Module 5 - Chapter 15

For this last module, Chapter 15 stuck out to me the most because it talked about the basics of assessment which goes hand in hand with our final project on the test analysis.  Two forms of assessment we are most familiar with are formative assessment which happens in class during instruction and summative assessment which occurs after instruction, such as the final exam.  According to the book, formative assessment is the most important because summative assessment cannot adequately assess the student alone.

The most debated aspect of teaching I am continually hearing is the use of tests and their reliability.  According to Woolfolk, all tests are imperfect estimators of the qualities or skills they are trying to measure.  I have to agree, for the most part, I have always done well on tests because I would study super hard, but after the test, I never thought about that subject again.  I feel there is a better way to assess what your students have learned.

Standardized tests are a huge hot button topic these tests are not always reliable or there can be errors in scores.  According to standardized test companies, they now report scores using a confidence interval or "standard error band" that encloses the student's actual score.  This allows the teacher to consider a range of scores that might include a student's true score ( the score the student would have gotten if the measurement were completely accurate and error-free.) This is crazy to me that even the test company is letting the teacher know the measurement is not accurate and error-free.  We need to take this into account when assessing our classroom at all times.  Tests do not accurately measure every individual.

This area of chapter 13 really interested me because I have had areas in school I was very interested in but did not do so well on the test.  This, in turn, turned me off of the subject and I never really tried or wanted to be involved in this area of learning again.  I think we as teachers can come up with something better to tell if our students are learning.  Maybe a combination of a better type of test and some other type of assignment.  I would like to give the students a choice as well, I think that makes a huge difference in their grades.

Module 5

Analyzing key factors behind our student's motivational levels will be beneficial in our classroom instruction. Within traditional educational guidelines, it is essential that we create grading and performance scales for our students. Doing so, can self-handicap a student's motivational outcomes. Within Chapter 12, self-handicapping is discussed as a factor that limits a child's performance because he or she believes they lack the ability to understand the concepts. Us teachers need to realize these occurrences and provide our students with evidence that their effort will pay off and that they can improve on previously failed concepts. Focusing on motivation, teachers need to guide their instructions on intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. My research paper focused on this topic and I sided with external rewards to help keep elementary students motivated. I stated that school is not necessarily a choice in a child's life, so teachers may be discouraged if a child does not have the inherent need to learn. Providing rewards and goals for the students can help brighten up the environment and keep the ball rolling. The chapter accompanies some motivational classroom difficulties to anxiety. I am very happy the chapter touched on this subject because anxiety and other mental capabilities are coming to light in our world. In traditional settings all students were expected to behave and get their work done. In new age, we need to understand that there are factors in the classroom that we cannot necessarily control. As teachers we need to learn about these instances as much as possible and do whatever means that are necessary for the child to grow in a welcoming classroom environment.

Having classroom group discussions can be a difficult task for planning. It will really depend on the teacher's specific classroom and students. The grade level and class will serve as a variance as well. Within group discussion chapter 14 states that it can be unpredictable and may cause issues that were not expected to happen. Group discussions can inspire students to collaborate with others as a team and to focus on the end goal. This type of communication is used in professions all over the world, so getting students to practice at it can be vital to their futures. Teachers need to consider their students and understand that some students may be weary or not as confident to speak up in a group. This doesn't serve as an indicator that the child is not progressing or knows the material. It can just illustrate that the child is not comfortable or excited in that setting and doesn't wish to participate.

Chapter 15's emphasis on standardized testing was a little daunting. I believe standardized testing contains way too many variables and the results are not valid. I believe the educational departments across the country use these standards because it gives them a form of quantitive data that they can manipulate and help them answer the big questions in their board meetings. Having such a emphasis on standardized testing limits the students educational careers because some teachers may just be focusing on this one test and that is it. I have this extreme bias because I remember my AP English class from Junior year of high school. It felt like a bootcamp and it was a miserable experience. The class could have offered education on higher English learning concepts but we focused on the ACT day in and day out. 

