Reading Analysis-Wollf

I think we can all agree that we have had at least one previous teacher, whenever, that teaches solely by grades. I find what Wolff was talking about partly, in my own considerations about grading. It is sad that students who have great insight and passions for an field of study are labeled failures because of math. I remember my college math course, yes only 1. Reading from the book was the professor's way of teaching,word for word. I can read , I read it but didn't always get it. I got the worst grade of my college carrier in that class, mean while in my field of interest I was soaring through the basics. I don't blame him; not totally, I wouldn't want to teach that class either but could have went about it differently. The point was that it pulled my GPA, AHAZen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance again. Colleges choosing from top rankings and certain professions taking only the elite. Our society does the same, people sometimes do the same. I don't disagree with ranking as a matter of choosing the best qualified. I think it is part of what we promote in our neck of the world, competition. It's not always the best decision in the long run but a valid one at the time of entrance into something. At lower levels of education I think perhaps other evaluations should be considered but it cost time and money which right now is a fortune cookie in our economic pocket. We, as teachers should look for a more subtle way so that the focus is not geared towards grades and rank but rather wholeness and understanding. I love to learn about different things however I have never until where I am at now concerned myself with the difference between an A and an B and that's only because I will be looked at by some, not everyone, as a name on a paper with a few numbers but that doesn't tell people what you are capable of.

Reading Analysis - Curren 51

Ah, grades: those lovely little marks that make or break our school daze. Wolff's article "A Discourse on Grading" had me nodding my head in recognition of the phenomena he describes. Grading, in Wolff's opinion, is relatively unnecessary until the professional (i.e. graduate school) level, and that before that point, it only serves to bolster the reputation of the undergraduate institution in the academic community... or maybe I'm reading it wrong. The only purpose for grading in undergraduate institutions is to indicate to professional institutions that a candidate has met the criteria for the degree... right? 

The most telling point that Wolff makes is that a student who excels enthusiastically in his major field of study to the exclusion of all else is considered a "failure" if he cannot pass his core subject classes, but a student who trudges in mediocrity through all of his classes is considered "successful." Does this raise anyone else's eyebrows?  I'd rather have the enthusiastic surgeon who can't spell than the guy in scrubs who scooted by with a C average in everything, wouldn't you? It's kind of sad that the guy who can't spell or can't do calculus, but could practically recite Gray's Anatomy (the celebrated medical textbook, not the TV show) from memory flunks out of medical school.

There are definite differences between the general education courses and the major courses, of course. Most of the time, students are going to be more interested in their own major courses, but sometimes a bad grade in a major course can have a major impact on the student. Criticism is not an easy thing to take, and some teachers just squash all the passions of their students with unrealistic or vague expectations that result in bad grades that are not any more well-supported than the essays they're grading. Wolff is right in saying that students can get frustrated by this sort of harsh and vague feedback and shut down. Once a student gets into a situation where s/he doesn't care about the work s/he's doing like that, as Wolff says "the spontaneous energies of the student may over a time be so dampened that some extreme therapy is needed to re-evoke them." I know I changed my college major after receiving such a grade... and I probably should've stayed where I was. 

What I take away from Wolff's article is important: make sure your grading decisions as a teacher are well-supported, just as you expect your students' essays' arguments to be well-supported. Give constructive feedback, and make your expectations clear from the beginning of the assignment, and measure up the students' performance consistently using that criteria. If a student were to come in and ask why it is that s/he received a certain grade, you should be able to tell her/him why to her/his satisfaction. Students can only improve if they can understand what, precisely, they did that can/should be improved.

~amanda c~

Other- Yearning for Zion on Oprah

Yesterday on Oprah, she went behind the gates of the Yearning for Zion ranch. It is a polygamist community behind gates the houses over 400 children, most of them are females just waiting to be married off, even as young as 11 and 12. Besides the obvious creepiness of the situation, Oprah was very interested in going into the schools and speaking with the children. Since they do not have tv, none of the children knew who she was. She asked them to raise their hand if they had ever heard of the following characters- Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Cinderella, the little mermaid, etc. Only one of the children out of the class had heard of Cinderella. The other characters were not recognized by anyone. When Oprah asked what they do for fun/play time, the children answered that they don't play. Playing is a waste of time, and they work to have fun, because by working they are accomplishing tasks and being useful. One student even said that playing isn't fun.The following is a post from the site talking about the school-

"Tammy, the second grade teacher, says it has taken the kids awhile to readjust to their usual routine since the raid. That routine includes religious studies, along with math, earth science, English and spelling. When it comes to reading fiction, Tammy says it doesn't have a place in the curriculum. "We study animals and everything that has a purpose," she says. "We don't just study things that are figments of people's imagination, because we're focused. We have a specific reason for everything we do." All the students' studies are working toward one goal, Tammy says—"To become like God on Earth." "
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090325-orig-polygamist-ranch/7

I am just wondering if, as teachers, what are your opinions about this topic and how these students are taught. Wanting to teach Elementary school, I find playing very important. There has to be learning time of course, but there also has to be play time. And play time doesn't mean you have to be learning anything. Sometimes you just need a good game of hide and seek or duck duck goose. Besides being completely shocked about the whole situation, it just saddens me that these children are there to work and do the dirty work for the adults. Kids and kids and should be allowed to act as such.

Gov. Sanford refusing the stimulus money

After I got home from class last night, I had an e-mail from Rock Hill School District asking parents to support a meeting that was held downtown Rock Hill last night. I am attaching an article that was in the Herald today. York County's four school districts are concerned what will happen to our schools if Gov. Sanford refuses the $700 million as he has vowed to do. The e-mail I received from the school district mentioned without this money, there would be larger student-to-teacher ratios, layoffs, and more furlough days. This could affect us as future teachers. I personally would like to teach in York County when I graduate. This will not only affect York County, but South Carolina as a whole.

http://www.heraldonline.com/120/story/1234505.html

Curren 51- Reading Analysis

I have always had a bad feeling about grading. After reading this chapter it only brought those feelings out more and made me realize that other people may feel similar to me. Like it said in the chapter, since Kindergarten we are viewed as students based on our grades. Whether they be "good" or "bad", they determine which classes we take, whether we can advance or not and our overall image we are given by teachers. I was very taken with the story of John and William at Columbia. I feel strongly that John should have be given a degree also. Who is to say that because he does poorly on tests, that he is not just as qualified as William. I know personally, I have very bad test anxiety, especially when it comes to Math. I had to take all of my math tests in high school and college in a room by myself. That didn't mean I didn't understand the material just as well as the other students. I have seen it so many times; a student does poorly on their tests, but if you sit and speak with them, they know the material forwards and backwards. With the example of the physics class in college when the grade of 38 was given- why do grades even matter when a 38 (failing grade) goes from a C to a B. The teacher just made it into whatever he wanted to, so why even give a grade? I believe that there should not be grades for anything. I think that all assignments and course grades should be pass/fail. Teachers know who knows the material and who does not. I don't believe in ranking, I think it only decreases students confidence and it puts too much pressure on the grades and not on learning. Anyone can study and memorize information long enough to take a test. But if there wasn't such a huge emphasis on grades, students would actually listen and learn and remember, not memorize.

Interesting perspective on the state of education

I found this excerpt from "Now or Never" by CNN's Bill Cafferty as he examines our education system. He makes some interesting points about school success starting at home and incorporates some of the ideas from the Obama/McCain debates last fall. He goes on to mention No Child Left Behind and how education spending is focused on paying administrators for "failed enterprises" and extra programs that might not be so deserving of tax-payer dollars considering the success rate in schools.

Check it out at http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/30/cafferty.schools/index.html?eref=rss_politics

Stimulus Funds and Gutmann's Maximization

Last week employees of Rock Hill School District 3 received an email from Superintendent Lynn Moody explaining the effects that the stimulus package or the lack thereof would have on the York County school districts. "Governor Mark Sanford wants to use part of the money to pay down state debt, while the White House says the money is intended to create or save jobs. In response, the governor says he will not seek stimulus funds. Now the state legislature is debating whether it can override the governor's refusal to accept the money . . . Without the funds, the four school districts in York County predict a devastating impact on the quality of education for all students."
Earlier this semester we read about Amy Gutmann's theories for distributing funds for education. One theory was maximization in which everyone would receive an education at the expense of funding for other things such as police protection, libraries, parks etc.
As I read the email from Superintendent Moody it made me think that maybe we are experiencing the reverse effect of maximization. At the expense of paying down the state debt, which is a worthy cause, "thousands of educators will be laid off"; class size will increase; no new teachers will be hired (that's us!!!); college tuition will increase (that's us!!!!). On the senate floor Senator Hugh Leatherman, Finance Committee Chairman, "describes the potential impacts as 'horrific'."
Only time will tell how education will be impacted by the decisions of the White House, Governor Sanford, the Senate and local school districts.

