Schools That Learn

Teachers love to complain. Lack of resources, lack of cooperation, lack of motivation. It seems some teachers let the negatives stop and prevent them from moving forward. As a community in a school teachers and administrators need to stop and ask themselves the following questions. Why do we exist? What do we want to accomplish? What do we stand for? and most importantly What do we believe about teaching and learning?

Things are constantly changing around us, from technology to laws. Schools need to do the same. We need to refocus their goals and collaboratively come up with a way to achieve them. However, with the NYS Standards and Tests it can be difficult to come up with exciting programs.

Isn't the goal of schools to prepare the students for the future. If that is the case then aren't we suppose to model and teach them how to take care of themselves, think for themselves and problem solve. Schools should not just be a place where students are "given" knowledge. There is so much more a school could offer.

It is imperative for the school community to work together for a common goal. There should be ongoing collaborative assessments, school quality reviews, students input and ongoing dialogue. So teachers, stop complaining and get motivated. Motivation and enthusiasm is contagious...and isn't that what we want? Having students excited to learn.

What am I going to do? Well I would encourage my colleagues to try and do the following: Make learning fun, meaningful and authentic. In my Social Studies class last year I gave the assignment of "Learn Whatever You Want." The students were able to pick a topic and just learn about it. Then they gave a presentation or a lesson on the topic. Some students did PowerPoints, Reports, posters, cooked food...etc...The students were motivated about learning and excited to listen to their peers. If I could do this everyday then I would be on my way of reaching my goals as a teacher.

Digital Photograpy Project

project farryl, melissa and dennis

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project farryl, melissa and dennis

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The way it was

Nawlins

I Am So Much Cooler Online

Ability Grouping

I am frequently reassessing my students for placement into
different groups in ELA. These are groups are arranged so it is easy
to reassign the students based on student progress and topic of
lesson. At the beginning of each year I receive an Individual
Evaluation Plan (IEP) for each of my students. On these reports the
students WAIS and Stanford Binet IQ test scores are present. They
are placed in the self-contained classroom based upon these
scores. I use heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping in my
classroom based upon lesson and topic.

I have a 90-minute ELA block for my 11 self-contained special
education 7th grade students. The program we is a called Read 180
which is remedial reading and writing program which is structured
into three groups. One group uses the computer program, which
touches on different ELA skills. This program keeps track of their
progress. Also I am able to print out reports based upon different
skills, Main Idea, Inference, etc. I am able to use these reports to
group my students in the appropriate homogenous group for a
specific topic.

The second station of Read 180 is small group instruction. This is
the group that is teacher facilitated and focuses on a specific
reading or writing skill. It is very helpful to be able to work in a
small group of students that are on similiear levels. This allows me
to provide adequate direct instruction for each group.

The third group is independent reading. This is the time where the
students can pick a leveled book and enjoy reading. There are
packets and project that accompanies each book. Since the
students are group homogeneously they can work together on
these books and questions.

I incorporate a myriad of teaching techniques in my lessons. Since I
am teaching students with disabilities it is important to present the
information in a variety of ways. I feel the ELA program I have set
up in my class reaches both the Global and the Analytical learner.
This is important so all of the learning styles are met for each
student.

I agree a teacher must take many factors into consideration while
planning their day. I also believe this comes with experience and
being in tune to behavior and performance in the class. According
to LEARING STYLES – UTILIZE YOUR POTENTIAL PowerPoint, there
are perceptual, environmental, emotional, psychological,
physiolgical, sociological elements in the classroom which effect
learning.

I know I am teaching differently after lunch, than before. I try to
incorporate more reading in the morning as opposed to after lunch.
This is because the students focus more in the morning. Also there
are certain students I can not have work together after lunch,
because they dont ”play well” and they come back annoyed.
However, before lunch they work wonderfully togehter.

The learning of environment in my classroom are always
differentiated. Some students learn best walking around or
standing while reading. Other students like to be near the window.
I also have a lounging beach chair that one of my students uses to
do work. As a teacher it is important to be aware of the different
needs, ability accordingly.

Where in the World is Farryl?

Learners Differences

As a self-contained special education teacher, I often find myself frustrated. Even though my students are between a 2nd grade and 3rd grade reading level, I must teach the same 7th grade curriculum and prepare them for the 7th grade state assessments. Not only do my students have learning disabilities they are all at different academic and social/emotional levels as well. I cannot treat my students the same for these reasons. According to Gardner, “human being have a wide range of intellectual strengths and weakness, and that strength in one area does not predict strength or weakness in other areas.” This is why I really need to understand the individual student and foster a learning environment accordingly.

