This video details four of the main laws that have affected education over the years. They are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. This is my first attempt at a video, and I think I did a pretty good job. Hopefully I will be able to make better videos in less time in the future!
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Laws and Policies that Affect Teaching
This video details four of the main laws that have affected education over the years. They are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. This is my first attempt at a video, and I think I did a pretty good job. Hopefully I will be able to make better videos in less time in the future!
School Governance: PTA Meetings
PTA Meetings: A Compare and Contrast A Parent-Teacher Association, or PTA, is a part of many schools across the country. As a child, all of the schools I attended had PTAs, but I never really heard anything about what they were doing. I decided to few two PTA meetings, each from a different school, in an attempt to understand what both the structure and function of the organization and its meetings. I decided to view both the Longmeadow PTA, which is associated with Longmeadow Public Schools in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and the Timberview PTA, which is associated with Timberview Middle School in Keller, Texas. These two meetings were quite different from one another, both in structure and in their strengths and weaknesses.
Structure: The Longmeadow PTA meeting was structured around one central issue presented by the Superintendent of Longmeadow Public Schools, Marie Doyle. When the meeting began, they dove right into the issue without any frills or formalities to get through before they could start. The issue they discussed was the structure of the kindergarten program for the 2014-2015 school year. The school system had recently conducted a survey of parents of soon-to-be kindergarteners to see if they would prefer full- or half-day kindergarten. During this meeting, the Ms. Doyle shared the results. Parents overwhelmingly wanted full-day kindergarten, but the school system still planned to offer two sections of half-day kindergarten. After explaining how the kindergarten classes would be split between the three schools in their system, Ms. Doyle revealed the tuition cost. For full day kindergarten, it was going to cost parents $3000, which is about half of the cost for kindergarten to be offered, while the general fund of the school system will pay for the rest of the cost. After that, Ms. Doyle discussed some logistical issues of pick-up and drop-off and reminded parents of the deadlines for enrollment. After that, the floor was opened up to the parents so they could ask questions and voice concerns. Quite a few parents asked questions, bringing up points that included both class size and school choice. Some examples of questions include queries as to which schools would host the half-day program, when the registration deadline would be, and the future of kindergarten for future years. This was the last section of the meeting, and Ms. Doyle closed the meeting with some positive words, thanking the parents for attending and telling them they were welcome to call her office with any further questions.The Timberview PTA meeting was run quite differently than the Longmeadow meeting. It started with who I assume was the president of the PTA calling the meeting to order. The other officers then gave quick reports. The treasurer said how much money the PTA had. The membership chair discussed the membership drive and explained that there was a competition between the grades to see which one could get the highest parent enrollment in the PTA. She also shared that there was full staff membership, which is an incredibly impressive accomplishment! When she was finished, the fundraising chair discussed the most recent fundraising campaign, which included selling sweatshirts, and reminded parents to save their boxtops for their students. When they were finished, the principal came up to give the “Principal’s Report.” She discussed what would happen during the rest of the evening, shared information about the upcoming school play, and told parents to check out the weekly newsletter and Facebook page for more information about upcoming events. The president then announced the date of the next meeting, and then officially adjourned the meeting.Next, a group of students called PALS (Peer Assistance and Leadership Skills) came up to discuss Rachel’s Challenge. They showed a video that explained that it was a bullying prevention program, and they told parents that they had been fundraising to bring this program to their school. They needed to raise $3600, and they already had $3000! They asked for donations from the parents and thanked them for their time.Finally, a group of students in a band called Zero Gravity played a couple of songs for the parents. Their music is available for purchase on iTunes. They asked for donations, and offered a CD of their music when parents donated $10 or more.Members’ Roles and Responsibilities: The Longmeadow PTA meeting was run by the superintendent of the school district. Most of the responsibilities fell on her. This included sharing information with the parents, fielding questions, and keeping the meeting running smoothly. Just as important, though, was the role of the parents at this particular meeting. Most of the meeting was spent with the parents voicing their questions and concerns. Without this interaction between the superintendent and the parents, this would not have been nearly as successful of a meeting. In addition to these two important roles, there were also some behind the scenes roles, including technical support. Someone had to make the presentation and make sure that the sound system in the room was working in order for this meeting to be a success.
