have used in planning our unit on sharing goals and working together to build a stronger community:
This is a NYS DOE teacher resource guide entitled "World Communities: What is Culture?" designed for 3rd grade: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/grade3/
This is a collection of lesson plans for grades 4, 8, and 11 from the Robert F. Kennedy "Speak Up, Speak Out" curriculum on social justice: http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/rfk.htm
Also, here's the link to the full list of social studies curriculum resources:
I hope this is useful to you!
Resource due 6/15
http://voicethread.com/#home
I know that I shared a resource from EDUC 525 last time, but I also found this one particularly useful. Voicethread enables you to create a powerpoint like voiceover with drawings and text with or for your students. All you have to do is go to the link above and create an account for yourself, which takes about two minutes. Then you can create these voiceover slide shows by downloading pictures and then recording your own voice and adding text. This would be very useful to use when creating presentations to show to students, or one could even have students create their own slide shows themselves. You will probably have to download the pictures and do a demo for them, but it is pretty easy. This would be great for collaborative work in teams and I was thinking that it would be especially great for kids who have anxiety about presenting to their peers because their voice would be already recorded.
I know that I shared a resource from EDUC 525 last time, but I also found this one particularly useful. Voicethread enables you to create a powerpoint like voiceover with drawings and text with or for your students. All you have to do is go to the link above and create an account for yourself, which takes about two minutes. Then you can create these voiceover slide shows by downloading pictures and then recording your own voice and adding text. This would be very useful to use when creating presentations to show to students, or one could even have students create their own slide shows themselves. You will probably have to download the pictures and do a demo for them, but it is pretty easy. This would be great for collaborative work in teams and I was thinking that it would be especially great for kids who have anxiety about presenting to their peers because their voice would be already recorded.
Link to Lesson # 1
http://megsocialstudies.blogspot.com/
Our eight and nine year old students are in what Piaget calls the Concrete Operational Stage (Cole, Cole & Lightfoot, 2005). This means that our students in a period of declining egocentrism, meaning that they can communicate effectively about more complex topics and ideas, and they also can begin to look outside themselves to think about the perspectives of others (Cole, et al., 2005). According to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, our students are in the Conventional Stage of morality. They see themselves in relation to the group, are aware of shared feelings and expectations, and care for others (Kohlberg, 1976, as cited in Cole, et al., 2005). In his book on child development, Wood states that at the age of eight and nine, it is appropriate for students to begin looking beyond their community by learning about the world, racial and ethnic diversity, and other cultures (1997). Therefore, a unit focused on another culture, China, is developmentally appropriate.
It is important for our students to experience this lesson on geography because they worked on their neighborhood mapping skills in second grade and this builds upon their total understanding of mapping. It is important for students to have a concept of where continents are located in the world, how far they are away from each other, just like it was important for them to learn about the 5 boroughs that immediately surround them. It is also important for our students to make connections between the geography that they are learning about in China and the people and culture that grow out of the country. This study of geography will open up our discussion about culture and how different types of land or environments help to influence and create the culture and ways of being of the people that live within these boarders.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Teachers Without Borders is off to Africa
At 59 million, teachers represent the largest group of educated professionals in the world. Teachers Without Borders (Canada affiliation) is an organization of teachers helping teachers in order to foster and promote adequate teacher training in areas of the world that desperately need it.
http://twbcanada.ning.com/
Great Book for Early Childhood Social Studies
I was talking with my friend about this class. She is an excellent kindergarten teacher, and I have spent lots of time in her classroom. Her social studies curriculum has always been fantastic. I asked her for any suggestions. She recommended the following book. In addition to providing a thoughtful examination of a variety of topics, the book also makes some recommendations of technologies, websites and books that can be used in support of early childhood social studies curriculums.
Mindes, G. (2006). Teaching Young Children Social Studies. Westport, CT: Praeger.
College Readiness Checklist, by David Conley
This book provides checklists for what students need to know, generally and specifically, in each content area before s/he goes to college. Too often, students go to college and have to take remedial classes. This creates a lot of issues when it comes to graduation requirements, loans, and work schedules. Using these checklists can be a great resource for thinking about backwards planning on a vertical level. If you teach 5th grade, then it may be useful to think about what you are doing in your classroom to help prepare your students to master the items on the checklist by the time they are in 12th grade.
This book provides checklists for what students need to know, generally and specifically, in each content area before s/he goes to college. Too often, students go to college and have to take remedial classes. This creates a lot of issues when it comes to graduation requirements, loans, and work schedules. Using these checklists can be a great resource for thinking about backwards planning on a vertical level. If you teach 5th grade, then it may be useful to think about what you are doing in your classroom to help prepare your students to master the items on the checklist by the time they are in 12th grade.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Innovative Technologies to Improve Teaching and Learning
ALTEC, the umbrella organization for the 4teacher tools, manages the Technology Rich Classroom (TRC). ALTEC focus on instructional Web-based resources, professional development, program support, scaleable online assessment, and assistance for special needs. Take a look at the powerful 21st Century learning-taking place in these classrooms!
