Everyone needs a coach..

 

 

 

Bill Gates. Tedx

group cont.

Ladsen Billings:

The main thing I pulled out of this article was that we, as educators, must work hard to bridge the achievement gap that is evident in education.

In the article it gives several stats that indicate a gap of more than 20 points on average between Hispanic and African-American students to that of Caucasian Americans in the same classrooms.

disparaging aspect of the system that is called the education debt.

Like any debt, we must work hard to pay it off. As educators we have to make investments in the future, have to practice inclusion, and have to be open-minded to change.
Multiculturalism:
Race Relations

"Without curriculum intervention by teachers, the racial attitudes and behaviors of students become more negative and harder to change as they get older."

Curriculum interventions: plays, folk dances, music, role-playing
-What are some other examples you could use in your classroom?

Talked a lot about cooperative learning, "cooperative interracial contact situation in schools...have positive effects on both student interracial behavior and student academic achievement."

Much of the article had a negative feel to it; which is unfortunate because it is an important issue that many people want to change.

A 1972 study said that equal status between groups  in interracial situations has to be deliberately structured by teachers or it will not exist.   <--seriously? (optimism required)

  --its been over 40yrs since this study, is this still the case?

"It is not uncommon for students of color who are a small minority in schools or university classes to believe their needs and priorities are low compared to those of white students."

Summary statement: Prejudice is caused by ignorance, can be reduced by interventions

It is important to create/allow opportunity for students to join superordinate groups to stimulate cohesion.

Analyze- What is the difference between authoritarian and authoritative parenting?

-Authoritative parenting is a parenting style that utilizes respect and expectations to hold children accountable. In an authoritative style home the child is supported and encouraged to do things on their own and make smart decisions for the long term. The parents in this style give a lot of decision making power to the children as they work together to move toward the future. These parents must be consistent and show patience throughout the learning process.

-Authoritarian parenting is a parenting style that is more behaviorist in character. It seems to be rather cause/effect and has the parent expecting total compliance and obedience. This style of parenting utilizes a lot of pressure internally to succeed and externally from the families expectations. This is a popular parenting style in many non-western cultures

Apply- Apply a tactic to combat the emergence of a subculture in your classroom.

I think a good way to avoid a negative subculture in my classroom is to constantly change the dynamic of the classroom. I want to keep my students on their toes and active in the classroom. I do not want them to be uncomfortable but a good bit of change is very good for growth and development. My hope is that by constantly shifting things around and giving students different roles I can keep more students engaged. I want to create an atmosphere that is open to all and avoids alienating others. In my classroom I want everyone to be as equal as possible and all work together towards a better education. The power of positive thinking.

Josh Justice Will Be Served

*This post is an attempt at a live blog (more like an immediate response)

to a presentation from Josh Justice on November 21, 2013.

Josh is an educator who works in Kentucky. He is an LPCA. SIGHTS

He works in a self-contained behavior unit. This unit primarily consists of students with IEP's, IQ's of 75+,  and a learning disability while many are from low-income households.

He starts off observing students at their current schools, then he get the kids in the program to help them and give them the consistency they need. This is done because they are hoping to get them back into a standard classroom.

Has to deal with reluctance to pay him for his services. Fighting against people who are trying to deny these children these services.

The transition time between a student receiving medication and new behavior can be fascinating.

They take away the students' previous medicine to start from a new baseline. Too often, these kids are misdiagnosed by family doctors who only took a couple months of residency on mental health.

In some cases, the family dynamic has been messed up so much that these kids are not receiving positive attention at home. The program uses positivity and persistence to try to reverse these trends. He explained examples of a student's familial relationships improving through the program.

Josh spends all day working with these students. There are four adults that work with five children.
Staff try to be respectful with each other but it can be tough. Teacher and assistants all have unique ideas and expectations-they all want to contribute. Power balance can be tough but is rewarding in the long run when you create a fair and balanced working relationship.

Age ranges are widespread. There is a  pre-school age (4yr old),elementary age (7yr, 8yr, 8yr old), and even a middle school age (10yr old).

It is difficult on the Special Education Professionals do develop lesson plans for these different age groups. The reinforcement schedule is also a challenge because certain age groups need things in a different manner and time than others.