The Timberview PTA meeting was run by a committee that was made up of a president, treasurer, membership chair, and fundraising chair. The duties were more evenly shared, but it was the president’s job to keep the meeting on task. The parents did not have much of a role in the meeting itself. Strengths and Weaknesses: The biggest strength of the Longmeadow PTA meeting was the involvement of the parents. It offered a chance for parents to seek clarification and voice concerns while having the full attention of the superintendent of the school system. Additionally, the superintendent did a good job communicating the information to the parents in an understandable manner. The biggest weakness at this meeting was twofold; there was not a lot of involvement from teachers, except for behind the scenes, and there was only one topic discussed. Although I do think the superintendent was the right person to deliver this information, it would have been nice to hear input from some teachers. Also, I think it is beneficial to discuss more than one topic at meetings like this. Not all parents have a stake in what kind of kindergarten is offered, so I think it would be better to discuss at least two topics to give parents a better chance of finding something they are interested in. The biggest strength of the Timberview PTA meeting was the variety of topics discussed. They covered everything from membership to upcoming school events to fundraising. I was also impressed with how streamlined the meeting was. The biggest weakness of this meeting was the lack of parent involvement. There were no opportunities for parents to voice their questions and concerns, and it seemed like few issues that were relevant to parents were brought up. If I were a parent at that meeting, I would feel like I had no voice when it came to any of the issues at my school.Documents, Handouts, and Materials: There were no handouts mentioned during the Longmeadow PTA meeting, but there was a presentation that acted as a visual aid for the parents. Additionally, the superintendent mentioned multiple online sources where parents could go to find information on important school events and deadlines.
Like with the Longmeadow PTA meeting, there were no handouts given to the parents. However, there was a sign in sheet circulated at the beginning of the meeting. There was also a video shown during the meeting, which seemed to work well as an instructional tool. The principal also stressed the online options for finding information about important school information.Overall Value: Overall, the Longmeadow PTA seems like a valuable place to parents to voice their opinions and get their questions answered. I am not sure it provides as much direct interaction with teachers as some parents may like, but I do think it does what it sets out to do. This PTA seems well-run and successful in its attempt to bring parents into the decision making process when it comes to important school issues. Overall, the Timberview PTA seems to be lacking the interaction between parents and teachers that seems so vital to a successful PTA. Parents were not given a voice, which seems to defeat the purpose of the meetings. I do think this organization does a good job communicating information, but I think it has a long way to go before it will be a successful PTA. It did not seem like the parents felt at all cheated out of their meeting time with teachers, so I imagine this is something they have just gotten used to.Conclusion: After watching two different styles of PTA meetings, I can definitely say that, in order for an organization of this kind to be successful, parents need to be given a voice. Without the interaction between parents and teachers, PTA meetings are truly lacking. These meetings will be valuable to me as a teacher because I can learn what is most important to the parents of my students. It could also give me a platform to address issues with parents that pertain directly to my classroom. I think I could become involved with the PTA by helping with the structure of the meetings to make it beneficial to both teachers and parents. I would make sure that everyone was given a voice at the meeting, possibly by structuring it in a way that is similar to that of the Longmeadow PTA. I could also help make handouts in the style of an infographic to help communicate information to parents effectively. In addition to attending PTA meetings, I could also be in communication with the principal and the school board to help influence policy making. It sounds like the PTA has some pull when it come to policy, but it largely comes down to the principal of the individual schools. Being in constant communication with the principal would help keep me apprised of important decisions being made and allow me to weigh in with my two cents.
