http://www.theteacherscorner.net/
This website has lesson plans and information about various other topics concerning teachers. There is a tab for new education information, a forum for teachers, as well as ideas for classroom bulletin boards, activities, and seasonal lesson plan ideas.
http://teachers.net/
This site is similar to the one above but is formatted more like a blog. There are grade divisions with chatboards for teachers to share and communicate. Also, there is a teachers.net Gazette which discusses new issues, news, and ideas about teaching in general- it is basically a newspaper oriented only towards teaching.
http://www.phschool.com/atschool/paso/
I am not only studying Elementary Education with an Integrated Science major, I am also double majoring in Spanish and may even go for a masters in it. This site was useful for me when I first started learning Spanish 8 years ago; it is created around my first Spanish textbook. There are two divisions: one for students and one for teachers. Under the students portion, there are quizzes, vocabulary lists, and activities to help them study on their own. And for the teachers, there is a theme overview and some suggested teaching methods and tips. Also, there is a link for Spanish themed articles concerning teaching. In addition to this, there is a link to recommended websites that could prove useful for teachers to introduce to students.
19 April 2009
Two Important Theories I Intend to Utilize
Walking away from TE 150, there are two theories in particular that I feel are super important and that I want to use in my future classroom. These theories are Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Erickson's Theory of Psychological Development.
To begin, Vygotsky felt that humans' learning is heavily influenced by culture and what other members of society are doing. This notion carries over into his theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. Lev Vygotsky believed that as learners, we are not as strong individually as we are collectively. The Zone of Proximal Development is an imaginary 'zone' that is in between what each individual currently knows and what he or she is capable of learning. This learning can be done by oneself, however Vygotsky emphasized the use of teachers in pushing pupils and expanding their knowledge. With the help of an instructor, the student can transition new tasks into his or her area of current abilities and move on to conquer even more challenging concepts armed with this new knowledge. The Zone of Proximal Development is developed through the use of scaffolding. This is when a teacher helps learners to overcome an obstacle while gradually releasing control and shifting more and more of the cognitive load onto the learner himself. This can also take place if the learner teaches herself something.
In my classroom, I definitely plan on using this theory. It is important to bear in mind that students need a framework to learn, and that as a teacher, I must make sure not to move too fast. The student must feel comfortable and be ready to assume the thinking load that I put on them when I do. In addition, it is crucial that I know where my students are at: what they already know, what they are struggling with, and what they have no prior knowledge of. I can do this with a pre-test or by questioning my class before new units to see how familiar the material is to them, and to evaluate whether I need to review any thing necessary for the lesson that they may have not internalized well enough yet. Moreover, when I need to pay close attention to the homework students are turning in as well as which ones are asking more questions so I can know how comfortable and prepared my students are for the test and understanding the concept as a foundation for future building of new knowledge.
The next theory that I think is important is Erickson's Theory of Psychological Development. Even though this is just a theory and cannot be applied to every student, I feel that it has validity and could help me to understand and assist my students better. Erik Erickson developed his theory by dividing up the life span into stages in which there are conflicts that must be resolved. These conflicts can have negative as well as positive outcomes depending on which side a child falls on. The following is a brief description of the stages:
infancy- birth to 8 months- conflict: trust v. mistrust (care-giver)
toddler-1 1/2 to 3 years-conflict: autonomy and independence v. shame and doubt (parents)
preschooler-3 to 6 years-conflict: initiative v. guilt (school, neighborhood, family)
school age child- 7 to 12 years- conflict: industry v. inferiority (role models and peers)
adolescence-13 to 18 years-conflict: identity v. identity confusion (peers)
young adult-19 to 35 years-conflict:intimacy v. isolation (partners and friends)
middle age adult- 36 to 60 years-conflict: generativity v. stagnation (household, co-workers, boss)
older adult- 60+ years- conflict: integrity v. despair (society and mankind as a whole)
The traits on the right of the conflict are positive and those on the right are the negative possible feelings. The parenthesis contain the people and relationships that are central to each conflict. According to Erickson, the way in which these conflicts are resolved shapes who we are and what we feel as we take our places in society. As a teacher, I will have a responsibility to help my students overcome these conflicts in a positive way. Understanding what my pupils are struggling with will also be important because I can be better equiped to be what they need me to be.
