It's Time to Get Aligned!

 

I enjoyed the reading on assessing student learning. I am becoming increasingly aware of how students are assessed differently than they are taught, just as the students in Mr. Sullivan’s class. I believe that teachers should not be made to feel insecure about what they are doing but be shown respect and support. Teachers should be encouraged on the positives of what they are doing well and given tips on enhancing their teaching to increase student learning. Administrators or coaches may give the impression that a teacher is inadequate. Still, their feedback should be very clear to show that they do not want to change who the teacher is but enhance their instruction to benefit student achievement. Mr. Sullivan’s activity was great for bringing realia to the classroom, but it was irrelevant if it had nothing to do with the learning objectives or assessment. That’s why the students reacted in surprise to the assessment. His activity reminded me of a place value activity that the class and I did this year(see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Place Value Mat Activity

Note. Students were prompted to create a three-digit number.

First, this same activity was done last year at the beginning of the Unit. It was done as part of teaching. I learned from last year that the students were so excited to use the food that they could have been more engaged in the learning objective. In addition, some students needed to grasp the understanding. Working with food was frustrating for them, but how? It was supposed to be fun for everyone. So, this year I altered the timing of the activity. I used the activity as an end-of-objective learning celebration. Although it didn’t seem like an assessment to the students, it was an awesome way to see which students understood place value forms. This year I noticed a difference in the confidence and engagement of the students. Even students who usually struggle with most concepts seem to understand place value forms.

Writing specific learning goals is one part of the reading that stood out to me. I love that Slavin (2020) provided the three steps to write learning goals: condition criterion-performance, action verb, and behavioral objective (p.351). I plan to use these guidelines to help me create my learning objectives. I like the Video Example 13.1; I believe this is what true team-teaching collaboration should be like. For us teachers, the essence of time has always stood in the way of such collaborations. I believe that with the help and support of administrators, mandating collaboration between, ESOL, EIP, SPED and other support teachers would be helpful to increase academic achievement.

Slavin (2020) stated that before assigning an internet assignment, students should be familiar with the resources, which may require teaching or reteaching (p.352). I agree, and I understand first-hand because of a writing celebration that I assigned the students. They were to write a non-fiction book using PowerPoint. Well, while this should have been fun and engaging. Unfortunately, it turned into frustration since most students had never used PowerPoint, so between other students who started their story earlier and me, we were teaching the basic concepts of PowerPoint to help get students started. Some students were sitting and waiting on someone to help them to get started. Next year I will introduce PowerPoint earlier in the year so that students are regularly working in the program so that by the time we get to our Writing Celebration, they will be familiar with PowerPoint. In addition, I can use PowerPoint as a common way for students to do online project assessments.

Slavin (2020) acknowledged that you might create a test before teaching, but you may have to change the test after teaching. I am glad to have read the part about changing your assessment (p.354). I love this because we must be flexible and understand that we may have to change our instruction, activities, or assessments to increase student learning.

I never thought about the term teaching objectives being different than learning objectives., but it is made clear that the teaching objective is what you want the students to learn, and the learning objective is what you want the students to do (Slavin, 2020, p.354). I remember a 29-year veteran teacher told me that they used to have to write “The teacher will…, The students will…” in their lesson plans. I am assuming the reason why is for clarification of the lesson objectives. The prompts are a good idea, especially for new teachers or other teachers who need assistance organizing lessons.

We use 1,2 and 3 to grade our students. The same grade is applied to Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Specials areas, and Social Skills. Although we have a Rubric for Math and ELA, there is no rubric for the other areas, so the grades are subjective.

Question:  As a teacher, when I am learning all this great material and things, I can change to become a better teacher. Where do I begin, and how do I not overdo it by trying to change too much at once? I know it’s a process, but where to begin?

References

Slavin, R. E. (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (13th ed.). Pearson Education

Nature, Nurture, or Environment? That is the Question ...or is it the Answer?

