goal-3

3.b. Culture at a Crossroads Unit Plan

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:22:17 +0100

For Karen Macklin's ED631 Educational Psychology Class, I created a unit that included accommodations for students with a range of special needs.

Unit Plan: Cultures at a Crossroads (E)

3.a. Educational Psychology Scenarios

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:39:04 +0100

In the following assignments for ED631 Educational Psychology, Karin Macklin asked us to come up with how, as teachers, we would respond to the challenging situations below. Each of these scenarios involves a developmental or psychological issue.

MS#4. After reading Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye in your eighth-grade English class, a student comes to you and tells you that, like Holden Caulfield, he wishes to kill himself. How should you respond?

First, I would take a deep breath and remain calm.

Then, I would ask him questions. It is a fact that people who commit suicide do usually talk about it beforehand, so I would take him seriously, and seek to find out more.

-Did he ever think about killing himself before he read the book?

-Why does he want to kill himself?

-Does he have any plans to do it? How/when/where?

-Has he ever talked with someone about this desire before?

Depending on the kids’ answers, the conversation might go other directions.

In any cases, I would tell the student that, because he expressed a desire to hurt himself, that, because I care about him and his friends and his family, I am going to have to tell the counselor and perhaps other school staff. I would tell the student “we are going to continue this conversation with the counselor, (or another adult at the school if the student prefers) who might know more about this. However, I will be there, too.” Even if the kid did not really mean what he said, it is still important for him to understand the gravity of his actions. Also, because he initially opened up to me as someone to confide in, it would be important to stay involved and supportive in the process of figuring out what is going on with this kid.

I would immediately contact the front office, by sending a stapled note with another student, or sending an email. I would not allow the student to leave class alone, but would escort them to the counselor’s office, or wherever else the front office directed me to go with him. Perhaps we would stay where we were, and other adults, such as the counselor, a favorite security guard, a parent, could come to us. (It might go the direction of “Sherri is coming down [from the office] to join in on this conversation. She will knock when she gets here, and I will let her in.”)

A troubled boy in your ninth-grade class refuses even to try to do his schoolwork. He believes nothing he does will make any difference, and he sees himself as doomed to fail in school. What steps can you take to help him?

Here are some quick ideas that come to mind:

I attempt to find out his interests and get to know him as a person. I talk with his other teachers and counselors to try and discover how he acts in other classes, if he expresses these same sentiments elsewhere, and if they have any insight or tips. I let him know that I know that he can succeed in school, and cite specific qualities about him that attest to his likely success. Based on what I know about him and his other classes, I try and subtley introduce him to learning topics that might not be directly related to school, but involve reading, writing and math. I talk with his parents to find out about his passions and what motivates him in other areas of his life. I look for cues as to career ambitions that might require school and try to help him work out a “contract” with himself to help him to complete high school. I keep an eye out for extracurricular activities to try and get him attached to the school and motivated to try, if not for academic or career reasons, at least so that he can compete in sports.

MS#4

Your ninth-grade class does not grasp the meaning of the term “insight.” What exercises or activities can you use to make them appreciate what insight is and why it is important in learning.

The definition of insight is “the capacity to see into the true or inner nature of a situation.”

1) I would ask the students, in partners, to break the word into two words. (“In” and “sight”). I would then ask them to define each of the words. Then ask them which two ways they could order the words. We would go over these responses as a class, and come up with the following.

a. “In” before “sight” means that an object is within a viewer’s perception. It is in their line of sight. Someone can see something.

b. “Sight” before “in” implies that someone is looking into something and can then see it.

2) We would then create a class skit. Two characters would be confused about a particular situation. The student with the magical “insight” glasses can see what is going on (i.e. they look around at the students holding the cue cards explaining the situations and can read them, “I.e. Lady Macbeth fears her own mortality”. The other student acts confused until he or she gets the glasses and can understand the situation too. From then on, we can cite this activity, asking which character in the book has their “insight” glasses on and which characters are “blind” to the situation.