As a teacher, I hope to use this theory by promoting self-worth, confidence, and independence while trying to steer kids away from being overly dependent or too bossy. I want each child to get the attention from me that they need to feel special and I want to challenge them with new tasks to push thier initiatives. I want to praise the hard work that they do and push them to attempt everything and not to be discouraged if they do not succeed the first time. I also want to make each child comfortable with talking in front of the class and promote a healthy and tolerant learning environment to ensure that the children will be okay with taking risks and pushing themselves. If doing this means that I will have to gradually bring kids to this point, then I am fine spending one on one time with them or starting them off with activities in smaller groups so that even shy kids get the chance to shine in front of thier peers.
Lev Vygotsky's theory concerning the Zone of Proximal Development and Erik Erickson's Theory of Psychological Development are two important theories that I plan on practicing in my future classroom. I believe that using these ideas will improve my teaching while simulataneously helping my students in thier quest for knowledge.
To begin, Vygotsky felt that humans' learning is heavily influenced by culture and what other members of society are doing. This notion carries over into his theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. Lev Vygotsky believed that as learners, we are not as strong individually as we are collectively. The Zone of Proximal Development is an imaginary 'zone' that is in between what each individual currently knows and what he or she is capable of learning. This learning can be done by oneself, however Vygotsky emphasized the use of teachers in pushing pupils and expanding their knowledge. With the help of an instructor, the student can transition new tasks into his or her area of current abilities and move on to conquer even more challenging concepts armed with this new knowledge. The Zone of Proximal Development is developed through the use of scaffolding. This is when a teacher helps learners to overcome an obstacle while gradually releasing control and shifting more and more of the cognitive load onto the learner himself. This can also take place if the learner teaches herself something.
In my classroom, I definitely plan on using this theory. It is important to bear in mind that students need a framework to learn, and that as a teacher, I must make sure not to move too fast. The student must feel comfortable and be ready to assume the thinking load that I put on them when I do. In addition, it is crucial that I know where my students are at: what they already know, what they are struggling with, and what they have no prior knowledge of. I can do this with a pre-test or by questioning my class before new units to see how familiar the material is to them, and to evaluate whether I need to review any thing necessary for the lesson that they may have not internalized well enough yet. Moreover, when I need to pay close attention to the homework students are turning in as well as which ones are asking more questions so I can know how comfortable and prepared my students are for the test and understanding the concept as a foundation for future building of new knowledge.
The next theory that I think is important is Erickson's Theory of Psychological Development. Even though this is just a theory and cannot be applied to every student, I feel that it has validity and could help me to understand and assist my students better. Erik Erickson developed his theory by dividing up the life span into stages in which there are conflicts that must be resolved. These conflicts can have negative as well as positive outcomes depending on which side a child falls on. The following is a brief description of the stages:
infancy- birth to 8 months- conflict: trust v. mistrust (care-giver)
toddler-1 1/2 to 3 years-conflict: autonomy and independence v. shame and doubt (parents)
preschooler-3 to 6 years-conflict: initiative v. guilt (school, neighborhood, family)
school age child- 7 to 12 years- conflict: industry v. inferiority (role models and peers)
adolescence-13 to 18 years-conflict: identity v. identity confusion (peers)
young adult-19 to 35 years-conflict:intimacy v. isolation (partners and friends)
middle age adult- 36 to 60 years-conflict: generativity v. stagnation (household, co-workers, boss)
older adult- 60+ years- conflict: integrity v. despair (society and mankind as a whole)
The traits on the right of the conflict are positive and those on the right are the negative possible feelings. The parenthesis contain the people and relationships that are central to each conflict. According to Erickson, the way in which these conflicts are resolved shapes who we are and what we feel as we take our places in society. As a teacher, I will have a responsibility to help my students overcome these conflicts in a positive way. Understanding what my pupils are struggling with will also be important because I can be better equiped to be what they need me to be.
