Final Blog: conclusion
Willingham's book was all about reaching all students and understanding how they learn and retain information. Willingham expresses that learners are diverse and we need to accept them and cater to them as a teacher. I really valued his ideas and have utilized his tips often in my classroom. I can't say my ideas of diversity have changed much from reading his helpful book but my practice and outlook on teaching has improved. I feel so much more confident as a teacher after reading this literature. I understand that teaching takes a lot of time and practice and that practice is never over! I learned a lot about how the mind works and how we use our memories. I think this knowledge that I now have will benefit me as a teacher and my students.
Alex Pergolizzi
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The end has come...
Blog 8_the wrap up_Stacey LaFountain
Throughout reading this book I have had a few moments were I think "Oh that's why my teacher did that in school". As teachers we are throwing information out there that we think is important for students to learn. The more information we throw out there the harder school gets for our students. As teachers, we want students to learn everything we are teaching, however the reality is that they are not going to learn everything. I know from my experience that practicing the same thing over and over and over again when I was in school seemed boring to when I felt I had learned the topic but that is what you need as a student. You need to have your students practice the material so that they will truly understand it. This book had so many good ideas for a teacher and how to implement them into the classroom. It will help me in my teaching and in learning how to help my students learn to the best of my ability.
Throughout reading this book I have had a few moments were I think "Oh that's why my teacher did that in school". As teachers we are throwing information out there that we think is important for students to learn. The more information we throw out there the harder school gets for our students. As teachers, we want students to learn everything we are teaching, however the reality is that they are not going to learn everything. I know from my experience that practicing the same thing over and over and over again when I was in school seemed boring to when I felt I had learned the topic but that is what you need as a student. You need to have your students practice the material so that they will truly understand it. This book had so many good ideas for a teacher and how to implement them into the classroom. It will help me in my teaching and in learning how to help my students learn to the best of my ability.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Final Look Back
Blog 8_The Final Look Back_Melissa Lochner
While reading our book, I felt like there were so many ah-ha moments that I will take away. This will definitely be a book that I will pick up in the future for ideas on how to better my classroom. Something I'm sure I knew before but never really thought of was the fact that students can only remember so much. As teachers we have to think about all the information we are feeding the students and what we are requiring them to use right away or in the future. Something that I was surprised by was the fact that when we are trying to have students remember something and we use a hook for them to relate to, we may be pulling their attention in the wrong direction and loose them for the rest of the lesson. I will be able to incorporate this book into my knowledge of teaching by getting to know how my students thinking process in the beginning of the year and vary my lessons accordingly. I feel like the biggest thing I personally took away from this book was to always try to improve on my teaching techniques and skills. I should never feel fully comfortable with what I'm doing because there is always so much more then can be improved.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tha tha thats all folks!
Blog 8
The wrap up
Natalie Gregorski
When reflecting about the main themes and take home messages of this book I really don't see it as being wholely focus on diversity. It talked about how everyone learns different and what peoples tendencies are but I really think it was largely based on scientific information. If I got anything out of this book it is that you can impact your own learning and so can my students. Not only do I need to focus my attention on students but also on myself as an educator. I always need to remember to sharpen my skills and add to my teaching tool box.
The wrap up
Natalie Gregorski
When reflecting about the main themes and take home messages of this book I really don't see it as being wholely focus on diversity. It talked about how everyone learns different and what peoples tendencies are but I really think it was largely based on scientific information. If I got anything out of this book it is that you can impact your own learning and so can my students. Not only do I need to focus my attention on students but also on myself as an educator. I always need to remember to sharpen my skills and add to my teaching tool box.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Teachers are students too!!
Blog 7
Chapter 9
Vocabulary Vitalizer & Essence Extractor
Natalie Gregorski
Vocab.
1) Practice -Repetition of an activity to improve skill; The ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession (http://en.wiktionary.org/)
2) Constructive Critisism -
Constructive criticism aims to show that the intent or purpose of something is better served by an alternative approach. In this case, the target of criticism is not necessarily deemed wrong, and its purpose is respected; rather, it is claimed that the same goal could be better achieved via a different route. (Wikipedia)
3) Procedures- series of actions or operations which have to be executed in the same manner in order to always obtain the same result under the same circumstances (for example, emergency procedures) Wikipedia
4) Cognitive Skill -Cognition is the scientific term for "the process of thought" to knowing. Usage of the term varies in different disciplines; for example in psychology and cognitive science, it usually refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions
5) pedagoical content knowledge - not just background knowledge but methods of teaching the content to the students in a variety of ways.
