Recognizing Diversity on Campus

For my Diverse and Exceptional Learner class, I attended a discussion group facillitated by the diversity center about Asian Americans in today's society and what it means to be Asian. The discussion was a small group of students but every individual had a unique view on this topic which I think is very importan to talk about. Being a teacher, it is crucial to be aware of different students' backgrounds and cultures, since I attended this lecture/discussion, I feel that it helps me on my self reflection process which is important for teachers to think about their role in facilitating discussion on different cultures.

We talked alot about what it means to be Asian and students shared their family background and customs that are important to them. We also further explored to what it means to be Asian at Luther College as well as what it means to be Asian American. I think it is important to recognize that Asia is a continent that is comprised of many different cultures and being Japanese or Indian are completley different however when the term "asian" is used, many people associate people from Asia with certain stereotypes. This discussion was important to reflect on the different cultural backgrounds with in the United States and as a teacher to make sure all cultures are respected within the school.

Educating Esme Group Project

My group read the book Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esme Raji Codell for our I- movie project. This book was very helpful in understanding the struggles and challenges that a first year teacher might experience. Her thoughts about conflict resolution between a variety of people that she works with on an everyday basis is important to recgonize and seeing how she resolved certain conflicts with administration, students and parents was really insightful.

I think that as a student learning about education, the first year of teaching seems really daunting right now just because I'm still in the learning process. This book showed me how important it is for new teachers to be confident about what they are doing in the classroom and while it is important to listen to fellow colleagues, sticking true to your beliefs is essential. There are multiple ways to be an effective teacher and willing to take risks that help the students learn better is a crucial aspect to teaching. Esme's experiences with teaching was very helpful to read about and the movie we created helped me take what I learned in the book and think about it with and Educational Psychology lens.

Lost Generation

At the beginning of this clip, I was very shocked at the statements that were made. I think that the way the different phrases were written grabbed my attention and made me think about my generation. I really liked how once the statements were read backwards, it changed the context and what was said completley. I think that this is so true about attitudes about life. We always rely on what experts say and research that "proves" how society will be in the future, however I truly believe that it is up to us to change the path that we are all on. For example, the clip said that we will continue to destroy the environment, however when read backwards, we can change the environment and care for it so it is not destroyed. I think this is true for the values that we have in society and where we want to be headed. The clip talked about divorce and valuing money over family, and I believe it is how we are raised including our own personal experiences that shape our personal values about these topics.

I don't believe I am in a lost generation, certainly there are times where I am upset at the way my generation thinks about certain things but overall, no I don't think we are a lost generation. For example, I understand the significance that technology has in our society today, however when I see how children are glued to their cell phones or now people are reading books online or with new applications for their phones it honestly disgusts me. I think that people are losing ways of communicating that are much more personal and children especially do not know how to play or interact with each other if it doesn't involve some sort of technology. But despite my frusterations with how dependent we are becoming on technology, I think that our generation is very conscientious of the environment and I hope that the focus on family instead of money continues to be a strong value that we hold on to. This clip was done in a very creative way that pushed people to think about what we want from society, and how my generation is responsible to define our values and the way we want to live.

Adolescent Brain Development

Reflecting on the lecture about the development of the adolescents' brains was very interesting. I thought that the power point and information presented were very effective for the directed audience which were supposed to be parents. However, we were the most represented group at the lecture which I think the presenter tried her best to accomodate, but there were certainly times that I felt that her presentation methods were not the best way to effectively communicate her main points. Also, the presentation was geared towards middle school and high school students which explains her behavior and how Luther College students were probably not as receptive to her as younger students. I thought that even though she did hold my attention, alot of the time I kept thinking "Is she serious?" I think it is important to know your audience when presenting, and I know she didn't expect that many college students but it made me realize how crucial it is when I will be teaching to understand how to relate to my students in a way that they can be engaged but also the lectures can be informative and the students can get a lot out of it.

The material that she presented was really interesting to me. Lately I have been thinking about how I would like to teach middle school and I think that by studying the different stages of brain development will help me alot in terms of understanding the developement stages that they are at. I really liked learning about the information, but I thought it was a really repetitive since I have taken psychology courses in the past. Nevertheless, it was good information to review and think about how I can connect it to my future carrer as a teacher. I enjoy learning about the different brain stages and she presented the information in a way that was easy to understand. For example, I thought it was interesting how she related the brain of young teenager to the brain of a toddler. Once she connected the different behavioral characteristics to each other, I could see the correlation and it was a way in which I never thought about the two different developmental stages. I also thought that what she presented on drugs and concussions was also very interesting. I think that it is important to recognzie that what kids do in their lives at this age greatly affects their future, but I know that most adolescents aren't terribly concerned with this. I think that this presentation was very informative and even though it was geared towards parents, as a student in the teacher education program, I think that this information is very relevant to the age group I want to work with and it makes me want to learn more about adolsencents and how to teach this group in ways that would help them connect to the material and lessons presented in class.

my experience with blogging and the future classroom

My experience with blogging so far has been good but I don't know if I will use this tool very much in my future classroom. I like the concept of having a space to share ideas with other people who are in the same situations, and it could be useful with other teachers because it would provide an opportunity to bounce ideas off of each other about lesson plans and the class materials however I don't know if I would use it beyond that. I know that some classrooms have websites which I think could be useful for parents to know what is going on in their child's class, however the problem that I have been having with blogging is remembering to do it on a consistent basis. It is easy to push blogging to a later time and not always follow through especially when there is a lot of things to do. This would make it hard as a teacher because I will be busy and the blogging will not be on the top of my list of things to do.