Module 5 - Connors

Module 5! Wow, that was fast! As much as I would like to say that was easy, I was not. I think I not only learned so much about the coursework, but I also learned a lot about how to manage myself and how I learn/retain information. I think with every chapter I was able to apply different areas to self regulate. I made plans to keep on schedule, I created a visual time table, developed rewards (coffee and candy) and punishments (extra work on Sundays) if I slacked off. I realized from our current chapters that I am more of an intrinsic learner though. I put more value on the quality of work that I put out than the reward. So, needless to say, the coffee and candy only got me so far. lol I really enjoyed creating the quiz and especially enjoyed giving it to coworkers and family members. Although my husband was particularly annoyed with me since he did not "study" ahead of time and I would not help him not to mention he doesn't work in the education field.

I really enjoyed Bloom's Taxonomy although I feel like I need a lot more practice with it. I now am noticing the objectives  at work and how the teachers I work with are creating them. I look forward to understanding these concepts more in depth as I continue on in the program and in the future working as a teacher. I especially enjoyed thinking about the terminology that is used with Bloom's. I don't think I every noticed how specific word usage could help a student to achieve a specific concept you  are teaching, which now seems obvious to me, but I never really thought about it. I think the levels make a lot of sense and it makes me think of the knowing versus performing section of Woolfolk. Students and learn something and memorize it, but can they perform it? Can they modify it or combine and create? That really does create a higher level of understanding and learning. It's been very difficult to have an online class and it's definitely tested me over the last 5 weeks, but I have really enjoyed the work and challenge.

Module 5

Chapter 12 - we learned what Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation is. The most interesting piece of information for me was Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, Physiological needs, begin with food, drink, oxygen, rest, etc. Students that are tired and mal-nutritioned will be lethargic in school and have a hard time learning. The second tier covers Safety needs, Protection from potentially dangerous objects or situations. They compared physical illness here, but I immediately thought of students fighting and or accidents on the playground. Love and belongingness, covers receiving and giving love, affection, trust, and acceptance, being a part of a group. Students with broken homes, or unhealthy relationships with parents may suffer in a group setting as well as struggle emotionally in class. I have seen this recently with a student who's mom hasn't been around lately because she has a new boyfriend. The student's grandmother has been taking on more of a parent role and the student has begun to act out emotionally/behavior in class.  Esteem needs covers the esteem and respect of others, self esteem and self respect. A sense of competence. I like this and will use this from now on when asking students to take pride in their work.  Cognitive needs, is the knowledge and understanding, curiosity, exploration and need for meaning. A student's ability to comprehend information and retain is what I gathered from this. Aesthetic needs, is beauty in art and nature, symmetry, balance and order. How I interpret this is what goes up must come down. If a student is bad there will be consequences, if a student in my experience has a melt down, they will usually come out out it. Balance is key here. Self actualization, realizing your full potential, "becoming everything one is capable of becoming." This is the highest goal and some people might not go their whole lives without realizing this. These hierarchy needs would be great to display in a classroom as well. 

Module 5

Finding out the motivators behind a student's success is how teachers will get the most out of their classrooms. Chapter 12 "Learning and Motivation goes into heavy detail about this exact idea. There are many factors that can go into the final outcome of what some might think is an 'A'. Each student is different and therefore the motivators and individual goals are different. In order to decipher these aspects, one must look at a student cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivators play a large role and appear quite differently even though they are on the same spectrum. Intrinsic motivators are those that are done when the individual has no obligation to do so. Extrinsic, on the other hand, include outside forces acting on the outcome. I think motivators, and discovering what those are in each of my students will be key in their success.

When students walk into my classroom, that is exactly what he or she will be doing: walking into my classroom. I determine the strategy, goals, and the best implementation of things I see fit. As mentioned about, each student is different and needs to be catered to. No student should be left behind, no matter how different or similar. Chapter 14 "Teaching Every Student" states in clearly in the given title. I agree with the text when it states that proper training and knowledge is crucial in the success of the classroom and the teacher, him or herself. There's a difference when teaching facts or memorization, compared to that of empathy or relationship building. The resources and different activities need to be tailored to the students especially when they are different from the norm. That does not mean either is right or wrong, but the needs of the student must be met.