As a teacher, I hope to use this theory by promoting self-worth, confidence, and independence while trying to steer kids away from being overly dependent or too bossy. I want each child to get the attention from me that they need to feel special and I want to challenge them with new tasks to push thier initiatives. I want to praise the hard work that they do and push them to attempt everything and not to be discouraged if they do not succeed the first time. I also want to make each child comfortable with talking in front of the class and promote a healthy and tolerant learning environment to ensure that the children will be okay with taking risks and pushing themselves. If doing this means that I will have to gradually bring kids to this point, then I am fine spending one on one time with them or starting them off with activities in smaller groups so that even shy kids get the chance to shine in front of thier peers.
Lev Vygotsky's theory concerning the Zone of Proximal Development and Erik Erickson's Theory of Psychological Development are two important theories that I plan on practicing in my future classroom. I believe that using these ideas will improve my teaching while simulataneously helping my students in thier quest for knowledge.
17 April 2009
Being Successful in TE 150
One of the things that I think helps the most in terms of learning comprehension was reading the assigned reading and taking notes on it before. These don't have to be written notes- but at least go through and make a mental checklist of the main points, jot down a few terms perhaps, and assess where you are at with understanding it. Obviously, reading is assigned for a purpose and should be read; the syllabus can tell you that. But most people(if they read) have the tendency to simply skim the reading briefly and just leave all the learning to class. This is a way to pass the class for some, but in the end it makes studying before the exam harder. This is because class time is meant for questions and an OVERVIEW of the topic. This is college-not high school. If you approach the class with the tactic of setting up your own framework of a concept, it makes it easier to study a little bit over the course of the unit. If you understand the topic, then the powerpoints in class will make the connections you need to remember it and fill in the gaps. Moreover, if you do not understand something then it is easy to directly ask the question that day in class instead of frantically reading everything ever assigned, surfing the web the night before the exam, and/or emailing the professor last minute to clarify a confusing concept.
Next, for the exams one strategiy I used with studying was filling out the study guide a few days before and going through every bullet point and explaining the concept and making sure that I had all of the material collected in one place. In preperation for the essays, it was good to think up a couple of examples for the theories of abstract ways of using them. This cut down thinking time on the exam and all I had to do was crank out my examples that applied to the prompt and refine them. Don't go into an exam without ammunition-know your stuff as best as you can.
In addition, another tricky thing about the exams was memorizing the stages of theories such as Piaget and Erickson. Don't worry though, the questions concerning them are not ridiculous. Rewritting the stages over and over again helped me to keep the stages straight. Don't just look at it and say you have the general idea...recall is a lot harder than just recognizing it in a multiple choice or matching problem, and you will need to make sure that you can do both. That is why writting them out again and again helped me because I could see what I was forgetting and find a way to remember it.
All in all, this class is not overly difficult, it is very appropriate. Studying is important and you will have to do the reading to be successful but it is not a crazy amount of work like some of my other classes. Just stay on top of what you're learning and you'll be fine in TE 150.
Next, for the exams one strategiy I used with studying was filling out the study guide a few days before and going through every bullet point and explaining the concept and making sure that I had all of the material collected in one place. In preperation for the essays, it was good to think up a couple of examples for the theories of abstract ways of using them. This cut down thinking time on the exam and all I had to do was crank out my examples that applied to the prompt and refine them. Don't go into an exam without ammunition-know your stuff as best as you can.