Principles of Constructivism

Previous to our class discussion,my idea of constructivist learning was much like Cathy's. In Dr. Jones' class we learned that one major theory of how people attain knowledge is through constructivism. In constructivist learning, everybody learns something, but people may not learn the same thing. We also learned that knowledge is attained through the individual creating meaning from their own experiences. After our readings and class discussion I now see that constructivist learning is a bit more involved, not so easily defined and can exist in varying degrees.
Phillips describes constructivism as existing in various forms and in different degrees along one of three axes. One axis describes the learner's role in the construction of knowledge. The spectrum in which the individual constructs knowledge ranges from active to passive. Another axis depicts the Learning Theory version of constructivism. At one end of the axis the learner is the focus of how knowledge is constructed and at the other end of the spectrum is the public discipline; or how a body of knowledge comes to be. The third axis reflects how knowledge is created. One end of this axis shows the human as the creator of knowledge and the opposite end of the spectrum depicts nature as the instructor where knowledge is only discovered in nature and is not made. It is at this end of the spectrum that one is on longer a constructivist.
As a future early childhood teacher, I feel it is important to understand constructivism, it's principles, and to have an idea of the different types and varying degrees that exist. As teachers, we will be more immediately concerned with how the individual attains knowledge as opposed to how a public discipline comes to be. I feel that because each individual brings to the classroom with him/her unique experiences, ideas and diverse backgrounds, knowledge is constucted differently by each individual. These many different experiences shape their perception and affect how they view things. Because of these different experiences, children tend to construct their own meanings of things and look for familiarities in which to construct relationships. This goes along with learners as constructivist. Teachers should consider this when setting up their learning environments and in choosing methods to present materials. In constructivism, teaching is not telling; nor is learning rote memorization. Teachers must present concepts through learning activities that actively engage students and require them to question, problem solve and collaborate with peers. In this learning theory, the teacher plays the role of facilitator that encourages students to explore, challenge and formulate their own ideas while students create their own meanings and construct their own knowledge. Some types of activities in constructivist instruction are group projects and hands-on activities. Teachers should challenge themselves to develop activities that provide students with direct purposeful experiences and promote critical thinking. These activities may be more difficult to plan and more time intensive, but I feel are more effective and will lead to greater understanding, construction and retention of knowledge. As future early childhood educators, it will be important for us to take into consideration these principles of constructivist thinking when considering our students and how they learn and our roles as teachers.

Other - Stimulus Providing Big Funding Boost For Early Childhood

This is an article I found on edweek.org. It basically talks about the stimulus package and how it is being used to boost early childhood education. Things have been looking pretty grim for us lately after hearing about all the jobs local school districts are cutting, but if states keep receiving these funds for early childhood education then hopefully schools will be able to hire more teachers. The article also discusses Early Head Start, and all that President Obama has promised to do for the program. It's interesting to see how much money has been sent to the program and to other early childhood programs. Another interesting point the article discusses is Pre-K programs. Most of the stimulus money goes to state elementary schools, so Pre-K schools have to receive funds from other places. Now, they are predicting a high competition as Pre-K educators fight for funds for their schools. Here's a link to the article.

14 year old posts nude pictures of herself on myspace

This is a video that I found on cnn.com. It is about a 14 year old girl who posted nude pictures of herself on myspace so her boyfriend could see them. There is question about how she should be charged. Should she be charged as a sex offender? It mentions in this video that laws were developed to protect children from predators. What happens when they are posting these types of pictures themselves? I found this to be interesting since we have just finished discussing the different types of laws in class. It mentions Megan's Law that requires sex offenders to register. Clearly, something has to be done to stop this type of behavior. These young children do not realize what type of impact this has on their lives forever. What types of charges should she face, or should she face any charges? This is a hard decesion. Watch the video and see what you think.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/03/27/pn.teen.faces.porn.charges.cnn

Class Summary

Notes for EDUC 600 Class, March 25 Epistemology Day
Submitted by Cindy Nigro and Linda Dixon

Housekeeping:
1. Presentation grades are now available.
2. Schedule final activity will be at Dr. Pope’s house.
3. Today’s articles: Phillips/constructivism; Elgin/knowledge vs. understanding; Siegel/critical thinking.

The articles by Elgin, Siegel and Phillips all talk about words often used in education, but not analyzed. The Phillips article lays out the field in which constructivism is taught. They all define learning as constructivism, but the term has a spectrum of different meanings. In the Elgin article she discusses that we shouldn’t be teaching knowledge but rather understanding. Siegel writes about critical thinking, what that means and how teachers can promote it.
D.C. Phillips- "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: The Many Faces of Constructivism"
People can construct knowledge differently. He discusses these differences in relation to three different axes.

AXIS 1
Individual_________________________________Social/Public
AXIS 2
Human as Creator___________________________\_____Nature as Instructor

AXIS 3
Active____________________________________Passive

The individual constructivist emphasizes that the individual takes information and constructs his or her own individual reality. Vygotsky and Piaget fall into this area. The social constructivist believes that bodies of knowledge are gained from communities. Thomas S. Kuhn stressed the role of scientific communities in the role of knowledge construction. Some of the public emphasis on knowledge has more to do with politics of the day. How can this relate to science? Isn’t the result of scientific experiments and observation just fact? Kuhn says that the scientific community does affect knowledge. Dr. Pope explained it this way:

S1 (representing scientific norm) shifts to S2 (new scientific norm)
I1, I2, I3, I4- These symbols represent ideas. Some of these ideas may not be included in the scientific norm or standard. The closer the idea matches up to what is already in the standard, the more likely it will be accepted. Occasionally an idea does not fit the norm, I4 in this case. If the idea persists but doesn’t fit, it may force a change in the structure, scientific norm. When this happens it is called a paradigm shift.

Linda Alcoff and Elizabeth Potter are two constuctivists that fall into the social category. They believed that the political and social climate has a major impact on what is considered knowledge. Political forces decide what counts as truth. When you say something that doesn’t fit in with the body of knowledge, it will be assumed as false. Who is in power (politics) has a lot of power to influence values of knowledge. Human concerns influence as much as nature.

A radical contructivist claims that scientific knowledge is constructed entirely out of social relations. Whatever is driving political and social changes will count as knowledge.

Where does knowledge originate? The second axis suggests that human beings are the creator of knowledge. The other end of the axis suggests that nature dictates knowledge. In other words knowledge is discovered not made. At some point on this spectrum
knowledge is not being made, it is being discovered.

Karl Popper falls in the middle of the second axis. His believes that the development of knowledge can be described as "man proposes, nature disposes." Man comes up with a theory tests it, then eliminates error and moves to the next theory.

The shift from Newtonian physics to that of Einstein is an example of this paradigm shift. Darwin’s evolutionary theory is also an example of the paradigm shift. Eventually the results of scientific observations and experiments change the norm.

The third axis ranges from active to passive. Climate change is an example. Some say the climate is changing, and we can do something about it. Others say that the climate is not changing. Both sides say that the individuals with the other perspective are motivated by politics. As a result what passes for knowledge is changing. Dewey and Piaget stress the active end of the constructivist spectrum. The individual through interaction with his environment is constantly changing how he interprets reality. John Locke is passive, with his blank slate perspective. You can be at different points on the spectrum.

How is this relevant to the early childhood classroom? Von Glassferfield believed that individuals construct everything. It should be free from societal influences. In the early childhood classroom we should pay close attention to the individual student and how they learn. We should also incorporate the history of the disciplines as we study. Both these suggestions are good pedagogical ideas that rest on epistemological principles.

"Education and the Advancement Understanding"-Catherine Elgin

Elgin makes reference to Plato’s Meno where he is trying to teach a slave boy geometry. What he is doing is not teaching, but helping the boy pull knowledge out (analogy of a midwife) Teaching requires knowledge. The definition of knowledge has been set very high. Elgin bases the claim that knowledge is a hard thing to obtain. Plato taught that you couldn’t teach what you do not know.

Knowledge is a justified, true belief (JTB) Truth has to have a tether, something that holds it fast. Some tethers are stronger than other.

Example- UNC beat LSU in basketball. If you saw the score on the new, you have a strong tether to believe it. If you just saw half the game, and guessed that UNC won, you have an educated guess.

What makes a good tether? There has to be a strong tether to justify your belief as knowledge. Two things make it difficult:
1. We don’t help our students have a strong enough credit for knowledge, because we tell them. We preconceive that our students know because they have been told.
2. Teachers don’t know a whole lot.

Elgin wants to move away from knowledge to understanding. It more accurately describes what happens in schools. Understanding is an approximation of the truth. It admits to degrees. It is not restricted to facts, and it is holistic. Knowledge is expressed verbally, but understanding may be expressed in other ways. Example is the young child who cannot write down what he wrote in a story; therefore it is not considered knowledge. The child may be able to draw pictures, act out or tell another student the content of the story. The student has demonstrated understanding.

