Teaching is like...

"Teaching is like rings on a tree. What you teach... is forever with them." When students join you in your classroom at the beginning of the school year it marks the start of a new stage in their lives. They are beginning a new grade and turning a year older. Students will be influenced by you so therefore it depends on you as the teacher, to choose what you want them to gain from your influence.

From this course I've been informed of the different educational philosophies that teachers use in their practices. Along with that, I've learned about the varying types of schools, ranging from outdoor and environmentally focused schools, to Montessori schooling, along with other types that have provided me with ideas that i have enjoyed and agreed with,  along with others that i did not agree with, but still gave me insight into how my students have been taught, or  how they may be taught in the future. 

Something this course has emphasized a lot was culturally responsive classrooms and inclusion. These concepts are focused on providing quality education for each and every student. I've realized from this course, that it is important to provide and incorporate different teaching styles to reach the needs of all students.

Another important concept I was reminded about was place-based learning. After reading about it, i was able to think back to my own elementary experience which involved place-based learning. It is important to provide ways for students to interact and connect with what they are learning. If possible it is best to take students out of the classroom. Not only will this give them real experiences pertaining to what they are learning, but it makes the experience much more exciting and fun to interact with the environment and community where students live.

I've enjoyed this course and all that it has offered me while on my path to becoming a teacher. I've most definitely come across some great ideas and information that I will put to use in my future classroom. EDU100 has encouraged and excited me even more in my pursuit to becoming a teacher. I believe that I have gained useful and beneficial information that will help me in providing my students with a quality educational experience and I am thankful for that!

Incorporating Social Justice in an Elementary Curriculum

It is important to incorporate social justice within the curriculum. Students should learn about social justice in regards to the many different social inequalities that people are dealt with during their lives. By incorporating social justice into the curriculum, students are provided the chance to learn about social inequalities, ways to deal with experiences that involve social inequality, and also ways to promote social justice in ways to 'fight' social inequalities. 

While searching online about social justice in elementary schools, I came across a website that includes 'Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for Elementary Education'. I'd like to share those six elements as they are shown on the website because they are shared in a very understandable way as is. 

Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for Elementary Education

1) Self-love and knowledge: Teachers provide opportunities for students to learn about who they are and where they come from. A sense of dignity in their culture, heritage, ethnicity/race, religion, skin tone, gender etc. is cultivated in the classroom.  Students learn about different aspects of their identity and history associated with it. Negative stereotypes about students’ identities are deconstructed. Potential classroom activities include: Where I come from poems, self-portraits that include skin tone identification, name poems, family interviews, grandparent guest speakers, cultural abc books.

2) Respect for Others: Teachers provide opportunities for students to share their knowledge about their own cultural background with their classmates.  The goal is to create a climate of respect for diversity through students learning to listen with kindness and empathy to the experiences of their peers.  Students deconstruct stereotypes about their peers’ identities.  Potential classroom activities include: Sharing of cultural ABC books, diverse family structures that include LGTB families, field trips to cultural museums, guest speakers from children’s families and cultural centers.

3) Issues of Social Injustice: Teachers move from “celebrating diversity” to an exploration of how diversity has differently impacted various groups of people.  Students learn about the history of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, religious intolerance etc. and how these forms of oppression have affected different communities.  Teachers make links that show how the historical roots of oppression impact the lived experiences and material conditions of people today.Potential topics of study include: Native American genocide, Slavery, the Holocaust, anti-immigration policies and sentiment, media (mis) representations, issues that face their own communities such as gentrification, police brutality, etc.

4) Social Movements and Social Change: Teachers share examples of movements of iconic and everyday people standing together to address the issues of social injustice they learned about in Element Three.  Rather than leaving students feeling overwhelmed and defeated, teachers help students understand that working together, ordinary people have united to create change.  Potential topics of study include: Abolitionism, civil rights movement, the L.A. janitors’ strikes, various labor movements, 1968 and 2006 Chicano student walkouts.

