The Week!

Field Experience

During my field experience this week I got to see the children do their morning greeting as a whole school in the gymnasium. They had a power point for the whole school to see the news and announcements of the day. They showed whose birthday it was that day. The birthday students were allowed to go up and say a few words on the microphone. The power point also showed the words to the pledge of allegiance in case some children may have forgotten it. I think it is done every day of the school year so that it a key reminder of using technology each and every day with such a basic task.

Technical Skills

A technical skill that I learned about was a website that helps math teachers with different activities and games for students to use. The website is http://nlvm.usu.edu/

It is a great site for children of all ages to learn about the various mathematical topics. I would definitely use a site like this to help me better understand material but also to incorporate this mathematical technology to my future students. I would recommend it to parents as well so they can play and practice around this site with children as an extra activity at home.

Weekly Reading

In our Edu 373 class we read a book called An Ethic of Excellence by Ron Berger. He isn’t the prototypical teacher that believes in testing. He uses portfolios to view the progress of students. Throughout the book he never mentioned himself using technology which I found to be extremely weird because he is viewed as one of the most remarkable teachers in America today. I thought possibly he just didn’t fit that into the book because he bases his experience mainly on classroom management rather than specific topics. If I had to bet I would guess that once in a while he does incorporate technology into his classroom. This book is great I learned a lot about teaching and the positive and negatives of going into the teaching field. It is a job that won’t pay a lot of money but the reward for this job is like no other. It is something you cannot physically measure, but something that you can measure inside your heart.

States Becoming Strict on Teachers

The way educators are evaluated is changing across the country, to actual proof that students are learning. President Barack Obama’s recent use of executive authority to revise the No Child Left Behind education law is one of several factors driving a trend toward using student test scores, classroom observation and potentially even input from students, among other measures, to determine just how effective educators are. A growing number of states are using these evaluations to decide critical issues such as pay, tenure, firings and the awarding of teaching licenses. Two years ago, only four states used student achievement as a predominant influence in how teacher performance is assessed. Today, the number is 13, according to a recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. Ten other states count student achievement in a lesser but still significant way in teacher evaluations. In 19 states and the District of Columbia, teachers can be fired based on the results, the report said. Even more changes are anticipated in coming months. Obama said in September that states wanting relief from the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law could apply for a waiver from the law’s tough-to-meet requirements for student achievement in reading and math. To get a waiver, one thing states must do is come up with ways to use teacher and principal evaluations to make personnel decisions. This week, 11 states applied for waivers, and an additional 28 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico say they will be seeking waivers, too. In addition to Obama’s waivers, a major driver has been the administration’s high-profile “Race to the Top” competition, which had states competing for billions in prize dollars if they adopted stronger evaluation systems. Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said another factor is a growing body of research showing that teachers matter in how much students learn and an influential 2009 report by the New Teacher Project revealing that fewer than 1 percent of teachers surveyed receive unsatisfactory ratings — even in failing schools. Historically, states have considered teacher evaluations to be untouchable, in part because of teachers unions. States are using a combination of measures to evaluate educators. For example, in Minnesota, evaluation systems under development for teachers and principals will include feedback from superiors, fellow educators and parents. Thirty-five percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student test scores, but teachers will also be able to present a portfolio showing professional growth that includes student work and classroom video. Some states, such as Georgia and Massachusetts, are testing or considering the limited use of student input. A study by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found the average student can tell who is an effective teacher. It said students’ feedback is more specific and useful to teachers than scores or tests alone. Those opposed to linking test scores to evaluations say standardized tests are limited and don’t necessarily reflect what’s taught in the classroom. They say student performance can be affected by variables outside a teacher’s control like a child coming from an abusive home, transferring midyear or being behind because a previous teacher didn’t teach properly.

Let's Do Some Reading

For this weeks educational reading response I looked at UDL, also known as Universal Design for Learning. This can best be defined as a set of principles for developing curriculum and giving all individuals an equal chance to learn. Universal Design for Learning provides all goals, materials, and objectives that would work for everyone. It allows for various methods and creates a flexible approach to teaching everyone. In other words, students with individual needs can be accommodated to, yet learning the same material as others. UDL is crucial to learning because there is a huge gap between excellent learners and learners with needs.There are three main principles to UDL: Providing principle means of representation, providing multiple means of expression and action, and lastly providing multiple means of engagement.

Providing principle means of representation is also referred to as the "what" of learning. Certain learners may have learning disabilities such as dyslexia  and may take longer to grasp information as opposed to others. It is crucial as a future teacher to be aware of these aspects because they must be treated and accommodated.

The second principle, providing multiple means of expression and action is known as the "how" of learning. This strategy of learning allows children to express their knowledge in various ways. For example, if a child has a language barrier and has a difficult time speaking, he/she can express their knowledge in a written text. Providing options for students is important for teachers to recognize. 

Finally, the third principle is providing multiple means of engagement, also known as the "why" or learning. This principle encourages teachers to provide various ways to keep children engaged and active amongst each other, but also independently. By trying different methods of teaching, it keeps kids interested because if they did the same things over and over, they would be bored of doing the same thing and eventually "tune out."

Bullying

What can schools do about bullying?

Bullying in schools has always been a reoccuring theme throughout the years. It is a hate crime and preaches bad morals where students are violent and immoral to their peers. Schools must find ways to stop this serious matter because it is hurting children and leading to fatal accidents. Teachers must be tentative to helping students and being mentors for them. The most recent incident occurred in Amherst, N.Y where a student named Jamey Rodemeyer was being bullied which resulted in himself taking his own life away. This is so tragic because something like this should have never happened. He even made facebook status' talking about how he was bullied and how he was going to end his life because he wanted the misery to stop. The Obama administration claims to have made bullying a top priority in preventing. As a future teacher, I know that I will always be there for my students if ever needed. I feel school is there home away from home and I am their guardian at school and am reponsible in many ways.