Chapter 15 discusses a touchy subject of "Classroom Assessment, Grading and Standardized Testing". The effects and methods that are discussed in this chapter I agree mostly with, but that could all change when I step into the classroom and see how my students react to such. Learning should be fun and engaging. If students are just in the classroom to get the highest grade or pass the test, then we are failing them as a whole. As each of these chapters focuses on, every student is different. Grading scales may differ, assessments may differ, there is no uniform to these things or at least there shouldn't be because there is no uniform of a student. Although most administrations most likely want to see numbers regarding the students because it is easier to understand and compare or contrast, the best answer is hidden within the assessments where the student is able to be observed on their knowledge. From my conversations with other teachers, it seems as if more and more schools are obsessed with the numbers, and that scares me because again, we are not serving our students, which is what we were all called to do.

Module 5

Chapter 12 focuses on motivation in education, and different styles of motivation that can be used to reach various types of students.Like many psychology subjects, there are varying views of motivation based on different schools of psychological thought. Schools such as behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, social cognitive, and sociocultural have their own theories and concepts. I personally found the Social Cognitive view of motivation particularly interesting because it considers motivation to be a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors meaning it come from both inside of the individual as well as motivators independent from the individual. (P. 447-448) I found this relatable to my career goals as a future coach because I believe that motivation has a large part in sports, and that motivation is most effective when it is perceived by the athlete themselves as well as a motivating external factor such as a coach. I think motivation techniques are going to be important in my future as a coach, and knowing different ways to motivate different types of students would be significantly beneficial for me as well as my athletes as a future coach.

Chapter 14 revolves around being able to teach different types of students. The chapter also goes into detail about what makes an effective teacher, and shares research on teaching and planning. The section on Rosenshine’s Six Teaching Functions (P. 541) and how these six portions of teaching as regarded as a framework for the basic teacher. The six basic functions include:

1. Reviewing and checking the previous day’s work
2. Presenting new Material
3. Providing guided practice
4. Giving feedback and correctives based on student answers
5. Providing independent practice
6. Review weekly and monthly to consolidate learning

I found this framework extremely relatable because this formula is the formula that was followed by roughly 99% of the classes I have been in during my entire academic career and it was interesting to be able to put a name to the academic routine I have been exposed to over my academic career.

Chapter 15 includes classroom assessment, grading, and standardized testing. This chapter is really applicable to us as future educators because now more than ever schools are stressing student success on standardized tests scores. Standardized test scores also often used to dictate funding school districts may receive from federal and or state governments. I found the following quote from the textbook (P. 579) to be close to my feelings on the importance placed on standardized tests in the modern school system. “Wiggins continues to argue for assessment that make sense, that tests knowledge as it is applied in real-world situations. Understanding cannot be ,measured by tests that ask students to use skills and knowledge out of context.” I agree with this sentiment that we need to try and judge knowledge in a way that is more complex than just repeating information and other common questions used in standardized testing. I believe that in my future when creating assessments, it is important to be aware of the level of thinking I want my students to achieve and to create my assessments to be more than just the basic level of assessment.

Teacher Interview

Teacher: Jessica Jenkot

Subject(s): Middle School English

Location: Walt Disney Magnet School (CPS)

I conducted my interview with a family friend, Ms. Jenkot. She currently is a Middle School English educator at the Disney magnet school in CPS and has been at that specific school for the past three years. Unlike myself, she has always wanted to be an English teacher and has pursued her field since graduating high school and swimming/studying at Truman State University. And after college she spent a few years teaching English in Spain, so while she is relatively young by teacher standards, I believe that her experience in different settings and populations would provide a good brain to pick for this interview. The interview was conducted over the phone, and the follow are my notes of the conversation and I will try to flesh them out as clearly as possible.