HS#2

Your tenth graders are obsessed with achieving performance-oriented goals, such as getting an A, instead of with accomplishing meaningful learning. You want them to focus on mastery of important concepts and material. How can you show your students the shortcomings of having performance goals and the benefits of mastery-oriented goals?

1) Have students design tests for one another to take. They will probably try and stump one another to get A’s rather than focusing on larger concepts. Try and discuss the larger concepts with the class afterward. Discuss with the class what was ineffective about these students’ tests.

2) Give students essay tests rather than multiple choice. Give them all of the possible essay questions in advance. Make them broad mastery-level questions.

3) Have a two week unit in which students are doing challenging group projects, in which their primary grade is based on intellectual risk-taking and general mastery of the material. Make the project in a media in which students are unused to working – put the whole unit’s history info into song .They will be graded on mastery of the material, intellectual risk-taking, etc. Initial failures will be encouraged as the sign of ambition – the group with the best, most ambitious documented initial failure will be taken out to lunch with the teacher. Afterward, we would hold a series of discussions about the (hopefully) creative and intellectually stimulating output, or at least the purpose of the exercise.

4) As the class continues, dropping the lowest grade in one out of four major projects, but maintaining intellectual and artistic risk-taking as a component of the grading rubric during major projects and papers.

HS# 3

How would you balance the lessons of a physics unit on energy that introduces new ideas (i.e., concepts that students must change their current cognitive schemas to accommodate) with lessons that focus on filling gaps in knowledge (i.e., facts the students can assimilate into their current cognitive structures)?

In order that students do not become overwhelmed by new information that challenges existing schemas, I would seek to organize my lesson plan such that the lessons requiring the accommodation of existing schemas are interspersed with those that involve simply assimilating the new knowledge in with existing knowledge.

In presenting the lessons that require assimilation, (for example, learning what an “adverb” is) I would do my best to do a thorough review of the information whenever possible, (for example, asking “Who remembers from last year what an adjective is? A verb? What cues do these examples give you?”) and perhaps even create a diagram for students to fill out that helps them place the new information in with the existing information in a visually organized manner. This orientation would be intended to give the students confidence in their new knowledge by placing it into the “big picture” that they have already partially painted.

When possible, at the start of a particular topic or a particular day, I would endeavor to start with an assimilation-type lesson, and build from there into lessons that require more accommodation, thus building students’ confidence in their abilities as we move into the more difficult, schema-challenging lessons.

Prior to the more difficult schema-challenging lesson, I would seek to poll students (and/or their former teachers) in advance and review their existing understandings and beliefs about the topic of study. Presenting these at the beginning of the lesson, I would explain to students how the new knowledge challenges or complicates elements of their existing understandings, inform them that it may be confusing at first, but I am certain they will understand it by the time we are through, and then start into the schema-challenging lesson.

3.a. Educational Psychology Positions

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:37:44 +0100

In the following assignments for ED631, Educational Psychology, Karin Macklin asked us to take a stand on an important psychological issue.

Gardner’s Theory specifies eight distinct and important multiple intelligences. In contrast, Spearman’s theory specifies just a single important general ability (and unimportant specific abilities). As a teacher, which theory appeals to you more, and why? Which theory would lend itself better to being used in the classroom?

As a scientist, I have the belief that intelligence is actually a narrowly-defined construct. As Binet originally intended it to be used, “intelligence” constituted a measure of success in traditional schools. Since Binet’s times, our schools have evolved to be constructed with broader aims - to serve all students of all backgrounds, every race, gender, ethnicity, etc. together. As a result, the old definition of intelligence, as Spearman’s construct has followed, has been thought of as too narrow or vague, perhaps politically incorrect or exclusive.

As a teacher, it is helpful these days to think of multiple realms of skills and abilities in students as important to their achievement in school and life. I care a lot whether my students are skillful at interacting with each other, whether they excel athletically, whether they are aware of the moods of those around them, whether they have artistic interests or abilities. Whether these areas can or should be termed “intelligence” by scientists is an altogether different debate. At what point do we stop splitting hairs?

