Empowerment

This last section called Empowerment wrapped up the book nicely. It provided stories which talked about the skills teachers gave students to be successful in life. Life lessons well beyond lessons from core curriculum. My favorite story was about Charlie. Charlie was this kid always making snide comments in class directed at other students or just in general. The teacher gave students the opportunity share out loud the journal entries they had written; a few decided to and during this time Charlie did not say a word. This was unusual because Charlie always had something to say. Instead, he approached the teacher asking for a journal himself in which he then read out loud. The other students had some sort of clarity and understanding of Charlie. They were able to connect with him differently than before. I liked this story because it sort of reminded me of the community that I want to build in my classroom. Not everyone is going to like everyone but it is important that they all feel comfortable.

Story of School Part IV

This section of the video talked about the time period from 1980-present. This section intrigued me the most because of the time frame, it took place during the period of when I went to school. The beginning of the 1980's schools became more noticeably in need of help. The article Nation at Risk portrayed facts that American schools were not performing and producing students with the skills and the ability to be successful. Schools around the world were doing much better and we were becoming a nation in need of help. The education system began taking action which they thought would hopefully lead to improving school systems. They allowed more choices for students. I grew up in a town that did not have a high school; we were given the choice of what high school we wanted to attend given the surrounding communities. This allowed my family and I to further analyze the secondary schools and make an appropriate decision that was best for my education. The most important thing I took from this video was that our country finally recognized the need for change in our schooling system. We have come a long way, however we still have a long way to go.

Philosophy: Reflections on the Essence of Education

There are four well-known philosophies used in Education the first being Idealism. Idealism is the philosophy based on the concept that ideas are considered all that is worth knowing. Idealists believe ideas are everlasting and perfect. "The educational philosophy of the idealist is idea centered rather than subject centered or child centered because the ideal, or the idea, is foundation of all things." (pg. 87) The second philosophy is called Realism, and this philosophy was formed from the thinking of Aristotle. This school of thought is based on reality and knowledge derived from scientific investigation. A realist teacher would deliver things in a straight forward, organized way that was backed by science. This is actually opposite of Idealism. Ideas are not reality according to Realism. The third philosophy is called Pragmatism. This philosophy is based on ever changing belief system. Pragmatists welcome change and encourage thought processes to evolve over time. They believe experience is extremely important, however unlike the Realist, Pragmatists believe changes occurs to both the knower and the world. Pragmatists like to use the ideas they've gathered as an instrument for problem solving. They believe doing is learning. It's certainly more learner centered. Lastly, the final philosophy is called Existentialism. This philosophy is about the individual. "Each individual is the creator of her or his essence; each individual is the creator of her or his meaning." (pg. 93)An Existentialist believes knowledge is based on the individual experience and personal choices made. Individuals must be autonomous in order to be an Existentialist.

After reading the four different philosophies I would categorize myself as a Pragmatist. I believe doing and experiencing is the best way to learn. Perhaps that's a major reason why I enjoy hands-on learning the best. I also relate to the idea that things are changing and developing over time, knowledge will also develop and change over time as well. Understanding the process for me is more important than the big picture. It seems like a cycled learning that is constantly evolving, which I like.

After taking the philosophy test and the class discussion about the four different philosophies my initial thought was correct. I am a Pragmatist without a doubt. The idea of well-roundness I believe is very important and that is exactly what the purpose of school for a pragmatist. I love the idea of cooperative learning, and hands-on activity. That is how I learn best, but I also believe that is a key component in learning. Experience by doing is a great way to learn.

Multicultural Issues

The issue discussed was solely about diversity in the classroom, however this issue is dynamic in itself. This presentation talked about three different kinds of diversity that are prevalent in every classroom: race and ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. They first discussed the difference between race and ethnicity which I think is very important. Across the United States, classrooms are becoming much more diverse in regards to race and ethnicity, and if we do not educate ourselves we will stay ignorant to the differences that can only enrich learning experiences. Gender being the next diversity issue talked about has been an issue since issues have been documented. Equality among males and females is heavily sought after yet there are still issues that arise in classrooms. Stereotypes play is a big role and as a female math teacher if I can help break down those stereotypes I can greatly enhance my classroom. Lastly, sexual orientation was discussed. This is becoming a heavy topic that many refuse to talk about. As mentioned previously, if we can educate ourselves on this issue than we can break down those barriers that are built with negative thoughts about sexual orientation. We live in a diverse world, which ultimately provides diverse classrooms. Let's embrace this diversity and enrich our education

Rejuvenation

This section brought some uplifting stories that gave me excitement and hope. Despite most of the previous sections being slightly depressing, I think they were important to read and learn about. But this was the section that provided that feeling of a job well done that all teachers hope for. After reading these stories of teachers providing that spark and inspiration for students it only got me more excited to start student teaching next semester. What we sometimes forget, or maybe choose to ignore, is that students spend more time in school than they do at home. Teachers have the power to be one of the most inspirational people in a child's life. I know it's not going to happen to every student, but if I can give that spark to as many as possible I will have fulfilled much of my duty.

After reading this section I couldn't help but connect it to a comment my soccer coach once said to our team earlier this year. In attempt to unite the team she said, "we all have stories, we all have backgrounds that make us who we are, we all come from different places, families, but we are now here together attempting to accomplish what some might say is impossible. If we cannot unite as a family, and community then we will not accomplish what we would like to accomplish." I directly connect this to my classroom. If I cannot unite my classroom as a family and community where students feel safe, and the labels are let go, then it will not be as successful as it can be. As a teacher, that is my job. I'm excited to get to it.

Nation At Risk

Our nation is at risk. This article was interesting to read because they depicted the overwhelming fact that America's education is descending. According to the article the overall performance or lack thereof, has allowed other countries to catch up to and even surpass us in what is thought to be one of the greatest educational systems. Students graduating from high school are not graduating with the skills necessary that prepare them for success. Test scores have lowered greatly and America is no longer considered to be the forefront in education. This is a problem, with the opportunities we have provided as a nation to have a successful education system, we are not meeting those standards. How can we improve?

I agree with the article, yet I also believe that with time we will start to see some positive changes. We have begun to recognize our poor performance and hopefully this will push the educational system to do a better job. Clearly what we've been doing lately has not been working. The traditional style is out the door, it can no longer be used as the fundamental teaching method. As a future teacher, it starts with me. I, as well as the rest of the future teachers, need to make a commitment to help make the change our nation needs. We are well-equipped to do so.

Story Of Schools Part I

This section of Story of Schools took place from the early 1800's through the early 1900's. When watching this episode one of the things I began to think about was an experience I had in middle school. My middle school class went on a field trip to one of the only one-room school houses left in Maine. We dressed the part of students during that time era, and brought pb & j and corn bread for lunch. We used outhouses for restrooms and feathers dipped in ink to write only in cursive with. Another idea about the past concept of school that I found very interesting was the idea that values were based strictly from religious influences and political influences. The use of technology and science were obviously not in effect, thus they were not used to determine different values. Horace Mann had a profound philosophy for education that helped education develop into what it's most effective ways.