Standardized Tests

Question: 

How did you feel about taking standardized tests in secondary school? In what ways did your high school prepare you for standardized tests? If you had the ways and the means how would you do it differently?

Answer:

In school I absolutely hated taking standardized tests.  I already have anxiety with taking low stake tests so giving me a test that is worth a ton makes me panic even more.  My high school really did not prepare me for these tests at all. Once a week for a few weeks leading up to our test, my teachers would remind us by saying "Remember you have your huge test coming up. Make sure you study." but that was it. It was very frustrating because I did not feel prepared at all and I did not know what exactly to study. If I could have done it differently, I definitely would have taken the extra time to sit down with my teachers to really discuss what to expect on the test rather than allowing myself to stress out and panic for weeks over it. 

Formative vs. Summative

Question: 
Differentiate between formative and summative assessment and give examples of how each might be used in your own teaching situations.


Answer:
Formative assessment occurs before or even during time of instruction and is usually ungraded. This form of assessment helps form instructions for the students.

Summative Assessment occurs after the instructions have occurred and is typically graded. This form summarizes all of the accomplishments of the students.

I would use formative assessment when beginning a new chapter because then it lets me know if the students have any type of knowledge in the topic we will be starting. Also, it tells me that, that will be a strong point when given a graded test because they that knowledge is already in their head.

I would use summative assessment at the end of a chapter to see how much of the information the student retained over the course of learning the material and how successful they were.

Assessment Pamphlet

Assessment Case Study

Question: 

   1) In addition to the criteria for what constitutes quality work and having students self-assess, list some additional guidelines for Miss Wren to remember when developing a rubric.

   2) Grades, a form of extrinsic reinforcement, can be a source of celebration for Miss Wren's students or a punishment. In order to make the most of grades and increase her students' chance for success, what should Miss Wren keep in mind when grading her students?


Answer:

1) In addition to the criteria, I think Miss Wren should keep in mind the following guidelines:
            1) Focusing on reliability will give Miss Wren the reassurance if the content (the book material on which the report is on, is consistent and shows that the students have a grasp on what the book is about. It will show their overall knowledge of the same material.
             2) Next, Miss Wren should also focus on validity because the book report should measure what it is intended to measure, which is the knowledge intended from the book report


2) When grading her students, Miss Wren should keep in mind that all students' express their knowledge in different ways and should be encouraged to express it however they know how and by using whatever ability comes strongest to them.

Motivation

Question: Do you think it is generally true that first graders have more curiosity and are more motivated to learn than sixth graders or high school students? If so, can you explain the decline?


Answer: Yes I think younger children are more curious and also more motivated to learn because they are curious about what is going to happen, excited about a whole new environment and are initially just more interested in school.  After awhile, school seems to become more of a job that students see as something that they have to do and start to lose the excitement and interest to learn.

Maslow's Hierarchy

Question:

1) Can children learn in school if they are hungry or feel unsafe in their neighborhood? Take Maslow's hierarchy of needs into account when answering this question.

2)What criticisms would you offer about this hierarchy?



Answer:  

1) No children would not be able to learn in a school setting if they are hungry or feel unsafe in their neighborhood because according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, people must fulfill their lower level needs such as for survival, safety, followed by belonging and then self-esteem first. If a child is hungry or feels unsafe for any reason, they cannot move forward with fulfilling higher-level needs until the needs of being fed and being kept safe are satisfied. Once these are satisfied, the motivation for fulfilling those needs decrease and they can now move forward with fulfilling higher-level needs such as intellectual achievement.

2)  Criticisms that have arose about this hierarchy are that people don't and won't always appear to follow the theory the way that Maslow predicts it will work out. Most people move back and forth between different needs like from higher-level needs to lower-level needs and then back again. Life is not like a pyramid where once you fulfill a need you move on and never see that need again, it will keep coming back whenever it needs to be fulfilled.

