Chapman,Lanier+L

Lanier Chapman 09/22/2014 Ms. Noonan ED 102 Grade Level Experiences Children learn their best during early years in life. This is when they begin to pick up on what is right, what is wrong, and what it is that they need to know. Every child is different in their own way, and it is important for educators to understand that. Teachers need to know how to distinguish the difference on how to approach every child differently. Children come from all types of different backgrounds, and different struggles. A lot of the time educators tend to aim to treat all children the same, but is that always the best approach? I understand that everyone should be treated equally, but I believe each child because of their circumstances should be approached differently. When I was younger I was diagnosed with duane syndrome. Duane Syndrome basically causes my eyes to move outward and out of place from time to time. It also causes terrible headaches for me when I try to focus in on something for a long period of time. I can somewhat control it today, but when I was a child it was very difficult for me to learn because my head would hurt and my eyes would wander off. In school, especially in elementary I had a difficult time trying to read because my eyes would always move outward when I was trying to focus on the passages. I also would get frustrated with myself and my teachers because my head would start to ache. Instead of my teachers trying to help me, they became annoyed with me as well. They would batter me by making me re read the same things over and over again until I understood what it was that I just read. I couldn’t understand what it was that I had just read because my mind was too focused on how bad my eyes/head hurt. I feel that if my teachers had maybe let me take breaks and a little time from what it was that I was doing so that I could re focus, I would have understood the material a lot better when I was a child. Each child is different in their own way, and should be dealt with differently. In Savage Inequalities, Kozol talks about how their should be resources which gives children who face challenges special education programs to help better their success. I feel it’s so important to focus on children with disabilities and children who come from tough homes, as well as all children. I know first hand how it is to feel uneducated because of a disability, how it feels to think that no one has your back because they don’t understand what you’re going through. My dream is to become an incredible teacher some day, and I only hope to make the difference in that child’s life who thought the entire world was out to get him or her.

What I Do Well: Working With Children!

My entire life I’ve been the oldest sibling of seven. As a child I was living a normal childhood until my mother and father got a divorce. My mother quickly became depressed, and soon became an alcoholic. When this occurred I was in a way forced to become the caretaker for her as well as my siblings. I was fourteen with a full time summer job, working at a summer camp over in Saunderstown, Rhode Island.

I was offered the job at such a young age because I knew the supervisors personally and they knew how great I was with young children so they gave me the opportunity. I was fantastic at my job and since then I knew working with young children was my calling.

I’d say I’m terrific at working with young kids because I have a high tolerance for almost about anything. I’m also a very patient person, nothing bothers me, nor do I take anything too personal. Growing up with a household of younger children taught me a good portion of what I need to know in order to be a successful caretaker.

When it comes to being hands on with children I am very much like a child who knows a lot of things when it comes to them. I enjoy playing with them, educating them, and encouraging them to want to educate themselves. I find joy in watching kids grow into anything they wish to be. I am extremely passionate about children and where their lives are headed.

Children can easily read people, and most of the time they adapt to me easily. It takes me about 5-7 minutes to get a child to get used to me. I love kids, and that is why I am GREAT at dealing with them.

I understand that working with children is a huge responsibility, and a liability. I understand that children are the most needy people alive, and I am willing to provide them all of their needs. Theres not a doubt in my mind that I will become a great teacher someday because this is the very thing I am passionate about.


 * FAE Chapters 2 and 3 Reflection **

While reading chapters 2 and 3 I found it most interesting in chapter two, the book was discussing how much the history influences how teachers teach today. I didn’t realize how much the knowledge of past educational practices can improve your own teaching habits.

Knowing how educators taught their students in the past are influential to how we teach our students today. The main goal for acknowledging past interferences is so that history won’t repeat itself. We as educators, should learn from our past mistakes and try and achieve better goals for students. Also, learning from the past also helps with the way educators teach already. In the book it talks about how different practices have shaped teachers today already.

“Teaching in challenging times.” stuck out to me mainly because I agreed with what the author was saying. I agree that teachers and educators need to be prepared to teach along with how the world is changing. With times always changing, educators, students, and individuals in general have to adjust to change with it as well. Along with the times changing, teachers also need to continue their research on how different students learn. The author was saying how educators must learn to teach due to the perspective of how others learn. All children learn differently, so teachers must teach differently and to those standards of the child. I know from personal experience how it is to work with children of all different learning abilities. Each one is unique in their own way, therefore they need different/special attention that caters their specific needs.

FAE Chapter 4 Reflection

Before reading this chapter I never put the idea that philosophy could relate to education. When I think of philosophy and philosophers I think of theories and myths about the way people/things are, and how they relate to the world. After reading chapter four, I got an understanding of how philosophy relates to how “we” can educate others. I have to disagree with Socrates and Plato when they state that education is best understood through dialogue and how individuals speak to one another. I understand how that is helpful when achieving a great education. However, I don’t agree that is the best technique. Although dialogue is extremely important, I agree that the best way for children to learn is how they relate and look up to their teachers. The idea of Idealism comes into play because our students tend to look up to their teachers. If students are achieving their education by how their teachers are instructing them then that is vital. As an educational system we need to make sure that our educators are being exceptional role models for those receiving the education.

