QTC chapter 3

 

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.

 

Lisa is a first grader who is unengaged in group work. She refuses to participate and withdraws from the group when she doesn’t get the group role that she wants.  Lisa may struggle with perspective taking, and may not consider the thoughts and feelings of the students that she is working with. She may not be thinking about how her peers feel when she refuses to participate. Lisa probably has greater concern for her needs than the needs of others. She wants to be in a particular group, and likely weighs her desire to be that “role” as more important than the needs and desires of the group of children that she is working with. I would encourage perspective taking and pro-social behavior to solve this problem.

 

QTC 3.22  I will be looking at Lisa’s case student in the CSEL paper, with Lisa being a first grade student. Students are at this stage of development are largely limited to creating a sense of self that is based concrete, easily observable characteristics. For example, Lisa might think that she is bad at a particular role because she failed at this role only once before, or because a peer made a negative comment on her abilities. I would need to provide Lisa with sufficient scaffolding to make success possible, as well as providing Lisa with other opportunities to succeed in the same area. Lisa would need to have concrete evidence of her success in order to increase her self-concept and self-efficacy in this area.

 I really like the idea of teaching perspective through story books. I would ask questions about characters’ thoughts, feelings, and motives when I read books out loud, or when students read books during silent reading time.

Chapter 2 QTC

Unit 3

Chapter 2

(2.1) 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-aged 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?

I will be teaching first grade, and children will be bordering the preoperational and concrete operations states of development. It is likely that I will have students in my class at both stages, especially when considering that Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development leads us to expect some diversity among same age students. In my current placement, the first graders are learning basic fraction concepts. It is the end of the year, and many of the students are firmly in the concrete operations stage of development. However, some students appear to remain in the preoperational stage, and struggle with conservation of size. Some students easily grasp that fractions have to be composed of “equal parts,” but struggle with the idea that equal parts don’t have to be the same shape to have an equal area. For example, a problem with a cube divided into four equal parts (divided into two squares and two rectangles) stumped about half of the class. To accommodate various levels of development in this scenario, I would provide concrete shapes for kids to play with. For a cube, I would provide many tiny cubes that the students could lay over the larger cube. How many small cubes fit in the rectangles? How many fit in the small cubes? This will help all students learn to conserve area with different shapes. I would have students draw lines in to make equal parts in the shape, and then count the same-shaped parts within the whole. These experiences will move the students towards the next stage, but will allow them to complete the same coursework as their peers, working toward understanding fractions.

 

(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 want to teach students aged K-2. I will certainly read age-appropriate books as a way of enhancing both vocabulary and reading skills. Today, I read “Cat in the Hat” with a kindergartner who claimed he “couldn’t read.” He was able to recognize many sight words, and figure out the other words by context. He asked many questions, including “Is ‘I’ the name of the boy in the story.” I was able to use the story to explain that “I” signifies point of view, asking the student, “What do you say when you want a cookie… Who do you think is telling this story?” The student was able to understand perspective and have a better understanding of the word “I.” I will continue to use books as a way of enhancing vocabulary in my classroom. I will also ask follow-up questions to make sure that students accurately understand important messages. If I had not asked this student to summarize the story so far, he might not have responded by asking a question about something that he did not understand. Many first graders and kindergarteners can read things out loud without understanding the meaning of what they are reading. Asking follow-up questions is necessary to ensuring that students understand both written and spoken materials.

Barb

When I arrived at the presentation thinking that I knew what to expect. I had watched the videos ahead of time, and I had worked with students with autism before on many occasions. I brought my boyfriend with me, but I didn't really think to explain to him what autism was before we showed up. I really should have put more effort into explaining to my guest what the presentation was going to be about, and what to expect during the presentation. However, I am almost glad I didn't. The presentation was that more intense for him because he wasn't prepared for it. Barb didn't act "normally." She rocked back and forth, and sometimes squeaked out noises and cuss words. If I didn't know Barb, and just saw her in on the street or in a restaurant, I would not guess that she is capable of communicating so artfully, effectively, and with such a big vocabulary. I suppose this reveals my unconscious prejudices - I should never assume anyone isn't capable of something, especially as a teacher. It should be up to the individual to determine what he or she is are capable of, and to themselves as individuals.

Barb seemed to get really uncomfortable and make more vocalizations when students did a less than perfect job of reading her writing (a few students mispronounced words or names, and a few stumbled over the unique syntax). It must be hard to have written a work of art with a unique voice and have someone else butcher it (or not read it with the same emphasis, intensity, and tone with which you intended it to be read). I wonder how Barb would have wanted her work to be read - even as her voice comes through powerfully in her writing, she has to rely on others to "read" her work and interpret it. Barb must share this with other poets and writers whose work has been performed by other people.

I was really interested in the story about the student with Autism who was really good at DDR. The psychologist reached him by doing something that she was really uncomfortable with and not very good at (dancing DDR in the mall). Many of the things that we ask students with Autism to do are difficult for them, and we don't think about how the academic tasks that we expect students to do can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable. This story also reminded me of the many ways that people and students can be intelligent. We should not assume that students aren't "smart" because their brains aren't wired in the "average" way. I agree with Barb that respecting not only racial and cultural but also neural diversity is really important. It also reminded me how important it is to develop good relationships with students.

