field observation - final summative post

I truly enjoyed all of the field observations: Mayfield Middle School, Gearity Elementary School and Shaker Heights High School.  The ten hours I observed at Boulevard Elementary, however, was my favorite experience.  I came into John Carroll wanting to be a third grade teacher and my experience with Mrs. Fagan and her class just confirmed it.  I remember reading a chapter “Why Teach?” in the “Education Foundations” textbook.  I loved being around young students and watching them grow.  It is rewarding to explore with students, subject to subject.

                  During my field observation, I remembered doing that project in class, where we go to a location and just write down what we observed.  Through observation, I learned the art of awareness to help me approach the world as children do – with openness.  I have learned so much about what I would like to do and not do in my future classroom.  Technology was used in several classrooms that I had observed, which leads students to the future.  I want my classroom to be set up like Mrs. Fagan’s classroom, with encouraging posters and students’ artwork.  I want the students to be surrounded by crafts, puzzles, blocks and books.  I want every part of the room to be utilized for learning.  I want my lessons to be like Gearity’s preschool class, where the students learned by playing and through hands-on activities.  All of my observations had something to offer and is something I will take with me when I become a teacher.        

Gearity - Field Observation

I observed a preschool class at Gearity Elementary School.  The kids were adorable, however preschool is not the grade level I prefer.  I could tell the teacher loved her job.  She was very passionate and kind.  The students loved her.  The teacher and her students had their own handshake.  There was another lady in the classroom, as well, to assist the teacher.

The students sat in a circle on a piece of carpet, facing the teacher.  The class started off by singing a song about the weather.  The teacher picks a "meteorologist" to go to the window to tell everyone what the weather looks like outside.  Next, the students would have to go to the board and point to the letter that their name starts with.  The teacher then read to the students.

After that, it was all play.  There were different sections of the classroom for the children to play.  There was an art center for children to craft.  There was an area to give the plastic toys a "bath."  The literacy center had iPads, for the students to play games.  The blocks for building helps with fine motor skills.  Students were divided into different groups.  When I become a teacher, I would like to incorporate the hands-on activities in my class, with whatever I am teaching that day.  I never want my students to stop playing.  

Day 3 - Observation

I really liked how Mrs. Fagan did rotation.  She met with three small groups separately for math and reading.  This reminded me of the school in Finland that we had learned about.  While she was working with her small group, the other students would be working on something else, such as: spelling words, writing in cursive, word hunts, worksheets or activities on the laptop.  Before the next lesson starts, Mrs. Fagan tests the students.  The group is different each time, depending on the scores of the student's test.  The students that had difficulties with the test would have more practice problems with the teacher.  For the students that have mastered that lesson, Mrs. Fagan goes over new material to challenge them.  Like Ayers, Mrs. Fagan chose to use her desk as a worktable for her and her students.        

Mrs. Fagan is not a fan of the testing, but she does like the common core.  She told me the old way was too simplistic.  Now the students have to show how they figured out the problems and explain their answer.  She told me Shaker schools have a large amount of support and intervention.  In fact, an IB teacher worked firsthand with some of her students in her classroom.     

Mrs. Fagan had the class lesson on a Word document on the computer.  The document would transfer over to the Smart Board.  The students would sit on the carpeting, surrounding the Smart Board to go over the lesson.  Mrs. Fagan wrote problems on the board and the students would go up to the board to solve the problem.  The ten hours that I had spent in Mrs. Fagan’s classroom, I did not see her building bridges with the students.  Ayers always stressed the importance of teachers incorporating material that the students like and are interested in, too.  I liked that she did not use the banking concept in her teaching.  There were plenty of hands-on activities, rather than the teacher being a narrating subject and the student, a listening object. 

All of the students were very eager to learn.  When they knew the answer they would be so excited and raise their hand as high as possible, even if that meant standing up.  They would wave their hand anxiously in the air, hoping to be called on.  Ayers defined a great teacher as one who interacts with the students and draws energy and direction from them.  Mrs. Fagan did just that.  The teacher told me one of the students has behavior problems.  This reminded me of Ayers and "the people with the clipboards," who diagnose and label students.  Although I have not spent too much time with this student; to me, it just looked like he was excited to learn.  As I have learned in class, it is important to see beyond the problem child and recognize that he has a wide range of dimensions – some challenging, some hopeful.    

 

Day 2 - Observation

My next visit to Boulevard, Mrs. Fagan had a new student from China.  She hardly spoke English.  Mrs. Fagan also had a student in her class, who speaks mostly Arabic and another one, who just struggles with English in general.  Although these students are pulled out of the classroom for extra assistance, I feel like that is not enough.  The teacher does not have time to catch these students up on the material, without falling behind with the other students.  As I have learned in "Poor Teaching for Poor Children...", there are people who demand that the achievement gap be closed and to focus on the test scores.  The few students in these class are examples of why test scores are useless data.   

