Course Contract Review #3

What am I Doing Well?

Coming to class every week with a desire to learn.

What am I Not Doing Well?

Managing the heavy workload that the end of the semester has brought.

Am I Making Sufficient Progress on My Goals?

The word sufficient would be key here.  I am glad that I am making progress at this point.  This being my first semester back in school, I think that I have learned a lot.  I have learned not only course material but also quite a bit about myself and how I learn.  I am still in a mix of performance and mastery.  As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Specific Things I Need to Change:

I am still working on managing my time.  This will become even more important as I become a student teacher and then teacher.  I am glad that I still have 2 semesters in school to work on this.

My Motivation:

I take it as a good sign that this first semester hasn't scared me off!  I am still motivated to be of service to my future students.  Everything I learn, including what I learn from my mistakes, can potentially benefit them.

Field Response Journal

Part I, questions 1-4

1.  What evidence do you see of specific teacher behaviors that are geared toward Piaget's theories about the developmental levels of children at particular ages? Cite specific examples and make clear connection to Piaget's work.

The class I worked with is a 12^th grade Concurrent Enrollment Shakespeare class.  The students are very bright and it was obvious to me through their class participation that they have progressed to Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage.  They can abstractly reason in both reflective and analytical ways. Also, when working through a problem, they do not need a concrete representation in order to work it out.  One example of this occurred while students were studying Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.  The teacher, Mr. Kennington, took the students through the process of equilibration.  He proposed the idea that while the male lead was treating the female lead in what we would today consider an abusive way, he believed that this was done out of respect and that it showed his admiration for her.  This thinking was in opposition to what the students had individually concluded about the scene and put them into a state of disequilibrium.  Mr. Kennington challenged the students to reread the dialogue of the play and find a way to view the text that would help them support his theory.  The students accommodated this new information by using active learning.  They reread the text and created very plausible theories using their prior knowledge of the setting of the play, Shakespeare and his time, and their own experience. 

2. What evidence do you see of specific teacher behaviors that are geared toward Vygotsky's theories? Cite specific examples and make clear connection to this work.

          I observed/interacted with this class for two and a half months.  Over the course of that period I was able to see the differences among the students’ zones of proximal development.  As I mentioned previously these are all bright students and all of them currently have plans to attend college.  That being said, there are students who are very familiar with Shakespeare and the theater and there are those who want to learn but are starting from a beginner level.  One of the ways Mr. Kennington wanted students to experience Shakespeare was through reading character parts aloud in class.  There were several students who participate in drama and had performed on stage.  They were delighted at the prospect.  Toward the beginning of my time with the class Mr. Kennington would ask for volunteers to read parts.  When the same students would raise their hands, and the others were happy to let them do it, he differentiated.  He developed a form of cognitive apprenticeship by grouping students together.  There was a more experienced student and also those who were beginners.  These groups were asked to divide parts up amongst themselves and then read through a scene.  He circulated through the different groups and using guided participation, suggested different ways to read a character and encouraged the students to try new things.  Within these smaller groups the beginner students opened up more, and were encouraged by the experienced students and given pointers.  This scaffolding technique was used several times allowing students to become comfortable with reading parts.  By the end of my time with the class, students who would not volunteer at the beginning of my observation were some of the first to raise their hands when given a chance.

3. In what psychosocial stage did Erikson say most children in the grade level you observed are functioning? What specific teacher behaviors do you observe that either help or hinder the students to successfully navigate through this stage? What more could or should be done?

          Since the students I observed were seniors in high school, I believe that Erickson would place them into his fifth stage of development, Identity vs. Identity Diffusion.  On the surface, it might not seem that the students I observed were being encouraged to find their own identity.  They attend a charter school with a strict dress code, they are all expected to prepare to attend college and the majority of them come from homes with very specific parental expectations.   However, looking deeper I could see the more subtle ways that students were being encouraged to explore their identity.  One way is the school’s use of what they call the Winterim.  From the beginning of January through the middle of February, regular classes are suspended.  Students choose a Winterim project and are engaged in completing it.  There are predetermined projects that cover a wide range of subjects from ballroom dancing to becoming a certified nursing assistant to learning about software development.  There is also the option for students to design their own project.  This winterim happens every year and students who have completed one in the past gave very positive feedback about their experiences.  It is a chance for them to explore their interests and to try many different paths of experience that they otherwise might not have come in contact with.  Since the students’ regular classes are suspended during Winterim, students are allowed to give all their attention to their exploration.