Essence Extractor
"Teaching like any complex skill. must be practiced to be improved" (pg. 189)
Chapter 9
Vocabulary Vitalizer & Essence Extractor
Natalie Gregorski
Vocab.
1) Practice -Repetition of an activity to improve skill; The ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession (http://en.wiktionary.org/)
2) Constructive Critisism -
Constructive criticism aims to show that the intent or purpose of something is better served by an alternative approach. In this case, the target of criticism is not necessarily deemed wrong, and its purpose is respected; rather, it is claimed that the same goal could be better achieved via a different route. (Wikipedia)
3) Procedures- series of actions or operations which have to be executed in the same manner in order to always obtain the same result under the same circumstances (for example, emergency procedures) Wikipedia
4) Cognitive Skill -Cognition is the scientific term for "the process of thought" to knowing. Usage of the term varies in different disciplines; for example in psychology and cognitive science, it usually refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions
5) pedagoical content knowledge - not just background knowledge but methods of teaching the content to the students in a variety of ways.
Essence Extractor
"Teaching like any complex skill. must be practiced to be improved" (pg. 189)
Baby Steps to improving teaching...
Blog 7 chapter 9- Alex Pergolizzi
Literary luminator
1. "Your best bet for improving your teaching is to practice teaching...Experience means you are simply engaged in the activity. Practice means you are trying to improve your performance." (p. 192) We gain experience just by being in the classroom and producing lesson plans and executing them. But is that it? Of course not, as teachers we try to improve our methods and to do this we must practice. I like that Willingham shows the reader that just the experience of teaching is not enough. A teacher simply can't get comfortable with having 20 years experience and that's it, one must always strive for improvement.
2. "It is usually quite informative to see your class through someone else's eyes...You should recognize that working on your teaching will be a threat to your ego." (p. 194-195) I thought these quotes went really well together because when another teacher or supervisor observes my classroom I know that I get nervous and somewhat dread the "post-conference." However, I do enjoy getting constructive criticism and discussing ways to improve my classroom. I can see how it would be a little threat to your ego when you thought your lesson was amazing and then the observer really lets you know what went on while you were busy teaching.
3. "...They refer to it as a mental place where we juggle several things at once and where, if we try to juggle too many things, one or more things will be dropped." (p. 191) This is important for all educators to remember. Teachers don't just balance teaching they are dealing with school issues, student issues, family issues and probably tons of other things too! It is important to simplify things because if not, something important may slip through the cracks without intention.
Essence Extractor
Experience does not make the teacher, practice & improvement does.
Literary luminator
1. "Your best bet for improving your teaching is to practice teaching...Experience means you are simply engaged in the activity. Practice means you are trying to improve your performance." (p. 192) We gain experience just by being in the classroom and producing lesson plans and executing them. But is that it? Of course not, as teachers we try to improve our methods and to do this we must practice. I like that Willingham shows the reader that just the experience of teaching is not enough. A teacher simply can't get comfortable with having 20 years experience and that's it, one must always strive for improvement.
2. "It is usually quite informative to see your class through someone else's eyes...You should recognize that working on your teaching will be a threat to your ego." (p. 194-195) I thought these quotes went really well together because when another teacher or supervisor observes my classroom I know that I get nervous and somewhat dread the "post-conference." However, I do enjoy getting constructive criticism and discussing ways to improve my classroom. I can see how it would be a little threat to your ego when you thought your lesson was amazing and then the observer really lets you know what went on while you were busy teaching.
3. "...They refer to it as a mental place where we juggle several things at once and where, if we try to juggle too many things, one or more things will be dropped." (p. 191) This is important for all educators to remember. Teachers don't just balance teaching they are dealing with school issues, student issues, family issues and probably tons of other things too! It is important to simplify things because if not, something important may slip through the cracks without intention.
Essence Extractor
Experience does not make the teacher, practice & improvement does.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Busy busy busy
Blog 7, Chapter 9, Creative Connector and Idea Illustrator - Stacey LaFountain
"Your best bet for improving your teaching is to practice teaching" (p. 191)
This is something that our teachers tried to drill into our heads while in undergrad. In order to really improve your self you have to practice. This is also something that the book talked about. If you do not continue to practice then you are not going to become better at what you do.