In the wake of No Child Left Behind there is such an emphasis on performance of standardized assessments. In some schools right before the ELA assessment they will not teach anything else and just review for the test. Practice, Practice, Practice……But is that learning? These kids are practicing how to take a test. Can these skills translate into a skill that will be beneficial for their “real” life?

I agree with Gardner’s opinion that multiple intelligences cannot be accomplished in the face of No Child Left Behind and standards based education. This law has made it difficult for the educator to provide a learning environment that prepares students with the ability and skills to become a moral and accomplished worker and a good citizen. Gardner used an analogy in an online chat with graduate students, which compared students and athletes. He explained that if he were interested in looking an athlete’s ability he would not devise a test to assess bodily-kinestic intelligence. He would want to see how well the athletic could perform at the sport, throw a ball, etc… This seems to be the problem with standardized tests; they are not necessarily measuring what students need too know and not taking into consideration the multiple intelligence of their students.

Educators have the challenge of nourishing multiple intelligence in the class when there is such pressure to cover a vast amount of material in a school year. Many teachers I know stress out when they are a little behind the schedule of what they are “suppose” to be teaching. Their mantra is “ I have to get through this chapter by the end of the week.” However, are the students learning? Is this just a class full of students getting into a verbal memory situation? Multiple Intelligence can be integrated into these classes. Students must synthesize these ideas for themselves. Educators should reflect on their teaching techniques and focus on MI in the class for the benefit of all students by offering opportunities for choices in the class.

Developmental Psychology 101

After reading about cognitive theories, especially Piaget and Vygotsky, I would probably apply Vygotskian principles through my teaching. I believe that principles such as dialogue, scaffolding, co-constructed knowledge, and cultural tools are all important aspects in a students learning. Students who are exposed to these principles will hopefully internalize and utilize them at later stages of their life. Piaget proposed many educational strategies, such as discovery learning with an emphasis on activity and play, which I would use in my classroom. However, I feel that Vygotsky’s importance of social interactions and co-constructed knowledge is more applicable in my special education classroom.

Piaget and Vygotsky also differ in how they approach discovery learning. Piaget believed in discovery learning with little teacher intervention, while Vygotsky promoted guided discovery in the classroom. During Guided Discover the teacher should offer intriguing questions to students and have them discover the answers through testing them out. Students should be engaged during the discovery process. However the teacher is still giving assistance. Students do have problems remembering and applying concepts. They memorize for a test and it is like after they take it, what the “learned” disappears right out of their brain. This is because they are not learning it…..short term memory is not learning…it is only temporary.

Since my classroom in so diverse I am sensitive to her student's cultural background and language. I am trying to learn Spanish and French Creole from the students. They think it is funny when I try to speak some words I learned in class. Apparently I have a very bad Spanish and French accent. Teacher Student role reversal is a great way for students to plan and organize data and information. Also they can use technology to help present the information and this will enable them to problem solve in an authentic manner.

In conclusion, my focus is to provide assistance to special education students needs. I can do this through utilizing many educational resources and including providing cultural tools. I provide for group and peer learning, in order for students to support each other through the discovery process. Depending what I am teaching, I pair or group the students homogenously or heterogeneously. I try to mix it up a little since I feel both grouping techniques have benefits. Social interaction is imperative in development. There are a myriad of technology tools that can be useful for these strategies. Open-ended Projects, Interactive Websites, interactive graphic organizers, making commercials or their own instructional videos, Photostory, Spresents, Powerpoint, Podcasts, etc..
These tools could be a good way for students to use their creativity while exploring new concepts. Perhaps if students construct their own knowledge, while working in a social, real life situation, they will remember more because they will actually learn the information instead of “trying to remember it for the test.”

Cognitive Views of Learning

Darfur: Is It Genocide?


Create Your Own


Bruner believed that the desire to learn and to undertake problem solving could be activated by devising problem activities in which students would explore alternative solutions. Based on this the teacher must pose a problem that would interest the students to solve. For this module, I have picked a lesson about what is going on in Darfur. Many education politicians are convinced there is genocide taking place and the United States should intervene. However, there are also many other politicians that do not think it is genocide. So this is the proposal to the students: Is what is happening in Darfur genocide?