Case Study 2

Question:  Paulo Nzambi moved from his home in Angola to the United States in the fifth grade. While his English and schooling were adequate, his teacher Katie Wyant worried about his social adjustment. His quiet demeanor and soft voice were, in many ways, the opposite of his male peers. Paulo appeared hesitant when interacting with her as if he was unsure about how to behave. As the year progressed, Katie noticed he had not made any progress in adjusting to the classroom. She decided she needed to be proactive in finding a solution. (Cluster 6 / Unit 5).

         1)   In order to acquire a better understanding of Paulo and make make school a more positive experience, what three types of relationships would assist Paulo as well as Miss Wyant?

       2)  What aspects of culturally relevant teaching might Katie Wyant employ to assist Paulo Nzambi in his transition to an American classroom?

Answer: 

 1)  The three types of relationships that would assist Paulo and Miss Wyant are:
             1) Caring teacher-student relationships
             2) Effective peer relations
             3) Effective home-school relationships

2) Miss Wyant could connect with the not only the student Paulo but also get to know his parents by doing projects with all of them outside of the classroom.  Miss Wyant could ask the parents to help out in the class or to discuss with the students about their hobbies, or the history and heritage of their ethnic group. 

Threaded Discussion IQ

Question:  provide link
1) How did taking the test make you feel? Why do you think IQ tests are so popular?
2) Do you think the test is an accurate representation of both your intelligence and of your abilities as a student?
3) Although the test that you took is most likely not the most reliable or valid test, how would you approach IQ testing with your own students?


Answer:  iqtest.com

1) This test made me feel a little anxious because I kept rereading the questions and second guessing myself. Most of the questions seemed too easy so I would stare at the question and over think the possible answer even though they were all true or false. I think they are so popular because it gives you an idea of how smart you are and lets you know what areas you have to work harder on.

2) I really don't think its a good representation overall because I feel like I am a lot smarter than the test told me I was. I didn't really feel like the questions were very relevant to what I have learned in school and therefore made me struggle a little bit more than I normally would.

3)  If I could create my own IQ test, I would make it more relevant to what they had been learning all alone with maybe one or two trick questions just to get them thinking a little harder.

Hidden Biases

Question:
1) How do you think most teachers would do on the tests you took?
2) How would the context in which you teach (suburban, urban, rural, early, middle, or high school, etc.) influence your answers on this scale?
3) How do you think a teacher's hidden biases could influence students? At what point developmentally do you think teacher biases become influential to a student?

Answer: 

1) I personally don't think teachers would be as biased as students are because they have been exposed to many different disabilities, ethnicity's, races, religions and many other characteristics. Teachers have to be fair to all students no matter what characteristics they possess in order to be a good teacher. I'm not saying teachers AREN'T biased in some way, but they are more aware of how different people are from one another than students are. 

2) If you are only exposed to a certain ethnicity, race, or religion because of the area you live in, you are obviously going to be more biased towards that certain characteristic because it is what you are used to and its familiar to you.  If you were to be moved to a new place where you have a wide range of characteristics among the students, you would still favor the students with characteristic you are more comfortable and familiar with.

3) A teachers biases could influence students in the sense that, if a student catches on that his or her teacher favors a certain group of students based on similarities among the students in that group, they could start to feel left out, or unwanted because the teacher doesn't give him or her as much attention. I think it becomes influential from the start. If the teacher doesn't spend the time of day on some students compared to others throughout the school year, those left out students will start to think that's how its going to be. I think the teacher has to put aside their biases from the very start. 

Wiki Activity

Question: Break into groups, which each group assigned a different disability (for example emotional disorders, articulations disorders, ADHD, intellectual disabilities). Each group  should create a page that can be linked to their blog for the disability they are assigned. Answer the following questions about the disorder:

       

      1)  What are the specific diagnoses that you might see?

      2) What are the characteristics you might observe?

      3)  What kind of accommodations might you need to prepare?

      4) What kind of teaching strategies might be helpful for students?

Answer: 
ADHD

1) For a diagnosis of ADHD, the symptoms must also have appeared before the age of 7 (for childhood ADHD), and have continued for at least 6 months.So the critical questions to consider before an ADHD diagnosis is made are whether the symptoms are: (a) excessive compared with what would be expected; (b) longer-term rather than in response to a recent change; and (c) pervasive rather than limited to one environment.