One issue I have been thinking about in terms of blogging and websites, is that sometimes parents are over-involved and it does not teach students to learn how to responsible on their own. Using technology to communicate with parents and students will be very helpful, however sometimes it can create problems with parents being too involved and it does not teach students how to handle certain issues on their own. So I am kind of torn with the technology that is availabe because I think teachers can use it in their classrooms to make things more easier, however it brings up new challenges that teachers in the past did not have to face. I was reading an article the other day and it mentioned "helicopter parents", which basically are parents who are over protective and hover which means that a blog or tool similar to blogs, might cause more tension with parents and create more challenges inside the classroom.

Blog- Strengths and weaknesses

Over the course of this semester, I have learned alot about what my strengths and weaknesses are. What has helped me gain a better understanding about myself is the small group discussions, the class lectures, reading the Santrock chapters and the Monday night classes. All of these things we have done in class have pushed me to think about my personality and what I believe about education and how this will translate into the classroom in the future. I think the fact that I have a lot of passion for my content area and the fact that I really want to work with adolescents and young adults will help me in my future. I think that by having a passion for working with kids and having a good background for my content area will really help me as a future teacher. Also, I think the fact that I am creative and love to read will help me set up a classroom where students are encouraged to think critically and be creative.

Some weaknesses I have in the content area of my teaching is the fact that I am still learning more about my major, so at this point it can be kind of challenging envisioning myself as an expert. I know that once I take my required classes and further learn I will know what I need to, but at this point I am still in the process of it all. Sometimes it can be daunting thinking about my future, like how I am supposed to get to point A to point B because right now I am just beginning my experience in the Education Department. Other than that, I think I just need to remember that everything takes time and I will eventually learn and know what I am supposed to!

Reflection on Chalk and Wire

After the presentation on Chalk and Wire and the Education Department, I think I have a better understanding of the Education Department at Luther. It was helpful for me to see everything mapped out and to have this introduction to the program. At first it seemed very stressful because there are alot of things to remember about applying to the department and all of the requirements that we are supposed to fufill. I think that Chalk and Wire is a great way to help us to organize our portfolio and it is a great tool to use in understanding certain areas that are geared towards preparing us for becoming teachers. Another aspect that I think is helpful on Chalk and Wire is the fact that we can see our progress throughout the years here at Luther and I think that this will be a great tool in compiling a portfolio that can help us when we have jobs as teachers.

I do have a couple of questions about the competencies on Chalk and Wire. I have started writing some for my classes but I think that it would be helpful for professors to have a more universal rubric for grading competencies. I know that some professors like shorter statments while some rationales in other classes are preferred to be longer. I know it is subjective and really depends on each class, however I think it would give us a better idea of what is expected when we are writing them. Other than that, I don't really have any other questions about Chalk and Wire at this point. I think the more I use this tool, the more familiar I will become with what strategies and ideas we should be learning from using Chalk and Wire.

Blog- Chalk

The movie Chalk was very entertaining to watch and I thought it was a great way to introduce problems that teachers deal with but in a way that we could relate to. Personally, my school was not like the one in the film however the exaggeration of the different types of teachers and students made Chalk hilarious to watch. For example, the first year teacher who was previously in computer science and now teaching history was kind of similar to some math teachers I had, who I'm sure they were smart in the subject but did not relate to the students very well and had trouble teaching the material because they couldn't connect to the students. I think that when a teacher is passionate about the subject that is definitely important, but the teacher must also have a passion for teaching and working with kids. The first year teacher had a lot of problems because the students didn't respect him and even though those situations were funny to watch it is true that kids know when a teacher isn't very passionate about helping the kids learn.

The school was very chaotic and not very professional and was helpful in showing what not to do while teaching even though some of it was kind of obvious. The teacher who just wanted to be teacher of the year crossed boundaries and the gym teacher was not very open to other people's suggestions. The students would not be able to learn in this school environment because the teachers didn't handle any problems with behavior in a way that would teach the students and the first year teacher who just gave definitions everyday did not challenge his students and created a classroom that was boring. I thought that Chalk was very interesting to watch and it was kind of like The Office but for teachers which made the film very entertaining to watch.