Questions:

How would you define/describe your classroom management philosophy? That is to say, what informs your decisions to make sure your class runs smoothly on a daily basis?

• Many factors/things
• While middle-schoolers, respect is the center of management, all ages want to feel respected and safe. So I try to establish a room where people feel safe and respected and WANT to respect each other because of that. This year she implemented a system instead of yelling at them, she handed out “reminder” token; 2 token loss of precipitation points, 3rd is a home contact. Worked well; no yelling, everyone knew what it was for, you're not yelling at the bad kids and robbing the good students of their attention, but overall you seem successful so far. Emphasis on establishing a good class environment, reminding the expectations, and holding firm on the rules. It hard to remain 100% consistent but overall effective in maintaining classroom environment.

How do you handle disruptive/misbehaving students who make it difficult for others to learn?

• Chip system is in place
• It's hard to have a “good system” 24/7 try to avoid sending me to the dean or out of the class
• Redirections, or removing from a specific group/setting
• Picking your battles is important, sometimes it's better to tolerate a “goofy” kid and pick your battles than try to constantly enforcing the rules to avoid bringing the class to a halt.
• Says knowing which battles to fight comes from experience and knowing your students/class

How does the organization of your room (student desk arrangements, teachers desk, furniture, proximity to students, etc.) affect your classroom management plan?

• Clear labels promotes responsibility / knowing where stuff is and being able to find it for themselves.
• No teacher desk, helps with organization, forces her to put things away correctly and not just pile on the desk
• Creates a calming environment so everyone knows where everything is and kids are responsible for turning in their work, no “I turned it in on your desk.” issues
• Less chaos
• Different areas to do work; such as “reading futon/rug”, flexible seating areas w/ 25 “traditional desks”, open areas allow fidgety students to go move around in the back freely without distracting other students.
• Lots of plants and natural lights to boost the mood for the teacher and the students alike
• Comfy area can be used as an incentive/ have to be caught up with class work to sit on the couch
• Easy ability to create small groups with group work

How do you “set the tone” the first day(s) of the school year to communicate your (discipline) expectations to students?

• Started off nice to kids attempting to get to know them, but now just one icebreaker to get to know, but then right away into the class to set the tone of using their brains right away
• Important to be nice, but also needing to show the need for mutual respect/getting work done
• Meeting in the middle between nice and kind and being a pushover
• Takes practice
• Important to create a welcoming environment to welcome students who may under-perform in reading etc.
• Established your own rule set THEN allowed the students add to the rules
• YOU set the bar and then allow for the addition, not on the same level, important to set boundaries and abide by them.
• Both parties benefit by having boundaries and structure, especially with younger kids.

A student is consistently late to your class. How do you handle the situation?

• Conversation about why they are late, seeing if there is an actual reason or if they're just choosing to be late. It is important to find the actual cause not just jump to the conclusion. Gotta see if it is in their control, and why they are making the choices, setting a clear expectation and punishment if the problem continues.

What is your administrations view of classroom management? Does it align with your own philosophy or does it differ in some way?

• It's a mx of combining school wide policies in your own classroom you may not agree with. Phones/etc. Wish there was a more formal detention/punishment system She has to enforce her own punishment which punishes herself as well as the student. Can't just “send them to the dean” you have to implement your own punishment systems and hold your own detentions, can't just sent them to in-school suspension or the dean's office.

• The kids write their own emails/letters to their parents explaining why they did something/ creating ownership. Having the students explain it to their parents and not allowing yourself to be the middleman. Forcing them to own up to their behavior creates responsibility and having the parents explaining themselves. Establish a line of communication between you and home and keeping it open and constant if the situation needs it

How do you feel about “non-traditional” classroom setups (groups of desks instead of rows,open seating etc.)? Do you think they are beneficial, or provide more opportunities for distractions and misbehavior?