In addition, another tricky thing about the exams was memorizing the stages of theories such as Piaget and Erickson. Don't worry though, the questions concerning them are not ridiculous. Rewritting the stages over and over again helped me to keep the stages straight. Don't just look at it and say you have the general idea...recall is a lot harder than just recognizing it in a multiple choice or matching problem, and you will need to make sure that you can do both. That is why writting them out again and again helped me because I could see what I was forgetting and find a way to remember it.
All in all, this class is not overly difficult, it is very appropriate. Studying is important and you will have to do the reading to be successful but it is not a crazy amount of work like some of my other classes. Just stay on top of what you're learning and you'll be fine in TE 150.
14 April 2009
Take-Away Messages from TE 150
My first spring semester at Michigan State has just flown by so fast! I took my first teacher education class this year in the spring- TE 150. This class has been my gateway into the Education program and I have learned many important lessons and major themes from TE 150.
I think that the lesson that is the most important perhaps is the notion that all children are different. There is not one set formula that teachers learn and that engages, and successfully conveys concepts to children. Furthermore, all students come from different backgrounds and it is important for teachers to realize this. There are multiple possible explanations as to why a child is how they are. Life is a succession of multi-causal events: the interaction and existence of many different experiences shape who we are as people. Learning history is influenced by a number of factors ranging from memories and past social interactions to cultural identities and families. As teachers, it is very important to understand this seemingly simple, yet often overlooked, concept so that each child is viewed as a fresh case. It is all to easy to revert to a simplistic teaching method that works for the pre-concieved model of what a student should be in the teacher's own schema. These differences must be acknowledged and different approaches must be utilized as well as back-up plans if a child cannot learn in the way the teacher is presenting the material.
Next, I think that another important message that I took away from TE 150 is the lessons that we learned about cognitive load and memory/attention control. Our future job as a teacher will be centered on these principles. We will be faced with the daunting task of helping students learn. It is important to understand the principle of cognitive load so we can know when a pupil is overloaded and needs assistance. It is also handy to have an understanding of memory techniques to pass on to students to enable them to succeed. Going along with this, the importance of attention is emphasized. Attention is crucial to the learning process and teachers need to do all that they can to ensure that they capture their childrens' focus on the task at hand so that they can actually learn it. This is another concept that is seemingly obvious but it is good to emphasize this as a reminder.
These were the two main messages that I feel are the most important for future teachers. TE 150 did a great job at educating me about these two concepts so that I will (hopefully) never forget to implicate them in my teaching strategies and lesson plans.
I think that the lesson that is the most important perhaps is the notion that all children are different. There is not one set formula that teachers learn and that engages, and successfully conveys concepts to children. Furthermore, all students come from different backgrounds and it is important for teachers to realize this. There are multiple possible explanations as to why a child is how they are. Life is a succession of multi-causal events: the interaction and existence of many different experiences shape who we are as people. Learning history is influenced by a number of factors ranging from memories and past social interactions to cultural identities and families. As teachers, it is very important to understand this seemingly simple, yet often overlooked, concept so that each child is viewed as a fresh case. It is all to easy to revert to a simplistic teaching method that works for the pre-concieved model of what a student should be in the teacher's own schema. These differences must be acknowledged and different approaches must be utilized as well as back-up plans if a child cannot learn in the way the teacher is presenting the material.
Next, I think that another important message that I took away from TE 150 is the lessons that we learned about cognitive load and memory/attention control. Our future job as a teacher will be centered on these principles. We will be faced with the daunting task of helping students learn. It is important to understand the principle of cognitive load so we can know when a pupil is overloaded and needs assistance. It is also handy to have an understanding of memory techniques to pass on to students to enable them to succeed. Going along with this, the importance of attention is emphasized. Attention is crucial to the learning process and teachers need to do all that they can to ensure that they capture their childrens' focus on the task at hand so that they can actually learn it. This is another concept that is seemingly obvious but it is good to emphasize this as a reminder.
These were the two main messages that I feel are the most important for future teachers. TE 150 did a great job at educating me about these two concepts so that I will (hopefully) never forget to implicate them in my teaching strategies and lesson plans.
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