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