12/3: Group Differences Forum Reflection

Reading the article on gender myths was eye opening to say the least. In daily discourse, and even in the textbook, I have been lead to believe boys are superior at learning in math and science disciplines while girls have the upper hand in literature. The textbook is quick to reiterate that correlations do not imply causation, but the focus on gender discrepancies remains. Instead of echoing the stereotypes and falling back on correlational studies, the Lise Eliot article actually attempts to uncover factors that cause the gender discrepancy. I found two points particularly interesting. First, boys play in physical activities at a young age while girls play conversationally. Regardless of the motivation for this gendered play, the result is boys develop spatial awareness, which is important in math and science, while girls develop phonetic awareness, which is important in reading and writing. Gendered play then works to maintain the stereotype. Second, and related to the first point, Eliot points out that in locations with more gender equality, the discrepancy lessens and in some cases disappears. The take home from this article for me then is how gender is contrived and can be less prominent if society ascribes less importance to it in daily discourse and scientific studies.

The other groups’ presentations offered insights as well. For the poverty group, I found the discussion of power, the racial nature of it, and its effects in terms of race to be interesting. I also found the multicultural education group’s discussion of equality in curricula to be insightful. I enjoyed the class configuration during the forum. The relaxed nature of the activity and the intimateness of the circle, owing to the relationship the class has developed throughout the semester, facilitated discussion during the forum. In terms of practicality, what I take most from the forum is to be aware of differences, whether contrived or natural, and work to make the classroom as egalitarian and fair as possible. The forum has cautioned me in another way too. Because we used the forum to supplement our discussion of the textbook, and because my own article pointed to problems in scientific research, I will go on with my educational and professional career with a more healthy skepticism of scientific studies, especially those that confirm stereotypes. 

12/3: Field Trip Reflection Part 2

What did you think of her behaviors while Dr. Louis was talking? What if you were teaching and had a student like that? What could you do to be a good advocate for that student and the rest of your students? Did anything Dr. Louis say stick with you as important?

I do not know the word to best describe my reaction to Barb while Dr. Louis spoke. Without viewing the videos prior to the discussion, I probably would have felt sympathetic for Barb. But after reading excerpts from her book and listening to the eloquence of her writings, I was nothing short of fascinated by how Barb behaved during the discussion. When I say fascinated, I do not mean to dehumanize Barb or paint her as a subject to be studied, but here is a woman who has expressed herself profoundly and lucidly, with the assistance of facilitated communication, hardly able to sit still during the discussion. I was simply fascinated. And after taking the whole discussion in, I think I developed a new feeling of empathy for people with autism spectrum disorders, or an emotion as close to empathy as I can experience as a “normal.”

If I had a student like Barb in my class, I would first reference my notes from this class and other education courses as well as research on autism spectrum disorders. I would then make sure I talked with the student with his or her parents to come to an understanding of the student’s specific strengths, weaknesses, and needs. I would also consult the student’s IEP and go to IEP meetings to ensure I met every enumerated accommodation and modification. After seeing Barb, I would also lobby for the school to supply some type of facilitated communication device like Barb uses to elucidate her thoughts. I would also make sure all of the students in my class understood autism spectrum disorders before working with the entire class to structure an equitable classroom community. 

Dr. Louis echoed something in the videos we watched before the presentation that stuck with me. To paraphrase, she said that some day Barb might have a beautiful voice, but for right now, it is still in the shop. This saying resonated with me for reasons I have already discussed about the eloquence of Barb’s writing. Of course, Barb cannot, as of yet, orally express herself on the level of her writing, but through the use of facilitated communication, she does have a beautiful voice, even if it is a bit unconventional. As mentioned before, I am more empathetic and open to alternative modes of expression after participating in Barb’s presentation. 

11/21: Chapter 3 LGQ

Understand—How is self-efficacy related to self-esteem and self-concept?

Self-esteem is a set of judgments and feelings about one’s value or worth,  while self-concept is one’s assessment of one’s general strengths and weaknesses (Ormrod 68). Both concepts are related to one’s sense of self, that is, one’s beliefs and perceptions about oneself as an individual. The take home from these two concepts is that they are very general and relate to a broad perception of oneself. Self-efficacy is the extent to which one believes one is capable of completing certain tasks and reaching specific goals (Ormrod 68). It is more content and subject specific than self-esteem and self-concept and involves more judgment, rather than feeling (Ormrod 335). For example, a student could have a low self-esteem and low self-worth while having a high self-efficacy in completing crossword puzzles.

Create—On pages 72-73 are Erikson’s states of psychosocial development. Can you write a fictional scenario about someone in one of these stages?

