Chapter 1: What standards do you feel are most relevant to your teaching and to your content area and that will challenge you the most? What strategies will you employ to become familiar with these standards so that you can more easily address them in your classroom?
Prior to reading this week, I had no idea there were so many standards available to helping teachers implement technology into instruction. After reading and doing my own research, I realize that the most relevant standards to my teaching and content area are the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Standards. P21 standards rely heavily on preparing students for the real world, which is something that I work very hard to teach my students in tandem with the subject area curriculum. This set of standards finds its basis in teaching students critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, otherwise known as the 4 Cs. It also promotes learning life and career skills and technology skills. As a science teacher in a rural community, I find this set of standards so relevant because many of my students will be going into trade work rather than going to college. I believe that for them to be successful, it is my job to show them what science knowledge they will need in their trade. For instance, students that go to the pipeline or oil field industry need to understand the chemistry of oil and what a combustion reaction is. The P21 standards can help me teach this to students because it applies to life and career skills. The AECT standards can be beneficially to my science classroom because of its reliance on inquiry. Science has its foundation in inquiry, and students are taught how to inquire using the scientific method. The AECT standards not only require the teacher to have content knowledge and pedagogy, but require the teacher to provide a safe and productive learning environment conduct research to further improve instruction. This final standards is precisely what I will do to address these standards in my own classroom. I will conduct research and apply inquiry based knowledge to better instruct my students. Chapter 2: Using Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, describe three intelligences in which you excel and give an example of each. How could these intelligences be useful when you become a teacher? While reading this section of the chapter, I decided in my mind that my three intelligences are logical-mathematical, musical, and interpersonal. However, I found a quiz on literacynet.org, and it states that my 3 highest intelligences are musical, interpersonal, and naturalistic, in that order. I find this very interesting because although I do feel as if I identify with these three, I did not think they would be that significant. Of course, this was just an online quiz, and I find my personal view point and understanding more reliable than a fun online quiz! The reason I have chosen logical-mathematical is because I can see the logical reason behind most situations and I address problems with critical thinking. I can remember being a young child in elementary school and adding numbers on mailboxes and finding numerical patterns between street addresses. I have had the pleasure of already teaching this past school year, and say with confidence that I use my logical-mathematical intelligence in my teaching style. For example, when teaching chemistry, I always tell students the simplest and most logical explanation for why something is the way it is. The best example I have for this is when we learn stoichiometry. The logical way to tackle the problem is to start with what we are given in order to get to what we want when using mathematical conversions to solve a stoichiometry problem. I push my students to not just memorize steps, but to use logic to guide them from one step to the next. The second intelligence that I find I have is certainly musical intelligence. I have always loved music. I listen to all genres, from the old school country of Patsy Cline to the modern music we listen to today. The way that I use my musical intelligence in my classroom is by relating it to the content. This may be through changing the words of a catchy song to fit the curriculum, or having students complete a project where they do this themselves! I also sing to my students regularly to get their attention and keep them engaged. At times I also play music during independent work time. I find music to be very beneficial in education. It allows me as the teacher to connect to my students, which leads me to my third intelligence. My third Intelligence is interpersonal, or responsiveness to others. I like to consider myself to be a very empathetic person. I can tell when someone is upset or struggling. As a teacher I find this intelligence to be extremely useful when gauging student understanding. I can see in a student's face when they are struggling or do not understand, but are afraid to speak up. It is at that point that I make a note in my mind, and make sure I approach that student privately to give them independent help. Chapter 3: Think back on a classroom environment in which you were not as successful as you might have wanted to be. What were the factors that you encountered from the teacher and/or other students that may have hindered your learning? How will you mitigate such factors in your own classroom? When I think back on my own education, I can recall one specific classroom where I was not as successful as I wanted to be, which was my 10th grade history class. In this class, the teacher took on an authoritative role. She allowed her favorite students to rule the room, and she often took on a bullying mentality to students. She did not put much focus on differentiation, and expected all students to perform tasks with the same ability. In my classroom, I make it a point to treat all students with the same manner. They are all there for the same reason, and it is important that I give them all the same respect and attention to teach them. However, I do not tolerate disrespect or bullying of any kind in my classroom. I require all students to participate, and if they fail to do so, I conference with them individually to figure out what problem they are facing in regards to their learning. It Is my belief that all students can learn. They just need to be given the guidance and support to do so. Not all students learn the same and respond to the same form of instruction, so differentiation is something I strive to improve on and encourage in my classroom.
4 Comments
Eli Morgan
6/6/2021 03:42:48 pm
Hi Sarah! Great work this week on your post! I think you really pointed out something important about how schools here within the Southern US really gear students towards a workplace-education. As a new teacher, that is something I see very prevalent in our school systems, even though when I myself was high schooler, I never thought of it. That juxtaposition between delivering content, real-world life skills, and educating students in technological advancements really is what education is about, and being transparent and progressive as a teacher in these topics really is doing your students a favor for their post-school lives!
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Kimberly Jefferson
6/6/2021 07:23:47 pm
Hey Sarah,
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Michaelah Martin
6/6/2021 07:33:05 pm
Sarah, you and I always think alike! We have very similar views on the importance of the P21 standards. I love how you included the fact that several of your students will go straight into trade work and need these 21st century skills in high school. I feel as if this is becoming more and more common and it is our responsibility to foster that learning in high school. Great point! I also agree with you in that differentiation is so important to maximize all students learning in the classroom. Whereas this is often so hard to do I commend you on recognizing its value that it plays in the classroom! Great job!
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Carletta S Hurt
6/6/2021 07:36:02 pm
Sarah, you rock! I love that you are committed to giving your students a better experience. People are surprised that teachers are bullies and sometimes don't believe students. It can be crushing to a student to feel like they aren't heard.
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Sarah HolderA quirky science teacher with English teacher handwriting. ArchivesBlog Reels
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