2) There are two distinct characteristics of a person with ADHD which are either hyperactivity/impulsivity or inattention. People who show signs of inattention have symptoms of not being able to concentrate, struggle to organize and complete tasks on time, or has problems learning new things. Signs of hyperactivity are: can't sit still and fidget a lot and try to multitask. Lastly, signs of impulsivity are: difficulty thinking before acting and problems with waiting his or her turn. 

3) Some accommodations that could be made for people with ADHD are maybe taking large projects and dividing them up in smaller projects so they are easier to concentrate on. Writing down instructions for the student to use or using post it notes with due dates on them as reminders. I think the best thing a person can do for someone with ADHD is to limit all possible chances of distractions because that is usually one major problem for people with ADHD. 

4) When teaching students with this disorder, some strategies that might be useful are: provide an advanced organizer to keep them on track, do a recap of the previous lessons to make sure they were paying attention and hasn't fallen behind, set behavioral and learning expectations so they have something to work towards, and simplify instructions. 

Case Study 1

Question: Many beginning teachers become overwhelmed when they discover they have numerous students in their class with special needs. First year teacher Paige Morris was no exception. Of her 25 students, seven were identified as needing special education services. While Paige was certified in special education and elementary education, she felt ill-equipped to write and implement so many Individualized Education Plans. To make matters more concerning, three of her students were identified as ADHD. Miss Morris began to imagine herself trying to control a chaotic classroom without the tools she needed to succeed.

 1)   List the parts of an IEP which must be in writing, Identify the aspects of the IEP for which Paige is responsible.

2) Which parts of  each child’s program would assist Miss Morris in better understanding her students before they begin the school year.

Answer: 

An IEP is an Individual Educational Program for children with learning disabilities. 

1) The parts of an IEP which must be in writing is:

          1. IEPs must have statements of present levels of educational performance

          2. Annual goals

          3. Child's Progress

          4. Description of special education services

          5. Program Modifications 

          6. An explanation of the extent, if any, to which a child will not participate with 

              non-disabled children  in the regular class and in extracurricular and nonacademic activities

          7. Individual Accommodations 

          8. IEP statements of transition - preparations for adult life and independence 

2). I thinking understanding where they currently stand academically and how capable they are of improving will help her in the long run. Knowing which areas they struggle most in, will allow her to know which topic to focus on the most so they become stronger in that subject. 

Classroom Management Flyer

Case Study 3

Question: 

Haley Williams sat in Dr. Karr’s office, once again, having to explain why she could not get along with her teacher. “I don’t know why she picks on me in front of the class. All I know is that when she starts to yell at me. I lose my temper. I’m not even sure what I am supposed to do! It seems like everything I do is wrong according to Ms. Kemp. I know we have talked about getting along and how that would be better for everyone, but Dr. Karr, I just don’t like her and she does not like me. Can’t I be switched to another class?

1)  Is Miss Kemp doing anything that actually contributes to Haley’s poor behavior? Explain your answer.

2) What could one assume about Miss Kemp’s reprimands if Haley’s behavior has not decreased?

Answer: 

1) Yes I do believe that Miss Kemp is contributing to Haley's poor behavior because Haley states that Miss Kemp picks on her quite frequently and in front of the whole class and she also yells at her which just makes Haley angry. Miss Kemp may not be the entire reason behind Haley's behavior problem, but she is a huge factor in either making it worse or trying to help Haley while in the classroom. 

2) One could assume that Miss Kemp's reprimands aren't correct for Haley's situation. If Haley has behavior problems, the teacher needs to be patient and try to understand the students needs. Obviously yelling at her isn't the right way to go about it if her behhavior has not improved yet. It seems like Miss Kemp needs to find an alternate way to handle this situation. Haley's not going to change unless Miss Kemp does. 

Snapshot Assignment

Link to website I created:

http://snapshotassignment.weebly.com

Threaded Discussion Question (Teasing)

Question: 
1. Is there a difference between teasing and bullying?
2. How can teachers determine when their intervention is necessary?
3. How can teachers determine when a student is being bullied?
4.When should teachers report bullying to parents?


