lphillblog

Blog #5

lphill — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:14:55 +0000

I read a great blog entitled Designing Schools for the Present Age: Thoughts on a Recent Editorial by Bill Gates. It can be found at http://headspacej.blogspot.com/2007/04/designing-schools-for-present-age.html. In the article Bill Gates comments that our schools do not prepare the students for the future. He states that schools are currently designed to meet the needs of another age. Our schools do not encourage the students to think “out of the box” so that all students can obtain a college education for a world that demands higher education.

In the blog, it also implies that elementary and secondary schools do not prepare students for the challenges that students will meet in college. Students are set in tracks that teach a content areas only. Students are not necessarily expected to take this information and apply it to their world. I saw a perfect example of this very point last week when I went to register my son for his freshman year at college. The advisor told a group of students that you will learn material for your content area. Future employers will know that you will be well prepared in the content area because they know what the program is at this university. What an employer wants is what you can do with it. Are you a leader? Are you a risk taker? How well do you work with others? The advisor actually said can you tihnk outside the box? These were not issues that were placed in front of these new students in their high schools.

I also agree with the comments in the blog concerning modular instruction. We all know of the child that is in our specific grade level because they are that age. We would do students a much greater service if we taught the child and not the grade level. At my building, we attmpted to try this with a multiage third and fourth grade classroom. The students stayed in the multiage classroom for two years. The teachers loved it and so did many parents. The teachers really knew the students. They did try to teach the children at their levels for those years. Problems arose when the students left and went to the traditional fifth grade classroom.

Hopefully, in our own classrooms, we see the students at the level at which they are and move them ahead from there. I know this year, I had 7 students that were reading at a low first grade level. That is where we started from. The second grade material was adapted for them.

Blog #4

lphill — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:39:50 +0000

The blog entitled Dumbing Us Down….Or Something Else? presented a problem in our education system. The blog can be found at http://edditstudent.blogsopt.com/2006/04dumbing-us-down-or-something-else.html. The author was discussing the comparison of American schools with the schools of other countries. She stated that how poorly our schools are ranked and the possible reasons for our “poor grades”. Curriculum problems, teacher qualifications, and lack of focus were presented as issues to look into. American schools also spend far more time dealing with social work in regards to students than other countries.

I can see these issues in my own school. I strongly feel that the governments No Child Left Behind and our ISAT testing has greatly impacted the school environment. Everything is based on our test scores. Teachers don’t teach for kids to learn as we once did. We teach to the test. The goal is the high test score not necessarily what the student has learned. I liked the comment in the blog that we are creating robots. I have heard many teachers state once the ISAT test is over that now they can really teach. Kids can have fun and be engaged in their lessons. I feel that the schools do have a focus. It is just that the focus is the test they have go give.

In my district, we have 2 schools that have 100% of students meeting the standards. At my school, we had 96%. We are constantly asking what are we doing wrong or what are they doing that we are not doing. We have the same curriculum and the type of students. Our teachers certainly give it all they have. The blog made the comment that even schools with high test scores may not fair well when compared to other countries.

I do feel that American schools have more social issues to deal with. We are now doing activities that really should be done by a parent. The schools are now parenting the children. There are many parents that feel it is our place to deal with the social issues. I think there is a fine line with this issue.

Blog #3

lphill — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:43:22 +0000

I just read the blog on Passion-Based Learning. http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/2007/02/05/passion-based-learning I thought it was very inspiring. I truly believe that if we as teachers are passion about what we are teaching then our students will be. Kids know when our heart is not in it. We can all remember when we first started teaching. We may not have had the experience level but we certainly were out to make sure that our students knew we loved what we were teaching. I just had a student teacher for the last 16 weeks. As I watched her teach, it reminded me of why I became a teacher. She glowed when she taught the class. I still remember the teacher that inspired me to become a teacher. She had such a love for her subject area of English. She made us excited about material that we did not want to read.

The article made me so thankful that I do not teach a grade level that has ISAT. That kills passion. In our building, we are constantly talking about the “old days” when we taught those units that we loved. We remember when we created units on topics that we were excited about. I, too, have heard teachers say that once ISAT is over that now they can really teach.

I also agree with the statement of showing our class that we too get out of our comfort zone. I have told my class many times about the master’s program. They have seen other teachers in the building come into our room to answer questions that I have about the class. I think it is so important for my students to see me as a learner and see that I have things I don’t understand too. I will always remember how excited my class was last semester when I showed them the digital story about the mouse. They loved it. One little girl said how proud she was of me.

After 26 years of teaching I can honestly say I still love what I am doing. I feel that I still have a passion for teaching. If or when I lose it I need to leave the classroom. I don’t want to be one of those teachers that loses the passion and still stays on.

Blog #2

lphill — Fri, 11 May 2007 20:29:13 +0000

I read the Blog Elearning Planing and Management http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/2004/09/elearning_plann.html It referred to Marc Rosenberg’s book Elearning Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age. This blog brought up interesting points that I have heard teachers discuss in different situations. The first point is the financial aspect of technology. This book has the financial point of view of the business world. Elearning is the most cost-effective means to provide instruction in the business environment. This environment can afford the computers, software, maintenance and support needed for this type of instruction. This is not true in education. So many teachers have stated that they use technology that often does nt work. It is not updated. Often there is not support for maintenance or professional development. Budgets in a school district do not always support. The other point that is well made in this blog is the “technology in and of itself will not enhance learning.” At times, I feel we are pressed to use technology just for the sake of technology. It is often separate from instructional strategies. Students go to the computer labs just to play games. I would like my young students to see that the technology has a purpose in their learning. It is a way of opening opportunities, not just a larger version of a Nintendo game.

Blog #1

lphill — Fri, 11 May 2007 20:28:39 +0000

I read the blog IDEAS: Instructional Design for Elearning Approaches by Ferdinand Krauss. The URL is http://ideas.com/lo/2005/05/a_framework_for.html In the article “Framework for the Pedagogical Evaluation of eLearning Environments” was available. It was interesting to read the connection of The Seven Principals of Effective Teaching as it was applied to on-line classes. To me, on-line classes are not as effective. The Seven Principals stress cooperative and collaborate learning. On-line classes tend to isolate the learner. There is little social interaction. Feedback is not immediate as it is in a face to face class. The Seven Principals also stress bringing diverse talents into the classroom. With the on-line class, the instructor does not really know the diverse understanding the students have with the content area. The on-line classes often require the learner to spend more time on task to understand the material. On-line classes do require the learner to be self motivated. They do allow the learner who is proficent to move at his or her own pace. On-line classes are just one of many examples of diverse teaching styles.

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lphill — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:56:34 +0000

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