Bruner felt it is imperative to structure the information and ideas in a very clear way so the students can easily understand it. Students must understand the concept of what genocide is. Bruner believed there were three ways information could be represented: symbolic, iconic or enactive. For my purposes I would use symbolic representation and show political cartoons and pictures of historical genocides. I would also show images of people in Darfur.

The lesson will be structured sequential. Bruner believes that students should be able to “grasp, transform and transfer” information. First, students will use a map to find where the Sudan and Darfur is located. They will go on to the world fact book online to find information about the region. Students will work in small groups and they do most of the discovering. As the lesson progresses thee information will become more difficult. Students will ultimately watch videos, read articles, view images, use the Internet to view voting history about Darfur. Students will then make a PowerPoint based upon their belief, genocide or not? Students will discover and test their own hypothesis.

Motivating the students throughout the process is another important part of Bruner’s discovery learning. Ultimately the goal is to have a classroom of intrinsically motivated students. However, as a teacher it is important to continually do whatever needs to be done to extrinsically motivate those students that need that little push.

David Ausubel believes that concepts and principles are presented and not discovered. The lesson on “Is There a Genocide In Darfur” would be presented very differently using Ausubel’s ideas of exposition.
First off the concept will be explained to the students. They will get a clear-cut definition of what genocide is. The teacher will give any vocabulary relating to this lesson to the students. Students will not “discover” learning.

The facts on Darfur will be carefully organized and complete in a student friendly, efficient manner. There will be graphic organizers with the most basic concept down to supporting and specific details. A Venn Diagram will be given to compare and contrast Darfur and the Holocaust. (Establishing Prior Knowledge)
Students then take information and make a PowerPoint on the Genocide in Darfur.

These lessons support the idea of transfer in many ways. The students are learning how to find information via Internet and print materials. Students are also taught different reading strategies throughout their careers. These strategies should be used whenever they can in or out of the classroom. For example, READS: Review headings, Examine boldface words, Ask questions and Do and Summarize, Using Charts, and assessing what they learned. Students are also encourage to used visual tools to help organized their thoughts and information. Concept Mapping, Webs, Venn Diagrams, Charts, Timelines, etc. They are students are given constant feedback by teacher on how to improve their work and strategies. Since the steps are sequential and broken down the students can remember the steps easily when presented with a real life problem. Of course the more practice they get the easier it will become to use strategies in an authentic manner

Metacognition: Thinking About Thinking

I really studied my hardest my freshman year in college. I went to the library daily and read over my notes. I was actually really proud of my efforts. But when it came to tests and especially midterms I bombed. It boggled my mind when I received my report card and I had a horrible GPA. I went and spoke to my professors and pleaded my case about all of the hard work and studying I did all semester long. My English Professor spoke to me about how I studied. He was convinced I did so poorly was I didn't know how to study. He was right. Once I got some help on how to study it was smooth sailing.

That is my goal with my students when it comes to tests and pretty much everything....teach them how to teach themselves.

Students should be aware of what they are learning, what their goal is and what they all ready know. They need to plan on how they will reach their goals. What kind of materials will they need, how much time, will they need assistance. Finally students should reflect on their work. What part of the learning process was positive or negative. What can they do differently next time to improve their learning.

Teaching students to think about their thinking is an important concept. As a teacher I need to know and understand how my students learn. I am constantly differentiating, using multiple intelligence and modeling how to learn. Students need to understand about how they learn best. My goal is to present the information in a myriad of ways and hopeful one way will stick in the child’s long term memory. Using analogies and assessing prior knowledge is a must in the classroom. This is a constant challenge because the student’s knowledge base is very limited. So how can I get them to think about thinking?

I constantly tell the students to find a technique that works for them. Mnemonics, Acronyms, visualization, singing, rhyming, drawing pictures, coping, rereading, rewriting, saying the information over and over again. Anything. They just really need to understand what works best for them.

One thing I use is the class, which seems to work with my students who usually are hands on learners…is drawing. One concept we learn in science is Taxonomy Classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Species). The students make a sentence using each letter and then draw a picture…..For example: King Phillip Can Order Five Giant Sundaes. They can make up any sentence they want and draw a picture. The students do have a choice though on how to learn the order of the organization of living things, however most of them think this technique helps them remember it. I do have students from last year that remember this information and the project they did. They thought it was fun.Mmmmm they remembered something they thought was fun...what a concept. Make learning fun....and ....teach the students to have fun when they learn....could work.

