Online and lovin' it!!

20 inches of snow couldn't keep our class down tonight, and what a great interactive class it was! Nicholas began with his micro-teaching about assessment and we all participated in giving our thoughts on what assessment meant. Throughout the rest of the class we really concentrated on assessment and standards.

In studying assessment, the word diagnostic really represents my understanding. It's like going to the doctor when you've had symptoms for years. If you had gone sooner, the ailments could have been healed. The same thing goes for a student who goes through school without being properly assessed or diagnosed. Through authentic assessment, a student can be regularly monitored. No one slips through the cracks with this type of assessment. Everyone has to participate and give feedback.

National Standards ensure that teachers are all on the same page. A teacher can assume that a new student coming into the fourth grade classroom has been taught the skills and concepts within the standards for kindergarten through third - Systemic Learning. Standards also provide a focus for teachers. They can match their assessments to the exams as well as the materials to the standards.

I agree that assessment should be used in the beginning because the teacher can prepare how to serve her students best. Through KWHL charts, observation, questioning and an array of other revealing tools, a teacher can assess and measure where the child is in relation to the standards.

This is a whole new way of learning for me as a returning student. My first class with Dr. Smirnova was such a learning experience. Now I understand why Dr. S. uses authentic assessment. It seems hard at first, but by the end of the class you realize what happened. You learned!! When you are given the tools to obtain the information you are strengthening your ability to learn. The learning is much more memorable and I can become part of the whole experience.

Thinking & Processing Theories

It was a great review to discuss the learning theories tonight. I love learning about the different concepts behind each theory. Each group emphasized the main points and trends of their theory which made it easy to understand. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Multiple Intelligences & Emotional Intelligences, Brain-Compatible Theories and Social Constructivism all discuss the way patterns and processing information can help you learn. A teacher should be able to really examine and reflect on their teachings to learn how to make improvements in their teaching, as well as creating an adaptable environment for learning and critical thinking. I wouldn't think that the same theory would work for everyone all the time. Using some concepts from each theory can maximize learning.

It was great to meet and listen to one of Dr. Smirnova's past students. It was encouraging to hear her positive experiences and know that all this hard work will pay off.

Gearing Up for Learning

This is how I view the components of a pedagogical system. I feel that the teacher, student, family and community all turn each other. I have given myself qualities that I think are important and how I can incorporate and stay interactive with the students, family and community. If a problem occurs, such as poor collaboration, it would be like sand getting in the gears. The operations within a classroom wouldn't run as smoothly. In looking at my diagram again, I should have also included school standards.

Planning=Security

As an education major, imagine going before a group of people and being told you must speak on nuclear fusion. What would you do? Being knowledgeable about the subject you present is key and planning will help you achieve a successful lesson. Clearly defining your goals and objectives will allow a teacher to guide the students on an exciting learning adventure. I've found that planning also allows you to incorporate the right amount of information in your lesson within your time limit.

Too sequential?? Linear Rational Model of Planning

In studying the Linear-Rational Model of Planning, a few things stood out immediately. The figure displays a very rigid and controlled sequential process. I believe that it leaves very little room for flexibility and seems restrictive. Learning occurs in many different situations. This figure could include a component which would allow for research and communication between the students and teacher. The teacher must allow for more interactive time. In my opinion, the arrows in the figure should be arranged in more of a circular motion where many other inputs of resources can be examined.

Reflection on Group Philosophy Teaching - Jigsaw Learning

I was confident about the information I had to teach my group about Perennialism and Essentialism. However, I think I had too much information. I have learned that part of planning is choosing which information is critical without overloading your students with unnecessary information. Everyone in the group provided visuals for their philosophy, and from their teachings, I was able to get an A+ on the Quizlet Quiz. Great job!!

I really enjoyed this type of learning. Jigsaw learning allows you to make sure you're on the right track by first meeting with an expert group. You really do become an expert because you get other group members definitions. Each definition brought another characteristic of the philosophy to the table. Enjoyable experience.

Quizlet Quiz Results - How did you score?