5) Awareness Raising: Teachers provide opportunities for students to teach others about the issues they have learned about.  This allows students who feel passionately about particular issues to become advocates by raising awareness of other students, teachers, family and community members.  It is important to recognize that while raising awareness is a necessary and important pre-curser for action, it by and of itself does not translate into change. Potential activities include: newsletters, public service announcements, letter writing campaigns, creating documentaries, blogging.

6) Social Action Teachers provide opportunities to take action on issues that affect students and their communities. Students identify issues they feel passionate about and learn the skills of creating change firsthand. Potential activities include: Letter writing campaigns, petitions, linking with local grassroots organization campaigns, speaking at public meetings, attending and/or organizing protests.

I agree with these six elements of social justice that teachers can incorporate into the curriculum along with the potential activities that were mentioned. I feel social justice is very important for students to learn about because without a good understanding of it, they may fall into a category of people who add to the social inequalities that should be 'deconstructed'. 

Environmental Education is Essential

When I think back to my elementary school years, there is always that one experience that comes to mind first, that I carry with me, that I will never forget. Nature's Classroom. My elementary school was located in Malden, MA which is about 10-15 minutes away from Boston. The city of Malden is pretty small, but holds many characteristics of an urban city. I believe it was fifth grade that our parents signed permission slips and packed our bags, we were going to Nature's Classroom in Freedom, New Hampshire. Five days away from parents, classrooms, and homework! Five days to learn and live in the cabins, mountains, and forest. "At Nature's Classroom students take an active role in their education by participating in exciting hands on motivational activities which are both academic and enjoyable." A typical day at Nature's Classroom includes breakfast, morning field group, special interests classes, dinner, and evening activities. Field groups' "goal is to give students a better understanding of dynamic interactions in the natural world, in social situations and even within themselves." Although this is just one short week out of many years of school, it has stuck with me because it was fun and interesting. If schools, even urban city schools, could begin to incorporate outdoor class time to engage in environmental studies and science, i feel that students would become more interested and excited to learn and develop proactive choices in regards to their environments. "Nature's Classroom is an unforgettable learning experience for children and their teachers, offering the very best in environmental education, working closely with school teachers to create a learning partnership that lasts a lifetime." Nature's Classroom is a great experience for students and i believe teachers in New England should definitely look into visiting one of their several locations!

Some schools may not be able to include a trip to Nature's Classroom in their school year, but there are other ways of bringing environmental awareness into the classroom. After searching around on the web I came across 'Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge'. Although the website didn't mention anything about a 2014 challenge, it did include information about the past two years' challenges. The challenge "is designed to help students work together to solve an environmental problem in their classroom or school community."  I would like to include as examples, the descriptions of the top three finalists of the 2013 challenge. (grades 3-5)

FIRST PLACE
"Our local businesses around our community where we go to swim, dance, eat, take karate, skate, and many other places were not recycling at all. We needed a change in our community. This was not acceptable and the students could not understand why this wasn't important to everyone around them.  They set out for a change, we just didn't know what an amazing impact the students would actually have on our community!!!"
SECOND PLACE
"The Charles Russell Elementary after school Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) members will develop a plan for the school to recycle paper. Once the research is finished, data collected, and plan implemented, the students will seek the support of the district administration to develop a district-wide paper recycling plan. The plan began in September of 2011 and is continuing this school year (2012-2013) and will be a permanent program for years to come."

THIRD PLACE
"The students in From Garbage to Garden have been working to decrease the amount of food waste at their school. By starting a composting program and educating the rest of their school about reducing waste, they have been able to do so. Every day, they collect food scraps leftover from lunch. They also collect paper towels from the bathrooms. They then haul the materials to a local community garden that turns the materials into compost for community gardens. Since From Garbage to Garden has started, they have been able to lower the amount of food waste at their school by 23%."

To make my point clear, environmental education is a top priority and more schools/teachers should be taking the step to incorporate the importance of the environment in the curriculum. Whether it be going on a five day field trip to Nature's Classroom, or competing in a nationwide environmental competition; getting students to learn, understand, and take action in protecting and preserving their environment is a key goal that will ultimately benefit the entire world!

Staying Within the Boundaries or Thinking Outside of the Box

The title of this post is my way of differentiating between two completely opposite learning theories.