In Social Studies, Mrs. Fagan taught the students about the local government and the mayor.  The students learned about the city counsel and the community members, who are elected to help make decisions.  Petitions, government services and taxes were discussed.  The students work in groups on the computer to complete a "culture gram" or a worksheet on a certain country.  The group would find the country on the map, sketch the flag, find out the population, holidays, currency, language and the type of government the country has.      

In "Teaching in Comics," I remember the announcements kept going off throughout Ayers' class and Ayers' teaching kept getting interrupted by the voice over the speaker.  Although Mrs. Fagan did not damage the speaker like Ayers, she still participated in creative insubordination.  The principle kept calling her classroom phone about a student and kept interrupting her teaching.  Since so much time was spent on the phone and took away from her teaching, Mrs. Fagan decided to skip announcements.  Typically the students watch the announcements on a TV screen.  She originally had the TV set up and on, but when it was time for the announcements she shut the TV off and put it away. 

Day 1 - Observation

Boulevard Elementary School in Shaker Heights is where I spent my ten hours observing.  Shaker Heights is an IB school.  Instead of pulling gifted students from the class, an IB teacher comes into the class to assist.  I spent my time with Mrs. Fagan's third grade class.  I really enjoyed my stay and observing just confirmed that third grade is the grade I would like to teach.  On my first day of observation, I stayed six hours.  Staying start to finish allowed me to really see what life is like for a third grade teacher.   

The first thing that Mrs. Fagan and I did in the morning was go outside to greet all 23 of her students.  They were standing in a single-file line.  One by one, Mrs. Fagan shook each students' hand and said hello.  Some of the students hugged her.  One student in line looked really upset.  She noticed it instantly and, concerned, pulled him to the side to talk to him.

Once Mrs. Fagan and I brought the students to the classroom, the kids instantly knew what to do.  They put their backpacks, lunches and coats away in the coatroom, handed their homework in, put their books away in the proper bins and sat at their desk and read in silence until they were given the next steps.  The books they read were books of their choice.  Mrs. Fagan has been teaching for a little over ten years.  Her classroom is organized and well structured.  She times everything- each lesson, each assignment.  There were countdowns for everything, especially when she wanted the students back at their desk.  She has a poster board for class jobs, such as: line leader and ender, book organizer, paper passer, floor cleaner, messengers and library books.  Mrs. Fagan has many rules in her classroom, but still likes to joke around with her students.  She always addressed her students as, "friends."  Some of the rules were putting their pencils down when she talks.  If another student is speaking, all hands must be down.  It is obvious that she is well respected in her classroom.  There are sticks with each student’s name on it that Mrs. Fagan uses, to determine which student she will call on next.

Behavior coupons kept the students organized, quiet and on their best behavior.  If Mrs. Fagan noticed this behavior, the student could put their name on a coupon, which gets thrown into a bucket.  Every two weeks names are drawn to have lunch with her.  The more coupons the student has, the better the chances they have at winning lunch with the teacher.  While Mrs. Fagan’s students were at lunch and recess, I sat with another teacher, who was having lunch with a few of her students.  This teacher also utilizes the behavior coupons in her class.   There was a chapter about finding allies.  Mrs. Fagan and this teacher are friends and supporters of each other. 

 Just outside of Mrs. Fagan's classroom are pictures of each student.  The theme of Mrs. Fagan's classroom is, "How we organize ourselves."  It is an inquiry into the structure and functions of organizations.  The central idea of this theme is that individuals within the organization desire and seek out leadership.  There were shelves and shelves of books.  She had bins for classwork, bell work and homework.  Each student had their own mailbox, where Mrs. Fagan puts their graded homework assignments.  There were shelves of games, blocks, puzzles and crafts.  Along with the student's artwork and classwork, encouraging words and posters with quotes were hung up on the wall.  Some of the words included: "Challenge yourself," "respect," and "responsibility."  "Winners exceed expectations" is just one of the many posters on the classroom wall.  There is a coatroom off to the side.  In addition to two large computers, there was also a table with six mini computers, where students play math and reading games.    

The desks are grouped together in four groups of six.  Mrs. Fagan said she arranges the desks in this way because the students are all at different levels.  Groups are easier for the children to learn, rather than sitting individually, because the students could help each other out.  I learned from Ayers that a teacher’s classroom sends a message as soon as one walks through the door.  I liked that the desks were not in rows, facing the front, like a mini lecture hall.

Mrs. Fagan taught all subjects: social studies, language art and math.  All of the subjects were integrated together.  While I was there, the students completed an eight-minute math test, with dividers to prevent cheating.  I think tests are okay to see where a student is doing well and where a student needs more work, but I do not think it should be graded.  Mrs. Fagan went over a lesson on addition, subtraction and multiplication.  The students would solve problems with a variety of strategies, including: writing a number sentence, using counter chips and drawing a picture.  The students would be called on to go to the board and explain how they got the answer they did.  Whiteboards and markers were used to solve the problems.   

