Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Class Reflection
Looking back on this semester, several things stand out as pieces that I will remember and take with me into the future. I thought that our class had a great dynamic of interesting and well-spoken educators. Coming from many different teaching environments made for a rich body of diverse experiences. As an administrator I think it is important to appreciate and remain conscious of the fact that your school can learn from different kinds of schools as well as schools that are similar. Prof. Bachenheimer modeled the sorts of qualities that I think make for any effective administrator. He was prepared, knowledgeable, personable, and a good listener. He created an inclusive atmosphere of collegiality and recognized the value of each student's opinions and experiences. Our look at curriculum had both philosophical and practical values. I think that it clarified the role that curriculum plays in schools, as I had little experience in designing or assessing it. The greatest lesson that I think I will carry away with me is that an administrator must always recognize the opportunity presented by improving the curriculum, while tempering that ambition with the realities of schools and standardization. There are still wonderful things that can be done in curriculum that will still conform to standards and prepare students for tests. The challenge as an administrator seems to be to strike that balance with your teachers between what we must team and how we can teach it. Curriculum design does not occur in a vacuum. It is an exciting experience to work with other teachers to create an idea for a new change to the curriculum. By doing so, administrators and/or teachers have the opportunity to directly affect what happens in the classroom. I know that if I ever become an administrator I may feel overwhelmed and inundated with all of my responsibilities. It will be important to remember that which is most important, the learning that takes place in the classroom. Curriculum is one of the key vehicles that drives a school in whatever direction it moves.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Orange Middle Schools
What appeals to me about the plan of Orange Middle Schools is that their focus is not on a specific methods of instruction,but rather on establishing relationships between their students and teachers. I firmly believe it is only through the strengthening of these relationships that students will experience success. Many of students from such impoverished and underfunded districts do not have stable home lives. In the place of a supportive home, the best thing that the school can do is take the time and make the effort to strengthen the relationships between such neglected children and their teachers. For many students, school can be an apealing escape. It is reliable, predictable, and serves as a welcome escape. The weekly discussion groups afford students time to vent, share, and be open with other members of the school community. By creating those ties, the school can challenge students much more and expect greater effort and results. I would also commend how the school includes students in the dialogue of school improvement by asking them what's on their mind and what their concerns are. Through this discussion, they learned that school safety is a major concern of students.
If I did make one recommendation to the schools, it would be to try and make the greatest effort to appeal to parents and guardians for support. Going along with their inclusive model of weekly discussions with students, give parents an opportunity to get involved as well. Another recommendation that I would make, and perhaps this is already being followed, would be to make sure that the concerns and suggestions of students are being acknowledged. It is nice and democratic to ask students what changes they wish to see in their school. If their feedback is ignored it would will have the opposite effect of what is intended.
If I did make one recommendation to the schools, it would be to try and make the greatest effort to appeal to parents and guardians for support. Going along with their inclusive model of weekly discussions with students, give parents an opportunity to get involved as well. Another recommendation that I would make, and perhaps this is already being followed, would be to make sure that the concerns and suggestions of students are being acknowledged. It is nice and democratic to ask students what changes they wish to see in their school. If their feedback is ignored it would will have the opposite effect of what is intended.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum mapping is a technique employed by school districts to create a uniformity and continuity within their curriculum. A district wants there to be there to a uniform curriculum for students in each grade level, regardless of which teacher they have or which school they are in. School leaders also employ curriculum mapping to insure that the subject curriculums from grade to grade fit together without overlap or contradiction. It affords the district a way to create positive change by being inclusive with faculty and appealing to teachers to take part in the process.
In my district, we do not employ curriculum mapping. The concept of teacher isolation that we have discussed before in class is on display in my school. There is a disconnect between department members where we do not communicate as we should on a professional level. Even more severe is the disconnect between the high school and the middle schools. The curriculum for social studies on the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade level has been created with little regard to what students will learn in high school, and we move forward in our curriculum without acknowledgement or regard for what students have already learned.
As an assistant principal/disciplinarian, my department supervisor is inundated with his main office responsibilities. He is very little time to concern himself with our social studies department, which is composed almost entirely of veteran teachers. I think his general attitude is that he trusts us to make responsible decisions with regard to our practice and to communicate with one another as needed. That is the key: “as needed”. Curriculum mapping is not an essential element of school planning. Its benefits are obvious and I would be excited at the prospect of participating in its design. However, as a non-essential tool, it will never be given its fair consideration until it is mandated from the superintendent. If our district has been proactive about anything, it has been technology. Curriculum development is not something that we place a premium on.
Curriculum mapping can be a positive element of curriculum change because, first and foremost, it is inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than having change forced upon them, the teachers take an active role in its creation. In this way there is a sense of ownership amongst the faculty. The creation of curriculum mapping also depends on an open dialogue between teachers, something that we should be fostering anyway. By creating “horizontal consistency” and “vertical consistency” within schools, we are encouraging communication between teachers not only in the creation of mapping, but also in its continued use. This strengthens the sense of community within a department, school, and district.