Case Study #1

Case study: One of your 4th grade female students is very well developed physically and looks as if she is 15 instead of 9 years of age. Today you heard a group of 5th grade boys commenting on her body in a lewd and humiliating manner. Two other teachers also heard these comments, but blew them off as "boys will be boys" and "she needs to get used to it."


I do not believe that we should ignore sexual harassment on the grounds that "boys will be boys." No person, regardless of age, sex, or physical development, should never be required to "get used to" being sexually harassed. In our sex-saturated culture, it is not surprising that the boys would say these comments; the might be copying older siblings or symbolic models on television or in popular music. It is, however, shocking and frustrating that the two other teachers said that "she needs to get used to it." These "lewd and humiliating" comments objectify women and are the precursors to the types of thoughts that lead to more serious kinds of sexual abuse and mistreatment of women. What kind of self-confidence is the student who is being harassed going to have if even the teachers support her exploitation through sexual comments and gestures. All of the students involved deserve to learn that this type of behavior is not okay - and why it is not okay.

I would call the boys to me and as them to go to the principal's office and to tell the principal what they were saying about and to the girl involved. I would call the principal and alert him as to why and under what circumstances the students were being sent to the office. If I could not make the call in a private setting, I would reduce embarrassment by sending a specific email along with a more vague call to let the principal know the details before meeting with the students. As soon as possible, I would bring the matter up with my supervisor, and suggest that the school counselor be allowed to speak with the female student involved. As these boys are not my students, it does not fall on me to punish them, but I do feel that intervening and preventing further abuse was necessary in this situation in order to protect my student and better serve all of the students. I would tell my supervisor exactly what happened, including the part about the other teachers, in as unbiased a manner as possible, and also seek the advice of my administrator as to how I should approach the matter of contacting the parents of the student. I think that it is important that administration be aware of not only the offending students, but of the teachers who seem to think that sexual harassment is an appropriate school activity. For the sake of the students' privacy and self-esteem, as well as for legal reasons, I would not tell any other parties. Having done my duty as a teacher and reported the harassment, I would keep a close eye on the students at watch for evidence of abuse or sexual harassment. I would incorporate some character education into my social studies curriculum on societal constructions of gender, and educate students about verbal and emotional abuse, as well as what to do if you witness or are the victim of abuse.
 

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lower level - Understanding:

Explain the difference between individual and collective self-efficacy.





Higher-Level (create): The book gives examples of what can happen when teachers have high self-efficacy. What do you think some of the consequences would be if teachers didn't have high self-efficacy? Come up with a short story that represents these negative consequences.

Erin Petersen Ch. 9

Upper Level: Analyze
Compare and contrast the classical conditioning with instrumental conditioning. Give an example of an instance in which you might use each form of conditioning.

Lower Level: Understand
 Explain the three types of modeling that are described in the book.

8.1 and 8.2

Lower-Level (Understand): Using your own words, explain what critical thinking is:




Analyze - Below is a model for critical thinking that can be found at the following website: http://www.thinkwatson.com/think-red/red-critical-thinking-model. Compare this model of critical thinking with the model described in the book on page 276. The book says that critical thinking can take four forms. These forms are verbal reasoning, argument analysis, probablistic reasoning, and hypothesis testing. How are the models alike and different? Do they express some of the same ideas differently? You may need to go to the website and learn more about the "Think Red" model in order to answer this question.

Chapter 7

Lower Level Question: Comprehension (See page 234 for answering these questions)

This chapter talks about the benefits of creating a "community of learners." What is a community of learners, and how might we recognize a classroom that has the characteristics of a "community of learners?"

Higher Level Question: Synthesize (or create)

Now that you are familiar with the idea of a community of learners, and have read about several different ways that communities of learners are structured, how would you structure a community of learners in your classroom? Write a paragraph about what your own "community of learners" would look like. Predict possible obstacles to creating this community of learners.

QTC Chapter 6

Lower Level Question: Comprehension

Wait time is something that we be evaluated on in the classroom. Why should a teacher wait at least three seconds after asking a question before asking another student or answering the question?

Higher Level Question: Evaluation

Ms. Llwellyn, a first year history teacher at the secondary level, is having trouble getting her students to remember the historical facts and concepts that she teaches. Read about Ms. Llwellyn and her teaching practices and evaluate her teaching performance using the information about learning and cognitive processes that you learned from reading chapter 6 (page 214). Make sure to support your claims about Mrs. Llwellyn with evidence from the chapter.

15.1 and 15.2

15.1) Turn to p. 559 in Ormrod’s text. Now, imagine that you are meeting with Ingrid’s grandmother today to explain her scores on the recent standardized achievement test pictured at the bottom of p. 559. What will you tell her about Ingrid’s performance? her strengths? her weaknesses? Even though this is not a criterion referenced test, if Ingrid’s grandmother asks you what she could be doing at home to help strengthen Ingrid’s skills, what will you suggest?