Students are also taught to use of a plethora of graphic organizers, the 4 Square Writing Technique and 6+1 Writing. The students are taught different strategies to write and it is up to them on which one to use. The students “think about” what works best for them and have a choice of their technique.

Group work is very prevalent in my class. In the beginning of the year students are paired up and we experiment with different combinations. Students then get a chance to choose whom they think they work best with. When I first started teaching I would have never done that. I thought students would just want to work with their friends. However, I have found that this does work. They think about whom they work well with and take ownership over their choices. It is surprising on the choices they make and they really choose the right people to work with.

In theory self regulation would be optimal for a student who is intrinsically motivated to learn. Self-regulation, or systematic efforts to direct thoughts, feelings, and actions, toward the attainment of one's goals (Zimmerman, 2000). It is important for students to identify their goals and have a plan on how to reach them. As a teacher it is just as important to guide the students and model effective strategies they may use to succeed. However, in practice this can be challenging.

I teach a 7th grade self-contained special education class. Most of these students are on a first grade reading level and have very poor comprehension. Inference and making connections is very difficult for them. Since they are in a public school I am required to teach them the New York State 7th grade curriculum. This is very challenging. By the time these students get to me they are not motivated to learn anything that is challenging, are quick to give up and expect the teaching assistant to spoon feed the information to them. Self-fulfilling prophecy…they are so used to failing. It is easier not to set a goal. Then you can fail if you don’t try. It is my goal at the beginning of each year to motivate the students and challenge them to become more independent. Yeah....also make learning fun...well at least enjoyable....

My mantra in my class is, “Everyone gets treated differently because you are all different.” This is difficult in the beginning of the year because the students expect to all be treated the same.....but they are not…equal but not the same. They all have different learning styles, different levels (socially, emotionally and academically) and all need different approaches. Some students need to be pat on the back or just looked at where another student needs to be spoken to sternly…Differentiate learning…differentiated teaching and classroom management. One of the strategies I use is the students are given logs. They are to right in them everyday of what work they accomplished and what they need to continue to work on. This gives the students some ownership on their learning. I also use checklists where the students can cross off an assignment after they are done. They are monitoring their own learning. I use Studywiz and put many of their assignments online. This way the students can work at their own pace and go back when they need review. Again- ownership of their own learning.

Technology is very important. We use the computers daily in the class. We watch movies, listen to podcasts, type information, research or go into interactive websites about information we are learning in class.

I agree with Dale , H. Schunk that students should set goals for themselves. However, I think it is imperetive to teach the students to set small goals for themselves. Once they understand the concept of “baby steps” they become more motivated and get excited to cross things off of their lists. They also feel a sense of accomplishment. Within the self-contained classroom I am able to allow the students to become more responsible for their learning, however I just need to assist them in how to organize and give some guidance. Once they have that , it is amazing on how they check each other and work together towards their goals. They realize what works for them and what doesn't.

Numero Tres

Commerical Numero Dos

Health Commerical

Melissa Label teaches my class Health. We decided to do a cross-curricular activity combining Health and ELA. Melissa taught the class about healthy and not so healthy eating. McDonald's commercials were watched and the students were challenged to come up with a catchy, fun commercial as well. The only catch was....it had to be for a healthy product. Our class made three commercials...here is the first one....Enjoy!

Please Give Me Something To LOOK At!

Currently I am trying not to scream in frustration at the top of my lungs. Besides being a special education teacher, I dabble in Casualty and Property insurance. Being a teacher, I have the opportunity to co-exist as both. Anyway, every two years I have to sit in 16 hours of continuing education credits...So, this is my current location....sitting in on a LECTURE of insurance babble. NO videos, NO pictures, NO visuals, NO technology Only the sound of the teachers voice....Now, even though the teacher is a cute little man....I am done listening...He is not even walking around....sitting behind his desk popping Tylenol for back pain. I think he is saying the same thing over and over again.... Every so often there is a wave of laughter throughout the class....I guess so people are able to focus....not me....I am what I teach... Short attention spans and the need to be intrigued. I am so not interested in what is going on....Now, I understand why my students doodle, tap, count ceiling tiles when I am discussing "facts" with them.....I need Pictures, Videos, Charts, Music, Cartoons anything to explain the information without boring them to death. Students, I understand.....I will try and make learning interesting.....I shall not lecture until you want to scream...If I do I am sure you will let me know.......Just SCREAM!