Structure: The Longmeadow PTA meeting was structured around one central issue presented by the Superintendent of Longmeadow Public Schools, Marie Doyle. When the meeting began, they dove right into the issue without any frills or formalities to get through before they could start. The issue they discussed was the structure of the kindergarten program for the 2014-2015 school year. The school system had recently conducted a survey of parents of soon-to-be kindergarteners to see if they would prefer full- or half-day kindergarten. During this meeting, the Ms. Doyle shared the results. Parents overwhelmingly wanted full-day kindergarten, but the school system still planned to offer two sections of half-day kindergarten. After explaining how the kindergarten classes would be split between the three schools in their system, Ms. Doyle revealed the tuition cost. For full day kindergarten, it was going to cost parents $3000, which is about half of the cost for kindergarten to be offered, while the general fund of the school system will pay for the rest of the cost. After that, Ms. Doyle discussed some logistical issues of pick-up and drop-off and reminded parents of the deadlines for enrollment. After that, the floor was opened up to the parents so they could ask questions and voice concerns. Quite a few parents asked questions, bringing up points that included both class size and school choice. Some examples of questions include queries as to which schools would host the half-day program, when the registration deadline would be, and the future of kindergarten for future years. This was the last section of the meeting, and Ms. Doyle closed the meeting with some positive words, thanking the parents for attending and telling them they were welcome to call her office with any further questions.The Timberview PTA meeting was run quite differently than the Longmeadow meeting. It started with who I assume was the president of the PTA calling the meeting to order. The other officers then gave quick reports. The treasurer said how much money the PTA had. The membership chair discussed the membership drive and explained that there was a competition between the grades to see which one could get the highest parent enrollment in the PTA. She also shared that there was full staff membership, which is an incredibly impressive accomplishment! When she was finished, the fundraising chair discussed the most recent fundraising campaign, which included selling sweatshirts, and reminded parents to save their boxtops for their students. When they were finished, the principal came up to give the “Principal’s Report.” She discussed what would happen during the rest of the evening, shared information about the upcoming school play, and told parents to check out the weekly newsletter and Facebook page for more information about upcoming events. The president then announced the date of the next meeting, and then officially adjourned the meeting.Next, a group of students called PALS (Peer Assistance and Leadership Skills) came up to discuss Rachel’s Challenge. They showed a video that explained that it was a bullying prevention program, and they told parents that they had been fundraising to bring this program to their school. They needed to raise $3600, and they already had $3000! They asked for donations from the parents and thanked them for their time.Finally, a group of students in a band called Zero Gravity played a couple of songs for the parents. Their music is available for purchase on iTunes. They asked for donations, and offered a CD of their music when parents donated $10 or more.Members’ Roles and Responsibilities: The Longmeadow PTA meeting was run by the superintendent of the school district. Most of the responsibilities fell on her. This included sharing information with the parents, fielding questions, and keeping the meeting running smoothly. Just as important, though, was the role of the parents at this particular meeting. Most of the meeting was spent with the parents voicing their questions and concerns. Without this interaction between the superintendent and the parents, this would not have been nearly as successful of a meeting. In addition to these two important roles, there were also some behind the scenes roles, including technical support. Someone had to make the presentation and make sure that the sound system in the room was working in order for this meeting to be a success.
The Timberview PTA meeting was run by a committee that was made up of a president, treasurer, membership chair, and fundraising chair. The duties were more evenly shared, but it was the president’s job to keep the meeting on task. The parents did not have much of a role in the meeting itself. Strengths and Weaknesses: The biggest strength of the Longmeadow PTA meeting was the involvement of the parents. It offered a chance for parents to seek clarification and voice concerns while having the full attention of the superintendent of the school system. Additionally, the superintendent did a good job communicating the information to the parents in an understandable manner. The biggest weakness at this meeting was twofold; there was not a lot of involvement from teachers, except for behind the scenes, and there was only one topic discussed. Although I do think the superintendent was the right person to deliver this information, it would have been nice to hear input from some teachers. Also, I think it is beneficial to discuss more than one topic at meetings like this. Not all parents have a stake in what kind of kindergarten is offered, so I think it would be better to discuss at least two topics to give parents a better chance of finding something they are interested in. The biggest strength of the Timberview PTA meeting was the variety of topics discussed. They covered everything from membership to upcoming school events to fundraising. I was also impressed with how streamlined the meeting was. The biggest weakness of this meeting was the lack of parent involvement. There were no opportunities for parents to voice their questions and concerns, and it seemed like few issues that were relevant to parents were brought up. If I were a parent at that meeting, I would feel like I had no voice when it came to any of the issues at my school.Documents, Handouts, and Materials: There were no handouts mentioned during the Longmeadow PTA meeting, but there was a presentation that acted as a visual aid for the parents. Additionally, the superintendent mentioned multiple online sources where parents could go to find information on important school events and deadlines.
