Curriculum

I think curriculum is something that is always being discussed by the lawmakers and is always in the news, but I wonder what the curriculum will actually be like when I begin my student teaching and eventually my own teaching.  I personally feel that I will want a guidelines as a new teacher as to what I teach my students so I know that I am including everything that they will need to know to succeed in the next classes that they will take.  And I also feel that having some guidelines of what to teach will allow me to have the time to better develop how I will teach and what will be the best way to teach my students.  But after I get over that initial hump, I think the need for the curriculum becomes less important and the collaboration with colleagues becomes more important to make sure that you are preparing students for their additional course work.  In my opinion, the most important part of being a teacher is to make sure that we are providing our students with the best education that we can provide, no matter what type of school or where we teach.  Therefore, whether or not a curriculum is provided I think it is necessary to make sure that we use the freedom we have to be creative and to teach to the best of our ability in each particular class.

Biases

This week’s blog about “biases” has made me think a lot about not only good things but the “biases” that could possible affect me in daily life and have the potential to affect my teaching in the classroom.  Some of these biases are positive and some that have the potential to be negative, but I feel that awareness is the key to making changes so that it will not negatively affect my classroom.  I feel that the bias that I have is for people who move to the United States and do not learn the language and then expect us as United States citizens to accommodate their lack of English speaking abilities.  I feel that this bias really became apparent when I went to college in Las Cruces because being so close to the border and often visiting the border city of El Paso.  There were many times that I encountered individuals who expected someone like me to speak Spanish to them even though they could speak some English.  I don’t mind speaking Spanish to people who make the effort to speak English or to the elderly who don’t know English, but when there is no effort made and I feel like I am struggling to communicate it frustrates me.  Although I have mostly felt this impact with the Spanish language I feel this way about all languages.  I think this is something that can possibly affect my teaching especially depending on the area that I teach in.  I think it is important to realize that not everyone wishes to learn the English language and that it is important to make my students and their parents feel comfortable when they come into my classroom and even though I may feel the frustration of them not speaking the language I will have to make these adjustments.  

Blog #5

The National Teacher of the Year 2017

This deserving honor was bestowed on Nicole Lasky-Garduno, a high school Biology teacher for the past five years.  Mrs. Garduno, received her Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  “Although, teaching was not in my immediate career plans, I found that my passion was in working with the youth.  I was very involved with the first Youth Alliance Forum for the state of New Mexico under the direction and hard work of our former Lt. Governor Diane Denish.”  The youth in this program came from all areas of New Mexico and walks of life.  “I knew then that with all my experience in college and working with all these young people that I wanted to share my passion and knowledge in Biology.”  Since then, these past five years, her students themselves have made her the teacher that she is today.  So, today she would like to share this great honor with them as they are as deserving as she is.  She has built personal relationships with each of her students in her classes.  Knowing each student personality and what teaching style works for them as the individuals that they are.  “I have to admit that one student can be quite a challenge but have learned from the parent that they have actually seen a change in their son and that he looks forward to coming to class because I make class interesting and creative enough for them to want to be in class.”   So, today she wants to say, “Thank you for this prestigious award and thank you to my students for allowing me to be your teacher and to be the best teacher that I know I am.”

Educational Philosophy

My purpose in being a teacher is to help my students to learn not just the knowledge about the subject that I teach but to prepare them with the tools that will help them to be critical thinkers and be live long learners.  The goals I have set for my classroom is to provide my students with a tool box of skills that will help them to successfully reach their goals in life.  I want them to learn to question, investigate, and examine ideas for themselves so that they can make educated and informed decisions.  Although I will be having them apply these skills hopefully to the sciences I believe it will help them to think of many different things situations using this same set of skills.  My core philosophical views are that critical thinking skills are essential to be able to make consciences decision all though out life.  I also believe that all students need to develop these skills by practicing them on a regular basis and we as educators should have our students practice these skills daily by using activities that engage this type of thinking.  I feel that this will influence my teaching greatly because I will strive include the use of these skills as I teach my students about science and I feel that science lends itself well to this style of thinking.  There are always things to examine and question that students will need critical thinking skills to answer.