Switched halfway to focusing on the positive things as opposed to the negative things that they should not do. On the push for positivity, "It changed the dynamic of the classroom" and it became "contagious."

He spoke about the differences in working with boys and girls; how there is a huge contrast between working with the two and he sees that in the classroom.

He didn't allow work avoidance to occur by requiring a student to stay after school and finish their work. Takes extra commitment but is worth it in the end.

Communication/Follow-up is key! Need to be consistent on both ends and build relationships with families. Develop rapport with students and family members.

Believes in taking care of himself (self-care) to recharge his batteries. Make sure you are in control of yourself so you can positively impact students. 

Further Thinking:
----Carl Rodgers 40%
----PCIT- Parent Child Interaction Therapy
          -focusses on catch the child doing good things instead of always getting on to them for negative things
          -being proactive
----Token Economy
----Function Behavior Analysis
          -all behavior is to do something or to avoid something
----Oppositional Defiant Disorder
          -a student that doesn't like being told what to do
----Different response as males than that of women in education
----SIGHTS acronym
----Avoid passion fatigue?

1. Understand--Compare and contrast  Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of intelligence with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.

 Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of intelligence revolves around three different domains; that is, analytical, creative, and practical intelligence. People use these three domains to become more or less intelligent while they utilize their environment, prior experiences, and cognitive processes relating to a task. This theory involves much more dependence on itself than Gardner's Theory.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences incorporates eight (and sometimes a ninth) different abilities which he calls multiple intelligences. These abilities are independent of each other and may not correlate with each other. They do not necessarily build or rely on each other and can function by themselves. 
2. Evaluate—One the bottom of page 142, Ormrod gives
an example of questions for an intelligence test. Can you think of a way these questions may
be biased? What do such questions really measure? 

The example on p. 142 is an intelligence test that has five questions. The first four questions are clearly verbal while the last question is visual. This can be biased when 80% of an exam are one particular way; in this case, a verbal majority can be biased towards non-English speaking students. These questions measure language skills and cultural norms. One of the questions asks about a common expression that people say; this can be unfair if the test-taker has never heard or been exposed to that expression. Many intelligence tests are biased in this manner. That is, the intelligence test measures previous knowledge as opposed to cognitive ability.

 

Learner Generated Questions CH 8

Understand—How does transfer relate to problem solving and creativity?


Transfer, according to Ormrod, is  "phenomenon in which something a person has learned at one time affects how the person learns or performs in a later situation." Problem solving involves using existing knowledge to fix or address a situation. This is transfer in action; an individual must know information to be able to assist others. The difficulty of the problem does not matter because transfer will be occurring regardless. If a problem is easy it is a result of a positive transfer of information. On the other hand, when a problem is challenging or confusing, it may be a result of a negative transfer that is confusing the individual because they recalled the wrong type of information. Existing information is crucial in transfer because it is often a help to the learning process but in rare cases it can hinder later learning. Creativity utilizes transfer because it involves past knowledge or learned abilities. An example would be in a high school history class where a student is required to give a presentation on a historical figure; the students previous knowledge of a figure will allow him more self-efficacy and, in turn, he can take more risks in his presentation. This is because transfer through creativity is brought about by divergent thinking, a process that has many results coming from a similar starting point.



 Synthesizing/Creating—Write a story where students can easily use the covert strategy of identifying important information.

In a high school history class a teacher has a midterm coming up that is sure to evaluate many of the terms from the course. Instead of just telling the students what to study, the teacher provides an objective list before each lesson. In the objective list there are many boldface terms so they stand out to the students. This should encourage them to take more notes about these terms and pay more attention when reviewing that term or figure. Another great option would be to ask questions that relate to the more important terms in a lesson. These questions could be related to a specific topic but could encourage the students to form a visual image of what it going on with the term. Ormrod says that covert strategy is a "learning strategy that involves only mental activity...(e.g., forming a visual image of a concept).

Service Learning-Hypothetically Serving

Service Learning is a great way for students to not only learn about something and themselves but to also give back to the community around them. One of my goals as an educator is to impact not only the people in my school but also in the community. I believe that if I encourage my students to help out in the community that it will help their own personal development as well with their education.