Next, the students worked in small groups on the laptops.  The students looked up historical figures, such as: Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, Pei Lei, Cleopatra and Bill Clinton.  They researched characteristics and what made these people leaders.  The students completed a worksheet and filled out the figure’s attributes.  The solar system, presidents on coins and trees in the amazon are just some of the other topics of worksheets the students had worked on.  

  

The kids had recess and lunch.  Later, the students had library time.  Each student got to pick a couple of books to take home and read.  The librarian talked to the students about books and an author, Candace Fleming, who will be coming to Boulevard in April.  I got to know a lot of the students by spending the entire day with them.  

Blog Post 10

I have learned so much from the exercises and readings that were needed to complete these blog posts.  I remember reading a quote in our Education Foundations textbook: “A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty, to the child who dreams beyond his or her circumstances.”  That quote has really stuck with me throughout my entries.  Through Ayers readings and my blog posts, it is important for me, as a future teacher, to continue to be an explorer, on a journey with my students.  As a result, another emerging theme is building bridges.   An emergent theme in my blog posts is teaching with creativity and passion, instead of just teaching to the test.  Teachers should listen, connect with their students and learn about their student’s interests.  What I believe now, is that observation inspires good teaching and it is needed to uncover a child’s point of view or understanding.  Doing so, will provide me with a new perspective and help me approach the world with openness.  Going through my posts, I understand that teachers need to see, rather than judge and dismiss.  I never realized how a classroom could set the tone for a teacher.  When I am a teacher, I would like to build a space, where students could explore and be themselves; a place where students’ differences and beliefs are celebrated.  A concern of mine throughout my blog is the banking concept of education.  I learned more about this after Freire’s readings.  Students are getting information deposited into them, with the lack of creativity, transformation and knowledge.  My blog posts discuss how knowledge emerges through invention and reinvention.  As a teacher, I want to encourage my students to think critically and be creative.  I understand that, in order to do this, I must not depend on anyone, but myself to be trained and retrained.  Greatness in teaching requires a serious encounter with autobiography.  Although standardized tests have been a main focus, I have learned that a test score does not define the teacher or the student -- Summerhill School is the perfect example of that.  As Ayers has stated, “Every student and teacher is an entire universe.  The relationship and interaction is what makes learning come to life.” 

Part 1: This I Believe Annotated Bibliography

Maria Rozum
November 10, 2015
EDU 100 – Dr. Shutkin
Part 1: This I Believe Annotated Bibliography

Gewertz, C.  (2015).  N.Y.C. school aims for ‘authentic,’ not standardized, tests.         Education Week, Volume 34, Issue 37.  Retrieved from
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=a5c14417-64c840aa8502381f3647ca26%40sessionmgr4004&vid=0&hid=4112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=108765772&db=eft

            East Side Community High School in Manhattan, New York has permission to use projects for graduation, rather than the state-mandated standardized test.  In order for students to graduate from this school, they must complete a combination of projects and oral presentations for each subject. Unlike standardized tests, the teachers that grade the projects are able to take students outside of the scope of their assignment.   Research presented in this article, shows the positive effects of having an authentic-learning environment.  This article is important because I believe in authentic learning, as opposed to test taking.  Authentic learning allows the student to explore, design, discuss and discover.  I am going to use East Side Community’s authentic testing method as an example in my essy.  I am not the only one that believes in this style of learning:  “Staunch advocates of East Side's way of learning, and testing, argue that it builds not only content knowledge, but the skills to apply it to real-life situations, to make arguments and interpretations with it, and to present and defend it orally.”    

Gunzelman, B.  (2005, Spring).  Toxic testing: It’s time to reflect upon our current testing practices.  Education Horizon, Volume 83, Issue 3, 212-220.  Retrieved from
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5c0fa93c-1fb8-4834-b76e-39eaf7dcc576%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4112

I believe that standardized tests are not the answer because we all have different learning styles.  A test cannot measure the true ability of a student’s learning.  The article provides a list of problems with the tests and provides an alternative method.  I think schools should try new methods for measuring students learning, as well as new approaches for evaluating teachers.  The article provides some background information on standardized tests and provides a description of the current understanding of them.  This article gives an example of authentic assessment, through the portfolio assessment, which is becoming more popular in schools.  These portfolios contain a collection of the student’s work and achievements.  This allows students to take responsibility for their learning and feel satisfaction with their accomplishments, rather than filling in bubbles on a test.  The portfolio assessment not only shows students learning, but also shows their strengths and weaknesses.  I agree with Deborah Meier that, "the increased use of standardized tests actually undermines student achievement and increases distrust of teachers, students, and our own judgments."  I will incorporate the portfolio assessments in my essay as another method for authentic assessment.   