"A great deal of data show that teachers improve during their first five years in the field, as measured by student learning. After five years, however, the curve gets flat, and a teacher with twenty years of experience is (on average) no better or worse than a teacher with ten". (p. 192)
To me this quote goes along with the top quote. I recently was subbing in my old elementary school. Some of my teachers are still working so I went to say hello to them. They teach in the same manor as they did when I was 10 and in their class. Not to say that their way of teaching is wrong or bad. I feel that if a teacher is willing to try things in new ways they will continue to improve.
"Make notes that include what you intended to do and how you thought it went". (p. 202)
During my student teaching the teachers that I worked with loved reflecting on how the lessons went. This section about keeping a diary reminded me of that. I did find that it was very helpful to reflect on how the lesson when and what went well and what didn't. This was a good stepping stone as to how to plan future lessons with the same class.
This picture is almost identical to the one in our book. It shows up in this last chapter as well as in previous chapters. Again, it shows how all three of these different things (environment, working memory and long-term memory) work together.
Another part of this chapter talked about how you need to have teachers who know what they are teaching and truly understand the material. This math problem reminded me about how important not only understand previous units are but also that teachers really understand and know their material before the present it to students.
This picture represents the fact that teachers have to work hard and also that they need to practice. If there is continuous practice they teachers will go beyond just teaching the basics and help students to experience teaching in a different way.
"Your best bet for improving your teaching is to practice teaching" (p. 191)
This is something that our teachers tried to drill into our heads while in undergrad. In order to really improve your self you have to practice. This is also something that the book talked about. If you do not continue to practice then you are not going to become better at what you do.
"A great deal of data show that teachers improve during their first five years in the field, as measured by student learning. After five years, however, the curve gets flat, and a teacher with twenty years of experience is (on average) no better or worse than a teacher with ten". (p. 192)
To me this quote goes along with the top quote. I recently was subbing in my old elementary school. Some of my teachers are still working so I went to say hello to them. They teach in the same manor as they did when I was 10 and in their class. Not to say that their way of teaching is wrong or bad. I feel that if a teacher is willing to try things in new ways they will continue to improve.
"Make notes that include what you intended to do and how you thought it went". (p. 202)
During my student teaching the teachers that I worked with loved reflecting on how the lessons went. This section about keeping a diary reminded me of that. I did find that it was very helpful to reflect on how the lesson when and what went well and what didn't. This was a good stepping stone as to how to plan future lessons with the same class.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
We try to do EVERYTHING.
Blog 7_ Ch 9_Idea Illustrator & Rigorous Researcher_Melissa Lochner
Idea Illustrator:
"working memory: they refer to it as a mental place where we juggle several things at once and where, if we try to juggle to many things, one or more things will be dropped (p. 190-191)."
__________________________________________________________________
"Without feedback, you don't know what changes will make you better... (p.193)"
__________________________________________________________________
Videotape your teaching to better your classroom
__________________________________________________________________
Rigorous Researcher:
I felt like I did not know enough about Pedagogical Content Knowledge so I decided to focus my research on that. The idea is that a teacher can't just know the subject, they have to know how to properly teach the subject to the students. Lee Shulman explained it as going "beyond knowledge of the subject matter per se to the dimension of subject matter for teaching (Shulman)."
Another website that did a good job explaining it (if your willing to read a lot) was : https://www.msu.edu/~dugganha/PCK.htm
Shulman, Lee. "Domains : Pedagogical Content Knowledge." The Work of Dr. Lee Shulman. Lee Shulman, 2008. Web. 12 Mar 2011. <http://www.leeshulman.net/domains-pedagogical-content-knowledge.html>.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Baby, I was born this way!
Blog #6: chapter 8
Alex Pergolizzi
Creative connector:
1. "The destructive cycle is obvious: students want to get good grades so that they look smart, but they can't study to do so because that marks them as dumb." (p. 167) This reminds me when I was in high school and fed into this horrible cycle. I would complete ALL of my classwork and I REALLY wanted to participate by raising my hand because I KNEW that I had the right answer or a really good point to make. However, instead of raising my hand which would have been perfectly acceptable, I would sit in my chair and hope the teacher called on me randomly. How weird is that? The reason for my silly action is I didn't want my classmates thinking I was a "goody-goody" for completing my classwork on time and being more than willing to participate.