Answer:  
1. Yes there is a difference between bullying and teasing. The difference is that teasing generally involves a sense of play and mutual joking around. It rarely, if ever involves cracks about religion, race, or appearance. Bullying on the other hand does not involves play or mutual joking around. It often involves jokes about religion, race or appearance.

2.  Teachers can determine that their intervention is necessary immediately. There should be a strict zero tolerance policy and the teacher should not stand by and wait for a good moment to get involved. If it is being witnessed, it should be confronted.

3. A teacher should be able to determine when a student is being bullied when they notice that the "joking around" is not at all mutual and only one student is laughing and making the jokes.

4. Bullying should be reported when the behavior does not improve or gets worse over time.

Threaded Discussion Question (Television)

Question: 
     1. What kinds of challenges do these children face? How do they deal with them?
     2. What kinds of things challenge these parents? How do they respond?
     3. To what extent do the children's activities and behaviors seem to result from their parenting?


Answer: The Tanners from Full House
    The adults associated with the Tanner family (Danny, Jesse, Joey and Rebecca), represent a authoritative parenting style. They set clear rules, enforce them and also expect mature behavior from the kids (DJ, Stephanie, Michelle, Nicky and Alex). When the adults give certain rules, you can expect them to follow through with explaining why those rules are in place, but they are also very good at listening to any concerns the kids may have.

     1. One challenge that these children could face is that they don't get the opportunities to go out and explore the world and make their own mistakes. They will learn a lot more by making their own mistakes rather than being monitored 24/7. They deal with this challenge by either just following the rules or they sometimes try to find ways around the rules, that way they can have fun and break the rules without the adults knowing.

     2.  The adults are challenged in the household because they have to be strict enough to stand by the rules they have created, but they also have to make sure they aren't too strict and make sure they take into consideration the children's needs and concerns. Another challenge could be dealing with the children not listening all the time like they should and trying not to be overly mean about how they address the situation. They tend to respond by sitting down with the child and discussing why they did what the did and why they won't do that certain thing again.

     3.  It seems like the activities and behaviors of these children are directly related to the parenting style.  This specific parenting style expects to see mature behavior and that is exactly what they get. The children act accordingly and when they think they are unsure about what they are doing, they question whether or not it is a good idea and if the adults will be mad with their actions. Although sometimes they do bad things anyways, they always maturely resolve it and never do it again.

Reflection about Qualified Teaching

Questions:  

            1.    What does it mean to be a qualified teacher?

2.     How do you assess qualifications?

3.     What is good teaching, and how is it measured?

4.     How do qualifications make a difference? What knowledge or skills would a qualified teacher possess that an unqualified teacher does not?

5.     How do school systems that may have a paucity of qualified teachers (such as rural and urban schools) work to meet the requirements established by No Child Left Behind? 

Answer: 
          
         A qualified teacher can differ among people but according to the NCLB (No Child Left Behind), a qualified teacher is seen as someone who hold a bachelors degree from a four year institution, has teacher experience, has the content knowledge to teach core academics, a teacher certification, and a state teaching license. 
        I personally assess qualifications of a teacher by how knowledgeable they are regarding the subject they are teaching because if they don't really know what they are talking about, how am I suppose to learn? My geometry teacher in high school did not understand what he was teaching at all, so as a result, I didn't do as well as I wanted to in that class. Also I assess qualifications by how enthusiastic the teacher is to be in the class, teaching and making sure we succeed. When they have a good attitude coming to work, I will have a good attitude to come to class. 
        Good teaching is the amount of knowledge a teacher has about a topic and will go out of their way to make sure their students learn it and are successful in the end. and it is measured by how successful the students are and how much they are able to achieve based off of how qualified the teacher is in the subject that they are teaching and also by the effort the teacher puts into his or her teaching. 
         Qualifications can make a huge difference when it comes to the achievement of students in school. By teachers having to meet certain qualifications, you can guarantee that the students will achieve a lot more than with a teacher who doesn't meet the qualifications.  If a teacher got a degree in a specific subject, they are automatically so knowledgeable about that topic, that they can focus on making sure their students are just as knowledgeable. 
         Because of the shortage of teachers, some states have restored to recruiting nontraditional candidates and offering them alternative, temporary or emergency certificates to fill empty classrooms. In order to make sure these candidates meet the federal definition of a highly qualified teacher, they have to go through 3-8 weeks of pedagogical training which is  training in learning theory, teaching methods, classroom management, curriculum, lesson planning and other activities. 