I think the best solution is to recognize each students for whichever abilities and talents they possess (even if it means telling a student you suspect is somewhat sociopathic in upsetting your classroom management that he is charismatic, presidential-style). “Intelligence” is such a loaded word, that I am not sure that I find it to be an appropriate or useful method of labeling or characterizing my students, especially to one another.

What do you think is more important in leading someone to achieve good grades in schools – genes or environment?

All that you can control as a teacher is a small part of the students’ environment.

Genetics are, of course an important factor initial factor in determining a students’ ability level, and will certainly affect a students’ diagnosis of special needs status, and influence their Zone of Proximal Development. However, labeling students based on their genetic abilities more generally is unhelpful, and can produce stereotype threats and self-fulfilling prophesies.

Happily, all genetic expression is directly controlled by the environment; our experiences determine what genes are switched on and off, throughout our development, even into old age. Essentially, as teachers, we can do our best to work the switchboard!

Teachers should also work to positively influence environments outside of the classroom, by promoting or hosting extracurricular activities, such as athletics, Drama Debate and Forensics, language clubs, community service groups, art and drama opportunities. Teachers should also do their best to promote a healthy home environment, through making materials available to parents, communicating with parents, teaching good study habits, and, when necessary, being an advocate for the child.

3.b. Refer to TWS

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:32:20 +0100

Please refer to Factor 1 (pages 2-10) and Factor 4 (page 21-31) of my Teacher Work Sample for evidence that I have met performance 3.b.:

Teacher Work Sample

3.d. Refer to Evaluations

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:23:49 +0100

Please refer to my Final Intern Evaluation for evidence that I have met performance 3.d. For Goal 3, I received a rating of “6”: “Exceeds Goals”.

Intern Evaluation, Spring 2011 (Goal 3)
Please note that this final evaluation summarizes all relevant material from my Fall Intern Evaluation.

3.c. Uniquely Alaskan Unit Plan

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:10:24 +0100

In Spring 2011, as part of the ED600 Alaska Studies class taught by Tom Pennington, I created a "uniquely Alaskan Lesson Plan". This backwards-design lesson plan teaches students about the literary movements of naturalism and realism as they read Jack London's "To Build a Fire" and incorporates lessons on hypothermia (including a fun quiz), lessons on writing descriptively using the five sense (after getting semi-hypothermic), a "uniquely Alaskan" class speaker, and a lesson in writing proper thank you notes (for the class speaker).

Uniquely Alaskan Unit
Hypothermia Quiz
To Build a Fire by Jack London
To Build a Fire / Naturalism Questions
Thank You Notes

3.c. School-Community Relations Journal

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:05:57 +0100

At the end of each day in ED612 School - Community Relations class, our professor, Bernie Gurule, gave us a prompt for our journals. The prompt ranged from quotes that capture a major issue relating to school-community relations to important ethical questions that arose during class to asking use to consider, how, individually, we should maintain balance in our lives. In many of the essays, I connected my responses to the particular community in which I teach, West Anchorage High School. Below is my journal, consisting of 11 essays and responses.

To read these essays from GoogleDocs, click the link below:

Community Relations Journal

3.b. Portfolio Writing: Differentiating Instruction

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:07:47 +0100

Written June 2011

Portfolio Writing:

Differentiating Instruction

Write a paper in which you discuss the various aspects of your units that accommodate learners of different styles, cultures, and learning disabilities.