Bloom’s theory is that facts are at the bottom. The theory constructed is the top of the knowledge pyramid. For Elgin this is not knowledge, but understanding.

In her summary paragraph at the end of the article, Elgin proposes that if what we do advances understanding, we are teaching and the student is learning. If we are just on the same level as our students, we are struggling together with the material, so this process is collaborative investigation.

Harvey Siegel- "The Reasons Conception"

Critical thinker is one who is moved by reasons. Reasons are based on principles, which are consistent and backed up by principles or rules. They are not arbitrary. P is a reason for "q" if and only if principle "r" renders "p" as a new reason for "r". Principles are consistent, impartial and non-arbitrary.

Example- Students who cheat get zeros. Principles apply consistency. If it is not consistent, it is not a principle. For reasons to function there has to be principles.

For reasons to function we have to have principles. For Siegel critical thinking is an educational goal. We want our students to be motivated by reasons. "…a critical thinker must be able to assess reasons and their ability to warrant beliefs, claims and actions properly."

There are two general types of principles:
1. Domain specific-good reasons for a particular area such as science and math.
2. Subject neutral-general principles that apply across a variety of contexts and subjects.

Example: Hemmingway was a drunk. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a crappy novel. There is a fallacy in this logic. Hemmingway’s personal life and behavior do not affect the quality of the product. The fallacy is subject neutral. You cold say that the novel is about man’s struggle with himself.

We want our students to value good reasoning, and to believe and act on that basis. This is the heart of the critical attitude.

In schools we should teach:
- Subject specific rules
- Subject neutral rules
- We should try to teach a critical spirit and think these things are important
- A moral component exists here too ofgetting our students to be people that value critical thinking

How do we teach critical thinking? Content, Method and Manner
- Manner-Teacher needs to model it.
- Method-We asks our students to decide knowledge and defend/justify their position.
- Content-You can teach the subject-specific and the subject-neutral principles. Subject neutral skills and domain specific skills are taught when taking certain classes.

We'll reconvene April Fool's Day; have a good week.

Media, Teachers, and Professional Status

A few weeks ago we discussed the professional status of teachers and that got me to thinking about other reasons that profession is not held with the highest regard in public opinion. Part of the issue stems from the media’s perception and persecution of a few of the poor examples within the profession. The public hears about the indiscretions with students and other teachers, the abuse of power, and other disturbing acts. There is some focus on the good work taking place in the classroom but most people remember the negative things and that is unfortunately a result of what the media views as newsworthy. The media plays up ways of grabbing the viewers’ attention and achieving increased ratings which boosts the revenues through advertising sales. What can we do to get the word out about all of the good things that teachers are doing? How much good do we need to do to get the public to care about what we are doing and the lives that we are positively influencing? How can we change the perception of our chosen profession?

Yet another reminder...from the NEA about what we post online as teachers

http://www.nea.org/home/12784.htm

Here is an article, published a bit late by the National Education Association (since we already have had an ethical education discussion nearly a month ago), which discusses the importance about being careful in regards to what we post on social sites like MySpace or Facebook.

Class Reaction

Catherine Z Elgin's article " Education and the Advancement of Understanding" really made me go back and think about the math for elementary teachers class we took in the fall. We talked a little about this in class, but I am glad that we read an article that talked about teacher's knowledge versus their student's knowledge. I have never been very good at math, so when I learned that I would have to take a math course for this major I was a bit concerned. When I found out it was a math class for teachers my anxiety lessened, because I thought "How hard could it be?" Well, after the first day of class my anxiety returned full force. We were learning concepts that went way over my head. In my frustration I asked our professor why I would need to know such difficult math, if I would be teaching a kindergarten or first grade class. One particular concept that blew my mind, was adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing different bases. We were learning bases 2, 3,4,ect. Why would I need to know such a difficult idea, when the children I would be teaching would be learning the most basic concepts of base 10 at the most! Dr. Costner explained to me that even though we all knew base 10, we needed to actually understand what it meant. By learning the other bases we were grasping the concept of bases, not just memorizing how to work in base 10. She told me that before I could teach how to work a problem in base 10, I needed to know what it really meant. I am very grateful to have had such a wonderful teacher like Dr. Costner. I made it through the class, because of her excellent instruction, as well as making me understand the idea of "knowledge." There is a big difference between knowing something and memorizing it. I believe that Elgin was trying to say the same thing that Dr. Costner did. How can a teacher teach something if they do not fully understand it? I enjoyed the class discussion on this idea because I think I could relate this article to my teaching a lot more than some other articles we have read. Plato said "Teaching is Knowing." As teachers of young children we will obviously know more than our students, but by actually understanding ideas we will TEACH the children, not simply TELL them.

Class Reaction - March 25

First of all, I still have a cramp in my hand from all the notes I took tonight. I know Cindy and Linda were our official note takers, but I retain things so much better when I write them down myself. All three of our articles were much more clear to me after our class discussions than when I was trying to wade through them myself. I was particularly glad to hear Dr. Pope say that any one theorist can be located at different spots on any or all of the three constructivist axes from reading #43. I had been trying to understand how to fit some of the theorists we have learned about (Piaget, Vygotsky, Locke) onto just one axis. And I can clearly see how a paradigm shift in science is much more tangible than one in a field like literature or psychology. The Elgin article also had a lot to consider. Understanding vs. knowledge is a comparison I had never considered. Those terms are so often used interchangeably. I was particularly struck by the distinction in how knowledge is expressed (linguistically - spoken or written) versus how understanding can be expressed through broader forms (creativity - a drawing to represent the plot of a story). And there are degrees of understanding, not just the distinct yes or no required when knowledge is accessed. The Siegel article discussion of reasons and principles was another case of terms so often used interchangeably. The subject specific and subject neutral justifications were made more clear through Dr. Pope's Hemmingway example. I am glad we finished with the important question Jennette asked of "How do you teach critical thinking?". I think the tough question for me will be "How do I teach critical thinking in K-3?".

Knowledge, Critical Thinking and NCLB

In class we discussed Catherine Z. Elgin's Education and the Advancement of Understanding. Elgin believes that we can't teach what we don't know and because the standard of knowledge has been placed so high we really don't know much. Knowledge requires a tether, something to hang it on. The stronger the tether, the greater our knowledge. I found it interesting that she said that our students know a lot because we tell them a lot. If they can repeat it back to us then we assume that they have knowledge. Even parrots can repeat what they have been told and yet with the No Child Left Behind legistation we are required to teach our students material that they will later be tested on. We are teaching them to "parrot" what we tell them so that they will perform well on a standardized test. The reward for their "parroting" is that our school will receive a higher grade on the annual report card sent to parents and to the community; we will be able to boast that our students have learned the SC standards for their particular grade level. There is no measurement on a standardized test for how strong the student's tether is.
Likewise, standardized testing does not allow for the process of reasoning as described in Siegel's The Reasons Conception. A criticism of NCLB is that it forces teachers to "teach the test." By doing this, students are not being taught to think critically (except possibly becoming critical towards standardized testing). So while the goal of NCLB is that every child should receive an education, I think we should ask ourselves, "What kind of education?" and "Will their education serve them throughout their lifetimes or just until the standardized test is over?"

Class Notes 3-11-09 by Hannah Hughes and Christin Dow

Professional Status of Teachers

Does the professional status of teachers matter?
-Yes:professional status affects standards, recruitment, training, pay, respect (authority), public perception, professional advancement, credibility

What is the public perception now of teachers and why? How does this show value?
-gender plays role: women are seen as already having a given ability to be with children which is not valued, it is seen as what we naturally are supposed to do.
-some people see teaching younger grades as "babysitting" and not really "teaching."

Specifically Elementary School:
-the knowledge for K-5 is known by most and is seen as easy, pedogological knowledge not valued.
See page 177-8 Criteria of a professional
-the knowledge that is tuaght is known to everyone which does not distinguish the teacher
-teachers are seen to have skills, not knowledge. They are seen more as a skilled worker and not as a professional who has to make judgement calls

Education Budget:
-Advancement in Education means having to leave the classroom.
-If in a budget crisis, some school counties will cut teachers before they cut sports; they will use money to build large high schools that look like colleges

Professional standards of determining good: 2 WAYS:
1. performance: have task and does it well
-this can be difficult to measure because it is based on more factors than the teacher -How much control does the teacher have over the performance of his/her students?

2. Credential Method
-not clear that a teaching credential shows mastery of knowledge that noncredentialed teachers do not have

Strike: believes that pedogological knowledege as a knowledge base that is somewhat abstract, believes that if teachers want to be professionals they need a base of content knowledge not pedogological knowledge.