 The concept of Language and Literacy Development was interesting, especially since it connected to students in the grade levels I work with daily. In particular, I like reading about the different theorist and their research on child development. For example, when I read about nature and nurture, it made me think of Epigenetics, The term that was introduced to me by my pastor. During a meeting at church, he showed us a YouTube video entitled Epigenetics: Nature vs. nurture. The video showed an excellent illustration of Epigenetics. The video illustrated how two identical twins, although from the same gene pool the twins went on to live two separate lives. While one went down a road living a good civil life while the other lived a not-so-good life, the question was raised about whether nature or nurture was the cause(Faculty of Medicine - University of Oslo, n.d.). The video also correlated the same concept with an experiment with rat mothers and their babies.

The development of children as it relates to their ages and stages is very significant to my teaching practices. As Slavin(2020) stated, the genes of the students are beyond our control, but there are other factors that we are in control of that significantly impact the language and literacy of students (p.23). All educators should understand the stages and development of their students so that we can better teach our students. Every group of students we get is different, developing cognitively at different rates. Piaget believed that all children go through each stage but at different rates. I think a good example of thinking about in comparison is the physical development of children. Just as all children develop physically at different rates, in the same way, their minds develop at different rates. I think it was very interesting to watch the example in Video 2.2; I thought that it was funny that the little girl knew that they had unequal amounts at first, but she did not understand that because the sizes were different, they still didn’t have the same amount.

The Bioecological Theory of Bronfenbrenner was also interesting. I see some validity in the ideologies and research of each theorist. When I read from the viewpoint of Bronfenbrenner, I thought about my children and their upbringing in the church. We have a lineage of churchgoers, so they have a concept of heaven, hell, Sunday school, pastor, Satan, tithes, offerings, deacons, and other church terms. In comparison, a child who has never been to church would not know these terms unless they have friends or family who talk about these things or if they have seen references on social media or other media sources.

I can become a better teacher by understanding each student's zone of proximal development and scaffolding until the students are independent learners. I will continue to use peer interactions so the students can hear each the private talk to one another. I will be more strategic when I seat my students on the carpet so they can turn and talk with the most appropriate student for their development.

A question that I have is about Video 2.4. I have mentioned before how my students struggle with regrouping. They have become very fluent with the addition with regrouping. However, some still struggle with subtraction. Other teachers, excluding gifted (GTE) teachers, agree that it is a common challenge across the grade level. I noticed that the class was a third-grade class. Now, I wonder if regrouping two-digit numbers was a third-grade standard. I also wonder, considering the Covid shutdown in 2020, should some standards, such as subtraction with regrouping, be shifted to 3rd grade? Slavin (2020) provided an image that is very accurate to how some second-grade students and teachers feel about subtraction with regrouping (p.34).

 References

Faculty of Medicine - University of Oslo. (n.d.). Epigenetics: Nature vs nurture. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k50yMwEOWGU&t=286s

Slavin, R. E. (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. (13th ed.). Pearson Education

Slavin, R.E.(2020) Zone of Proximal Development Comic. [image]. Educational psychology: Theory and practice. (13th ed.). Pearson Education 

Effective Classroom Management to Improve Instruction and Increase Student Achievement

I feel inspired and refreshed as I read Chapter 11. There were many strategies listed that were relevant to my classroom today. When I can connect to what I am reading, it helps me internalize the content. I understand that students should feel the same way and that I should use connections as part of instruction. That is what keeps them engaged in stories or other lessons. Making connections for students is an effective strategy for instruction(Slavin, 2014, p.221). When students are engaged, and the lesson is interactive, fewer behavior problems will occur(Slavin, 2014, p.289). Effective classroom management can be challenging for many veteran and new teachers.

I know that I only sometimes handle behavior issues subtly. However, I am glad that I was able to read this chapter because of some of these strategies I had heard before, and I was reminded of the importance of minimizing disruptions and maximizing instruction. By doing so, instruction will improve, and student achievement will increase. In addition, there are research-based strategies I could use to improve behavior incidents and help my classroom more effectively manage.

Differentiating instruction to match the students in my classroom will increase on-task behavior. For example, I could offer several options for extra practice, assessments, and exit tickets. That way, students can feel in charge of their learning and be involved in the process.