I would start by talking with Ingrid's grandmother about her grandchild, focusing on her grandchild's positive character traits in order to make the grandmother feel comfortable and welcomed. I would explain to Ingrid's grandmother which test we were talking about, and how it is scored. I would explain the meaning of the confidence interval, the stanine scores, and the percentile scores. I would make sure that she understands that standardized tests are an important part of assessing a child's progress, but that they are only one part of the "big picture." I would tell Ingrid's grandmother that Ingrid scored well-above average in reading comprehension, science, and social studies when compared to other students that are the same age and grade. I would tell her that Ingrid scored below average to above-average achievement in math concepts. I would say that Ingrid scored in the below-average to average range in spelling and math computations. I would talk to Ingrid's grandmother in about her school performance in these areas in the classroom, and the specific areas that Ingrid seems to be excelling and struggling in the classroom.  If Ingrid's grandmother asks me what she could be doing at home to help strengthen Ingrid's skills, I would tell her that I am willing to pay special attention to monitoring and assessing Ingrid's progress in these areas. The suggestions that I give Ingrid's mother would depend on Ingrid's performance in the classroom, and on the particular criteria that she struggles with (according to my own criterion referenced assessments and on curriculum based assessments in my classroom). I would tell her that the test doesn't "diagnose" specific problems, it only lets us know to pay more attention to a student's performance in those areas. That being said, I would encourage Ingrid's grandmother to feel comfortable communicating with me when her grandmother seems to be struggling with a particular assignmnet or concept. I would suggest different ways that Ingrid could practice her spelling, like phonetic flash cards and learning activities.

Erin Petersen 14.1 and 14.2

(14.1) Think of a lesson plan from your licensure area. Knowing that assessment is an integral part of teaching, explain at least four informal and formal assessments that you will use in your lesson plan to provide you with feedback and involve the students in assessing their own learning

In the classroom that I observe for another of my elementary education classes, the students are learning to add and subtract mixed numbers. There are several skills that students need to know before they can learn to add and subtract mixed numbers. Students need to know how to: identify the parts of a fraction, understand the difference between a mixed number and an improper fraction, add and subtract integers, and change improper fractions into mixed numbers and mixed numbers into improper fractions. Without any one of these skills, students will struggle to learn adding and subtracting fractions – and many did! The first assessment I would give would be a written formal assessment of the prerequisite skills needed to understand how to add and subtract mixed numbers. If one or more students failed a particular part of this pretest, I would need to spend extra time with these students in order that they might be able to grasp the new concept.

During the lesson, I would demonstrate the first problem on the board and explain the steps to completing the problem. Then, I would have students do another problem on their white boards and lift their white-boards up in the air when finished. I would look over the white-boards and get immediate feedback on which students need more help, and what mistakes students are making. This informal assessment process can be repeated multiple times.

I would ask students to explain their thinking to the class, especially if they got a different answer than the rest of the students. Asking students to explain their thinking is a fast but effective informal assessment that can involve students in the process of assessing their own learning. It can show the thought process behind correct and incorrect answers.

At the end of the lesson, but before students are given time to work alone on assignments, I would ask students to show me how well they understand the material on a scale of one to five using their hands (fist of five). I would ask any students that rated their understanding of the material at a 3 or below to meet me at the table in the back for small group instruction. This informal assessment allows students to be involved in assessing their own learning.  

At the end of the lesson and after students have had a chance to practice the problems in class and ask questions, I would hand out a formal assessment that will tell me where students are at. This short quiz is called a Quick Check and assesses a student’s ability to do each of the steps necessary to solve the problem.

Feedback on the Quiz – I will grade the quiz and provide student with feedback on what they need to work on. I will allow students to correct quiz work, providing the correct answer alongside an explanation of why they got the problem wrong and what they understand now that they didn’t before. This will involve students in assessing their own learning.

 

(14.2) Consider norm referenced assessment and criterion referenced assessment. Are there advantages to both? Are there disadvantages?

 

Norm-Referenced Assessments: Norm-referenced assessments are extremely important in comparing how students in one classroom, district, or school are performing in comparison to students in other classrooms, districts, or schools. It would be important to know that one classroom is making significantly less progress in a subject area that all of the other classrooms in the school. However, norm-referenced assessments can fail at comparing schools in different areas that teach different things – is one school a worse school because they do not teach exactly what is on the test? Sometimes, norm-referenced assessments are used in classrooms (including some college classes that I have been in). Students are graded not on how many questions they get right, but on where they fall on the bell curve in comparison to other students. One disadvantage of this is that students will be less likely to want to work together and help each other because norm-referenced assessments create a competitive atmosphere where one student’s success might depend on another student’s failure. However, norm-referenced assessments are important when placing students into different groups or classes, or when deciding eligibility for gifted services or special education programs.

Criterion-referenced assessments are the best was to quickly asses what concepts students have learned from instruction. They are mastery oriented, and all students are expected to succeed. One student’s grade does not affect the grades of other students, which is important in eliminating competition and improving cooperation between students. I see criterion-referenced assessments as more useful for everyday use in the classroom, as they give me valuable information on what my students did or did not learn in a given unit. However, criterion-referenced assessments are only as good as the standards that they are based on.