Refer to page 105

According to Strike, if teachers want to become professionals, they need to master the material and concepts.

Analogy: Early Childhood teacher is like a General Practitioner; they know a lot about a lot of things. A high school teacher is like a Specialist; they know a lot about one particular thing.

Dress is a big factor when viewing someone as a professional.

Other- Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers in more than just a book. There is a website, movie, and a song by Common and Black Eye Peas Will. i.am. I think giving information on what the Freedom Writers is about as a whole may have possibly helped the teacher out from the presentation. Just a thought. Check them out here:



Foundation/website

http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.2286939/k.9708/Media_Inquiries.htm

Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ggy0SApeJU

Lyrics (might want to pull this up while listening to song, or you can just read the lyrics if you're not into the song)

http://www.metrolyrics.com/i-have-a-dream-lyrics-common.html



I know it has been a while since we discussed the book Freedom Writers in class as it pertained to a presentation. Over break the guy that I am currently dating shared with me how they are using the book in middle at high school grade levels at the school where he teachers. Just to give some background information, it is a charter school located in Charlotte, NC. Although anyone can choose to send their child to this school, the school's main objective is to provide an education to those who have been deemed as having behavioral problems, can no longer attend the CMS public schools, or can not successfully function/compete in a "normal" academic setting. Many of the students have similar backgrounds to those brought up in the presentation. Some come from low income homes, poverish communties, and often time are living with one parent or another guardian. Others are very streetwise and may know of or be into what is seen in mainstream society as negative.

My friend informed me that the students and teachers enjoy the book and love the interaction they get from the students during discussion. He believes that it is because the students can find a connection with the thoughts and life scenarios of the characters in the book. It's part of who(some) of them are and what they know. When I shared some of the comments with him that were made in class, he agreed that one has to be ignorant to think that they can keep their child from exposure to negative ideas. Not everyone had nor has a rose colored glass to look through in life. One should teach their child what to do or not to do when in a negative situation. Not just completely ignore its existence. A day will come when a parent, guardian, or teacher will not be there to shelter them.

People are always talking about finding the best way to connect with students. In my opinion, taking their background into consideration should be a key element. There is no one approach. Students like those mentioned during this part of the presentation and in the charter school have already been titled as outcast because the general public sees them as under achievers with no hope for their futures. What harm would be done in allowing them to read about students who were in their situation and now have a more positive outlook on life?

Class Notes for 3-24-09

We began class by discussing Curren 43, 45 and 49 in small groups. Each group was assigned a different article:

Group #1: Phillips—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Curren 43)

Phillips wants to know “What do we mean by constructivism?” His purpose is clarification and organization or a “method for understanding constructivist thought”. Phillips offers 3 dimensions that create a framework for Constructivist thought.

a. Individual Psychology--------------------------------------------Public Discipline
Should constructivism focus on individual psychology or be based on a public discipline like science or education? As a public discipline, constructivism

b. Human as Creator------------------------------------------------Nature as Instructor
Is knowledge something that we make or something we discover?

c. Active-----------------------------------------------------Passive
Does knowledge come about by active discovery or is it something that we were destined to discover? Locke for example, believed that we took in knowledge in a passive way. In other words, our minds are a “blank slate” (tabula rosa) that is written on. We are a passive receptacle with an active element. For Dewey, our acquisition of knowledge is more active because we are searching for solutions to problems.

Key Questions:
Is knowledge made or discovered?

Phillips thinks it is made, not found. The Good is that we engage in discussion of constructivism. The Bad is that many people slide their constructivist thought toward relativism. The Ugly is that many educators wave the flag of constructivism without fully understanding it.

Group #2: Elgin, Education and the Advancement of Understanding (Curren 45)

Elgin discusses Knowledge vs. Understanding. She writes about Plato’s Teaching Assumption (PTA): the idea that to teach you must know. Elgin wants to refrain from teaching knowledge and start teaching for understanding. She does not like PTA.
Knowledge is based on belief. Elgin’s point is that most of our beliefs that might be true are not justified. So, if we focus teaching on knowledge, then we’re potentially teaching a lot of false information.
Understanding, on the other hand, does not require truth, it’s holistic and allows for degrees of understanding (student, teacher, professor).

Questions for Elgin article:
1. What does her thesis imply about teacher knowledge? Does it degrade the role of the teacher? This question refers back to Strike and Soltis’ question about ‘What is a body of knowledge?” and don’t we need to be proficient in our field in order to justify the professional status of teachers?

Group #3: Siegel, The Reasons Conception (Curren 49)

Critical thinking is based on reasons which are justified by principles.

What does it mean to be a critical thinker?
a. They solve problems
b. It implies that the person is open to new beliefs and is open to finding a new understanding of his/her own beliefs

Siegel says that critical thinkers have a certain epistemology to support their beliefs. Critical thinkers are apt to live a "life of reason" which she also calls "the critical spirit". Problems can be solved and decisions made by viewing the world through a certain epistemological lense.

Epistemology—theory of knowledge with regard to its methods and scope

Siegel’s conclusion is not that anything goes. It’s that there are rules for reasoning and that students should learn rules of reasoning so that they can become critical thinkers in order to justify their findings. But critical thinking is also knowing your own beliefs and having the audacity to apply them. This is also part of the “critical spirit”.

Truth?! You Can't Handle The Truth!

Yesterday I watched Obama’s press conference. I began to think of leaders in general, politicians, ect.
If one broadens the definition of “teacher” to one who relays knowledge to someone else, one could consider Obama (or any other leader) as a type of teacher. Also, one could think of Obama as a “teacher” in terms of him as a role model and thus, teaching qualities we should value.
If this is the case, I wonder what our children and even the American people are being “taught”. I am nearly always disheartened when I listen to politicians answer people’s/reporter’s questions. I am sure I am not alone when I say, “Will you just answer the question, already!?” Politicians have become all too adept at “beating around the bush”. A politician will begin to answer a question by reframing it and then by the time he gets finished answering it, the person who asked the question doesn’t even remember what he asked and by that time has gotten lost in the words of the politician. So, is this teaching our children that being clever and avoiding a question is better than telling people the truth? Is it teaching our children that being popular through spinning the truth is better than being unpopular by telling the truth? We expect teachers and leaders in authority to tell the truth. In the words of Jack Nicholson, “Truth!? You can’t handle the truth! I think we should be given the truth and then we can decide how to handle it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo&feature=player_embedded

Teacher Arrested in York School District

Just thought I'd share this since we've been discussing professionalism. I work in the York School District as the assistant athletic trainer and one of our coaches was recently arrested for being inappropriate with 2 students.

http://www.heraldonline.com/120/story/1221162.html

Reading Analysis

After reading Elgin's piece I find that I agree with most of what she says. I do believe that teaching someone does not require complete knowledge of the subject, within reason; it is always nice to learn from a more experienced mind, however that is not possible for all within our education system. Throughout my life I have been inspired by peers and/or mentors that have enlightened me into a subject but at the same time did not understand everything completely. The point is to inspire a desire to advance their understanding of the subject. She makes a good point on page 419 about the student who memorizes by rote most likely does not understand, " For he, like the parrot, knows not whereof it speaks." I think that the teacher must posses enough knowledge of what he/she is talking about in order to probe students deeper into their understanding or in order to be able to raise questions that may take them their. I believe this is the difference that she was describing on page 422; that there is a difference in degree between collaborative investigation and teaching and learning. Discovering something on your own through a guided process without being give the solution helps to retain the steps that were necessary to get there, which in light is understanding. Further questions for thought. Is there a huge difference between knowledge and understanding? I think so. So then what is the determining line between the two? Do our programs give us more of one over the other? How does this fit in to our preparations for being a specific subject teacher. As teachers of a specific subject I feel we should have a great knowledge of what it is we will teach.

Other-Maybe Nel Noddings Was Right

When we discussed the article written by Nel Noddings the consensus was that her approach to caring was impractical. We are paid to meet standards, and there is little time for care. I read an article in The Magazine of Charlotte Latin School about relationships that made me think that we have to make time for caring. Charlotte Latin School is an elite prep school in Charlotte. The article states that educators have noticed a lack of awareness of the feelings of thers in the elementary schools. As a result, they are experiencing relational aggression among the students. This is a term used to describe behavior that damages or manipulates relationships. It may include, bullying, giving the silent treatment or spreading gossip about another student.

The Lower School faculty at Charlotte Latin have established a task force to raise the awareness of this problem with the teacher and the students. The lower school faculty will all read a book by Stan Davis titled Schools Where Everyone Belongs. If an elementary school of affluent children are now having to be taught to have empathy for others, what is going on with the general population?

Nel Noddings argued that the job of the schools is primarily to care for students. The aim is to produce caring, competent people. If we can not work together in society, what good is our higher math and science scores? Perhaps we need to make time for caring.