Jigsaw

I would love to work with the age group of  2-6 years of age.

Physical Development:  Physically children in this age group the muscles grow, their brains develop to better understand information, their balance improves,  and their center of gravity moves lower so that they are able to run, jump climb and hop. By age 2, they have perfected this walking skills. By the third year, most children have learned to throw, run and jump but arent well controlled until about age 4 or 5.

Cognitive Development: The first form of cognitive development according to Piaget is the ability to form and also use symbols like words, gestures, signs and images, which is called the preoperational period. From ages 2 to 4, most children enlarge their vocabulary from 200 words to 2,000 words.

Sociocultural Perspective on Cognitive Development:  This applies to early childhood in the sense that they are very limited, they are limited to language development.

Putting it into perspective:  For a teacher, they should look for the improvement in language mainly because they will be learning and gaining more ways to communicate and will put it into practice but they should also look for the small  physical changes.

Threaded Discussion Question #2

Question: What are efficacy implications for teaching students inside the zone of proximal development?

Answer:
     When teaching students inside the zone of proximal development, the child is at at stage where the they already know as much as they can through independent problem solving, but there is still plenty of space for them to achieve more knowledge with the help of adult guidance or by working with their peers. So the expected results for teaching them during this stage is that they will start to learn how to interact with others instead of independently problem-solving and will start to progress in their learning and capabilities to retain new knowledge presented.

Threaded Discussion Question #1

Statement:  "Adolescents appear to need more intense emotional stimulation than either children or adults."

Question: What implications does this have for instruction? Peer-to-peer confrontations? Student-to-teacher confrontations?

Answer: 
     The implications that come from this statement when it comes to instructions for adolescents, could be that adolescents need to be motivated more often then adults and children because they are at the stage where they just don't want to go do certain things. Peer-to-peer confrontations might be hard for some who need the extra emotional stimulation and a peer just can't give that to them. Student-to-teacher confrontations might be the best options for adolescence because the teacher keep them motivated and in the right direction of where they need to be. 

Module 2 Question

Module 2 Question:  New research on education is constantly conducted to better understand learning and to improve teaching. How do you think teachers can use this research? How might teachers in classrooms and researchers collaborate? Do you think teachers can also be researchers? If so, how? If not, why not?

Answer: 
        New research on education is constantly conducted to better understand learning and to improve teaching and I think that teachers could use all this new research to focus on specific problems that seem to arise and from that they can make careful observations so that they can learn a great deal not only about their teaching, but also about their students.
        I think that teachers and researchers can collaborate in way where, researchers can help teachers figure out what the best methods for teaching are so that they can be more successful in the classroom and with students.  Teachers can also help researchers too because teachers can demonstrate what methods seem to work and what methods don't work as well as expected so that further research can be done to reach the goal for success.
        Yes teachers can also be researchers because they can use their own personal observations in the classroom as a whole and by working with individual students to determine what works and what doesn't. By having that student-teacher relationship, they can adjust their teaching style to fit individual students based on their needs, which is something researches aren't able to do.

Module 1 Question:   Does good teaching make a difference? Has it made a difference in your learning, or perhaps in your life outside the classroom or in a career choice? How should effective teaching be assessed by administrators?


Answer:    Good teaching makes a huge difference in the lives of their students not only at that time, but also later on down the road. Throughout all my years in school, I have had a wide variety of teachers. Some who were very enthusiastic about the topic they were teaching and to make a difference in our lives, but I've also had teachers who weren't as excited about teaching. I found that those who were enthusiastic about it, made it easier for me to pay attention and actually made me want to learn, but with teachers who could care less, I didn't seem to care either. I had no desire to learn in their class. Good teaching has impacted me in a way where even outside the classroom, I still have a positive outlook on things and a willingness to go further in life.