A hypothetical example I could implement into a high school history class would be asking my students to help serve food at a soup kitchen. I could offer this service project during a unit on the Great Depression so my students could draw parallels between the community service and the struggles of the people during the 1930's in America.

In Eggen and Kauchak's Windows on Educational Psychology they point out that in Knowledge Construction there is a "shift in emphasis from presenting information and toward providing the experiences and promoting the  interaction that help students construct valid knowledge (198)."

My hopes would be that the students remember the content better through association. A different environment can really impact the way a student remembers things. My aim is that the students reactions are positive and long-lasting. I also want them to learn that giving back is crucial to their development as global citizens.

Some obstacles could be the day in which this could all happen; it makes the most sense for this activity to be on a Saturday. Saturday is a tough day for students to get out and do something with school because of work and lack  of transportation. If it was during the week it could also be challenging because filed trips are difficult to organize due to budget constraints. Another obstacle could be if students react emotionally when they are working with homeless or less fortunate people.

Ormrad talks about service learning and the importance of  enhancing students learning by being "sources of pleasure and success rater than sources of frustration and failure (232)."  Giving students an opportunity to give back will increase their feeling of self-efficacy and impact them in a positive way.

Case Study:

In my case study there is a group of seniors who are cutting up in class. They are disruptive, disrespectful, and even roughhousing in class; after they do that, they do not comply when they are asked to follow the rules that were established at the beginning of the year.

---Behaviorist Intervention:

There are some behaviorist techniques that can definitely be used to address this case study. The first thing to do would be to identify some effective reinforcers that could be used to encourage productive behavior or to discourage undesirable behavior. These reinforcers could be both negative or positive to evoke a desirable response from the students.

An example of a positive reinforcement that I could try to implement would be giving positive praise to the group of seniors when they participate and do their work like the others. A poor instance of positive reinforcement would be if I scolded them after they cut up but they  only continued to disrupt and be noncompliant. An example of negative reinforcement could be if I take away some class busywork to lighten the stress level of my students; this could allow these seniors to relax and not have to act out. A poor version of negative reinforcement could be taking away the students participation grades for that day and telling them that their grades would suffer because of that; this would only serve as a bigger stressor on the students and almost ensure more acting out by the seniors.

Behaviorists also would argue that punishments can be used to remedy this situation. Punishments  are used when the desired outcome is to decrease a behavior. An example of a presentation punishment would be if I looked over to the area with the students acting up to try and signal them of their behavior. An example of removal punishment would be if I required the students to stay five minutes after class before lunch; by taking away free time, I would be hoping to make them realize that their actions were disrespectful to the group.

In Eggen and Kauchak's 9th edition of Windows on Classrooms- Educational Psychology, they explain that punishment is effective in decreasing undesirable behavior but not so much when trying to affect desirable behavior. The argument is that reinforcement  systems are superior because of their duality. (301)

Regardless of the behaviorist process that is used self-efficacy and self-regulation can come into play with the students. Ormrad describes self-efficacy as a belief that one is capable of executing certain behaviors or achieving specific goals. The students could believe that they already have a full understanding of your class subject and are just bored and looking ahead to graduation. A student may even have a work-avoidance goal that they are trying-and succeeding in achieving. Conversely, some students will have a desire to self-regulate their own behavior or achievements. These students could be acting out because they want to control the attention they are receiving.

,Managing a Classroom/Environment

Managing a classroom is the best way to ensure success. I see it is as a partnership between myself as the educator and the students; with an extension of myself as the educator being administration while an extension for the students would be the parents. It all starts in the classroom with respect and communication. I want to be transparent with my students right away on the ways to succeed academically as well as the ways to act while in my classroom. That starts day one with laying out the rules and resources of the classroom. It also means giving them options and figuring out what encourages them to be motivated for participation. Students need to be active and engaged in learning and I will strive to produce many ways for them to do that. According to the text, "a well-managed classroom is one in which students are consistently engaged in productive learning activities.(Ormrad 461)" Motivation and management go hand in hand, so it is imperative that I find out what my students are motivated by early and often. I believe that my honesty and transparency will translate into a positive and proactive learning environment. I believe that if I am the same person with them and always as genuine as I can be then when it is time to quiet down or straighten up the students will understand the seriousness that I request. It is important to always be the same and to always follow through and follow up.