4. At which of Kohlberg's levels of moral development are the students in your class functioning? Cite specific evidence and explain your reasoning for selecting these levels. What might be done to help the students advance to higher levels?

          I think, in general, the moral reasoning level of the students is at Kohlberg’s conventional social reasoning stage.  These students are performing their school work and adhering to their school’s policies because of the expectations that are set up by the rules of their teacher and the rules of the school.  I think that they are being encouraged by their teacher to advance their thinking in to Kohlberg’s post-conventional morality of social contract stage.   This is being done by class explorations of their texts, specifically their study of Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts 1 and 2 and his Henry V.  Through these plays, the Henriad as they are sometimes called, students watch a character, Prince Hal, move through the post-conventional stages.  Mr. Kennington made this character come to life.  Each stage and the transition in between were explored.  In the beginning of this sequence, this character is often seen breaking family or societal rules and in long soliloquies explains to the reader/audience why he is doing so and what his ultimate goals are.  In the last play in the sequence, Prince Hal, who is now King Henry, has transformed himself into a great king who is looking for the betterment of his country.  Through class discussions, students’ exploration of these plays and their own connections to the text allowed them to vicariously transition within Kohlberg’s post-conventional stage. 

         

Part II 

Application

          The student I worked with, I’ll call her Dominique, is not a member of the class I observed.  However, she is a senior at that charter school.  The reasons I chose to work with her are that she is actually a neighbor of mine and Mr. Kennington asked me to help her work on an essay that would accompany a college application.  She was really struggling with completing this essay.  She had the ability to do it she just doubted herself and had problems moving forward because of her insecurities.  She had built the whole thing up to the point that she was paralyzed.

          I decided to utilize a mix of modern constructivism and behaviorism because I wanted her to discover how to complete this project, hopefully realizing how much she already knew, and yet I also wanted to be there to give her specific answers to her questions because I knew that at first she would freak out if she thought it was all up to her.   Through this process my greatest hope was that she would develop confidence in her own abilities.

          I started out by asking her what help she felt she needed.  She told me that she wanted me to explain the process of writing a personal narrative essay.  I developed a presentation outlining the steps and presented it to her one evening.  We went over each step and I answered all of her questions.  I had a huge smile on my face when at the end of the lesson she commented that she hadn’t realized that she basically already knew the steps for writing the essay.  She had supposed that writing an essay for college would involve a totally different process than the one she used to write essays for her high school English class.  I encouraged her to think about a topic she wanted to write on for her essay and asked her to contact me when she had decided.

          Approximately a week later, I received an email from her saying that she had decided to use a paper she had previously written and modify it to fit the requirements of the application essay.  She wanted to send me the essay and have me basically do this for her.  That wasn’t going to happen.  I thought that with the confidence she had gained the night of my presentation, that I should encourage her to find a solution to the problems of modifying the essay.  I asked her what the biggest obstacle was and she responded that her paper was 4 pages long but that the essay was supposed to be fewer than 200 words.  I asked her what she thought she could do about that, and at this point she was somewhat frustrated because she wanted me to tell her.  I decided to back off and offer a small suggestion but allow her to contextualize it.  This I did and she made progress on the essay.  We went through this step one more time and further improvement was made.  At this point she hasn’t gotten back to me again even though I have sought her out to ask how she is coming along.  The application isn’t due until after the New Year and I know that she has other work to get done so I won’t pressure her.  I will, however, check up on her and make sure that she knows that I honestly want to help her.

          As I reflect on this experience, I think the goal of strengthening her confidence in herself was partially achieved.  I can see how she might have interpreted my switch from behaviorism to modern constructivism as abandonment.  I regret that, especially since she didn’t realize that she was my guinea pig.  I can recognize the symptoms of perfectionism in her because I have had to acknowledge them in myself.  She would much rather be given the magic words to create her essay than go through a process that will enable her to create this essay and the many that are in her future.  As a future teacher I am making it a goal to have my students clearly understand that I am on their side.  That way, when the learning is difficult or different than what they are used to, they will trust that I believe it is for their ultimate good.

