Chapter 5

Chapter 5 (p. 137-149)

(3) You have now read several views about intelligence. What do you think about intelligence?

Is it one trait or many? more heavily influenced by nature or nurture? a fixed capacity or a

modifiable ability? Articulate your views in a paragraph of 6-8 sentences.

I think intelligence is influenced by both nurture and nature. It depends both on how children are raised and how the affect the environment has them. I certainly think that nature has a stronger influence as children grow older. I think there is some truth to the "multiple intelligences." It's evident that people excel in some areas and are only mediocre in others. I disagree with the way that intelligence is often tested in schools, and is not a clear indication of what students achieve.

Field Trip- Barb Rentenbach

Today we had a field trip to the UT Hodges Library Auditorium to listen to Barb Rentenback, a lady with "severe autism". She was considered retarded until the age of 19. Since then she has come along way. She is able to type independently and has written a book, yet is mute and unable to speak much. She claims that her voice is in "the shop".  She is constantly engage in self-education and stands as a stronng advocate for those with special needs. She loves to read History and Philosophy and it has made her more introspective. Due to technology complications, the presentation went a little differently. The presentation started with Barb typing on an enlarged keyboard, stating "dear utk, autism is not my prism my prison. Her partner/colleague, Dr. Lois Prislovsky read excerpts from her book. The books speaks of differences and "the gold standard brain." Her book is very impressive and it is suprising the level of thinking her brain can operate on in comparison with her actions in person.

Barb quotes in her book to "Find out who you are and be that one purpose.” Dr. P expresses to future educators to learn how to connect with your students. As teachers,” we do not lose our expertise status by learning from those we serve” Meet individuals where they are even if it’s at a nonverbal state. Build on strengths you see and be open to other forms of communication. Remember,it takes time!!

Chapter 4-Group Differences

         Thinking about what types of groups will have an effect on my classroom, I can now see that all ethincities, races and genders will have some kinf of effect within my classroom. From doing a project on gender differences, it is apparent that boys and girls act differently and are wired to think a little bit differently too. Through this project I have discovered the characteristics that make boys and girls different, which often perpetuate stereotypes. As teachers we must be quick to understand their differences and first of all, understand the uniqueness of each gender. Girls are born one way while boys are born another, and that brings uniqueness to the classroom. But often times we reinforce behaviors that we feel are oriented more towards boys or girls and discourage students from trying or engaging in certain activities. We can encourage the right kind of gender equity by not giving more attention to one gender because students definitely notice and can feel insignificant because of it. Another great way to encourage crossing sterotypical boundaries is encouraging boys to engage in activities and subjects that are not typically "manly" and vice versa for girls. Approaching these barriers that society has deemed "not right" and setting the record straight is one way to start taring down barriers.
         The way me and my partner tried to approach addressing gender differences and stereotypes was by allowing students to discuss, act out, or draw stereotypes that are reinforced or broken in society. We wanted to emply a teaching style that was colloborative and interactive. We wante students to construct their own ideas about the topic and feed off of prior knowledge as well as other's thoughts and ideas. This opened the floor for discussion on how we address these matters and what holds people back from breaking stereotypes rather than following reinforced patterns. Throughout the rest of our presentation we wanted to present factual, research-based gender differences in the classroom ranging form elementary school to high school. Next we wanted to give future teachers the tools to combat reoccuring gender differences that might cause strife and negativity in the classroom. We wanted our students to understand that stereotypes are inevitable beacuse many of them are true, but that we need to be aware of two things: 1. We can help students overcome certain stereotypes that are barriers to them. 2. We must recognize that many stereotypes warrant different types of treatment for boys and girls.

Cultural Diversity

Incorporating Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

By: Dr. Steven Jones

This article shares great ways to bring culture to the classroom and allow every student to feel included. Some of my favorite ways to incorporate cultural diversity into the class are:

1.) Invite a family member to class (probably a grandparent) and allow them to share some of his or her family history (I like the idea of guest speakers). 
2.) Students create presentations of the cultures they have studied throughout the year.
3.) Reach out to cultural associations in town to learn about events and receive artifacts and handouts.


Article:

With the growing cultural diversity of the world, the K-12 classroom has become a critical launching pad for understanding cultural differences. Education about cultural differences begins with the teacher. Today it is a prelude to the world of work, where many students will encounter diverse cultures. It is this exposure to cultures that can bring out a teacher’s creativity in teaching a broad range of subjects. So each teacher must go on a journey to uncover how cultures influence families, government, language and where people live.
In his book, “The World is Flat” Dr. Thomas L. Friedman points out that the trend toward cultural diversity will not change. Some teachers are ready to make bold changes in their class format, which will allow every student to feel included in the class discussion. For others, an adjustment will be needed to re-examine teaching approaches in order to incorporate a broader view of the world. The teacher must provide experiences that are culturally specific inside and outside of the classroom. Instead of taking the traditional trips to museums, each trip becomes a cultural exploration throughout the year. The class could go to see the communities where Chinese, Russian and African immigrants live and talk with the local residents. The students are likely to find differences and similarities in their own culture. Another teacher could invite a guess speaker who helps an art class to recreate some of their culture’s art.