A+
100%

Take the test:

http://quizlet.com/720188/test/

Assessment IN, AS, and FOR Learning (Video)

Assessment can be monitored many ways when teaching. I found it most interesting when assessment is used FOR learning because it involves learners actively and allows a student to move to the level of metacognition. I'm glad that there is a movement toward this assessment instead of the feedback being just a grade. This summative type of assessment provides feedback that gives little direction or advice for learning. Rather than waiting to see how a student does on a test at the end of a unit, a teacher can formatively assess throughout the lesson and focus on how the student can improve and progress to succeed. Learning is then enhanced for the student and teaching becomes a process rather than a lecture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUU36eWscSg

Cognitivism + Humanism = Sally

In taking the Educational Philosophies Self-Assessment I found that my philosophical preferences lie in both Cognitivism/Constructivism and Humanism, with Progressivism coming in close behind. This doesn't surprise me because I always want people to do the best they can. In the process of trying and exploring, a pedagogical experience occurs.

2 1/2 years ago a tragic event happened in my life....I could have chosen to take the easy way out and give up, but I am striving to reach my goal successfully. I can apply my experience to teaching because I want to see others succeed as well. I agree that people have a natural tendency to learn and if you encourage it and give them the right conditions to grow, the learning process will bloom. It's what you as a teacher make of the classroom. If students are getting a good "vibe" from you, I think it encourages them.

Every day is an experience and we learn to create, understand, and perceive through these experiences. I believe that one of the biggest roles of a teacher is to support the student.

The Appeal of Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner's 7 kinds of intelligence allows for seven different ways to approach teaching rather than one. Teachers need to attend to all the intelligences because it is simply a useful way to broaden the focus. The multiple intelligences makes teachers aware of different styles and types of learners and lets the teacher take advantage of those differences. I think it's exciting to involve all the intelligences. The cycle of learning will be a unique and exciting experience everyday.

'Never let school interfere with your education.' - Mark Twain.

Anticipate the anticipatory

I was excited to learn about anticipatory set because I have never even heard of it before. It's comforting to know that there is a way to grab the attention of students and get them to focus on the lesson. I've read that you can have the student relate the topic to their personal experience. This allows the teacher to find out what and how much of the topic they know and also grabs their attention. I like the idea of using a video to hook the students. I'll have to research "attention grabbers" and surprise everyone when it's my turn to micro teach.

It was a refresher for me to see the KWL chart. It really is an interesting tool to use when you want to achieve a goal. It makes you think about what your goal is and how you can achieve it.

What!! I thought I had it covered!

Apparently my definition of learning and teaching was a bit slim. I thought that a student takes the knowledge given by the teacher and ta da -- learning occurs!! I didn't realize that the teacher has to arrange the right conditions for the students to learn independently. It makes sense and it's making sense for a lot of kids too. This kind of teaching motivates students and gets them involved in their own learning process.

The Learning Circle - Factors in classroom teaching and learning

The child and the teacher enter from two different directions. The child is inexperienced and the teacher is a skilled professional. They both bring their own skills and strategies for learning and teaching. The child brings his or her coping and processing abilities. This all takes place within the learning environment of the classroom. What the teacher presents, as well as the peer relationships and interactions, all affect the learning outcomes and social consequences within the classroom. These are factors that create a learning circle. The student and teacher continuously "feed" off each other as they each learn from each other.

This video, Bloom and Gardner Go High Tech, discusses how children are bombarded with technology today. We must incorporate technology into teaching. This new generation has a whole new set of learning and teaching gadgets. Let's use them to our advantage!

What is learning?

Learning takes place when a teacher arranges the conditions to create a supportive learning environment. In that environment, a learner is able to use the information to actively engage in a learning process. A successful lesson is one that benefits all the students and the teacher. Everyone learns and grows together.

Curriculum

"Anything and everything that teaches a lesson, planned or otherwise."

"American culture is hard to pin down because it is layered and highly eclectic."

http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/neu_review_bransford.htm

Curriculum is one of those words that represents so much more than you think. Curriculum comes from and is affected by many different entities. I believe that children learn something from every situation and encounter. The lesson could be as simple as returning a smile, or as big as being influenced by mass media. The word curriculum is as layered as a sedimentary rock with each layer having characteristics which reflect changing environments of deposition.

Are you engaged?

People learn by being engaged and grasping the concepts and information that they are taught. I agree that teachers must draw out and work with the preexisting understandings that their students bring with them and that the schools and classrooms must be learner centered. An uninviting atmosphere that does not value your input is like a one way street, you can't turn around and ask questions!!