In my units, I connect themes to make the lessons relevant to students of all cultural backgrounds. In my “Culture at a Crossroads” unit, I use To Kill a Mockingbird as a jumping off point for discussing the civil rights movement in the American South, and then connect this theme to the Alaskan Civil Rights movement. West High School is highly diverse, with a majority-minority population (40% Caucasian); my classes this year included Chinese, Korean, Samoan, Pacific Islander, Sudanese, Filipino, Hmong, Hispanic, African-American, Native Alaskan and Caucasian students. The content is relevant to all students in our classroom, regardless of their race and backgrounds, as we will be emphasizing the connections between various civil rights movements in the state and nation of their citizenship. These movements which have directly affected their lives and opportunities, and the lives and opportunities of their parents; they have directly determined who has the right to sit in the classroom; they have defined “peer groups”.

Similarly, in the House on Mango Street Unit I taught this year, we explored the concept of the American Dream, it’s elusive nature, and the importance of hope in immigrant literature. Students were able to relate to the issues faced by first-generation immigrants based on their own personal experiences and the experiences of their parents (70% of my English 10 class are first or second-generation immigrants). By having them complete a short writing assignment about their own immigration experiences, they were able to connect their stories to that of the narrator. Students also learned about issues faced by female immigrants and explored the evolving role of women revealed by this female author and narrator. As my class consisted of 7 females and 20 males, many of whom came from backgrounds with more constricted views of women’s roles, depicting this theme through a narrative, emotional form helped to educate my male students in the evolution of American gender-based social norms in a non-threatening manner.

In my Culture at a Crossroads Unit, my “characters in courage” assignment accommodated learners of many different styles and abilities. In teacher-assigned mixed groups of three, students traced one of their bodies on a large piece of construction paper to create a life-sized poster. They were given either fictional character from To Kill a Mockingbird or a non-fictional character from the Alaskan civil rights movement (Ms. Dubose, Atticus, Tom Robinson, Aunt Alexandra, Elizabeth Peratovich, Alberta Adams, and Scout). In the provided graphic organizer, students mapped out various traits of the character: Physical appearance, character traits (adjectives), profession/societal role, examples of courage in their actions, and examples of cowardice (each character has demonstrated both). In addition to this information, students also decorated their posters to make them look like the characters. Afterward, we had a class-wide discussion in which we addressed essential questions about courageousness (In what ways do these characters manifest their courage differently? Why do they manifest them differently? How do their demonstrations of cowardice reflect upon their demonstrations of courage? Is courage particular to certain times and places more than others?). This lesson utilizes five of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, including linguistic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence.

This unit also involved making a variety of accommodations for students with different learning abilities. I assigned the non-fiction characters to groups with two upper-level students, as students had had less exposure to these characters and we had not reviewed them much in class. I put learning-disabled students in groups with at least one on-task helpful peer and assigned them the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird who we had discussed the most. In some cases, I provided “starter” answers or assigned fewer traits to be listed on the graphic organizer. A had a couple of learning-disabled students in my class who struggled with linguistic activities and abstract thinking, but who were very good artists and had excellent handwriting. By self-assigning roles within their groups, such as “scribe”, “illustrator”, and “text expert”, students were able to capitalize on their strengths to create collaborative projects that they were proud to present.

3.c. Multicultural Education Journal (9 Essays)

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:37:49 +0100

About three times per week Jody Smothers-Marcello assigned us a journal/essay topic in ED680 Multicultural Education class in which we responded to reading or materials and issues we encountered in class. Most of the essays address issues of concern at West Anchorage High School, my alma mater and the school at which I student-taught. Many of these essays touched on issues of applying local and Alaskan knowlege. See essays #1, #2, #5, #7, and #10.

To view the journal, click here: Multicultural Education Journal

3.a. Multicultural Education Journal (9 Essays)

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:38:11 +0100

About three times per week Jody Smothers-Marcello assigned us a journal/essay topic in ED680 Multicultural Education class in which we responded to reading or materials and issues we encountered in class. Most of the essays address issues of concern at West Anchorage High School, my alma mater and the school at which I student-taught. Many of these essays covered the issue of differentiating instruction with respect to individual backgrounds. See essays #1, #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, and #9. Jody Smother-Marcello's comments are included.

To view the journal, click here: Multicultural Education Journal