When you look at everything we have done this semester, what stands out to you as meaningful?

 Overview: When thinking back on the semester and everything Ive learned, I realize teaching is way more than sitting at a desk. Ive learned a lot more than just "how" to teach. We were taught strategies, lessons, how to deal with certain situations, and how to treat each and every student. Overall, the knowledge Ive gained this semester will not go unnoticed and I am super grateful for it. 

1. Kohn. What to look for in a classroom? 

This was one of the biggest things that stuck out to me. I never really noticed that the set up of a classroom means such a big deal. I didn't know that sitting in front of your teacher in desks is not the ideal classroom. But, when thinking back on it, I have hated every classroom that has been sitting in front of the teacher and listening to them talk all day. Finally, the idea he presented of having the classroom look like its owned by the students. Perfectly neat and organized isn't the best for the students because they know they will have no fun and it will be straight to the point. 

2. Service Learning 

This was one of the biggest activities that pushed my path too become a teacher. Being in a classroom working with students is something I want to do and Im so glad I was able to make sure I liked it in this class before going forward in my major. I loved seeing the students interactions with the teachers and with one another. It showed me that students love being with one another, you just want to make their experience great. They form their character in these classrooms. The real them comes out and you get to experience it. 

3. Barnga Card Game

This game was super interesting for me at least. I am one where I never think Im wrong no matter who is telling me anything. This made me open up my eyes and realize I'm not always right. I learned more from a simple card game than I have learned in my whole 4 years of high school. Seeing reactions of everyone just showed me you need everyone to be involved at all times. You always need help, and you can't do everything on your own. 

Picture wasn't working (had picture of a messy classroom in groups showing the kids having fun) 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/advantages-working-student-teachers/

Queering our Schools: RI Laws and Policies #10

 Overview: It is extremely important today that in societies all genders are respected and followed in the school system. In order for students to feel like themselves in school it is important for them to first be comfortable and second be themselves. The first article we read states how there are many laws that ensure everyone feels safe in school systems. One of the laws found was FERPA and it doesn't seem that important but it does in the long run. FERPA ensures that students records are kept private, which is obvious. This also provides transgender students with privacy. This is because if they choose they want to be transgender no one has to know because it is kept on a personal file. 

Reflection on text: 

In 2011 there was a law which was Title IX that made sure the LGBTQ students had the same rights as other students. This means the school would take action the second something has occurred to these students. I can relate to this a little because one kid I knew from high school was being harassed by a student that was a lot older than him. He immediately got the whole thing solved, as any other student was, but because of this law they took immediate action and filed a harassment care. In the video they read a book called "They, She, He, Easy as ABC," this book was about teaching students the correct pronouns to call one another and the importance of using them the right way so others feel respected. The book is mentions ABCs in the title because they go by each letter and give different examples. Overall, it is extremely important that students are taught to treat one another with respect especially when it comes to pronouns. Teaching them at a young age will help in the near future. As long as students feel comfortable about themselves that is all that matters. 

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/02/22/race-and-lgbtq-issues-in-k-12-schools/

Eliminating Ableism in Education

Overview/Reflection: The basic definition of ableism is the discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. The Albeist assumption is that people with a disability should be fixed, and that the disability defines the person who has it. The foundation of American culture is normality. As an example it could be common for people to look at someone with a disability when they walk into a certain place. In the end, this just makes the person with the impairment feel worse about themselves. Most people are curious as to how this has happened to them and feel awful for them. One of the worst examples of how disabled people are treated in our nation is the way they are treated in American school systems. One of the most convincing arguments was about deaf students. Teaching ASL to these students makes the most sense because it is a language designed to help the deaf and hard of hearing communicate with others. Sadly, this is untrue. In today's school systems, deaf children are instructed to communicate to others and lip read what they say. For many, it can be discouraging since they are more self-conscious because they can't even hear what they are saying. Studies have shown that deaf children obtain less education just because their language is not used, which is their version of the language. There is loads of room for growth in the education of students with disabilities. To begin with, getting a student to try and learn the same way a disabled student learns won't cut it. They don't learn the same way so why would they be taught the same exact way. With deeper diving, and educators who are specialized in different disability teaching, disabled students would be able to get taught the same way as everyone else, which is something they for sure deserve.

https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/what-effective-ways-eliminate-ableism-your-curriculum-40czc

Bilingual Education - Richard Rodrigues

 Overview: 

In this short text, we understand the main concern for many Hispanics. Learning a new language to adapt to a different society is something very difficult for someone to learn, and especially pick up on quickly. Demanding Hispanics to speak the language we know in order for them to even hold a conversation is completely wrong and we shouldn't have to force them to do so. Bilingualism isn't something that can be easily picked up on, it takes loads of time and even years to learn. We can infer the struggles that Rodrigues faced based on his interactions, he says "It would please me to hear my teachers address me when walking into the classroom." They would ask him questions throughout the day that he couldn't comprehend so he would sit there and mumble back. From mumbling he would daze off in complete silence waiting for the bell to ring. It was to the point where he wouldn't even be able to communicate with his parents or teachers and classmates. "I grew careless about listening to the sounds family members made when they spoke." 