Stevens, P.  (2013).  An examination of a teacher’s use of authentic assessment in an urban middle

school setting (Doctoral dissertation).  Retrieved from
http://0-search.proquest.com.library.jcu.edu/docview/1412729692 (3565244)

            This article describes what I believe and the change that I want to see in our schools: good instruction leads to authentic assessment.  This article will help me discuss what the problems are with standardized testing and my hopes for what authentic assessment could do for the students and teachers.  Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer in education, believes that the educational system has taught the students and the teachers that giving the right answer is more important than thinking.  Instead of developing life-long thinking skills, learning now is more like cramming for a test.  This reminds me of Freire’s piece about teachers dumping information into a student’s head like a receptacle, rather than letting the student take part in the learning process through creativity.  As Kohn states, “In order to improve instruction, the focus must be on students‟ performance rather than on test scores; assessment then becomes meaningful and purposeful.”  The article is about promoting student learning by using alternative assessments.   It provides an overview of authentic assessment, as well as concepts and the validity of the assessments. 

Suskind, D.  (2015).  Living assessment passes the test.  Phi Delta Kappan.  Retrieved from:
http://0-web.a.ebscohost.com.library.jcu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3ae42182-45df-455b-abd2-e6dfca0543b6%40sessionmgr4001&vid=60&hid=4112    

            The definition of a living assessment is an intertwined, interactive and instructive part of every student’s learning.  Teachers can delay a student’s growth, without even knowing it, by setting up unnecessary controls in the classroom.  These unnecessary controls or roadblocks include: writing to prompts, telling children what they will read, assigning grades in isolation, not partnership, teaching at students instead of learning beside them, and using grades to drive reports, not instruction. Intertwined assessment occurs on the spot, in exploratory moments.  Suskind explains that standardized tests are not necessary to understand a student’s level of learning development.  Instead of using a test, a teacher should go based on their reading, writing and creativity when working together.  I believe this is the best kind of assessment.  It is hands-on and not seen or announced, but filled within the energy and interactions of the students throughout the school day.  “Living assessment empowers children and teachers, reflects students’ emotional needs and learning levels, and inspires all of us to live a reflective practice of observation that evolves and innovates as it kicks classroom learning into new dimensions.”  This article reminded me of the hard times I have had with standardized testing.  I have had a lifetime of experiences and a certain learning style based off standardized tests.  This article is evidence that authentic assessment is the solution to the problem. 

Koh, K., & Ng, P., & Tan, C.  (2011).  Creating thinking schools through authentic assessment: the case in Singapore.  Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.  Retrieved from:
http://0-download.springer.com.library.jcu.edu/static/pdf/209/art%253A10.1007%252Fs11092-011-9138-y.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2F0-link.springer.com.library.jcu.edu%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs11092-011-9138-y&token2=exp=1447161759~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F209%2Fart%25253A10.1007%25252Fs11092-011-9138-y.pdf%3ForiginUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farticle%252F10.1007%252Fs11092-011-9138-y*~hmac=206b87b3683b7cbefe914ea6f2ddc14cba97918ad8f27aa0d886c3df685e5e48

   

            This article encourages teachers to adopt authentic assessment in teaching and learning.  Doing so, will develop students’ learning.  The article uses Singapore’s schools, as an example of authentic teaching.  I will discuss Singapore’s authentic learning style and how the United States could benefit from this style, as well.  Rather than paper-and-pencil tests, the schools focus on authentic assessment, which concentrates on knowledge, critical thinking, creative thinking, innovative thinking and problem solving.  “Teachers are encouraged to expand their repertoire of teaching and learning strategies to include new and innovative pedagogies, communicate effectively, collaborate widely and solve problems reflectively.”  In Singapore, the schools that focus on authentic assessment, rather than conventional, are called Thinking Schools.  These Thinking Schools are struggling, however, with the authentic assessment, as the teachers do not feel prepared to teach in this new way.  The article also explains how to build teacher capacity by providing ongoing professional development with authentic assessments for teachers.  Throughout my paper, I will be discussing why I believe authentic assessment is best, compared to standardized tests.  Therefore, with the help of this article, I will discuss how teachers, like my future self, could prepare themselves for authentic assessment.    