Go to: http://altec.org/ (or) for more videos http://www.youtube.com/user/altecvideos
Example of an embedded YouTube video - and where to find videos
I know that you are all reading Will Richardson's book about Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts, so I chose an interview with him as my example embedded YouTube video.
Other places to find good videos for your Curriculum Projects are: TeacherTube, Vimeo, and the EDU section of YouTube. A student in my EDUC 525 class shared two Vimeo videos on Guided Reading (video 1 and video 2) that might be of interest to you all.
Other places to find good videos for your Curriculum Projects are: TeacherTube, Vimeo, and the EDU section of YouTube. A student in my EDUC 525 class shared two Vimeo videos on Guided Reading (video 1 and video 2) that might be of interest to you all.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Curriculum Resource - Environmentalism
For the naturalist learners out there - if anyone is doing a unit that explores environmentalism in NYC, I use this site to find the city's greenmarkets. Upon closer inspection, it actually has lots of great info on green events all throughout the city.
http://www.cenyc.org/
Here's a link to another website about this project by the Wildlife Conservation Society. It's called Mannahatta, and looks at the island of Manhattan (surrounds boroughs should not feel neglected) before it was settled by Native Americans and later, Europeans. Check it out.
http://themannahattaproject.org/
http://www.cenyc.org/
Here's a link to another website about this project by the Wildlife Conservation Society. It's called Mannahatta, and looks at the island of Manhattan (surrounds boroughs should not feel neglected) before it was settled by Native Americans and later, Europeans. Check it out.
http://themannahattaproject.org/
Can't get enough of your first life? Try second life!
So, I'm pretty much a huge nerd. I don't know if any of you have heard of second life before? It's a computer program somewhat like the SIMS only it's much more involved. You create an avatar, dress it up, buy it things, etc. Second life is a huge world where your avatar can explore and do anything you could ever imagine. Anyways, for its uses in the classroom, there are kid friendly zones where nudity, obscene public language, and weapons are prohibited. It would be a great way for students to network with people from other countries. You can even use an interpreting program with your avatar to overcome the language barrier.
On the other side of things some universities are starting to have online classes on second life and some companies are having interviews for jobs on there.
I've attached a link to a CNN article about second life that was put up awhile ago.
Best of luck with your curriculums!
-kimmy
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/
An Idea/Resource For Our Classrooms From Joe Weisberg
CLIPMARKS.COM
My students use school-provided laptops for research all the time. I work in special ed, and a lot of them have serious weaknesses in the area of organization. The internet and the laptops provide whole new areas in which it's complicated to stay organized. When doing research, this problem becomes acute. My students often unearth awesome stuff, then lose it by the next class. (They have flash drives, email, and a lot of other resources, but they don't consistently get the same computer, so they can't use bookmarks.)
Enter Clipmarks. Once you sign up for this free site (I know, I sound like a commercial), it puts a little green paperclip icon in your browser. Anytime you want to store information from a website, you click the clip, manipulate a bit to get some orange lines around what you want to save (sometimes tricky, but more often easy), and hit "DONE CLIPPING." You then are given the option to email, print, blog, or plain old save to your clipmarks homepage.
On your clipmarks homepage, everything is saved in a clear and orderly fashion. No more lost information/pictures/websites!
Okay, here's the truth - I haven't used this with my kids yet, but I'm about to. I have become a fanatical user myself, and I'm thoroughly happy with the benefits. I think it will really help my kids, both with research, web organization, general organization, and history class. I'll report back.
My students use school-provided laptops for research all the time. I work in special ed, and a lot of them have serious weaknesses in the area of organization. The internet and the laptops provide whole new areas in which it's complicated to stay organized. When doing research, this problem becomes acute. My students often unearth awesome stuff, then lose it by the next class. (They have flash drives, email, and a lot of other resources, but they don't consistently get the same computer, so they can't use bookmarks.)
Enter Clipmarks. Once you sign up for this free site (I know, I sound like a commercial), it puts a little green paperclip icon in your browser. Anytime you want to store information from a website, you click the clip, manipulate a bit to get some orange lines around what you want to save (sometimes tricky, but more often easy), and hit "DONE CLIPPING." You then are given the option to email, print, blog, or plain old save to your clipmarks homepage.
On your clipmarks homepage, everything is saved in a clear and orderly fashion. No more lost information/pictures/websites!
Okay, here's the truth - I haven't used this with my kids yet, but I'm about to. I have become a fanatical user myself, and I'm thoroughly happy with the benefits. I think it will really help my kids, both with research, web organization, general organization, and history class. I'll report back.
