Partial Products Algorithm

TPACK Voice Thread

Math Instructional Strategies

The three Math Instructional Strategies I can't live without:
1. I do/We do/You do
2. Think-Pair-Share
3. Individual whiteboards/Ipads

UbD Stage 1 for Podcasts

Social Situation Observation (Dr. Price)

Place- I observed a ride on the Red Line and transferred to the Brown Line. I started on the Red Line downtown and exited at Belmont, when I transferred to the Brown Line to the end of the Line. I was only able to make observations in the car which I was in.

Actors & Activities- There were many different actors each person had their own area cut out. While on the Red Line stood in the middle of the car and watched all those around me. When I first got on there were 23 people standing and all the seats were taken.There was the couple with no worries, but seemed like they had a long day, and he was resting his head on her shoulder sleeping. There were the tourists who were waiting to get out find a new place in Chicago to explore. There was a businessman (or at least well dressed) who seemingly made this trip many times. He found the first seat available and pulled out a copy of the Wall Street Journal and began reading. There was the man who entered the train and on sitting down he leaned his head against the window and began to sleep. I counted 15 people on their phone or Ipod listening to something with their head phones in. I counted 7 people reading a book (or e-book reader) during their ride. At each stop more people got on, however there were 2 stops when I did not observe anybody exit the train. I did not notice anybody traveling with more than just one companion (which I found odd). A majority of the riders were between 15-55 years of age. I would wager a guess that 90% of the people knew where they were going and did not once look at the map above the doors. However, the 10% of those that needed it they looked at it at each stop and would count down how many stops until they needed to get off.

After transferring over to the Brown Line I observed the car was much less crowded, however I did notice that there were entire families traveling together. I also noticed a broader range in age there were quite a few quite a few senior citizens on the train. In the exact opposite of the Red Line, at each stop on the Brown Line I noticed people exit the train. However, at only 3 of the 10 stops did anyone get on the train, and nobody got on the train the last 4 stops. I saw people who got on the train were holding bags full of essential groceries. I saw people who looked like they were heading home after a long day of physical labor. On the Brown Line there were fewer people who were listening to their Ipod, on their cell phone, or reading.

Each person who entered the car was trying to go somewhere else. Some people were going farther that others, however everybody was trying to get somewhere.

Roles of Teacher, Student & Curriculum from Dead Poets Society

In "Dead Poets Society" Robin Williams plays a teacher at an all boys boarding school, and in this clip he works with a new student Todd Anderson to help him find his inner voice. Robin Williams has asked each student to write an original poem, and Todd is resistant at first and chooses not to write a poem because he doesn't believe in himself. Robin Williams most obvious role as a teacher is to teach, however, during this clip he plays counselor and someone who helps elicit creativity from the students. Robin Williams character acts as a counselor for him helping him to see that he has self-worth and that what he has to say is important. Robin Williams during this clip is teaching but beyond that he is helping to elicit the creativity of the student. He goes beyond the norms and works with him to help him see that.

Todd Anderson is the student here and his role is to be a learner, and public speaker. Todd Anderson is learning how to speak to others and find his voice, no matter what his peers think of him.

As a teacher Robin Williams is very unconventional in terms of following a curriculum. His desire (and personal curriculum) is 1. To teach the students about poetry, 2. To teach creativity, and 3. Teach the students about public speaking.

Gagne

Gagne & Scoring Rubric

ADDIE Model Project

My Philosophy of Education

I believe that every child has the right to a quality education and that too many children are being cheated out of this opportunity day after day and year after year. I believe teachers are a key element in changing the discrepancies in the public education system. While every child deserves a quality education, no single person can be fully credited or blamed for the quality of education a child receives. Just as the African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child,” I believe that it takes an entire community to provide the kind of education that will allow children to develop into the best possible person they can be. I believe that we, as a community of learning (teacher, parents, child, peers, and community-at-large), are responsible for teaching children the skills needed to succeed after their formal education is complete (i.e. competency in math, reading, science, computer literacy). While certain members of the learning community have more influence over education than others, we need to remember that our end result is to come together to foster the best future for each child.

I agree with Maslow that students learn best when their basic needs are satisfied (Khanna, 2010). As a teacher, I cannot control what happens in students’ lives outside of school in regards to meeting their physiological needs. However, I have the responsibility to make sure that my classroom provides a physically and emotionally safe place to learn and grow. Providing structure and routine is part of creating a safe learning environment, and it is integral in increasing students’ ability to learn. When a safe environment based on routine is established, students can be at their best and can be active participants in their own education.

The teacher ought to play a vital role not only in helping to fill students’ impressionable minds with knowledge, but also to instill in them a desire to learn after they leave the classroom. I feel that if a child leaves my class without wanting to learn more, it is my fault as the teacher. However, I cannot expect students to learn if I am not an active learner myself. I must continue to cultivate my education on my own, but I also must continue to grow as a teacher by learning from my students. In order to create a quality learning environment, I must adapt my teaching and the subject matter to the diversity of needs in my classroom.

I agree with Piaget (Dhir, 2007) and Vygotsky (Parrish, 2009) that children learn both through being active and through social interaction. Students bring a wealth of diversity into the classroom – different learning styles, different life experiences, and different cultural backgrounds. Each ought to be welcomed into the classroom and have an opportunity to learn from each other’s uniqueness. It is the teacher’s responsibility to highlight elements of diversity in order to foster that kind of learning environment – one where I may be the main teacher, but I am not the only teacher.

One of the greatest experiences in the world is to see a child work his or her way through a problem and to see the joy he or she gets from learning. That moment can light a fire in a student to desire more and more knowledge. I, as a teacher, have a responsibility to create an environment and foster a community that ensures that students have the opportunity to build the best possible future for themselves through education.

References

Dhir, R.N. (2007). Educational Psychology. Chandighar, India: Global Media.

Khanna, P.K. (2010). Educational Psychology. Jaipur, India: ABD Publishers.

Parrish, M. (2009). Social Work Perspectives on Human Behavior. Maidenhead, Great Britain:

McGraw-Hill Education.

Darth Vader Recording

So Funny, I can't stop laughing

First Time Ever!!

So, I've always been very anti-blogging, but alas I will now be blogging. I can't say I'm thrilled, however if it makes me a better teacher I'm all for it.