     

    

Blog Post 9: Link to PowerPoint - Building a School

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12OxC8zfnB7EPu4v3JY7U9ZRLBk3j-PdPZ1nLO8bZ2IU/edit?ts=5638c13d#slide=id.p

Shaker Heights High School

The first class I observed at Shaker Heights High School was an Environmental Science class.  The class had a mix of 11th and 12th graders.  I did not recognize the teacher when I first walked into the classroom.  She was wearing a hoodie and jeans and had her hair thrown back in a ponytail.  She was sitting in one of the student's desks.  The students were watching a film on positive human impact.  I was surprised at how well behaved the students were.  The students seemed to be engrossed in the film.  I enjoyed the film, as well.  Most of the time, we hear about things that we could be doing better at in the world: recycling, saving water, not buying as much stuff, etc.  It was nice to hear about the good things people are doing to better the world.  The video showed an invention called a rain maker, which cleans dirty water.  The video focused on water, energy and health.  There was also a machine that was invented to treat wellness and to help circulation.  The teacher would make comments to her students, about the video, throughout the film.  She had a large classroom with an area of desks facing the front of the class and another area where there were groups of tables.  The classroom had a bird cage in it, empty fish tanks, kits, jars and sinks.  There was an onion and a potato on a tray, on the table, as if they just completed an experiment.  The movie ended a couple minutes before I was about to leave for my next class, so I did not really get to see the teacher in action.  Once the film was complete, the teacher went to the front of the classroom and was talking to the students about the film and asked questions. 

The second class I observed was a stage craft class.  This looked like a really fun class; one that I would have liked to take in high school.  There were posters all over the wall with words like, "knowledge, caring, reflective, risk-takers, principles and communication."  Audition posters surrounded the walls, as well.  There were four long tables that were all pushed together to form one very large table.  Everyone sits together.  I really liked this layout.  I felt like the layout allowed the students to really be involved with each other and the teacher.  There were only about 8 students in this class.  We eventually left the classroom to go to the auditorium.  The group split up into even smaller groups and worked on props for the Romeo and Juliet play that would be playing soon.  The teacher was very fun and laid back.  I could tell the students really liked him and felt comfortable with him.  They almost acted like friends.  The teacher and students joked with each other and came up with ideas together.  The students were painting signs and displays.  I liked that the class was all about creative play and interaction.  This class almost reminded me of the Summerhill school we read about in "Educational Foundations."  The students were creative and played all class period.  The teacher was one of the students.  There was no direction or instruction.  The teacher and student were equal. 

Blog Post 8

    In Chapter 4, Ayers discusses the importance of teaching and bridge-building.  Bridge-building for teachers means: the teacher has knowledge and experience with a topic and incorporates it with the student's interest.  Bridges are being built from a child's outside world to the classroom.  Building bridges allows children to be interactive and engaged in the learning process, which will broaden their horizon and help students have a better understanding of the topic being taught.  I am going to plan a learning/teaching experience about building a cardboard house.  Early Childhood Education is my major, so I believe children of all races/ages/genders would enjoy doing this project.  I am currently doing service at St. Adalbert and the kids like to play "house," where they take on different family member roles and pretend to do things, like cook and play basketball.  I also remember doing this with my friends as a child.  Building a cardboard house is fun, interactive and let's children use their imagination.  It teaches the children problem solving and working together in a team and individually.  Plus the students could play with the cardboard house when it is completed.   To prepare for this project, I would ensure the supplies and directions are available.  The students would be broken up into groups, have their own set of directions and would work together to complete their home.  They would have to do a blueprint first and then design it.
     I think Freire would approve of this project because the teacher/narrating subject is not just talking to the students/listening objects/receptacles.  The students are not memorizing and recording.  The project involves creativity, transformation and knowledge.  The teacher is allowing their students to think critically and build.  Freire would like that the students are investigating in dialogue with the teacher.  There are new understandings, new challenges and students have become committed because they're having fun.  In fact, the student may have so much fun that they do not realize that they're learning.  This way reminds me of how Ohanian taught.  Her students did not like to read, so they worked on science experiments instead.  Just like Ohanian's students, my students are so busy measuring, gluing, painting and creating that they do not realize that they're actually reading, experimenting or doing math problems.  DiGiulio thinks great teaching is putting the learner's needs and interests first.  Test scores cannot show a teacher's enthusiasm or how they care for or believe in their students.  Projects like this, however, could.  I would walk around to make sure my student's are on the right track, offer ideas and assist them. Being skillful and enthusiastic helps the student be energetic.  DiGiulio is a firm believer in letting the kids participate, perform, create, practice, design, produce, carry out an experiment or complete an assignment.  We are not just building a cardboard house, we are building bridges.  Ayers agrees that teachers must find ways to build bridges with their students, through the student's interest, to encourage learning and communication.   
     