2. "Intelligence is malleable. It can be improved." (p. 179) I always used the fact that my mother wasn't "good" at math as my excuse as to why I wasn't "good" at math. I put "good" in quotation marks because after reading this chapter it wasn't that I wasn't good at math is was because I had no desire to study math or practice it. Therefore I wasn't very good at it. I think a lot of students use the statement "I'm not good at it" because they're just not trying hard enough or not asking for help when they don't understand a concept.
3. "Try to create a classroom atmosphere in which failure, while not desirable, is neither embarrassing nor wholly negative. Failure means you're about to learn something." (p. 184) This is a concept that I teach my students on the first day of school. Learning a foreign language means mistakes are going to be made frequently...and that's okay, I hope they make mistakes! When a mistake is made the teacher corrects it and the student learns (and if it happens a couple of times, that's okay too). I always follow this with the story about the time I walked into a bakery in Italy and meant to order a "calzone" (the Italian hot pocket) but I pronounced the word wrong and ended up offending the cashier because I said a dirty word instead. This shows my students that everyone makes mistakes (even me) and we just have to learn from them.
Idea Illustrator:
1. Praise- Willingham stresses that teachers shouldn't praise ability, they should praise process. This includes ALL levels of students. However, he warns not to give "false praise" praise that is really not deserved.
2. DNA - I chose a DNA strand because DNA is not the only place where a person develops their intelligence. The environment where a person grows up in also has an affect on their level of learning.
3.Keanu In the text Willingham quotes Keanu Reeves, "I'm a meathead. I can't help it, man. You've got smart people and you've got dumb people. I just happen to be dumb" (p. 173). Well Mr. Reeves, after reading this chapter I can successfully say that you're just feeding into the cycle and to break free you must know that your intelligence begins with how you view yourself.
Alex Pergolizzi
Creative connector:
1. "The destructive cycle is obvious: students want to get good grades so that they look smart, but they can't study to do so because that marks them as dumb." (p. 167) This reminds me when I was in high school and fed into this horrible cycle. I would complete ALL of my classwork and I REALLY wanted to participate by raising my hand because I KNEW that I had the right answer or a really good point to make. However, instead of raising my hand which would have been perfectly acceptable, I would sit in my chair and hope the teacher called on me randomly. How weird is that? The reason for my silly action is I didn't want my classmates thinking I was a "goody-goody" for completing my classwork on time and being more than willing to participate.
2. "Intelligence is malleable. It can be improved." (p. 179) I always used the fact that my mother wasn't "good" at math as my excuse as to why I wasn't "good" at math. I put "good" in quotation marks because after reading this chapter it wasn't that I wasn't good at math is was because I had no desire to study math or practice it. Therefore I wasn't very good at it. I think a lot of students use the statement "I'm not good at it" because they're just not trying hard enough or not asking for help when they don't understand a concept.
3. "Try to create a classroom atmosphere in which failure, while not desirable, is neither embarrassing nor wholly negative. Failure means you're about to learn something." (p. 184) This is a concept that I teach my students on the first day of school. Learning a foreign language means mistakes are going to be made frequently...and that's okay, I hope they make mistakes! When a mistake is made the teacher corrects it and the student learns (and if it happens a couple of times, that's okay too). I always follow this with the story about the time I walked into a bakery in Italy and meant to order a "calzone" (the Italian hot pocket) but I pronounced the word wrong and ended up offending the cashier because I said a dirty word instead. This shows my students that everyone makes mistakes (even me) and we just have to learn from them.
Idea Illustrator:
1. Praise- Willingham stresses that teachers shouldn't praise ability, they should praise process. This includes ALL levels of students. However, he warns not to give "false praise" praise that is really not deserved.
2. DNA - I chose a DNA strand because DNA is not the only place where a person develops their intelligence. The environment where a person grows up in also has an affect on their level of learning.
3.Keanu In the text Willingham quotes Keanu Reeves, "I'm a meathead. I can't help it, man. You've got smart people and you've got dumb people. I just happen to be dumb" (p. 173). Well Mr. Reeves, after reading this chapter I can successfully say that you're just feeding into the cycle and to break free you must know that your intelligence begins with how you view yourself.
Mama Says Stupid is What a Stupid Does
Blog 6
Chapter 8
Rigorous Researcher & Vocabulary Vitalizer
Natalie Gregorski
Rigorous Researcher:
When reading this chapter I really found the relationship between genetics and intelligence to be interesting. I particularly found the text on twins and intelligence to be interesting so here is some more info. on IQ and genetics.