One unique idea would be for teachers to explore their own culture and talk with the students from a personal perspective. Also, invite the students to do research on their families’ culture. Invite a relative who can talk about the history of how their family arrived in this country. Explore some of the things that have changed in your family. For example some children no longer speak the language that their grand parents were taught. Some families still have property in their native countries and return to their roots for family reunions. Students may also be assigned to interview a family member about an historical event that they experienced. Families are filled with rich stories that aren’t always passed down.

A teacher who is sensitive to cultural differences can bring tremendous value to the classroom. They are more likely to understand that every student does not have the same learning style. Some students are visual learners and some are tactile learners. Bringing cultural diversity into the classroom enhances the learning opportunity of the entire class. The visual learner can benefit from maps, discussions of videos and pictures. One assignment might involve students finding pictures that represent how cultures live in their native country. Housing itself can be very symbolic of a culture’s history. In another class students might talk about the types of clothes that are acceptable in a country. A chemistry teacher can discuss the difference in materials and the dyes that are used and in a certain culture’s clothing. For some cultures clothing is very symbolic. Students may bring in clothing and foods representing their culture.

Some teachers have joined efforts to take students to other countries. This is particularly true in classes that involve international languages. Students who are learning Spanish may visit Mexico. Before going, they spend a semester learning the values of Mexican culture. Students can benefit from learning how families have different ways of communicating. The teacher can benefit from researching how a culture can change over time. Students can also study how the economies in other cultures operate. An economy that works in one country may not work in another country. There are cultural differences about the value of money and the importance of having material possessions. Some economies around the world are still very focused on living based on the productivity of their land. This may lead to a class discussion about who is allowed to own land in a different country. Teachers may also benefit from taking advantage of training and enrichment travel programs for educators.

Developing a balanced educational experience requires a teacher who is willing to reach out to multicultural associations that have resources and materials. Some of these associations are specifically designed to preserve the important aspects of a culture. There are many associations and community groups that sponsor events about Africa. A teacher can join or attend events that are sponsored by the African groups and other cultures. Building a relationship with a group can give the teacher access to materials and newsletters that are produced by the association. The teacher may be allowed to bring artifacts to the classroom to discuss their origin, or give a joint presentation with someone from the association.

The teacher also must realize that some students have not been exposed to people who are from different backgrounds and cultures. They may not be sure how to respond to some one who speaks differently. There may be some assumptions about the student’s knowledge level because they can not speak English clearly. This offers a great teaching opportunity. It also provides material for class discussions on the dangers of stereotyping people, the role of the media as it relates to culture and understanding people on an individual basis. Teachers may initiate projects connecting students with schools in other countries.

We are living in a rapidly changing world. While a teacher is providing instruction in their classes the world is changing everyday. There are video conferences where languages are translated. There are Web sites that uncover cultures that are rapidly growing more modern. The teacher who is sensitive to these changes will produce a student who is better prepared to have a flexible world perspective. The new labor force will require students to understand cultural differences. Today workers are sometimes assigned to live and survive in other countries while working for international companies.

Teachers can intertwine courses with cultural themes throughout the school year. Just a study on the pyramids alone could yield thousands of years of history, and math and science of specific cultures. At the end of the year students could have a culminating presentation of the cultures they have studied. Also there is value in seeing how these cultures have changed to adjust to modern technology. There is a lot to learn about cultures all over the world, and it can be fun. Teachers can present rich cultural lessons by highlighting the accomplishments of other cultures and preparing students to have a better global perspective.

Personal & Social Development

Chapter 3

(3.1) Personal and social development can have a major influence on both individual student

learning and the learning environment as a whole. Identify a case from the CSEL guidelines*
that you would like to address in your paper. Then, examine the possible developmental
factors that could be influencing your target student(s) or classroom in the case study. Consider
all dimensions of personal and social development, including cognitive, language, social,
emotional, and moral development. *CSEL guidelines can be found under CSEL Artifact. Cases
are included at the end of the document. Choose the case that best suits your desired grade level.

 

Elementary Education Case Study

You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner.  You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems.  She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning.  She constantly interrupts others in her group.  She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.