I can use what I learned to be a better teacher by implementing the new strategies that I have learned. I will be intentional about being clear about my expectations, routines, and procedures. The routines and procedures that should be reiterated are those where the students seem confused about what to do. For example, when it is Writer’s workshop, the students should know that they should take out their writing folders, then come to the carpet. Still, I noticed that as the year went on, fewer students were taking out their writing folders, and some students were coming to the carpet while others stayed in their seats; some would start writing but did not have their writing notebooks. As an effective educator, I should realize that students are not doing as expected because they no longer have those clear expectations. I did what some would say, “dropped the ball” on the transition expectation. I know that for this transition and other aspects of my classroom management to improve, I have to be clear and consistent, which are two keys to effective classroom management.

References

Slavin, R. E. (2014). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Pearson College Division.

 

 

A Constructive Approach to Learning

 I love the constructivist model, student-centered instruction, and cooperative learning. I am an advocate for the student-centered approach. When instruction is student-centered, the students are more engaged in the lesson. For example, since I know that most of my class likes to play Roblox, all I have to do is mention Roblox in a math word problem or take a topic we are learning about and connect that topic to the game, and the students become more engaged. The same is when I tell the students that they can work with a partner or in groups. The students always become more involved. I know that direct instruction can be preserved because there are many things that the students need to be explicitly taught. 

The constructivist model encourages social learning in which the students learn from each other, and the best way to be successful is to incorporate heterogeneous grouping (Slavin, 2019, p.95). According to Slavin (2019), the top-down approach will promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills (p.196). I love the idea of students as Masterminds. It made me visualize the idea of students understanding that their mind is capable of some amazing things. When the students engage in discovery learning, they learn concepts and other principles through active involvement and experiences. If students become independent learners and take on the responsibility of ensuring they understand the learning target, they can be self-regulated learners. Slavin provides various strategies that are relevant and applicable to classrooms today. I am excited to learn more strategies for questioning, reasoning, problem-solving and critical thinking. In particular, reciprocal teaching drew on my interest because this is a strategy that I use at times, but Slavin(2019) provides a step-by-step guide and example on how to incorporate it with fidelity in the classroom(p.203). 

After reading the book, the students in my guided reading group write a response to the story, then we play trivia in which the students all have a buzzer, and I will ask questions based on the text. The students compete to press their button first. The students are also allowed to be the “teacher” and ask their peers questions. The questions range from within the text to about the author and the text. 

Also, when reading the thinking skills section made me think of the new math standards we will be teaching soon. Teachers who attended the training shared that the new standard will be thinking math, where we will be teaching the students critical thinking about math.

I learned several concepts that will help me be a better teacher. One is the use of accountable cooperative learning. I want to create groups where each student is accountable and participates in the group activity. I want to help the groups to set goals for their learning experiences. There is no way for me to watch every group to be sure they are doing the right thing, but if I teach them the group rules and how to help keep everyone accountable. I will also use a balance of student-centered approaches and direct instruction to help me to be an effective teacher and increase student learning.

Although some concepts are already implemented in my class, I want to implement them with more fidelity. The question is, how can I gradually implement the methods in my classroom without becoming overwhelmed with too many changes in instructional styles? Also keeping in mind that students become stressed when trying multiple new concepts and when a routine is away from the norm. 

What Good is Information If You Can't Remember?

 As I read chapter 6, I reflected on my classroom, The students, my instructional delivery, activities, and assessments. I thought about whether I was offering my students the best educational experiences conducive to learning. You may think I have never reflected on these things, but I have! However, I only now reflect on the brain and how it processes information. After all, it controls everything; our actions, feeling, and viewpoints (p.136). Teachers must consider their students' backgrounds because it will affect their learning. For example, there is a possibility that children who lack nurturing will not have the proper brain development (Sousa, 2017, as cited in Slavin, 2014, p. 138).

Teaching is imposing information upon and impacting the brain of the learner. Slavin (2014) stated that you would only be successful in changing the brain of a learner who can receive the incoming information (p. 141). For example, I have a student who does not know letter sounds, is not fluent in addition and subtraction to 10, and only knows a few sight words; However, the student could answer critical thinking questions during read-aloud. The student may not be ready to read, but listening comprehension is superb when I am reading to her. The brain is a mystery within itself, and I enjoyed learning more about how the brain works. 