Course Contract Review #2

What am I Doing Well?

Surviving!  I can clearly see how the information we are learning benefits me now and how it will continue to benefit me in my future classroom.  I have to admit that I have experimented with my family using the different theories we have learned. 

What am I Not Doing Well?

As work for this class and my other classes has increased both in quantity and level of difficulty, I am struggling more to keep a proper perspective.  Perfectionism has reared its ugly head a time or two and I have had to check myself. 

Am I Making Sufficient Progress on My Goals?

I think the best way to describe my progress is slowly but surely.  I don't know if it is sufficient but I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the moment.

Specific Things I Need to Change?

I need to find more than 24 hours in a day.  I am still doing a balancing act with school and family and I'm sure there is a better way to do things.  I need to give myself more time for assignments.

My Motivation?

I still consider myself in both the mastery and performance categories.  As things have snowballed I am looking to get through the semester but I still want to utilize what I am learning in my future teaching and so I am trying to learn with that in mind.

Multiple Intelligences Project

This is a fictional short story reflecting Piaget's stages of congnitive development.

Stages

Mom…

As I finish unpacking, I find the 8x10 frame, hidden among my “unmentionables” as Mom puts it.  She always goes above board to appear “proper”, though in this day and age that fact is lost on most.   I don’t get embarrassed like I used to as a kid.  At 38 years old I am comfortable with myself and am able to appreciate my mother for all her wonderful qualities and forgive her faults as she has always forgiven mine.  I validate her attempts to “put me on the right track” as her way of balancing out the fact that I never had a father.  I remember three years ago, on my birthday, Mom reminisced about my birth.  She was my age when she got pregnant, unmarried like me.  I’m grateful that at this point she can remember the good times without that pained expression that always showed up when I was younger and asked for details.

The frame …

A beautiful sterling silver creation that I know Mom would have seen as befitting its treasured contents. The collage of pictures housed within depicts her and me at various times through the years starting from my babyhood.  I look at a picture of me nestled in her arms when I couldn’t have been more than a year old.  I’m sucking my thumb and holding onto a lock of her hair.  At about six I am peeking around the corner of a poster with a large heart I had drawn, that was supposed to be her name.  Ten finds me in another embrace, but I don’t look as content as before.  I remember that was about the time I had a crisis of identity.  In my concrete reality, I had started questioning Mom’s reasons for why I only had one parent. That’s not a time I think either of us would want to return to.  I understand its inclusion in the ensemble though.  Mom always says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I have the muscles to prove it.”  I laugh at this because coming from her petite frame you wouldn’t believe it. It’s true though, at least where it counts most.  I glance at my high school graduation, the picture of my first apartment at college, and I’m drawn to a picture of us sitting at our favorite downtown bistro back home.  I remember the many times we would sit there and discuss plans, plans for the future, educational goals, vacations and finally my opportunity to come here.

… I put the frame of my life on the dresser and finish unpacking.

Reflection About Project:

This was an intimidating task to undertake. I am not by nature a creative person and I felt this project was requiring something of me that I didn't have to give.  However, it ended up being fun and I got to know Piaget's theory on another level and find a different way to apply it.

Please don't judge too harshly, remember I am operating outside my "zone"!

Course Contract Review

What am I Doing Well?

I am learning the material that we are covering in class and applying it to my life currently.  I am also taking the next step and using it to think about my future classroom and my goals as a teacher.

What are You Not Doing Well?

In my course contract I said that I would review the material 4 times after I had completed the work before the next class, I am not doing that.  However, I think that was somewhat unrealistic.  I review material twice after completing homework and make sure I check the website.

Are You Making Sufficient Progress on Your Goals?

Yes!  There is always room for improvement, that is what makes life challenging but I have to give myself credit.

Specific Things I Need to Change?

Find a better environment to study in.  I feel like I am ignoring my daughter studying at home and that is not conducive to a good learning experience.

My Motivation?

I think my motivation is both mastery and performance right now.  I am changing attitudes I have had throughout my life.  I am very appreciative about what this class has taught me.  In the past I have usually started out with mastery goals and somewhere along the line my motivation became performance.  I am  making sure that I remind myself of what I want my students to also realize, that the right attitude can make learning fun as well as necessary.