• They can be both
• Kids are good but you need to provide structure especially depending on the age, their ability to make good choices is hard at many ages.
• Providing flexibility is a good option but depending on the age group, structure and enforcement is very dependant on the age and the group of kids
• Next year your looking to develop more concrete times and procedures when you can utilize the non-traditional aspects of your classroom.

In summary: I believe that this interview was extremely helpful in not only discussing classroom management itself, but also providing insight that a majority of a teacher’s style or habits come from experience and thus evolve over time. I think that is my main takeaway from the reading and activities of this module: that you can read about different techniques and management styles in the text or hear about them from other educators, but the only correct way to find out what works for YOU and your classrooms is to try them for yourself. I think this interview specifically reflected on the importance of chapter 13’s content of learning environment, boundaries, rules and how it can affect learning. And throughout our conversation, I could tell that Ms. Jenkot wasn’t implementing rules just for the sake of being in-charge, but instead laying the expectations for her class and how it must be conducted in order to be successful. I really enjoyed talking with her because you can tell that her classroom is based around respect and feeling safe, and I believe that those are two crucial emotions to not only base your classroom around, but also in all aspects of life.

Module 5

Hey everyone,
This is our last blog for this particular class, how sad. This week has been one that has been brutal. From working on our exams, to finding people to take them and analyze the results. I did enjoy this project because it did give me glimpse into the future and seeing how teachers create exams or test. It was interesting and frustrating at times creating questions because I wanted to be creative but also wanted to follow the given guidelines. Out of all the assignments, this one got me the most excited continuing this program because I felt like we're almost there.

When making the exam I tried to make he questions fair to those who have never taken this course because I knew the material covered may be confusing for others. The chapter I decided to go with was chapter 1, an introduction to the course kind of. I wanted everyone to get a feel of what they will experience in the class and as a teacher.

Module 5

In Chapter 12, although I've encountered Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (p. 449) in many other classes, I hadn't truly contemplated it's relevance in the educational setting until I actually observed children whose learning ability directly tied into their level of needs.  In my classroom, when children come to class hungry or tired, they are literally incapable of learning, let alone behave in an appropriate manner suited for the classroom.  I had a student with a new baby sibling whose crying apparently kept the student from getting a good night sleep, fall asleep at her desk during a raucous discussion about fairness of indoor recess.  On many occasions students arrive at school without eating breakfast.  When this happens usually their main focus is on the clock all morning as they wait for lunch time to arrive.  Not much learning can or does take place when students are hungry.  Only when deficiency needs are met, can students move onto higher levels where learning can take place.

In Chapter 14, I found the description of direct instruction interesting.  I've studied teaching by using  the inquiry method, and I employ this via project-based learning as opposed to direct instruction at every opportunity.  Direct instruction is well-suited for lower level taxonomies such as remembering, and although direct instruction results in higher standardized test scores, the "quality" of learning is arguable (p. 542).  Direct instruction does not support higher level critical thinking like project based learning does.     



             

Module 5

In chapter 12, I found the topic of sociocultural conceptions of motivation to be particularly interesting. I think this is a topic that is kind of understood as existing but isn't always addressed. I think a reason or that is that it would appear to be common sense. The people you hang out with or the company you keep so to speak, have a way of influence you. In our intro class, we discussed the importance of building relationships with our parents and communities at our new schools and fresh new teachers. How this truly aids a child in learning. This concept is saying just that. If we make sure to keep people who want to learn around our children, then we are setting the perfect stage for them to become learners in their own right. This also shows why it is detrimental when there are children in the classroom who are disruptive. They tend to draw attention and get followers to act the same as them. It turns into a bit of a group think method. I think this is why it is important to be stern and follow through with reprimands as opposed to open ended punishments. 