Like with the Longmeadow PTA meeting, there were no handouts given to the parents. However, there was a sign in sheet circulated at the beginning of the meeting. There was also a video shown during the meeting, which seemed to work well as an instructional tool. The principal also stressed the online options for finding information about important school information.Overall Value: Overall, the Longmeadow PTA seems like a valuable place to parents to voice their opinions and get their questions answered. I am not sure it provides as much direct interaction with teachers as some parents may like, but I do think it does what it sets out to do. This PTA seems well-run and successful in its attempt to bring parents into the decision making process when it comes to important school issues. Overall, the Timberview PTA seems to be lacking the interaction between parents and teachers that seems so vital to a successful PTA. Parents were not given a voice, which seems to defeat the purpose of the meetings. I do think this organization does a good job communicating information, but I think it has a long way to go before it will be a successful PTA. It did not seem like the parents felt at all cheated out of their meeting time with teachers, so I imagine this is something they have just gotten used to.Conclusion: After watching two different styles of PTA meetings, I can definitely say that, in order for an organization of this kind to be successful, parents need to be given a voice. Without the interaction between parents and teachers, PTA meetings are truly lacking. These meetings will be valuable to me as a teacher because I can learn what is most important to the parents of my students. It could also give me a platform to address issues with parents that pertain directly to my classroom. I think I could become involved with the PTA by helping with the structure of the meetings to make it beneficial to both teachers and parents. I would make sure that everyone was given a voice at the meeting, possibly by structuring it in a way that is similar to that of the Longmeadow PTA. I could also help make handouts in the style of an infographic to help communicate information to parents effectively. In addition to attending PTA meetings, I could also be in communication with the principal and the school board to help influence policy making. It sounds like the PTA has some pull when it come to policy, but it largely comes down to the principal of the individual schools. Being in constant communication with the principal would help keep me apprised of important decisions being made and allow me to weigh in with my two cents.
The Gendered School System: National and International Organizations' Role in Eradicating Gender Gaps in the Classroom
This week, we were asked to explore
nine or so national and international organizations that are related to
teaching for information on a topic of interest to each of us. I originally
considered looking into the Common Core Standards because I know relatively
little about them, but I ultimately decided that gender differences in
education was a more important topic for me to cover. I have learned a lot
about this topic in the past from the psychology perspective, but I know
relatively little about what is being done to correct the problem. Despite
having learned quite a lot about the individual, I also have a gap in my
knowledge when it comes to exactly how the system itself is failing when it
comes to gender. I set out with all of this in mind, and I found an abundance
of information. Almost all of the organizations highlighted gender in one way
or another, whether they were talking about the difference in access to
education or the pay gap that women face heading into the workforce, even as
teachers.
To start off with, I want to take a look at the organizations that did NOT answer my questions about gender and education. Of the ten organizations I researched, only three did not discuss gender on their websites. The Association for Advancement of International Education focuses largely on professional and scholarly development among international educators, publishing journals and hosting conferences, the next of which is going to be about ESL/Special Needs and Technology (“The Association,” 2016, p. 1). In contrast, the Council of Chief State School Officers works to “bring together the top education leaders from every state in the nation” by “creating a public education system that prepares every child for lifelong learning, work, and citizenship” (“Our Promise,” 2015, p. 1). Finally, the Common Core State Standards Initiative largely worked to explain the standards and dispel myths that many people believe about them. The most interesting thing that I learned from this particular site was that, despite what I had heard, states do not have to lower their standards to fit the Common Core Standards, but rather standards are moved “to the next level” (“Myth,” 2016, p. 1). This was a bit odd to me because I have always heard teachers and parents complain about the standards being lower. I guess the standards are just different rather than lower.
Now let’s dive into gender issues. The most commonly addressed issue was basic access to education. Girls are still enrolled in school at a lower rate than boys in more than half the countries in the world (“Gender and EFA,” 2015, p. 10). The gap is largest in secondary education, with 97 girls attending school for every 100 boys (p. 10). Although that number does not seem like a huge difference, I thought about the implications of 3% lower enrollment for girls. 51% of the world’s population is female, so one would actually expect more girls to be enrolled in education than boys purely because there are more of them. The lower enrollment by girls does, however, make sense because women are still fighting for equality with men throughout the world. Perhaps the most startling thing I learned was that women account for 2/3 of the functionally illiterate population in the world (p. 10). This is incredibly sad. Ideally, no one would lack literacy skills, but I would hope that, at the very least, ones gender would not place one at risk.
Even when students get to school, there are disparities in scores, usually aligning themselves with certain subjects. Girls generally received higher scores on English and lower scores in math and science, while boys generally see the opposite trend in their scores (“Diversity,” 2015, p. 1). This gender gap has been seen over and over, and there has been speculation about whether these gender differences are innate or socialized. I personally tend to lean towards socialization playing a larger role.
One thing I did not think about was that there are also a few gender gaps that negatively affect boys. Boys drop out of high school at a higher rate than girls (“Gender and EFA,” 2015, p. 10). This may be because of higher male enrollment, but I imagine they ran their numbers proportionally rather than just as sheer volume.
