It's important for students to be literate, but with the rise of technology, it's almost just as important for them to be digitally literate. Students need to understand that they have a digital footprint whether or not they realize it, and that the things they do online can come back to haunt them. It's important for students to stay safe online and avoid scams, but it's also important for them to understand cyberbullying so that they avoid being victims and avoid doing it to others. Furthermore, understanding the repercussions of plagiarism when it comes to online articles, music, and art will help them avoid serious pitfalls later in life. Understanding the proper uses for technology will help students become positive members of society as adults and will benefit them in the workforce when they are ready to get a job. All of these things should be introduced consistently throughout school. That way, when a student is out on their own, they will be ready and prepared to take on the world.
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Today we analyzed the pros and cons of different class policies involving homework and cell phones. It was interesting to hear the different view points that other teachers had on these topics.
I typically don't give any homework in my classes, and I'm largely against the idea of homework. I was in the IB program when I was in high school, and I saw the effect of assigning large amounts of homework every day. You end up having students that give up and don't do it because they are overwhelmed, or you get groups of students who simply copy or cheat in other ways as a result. I give my students time in class to practice what we are learning, and if the students don't use their time wisely, only then will they have to finish it at home. Cell phones are huge distractions for students in class when they are being used inappropriately, but they can also be extremely useful tools for learning. Sometimes cell phones are better devices than Chromebooks! When I have my students play Kahoot or Blooket, cell phones are easier to use because of their touch screens. Students order lunch using phones, check grades using phone, and sometimes need to communicate with parents during class. As long as a student checks in with me first and makes it quick, I have no problems with students using phones. By allowing students this freedom, I feel like students also respect my normal phone policy more. Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement outlines a ton of great ways to improve ties with parents, their children, and the teachers. I have found that 95% of the methods I use fall into the communication category, so I should definitely work on branching out and exploring other options more. I think that giving support for parenting is something that can really only be done if a parent asks for advice, because otherwise it would come off as being extremely judgmental. Volunteering isn't something that really happens during school hours at a high school, but there are lots of opportunities for volunteering in extra curricular activities and sports. I co-host the art club at my school and I regret not getting in touch with parents more to help with events.
The 5% of non-communication based involvement that I use is to encourage parents to work with their children at home if possible to further develop skills. There are many simple apps that can help students learn specific math concepts on their own or with the help of a parent. I have not been very active in school meetings where parents are invited to attend, but that's another great way to meet several parents at once and get to know them. Community events are another area where I'd like to participate more in the future! This session helped to emphasize the importance of Equity in the classroom. If everyone is treated equally, that means that all students receive equal support, but in reality, some students need far more support than others.
There are a ton of different factors that come into play when it comes to the need for extra support in the classroom. Some families have more money and can provide their children with extra resources, but many cannot. Certain cultures, ethnicities, and racial groups perform worse when it comes to specific subjects or types of learning, and it's important to identify these areas and provide extra help when applicable. Obviously, some students don't speak English as their primary language, and those students benefit greatly from having additional resources with images and definitions. The list goes on and on. To help identify areas where extra support is needed, teachers can collect data and try to find trends amongst types of students. Lots of data and scientific research exists like this already, and it can be utilized! You can also provide students at your campus with opportunities to speak up and help identify areas where students need extra support. I unfortunately wrote a ton for this blog post, and an internet went out which caused the entire post to disappear. FRUSTRATING!
To quickly sum up what I had before, distance learning showed that students are happy to do things other than school if they have the option. Since the internet is a place of infinite entertainment, it's hard to compete with that level of quick and accessible fun. A classroom shouldn't aim to be fun though -- it should aspire to be meaningful AND include a certain small but necessary level of entertainment at the same time. If a class can teach students something worthwhile or make students feel like they achieved something, that can be more powerful and enticing than watching cat videos online. It's also important for a teacher to be enthusiastic about what they're teaching, otherwise students won't want to buy in to your class. In today's class we got to hear about everyone's background and the paths that led them to teaching. For some, it was the allure of having summer's off. For others, having family members who were teachers were a large factor that led them to the career. And for the rest of the class, the motivation was mostly due to wanting to help others by being a good teacher.
During class, I shared a bit about my high school career and the time I spent working in tutoring/ after-school programs. I've actually worked in the education field for over 14 years now, and before I became a classroom teacher I worked as a tutor, afterschool program coordinator, educational specialist in a therapy office, and a substitute teacher. As I moved from one job to the next, I continued to encounter different kinds of flaws in the education system, and I wanted to see a change. The more I worked in the education field however, the less I wanted to continue. The sites where I worked paired me with students who didn't want to learn, and parents who didn't care if the students were actually improving. Many parents put their children into tutoring as a way to get them out of the house and not because they actually cared if their grades improved. This kind of sentiment wore down my desire to teach steadily over the years, but finally reversed after a random opportunity led me to work as a teacher's aide for 3 months. When I finally had students who wanted to learn, my passion for the field returned, and now I find it hard to picture myself as anything other than a teacher. It was great to hear about all of the different paths that led my classmates to the profession as well. Being able to hear those backstories from everyone was really enlightening and is something that I would like to do with my own students in some way. Are there things that all students need to learn? And how does the history of education contribute to the current challenges related to post-secondary success for all students?
I think that there are many things required to be taught in schools that don't directly benefit students in any way. The process of learning how to learn is important, but a lot of topics have a more specific use for students looking to go into a specific job field later in life. As far as general things that all students should learn goes, there are a lot of general things that school teaches which are very important as students develop into young adults. Responsibility, communication, interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds, the process of learning how to learn, planning, and many other related things are important skills for students to have. These are topics that aren't specifically taught in school, but instead taught indirectly through different types of assignments and school events. There have been many changes in education created by societal changes and political interests, and almost none of them have been for the betterment of education, but instead to fuel some unrelated agenda. There is a history of change that doesn't focus on what's best for education, and that has led many educational practices to be far from ideal. Students do not enter school on an equal playing field, and that creates many different areas in education where specific students need additional support. For the first day of class, we brainstormed about the things that school provides for students. In just 5 minutes, our small group managed to come up with 18 different benefits that schools provide. In no particular order, here they are:
There are a lot of topics to comment on here, and I won't go into detail on every single topic in this post, but I think it's important to highlight a few. When people think about school, they usually think about college readiness and preparation for the workforce, but school teaches so much more than that. For some, school is a much needed escape from home life. It's a place for students to eat, relieve stress, and socialize. School especially helps students learn communication skills, whether it's through practicing public speaking, working collaboratively, or simply interacting with others. It teaches them how to stand up for themselves, seek help if they need it, an resolve conflicts with others. School allows students to discover what kind of person they are, and what kind of person they want to be. As a teacher, this topic is something I honestly don't feel that I've thought about enough, and discussing it made me want to dive deeper and develop a more comprehensive and detailed list. When it comes to teaching, I feel that teachers commonly don't get the credit they deserve, and many people look down on the profession. A good teacher will help support students in a variety of ways -- not just as an educator, but also as a mentor and role model. |
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May 2022
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