Educational Neuroscience - John Ratey

What?
Dr. Ratey has and is continuing to study the relationship between exercise and the brain.  His most recent book Spark addresses how exercise can help people regulate mood, deal with stress, help your brain learn better and remember more.  He has found connections to and evidence of how exercise is a necessary part of human existance and where our society is deficient in addressing this topic and ways that we can be better.

So, What?
One area that he really emphasizes is how making exercise part of the learning process will improve students' ability to learn and retain information.  There were several articles from various places across the country about schools that were implementing programs to address the students need for physical activity.  The reports were wonderful about how it helped to focus students, kept them on task longer, and reduced  behavioural problems.

Now What?
I am excited to look more into this topic.  I think that helping students get the most out of their education is a key role that teachers play and I am open to exploring more ways to do that.  I know that I get tired of sittinig in classrooms all day.  It is very difficult to pay attention for long periods of time and I think that learning is degraded the longer it goes on without breaks or other activity.  I plan to incorporate some of the strategies that were talked about on Dr. Ratey's website and also to be an advocate for physical education and the importance of keepinhg students moving.

Motivation

Why am I here?


I have asked that question a lot, and not just in regards to school. For the majority of my life I have been in a Mastery Avoidance State. I have done well in school and other pursuits but there was always the constant fear of failure. The stress this caused is unbelievable. The chapters on motivation have given me a terminology to use when trying to describe why high school was so hard for me. I have gained a clearer understanding about what was really motivating me before now.

What motivates me?

I say “before now” because coming back to school to become certified as a teacher is something I am doing for me, my family and community. Looking back on my school years, and this includes the years I was in college getting my bachelors degree, I feel regret for wasted time and opportunity. There was so much more that I could have learned if I had known then what I know now. That’s the way it was though, what I can change is the way it will be. It’s still difficult, sometimes old habits and attitudes creep up on me, but I am progressing and I will take my experiences to my classroom and hopefully be there to intervene for others. I am excited to help students develop a lifetime love of learning.

Why do I succeed and why do I fail?

I have always had an internal locus. However, that inner voice usually told me that I could have done better if I would have tried harder. This is peculiar because I got good grades. Doing a task better to me meant that I could have done it with less anxiety and stress if I only would have started earlier, seen it for the mole hill that it was, or not expected myself to be perfect. Those are the reasons I fail. I succeed when I focus on developing an incremental view of my abilities and allow myself to grow and through my failures become better.

Course Contract Goals:

My goals are mastery goals. This says a lot about how far I have come and my hope for the future.

The Mindset of a great teacher:

I believe that I am currently on the first rung of the ladder leading to being a great teacher. I need to continue to monitor myself and work on my shortcomings as well as my strengths with a clear expectation of what I want to bring to my future students.

Educational Psychology Course Contract

Goal #1 - Become a self regulated learner.  I did the reading for class today before I went in search of the "hidden assignment."  I would  have benefited much more had I done things the other way around.  I am very excited to learn new studying strategies and techniques.  This will benefit me in my career as well as any other task I undertake in life.

Goal #2 - Understand techniques and models to impart what I learn from Goal #1 above into teaching strategies that will help my students discover or improve their learning habits and give them a better chance for a successful future.

Weekly Preperation Plan:
I will start on Thursday since that is the day of our class.

Thursday - After I come home from school I will review the material I learned in class and write down any questions I may have.
Friday - This is my study day.  I will devote the hours between 10-4 to preparation for this class.
Saturday - I will briefly review what I have studied/prepared the day before and seek clarification on things that may confuse me.
Sunday - Day off.
Monday - Brief review.
Wednesday - Brief review.

Study Strategies:
I will utilize the strategies given in the link for this assignment.  If these do not work for me then I will revise and find new ones.

Process to follow if I do not understand a topic:
I will review the materials i have been given as well as seek out further information on the web to answer my concerns.  If this does not yeild satisfactory results I will ask a classmate for their insights and if this does not work I will come to you for help.

I will reach my goals in this course by holding myself accountable for my education and adhering to my goals and outlined strategies.

introduction

Hi, I am a returning student and am overwhelmed but hopeful!