To start off with, I want to take a look at the organizations that did NOT answer my questions about gender and education. Of the ten organizations I researched, only three did not discuss gender on their websites. The Association for Advancement of International Education focuses largely on professional and scholarly development among international educators, publishing journals and hosting conferences, the next of which is going to be about ESL/Special Needs and Technology (“The Association,” 2016, p. 1). In contrast, the Council of Chief State School Officers works to “bring together the top education leaders from every state in the nation” by “creating a public education system that prepares every child for lifelong learning, work, and citizenship” (“Our Promise,” 2015, p. 1). Finally, the Common Core State Standards Initiative largely worked to explain the standards and dispel myths that many people believe about them. The most interesting thing that I learned from this particular site was that, despite what I had heard, states do not have to lower their standards to fit the Common Core Standards, but rather standards are moved “to the next level” (“Myth,” 2016, p. 1). This was a bit odd to me because I have always heard teachers and parents complain about the standards being lower. I guess the standards are just different rather than lower.
Now let’s dive into gender issues. The most commonly addressed issue was basic access to education. Girls are still enrolled in school at a lower rate than boys in more than half the countries in the world (“Gender and EFA,” 2015, p. 10). The gap is largest in secondary education, with 97 girls attending school for every 100 boys (p. 10). Although that number does not seem like a huge difference, I thought about the implications of 3% lower enrollment for girls. 51% of the world’s population is female, so one would actually expect more girls to be enrolled in education than boys purely because there are more of them. The lower enrollment by girls does, however, make sense because women are still fighting for equality with men throughout the world. Perhaps the most startling thing I learned was that women account for 2/3 of the functionally illiterate population in the world (p. 10). This is incredibly sad. Ideally, no one would lack literacy skills, but I would hope that, at the very least, ones gender would not place one at risk.
Even when students get to school, there are disparities in scores, usually aligning themselves with certain subjects. Girls generally received higher scores on English and lower scores in math and science, while boys generally see the opposite trend in their scores (“Diversity,” 2015, p. 1). This gender gap has been seen over and over, and there has been speculation about whether these gender differences are innate or socialized. I personally tend to lean towards socialization playing a larger role.
One thing I did not think about was that there are also a few gender gaps that negatively affect boys. Boys drop out of high school at a higher rate than girls (“Gender and EFA,” 2015, p. 10). This may be because of higher male enrollment, but I imagine they ran their numbers proportionally rather than just as sheer volume.
Gender disparities impact more than
just the students in a school. Even teachers are burdened by these gaps. Women
currently make just $0.73 for every $1.00 that a man makes in the United States
(Kaminski & Rose, 2015, p. 1). The issue of gender in education does not
just affect teachers because they need to keep it in mind for their students,
but it also affects them directly. This pay gap is awful, and it is not
something we should stand for.
Many of the organizations offered up
solutions for these gender disparities. Education for All suggested a two-prong
approach focusing on parity and equality in schools. The Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development on the other hand, suggested approaching
the issue in three separate arenas: education, employment, and entrepreneurship
(“Gender Equality,” 2015, p. 1),. Their approach posits that we cannot fix one
without also fixing the others. UNESCO agrees with this idea, suggesting that
the problems that we see manifested in education are actually problems with
society as a whole (“Gender Equality in Education,” 2015, p. 1). UNICEF focused
largely on empowering girls “by supporting life skills-based education and
female role models in education” (“Girls’ Education,” 2015, p. 1). While all of these approaches have both
positives and negatives, I think I most agree with the idea that we have to
change the way society thinks about gender before we can make a real, permanent
change in the education system.
Throughout my research, I ended up stumbling upon an organization called The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education. This is a fantastic resource for women in education. It offers information on Title X and how it affects us, discusses issues like athletics and STEM, and gives women the help they need when dealing with gender discrimination. My favorite section talks about single sex education. It explains that “separating students by sex has not been proven to improve educational outcomes” (“Single Sex,” 2013, p. 1). This site offers real answers to women seeking ways to create a system that allows for gender equality. I think this would be a great one to add to the list of organizations for this assignment for the next cohort.
Throughout my research, I ended up stumbling upon an organization called The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education. This is a fantastic resource for women in education. It offers information on Title X and how it affects us, discusses issues like athletics and STEM, and gives women the help they need when dealing with gender discrimination. My favorite section talks about single sex education. It explains that “separating students by sex has not been proven to improve educational outcomes” (“Single Sex,” 2013, p. 1). This site offers real answers to women seeking ways to create a system that allows for gender equality. I think this would be a great one to add to the list of organizations for this assignment for the next cohort.