Blog 3

I thought that the superintendent that talked with us on Monday was very helpful and hearing about his background made me think of how important it is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Listening to him talk about the struggles he faced in the beginning of his career in regards to working with students who came from different backgrounds and who had a different attitudes about education than the previous students he worked with, made me think about how even though it was difficult for him, it was very beneficial to his career. What especially stuck with me was when he compared his career with two of his fellow collegues in relationship to where they are today and where he is. He has dabbled in many different areas, has taught in different schools, has been a principal as well as a superintendent and with all of those experiences, he has gained a knowledge that has allowed him to take leadership roles and continued to learn in new ways. I think that his experiences such as teaching in an environment that differed from what he was used to, as well as challenging himself by continuing his education, contributed to his success and his understanding of students.

I think that the Social Cognitive Theory that is mentioned in Santrock explains how Environment, Behavior and Cognition influences a student's attitude about school which the superintendant experienced in different ways. For example, while he was in Chicago, students' environment and attitudes about school were significantly different than students in Decorah. I believe that if a teacher recognizes this and uses this theory to better understand a student's attitude about school which can also be referred to self-efficacy. Self-efficacy has such a strong influence on behavior because it is the belief that a student has if he or she can master a certain situation. This is important in understanding students' backgrounds in different cities. I think that his experiences in Chicago as well as Decorah as led him to have a better understanding of how different students behave and why. These definitions are important when understanding education because it is clear from his wide range of experience, it has made him a better teacher and leader in the school environment. Along with that thought, I agree with what he said about always moving forward and not being stuck teaching the same grade or subject for 40 years. I think it is important for a teacher to continue learning and exploring different areas of the career because it will only help in understanding students and better connecting with them to impact their lives in a positive way. Hearing him speak was very helpful because with all of his knowledge about the education system, it made me think beyond my education at Luther and the first couple of years teaching. I think that by continuing to learn, it will help me be a teacher who can really impact kid's lives.

Blog 2

What was really interesting to me this week was the teacher panel from Monday night. I enjoyed hearing about their different experiences and the tips they gave for upcoming teachers in the Luther education program. I think what really stuck with me was the concept that classrooms are changing considerably in terms of technology with the rise of kids using computers in classrooms as well as the struggles that these teachers are having with cell phone usage. I agree with what the panel said about it changing the way kids behave socially and how they learn in certain areas because they can just look things up online. Especially hearing that young elementary students did not know what to do when they went outside for recess or for that matter did not want to was vastly different from when I was in elementary school. Comparing the couple of years from when I was in elementary school to elementary classrooms now, it is clear that the tools that kids are learning with are so different because of the technology that keeps being created. In my opinion, I think that 5th graders should know how to use a computer however the concept that they each get their own is a little extreme and when one of the teachers said that she was pushing for 4th graders to receive their own computers I was just shocked because I think it is important for kids to know how to interact with each other and learn social skills that computers and technology might prevent them from learning.

I read the article "Are One-to-One Laptop Programs Worth the Investment?" that was handed out in class today and I think that this article is very relative to what was discussed on Monday night. I think that since the data shows that laptops has no impact on standardized testing, teachers should think critically on what activities they are having their students use technology for. In no means am I saying that technology shouldn't be incorporated into the classroom, but I think that some other tools for teaching or activities are being overlooked that help students learn and will also help them succeed socially. By creating a classroom that is heavily focused on technology, students might miss out on social interactions that are crucial to learning such as working in groups and leadership. I think it is up to teachers to recognize when it is appropriate to use computers and this will ultimately help the students so they get a education that is well rounded in various aspects.

Blog 1

I thought that the movie Paper Clips was really interesting because it really showed how important it is to teach diversity and to facilitate activities that create an enviornment where students want to learn. In my opinion I thought that the paper clip activity was really beneficial to students because it made learning fun and it got them interessted as well as motivated to explore more about the history of the holocaust. However, I think that the school could have expanded on this activity to push the students further and think deeper about diversity. The project was more focused on emotions and stories which should be taught, however I think the students needed to know more facts and could have explored other aspects to the holocaust that would have taught them more about diversity. Also, I think that in a community where the majority of people are white Christians, a unit on other cultures and maybe other religions would have been very beneficial for the students. I do think that this video showed a great way how to get kids motivated to learn and how important it is to find projects that will be interesting for kids.

I also enjoyed reading Chapter 2 because it was really informative in understanding how kids' brains develop. I think it is really important to remember in the future when planning activities and it would help you to better connect with your students. I enjoyed reading about how the brain develops and the different stages of development in the opinions of the two different psychologists. I think that by having a combination of Piaget and Vygotsky- knowing different stages of development but also understanding that a lot students learning depends on language and culture- will give you the best kind of picture of development. I think that this chapter is very important in understanding how to be a good teacher because it helps you recognize where your students are developmentally and will ultimately help you connect with them in a way that will help them achieve in school.