Identify vs. role confusion--Walter is just beginning his junior year in high school and is overwhelmed with everything on his plate. In addition to taking AP classes, he plays lacrosse and is volunteering at a doctor’s office. On top of all of this, everyone he seems to talk to harps on the importance of figuring out a college major or potential career choice before his senior year. Because he does so well in math and science classes, many teachers and Walter’s parents encourage him to become a doctor. Overwhelmed with class and the barrage of questions and suggestions, Walter begins to feel anxiety over his future and resolves to decide on his future career by winter break. Over the semester, he gets involved in numerous activities.

He goes to school board meetings to learn about challenges faced by teachers. He joins a young democrat group to get acquainted with politics. He volunteers at a local museum to try his hand at history. He volunteers at a nearby bank to get experience with accounting. He goes on a ride-along with a police officer to learn about law, punishment, and civil duty.  He submits an original essay to a creative writing contest. Finally, he continues volunteering at the doctor’s office. After all of these experiences, Walter realizes he wants to pursue a career that involves creativity and benefits others. He realizes he is slowly drifting away from pursuing a scientific career path and toward a career, possibly teaching, in the humanities. 

11/14: Chapter 5 LGQ

Analyze - Many people argue that intelligence correlates highly with achievement; can you describe some of the other factors that cause school achievement?

Intelligence is a loaded word that is often relative to the context in which one uses it. However, Ormrod lists several qualities that characterize education. First education is adaptive to a variety of situations. Second, it is related to learning ability and interdisciplinary application of knowledge. Third, it involves effectively employing prior knowledge to make sense of new information. Finally, it is culture specific (Ormrod 138). With these traits in mind, it comes as no surprise that intelligence correlates well with academic achievement; however, it is important to understand that despite this correlation, intelligence does not necessarily cause achievement (Ormrod 143).

            To make this question more applicable to the chapter, I will provide a list of factors that affect intelligence. First, the environment can play a significant role in shaping intelligence. Because intelligence is culture specific, different cultures may focus on different areas of development in intelligence, things like working well in a group or speaking well, and thus influence a child’s development. In addition, poor nutrition and simply attending a school can have significant impacts on a child’s intelligence. At the same time, a child’s socioeconomic background may affect intelligence. Of course, heredity and gene makeup play a role in intelligence as well. Research shows that even when adopted, identical twins are closer in intelligence than fraternal twins. Also, heredity can influence the level to which the environment affects a child’s intelligence (Ormrod 144-145 for a discussion on factors that influence intelligence).

Apply—What items might you check for when measuring the intelligence of an English language learner in you future classroom?

            English language learners may face difficulties not shared by other students within a classroom. Ormrod describes ELLs as students who have limited experience with English and are thus not fluent in it (Ormrod 146). It is important to be cognizant of an English language learner’s difficulty understanding English during assessments. If test items are not delivered in such a way that the student can interpret and understand them, then the test measures are not valid. To ensure validity and fairness and give every student equitable opportunities, tests should be non-biased. For ELLs, tests should be delivered in their native language. Second, assessments should not have a cultural bias or assume shared experiences. For instance, asking a student from rural Mexico to compare a regatta with a lacrosse match might not yield a valid outcome. Furthermore, the fact that intelligence is culture specific may cause difficulties for the test format. For instance, a child from culture X might value group achievement, while a student from culture Y might value individual achievement. Ultimately, when measuring intelligence, especially for ELLs, we must be sensitive to each student’s cultural background and adjust accordingly. 

10/30: Chapter 8 LGQ

Applying--What is the best way to apply heuristic techniques to a difficult problem or topic? Should we go into it with a predetermined plan or allow full student autonomy?

Heuristics are general problem-solving strategies that may be applied to a variety of problems, but they do not guarantee a successful outcome (Ormrod). As such, heuristics may be more applicable to ill-defined problems, i.e., unclear problems with missing information or more than one answer. Ormrod gives the example of deforestation, but I will use the issue of damming to illustrate how to use a heuristic strategy to tackle an ill-defined problem.

In Loudon, County, Tellico Dam has generated a firestorm of opinions over the last three decades. For opponents of the dam, the problem to be solved was how to halt dam construction and stop flooding of the area. Opponents took a number of approaches. Some made a moral argument against the uprooting of families and destruction of Native American settlements and burial grounds. Others made economic arguments to counter the dam advocates. Opponents claimed the dam would not generate enough energy to justify its existence. They also pointed to how capital could be brought in through developing a tourist industry centered on trout fishing, mountain scenery, and local, Native American culture. Finally, environmentalists pointed to the irreparable damage the dam would cause both to the land and quality of the water. This last approach stalled the dam the longest as an endangered species was found in the waters; though, it was ultimately, successfully transplanted to another habitat. With respect to this issue, a variety of approaches were applied to the problem of closing the dam.

Students should learn how to apply heuristics to complex, authentic problems such as the one listed above. We cannot, especially for young students, allow for full autonomy in the heuristic process. By this, I do not mean we do all of the work for the student. Rather, we must directly instruct students on how to apply heuristics and scaffold them to their desired end. With enough practice, and if they demonstrate a firm grasp on developing processes to solve complex problems, we may allow for increasing student autonomy. However, we must always be there to offer advice for students and get them back on track if they ever become distracted.