Blog Post 6

     While I was reading "The Banking Concept of Education," my thoughts started to wander.  Freire explains how students are required to memorize things, but do not understand the true meaning behind the words their memorizing.  Unfortunately, there were several classes, where I memorized what I had to, in order to pass the tests.  The teachers just threw so much information at the students all at once, that there almost was not enough time to process and learn it all.  Some of these teachers were also so focused on finishing up one chapter and going to the next, that the students are just talked to.  Freire states that teachers are the depositors and the students are the depositories.  The teacher deposits the material and the student receives, memorizes and repeats; rather than being actively engaged in the learning process.
     Freire says, "The problem-posing educator constantly re-forms his reflections in the reflection of the students."  I wonder how this is done exactly.  This quote reminds me of Ayers, making connections with his students by paying attention to their interests.  To me, it sounds like the problem-posing teacher needs to pay attention to the student's thoughts to make a connection.  Problem-posing education is filled with unfinished work - people becoming.  It seems like a good idea for students and teachers to reflect at the same time to establish form of thought and action.  The teacher and student in "Teaching in Comics" work and think together to build a ramp for their class turtle, Bingo.  During my observation at Mayfield School, I also saw a teacher and student thinking of songs together for a project and then downloading them.  Education is an ongoing activity for both the teacher and student.

Blog Post 5

      I do believe there was a LGBT club at my high school; however, looking back, I do not know of many people that actually came out as LGBT.  I had two gay best friends.  Growing up, both of my friends had more in common with girls.  Like Rofes, people thought my friends wanting to play with the girls meant that they wanted to be girls.  According to liberal views, my friends were not adhering to socially appropriate behavior for boys.  As a result, they both came out after they completed high school.  They did not come out sooner, in fear of not being accepted.  There was also a transgender that started high school with me.  She was going through her transition during ninth grade.  In the beginning of the year, she was still a boy, but in the middle of the year, I remember she came to school in a skirt and with a wig on.  Unfortunately, she never came back to school after ninth grade, due to bullying.
     Rofes suggested, instead of teachers and parents taking the liberal path to prevent slurs, they can instead take the radical path and provide the LGBT with legal rights and resources to protect themselves as they continue to transform.   His radical view encourages people to see the LGBT as daring, powerful, rebellious survivors; rather than vulnerable and fragile beings. He believes children should participate in their own childhood, instead of having adults shape it for them like most liberals do now.  Rofes thinks children are mistreated.  Adults treat children like they're stupid and incompetent pieces of property, instead of smart and powerful individuals.  Rofes wants children to be educated on their rights, resources, self-defense, lawyers, courts and have a healthy life, where they feel safe and supported.
     I agree with many of Rofes' thoughts.  I think each child should be required to attend a class about bullying.  In this class, teachers should discuss the consequences for those who bully, the legal action for those who are tormented and discuss ways to ensure each student feels safe in their environment.  There should be more resources for the LGBT community, who face issues with coming out and learning how to cope with it.  These subjects should be discussed more open and freely.

Mayfield Middle School

 I really enjoyed our class visit to Mayfield Middle School.  I could really relate to the Mayfield principal that we met.  He knew from high school that he wanted to be a principal.  After high school, I was not sure if I wanted to be a court reporter or a principal.  I decided to pursue my court reporting degree, as it would be a shorter amount of schooling and less money owed in loans.  I loved court reporting and still work as one, to this day.  However, not only is the court reporting profession unpredictable, I felt like I was still missing something.  People spend so much of their day and so much of their life working, that I felt like I needed to go back to school to fulfill my original dream of becoming a principal, a rewarding job that -- like teaching -- will make a difference.  In order to become a principal, I understand that I have to be in the field of teaching.  Not only did I obtain good tips from the Mayfield principal for my future principal-self, but I also observed how different subject's are taught.

I observed a few different classrooms and subjects at our stay.  First, I observed a science class.  There were not too many students in this class.  They were all working on an experiment together at a table.  They were discussing ideas and completing a worksheet.  When you walk into the classroom, you expect a majority of the work to be group work, as there were not any desks in the classroom, just tables.  I did not see the science teacher actually teach while I was there.  He walked around and answered student's questions. 

The assistant principal took me to a digital communication class next.  This class was very interesting.  Although there were at least 20 students in this classroom, the classroom was silent.  All of the students were lined up against the walls, on their computer, with their headphones on.  The teacher let me in on the assignment they were working on.  Each student fills out a questionnaire template, titled, "I Am."  The student is supposed to describe what they are, what they hear, what they see.  It is a poem.  The student reads their poem out loud, while the song of their choice plays in the background of their poem.  She played one student's file for me.  The student was an athlete.  He is scared to mess up.  The athlete sees the ball coming towards him.  He hears the crowd screaming.  In the background, we hear buzzers and a radio announcer, followed by music.  The teacher let the students express themselves, be creative and showed an interest in her student's interests with this assignment.  As we have learned from the text, these things are very important for a teacher and a student.