It is possible that since Lisa seems determined to be disruptive and insists on getting her way, that she is a product of permissive/passive parenting who rarely punish discipline their children for wrongdoings. Her lack of discipline at home could have easily transferred to the classroom. It is possible that she is somewhat experiencing a culture shock by being presented different expectations than at home (Ormrod, 65). It also appears that Lisa lacks stable personality traits such as openness, agreeableness, and extraversion. If she does have stable traits, they seem to lead to the negative side and lead to her gaining attnetion in result. I also think something can be said for her sense of "self." I think it is very likely that she has low self esteem. Even though young children have trouble thinking in the abstract, I think by the third grade at least students start comparing themselves with others and where they range. They might see other students excelling and think something is wrong with them. Lisa migth fall into the category of having a low sense of self and might even feel like a "rejected student" and her image might have never been righted at home.

(3.22) Check out tables 3.1 (p. 75), 3.2 (p. 83) and 3.3 (p. 91) with particular attention to the age

ranges you are interested in teaching. Identify your personal favorite ways that an educator can
promote a child’s sense of self, perspective taking, and moral reasoning skills.

-Provide opportunities for students to look at one another's work only when eveyrone has something to be proud of (p75).
-Help students resolve interpersonal conflicts by asking them to consider one another's perspective(p83).
-Explain how students can often meet their own needs while helping others (p91).

Chapter 2 Cog Developement

 1)One of the most cited theories of human development is that of Swiss biologist Jean Piaget. After reading about Piaget's basic assumptions (p. 27-32) look with particular attention at the stage of child development you would like to teach. The other most cited theory of human development belongs to Russian developmentalist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development leads us to expect greater diversity among our same-ages students than Piaget. Given these two influential theorists' ideas on cognitive development, how might you accommodate students who are not yet working at the level of their peers?

After reading through Piaget’s  4 stages of Cognitive Development, I believe I will be interacting with children who are in the Concrete Operational Stage according to Piaget. In this stage it is said that “adultlike logic appears but is limited to concrete reality” (p.31). There are  many great points Piaget has to offer, but  I think he is assuming that children move and learn at the same pace which is completely untrue. Children are often able to think in a more advanced manner than the stage that Piaget places them in at that age level. In order to accommodate students who are not working on the same level as their peers I would first have to assess where they are at in their learning. I think meaningful, probing questions during exercises can allow me to see their level of understanding and if they are making meaning of the content. I think by challenging their illogical and incorrect ideas and guiding them in the right direction, they can construct their only knowledge but at this point, reaching equilibration by going through a process of better developing their understanding. I also partly agree with Vygotsky’s assumption that social interactions plays a big part in making meaning for children. Thus, I would most likely create groups of high and low learners so they can feed off each other and learn from each other’s ideas.

2)Theories in educational psychology promote the idea that language plays a critical role in cognitive development. Examine Table 2.2 (p. 51), paying particular attention to the age range that you are interested in teaching. Consider how you might incorporate or adapt the strategies presented for use with your own students.

I examined the section aimed at grades 3-5. I really liked the suggested strategy of having students create short stories and presenting them orally or in writing. This is a good idea because it can be used in almost all subjects, basically killing two birds with one stone. You can encourage creativity while at the same time checking for concrete understanding of a topic translated into concrete writing.  Presenting them orally helps build confidence and speaking skills. The more students read aloud, the better readers they will become.

 

Social Cognitive Theory

Which of the learning activities/skills can you think of that lend themselves to learning through modeling?

I believe that both academic skills as well as interpersonal behaviors lend themselves to learning through modeling. I like the idea of verbal, descriptive explanations. While I am explaining, for instance, a math problem, I would model a very clear thinking process so that my students could see that led to success, and wish to copy the same steps. I might also talk out how I used the context clues in a reading to allow me to figure out what a challenging word meant. If students are able to interpret these processes as the road to success, hopefully, they will willingly choose to model these steps, and in turn raise their self efficacy. I believe by modeling acceptable and wise actions, students will respect that, and choose to imitate. In this way, they would be gaining a sense of what a respectable person looks like and acquiring much needed interpersonal skills.

How might self-efficacy and self-regulation contribute to the intervention plans you use in your case study?

Sometimes by having someone other than yourself (the teacher) explain why certain behaviors are beneficial, professionals in their field are inspiration enough to raise students’ ways. In my case study, Lisa is extremely disruptive in her group, and will not allow work to get done unless she gets the job she wants. I think the idea of having a respectable person everyone is familiar with would be a great idea to raise my students (and in particular, Lisas) self efficacy, but I know that will most likely be possible. So, I would probably search the web for a good video of a famous person that emphasizes only by working together, and setting productive goals can we become successful. In this way, she would not just be hearing these words from me, but someone who seemed larger than life. This would hopefully allow her to redirect her behavior toward productivity. Once her self-efficacy increases, we could work on self-regulation skills and how to make her a student that is more in line with her success based on strategies she can do for herself.