Case Study:

In my case study there is a group of seniors who are cutting up in class. They are disruptive, disrespectful, and even roughhousing in class; after they do that, they do not comply when they are asked to follow the rules that were established at the beginning of the year.

The first thing I would do is address the disruptiveness because it impacts the people around them. I would first do this by engaging the entire class in an activity or with a question. If the problem continues I would move to their area to have proximity control on the boys and cue to them (non-verbally) that I am aware of their actions. If that was ineffective I would then address the class as a whole and remind them that they are here to learn and that they should all be respectful of others. I would stress that even though it is the end of the year, this information is important and will help them not only succeed on the final (and keep their grades up for graduation) but will also help them in their afterschool endeavors (whether it be college or the work force).

Next, I would meet up with the students afterword. This would be done regardless of the outcome of my attempt to keep the students from distracting others. If they had continued, the conversation would be focused on the rules that were stated earlier in the year and how they are made to ensure efficiency and respectfulness in the classroom. I would explain to them that while it is the end of the year everything still matters; I would take time to address the roughhousing issue and tell them that it is inexcusable to have a physical altercation with other people. It is simply too dangerous and reckless to other people's well being.

Finally, my biggest step would be to realize what is going on in my classroom. The seniors are obviously anxious for the end of the school year and are acting up. To counter this I plan on using authentic activities that are focused on real world and post-secondary tasks. This should not only help them in the transition but also help them calm down their internal anxiety. I remember being a senior and just not knowing what college was going to be like; I was excited and nervous, it was at the back of my mind for the better half of my second semester of senior year.

In the end I hope that these steps would help control the classroom and allow for a good learning environment. I know that if those steps did not work I can reach out the extensions I mentioned earlier. That is, I can contact the parents or the administrators for advise and guidance as well as to open the lines of communication and bring in a new perspective.

Blurred Lines #DeltaSwag

I strive every day to learn and grow, because everyone has some sort of information that others can acquire. One of my biggest character points is that of integrity. My father taught me early on that a name is very important, with that he was referring to my family name, but he made it a point for us to take pride in what we represented. In this case my name would be the University of Tennessee, and I would make it a point to keep that name in good regard. I also have a strong passion for survival and resourcefulness. Lastly, I have a strong desire for diversity; I am very open-minded and ready for new ideas and change.

One of the most influential motivation theories is that of Achievement Motivation. Achievement Motivation is like the chameleon of motivational types. That is, it can take different forms and help an individual achieve some type of goal. I believe that in education there needs to be goals or checkpoints along the way.

 A little success can go a long way in avoiding a huge failure. Every now and then it is nice to hear someone say, "you did a good job" or to be rewarded for a solid effort on a task. The beauty of Achievement Motivation is that it can be intrinsically or extrinsically focused; different people are motivated in different ways. Harry might want to succeed because he wants to be the best at ping pong, while Ben might just want to impress Sally with his table tennis prowess.

I think that in my future classroom this could be implemented easily. I will strive to challenge myself and my students each and everyday as I progress throughout a school year. An example would be a project on a historical event. I could have my students pick a moment in history that they would need to act out or present to the class. Some would be motivated to get a good grade, others would be motivated to show their acting ability, others would be motivated not to look silly, and some would be motivated to be the best. All of those are goals and set achievements that are motivating my potential students.


Here is an excerpt from an outside source that I used in my Teaching Project the other day:

Achievement emotions are defined as emotions tied directly to achievement activities or achievement outcomes. The definition presented here implies that emotions pertaining to achievement-related activities are also considered as achievement emotions. The enjoyment arising from learning, boredom experienced in classroom instruction, or frustration and anger when dealing with difficult tasks are but a few examples of activity-related achievement emotions. Two types of achievement emotions differing in object focus can thus be distinguished: activity emotions pertaining to ongoing achievement related activities, and outcome emotions pertaining to the outcomes of these activities

 

(Pekrun et al., 2002a; Pekrun, Elliot, & Maier, 2006a).