References:
Diversity toolkit: Gender. (n.d.). National Education Association.
Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/30408.htm
Gender and EFA 2000-2015: Achievements and challenges. (2015). Education for All Global Monitoring Report. Retrieved from http://en.unesco.org/gem-report/gender_data2015/recommendations/
Gender equality in education. (2016).
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved
from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/gender-and-education/
Gender equality. (n.d.). Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/gender/
Girls’ education and gender equality.
(2015, June 23). United Nations Childrens
Fund. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/education/bege_70640.html
Kaminski, S. & Rose, M. (2015,
December 11). Global education report highlights U.S. challenges. American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved
from http://www.aft.org/news/global-education-report-highlights-us-challenges
Myth vs. facts. (2016). Common Core Standards Initiative. Retrieved
from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/
Our promise. (2015). Council of Chief State School Officials.
Retrieved from http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are/Our_Promise.html
Single sex education. (2012). National Coalition for Women and Girls in
Education. Retrieved from http://ncwge.org/singlesex.html
The association for the advancement of
international education strategic plan update. (2013, June). Associate for the Advancement of
International Education. Retrieved from
http://www.aaie.org/page.cfm?p=372
Saturday, January 23, 2016
The Profession of Teaching
Description: This week, we were asked to evaluate teaching as a profession and decide whether it is truly a profession or rather an occupation. Although this seems a logical question, I had never considered that teaching might not be a profession. However, I attempted to keep an open mind as I began this assignment. I read the articles that were posted and looked up a few different definitions of the word profession.
Feelings: Ever since I was a child, I have held teachers in high esteem. To me, especially as an elementary schooler, teachers were as important as doctors, as smart as lawyers, and as dedicated as psychologists. When I thought of important jobs, a teacher was almost always the first that sprung to mind. When I received the assignment of evaluating teaching as a profession, I was a bit taken aback. As a future teacher, it really took me off guard that this was even a question. Now, I do not mean that in a bad way. I just had never thought about it as anything else.
Evaluation: As some of my classmates said in the discussion this week, classifying something as a profession can completely change the way individuals in that line of work approach their jobs. Teaching is something incredibly important, and if teachers are to be the best they can be, I think most teachers should approach teaching as a profession. Reading the articles that were posted did not change my thinking, but I felt like I had not really given it a fair shot. I decided to look up the definition of profession to be sure I was being as objective as possible. Merriam-Webster defines profession as “a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill.” Although I do agree that this is part of what makes up the definition of profession, I feel that this leaves much to be desired.
Analysis: After looking up the definition, I turned back to the articles. I ended up reading and re-reading the article from The Guardian in which Alan Newland, a seasoned teacher of 20 years, discusses what it means for teaching to be considered a profession. The comparisons he made between teachers and electricians really hit home for me, and I was able to come up with a three-part definition for what it means for something to be a profession.
Conclusions (general): I finally settle on the following definition of a profession: 1) a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill, 2) a job in which those receiving the services provided by the job holder place a high value on the qualifications of said job holder, and 3) a job in which the job holder’s background and moral standing are important to both the consumers of the services provided and the hiring parties. I know that is a bit long-winded, but I think it is necessary to include all three parts of that definition in order to truly encompass what it means for something to be a profession. If the general public used this definition, it is likely that teaching would be considered a profession by all and that teachers would be held in higher esteem. Ultimately, what matters most is that teachers themselves understand that they are members of a profession and that they must act accordingly in both their professional and personal lives.
Conclusions (specific): I definitely consider teaching to be a profession. It is important to me that I hold this viewpoint because thinking of teaching as anything but a profession would make it seem less important than it really is. The educating of young people is so important to the future of society, and I am honored to be becoming a member of the profession that gets to work with these students. I am glad that, despite not changing my opinion, I took the time to examine teaching as a profession because my conclusions will ultimately guide my approach to teaching for the rest of my career.
Personal action plans: My goal is to do justice to the profession of teaching and to act in a way that allows others to see teaching as a profession as well. Being a teacher is going to be a lot of hard work, but it is going to be incredibly rewarding to have an impact on students’ lives. I hope to set the standard for excellence in my classroom through my approach to teaching, leading by example rather than just expecting my students to work hard without me reciprocating. Approaching teaching as a profession will also push me to continue my education while I teach, honing my skills and staying up to date on the latest research.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Collaboration Tools
Collaboration Tools
Most of these tools are ones that I have used before or ones
with which I had an account. The only tool with which I was completely
unfamiliar prior to this activity was Livebinder. The sign up process
was easy and the interface seems relatively intuitive. It will probably
take me a little while to get used to it and learn what all it has to
offer.