Connections: 

In my inquiring minds classroom, I work with a student named Bryan who speaks nothing but Spanish. With the rest of the class speaking mainly English, the teacher especially makes sure not to call on him for anything. I personally think that is an awful way to go about it. This poor kid was trying to explain a story the other day about one of the kids punching him at lunch and couldn't get his point across so they ended up just brushing it off and sitting on the rug. My teacher honestly does the least amount of work to get by, I feel as though she doesn't really care about her interactions with her students or how she makes them feel overall. As long as her break is almost up or it's almost time to go home she is happy with whatever happens. It just goes to show how poorly our education system is getting. Bryan also tries speaking to the other kid in class but he can't get any point across because everyone kind of just looks at him and laughs. Then he smiles it off because he is too young to realize what is right and what is wrong. He is only 6 so I don't think his main concern at the moment is to learn English. I think he is more worried about fitting in and having fun. The teacher needs to be a bit more understanding when it comes to him and maybe have a Spanish speaking teacher in the classroom with her so she can translate the messages. Seeing Bryans reactions makes me feel as though he is in somewhat the same position as Rodrigues. The teacher looks at them both and they don't know how to react or answer her. The second I started reading this story I thought exactly of that student. 

https://www.carnegielearning.com/blog/why-supporting-spanish-speaking-students-is-critical-2022-report/

Literacy with an Attitude

 Overview: Throughout this text, I have gotten this sense of routine and how students these days are being taught in similar ways their parents or educators have been taught. It's almost like this sense of routine that just keeps on passing down. We have grown to follow our parents lead and look up to them in just about everything they do. What we don't seem to realize is there are kids out there that are being taught the wrong way by their parents and educators. Children are normally very creative, very active, and always themselves at a point in their life. With the educating system that occurs they are loosing this special knowledge point in their lives. 

Reflection/Connections: 

Like we have talked about in class, we mentioned the fact that students have this one way to learn and it's the way they are being taught. They have no other outlook in their lives. If this method they are learning is not successful or helpful to them it is doing absolutely nothing in their favor. Finn mentions "John Carter," one of his professors when he was young. Now we learned that John Carter was a very smart man and always stuck to the curriculum but John rarely ever created relationships with his students. His students always thought to themselves like Finn, "how would this work in my classroom?" which meant that anything to aesthetic was out. They never really thought that anything John Carter said would help them in their classrooms. That was because of the way they were taught individually, they have always had one method of teaching and John Carters method wasn't apart of it. 

Students these days don't need a wider variation of learning because their careers have already been guided to them throughout what's been around them their whole lives. Kids are just forming jobs and other things needed in life based on what they have grown up on. We come to realize how important the society and environment you grow up in is. It's basically a preview of your own life because rarely kids go the opposite of what they have grown up to love. Overall, in this text we are taught that students are expected to learn in one way, and if they fail to do so they will have loads of problems in the upcoming future. 

https://career.sites.clemson.edu/parents/parent-guide-to-career-development.pdf

Video Analysis

 Classroom Tour Video: 

Precious Knowledge Video: 

Teach us all: 

Kohn: What to look for in a classroom

 Reflection: When looking at this chart from Alfie Kohn I get a good understanding on a classroom environment. There is loads of things I agree with but others that I sometimes come to question as to why that wouldn't be allowed in a classroom, or why that is bad for students or learners. I understand how most of the things that are not allowed are proposed, but most just doesn't seem to hurt the learners, if anything I think it would help the learners stay on task and reward themselves. In the video provided they talk mainly about culture and how peoples opinions should be very much reviewed upon. They are important when creating a successful culture and society. 

Argument/Extended comments: I completely agree with what was said for the "good signs" column, the "possible reasons to worry section" had me question this chart just a little bit. To start off with "awards, trophies, and trophies presented." When thinking about trophies and accomplishments I think it is quite fair to show them off in the classroom. My basketball team won the state championship my Junior year and he had the trophy in his room and still does. I just would question as to why a trophy or accomplishment shouldn't be presented, and why it is a questionable sign to a bad classroom environment. Another one I start to question was the "list of rules." In many of my classes we make classroom norms in order to make some rules for our classroom so people stay on task. They normally hang them up in the classroom and when someone breaks one they can be reminded of the rules that were agreed upon. With this, I understand it gets people in trouble but at the end of the day it is rules and there are expectations in classrooms, why not remind them of the rules rather than just yelling at them and sending them to the principals. On the other hand, I completely agree with everything that is in the good signs section, they are all presented to help the learners succeed and give them good advice. 

https://thehighlyeffectiveteacher.com/the-importance-of-the-classroom-environment/