Other-Teacher Dress Code

This is an article that talks about creating a possible dress code for teachers in a West Virginia County. I found it interesting how many states and districts are becoming more and more concerned with the way teachers are dressed and having to address this issue. One would think that a teacher would know the appropriate way to to dress but apparently some are not so clear as to what is "professional attire." http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=54701

Other - Professionalism and teacher dress

I thought the article "Teaching attire becoming touchy topic" was interesting since we had so much conversation on the issue in class and on the blog. It has more reasons teachers should dress more or less professionally. I was talking to a second grade teacher who teaches in Rock Hill, and she made the comment that she does not like to have student teachers anymore because they do not dress appropriately. She complained about the spaghetti strapped tops and skimpy clothing the student teachers wore. This is definitely something to remember when we do our student teaching.

Education and the Advancement of Understanding

According to page 419, Elgin writes: “If teaching is imparting knowledge, we cannot teach magnetism to students who lack the resources to understand what that alignment is and why it matters”. Drawing upon the example of teaching science, this single statement gets to the heart of the entire article about Education and the Advancement of Understanding. However, my only concern is for students who wish to learn more than what is basically necessary in order to squeak by. Too many times, in my experiences in the high school classroom as a substitute teacher, the one thing that I have noticed is how a lot of times teachers simply teach only what they know and not encourage those who thirst for more knowledge to research it on their own which leads to a failure in not fully understanding a subject like American history.

Understanding, like knowledge, does not require truth. Sure, there are some things that not everyone is going to understand. This is why we have a variety of professionals in the world like teachers, doctors, and auto mechanics to name a few. Why not learn something about what you do not already know if understanding does not require truth? This is what baffles me the most. Understanding is not restricted to facts. “We’ve got to grasp a lot more than the established facts to understand a subject. And we’ve got to convey a lot more than established facts to teach a subject” (420). If we spend four years in college earning a degree in a field like History or English, and later earn a master’s in those areas (to name a few), why not impart knowledge on our students so that they can fully understand the subject we teach. I know that with teaching adolescents that is easier said than done.

Disparities in Education

Attached is an article published in the New York Times about how stimulus money will be disbursed to states for Education. I think this is very interesting, especially since we just watched the documentary, Corridor of Shame. I find it amazing that more Educators are not speaking out about how unfair the distribution of this money is. We all know how deperatly so many schools right here in South Carolina need this money. You may be surprised to find out who is getting it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/education/22schools.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=education

Teachers as Profesionals

Although I hate to keep going back to our discussion of teachers as professionals, I think it is important to think about. There are people in the class who I believe misunderstood some of the things I said. I in know way was implying that teachers should roll out of bed in the morning and head off to the classroom. What I was implying is that a person's dress should not be the only thing that reflects who they are. My idea of teacher's dress includes maybe nice slacks, a button up, and comfortable loafers. I believe that people should "dress the part" in their profession, and not try to portray something they are not. A fireman would not wear a business suit to put out a house fire, so why would a teacher of very young children wear a business suit to sit cross legged on the floor and read to children?
I believe that a teacher's job is one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs there is. I think that they should be recognized for the hard work they put in day in and day out. I also believe they deserve respect from the public and should be viewed as hardworking "professional" people. I also know when I become teacher there are certain things that I deserve that I will not receive. I also know that I am going to make a difference in children's lives and receive the rewarding feeling of helping others over receiving a high salary. Another thing I know is I will never be seen as brilliant as a philosopher, or as intelligent as a lawyer. At the end the day I am okay with that. I am becoming a teacher because yes I LOVE CHILDREN and want to help them become better people. Is that so wrong? As I have said before teaching is one of the most difficult jobs there is, and yes every teacher deserves the respect of being seen as a professional. In saying this, I also know no matter what happens I will always hold my head up high when I tell people I teach young children.In my mind, the rewards I receive from helping children far outweigh the reward of someone viewing me as a "professional."

Just remember the schedule

We should be able to stick to the schedule for the rest of the semester, barring some strange occurrence.

Just a reminder that it can be found at this post.

Teachers As Professionals

After class last week I had some time to think about the chapter in our book Philosphy of Education. Chaptetr 20 talks about teaching as a profession. Kenneth Strike stated that "if we believe that teaching is a profession, we will act differently" I couldnt agree with him more. I dont feel as if teachers are looked upon as professionals. However, I dont feel as if some teachers portray themselves as professionals. It was brought up in class about they way some teachers dress. How can a parent take a teacher seriously if they show up to "work" dressed in an unprofessional manner. Yes I do realize that we are going to be teaching early elementary students but that doesnt mean we can show up in our lazy sunday clothes nor do we have to show up to work in our best suit. I personally believe that the way one dresses shows their sucess. I also believe that in more recent years teachers are given a bad name. More and more teachers are portrayed on TV for going to jail for sleeping with students, being involved in a drug bust, etc. Where are the nightly news cast talking about Teacher of the Year, or all the great things we do for children? I personally want to be viewed as a professional. I am going to be working with children and providing them the best education possible. Who wouldnt want to be respected for that?? I feel it is an important role in society to be considered a professional and that in more recent times we have been portrayed as much less.

Reading Analysis- Current #43 (Constructivism)

Prior to reading this article, the only time I had heard the term "constructivism" was in in our EDUC 602 class. It was discussed in terms of using technology to provide an educational opportunity for students to construct their own learning event (collaborate or create an invididual project in a very hands-on experience). In our EDUC 602 discussion, the classroom teacher became less of a transmitter of knowledge and functioned more as a guide for the students through the process. So the discussion in this article about "the good, the bad, and the ugly" in constructivism made me realize that this theory has many different interpretations depending on who is presenting their thoughts.
There is a range from those who believe that it is a function of the cognitive process of each individual learner to those who believe it is a function of the "public subject-matter domain", which is human knowledge. The most important question raised in the article seems to sum up the debate fairly well - is knowledge made or discovered? We have compared the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky in two classes, but this article really places them both on the same side of the fence. They both believe the individual learner constructs his own knowledge, although they have different theories about how this is done. John Locke, who we learned in ECED 631 first proposed the "mind is a blank slate" theory, is also described in this article as viewing the the mind as a "receptacle" for storage. This article makes it seem as if he considers it a fairly passive process, not an active reaching out for knowledge.
Another consideration is that even if all construction of knowledge is active, there is a wide range from those who perceive it as an individual context to those who believe it is "social and political" in process. Dewey would place the learner (knower) as an integral part of the process about which he is learning, creating his own knowledge. Another view is knowledge is developed over time by the impact of social and political factors on intellecutual data. This last concept became especially clear to me when reading the last section. Harding's theory is "constructivist epistemological considerations lead directly to the important issue of social empowerment".
After reading the article, I can now see where there could be so many distinctions made about the use of the term "constructivism" and it can be applied in so many different contexts.

Good Stuff From Sherman Dorn

Sherman Dorn is a historian of education who also looks closely at education policy. He also has an awesome blog. This recent entry looks at relevant issues in how we've conceived of teacher quality in our nations history. You should notice some of the things we've already talked about in his essay; we'll talk about more of them in the weeks to come.

Also check out his provocative entry "I am not a caring teacher" in which he discusses Nel Noddings and how focusing on the virtue of teachers has hurt the profession.

I found this on cnn.com. President Obama mentions Head Start and No Child Left Behind in this article. He also mentions Early Education programs. I thought this was interesting since we have been discussing these programs and we are Early Childhood majors. He also mentions ideas he has regarding teachers.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/obama.education/index.html?iref=newssearch

Challenging Dewey

This clip portrays a provacative view of Dewey’s philosophies. It’s just an alternative view that one should ponder since we have read and discussed Dewey. I am not saying I share these views. I just think it is a good idea to be exposed to the opposing view of most things. (You are not having a problem with your speakers, there is no sound. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwZTkitm3-I&feature=related


The clip was put together by Bruce Price the founder of Improve-Eduction.org (see link below.) Peruse and decide for yourself.

http://www.improve-education.org

Police: "Quality Early Childhood Education Prevents Crime"

WCNC did a story on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe and Rock Hill Chief John Gregory's support of quality early childhood education. They said that studies show that children in quality educational programs are more likely to finish school and less likely to commit crimes. They also said that for every dollar spent in early childhood education, the programs generate $16 in savings. From research that my early childhood cohort and I have done, we've found that for every dollar invested, society receives (or saves) up to $20 back. Talk about a good investment.

The two police chiefs are joining Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a non-profit organization that consists of law enforcements officials and prosecutors throughout the country that are urging lawmakers to invest more money into quality early childhood education and after-school programs.

This story reminded me that society truly does use its educational system to try to produce the type of citizens that it wants. As a whole, we would agree that juveniles committing crimes (and adults breaking the law, for that matter) is not a desired ideal for our society.