The third teacher I observed, also incorporated her student's interests into her classroom.  The students walked into the classroom, opened their books and read for the first fifteen minutes of class.  The books they opened varied, based on the child's interest.  One girl was reading a book about make-up and another girl was reading a scary novel.  While the children read, the teacher passed out papers.  The teacher passed out worksheets and went over PowerPoint presentations during my stay.  The classroom setting was very inviting.  Instead of desks, children sat at tables lined up next to each other.  This was perfect for group activity, which they ended up doing towards the end of my stay.  The walls were filled with encouraging words, such as: peace, vision, destiny, discovery, imagination, laughter, beauty and adventure.  There were posters with quotes on the wall and shelves filled with books.  The teacher did a great job connecting with her students.  She walked around and talked to many of them individually. 

As mentioned earlier, teaching is required for me to become a principal.  The area of teaching I chose to go into was Early Childhood Education.  After observing Mayfield Middle School, that may change.  I am considering taking a few extra classes, to teach beyond third grade.  I really enjoyed the fifth and sixth graders. 

Blog Post 4

     I never realized that teachers correcting the way a student speaks could be offensive to that student, until I read Lisa Delpit's quote and chapter four in "Education Foundations."  A majority of teachers want their students to speak well and do well.  After all, in the long run, people are more likely to hire someone that speaks standardized English, rather than Ebonics.  Telling the student that they are wrong and constantly correcting them, however, only makes the student resent the teacher and makes them not want to participate.  As Lisa stated in the quote, a student's linguistic form is their connection to family and home life and to correct it, means that there is something wrong with it. 
     Teachers may think that they are helping the student by correcting them, but in reality, it makes the student so focused on pronunciation, rather than the meaning and what the student is actually reading.  I witnessed that firsthand, from our reading of Macbeth in class.  I was so focused on how I was pronouncing the words, so I would not be corrected by my peers, that I did not understand the material or do well on the quiz.  As a result, it is best to have the students read plenty of material, however they read it, or let the students act out in plays, where standardized English is being used.  The student will then understand and learn code switching and that different languages should be used at different times and places.  As long as teachers provide information and guidelines for standardized English, then the speaker will decide when to use it and how.

Blog Post 3 - Exploration of Mental Filters and Their Influences on Perception

     My husband and I went to Patterson's Farm to people watch.  I chose to go to Patterson's Farm, not only because it is one of my favorite places, but also because people of all ages tend to go.  There's a store, cafe and park for adults and a playground and pumpkin patch for kids.  What I discovered about myself through observation, was that I do not pay close attention to detail.  On page six of "Art of Awareness" there's a quote that states, "We need to recover our ability to see, rather than judge and dismiss."  I am always in a rush to go to the next place and do the next thing, that I am guilty of dismissing many things.  It was nice to stop for a moment and just sit and watch the kids play and be imaginative.  It was nice to hear people laugh and watch people bond and be creative.  Observing taught me to practice flexible thinking and mindfulness.

Description:
* Boy and girl -- around 4-6 years-old -- are sitting on top of a landing of a slide, on the playground.
* Boy and girl are talking for a couple minutes, before the boy goes down the slide.
* Boy goes down the slide and stops himself at the bottom, before hitting the woodchips.
* Boy screams, “Shark” and runs back up the slide.
* Two women with wagons are sitting on the bench watching.

Interpretation:
The boy and girl are exploring and using their imagination.  It appears that the playground is a ship and the woodchips is water.  The kids are discussing their play, before the boy goes down the slide.  The boy stops at the bottom of the slide because he sees an invisible shark in the water/woodchips.  The girl and boy both looked worried.  The boy runs back up the slide to get away from the imaginary shark.  The two women look like they're friends or sisters, watching their kids play together.

Parking lot:
Someone should stop the little boy from climbing up the slide, before he falls back.


Description:
* Two little girls -- around 3-4 years-old -- are holding hands inside of the Patterson store.
* The one little girl is pointing to a scarecrow, stuffed with hay, that's sitting on a chair.
* The same little girl bends her knees (like she's sitting) and the second girl copies the other girl's movements and bends her knees, too.
* They walk over to the scarecrow together and touch its leg.

Interpretation:
The two little girls appear to be sisters, keeping busy while their mom is at the register.  The one little girl is showing the other little girl how to sit, like the scarecrow.  They are exploring how the scarecrow feels, by walking over to it and touching its leg.

Parking lot:
Hopefully these little girls do not knock over the scarecrow into the glass jars next to it.


Description:
* Lady in her 50s is sitting on haystacks with a woman in her 20s.
* Younger woman is handing her camera to another woman walking by, who takes a picture of them.
* They look at the camera together and laugh.
* The older lady is dressed up in heels and the younger woman is in jeans and tennis shoes.

Interpretation:
Based on their energetic tone of voice and their laugh, it appears like the two women are having a good time.  It looks like they're mother and daughter, spending the day together.  Their attire reflects that going to Patterson's Farm was the daughter's idea.  The daughter wants pictures of her and her mom together.  The picture must have came out bad, since they were cracking up about it afterwards.  

Parking lot:
Who wears heels to a park?