           

Create--Construct a project that allows students security that to take risks and at the same time can be evaluated.

Before constructing my problem, I acknowledge that working memory puts a limit on how much students can process at one time. I also realize that complex problems require significant metacognition (Ormrod). To help students with the project, I will explicitly state the goal(s) and procedures, break down the problem into subcategories for the students, and encourage self-monitoring. All of the above are effective strategies used by efficient problem solvers, according to Ormrod. I will also make sure students are mastering the material before they begin the project, and I will give students enough time to ensure they can be creative and think critically.

My project will require students to pick a historical figure and write a biography. Students will have to research and reference materials outside of the textbook to relate their characters’ experiences with what we are covering in class. For instance, students might relate how Frederick Douglass’ experiences with slavery and reform work might inform his attitude toward reconstruction. For this project, I will give students enough time to do their initial writing. I will allow them to make mistakes, receive my feedback, and correct their work. I will set aside time for small group discussion of the activity, and I will only grade after the third or so submission. 

10/29: Field Trip Reflection, Barb Retenbach

The first thing about Barb’s presentation that stood out to me was the introduction. I was initially unsure of what was happening, and my confusion threw me off a little at first. When I began to realize that Barb was writing on her facilitated communication device, I was amazed by how the technology allowed Barb to express herself. I also wondered how long it would take to write using such a device and marveled at Barb’s patience and persistence—the second thing that stood out to me. But what stuck with me the most was the proficiency of Barb’s writing, despite her condition. By proficiency, I do not simply mean vocabulary, but how her ideas were extremely lucid and profound. This stunned me, especially with what I have learned about people and students who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

            ASD affect boys five times more often than girls, and they are accompanied by an intellectual disability nearly half of the time (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Students with ASD may have restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests as well as significant difficulty with relationships. From watching the video of Barb, Autism Teacher Please, and viewing the presentation, I have gathered Barb does not have a problem with relationships per se. Rather she has problems expressing herself to her friends and peers without the use of facilitated communication. Friend and Bursuck encourage teaches to provide opportunities for students with ASD to work and be alone to alleviate stress. This may be especially helpful since students with ASD tend to have problems with noisy environments (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Teachers must be careful, though, for as Barb warns, we should not assume students and people with autism prefer isolation. Something as simple as quiet company can be very effective for helping students with ASD. Like Barb, students with ASD might also require facilitated communication devices to help express themselves. Inclusion of these accommodations in the classroom is fair, I believe, because they allow all students to have the same opportunity to succeed and participate. And, as Barb mentions, we all receive help and still work “independently” even as adults. Friend and Bursuck offer a list of augmented and alternative communication devices. These may range from simpler items like pictures to more complex tools like voice synthesizers, scanning devices, and communication boards (Friend and Bursuck 2012). Educators must be careful, though, to teach communication, and not simply how to use the assistive technology.

10/16: An Authentic Hypothetical

Authentic activities may help students develop a more thorough knowledge of content presented in the classroom (Ormrod 231). Moreover, having students write letters to real people may improve their overall writing skills more than traditional writing exercises (Ormrod 231). And though authentic activities may be more difficult to incorporate into a history lesson than other subjects, I would do well by my students to include authentic tasks in my lesson plans.

One authentic task I plan on including in my future classroom is having students write a letter to a historical figure. To be more specific, in a lesson on the Cold War, I would have students write a letter to president Johnson either supporting or protesting the Vietnam War. This letter would require students to understand the background and context of the war, including causes of the war and goals of the United States. The letter would also be authentic on two levels. First writing a letter, or maybe email, would be something students do in the real world. Second, war is a part of contemporary American life. By completing my authentic activity students would have a framework or reference to approach such a divisive issue like war and express themselves constructively and lucidly while referencing data.

Hopefully, students would react well to this activity; however, it would be naïve to assume some students simply will not be interested. For these students, I would have to elucidate the applicability and importance of the activity. Other students may be interested and excited, but may not be familiar with the structure and conventions of writing a letter. I may have to briefly discuss how to write a letter or simply change the letter into an email format. If I can get through these barriers, the issue of hindsight presents another problem, that is, students’ familiarity with the outcome of the war may influence how they write their letters. Unfortunately, teleology is a common problem in historical writing even past the secondary level, and sometimes the only remedy is to make students aware of how their present values and knowledge can affect their writing on past events. I may also have to stress the issue of contingency, that is, how events were not set it stone and could have easily occurred differently. In the same vein, students bringing in their own values on national security and patriotism may lead to heated discussions. I will have to make sure things remain civil and teach the importance of collaboration and respectful discussion and listening to the students.