Link to story and video on WCNC.com

Sad Day for Newspaper

Tomorrow, March 17, will be the last edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. This will make Seattle a one newspaper town. Although we live in an area where one-newspaper towns are common (Rock Hill Herald, Charlotte Observer), many large cities have more than one newspaper. This gives the residents of the city more options and ergo more balanced news reporting. Between stints as a chemist, my father was a newspaper distributor in Chicago, and each day he brought home the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Daily News and a small local daily paper, The Daily Calumet. I was a paper girl when I was young, and I had a double-route. I guess you can say that newspapers are in my blood. Even with the news updated minute-by-minute on the web, I still read the newspaper every day. I love the smell of the newspaper and the black residue it leaves on my fingers!

I know this has nothing to do with what we have been reading or discussing all semester in Dr. Pope's class, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Part of me feels sad. I am not sure if I am mourning the demise of the newspaper or because I feel like a dinosaur. I expect teenagers to tell me to get with the times and get my news off the web or cell phone.

This is worth noting especially for the Tuesday night class and the students who are earning their MAT in Social Studies. Both my high schooler and middle schooler have had to bring in current event articles from the newspaper - not from the internet. This is a traditional assignment that may fall to the wayside as daily newspapers disappear.

Stimulus Bill and Education

The other day we watched the video "Corridor of Shame." We learned about the deplorable conditions in public schools along I-95 in NC, SC, and GA. Additionally, we talked about profressionalism with Dr. Pope on Weds.

I believe in merit pay because I think it will root out some of the teachers that have become complacent with using the same activities and lessons year after year in their classrooms. It may also help when trying to keep teachers from leaving the profession or transfering from school to school. As we saw in the "Corridor of Shame" part of the reason for transfers is likely due to the poor conditions of some if not many schools.

I currently work in a school that has a very diverse, poor, and behaviorally and emotionally stressed student population. The school is lucky enough though to be nowhere near the condition of the schools in the 'corridor.' Additionally, teacher turn over is about 1 to 2 teachers a year. Usually, the turn over is due to retirement, transfer to a title 1 school, or FMLA (family medical leave).

The recently passed 'Stimulus Bill' includes money allocated to the innovation, repair, and building of schools. It also provides money to states for the prevention of cutbacks and layoffs in education. Here is a website detailing the spending of the bill: http://www.propublica.org/special/the-stimulus-plan-a-detailed-list-of-spending.

If the government could distribute the funds equally to each of the roughly 98,905 elementary, middle, and highschools throughout the U.S. each would receive about $140,000 just for improvements. Also, the money to stem off cutbacks and layoffs would be about $445,000 for each school.

Just think how much more confident and proud the students and teachers of a Dillon, SC school could be if they painted the interior of the schools, repaired plumbing, bought new computers, and stocked the library with books post 1947.

The stimulus money is there and now I think it is our public concern as professional teachers to see that the money will be used wisely.

merit based pay

What makes a teacher? Anyone can be a teacher with minimum qualifications. That is, they meet state and teacher standards, are present during school hours, and teach the assigned curriculum based on grade level.

What then, makes a good teacher? A good teacher rises above mere qualifications. A good teacher is confident, maintains a professional demeanor with colleagues, students and parents, and ensures that students comprehend the material being taught through varied assessments. A good teacher is also engaging and adaptive -meaning that if one method of teaching does not register with the students, another strategy is tried. A good teacher will observe what students have learned and retained from previous years through diagnostic assessments before the start of a new unit, and if deficiencies exist, a good teacher gets parents and administrators involved to discuss a plan of action – rather than proceeding with the planned unit and hoping for the best.

In a society that is arguing for better pay for teachers with few resources to make that happen, it seems logical to reward the good teachers without penalizing the others. In regards to Merit-based pay, barackobama.com has this to say: “Obama and Biden will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.”

So what is wrong with this? It seems as though teachers that go above and beyond the requirements deserve to be rewarded, because let’s face it, there are those doing the bare minimum. Merit-based pay serves not only to reward good teachers, but also sets the bar to encourage all teachers to raise their standards.

This is not to say that all teachers need to be the first to arrive and the last to leave (but they should always be prepared, and if work outside of school is necessary to accomplish this, then it must be done). Teachers that do only what is required of them are not penalized, they are just not rewarded. Many schools already recognize the teachers that go above and beyond – staying late, being involved, etc. by bestowing upon them the Teacher of the Year award, merit-based teaching seems something like that, only with a monetary reward.

Al Sharpton and Matthew Perry star in...my blog post.

Thanks to Cathy for linking our blog to the Al Sharpton and Joel Klein article about teaching reform.  One thing that we discussed in the Tuesday night class was President Obama's endorsement of merit-based pay for teachers.  I thought the Sharpton/Klein article made several points relevant to the idea of merit pay that we failed to mention on Tuesday.  For example, the issue of higher pay for teachers at under-performing (typically inner-city) schools is part of President Obama's education reform and is mentioned in the article.  Sharpton and Klein write in favor of such a measure and I agree with them.  It's no secret that inner city schools perform below their suburban counterparts.  These are the schools that desperately need reform across the board, especially when it comes to hiring and retaining dedicated teachers.  If higher pay will help the problem of teacher retention at inner-city schools, then I'm all for it.  But it seems that we can't focus on higher pay until teacher efficacy is improved.

In the article, Linda Darling Hammond (Stanford prof.) is quoted, saying:

"analysts consistently find that the most inequitably distributed resource--and the one most predictive of student achievement--is the quality of teachers.  Many schools serving the most vulnerable students have been staffed by a steady parade of untrained, inexperienced, and temporary teachers."

Sadly, the teachers in this description, don't seem to fit the model of an education professional that we described in class.  There needs to be a new generation of passionate individuals to work at urban schools.  Teach for America and other programs are working on solutions to this problem.  But as you know, most TFA teachers commit only 2 years. We need individuals to dedicate more time.  If, as Dr. Linda-Hammond implies, quality teachers really are indicative of quality student performance, then maybe we can shore up some of the high-school dropout statistics that we are facing.  Maybe even a few of us born and bred southerners could give city-life a try.  Matthew Perry did and it seemed to work for him.  But after a quick Google search I see that Mr. Perry hails from Massachusetts.  Oh well.

Class Reaction for March 11

Our discussion about whether teachers are professional provoked more emotion from our cohort than I have seen on any discussion. It is clear that we are all sacrificing money, time and effort in our pursuit of a career in early childhood education. It is a bit disheartening to recognize that we believe that the public does not see early childhood teachers as professionals. With just the comments of our small group it is clear why the public perceives us this way. I think we also did come to some consensus on the type of expert knowledge that we bring to teaching that some may consider professional.

First of all teachers are not considered professionals by the public, because of the way we present ourselves. The focus is on the children, but as public employees it is the taxpayers that ultimately pay our salaries. Teachers would be served to acknowledge this and address it. We discussed how appearance of many teachers is not professional. We laughed about Cathy sharing that some of the elementary teachers in her district switched to bedroom slippers. The prinicpal had to stop this practice. Vincent pointed out the incorrect spellings on the picket signs of teachers. I shared this story with my family, and my husband showed me the many incorrectly spelled words in a student handbook. This perception is not going to change as long as teachers do not recognize that they must present themselves as professionals. My former background is in hospital management. Though the patient is ultimately the concern, the effective manager must always address the needs of the physician. No hospital can survive without physicians who have confidence in the facility and refer patients. Teachers should take the same care with their community and parents.

Second, we did come to a consensus that early childhood teachers do not have a professional knowledge or expert pedagogical knowledge. We do offer a unique understanding of appropiate developmental behavior combined with extended time with the child. This is the area that we may actually be seen as a professional service. I can think of no other profession that can address that need. The parent can teach their children this material without us. The homeschool movement clearly demonstrates this. What the school brings is social learning and a professional(the teacher) who can objectively assess the child based on observation and child development knowledge.

The analysis of this question has changed my perspective about teaching. I am a bit of an optimist, so I believe that I can change this public perception where I am . I plan to take time to consider how I appear to the public as well as I plan my work with my children. In the 1980s I built marketing plans to address the needs of patients. At the same time I worked on addressing the needs of doctors who worked with these patients. As I work with children in my school, I will consider the needs and perception of the community I serve.