In my district, we do not employ curriculum mapping. The concept of teacher isolation that we have discussed before in class is on display in my school. There is a disconnect between department members where we do not communicate as we should on a professional level. Even more severe is the disconnect between the high school and the middle schools. The curriculum for social studies on the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade level has been created with little regard to what students will learn in high school, and we move forward in our curriculum without acknowledgement or regard for what students have already learned.
As an assistant principal/disciplinarian, my department supervisor is inundated with his main office responsibilities. He is very little time to concern himself with our social studies department, which is composed almost entirely of veteran teachers. I think his general attitude is that he trusts us to make responsible decisions with regard to our practice and to communicate with one another as needed. That is the key: “as needed”. Curriculum mapping is not an essential element of school planning. Its benefits are obvious and I would be excited at the prospect of participating in its design. However, as a non-essential tool, it will never be given its fair consideration until it is mandated from the superintendent. If our district has been proactive about anything, it has been technology. Curriculum development is not something that we place a premium on.
Curriculum mapping can be a positive element of curriculum change because, first and foremost, it is inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than having change forced upon them, the teachers take an active role in its creation. In this way there is a sense of ownership amongst the faculty. The creation of curriculum mapping also depends on an open dialogue between teachers, something that we should be fostering anyway. By creating “horizontal consistency” and “vertical consistency” within schools, we are encouraging communication between teachers not only in the creation of mapping, but also in its continued use. This strengthens the sense of community within a department, school, and district.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Online Class Review
The reason that I enjoyed the online classes was because it was an alternative, more independent way of thinking and learning. I have taken one online class in my program and I did not feel that I got as much out of it because it lacked the dialogue that can be created in a live classroom. With only three online classes, it created a change of pace that was refreshing and dynamic. I enjoy our discussions in class and I think we all benefit from sitting down together and talking. I would not increase the number of online classes, but I think three, with a conventional class in between each, was perfect.
Being able to complete my assignments from home or from work was a welcome change as well. I think that some students can share ideas and reactions easier in an online environment that is less confrontational. It is difficult for me to check in to the online environment several times during the week. I much rather prefer being able to do my work in one sitting. I might only suggest that reactions to other students’ work be made in the following week. I know that I, for one, often wait until the last minute to make my posts and so what I produce does not help the dialogue of the class.
Being able to complete my assignments from home or from work was a welcome change as well. I think that some students can share ideas and reactions easier in an online environment that is less confrontational. It is difficult for me to check in to the online environment several times during the week. I much rather prefer being able to do my work in one sitting. I might only suggest that reactions to other students’ work be made in the following week. I know that I, for one, often wait until the last minute to make my posts and so what I produce does not help the dialogue of the class.
Implementing the UbD Lesson
Implementing the UbD Lesson
Any difficulty that I encountered with this lesson was centered around the notion of assessment. Checking for understanding during a lesson and not just after the lesson is over has always been a weak point of my teaching style. After implementing this lesson in my class, I realize that my problems in this area are attributable to my pacing of my lessons. I tend to rush through lessons a little too quickly. As a result, I do not take the time to assess understanding along the way. When reading primary sources, for instance, we need to spend more time deconstructing and discussing what we read. I need to do a better job of recognizing that any more advanced objectives cannot be accomplished by my students without a firm grip on the content. In this case, the readings from Deuteronomy and the article on the Supreme Court case needed to be addressed in greater depth. I longer review of Hammurabi’s Code might have provoked the students to make even better connections to Mosaic Law.
The students did respond well to the lesson as they love tying the present to the past. The discussion on the Supreme Court case was lively, I think, because we had addressed the Ten Commandments previously in good depth. Again, the issue is in the students who are not participating in the discussion actively. They may be able to do the homework because they have listened intently to other students’ opinions. However, on what level have I challenged them to think for themselves?
Any difficulty that I encountered with this lesson was centered around the notion of assessment. Checking for understanding during a lesson and not just after the lesson is over has always been a weak point of my teaching style. After implementing this lesson in my class, I realize that my problems in this area are attributable to my pacing of my lessons. I tend to rush through lessons a little too quickly. As a result, I do not take the time to assess understanding along the way. When reading primary sources, for instance, we need to spend more time deconstructing and discussing what we read. I need to do a better job of recognizing that any more advanced objectives cannot be accomplished by my students without a firm grip on the content. In this case, the readings from Deuteronomy and the article on the Supreme Court case needed to be addressed in greater depth. I longer review of Hammurabi’s Code might have provoked the students to make even better connections to Mosaic Law.
The students did respond well to the lesson as they love tying the present to the past. The discussion on the Supreme Court case was lively, I think, because we had addressed the Ten Commandments previously in good depth. Again, the issue is in the students who are not participating in the discussion actively. They may be able to do the homework because they have listened intently to other students’ opinions. However, on what level have I challenged them to think for themselves?