ED. Psych 401 Assessment Review

 

Assessment is a process of observing a sample of a student's behavior and drawing inference about the students knowledge and abilities. (Ormrod 504)

I found two great statements about assessment from an article online today! Here is the information and the title of the article:

 

 Differentiated Assessment Strategies: One Tool Doesn’t Fit All With Carolyn Chapman

 Assessment is ongoing. It is done before, during, and after the learning.

Assessment data drives curriculum planning.

I believe in both of these principles and am planning on assessing my assessments in the future.

 

-The following are examples of the assessment strategies listed on page 505 of the Ormrod text.

Informal vs. Formal Assessment:

Informal(spontaneous, unsystematic observations): An example would be if a student asked me why the Germans attacked Pearl Harbor  in WWII. I would notice that they had a misconception about the history at Pearl Harbor and figure out a way for me to explain that it was really the Japanese that attacked.  Informal is just not planned; at the same time I think these are the key moments in teaching and I don't want to miss out on them.

 

Formal(preplanned, systematic date gathering): An example would be if I put together a pre-test at the beginning of the semester to see what my students know going into the school year. That way I could get a general gage on what I would need to take more time on or what I could simply pass over. Formal Assessment are things that I will have written in to my curriculum almost like checkpoints for myself and the class.

 

Paper-pencil assessment vs. Performance assessment:

Paper-Pencil(written assignments):  An example I could use in my classroom would be a paper assignment on historical figures. These are simple and traditional things like essays, tests, journal entries, etc.

 

Performance Assessment(non-written behaviors): An example I can do is assigning a time that students can dress up like a historical figure and do a presentation about them. These are opportunities for students to showcase their abilities and their dedication in a non-traditional setting.

 

Traditional Assessment vs. Authentic Assessment:

 Traditional Assessment(learning separate from real world tasks): In my classroom, an example would be a True/False assessment on the States of America. This makes up the majority of what assessment seems to be; when I think about it, I don't know if that is a good thing.

 

Authentic Assessment(ability to apply learning to real world tasks): An example would be requiring my students to write a blog or journal so that they develop writing skills and computer knowledge. I want my students to leave the classroom with skills they can utilize in the future.

 

 

Criterion-referenced assessment vs. Norm-referenced assessment:

Criterion-Referenced(indicates mastery or non-mastery of specific topics): An example would be if I used a vocabulary quiz in my classroom. I could see and compare exactly what words the students need to work on in that section. These are assessments that tell us in specific detail what we need to focus on based on predetermined standards.

 

Norm-Referenced(compares performance to peers):  For example, if my high school students take the TCAP writing assessment in 11th grade. Also, if my students plan on taking an AP test that would be a good example as well. This is a way that students(and teachers) can see how they stack up against other students all around the state or nation.

 

 

Standardized test vs. Teacher-developed test:

 

Standardized Tests(developed by experts for use in many schools): An example would be when the state gives my students a required test at the end of the semester. It is a test that is standardized all around the state in different schools. I am not sure what the trend is looking like in terms of more or less implementation of standardized tests.

 

Teacher-Developed Tests(developed by teachers for their own classroom):   An example would be an essay question I would write for my class after each chapter. This would test their knowledge and be specific for the class alone. I am most excited about making my own testing material; this allows me to use the assessments I have done in the classroom to specifically cater to my students' needs and wants in academia.

 

Getting Psyched 4 (01) Ed. Psych.

      

I am interested in learning about learning. I want to learn how to learn, how to teach others to learn, and how to learn about myself while teaching others. I’m the kind of person that wants to constantly learn from others and from my experiences. Naturally, I take mental notes of what I think to be effective or creative in presentations and use that to develop my own style.

I’m interested in learning about teaching. I want to learn the ins and outs of the teaching profession while enjoying a classroom full of my future peers. I want to learn about the educational system; how it is in the United States and how it is abroad. I want to learn to master my teaching style. I want to learn to incorporate other people’s ideas in education.

I want to be confident about stepping into the field of education. I want to know that I have a working knowledge of the language that teachers use on a daily basis. I want to be ready to step into the classroom and be able to succeed. I want to know that I have the support of other people that are passionate about education.