Article on Teachers as Professionals

When I logged on to The Huffington Post today, I saw this article regarding Teachers as Professionals and thought it was rather timely. The link below will take you to the article. Sharpton and Klein also discuss how the best teachers should be teaching in the lower performing schools. I found this to be relevant based on the Corridor of Shame video we watched in Dr. Ferguson’s class tonight. This is the proverbial two birds with one stone article. The last paragraph mentions teacher unions in passing. Having been in the south for over 20 years, I had actually forgotten about teacher unions, which is amazing since I grew up in Chicago which is a hotbed of union activity. Are unions actually an obstacle to having teachers recognized as professionals? Unions are usually associated with skilled trade groups such as autoworkers, steelworkers, printers, etc. Does the fact that teachers have a union, make teachers skilled workers rather than professionals? We touched on teachers being skilled in class a bit last night. I know that unions are not the focus of the article, but I think it is food for thought.

www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-al-sharpton-and-joel-klein/teacher-rx-the-perfect-st_b_174516.html

The Intangibles

I am unclear about whether or not it is appropriate to officially classify teachers as professionals. While, I certainly believe that teachers are professionals, it does not seem that teaching meets all of the standards that are required to be deemed a profession. This is not to say, however, that many teachers are not intelligent, thoughtful, and talented individuals.

In terms of evaluating teachers, I do believe that it is more valid to use comparative data than it is to solely use standardized test scores. However, I think there is another component to this debate that must be considered, the intangibles. So often what makes a teacher great are the things that we can't measure, or even articulate very well. When I think about the teachers that I loved the most, I do not think about how they dressed or how they wore their hair. I do not think about if they met every predetermined standard, or how strictly they followed a professional code. Instead I Think about the teachers that had the innate ability to express genuine care and concern for me. The teachers that really new how to connect with their young students. I firmly believe that children have a very keen sense for the genuine nature of adults.

I do not think that we should totally dismiss they notion that "you either have it or you don't," there may just be some substance to that thinking.

Ripped from the Headlines!

Last night's presentation mentioned a pending court case in Florida about a school prohibiting a Gay-Straight alliance student group. The judge just ruled on the case yesterday.

Skilled Workers v. Knowledge Based

Are teachers skilled workers or do they have a true knowledge base?

Every job requires a degree of skill. Lawyers learn the skills to write persuasive arguments. Oral surgeons learn the skills necessary to remove wisdom teeth. To me, skill is what you learn by doing something over and over until you could do it with your eyes shut. Sure teachers are skilled workers. They learn skills to teach children more effectively and to manage their classrooms. However, lawyers, doctors, as well as teachers also use their own judgments based on the knowledge and theories they have obtained to solve problems. Teachers must have more than skill. They must have a true knowledge base of the development of children, their brains, and even managerial knowledge.

According to Wikipedia, "professionals are autonomous insofar as they can make independent judgments about their work." This usually means "the freedom to exercise their professional judgement." Teachers are required to use their professional judgment each day to determine if a child has a speech problem, to help a child escape an abusive situation, or to determine the developmentally appropriate practices for a particular child. (Like Jennifer said in class) this is why I chose to get my MAT instead of jumping into the PACE program. I want the knowledge to make informed judgments on the issues that will arise in my classroom one day.

Yes, I believe teaching is a profession, but teachers are limited in the aspect of exercising their professional judgment in many situations. They are bound to the curriculum chosen and bound to the principal or school board's discretion on many issues. I believe teaching has to be this way because of the way schools are set up. Unlike most doctors and lawyers, teachers are not always the optimal decision makers and must answer to their principal, school board, and even the general public.

Are Teacher's Professionals?

Tonight’s class regarding whether or not teachers are professionals was very enlightening and led to some interesting discussions. Whether or not teachers possess esoteric pedagogical knowledge is not evident. Since elementary school teachers do not possess esoteric subject knowledge and the esotericness of our pedagogical knowledge is debatable, I guess that mean we do not fit the definition of professionals. In my “prior life”, I spent ten years working for a software development firm. I was employed as a trainer and also did quality assurance. Since I was not a programmer, I did not have an esoteric knowledge base. My job did not meet any of the other seven standards outlined by Strike to make me a professional. I had a specialized skill. I could teach our customers how to use our software systems, and I could trouble shoot problems with their systems. However, did I conduct myself like a professional? Yes. Did I dress like a professional? Yes. Did I earn the trust and respect of my customers? Yes. So, I believed I was a professional. And, that is really what it boils down to. What is important is how teachers view themselves and how they present themselves to the students, the parents,fellow teachers, the administration and the community. This must be done regardless of whether we meet the same professional standards as doctors, lawyers or CPA’s. I have been thinking about Katie’s remark and I agree with her. If a teacher is overly concerned whether or not they are viewed as a professional, then they are in the wrong profession. Teaching is about the children and making a difference not about our status in society.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Esoteric Knowledge Base

In class tonight we talked about Kenneth Strike’s Is Teaching a Profession: How Would We Know? We discussed possible knowledge bases by which the teaching profession could be grounded. I considered two possible knowledge bases.
In our Educational Psychology and Assessment class, we read an article that discusses Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). It seems to me that this could serve as possible esoteric knowledge on which to base the teaching profession, particularly when referring to an Early Childhood knowledge base. “Developmentally Appropriate practice requires that we consider current, scientific knowledge of children’s development in our consideration of best practice” (Brain Research and Early Childhood Development: A Primer for Developmentally Appropriate Practice, 2005). An early childhood educator would be adept at utilizing this type of knowledge where as a lay person would not. Since it is based in scientific research, it is easier to pinpoint an exact specialty.
Another possibility may be that teachers are experts on how to present subject knowledge to a child in a way in which he can understand it and incorporate it into his current knowledge. A layperson may be able to present knowledge to a child but that does not necessarily mean that the child will understand it let alone learn it and incorporate it.
Considering the amount of knowledge we as teachers must have (especially from the classes we have had at Winthrop) about fundamental issues involving children i.e. brain development, influences of socioeconomic status on a child’s ability to learn, ect., it seems we would be approaching that esoteric knowledge base needed to establish teaching as a profession.

Esoteric Knowledge

Lindsey's (and others) posts below prompted me to comment on what Strike means by his idea of "esoteric knowledge" and how that relates to teaching.

Lindsey says:

teachers are not viewed to have knowledge that is esoteric and the average person is capable of walking into a classroom and teaching the students what they need to know. If I understand this correctly then I could not disagree more. I do understand that the average person knows that 2 x 2 = 4. But, my argument is that the average person probably does not know how to teach this to a 3rd grader and know of alternative ways to teach a particular student that is not able to grasp the concept. The average person probably does not have the classroom management skills to deal with students who are acting out or not following directions. The average person also could not teach a child the seven steps to throwing a ball. All of these examples are what I believe to be esoteric knowledge that teachers posses because of their professional training.

This is right on! But I think Strike is getting at another issue. Sure, there are people who think teaching isn't a big deal and they could just walk in and give students all their knowledge and be awesome. Those people don't understand teaching that well. If anything, I think the general public's perception of teaching has gotten better over the years, so the problem isn't with people who think they could just walk in and teach. The problem is with people who see teachers as having skills (and maybe a certain personality), but not esoteric knowledge.

A plumber is a skilled worker, but we're hesitant to call the plumber a professional. That's because he has a certain skill set that is easily codified and replicable. You can learn the basic skills of plumbing in a relatively short amount of time. The amount of judgment required in the application of those skills is limited. And, (here's the kicker), non-plumbers can acquire a reasonably passable version of those skills by having a book handy. If my drain gets clogged, I can turn to my "How to fix it" book from the Home Depot to unclog my drain. I don't think I can just walk in and fix my drain, but I do think that with a limited amount of time, I can get the skills necessary to solve a lot of the basic plumbing problems.

(Now is probably a good time to note that I think plumbers are awesome, lest I get pelted by pipe wrenches. I intend no disrespect to highly skilled workers; my dad's an electrician.)

Notice what's missing here -- knowledge that takes significant skill and effort to acquire and is somewhat abstract in character, as well as the development of a type of professional judgment on how, when, and if to apply that knowledge. Do teachers have that type of knowledge? Do people believe that they do?

I submit that many people think teachers are like plumbers, rather than doctors: highly skilled workers who do a relatively dirty job that's necessary for society to function.