Description:
* Middle-aged man and woman are walking around the store together with a bag of apples.
* Man and woman are talking to the workers, while picking up different apples.
* The woman leaves the man for a few minutes, while she picks up a book from the bookshelf.
* The woman opens the books, turns a few pages and brings the book over to show the man.
* The man reads something in the book and puts more apples in his bag.

Interpretation:
The man and woman are most likely husband and wife, who are perhaps looking for the best apple for baking an apple pie.  The couple are exploring the different kinds of apples and getting assistance from the workers and the recipe book.   

Blog 2 - Quote from Lisa Delpit

Based on your lived experiences, and initial readings and discussion from Bill Ayer’s book, To Teach, and from the Curtis and Carter reading, please discuss the significance of the following quote attributed to Lisa Delpit, “We do not really see with our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.” (Curtis and Carter, 2000, p. 9)
(~250 words).

     In class, the students observed a picture of a group of people, standing next to a fire.  When two students were asked to describe the picture, they thought and said two different things about it.  Although the picture remained the same, the people that viewed it, interpreted it differently.  The students interpreted the picture, based on their beliefs.  Hearing works the same way, through our beliefs, rather than our ears.  If the same two students listened to the same song, the reactions to the song would still be very different.  Instead of seeing or hearing something for what it is, people translate or interpret what things mean, based off of their beliefs.  The principal in "The Green Monongahela" was hesitant at first, but opened his mind to letting a student retake a reading test to go into a higher reading class.  When the student passed the test, the principal's beliefs changed.   
     People come from different races, classes, genders, ages.  People have different religions and come from different backgrounds or cultures.  People were raised in different neighborhoods, by different people and have experienced different things.  As a result of these differences, people have different feelings, knowledge, ideas and different beliefs.  On page 32 of William Ayer's "To Teach," the teacher tells his students, "The world can be viewed and experienced as you like it."  This quote relates to Lisa Delpit's quote, in that people view the world, based on what they believe.  Delpit's quote is significant because it reminds people how important it is to be open-minded to others.  Learn about other people -- their beliefs and differences -- and do it with an open heart.  Doing this, may even change one's views or provide a new outlook on life.     

Blog Post 1 - Class Survey

 WebPost1: CLASS SURVEY

Personal information

1. What name do you prefer to be called?
   Call me Maria.
2. Hometown and photograph of you (inserted in your blog so I can connect you with your name).
   Lyndhurst, Ohio.  
   
   
3. Grade level and subject(s) that you want to teach.  
   I would like to teach any grade from first through fourth, in all the basic academic subjects.
4. What are you into; what makes you special? Share a few “unique” aspects about yourself that would help our classroom community get to know you a bit. Are you on an athletic team? Sing in the choir?  Are you trying out for a play? Painting? What are you planning on doing this semester in your life that is noteworthy?
   I'm a workaholic.  Working full-time as an adjuster and a court reporter, in addition to going to school full-time, keeps me pretty busy.  In my free time, I love to travel, read and spend times with my friends and family. 
5. I want to know what matters most to you.  To this end, please share with the class an essay that is essential to what your interests. (Include the reference to the essay [chapter, article, website] and a few sentences about its significance to you).
   My friends and family matter to me most, but there's a charity that means a lot to me, as well: The Make-A-Wish Foundation.  An article that is significant to me, could be found on: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/make-a-wish-kellan-tilton_55cc39e3e4b064d5910a84ef.  This article is significant because I am a Wish Granter at the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  It explains things that matter to me most: helping and making a difference in a child's life.  Kellan's story, like many others at the Foundation, remind me to appreciate life every day.  Don't take anything for granted and always be thankful for what you have.  Although times are tough, there is always someone out there that has it worse than you do.  Some of these kids do not live very long, yet they're full of life and have a smile on their face.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation helped lead me to where I am today, at JCU, to become a teacher.

Learning Style and more:

6. Being as specific as you can, what must be in place for you to feel comfortable taking intellectual and creative risks in a college classroom? 
No one wants to have the wrong answer, however if we knew all the answers, then there's no need for students to attend college.  Students go to college to learn and learning is a process.  Therefore, I would feel most comfortable taking risks in a classroom, knowing that my answers aren't going to be completely shot down by a teacher or other students.  I also feel most comfortable expressing myself in small groups.

Education Past and Present

7. Share a formative memory from your experiences as a student. 
The memories that stick out to me most are from elementary school.  I loved all the hands-on activities, including making crafts and playing games.  The combination of playing and learning, while meeting new friends, made me love school.
8. Please discuss what are, for you, some significant issues or concerns facing the field of education right now. 
A couple concerns I have facing the field of education are: finding a job and standardized testing/NCLB.

About Dr. Shutkin:
9. Write down a question or two that you would like to ask me about myself or the class.  Why teaching?