**Chapter 5 Reflection** Many different education theories caught my interest in this chapter. I was most intrigued by behaviorism, constructivism, and humanism. Out of all the theories discussed in chapter five, I was able to relate and agree with those three the most. Each one of these theories in my opinion are the best methods to teach. They all go hand in hand with one another as well. The idea of behaviorism is important because it correlates to how a person reacts to situations that surround his/her environment. People connect with what is going on around them. For example, if a person is trying to learn but the classroom is filled with a bunch of ruckus, the person is most likely to correlate and go along with the noise rather than try to understand the material. In relation to how I learn, I can understand that the environment a child is placed in while trying to understand any sort of material, they need to be in a positive place. A place of reinforcement. Anyone would do better when they’re surrounded my energy that influences them to do well.

Constructivism is defined as a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. I agree with the way constructivism relates to a child’s educational practices because I believe that hands on activities generate a better understanding of material more than anything else could. As someone still in school, someone who is still learning, I learn a lot better when I’m doing something with my hands. I love when teachers teach material in a way that allows their students to interact personally with the material rather than just lecturing them. I would have to disagree with anyone who believes there is a better method to teach individuals. Humanism is important as well because it practices emphasizes on common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems. I absolutely enjoy how humanism coreley relates to helping people learn material by teaching them in a way which relates to their particular “human” needs. I respect this teaching tactic because it focuses on the individual learning outcome rather than the standard way of teaching. Each child/person learns in a different way than the next one does, it’s important as educators to address those specific needs. Growing up in the public schooling I’ve always respected teachers that chose to take special interest in the way that how I learned, and tried to work their practices around that. I feel that the most important aspect of teaching is to make sure that each and every one of your students understand the material. Even if that means teaching material to twenty different students in twenty different ways. I believe that true educators who want their students to achieve will agree to maneuver their practices around to fit those of the child's needs.

Nov 3, 2014 ** Diversity in My Own Education ** Growing up in a very profound educational experience, I cannot specifically say that I’ve personally experienced diversity in my own education. However, I can say that I’ve had the privilege of going to institutions which were all very diverse. For example, my High School was one of the most diverse schools I’ve had the privilege in attending. Rogers high school welcomed students from all different racial backgrounds and ethnicities. Throughout 9th -10th grade I had the opportunity to participate in class with students who were all very different from me. I was taking courses with white, black, hispanic, and asian students. I was lucky in that way.

I remember when I was in the 11th and 12th grade I was forced to challenge myself even more. I was placed into AP (advanced placement) courses. All of my classes were a lot more challenging, and I was in these classes with students of high achievement. In most of these courses the students were mainly white, with a few children who were of color. I didn’t let this stop me, I worked harder than I ever did because I didn’t want to be of comparison to any of the other students. I wanted my work to show the kind of student I was, not my skin color. I feel that because I was able to work with students of all different races, I was better prepared when it came to working with individuals in the outside real world. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with different types of people as well as being pushed to work harder than normal. Without going to a school with a lot of diversity to offer, I don’t think I’d be the student or person I am today. Diversity allowed me to see that there’s going to be people in the world who sees things differently than you, it’s up to you what you take from it. I am thankful for diversity. I believe that every student should be in an environment where they are able to learn from people of different races, up bringing, and different ways of thought. It’s truly a blessing to learn from a mind that is very different from your own.

Chapter 10 Quiz: LANIER & TYESHA

Title IX
 * a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program

The 14th Amendment
 * granting rights to a national citizenship and forbidding the states to restrict the basic rights of citizens or other persons

De facto segregation
 * Jim Crown laws, brought legal racial segregation against black Americans residing in the American south.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
 * protects students with disabilities. Protects students with disabilities in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S department of education.

Public Law 94-142
 * the Education For All Handicapped Children Act. The first national piece of legislation mandating appropriate and free education for students with disabilities.

Plessy vs. Ferguson
 * U.S supreme court case that set the tone that “separate” facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were “equal”.

Collective bargaining
 * negotiation of wages and other conditions of employment by an organized body of employees

Probationary period
 * the initial period of employment, a kind of “trial period”, during which the supervisor carefully considers whether the employee is able to meet the standards and expectations of the job.

Interpretive agents of legal control
 * governs the practice and proceedings before federal administrative agencies. The procedural rules and regulations of most federal agencies are set forth.

Tenth Amendment
 * The Tenth Amendment helps to define the concept of federalism the relationship between Federal and state governments.

Establishment clause
 * the clause in the first amendment, that prohibits the establishments of religion by Congress.

Child benefit theory
 * a principle that allows state funds to be given to students studying in private schools provided by the allotment can be justified as benefiting the child.

Intelligent design
 * the theory that life, or the universe, cannot have arisen by chance and was designed and created by some intelligent entity.

Race-conscious assignment
 * Almost all educations institutions are required to meet strict legal requirements when taking race into account in admissions, financial aid, student assignment, and other educational policy decisions.