Class Notes - 3/10/2009

EDUC 600 Notes - 3/10/2009
HOUSEKEEPING!!!
--Note-Voting! We opted to allow flexible note-taking vs. blog-posting such that a person may substitute an additional blog posting for note-taking and vice versa for the "blogging" portion of his/her grade. (i.e. make only 1 "notes" post instead of 2, but make 3 "class reaction" posts instead of 2 to compensate, or vice-versa, still equalling a total of 4 posts)
--If you are thinking about writing a paper instead of taking the final, talk to Dr. Pope SOON to hammer out a topic and that jazz.
MAIN FOCUS: THE PROFESSIONAL STATUS OF TEACHERS

MERIT PAY FOR TEACHERS
First, a topic about Obama's education plan & implications: "Merit Pay" for teachers.
How is "merit" defined? Is it like SALES, where more sales dollars define good salesman? Teaching is not so simple.
NOTES
-Teachers can gain pay now by taking board exams and such--proactive measurees on the teachers' part. Teachers have more control over this than they do over test scores of students.
-Some districts propose rewarding students and teachers for passing scores on the AP exam ($100 for each!!!).
-Coaches just get fired instead of just getting a pay cut for bad performance--no union.
COUNTER-ARGUMENTS
-Poor teachers teaching bright students may appear to be more effective than they really are. -Some schools see greater improvement even if they are not achieving as highly as some other schools.
-If you need better teachers in the highest risk schools, merit-based pay that relies on student scores as a measurement drives teachers toward the "easier" schools instead of the more challenging ones where they're likely needed most.
-Merit-based teaching might make teachers angry because some students/parents just won't care, regardless, which handicaps teachers.
-Making teaching a somewhat commission-based system, it destabilizes a teacher's sense of "I do my job and I have stable pay." Makes teachers go even further than they already do to do a good job, even when they're already doing the best they can.
-Assessment is very difficult--Standardized testing doesn't account for all the different demographics, AND negates the desire for mastery (rather than regurgitation) of concepts.


WHAT IS A "GOOD" TEACHER?

So what defines what a good teacher IS? (That depends what your definition of "is" is?)
-1. Performance model - we know a good teacher by what s/he does in the classroom in relationship to their students. There are many ways to assess that performance. Standardized testing is the one we've talked the most about. "No Child Left Behind" only gives a snapshot with regard to this rather than looking at each child's long-term progress. Good teachers help kids know more stuff! So try the "longitudinal" model and follow progress. Observation by other teachers and administrators can factor into performance assessment as well. WHAT A TEACHER DOES - then we figure out what a teacher does.
-2. Credential model - we know teachers are good when they've passed certain benchmarks and gained certain certifications. The most basic is a teaching certificate, then Master's degrees, National Board Certification, etc. (Law and Medicine are like this - the credential-gaining process ensures that you will be a good doctor or a good lawyer because the process is hard. Constant competition with peers weeds out the weakest--like lawyer Darwinism?)

- Performance vs. Credential - the highest-regarded professions tend to go by the credential model. Teaching is somewhat credential-based in that they must have a 4-year degree to get into it, but many alternative certifications exist (Teach for America, Lateral Entry, 6-week Community College programs). The performance model measures teachers in the profession to see if they're doing well.
POINTS MADE IN DISCUSSION
-Having knowledge of the material doesn't mean one can communicate that knowledge effectively to students. Content knowledge alone isn't sufficient to make a teacher good.
-You can also communicate a lot about little substance... which is also bad.
-Maybe create an incentive program for situations where teachers bring in grant money (performance-based), instill some competitive spirit in teachers
-Competition can breed contempt, and it can de-center the teacher from the actual teaching of the class.
-If what teachers are "supposed to teach" is not well-defined, it's hard to determine if teachers are deviating from that plan.
-this is the way most other "professional" occupations are evaluated

WINTHROP'S MODEL & WOULD IT TRANSLATE TO K-12 SCENE?
Winthrop measures "good teaching" by student, self-, department chairperson, and peer evalutions for content knowledge & pedagogical knowledge + content expertise (published works in the field) + committees served and other utility contributions by teachers.
How could this translate to the K-12 scene?
-It would be hard to have this much of a personalized evaluation district-wide.
-Couldn't merit-based raises happen the way they do in other career paths according to annual review? Circumstances are very different from school to school and class to class, but then again teachers can rise above adverse circumstances.
-Lean-time treatment of education vs. Good-time treatment of education is different-- in lean times, teachers are under much greater scrutiny.
--What could raise the status of teachers in lean-time, if it's a low-status occupation?
Dispel negative connotations about teachers:
-lower salary & part-year work
-glorified babysitter
-content knowledge vs. pedagogical knowledge "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."-memory of incompetent teachers from childhood
-we've ALL been taught in our lives & assume that we know what teachers do--overfamiliarity makes us believe we underestimate teachers' importance & skill
-originally a "female" profession, so male teachers can still be seen by some as weak and less important than other typically "male" professions (about 70/30 women/men across teaching, 93/7 at elementary level)
-Why mostly women? Guys are afraid of (or less fond of) kids, guys are more interested in the content area than being enthusiastic about kids in general, guys are more afraid of sacrificing the professional status (i can't be a scientist, so I'll go teach instead), the "pedophile" stereotype sticks to men more than women
DR. POPE'S HISTORY OF GENDER & TEACHING
-Originally teachers were mostly men. They'd go to college and teach public school while finishing degrees. Along the way, women started entering the profession as men found other career opportunities, and women were more genetically nurturing and thus more suited to the teaching profession. Eventually, women were more predominant in the classroom, but Teddy Roosevelt got scared that boys were becoming "little sissies who didn't ride horses and shoot things and fight." In short, that the female teachers were feminizing the boys. Women thusly got caught in the Catch-22 of their being more nurturing, but had to sign contracts that prohibited them from getting married... which created that school marm (old maid, lesbian, other unsavory names) image where women got ostracized or considered undesirable... so it's the family or the career, lady! (Aren't we still kind of facing that to some extent?) Men after WWII weren't teachers as often. Until very recently, men were more often administrators in schools than women, but the gender evens out a little bit.
WHAT IS A TEACHER? All three of the readings discuss this question. Does the professional status of teachers hinge on the answer to that question?
--Strike: (p176) argues that teaching should be self-governing rather than democratic, like doctors and/or lawyers. Where does the accountability lie for those professionals? In their peers--not in democracy.
(p177) Navigates the tension between the authority of the knowledge base of teaching vs. democratic authority of public schools. Does teaching have an esoteric body of knowledge that non-teachers don't? Other professionals do.
DO TEACHERS KNOW THINGS THAT NON-TEACHERS DON'T?
-Teachers know how to teach kids things that parents don't--that's specialized knowledge.
-Not all people have classroom management ability.
-Teachers go through the preparation process of teacher certification, but that begs the question a bit--AND there are alternative means to certification. (There are no alternative means to become a lawyer, for instance.)
-It doesn't take any longer to become a good lawyer than it takes to become a good teacher. BUT experience-based learning is less risky for teachers than for doctors, for instance... or maybe not. It all depends on magnitude of the surgery or the lesson... not learning phonics can affect one's life as much as botched surgery (I disagree, but that's what the class is thinking).
-Is it easier to tell if the doctor failed or a teacher failed? Can you tell if the message isn't getting across, and then do you try another approach? So we present the three steps of teacher-fail: 1. Students aren't learning 2. Teacher doesn't realize that students aren't learning 3. Teacher does not change something to better foster learning.-Learning is cumulative, so if the lower-level teachers aren't teaching right, do the higher-level teachers have culpability for remedial teaching if the lower- teachers didn't do their job right? How do you teach algebra to a kid who hasn't learned pre-algebra? Do you have to go back and teach the remedial kid the pre-algebra and ignore the rest of the class? Ideally, it should be the teacher AND the child AND the parent who are all responsible for bringing the remedial kid up to speed--not just the teacher.
-Teachers would have more authority if the public perception of the esoteric knowledge of teachers were given more legitimacy, like doctors' orders, and more people would listen. Consequently, the structure of schooling would change in favor of the opinions of better-equipped people if people gave more credence to the word of teaching professionals. -Standards should come from the profession--i.e. other teachers--and not from outside the profession. Doctors and lawyers do this... but teachers can only do this if teaching has an esoteric knowledge base of the magnitude to make it a true profession.
-Does Strike say definitively if such a base of esoteric knowledge exists? He says on p179, it is doubtful.
-Do we agree? It is POSSIBLE, but we're not there yet. We must teach what we know about learning more universally, and we must change the level of respect that teachers receive before they'll be seen as professionals. Stereotypes persist, so knowledge must be gained WHILE public perception is altered.
-Clothing as projection of professionalism. Teachers are also responsible for the image they project from themselves--dress more professionally to appear more different from the students. Parents perceive professional dress as professional teaching. What about trying to relate to your students? Some teachers would wanna be "cool." Jeans and a tie? Is it more about how teachers carry themselves rather than what they're actually wearing? There isn't a uniform standard for teachers like there is for lawyers and doctors and such--people expect to see certain dress in those situations... but not so much teachers. Does teachers' dress motivate or de-motivate kids anyway? Maybe the suit is intimidating to students, and wearing jeans is more relaxing to them. Dress-wise, you can't always compare teachers to doctors or whatever other profession because they don't have as much emphasis on connecting with kids. IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT IS EXPECTED.
-Strike says too much about teaching seems like common sense--the perception is that this knowledge can be picked up in the profession without the requirement of the training.
-Just because teachers CAN teach it doesn't mean they are the ONLY ones who can teach it--thus it is not esoteric.