Google and Google Drive are tools that I have used quite a lot. One of my favorite features about Google Drive is that it automatically saves your work while simultaneously allowing multiple users to work on a document. It is a great tool for projects that one needs to access from multiple computers.
I am quite familiar with Skype as well. I have friends all over the world from when I was an exchange student, so I use Skype to communicate with them. I especially like that, at least on Macs, you can video call with multiple users at one time.
Although I have never posted on YouTube, I have found it to be a useful learning tool. During my undergraduate career, I took a few online classes, and some of the videos we were required to watch came from YouTube. It is a great place to share educational material with both students and other educators.
Although I had a Twitter account prior to this activity, I had never tweeted before. I have always found the word count to be limiting. Twitter itself always seemed a bit superfluous to me because it is functionally equivalent to Facebook. I never really took the time to learn to use Twitter effectively, so maybe using it in this knew setting with allow me to see it in a whole new light.
Facebook is by far my most used social networking tool. I have always been very careful about what I post on Facebook, even going so far as to set up a system through which I have to approve posts that others tag me in. I know many teachers who have separate Facebook accounts just for their professional lives, but, at least so far, I have not felt much of a clash between my personal and professional lives. I can definitely see Facebook being a good place to collaborate with other educators.
Pinterest is a tool with such a wide range of uses. I have used it for everything from networking to wedding planning to finding craft ideas. I actually follow a few teacher friends on Pinterest, and I love seeing what awesome ideas they find. I can definitely see myself using Pinterest as a teacher both to save ideas of my own and to see what other teachers are thinking of using in their classrooms.
Because I am brand new to the world of teaching, I am a bit unfamiliar with apps that are useful. I have heard good things about ABCMouse as a learning tool for younger children, and because my interests lie with elementary schoolers, that is an app that I would love to learn more about. If any of my fellow cohort members have had any experience with it, I would love to hear all about it!
Google and Google Drive are tools that I have used quite a lot. One of my favorite features about Google Drive is that it automatically saves your work while simultaneously allowing multiple users to work on a document. It is a great tool for projects that one needs to access from multiple computers.
I am quite familiar with Skype as well. I have friends all over the world from when I was an exchange student, so I use Skype to communicate with them. I especially like that, at least on Macs, you can video call with multiple users at one time.
Although I have never posted on YouTube, I have found it to be a useful learning tool. During my undergraduate career, I took a few online classes, and some of the videos we were required to watch came from YouTube. It is a great place to share educational material with both students and other educators.
Although I had a Twitter account prior to this activity, I had never tweeted before. I have always found the word count to be limiting. Twitter itself always seemed a bit superfluous to me because it is functionally equivalent to Facebook. I never really took the time to learn to use Twitter effectively, so maybe using it in this knew setting with allow me to see it in a whole new light.
Facebook is by far my most used social networking tool. I have always been very careful about what I post on Facebook, even going so far as to set up a system through which I have to approve posts that others tag me in. I know many teachers who have separate Facebook accounts just for their professional lives, but, at least so far, I have not felt much of a clash between my personal and professional lives. I can definitely see Facebook being a good place to collaborate with other educators.
Pinterest is a tool with such a wide range of uses. I have used it for everything from networking to wedding planning to finding craft ideas. I actually follow a few teacher friends on Pinterest, and I love seeing what awesome ideas they find. I can definitely see myself using Pinterest as a teacher both to save ideas of my own and to see what other teachers are thinking of using in their classrooms.
Because I am brand new to the world of teaching, I am a bit unfamiliar with apps that are useful. I have heard good things about ABCMouse as a learning tool for younger children, and because my interests lie with elementary schoolers, that is an app that I would love to learn more about. If any of my fellow cohort members have had any experience with it, I would love to hear all about it!
Using Technology Tools and the Virtual Classroom
Using Technology Tools and the Virtual Classroom
Description: This morning, I logged onto the Virtual Classroom
session in the Tech Support Room for a class session with Robert Mace.
Other than the class meeting that we had last Sunday, this was my first
time meeting virtually for any class. During the session, Robert
discussed the Praxis exam, test taking strategies, and levels of
learning with us.