The most recent theory I have become familiar with is that of the "banking concept of education" which the  theorist, Paulo Freire has written about.  The banking concept of education theory focused on a very straightforward way of distinguishing the roles of teacher and student. "Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat." This concept leaves no room for students to question why, but instead leaves students to only believe whatever it is that the teacher says as truth. This learning theory is not fit for the world we live in today because it doesn't promote individual growth at all but is a tool instead which "mirrors oppressive society as a whole." Conformity is not desirable, and it is fair to say this theory surrounds itself with creating students into members of society who will not question authority or strive to make a difference in any way shape or form. Freire discusses this 'banking concept' but does not agree with it. Instead, he believes students and teachers should be using a 'dialogic approach' that revolves around mutual respect. Freire, although not a horrible theorist in my eyes, still seems to lack a passion I find important in teachers, to provide quality education. Instead i find Freire's focus to be on creating a learning style which promotes individual choices but to redefine societies and/or create social justice.   

A second theory which I have mentioned before is that of Montessori.  The Montessori theory focuses on the students curiosity, a calm and safe environment, and involves multiple methods of learning. Montessori is the complete opposite of the banking concept of education. This theory encourages students to make choices for themselves, develop into their own individual selves, along with working together to consider other points of views. So then, in contrast, Montessori's learning style promotes self-interest and development of individuality. 

Overall, I agree with Montessori's theory of learning more so than Freire's, but I do see many similarities that they share with one another. Most importantly, both do not support the banking concept of education, which I most certainly agree with them on. I wish the banking concept could be disregarded, but unfortunately some teachers apply it in their methods without even realizing sometimes. This is where passion comes in. If a teacher is passionate in aspiring her students to be their own selves and to excel in the abilities to learn and think independently, then I'm sure the banking concept won't be appearing in their methods.

Montessori & Freire 

Self-Assessment: Educational Philosophy

While learning about the different educational philosophies, I was asked to take a self-assessment that would help recognize my own educational philosophy. The self assessment was made up of forty statements, my answers were based on a scale of strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing. Below are links to the assessment and also the scoring guide.

Educational Philosophies Self-Assessment 

Educational Philosophies Self-Assessment Scoring Guide 

The result of my self-assessment was that the educational philosophy that I most related with is Humanism. The humanistic philosophy focuses on the human potential for growth and becoming the best they can be. "Beliefs include: human beings can control their own destiny; people are inherently good

and will strive for a better world; people are free to act but must be responsible; behavior is the

consequence of human choice; and people possess unlimited potential for growth and development.

There is a natural tendency for people to learn, which will flourish if nourishing, encouraging

environments are provided".

Although the humanistic philosophy is what the self-assessment closely relates me with, there is another educational philosophy I feel connected with. This philosophy is known as Montessori. The Montessori philosophy of education focuses on the students curiosity, a calm and safe environment, and involves multiple methods of learning with a mix of different aged students in a classroom. To learn more about Montessori education visit this link that shares a super cool animated description!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT MONTESSORI 

What Is UDL And Who Is It For In A Classroom?

UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning. "The UDL framework helps us to see that inflexible curricular materials and methods are barriers to diverse learners just as inflexible buildings with stairs as the only entry option are barriers to people with physical disabilities." This explanation and its use of an example allows easier understanding of what UDL is. UDL is a framework for student learning that is diverse just as the students are. Not all students learn the same, some may have learning disabilities or some may just learn better in different ways than others. There are many types of learners: visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, verbal, interactive, etc. and every one of them deserve the best quality education. With that being said, UDL is not limited to or directed at certain students, but is beneficial for each and every student.

For UDL to be successful there is a need for curriculum reform. A UDL curriculum is specific and different from traditional ones. For example, in a UDL curriculum "goals provide an appropriate challenges for all students." "Materials have a flexible format, supporting transformation between media and multiple representations of content to support all students' learning." Methods must be "flexible and diverse enough to provide appropriate learning experiences, challenges, and support for all students." Finally "assessment is sufficiently flexible to provide accurate, ongoing, information that helps teachers adjust instruction and maximize learning."