I think that Educational Psychology is going to help me understand a diverse group of learners, learning outcomes, learning possibilities, and teaching strategies. I think it is going to help me be more comfortable in front of people. Specifically, I should be more confident in front of a group of my peers and in my approach to teaching in a classroom.

-Paul Troy

                           "One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others"

Who I am, Why I’m here

      

DISCLAIMER:  I wrote this this two years ago, during my sophomore year in college. However, I feel it is a fairly good introduction. Thanks to Robert Spirko for challenging me in that class!

              I am an incandescent light bulb in room full of flashlights. That is, one of many but unique. Old fashioned–in some ways; however, I would say that I was raised in a home that respected the past. I am the kind of person that if you give me free roam as to who I am I may just say I am Sam. In truth, I am Paul Anthony Troy, Son of Phillip and Delores; brother to Justin, John, Mark, and Mary. I am who? Who am I? These questions are not something I can just touch on in a paper, I can and shall attempt to give you some miniscule details of my existence, but in the end it will end up random and spontaneous.
            I can honestly say that my mind does wander and I wonder what Wanda would wish to wake a wonderful day come upon her. I am a lot of things; good and bad, happy and sad, glad I have, and curiously made. I am the kind of person that likes limitations, but then tries to break them. I prefer lists over schedules as I can work at my own pace to get things done. I am extremely outgoing and friendly towards mankind. I have had a proud beginning and in contrast a humble upbringing that showcased the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Through that contrast I have developed an open mind, desire for equality, habit of inclusion, and pursuit of total respect.
            In terms of academics, I am currently a sophomore at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I enrolled last fall at the school many call ‘Rocky Top’ and haven’t looked back since I made that decision. My freshman year was a blast. I surrounded myself with tremendous people and got involved in so many life-changing organizations and activities. Last year, I took advantage of multiple opportunities as they came along and have grown so much as a human being. Being a college student has its ups and downs as well; but I can say with sincerity that I would not trade it for anything. I am majoring in History and plan on attaining a master’s degree in education. I want to be a teacher in the future. I have had this dream and plan for over eight years and am almost positive it is what will come to be.
            I am a leader, or try to be, to anyone that needs help or guidance. In high school I was valedictorian and Class President. Those titles do not make me, but I earned them nonetheless.  My father taught me the importance of a name. A name could be one of a family, one of a university, or one of a belief. In any situation I represent my name with dignity and diligence. What’s in a name? Shakespeare has a great thought, but I am one who wants you to come up with your own definition. I am analytical and nerdy. At times I can tell that I am interested in things that many do not like, but I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe. I am tired of writing who I am, I feel haughty and arrogant, two things I try not to represent.
             I am here for many reasons. I am in this class because I like freedom of expression and creative progression. Poetry is something that has always baffled me and I yearn to learn more about the topic. Typically I and we are here because we go to college, need to take a class, or want to share ideas and opinions.  I am a global citizen and agent for diversity. We are on this terrestrial ball for many reasons. It is not my place to tell you why you are here or what to do. Personally, I am not always here, or there, or anywhere. Steadfast at hand, I do always have an interest in learning. I push myself to the limit and try to act as a sponge to anything interesting.
            Here is a place that I want to be; writing, expressing, creating, and cringing. Maybe we are here on this earth to experience these feelings or exert some kind of influence. Who knows? Who cares? I just want everyone who knows me to have a good recollection of me, to be better than they were before, and to love all mankind. In the grand scheme, I am here to attain a good grade in this class, to earn my stripes, and to learn from a well-respected professor. I will work hard to make sure that I am there for the right reasons and that my classmates get the best possible outcome from this class. I am here to be a body in a classroom and a mind that acquires information. I want to be the best I can be in all that I do and this is no exception.
             The reasons that I am here are even less concrete and government issued. I am a red-blooded American man who knows his blood is actually blue. I honestly don’t know why I wrote this paper, I feel as though I did not do the assignment correctly and I am afraid that I will not succeed. I am happy that I am here and that I am who I am. That, to me, is all that matters and is what keeps me going every day. At the end of the day sun goes down creatures of the night arise. I am a light bulb in a room full of flashlights. Turn me on and I will shine.