I could be a better teacher by understanding my students as learners. I need to know what they know, what they are ready to develop, and what needs to be extended. Most importantly, I need to determine what helps them remember skills, strategies, and other concepts taught this year. I realize the importance of explicitly teaching how to remember. I have used mnemonic devices like; Circle, Underline, Evaluate, and Solve (C.U.B.E. S) and Somebody Wanted, But, So, Then (S.W.B.S.T.). However, I have also observed students knowing a chant but needing to know what it means or how to use the chant to gauge their understanding. What good is the information if they can't remember?

I want to know more about how to help students who have attention deficits. First, students must pay attention and listen to remember the information (Slavin, 2014, p.128). I have quite a few students diagnosed and undiagnosed, but I would love to learn more about how to help those students learn self-regulation with focus and attention so that they will stay caught up with their peers.

References

Slavin, R. E. (2014). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Pearson College Division.

 

What is Your Type? A Behavioral and Social Learning Discussion

 

We all heard the saying, "you learn something new every day." Pink (2010) provided a motivational drive survey that measured whether the participant was extrinsically or intrinsically motivated. To my surprise, I learned that I am extrinsically motivated. I have always thought of myself as being an intrinsically motivated person. Guillen (2020) illustrated examples of extrinsic motivators such as financial security, independence, acceptance, and having a feeling of belonging (p.15). I am perplexed at my finding that to confirm the measure from the drive survey; the table also shows that I am mostly extrinsically motivated. However, I did find examples that prove my initial belief that I am intrinsically motivated. I agree that when the revenue is not attached to purposeful goals, there is poor performance (RSA animate: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us, 2010). It makes me think about fast food chains, Chick-Fil-A versus Mcdonald's. In my experience, I always wait longer at many Mcdonald's restaurants, the customer service is not pleasurable, and I am normally missing items. When visiting most Chick-Fil-A restaurants, the service is typically the opposite of McDonald's. I wonder if Chick-fil-A set goals for their business that if they make customers happy, then they will increase their business and profit.

 

The classical conditioning experiment by Pavlov makes me think about when I start new interventions in the classroom. For example, when using Class Dojo as a reinforcer, the students were not used to the specific sound associated with rewarded points. Now that students are familiar with the sound, when they hear the sound, most students respond to the sound by doing what they are supposed to do in the classroom or the hallway. I also have found that when I pick up my phone, and the students see that I am about to find someone to give points to, they will change their behavior to the desired behavior. I found it interesting how often a stimulus can change. Last week, I started using tickets as a reinforcer to reward the desired behavior. At first, students did not respond to the tickets. They wondered what it was for, then I rewarded points to students who received tickets, now, students look for tickets in my hand, and when they see others receive a ticket, they receive a ticket. Slavin (2014) mentioned that when you set a rule and allow students to break the rule, the rule will become extinct (p.112). I have been guilty of doing this in my class—especially the rule about blurting out answers. I set a personal goal that I started this week to be consistent with the rule and praise others for raising their hands and waiting for me to call on them.

 

The Bobo Doll Experiment by Bandura is something that was familiar to me. Still, I am glad that I could see the experiment results and explanation on the video as a refresher. Learning from observing, remembering, and copying others is referred to as social or observational learning (Bandura and Social Learning Theory, 2013). I made a connection to a behavior intervention found on the Intervention Express website called Sit and Watch. Students have to sit and watch other students who are engaged in the desired behavior for 1 to 3 minutes; then, the student will return to work and engage in the desired behavior. The teacher will instruct the student on classroom expectations so that the student is clear on what is required.

 

 

References

Bandura and Social Learning Theory. (2013, August 30). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjTxQy_U3ac&t=37s

Behavior. (n.d.). Intervention Express. https://www.interventionexpress.com/behavior.html

Guillen, M. (2020). Motivation in organisations: Searching for a meaningful work-life balance. Routledge.

Pink, D. H. (2010). Drive:  The surprising truth about what motivates us.  Penguin Publishing Group.

RSA animate: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. (2010, April 1). YouTube. https://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc

Slavin, R. E. (2014). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Pearson College Division.