Blog #3 Teaching Blogs

The blog I picked for this week was Science teacher by Michael Doyle (http://doyle-scienceteach.blogspot.com/).  I found this article to be very interesting because it discusses some of the issues and barriers to teaching science.  He discusses some of the disconnects that students have with certain subjects and gives tips on how he overcomes these barriers to the subject.  One of his posts’s that I found to be very interesting was the discussing the introduction a microscope to a high school class.  He pointed out that using such a complex tool as an introduction can be discouraging because it makes things more abstract and the use itself can confuse students.  He suggest starting out with a dissecting microscope that is much larger and will let the students much larger relatable things such as bugs versus organisms in pond water.  He has many ideas liked this and other of how to make the abstract science class more understandable and how to use what the students already know to help them build their knowledge of science.  

The second blog that I looked at this week was called What It’s Like on the Inside (http://blog.whatitslikeontheinside.com/).  I enjoyed this blog because it talked about some of the things that I have concerns about in the classroom, such as the students use of technology.  Some of her other recent post talked about the book The Purposeful Classroom, which after reading this post I am intrigues to read.  I really valued how in her post App-rehension, she discusses how she is taking time each week to look at new apps and resources available to her on her IPAD before she is sold on the use of it in the classroom.  I think this is a great example of the importance of doing your own investigating into tools for your classroom so that you know the strengths and weakness of it and can adjust it to be most beneficial in the classroom. 

Blog Post Week 2

The fundamental purpose of learning is to gain new knowledge about a subject.  Learning is not just something that takes place in the classroom and it is not limited to children.  Learning can happen at while a child is playing, or spending time with peers, it can happen at home with the family, it can even in most case happen alone while doing activities you enjoy.  I have learned a great amount of academic at not only in the classroom but spending time with my peers, however, most of my social skills from my own experiences in life.  I feel that some of my most important learning has taken place in my life has been through trial and error, and if I hadn’t made the mistakes and learned the lessons I would not be the same person I am today.  Learning can take place at any age, in any environment, at anytime.  Some things that we learn, we learn without even knowing we are learning.  I feel that young children learn the most when they are playing and aren’t even yet aware of the learning process; and I feel that this is where they  begin learning the basics that will help them to develop skills that they will need later in life to learn in the classroom.   I also feel that students may learn the most when they feel they are struggling and not learning at all.  Learning begins very young in life and if we are lucky won't end until the day we die, learning is continually happening all around us.  However, the amount of learning that takes place, I believe is based on the individual’s drive learn.  I personally have constant thirst for knowledge; therefore, I feel that I am always learning new things.  I am always reading about new things and asking questions about things I do not understand.  The amount a person learns can also be based on their interest level for the subject.  It is usually much easier to learn about things that one has an interest in than those they do not because they are more likely to seek out new knowledge on the subject.  The methods that people use to seek and learn new information many vary.  There are many different learning methods and techniques for individuals to seek out information.  Some people learn using technology, other by doing hands on activities, some by just learning; and others have to have a variation of different styles.  Since learning is extraordinarily variable it is essential for teachers to themselves learn to many different techniques and subject to teach their students.  

Blog Post Week 1

I found both articles for this week to be very intriguing.  The thought process for this class is very different than any other class I have taken.  I found it particularly interesting to hear about some of the reasoning about grading.  It is very different to think of grading from “the other side.”  I have always been the student striving to get the grades but have not ever really stopped to think about the reasoning behind how a teacher or professor decides the grading guidelines.  It was a little hard for me to grasp the thought process though of grades not being positive reinforcement to encourage students to learn more, and in some instances actually being negative reinforcements to learning.  Overall I feel the Grading –Kohn article opened my eyes to completely evaluate the grading process, not just to for effectiveness at evaluating the students but also how it will impact the students learning.  The second article by John Dewey was a very different article for me to read.  It was very difficult to understand the logic behind his writings.  I did not totally agree with his idea of school needs to very smoothly transition to what is being taught in the home.  In my opinion different things are learned in different settings and trying to mesh them all into one would hinder the learning of certain materials.  He also greatly values the societal learning, which I would say has its place but should not be the basis of all education.  I did however agree with how Dewey wants teachers to realize that they are social tied to the students and need to consider where their place and education fits into the student as a whole.