Helpful Article
I have included the reference for an article which I have found to be helpful in considering the various types of learners in a classroom.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Good article on Incorporating Technology in Social Studies Teaching
Hi everyone. As I began to search for online sources in helping me plan my unit of study, I found this article. It speaks about how the use of computers can broaden their exposure to diverse people and perspectives. It is definetly a worth while article if you are trying to decide how to incorporate technology into your unit.
http://www.metiri.com/USF/Berson%20Article.pdf
or type into google scholar: teaching social studies using technology
Hope this helps everyone!
http://www.metiri.com/USF/Berson%20Article.pdf
or type into google scholar: teaching social studies using technology
Hope this helps everyone!
Written feedback on collaborative work, such as Unit Curriculum Plans and Lesson Plans
If you create your collaborative Unit Curriculum Plan and 3 Lesson Plans in Google Docs and share them with me (Jessica) and KK, we can provide written feedback directly on the document. Hopefully this will reduce redundancy and everyone will have final documents that reflect the most recent feedback and changes! (Always a challenge with collaborative work ... )
KK will color her feedback BLUE. I will color my feedback (on technology integration issues) in LIGHT PURPLE.
Please email KK and I when you are ready for your document to be reviewed. KK will deliver most of her feedback on Monday, while my feedback will come on Tuesdays. Let us know if you have any questions!
-jessica
KK will color her feedback BLUE. I will color my feedback (on technology integration issues) in LIGHT PURPLE.
Please email KK and I when you are ready for your document to be reviewed. KK will deliver most of her feedback on Monday, while my feedback will come on Tuesdays. Let us know if you have any questions!
-jessica
New York State and New York City Standards
KK posted links to the NYS and NYC Social Studies standards. Here is her post from the myBankSt Question/Answer forum.
Since all the EDUC 513 students this month are in NYC, use NY and NYC standards. In NYC the "standards" are called "Themes". I have pasted the links into the google document. And, I have also posted the NYC themes. The links will break them down by grades.
Also: find them here:
State Standards: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/socstands/socstand.html
City “Themes”: go to http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/SocialStudies/default.htm and scroll down to “Scope and Sequence.”
Article for Exploration
In beginning to explore resources and articles for use with our curriculum design project, I found this article. It discusses some of the current practices in the teaching of social studies within special education classrooms, with a focus on the self-contained classroom. Having taught in self-contained settings, I found the results of this study really did a good job of highlighting the realities of social studies in a special education setting.
Linter, T. & Schweder, W. (2008). Social studies in special education classrooms: A glimpse behind the closed door. Journal of Social Studies Research, 32(1), 3-9.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Community Powerpoint
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Community Powerpoint
View more OpenOffice presentations from chloer.
Amanda Mattei's Slideshow
Amanda Mattei's Power Point on Immigration for ~3rd grade
Enjoy!
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/isYioRK41ocOH
Enjoy!
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/isYioRK41ocOH
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Social Studies
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Hi Guys, Here is my PowerPoint Presentation. Hopefully there are no problems viewing it. Please let me know if you do.
Social Studies
View more OpenOffice presentations from stephkaplan.
Adrienne Reininga- Community Power Point Presentation
Here is my Community Power Point Presentation
Educ513
View more OpenOffice presentations from areininga.
Community PowerPoint-Rachel A. Walton
Check out this SlideShare Presentation of my school community, Washington Heights. I focused on the Hudson River and Fort Tryon Park to guide my explorations.
Blog Post #2 Due on 6/8
I am taking 525-Technology in the Classroom this June and would like to share a resource that we learned about last night in class. After completing a reading on graphic organizers for class, we had the opportunity to experiment with various programs like Kidspiration, and IMovie, which allow you, or your students to create/manipulate visual images along with text to facilitate understanding of material in a given subject. I think that graphic organizers would be an especially useful tool for social studies, because using pictures and possibly small amounts of text would enable students to understand abstract or complicated ideas more quickly through brief visual images. I also believe that these tools are also worth sharing because they can be used by the teacher to prepare before class or they can be used in class by the students to help construct their own meaning.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Journal 1: Eva Broder
In this post, I will discuss some similar themes in two of the class readings. I am interested specifically in how the later (Gardner) article draws on John Dewey’s discussion on the future movement of education.
Dewey has a clear agenda on his mind as he writes about the “traditional” mode of education and what should and could be reformed as his society moved into the future. He writes about the needs of students in what he describes as a more well rounded and perhaps individualistic society while at the same time assuring the reader that educators hold on to the value of concrete planning in progressive education: “Just because traditional education was a matter of routine in which plans and programs were handed down from the past, it does not follow that progressive educations is a matter of planless improvisation (Dewey, 1938, p28). Instead, he writes, planning takes on a new kind of meaning, inclusive of the incorporation of experiential learning and fluid, flexible lessons.