 

Closely related to UDL is IDEA, which "offers greater potential educational opportunities for students with disabilities than they have ever before enjoyed." Before IDEA, students with disabilities were often denied public education. Now, thankfully, things have changed and students with disabilities are being taught in public schools nationwide. For the general elementary education teacher, this means reevaluating their curriculum and adapting it to meet the needs of every student regardless of disabilities. This may entail much more work for the teacher, along with new learning for themselves to acquire how to incorporate new teaching styles, but overall these teachers are gaining a beneficial skill that will allow them to provide all of their students with the most quality education that they can offer.

"This adaptability increases accessibility for students with visual, auditory, reading, or motor impairments because they can elect to view and respond to the content in a medium and means that suit their needs." UDL allows all students, including those who require special education, to learn together without any form of segregation or classification. This relates to Civil Rights because, shouldn't all students be provided with quality education regardless of any differences they may have from another?!

 

 

"UDL goals begin with standards and benchmarks that reflect the knowledge and skills all students will strive for and are carefully conceived and expressed to encourage multiple pathways for achieving them." Overall, the goals of UDL are to promote equal opportunities to learn and grow in a setting where the learning needs of all and any student are provided. To be more clear, UDL hopes to accommodate all students with learning techniques that will benefit all of them rather than a portion of them. This is how it should be in every class room; there is no need to separate students due to their differences in learning abilities, physical abilities, etc.

 

Providing New Access To The General Curriculum: Universal Design For Learning

Inclusive Education

UDL Center

Why Is It Important to Have Culturally Responsive Classrooms?

America has often been referred to as a 'melting pot' because of the great diversity of cultures that reside here. When you walk into an American classroom, you can see the faces of many nationalities. Each student, regardless of their race, heritage, culture, or what have you, is there to gain an education. Providing each student with a quality education is what schools hope to do, but some students aren't receiving a quality education. This seems to be in part, because teachers aren't sure of how to teach in a culturally responsive way. In other words, teachers are not instructing the class using aspects of students' cultures as a way for all them to relate to and understand.

 

 

 

Culturally responsive classrooms do just that though, allowing each and every student to have that quality education they deserve.

There are a few ways in which teachers can create a culturally responsive classroom. First off, the teacher should develop a relationship with his/her students on an academic, social, and emotional level. To be more clear, the teacher should learn about students' families, their likes and dislikes in regards to music, movies, activities, etc. But all the while, the teacher needs to be aware of the different world views that students have due to their differing cultures. All of this will be helpful in providing a culturally responsive classroom where all students can value their home culture/language and that of the other students'.

Another way in which to make the classroom a culturally responsive one is to incorporate the students' real life experiences to the subject matter. Whether it be math, science, language arts, or history, connecting real life experiences with the subject matter allows the students to make connections that relate to themselves.

Creating a feeling of community in the classroom will also add to the cultural responsiveness of it. For example, encouraging students to help one another and look out for one another will aid in achieving that community feel. Along with that, the room itself should be bright and filled with student work as well as cultural decoration. This helps the students feel valued and important in the classroom.

Teachers should encourage all of his/her students to preform to their highest abilities. Along with that, assignments, lessons, and activities should utilize students' culture and interests as tools to teach them.

Lastly, every teacher should examine and understand their own cultural identities along with the way in which it dictates your classroom teaching methods and management. Other than that, in a culturally responsive classroom, teachers should be caring and thoughtful in every aspect towards their students.

With all of that being said, it is important to have culturally responsive classrooms because of the diversity in our schools. Culturally responsive classrooms will benefit students by giving each one of them quality education regardless of their race, nationality, heritage, or religion, without disregarding their traditional backgrounds.

 

 

 

My thoughts on this is that culturally responsive classrooms should be in every school. Culturally responsive classrooms pertain to every person which makes it more comfortable for the students and even more educational. Students are able to learn various points of views from different cultural standpoints that in a regular classroom, may not be recognized. I agree that America is like a 'melting pot' and I believe being culturally aware is important in succeeding in the 'grown-up' world. Students, in my own opinion, are receiving a much more beneficial and quality education from culturally responsive classrooms than any traditional classroom and I will surely have a culturally response classroom of my own in the future.