In chapter 14, the topic of seatwork caught my attention. As a substitute teacher, seatwork is probably one of the most often used filler work I am given to present to the students. This normally includes some complaints, a lot of bathroom breaks, and a hefty amount of disruptive behavior. Of course I am in a special circumstance as students will push their boundaries much more with a stranger, such as me their substitute teacher, than they would with their actual teacher. I have had a few opportunities in my subbing where the teacher did actually allow me to teach a lesson. This was such a different experience because I was able to create conversation and engage with the students. Otherwise, I am normally just handing out busy work and constantly asking students to quiet down and do their work. I can definitely see how detrimental this type of work could be to a student who is already struggling. Its almost as if these students crave the interaction with the teacher. Seatwork obviously is needed at some point in time or another but it definitely should be limited. 

In chapter 15, I think I enjoyed reading about the different kinds of tests much more than anything else. I personally prefer to have essay question tests. I feel that this is truly the best way to assess a students understanding of the material. I have been there before where I am taking a multiple choice exam and I go through the test looking to see if another question might hint at the answer for me. An essay doesn't allow that. It forces you to either know the information or you don't, or the hidden answer is that you can partially know the answer for at least some credit. It leaves a lot more grey area for the student to work with than just knowing that 1 of these 4 options is the right one, and if I don't chose the right one then I get the whole thing wrong. 

Teacher Interview

Teacher: Mrs. Bettridge-Flyn

School District: Elgin District U-46

1. How would you define/describe your classroom management philosophy? That is to say, what informs your decisions to make sure your class runs smoothly on a daily basis?

I set up a clear set of rules and expectations. I make sure that these rules and expectations are clearly posted in the classroom so that everyone can see them, and I can point them out when needed. My rules and expectations are generally simple, be respectful, take turns talking, come into class and gather pick up papers. By creating a routine with my classroom management I find that my day runs much smoother and the students know what is coming and there are no surprises, which is helpful in a special education class.

2. How do you handle disruptive/misbehaving students who make it difficult for others to learn?

I am very lucky that I have aids in my classroom. If one of my students gets visible upset or is having a hard time in class, the aides can give them a break by breaking away from the group and taking time to calm down. Before it gets to that point I try to figure out what is causing the behavior. Most of the time they just need a reminder that we do not act that way in class.

3. How does the organization of your room (student desk arrangements, teachers desk, furniture, proximity to students, etc.) affect your classroom management plan?.

I always make sure that my desks are not too close to each other to cause distractions. I usually have my desks in a semi-circle centered around me while I am teaching because it draws their attention into me and there are fewer distractions.

4. How do you “set the tone” the first day(s) of the school year to communicate your (discipline) expectations to students?.

I always have a handout that is sent home explaining the rules and expectations. I also go over them with the students so that there is no confusion. Because I am a special education teacher I work with each students IEP to make sure that they know what is expected of them and that it lines up with their IEPs.

 5. A student is consistently late to your class. How do you handle the situation?

I generally do not have that problem, I probably would try to figure out what is causing them to be late on their route to my class. I would talk to the student or talk to the teacher of the class that they are coming from and try to eliminate the distraction.

9. Have you had to deal with students who have gotten into physical altercations? How did you handle it?

Yes, I have, I have had students get upset and throw things at myself and at other students, usually, then I have to call the dean and try to defuse the situation. I can’t allow them to hurt themselves or others so usually they are removed from the classroom and taken to the deans.

10. Instead of sending a student to the dean, what are some disciplinary methods you found effective in the classroom?

I tend to use my aids to remove the student from the group and they will talk to them and see what is going on. I also communicate with the parents quite a bit to see what they are seeing at home and if it lines up with what is happening in class.

11. As an experienced teacher, what is one thing you wish you knew in your first years of teaching? Are there trends you can see in your school with new teachers and some of the struggles he or she may face?

I wish I knew how much time I was going to spend outside of hours working on lesson plans, grading, coming up with projects, and even worrying about my students. This really wears on you and first-year teachers all seem to have this hit them at once and they have a hard time balancing their work and their worries and their personal lives.   

Summary:

After talking to my Aunt about her teaching career I really had a lot to think about for my future classrooms management. I am not going to be a special education teacher but I think that a lot of students could benefit from a little more patience and cooperation on the teachers part.