Reflection on UbD Lesson
Reflection on UbD Lesson
Any difficulty that I had in creating lessons in the UbD format was centered around the question of what I wanted to students to know at the end of the lesson. This is the point of the UbD template. It exposes the sort of “backwards” way that many of us create our lessons, where we design activities and then see what students will get out of them, rather than first deciding what we want them to know. It is difficult to resist that temptation, but the UbD format takes me back to my days of student-teaching, where I learned that the first step in lesson planning is establishing clear objectives.
I like the format of UbD when my goals of the lesson are skill-centered rather than fact-centered. By creating goals connected to the development of skills like critical reading, cooperative learning, or critical thinking, it helps me focus my lesson. I can say to myself, “this content lends itself to an primary sources so I really want my class to work on synthesizing these two opposing viewpoints of the subject”.
Any difficulty that I had in creating lessons in the UbD format was centered around the question of what I wanted to students to know at the end of the lesson. This is the point of the UbD template. It exposes the sort of “backwards” way that many of us create our lessons, where we design activities and then see what students will get out of them, rather than first deciding what we want them to know. It is difficult to resist that temptation, but the UbD format takes me back to my days of student-teaching, where I learned that the first step in lesson planning is establishing clear objectives.
I like the format of UbD when my goals of the lesson are skill-centered rather than fact-centered. By creating goals connected to the development of skills like critical reading, cooperative learning, or critical thinking, it helps me focus my lesson. I can say to myself, “this content lends itself to an primary sources so I really want my class to work on synthesizing these two opposing viewpoints of the subject”.
Monday, October 22, 2007
UbD Lesson
The Ten Commandments
(Judaism Unit)
Established Goals:
Students will…
• Identify the Ten Commandments as outlined in Deuteronomy
• Contrast the Ten Commandments to Hammurabi’s Law Code
• Evaluate the influence of the Ten Commandments on the American Law System
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• We can examine a biblical passage from a historical perspective
• The American Law System was influenced by early Puritan/Biblical values
Essential Questions:
• How are the Ten Commandments similar to Hammurabi’s Law Code?
• What principles of the Ten Commandments are reflected in our American values?
Students will know…
• The Ten Commandments
• The details of the Ten Commandments court case
Students will be able to…
• Critically read a passage from Deuteronomy and an article describing the Ten Commandments court case (statue at the Alabama Court House)
• Refer to notes on Hammurabi’s Code to contrast them to the Ten Commandments
• List five ways that the values of the ten commandments are reflected in our American values
Performance Tasks:
• In groups of 2-3, read the passage from Deuteronomy and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard.
• List the Ten Commandments in your notebooks as found in the passage.
• Read a brief article on the Ten Commandments statue court case, and in your notebook, describe the position of each side.
• Homework: The Ten Commandments statue should/should not be removed from the court house rotunda. Defend both the affirmative and negative.
Other Evidence:
• Discussion and check-ins on Deuteronomy and court case articles. Notebook checks.
Learning Activities:
• Distribute and set up Deuteronomy reading. Read the passage in pairs and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard. Review.
• Distribute brief article on Ten Commandments court case. Read as class. Discuss. T-chart in your notes on the opinions of each side in the case.
• Assign homework.
(Judaism Unit)
Established Goals:
Students will…
• Identify the Ten Commandments as outlined in Deuteronomy
• Contrast the Ten Commandments to Hammurabi’s Law Code
• Evaluate the influence of the Ten Commandments on the American Law System
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
• We can examine a biblical passage from a historical perspective
• The American Law System was influenced by early Puritan/Biblical values
Essential Questions:
• How are the Ten Commandments similar to Hammurabi’s Law Code?
• What principles of the Ten Commandments are reflected in our American values?
Students will know…
• The Ten Commandments
• The details of the Ten Commandments court case
Students will be able to…
• Critically read a passage from Deuteronomy and an article describing the Ten Commandments court case (statue at the Alabama Court House)
• Refer to notes on Hammurabi’s Code to contrast them to the Ten Commandments
• List five ways that the values of the ten commandments are reflected in our American values
Performance Tasks:
• In groups of 2-3, read the passage from Deuteronomy and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard.
• List the Ten Commandments in your notebooks as found in the passage.
• Read a brief article on the Ten Commandments statue court case, and in your notebook, describe the position of each side.
• Homework: The Ten Commandments statue should/should not be removed from the court house rotunda. Defend both the affirmative and negative.
Other Evidence:
• Discussion and check-ins on Deuteronomy and court case articles. Notebook checks.
Learning Activities:
• Distribute and set up Deuteronomy reading. Read the passage in pairs and underline words and phrases that reflect the values of Hammurabi’s Code. List them on the chalkboard. Review.
• Distribute brief article on Ten Commandments court case. Read as class. Discuss. T-chart in your notes on the opinions of each side in the case.
• Assign homework.
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