Tenure laws
 * The right, term to hold property. In which land is owned by an individual legally.

FERPA
 * (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) The federal legislation in the U.S. that protects the privacy of students personally identifiable information. This act applies to all educational institutions that receive federal funds.

Tort
 * A wrongful act or an infringement of a right leading to civil legal liability.

Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act
 * A United States federal law that provides federal money for homeless shelter programs.

Where is education mentioned in the constitution?
 * It’s not mentioned. The constitution doesn’t guarantee a right to an education.

Chapter 11 Quiz : LANIER & TYESHA

What are standards?


 * an idea or thing that is used to measure a level of evaluations (usually used in testing or a learning environment)

What do the Common Core State Standards hope to address? Are they a good step toward improving education in places like those in Kozol’s book? Why or why not?


 * These standards seek to set common academic standards based on a shared common goal for the student’s academic success. They are a good step towards improving education because they are needed. However, all schools are different and require different needs as Kozol discusses. They are a step in the right direction, but they may not be the best answer in improving all schools. Each school is different, requires different methods.

What is the difference between formative and summative assessment? Give examples of each from classes you took in high school and college.


 * refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course. EXAMPLE: in college, especially in my animal science course I would go home and do the assignments. But I would do them without really knowing what I was doing, I would do them just to get the credit of completion. I wouldn’t really comprehend what the material was. Therefore I would stay after my class or attend office hours to get a better understanding of what I was doing. This helped me because I was able to actually understand what I was doing once after completing the assignment incorrectly.
 * Summative assessment is used to evaluate a students learning skill. Usually used at the end of something, a quiz, project, or course. EXAMPLE: I struggled in a Human Development course before, so for my next course I actually enjoyed the class and how the teacher taught. At the end of the course I asked my instructor for advice on how well I was doing. She gave me a conclusion on how I was doing great in her course, she then began to suggest other teachers who taught similar to her. I found courses that were just right for me due to my learning style.

Define diagnostic assessment.


 * a device used by teachers, it can be used to determine strengths and areas of need in all students. It involves the gathering and careful evaluation of detailed data using students knowledge and skills given in a learning area.

What is the difference between norm-referenced measures and criterion-referenced measures? Which would you personally prefer to take and why? (There is no wrong answer to the second part of this question). Does the subject being tested influence your preference?


 * Norm-referenced test report whether test takers performed better or worse than their peers (average student). Usually comparing scores against others performance.
 * Criterion- Referenced measures are test and assessments that are designed to measure a students performance against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards.
 * I prefer the norm-referenced learning method because it shows exactly the information Ive retained compared to those of my peers. If I am in a classroom everyday learning the same amount of information as my peers, it only makes sense to be compared to how they are doing. I feel that the subject matter does have a significantly influence on how students do compared to others. Not all brains are the same, therefore we retain and are better at other subjects compared to our peers. I do believe that a GOOD teacher can make sure all their students are doing well in the course no matter the subject matter.

What is the difference between holistic and analytic assessment?


 * Holistic assessment consists of looking at everything as a whole. It compares all of the material together as one & determines how one is doing. Analytic assessment looks deeper into the assessment. It is looking at individual performance, all aspects.

What does the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) model assess? What is one fundamental difference between DOK and Bloom’s Taxonomy?


 * The D.O.K model assesses recall and reproduction, skills and thinking due to reasoning.
 * The difference between the DOK model and Blooms Taxonomy is that the DOK is the depth of understanding the required answer or explained assessment related to the item. Originally developed for math and science standards. Blooms taxonomy distinguishing the fundamental questions with in the education system.

Define a growth model as it applies to teacher and/or school evaluation.


 * This model is uses to asses the schools academic strengths and weaknesses. It’s used to see how the school itself is holding up to it’s academic standards.

Define a value-added model as it applies to teacher and/or school evaluation.


 * Measures a teachers impact go students achievement apart from other factors, such as individual ability, family environment, past schooling, and the influence of peers.

What problems might occur with the two models above?

Examine the section “Testing Challenges” (pages 322-323). Which concerns you the most? The least? Or do they all concern you equally (or not concern you at all)?

I feel that it’s a misinterpretation of American education because our country varies from great neighborhoods, to districts that are terrible. Children normally perform better due to their surroundings. If a child is located in a district that doesn’t have as many funds or support as a district that’s located in a great area, then they will not perform as well. As a nation, I believe we have more bad neighborhoods than that of the good. Therefore, we have worse school systems compared to other ranking countries. I believe researchers need to look at the bigger picture, and thats the diversity of our school systems in America.
 * The problem that may occur with the value added model may be how the model testes the improvement of students based on how their teachers teach. I agree with the testing on progression, however I don’t agree that the focus should be on the teacher to student content.
 * The problem they may occur with the growth model is that there is a disconnect with the rhetoric supporting growth models, and the structures they end up creating.
 * The growth model concerns me the most because YES there are students that are making huge learning gains, however, there aren’t enough of them improving.