Intelligence and Genetics http://iq-test.learninginfo.org/iq03.htm
Debate genetics or Environment http://allpsych.com/journal/iq.html
Vocabulary Vitalizer:
IQ =intelligence quotient: a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)
Intelligence =is a term describing one or more capacities of the mind. In different contexts this can be defined in different ways, including the capacities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving
Malleable = ductile: easily influenced; ductile: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out; "ductile copper"; "malleable metals such as gold"; "they soaked the leather to made it pliable"; "pliant molten glass"; "made of highly tensile steel alloy"
Abilities = possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; "danger heightened his powers of discrimination"
Envionmental Effect = The effect that external (nongenetic) factors have on animal performance.
Chapter 8
Rigorous Researcher & Vocabulary Vitalizer
Natalie Gregorski
Rigorous Researcher:
When reading this chapter I really found the relationship between genetics and intelligence to be interesting. I particularly found the text on twins and intelligence to be interesting so here is some more info. on IQ and genetics.
Intelligence and Genetics http://iq-test.learninginfo.org/iq03.htm
Debate genetics or Environment http://allpsych.com/journal/iq.html
Vocabulary Vitalizer:
IQ =intelligence quotient: a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)
Intelligence =is a term describing one or more capacities of the mind. In different contexts this can be defined in different ways, including the capacities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving
Malleable = ductile: easily influenced; ductile: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out; "ductile copper"; "malleable metals such as gold"; "they soaked the leather to made it pliable"; "pliant molten glass"; "made of highly tensile steel alloy"
Abilities = possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; "danger heightened his powers of discrimination"
Envionmental Effect = The effect that external (nongenetic) factors have on animal performance.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The environment plays a key in our intelligence?!?!?!?!
Blog 6_Chapter 8_ Vocabulary & Essence Extractor_Stacey LaFountain
Essence Extractor -
Intelligence isn't determined by genetics, but also environmental factors.
Vocabulary -
Intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
malleable intelligence - The theory of malleable intelligence states that if you work hard, you can "get smart". In other words, if you believe you can achieve you will. A person is not born either smart or dumb, they are capable of shaping or changing their intelligence if they put work into doing so.
Essence Extractor -
Intelligence isn't determined by genetics, but also environmental factors.
Vocabulary -
Intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
malleable intelligence - The theory of malleable intelligence states that if you work hard, you can "get smart". In other words, if you believe you can achieve you will. A person is not born either smart or dumb, they are capable of shaping or changing their intelligence if they put work into doing so.
Immutable - not mutable; unchangeable; changeless.
Identical twins - one of a pair of twins who develop from a single fertilized ovum and therefore have the same genotype, are of the same sex, and usually resemble each other closely.
Fraternal twins - one of a pair of twins, not necessarily resembling each other, or of the same sex, that develop from two separately fertilized ova.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Genetics vs. Environment
Blog 6_Ch 8_Vocabulary Vitalizer & Literary Luminator_Melissa Lochner
Vocab:
Vocab:
- Malleable- Capable of being shaped of formed; able to be influenced
- Intelligence- (definition from book) The ability to understand complex ideas and use different forms of reasoning. Able to overcome obstacles by engaging thought, and learn from experiences.
- Praise- The act of expressing approval or admiration.
- Ability- Power or capacity to do or to act physically or mentally; talent that enables someone to achieve a great deal; or a level of mental power
- Analogous- Similar or corresponding in some respect
Literary Luminator:
"Children do differ in intelligence, but intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work."
- The students are in control of their intelligence through their drive to work hard. But students intelligence is also in the hands on the teacher in how they teach them to work hard and praise students receive during the process.
"The other view is that intelligence is a matter not of work and practice but rather of carefully selecting one's parents. In other words, intelligence is mostly genetic. Some people are born apart and although they might further develop this ability through practice, they will be pretty smart even if they do little or nothing to develop their intelligence.
- I do not agree with this statement. I believe that if your are lucky enough to be born with a high intelligence in their genetics, you still have to work hard to keep your intelligence.
"Try to create a classroom atmosphere in which failure, while not desirable, is neither embarrassing nor wholly negative. Failure means you're about to learn something."
- I feel like the teachers I had never really allowed failure in their classroom. If teachers did, then maybe students would be more open to try new things because they would not have a fear of failure.
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