The Gardner article addresses the history of education with a specific look of the development of societal needs and values represented in the educational system. The authors move from past to future, emphasizing the point that with the development of technology, the face of education will change around new technology. I feel that this “progression” into the future, is something that is addressed in both readings. In a sense, the Gardner article is an extension of Dewey’s thoughts on educational reform. As we develop as a society, we must, as teachers tailor the educational system to teach what is necessary to thrive in the new society while keeping a close eye on our educational roots.
In the introduction to the Gardner article, the authors speak about the changes that must take place in education as well as the traditional foundation that will continue to exist:
certain information, knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values need to be transmitted to the younger generation. By the same token, there will certainly be new information, knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values that will be important in the future, though elders may not be willing or able to anticipate the specifics of these new competences (Gardner, James, & Weigel, 2009).
It seems from these two readings that an underlying sentiment is present: As we grow as a society, we must grow and develop parallel as educators of the future citizens of this society.
References
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. London, UK: Collier Books.
Gardner, H., James, C, & Weigel, M, (2009). Learning: Peering backward and looking forward in the digital era. [Electronic Version]. International Journal of Learning and Media, 1, (1). Retrieved May 5, 2009 from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/full/10.1162/ijlm.2009.0005
Uploading presentations to the class blog
PowerPoint / Blogger instructions:
As far as I can tell, Blogger does not support uploading large files like a PowerPoint presentation or PDF file. I recommend that everyone use SlideShare to post PPTs on class or personal blogs. Many of you are already doing that, and it seems to work great!
So ... go to SlideShare.net and click on the UPLOAD tab at the top of the screen. You don't have to create an account, but you can. If you create an account, you can export the presentation directly to Blogger ... there is a little icon under the slideshow that lets you do that. If you are guest, you have to copy & paste the "secret" (their word) URL to your slideshow in a blog post.
Make sure you make this an active link in your blog post. That is done by selecting the text you want to link to Slideshare (such as the Title of your presentation) and clicking on the "link" icon in the toolbar. It looks like a chain. A window will pop up where you can paste the URL, hit OK, then save and publish your post.
-Jessica
As far as I can tell, Blogger does not support uploading large files like a PowerPoint presentation or PDF file. I recommend that everyone use SlideShare to post PPTs on class or personal blogs. Many of you are already doing that, and it seems to work great!
So ... go to SlideShare.net and click on the UPLOAD tab at the top of the screen. You don't have to create an account, but you can. If you create an account, you can export the presentation directly to Blogger ... there is a little icon under the slideshow that lets you do that. If you are guest, you have to copy & paste the "secret" (their word) URL to your slideshow in a blog post.
Make sure you make this an active link in your blog post. That is done by selecting the text you want to link to Slideshare (such as the Title of your presentation) and clicking on the "link" icon in the toolbar. It looks like a chain. A window will pop up where you can paste the URL, hit OK, then save and publish your post.
-Jessica
Model Community PowerPoint From Joe Weisberg
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Model Community Pp
View more OpenOffice presentations from mortjoe.
Socialstudies Ppt
This is Lisa Berenholz's Community PPT, originally posted on June 1, 2009.
Socialstudies Ppt
View more OpenOffice presentations from lberenholz.
Threading together some of our conversations
Hi Everyone --
This blog can be not only a forum for sharing assignments with the group, but also a place to link (as in connect) some of the many conversations we will have about Social Studies, curriculum development, use of technology with students, etc. To help out with that, I will be regularly linking (as in linked hypertext) info from the course's home-base on myBankSt to this blog and vice versa.
This linking (in both senses of the word) will happen through new blog posts and discussion threads that I create as well as in the comments, so please look to see if your posts have comments to read and respond to.
I hope this helps to tie together some of your work that is being published in multiple folders and forums -- which is necessary to keep it organized, but can make it hard to keep track of -- and spark some conversation around the work you are presenting.
-- Jessica Millstone
This blog can be not only a forum for sharing assignments with the group, but also a place to link (as in connect) some of the many conversations we will have about Social Studies, curriculum development, use of technology with students, etc. To help out with that, I will be regularly linking (as in linked hypertext) info from the course's home-base on myBankSt to this blog and vice versa.
This linking (in both senses of the word) will happen through new blog posts and discussion threads that I create as well as in the comments, so please look to see if your posts have comments to read and respond to.
I hope this helps to tie together some of your work that is being published in multiple folders and forums -- which is necessary to keep it organized, but can make it hard to keep track of -- and spark some conversation around the work you are presenting.
-- Jessica Millstone
Monday, June 1, 2009
link to my blog
Hello-
In the spirit of collaboration and learning from each other, here's the link to my blog: http://adrienne-reininga.blogspot.com
Cheers,
Adrienne
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