Feelings: I feel relatively confident about using the Virtual Classroom. I have not had any large technological issues yet, which was one of my biggest fears about starting the program. It felt a bit odd to be in a session with no one I had seen before because I had so recently met my cohort. I hope we get more chances to get to know each other soon. I feel a bit disconnected with them right now, which is not surprising to me because we have only met once. I just hope that I am not the only one feeling this way.
Evaluation: Robert did a great job making the session very engaging and interesting. The hour kind of flew by for me. I think this assignment was a great way to get some practice using the Virtual Classroom outside of our regular meetings. I feel like I learned a lot of valuable information, both about how to function in a Virtual Classroom and about what to expect when it comes to the Praxis.
Analysis: Getting used to being in an online classroom is going to take me a bit of time. I have always liked face-to-face classes for the personal interaction, but the convenience of online classes has also always appealed to me. I like that Teach-Now combines elements of both types of class in that we have a set group of people who we will see every week. The hardest part is going to be actually getting to know my classmates. There is not a lot of time for us to talk to each other during our weekly meetings, so I think that is going to be a challenge.
Conclusions (general): Teach-Now operates on a platform that is relatively easy to learn. The VC environment is welcoming, and it encourages active listening. The technology we are expected to use in this program outside of the VC is straightforward enough so far, and there are plenty of ways to get help if things ever do become confusing.
Conclusions (specific): For me, the biggest challenge of the virtual environment is figuring out a way to forge relationships with my classmates. We all live in different places, so meeting up for a quick cup of coffee to discuss what we learned in class is out of the questions. I need to find ways to make use of the technology that I have at my disposal to get to know my classmates. Other than that, I need to continue practicing with the technology we are expected to use. The more I am in VC sessions, the more natural it will feel.
Personal action plans: Next time, I would like to take more notes during the sessions. I know that is not something that we are required to do, but that is always something that has helped me learn in the past. Despite the VC sessions being recorded, I think it would be helpful for me to write down the most important details as class is happening. In addition to that, I am going to start brainstorming ideas of ways to get to know my classmates. Our cohort is going to be working together for the next nine months, so we all need to be comfortable with each other. I will start by making sure I am connected with each of them on social media. From there, I am hoping we are able to start forging connections by learning more about each other’s lives.
Feelings: I feel relatively confident about using the Virtual Classroom. I have not had any large technological issues yet, which was one of my biggest fears about starting the program. It felt a bit odd to be in a session with no one I had seen before because I had so recently met my cohort. I hope we get more chances to get to know each other soon. I feel a bit disconnected with them right now, which is not surprising to me because we have only met once. I just hope that I am not the only one feeling this way.
Evaluation: Robert did a great job making the session very engaging and interesting. The hour kind of flew by for me. I think this assignment was a great way to get some practice using the Virtual Classroom outside of our regular meetings. I feel like I learned a lot of valuable information, both about how to function in a Virtual Classroom and about what to expect when it comes to the Praxis.
Analysis: Getting used to being in an online classroom is going to take me a bit of time. I have always liked face-to-face classes for the personal interaction, but the convenience of online classes has also always appealed to me. I like that Teach-Now combines elements of both types of class in that we have a set group of people who we will see every week. The hardest part is going to be actually getting to know my classmates. There is not a lot of time for us to talk to each other during our weekly meetings, so I think that is going to be a challenge.
Conclusions (general): Teach-Now operates on a platform that is relatively easy to learn. The VC environment is welcoming, and it encourages active listening. The technology we are expected to use in this program outside of the VC is straightforward enough so far, and there are plenty of ways to get help if things ever do become confusing.
Conclusions (specific): For me, the biggest challenge of the virtual environment is figuring out a way to forge relationships with my classmates. We all live in different places, so meeting up for a quick cup of coffee to discuss what we learned in class is out of the questions. I need to find ways to make use of the technology that I have at my disposal to get to know my classmates. Other than that, I need to continue practicing with the technology we are expected to use. The more I am in VC sessions, the more natural it will feel.
Personal action plans: Next time, I would like to take more notes during the sessions. I know that is not something that we are required to do, but that is always something that has helped me learn in the past. Despite the VC sessions being recorded, I think it would be helpful for me to write down the most important details as class is happening. In addition to that, I am going to start brainstorming ideas of ways to get to know my classmates. Our cohort is going to be working together for the next nine months, so we all need to be comfortable with each other. I will start by making sure I am connected with each of them on social media. From there, I am hoping we are able to start forging connections by learning more about each other’s lives.
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