Welcome to the Online and On-Campus Forum for Social Studies Methods.
This communication tool will be a continuous thread for the entire semester but I will grade based on the following dates:Sept 16 - 100pts
Oct 14 - 100pts
Nov 18 - 100pts
Dec 16 - 100pts
Posts are due by 11:59 on those dates.
You must participate in this forum by responding to your classmates and the instructor. I do hope you take advantage of the blogging to learn from one another and build relationships with one another. Thanks, Splichal
I will likely wait until after Monday to post our first discussion topic. Thanks, Splichal and Boldra
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to beginning class! Nöelle Pohl
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to it also!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell I hope everyone is looking forward to this class. It should be a good semester.
ReplyDeleteI am going to post the first discussion question later today. Splichal
I want to make sure everyone understands that you don't need to make your call to me until AFTER you have done your work in the module. This will allow us to have something to talk about. It does need to be prior to the end of the module but it should be after you are knowledgeable in the module. I hope that makes sense. Splichal
ReplyDeleteYes that does make sense. As I read project 1 I was getting excited. Can the people we ask be anyone or do they have to be teachers?
ReplyDeleteMr. Splichal,
ReplyDeleteYes, I understand about the phone calls as well.
Looking forward to starting Project 1 tomorrow.
Nöelle Pohl
You can talk to anyone about the characteristics of their best teachers. They do not need to be teachers. Splichal
ReplyDeleteIn your role as an elem ed teacher, why is Scope and Sequence so important?
ReplyDeleteScope and Sequence: Role
ReplyDeleteThe importance for educators teaching today’s curriculum based instruction, the use of Scope and Sequence is the bases of how our Instruction to our students is administered. The Curriculum and Instruction MUST follow: Standards, Benchmarks, and Indicators (Basic/Intermediate/Proficient/Advanced) and Objectives; complete with Assessments and Modifications for ESOL, ELL, SPED, etc. Much to the EXACT method of how we as Elementary Ed. Candidates, have learned to implement Lesson Plans while attending FHSU.
As Scope and Sequence basically details a tightly scripted guide throughout the school year: Quarters 1/2/3/4 that details what areas of the certain subjects are to be taught (for example: History/Geography/Social Studies Skills and Methods) then moving through the quarters to different subjects and themes. Grade and Strand options allow us as educators to look at OUR specific grade-level, follow a strand through those levels, and compare information across curriculum for the year; organized and effectively.
As educators we must also allow enough flexibility to support thoughtful, individualized lesson planning and classroom instruction for modifications. Therefore, instead of delivering the content to be taught on any given day (or even week), the Scope and Sequence of a teachers planning is arranged in sections with each section describing the content to be taught in a window of approximately (for Example: four to five weeks’ time (a Basal Unit; per say.)
Scope and Sequence when used properly and effectively (as we MUST do to follow licensure laws for our state- in order to retain our teaching license) will give you a sequential list of the units/modules and the process and content goals for the selected curriculum.
Nöelle Pohl
TEEL363
..thinking and elaborating more....
ReplyDeleteBasically....organization of Curriculum based instruction allows for proper methods of teaching instruction to be administered properly and effectively to our students in a method that is clear and concise. As educators we MUST remember that the method of delivery of out units must properly align with the standards to complete Instructional Units throughout the year; serving as tool for completed comprehension of that given subject area and/or grade.
Nöelle Pohl
TEEL363
Noelle, you made some very good points in regard to standards, curriculum, objectives, lessons, and assignments..........BUT, I would like someone else to elaborate further on the importance of scope and sequence from year to year. Splichal
ReplyDeleteLike Noell, when I think of scope and sequence I think of the importance of the curriculum the district has set out. I also believe that it is important for the collaboration of teachers to discuss the material being taught in each grade level, making sure all content is current and grade specific. For instance, when we teach about the water cycle, the material presented may appear to be more basic in kindergarten than in say fifth grade. Kindergarteners may learn the stages in the water cycle, while fifth graders learn how to apply and analyze the water cycle. However, what we teach in those earlier grades is oh, so important because that content is the building blocks that create a sturdy framework for the students.
ReplyDeleteI look at scope and sequence while studying to get my degree here at FHSU. I first had to study the general education requirements to become liberally educated. Then, I was accepted into the Teacher Education Department. Now I am studying what it is to become a professional educator and how content areas are taught. My next step is to student teach. I will then be a part of the professional learning community that once began when I was taking gen. eds. Just like the general eds courses, what we teach must have some sequence so our students can create meaning from the lessons.
Very good points Lacey, especially your analysis of the water cycle. I think the key here in what both of you have said is the fact that all knowledge, no matter at what level, builds on prior knowledge. This is why scope and sequence is so important. What we do at our grade level is so important to the next grade level. Thanks Splichal
ReplyDeleteOKAY, REST of the CLASS,
ReplyDeleteThe author of the text talks about Subject and Purpose - - Expand on this. What is the author talking about?
The subject and purpose that Walter Parker is referring to is the "what" and "why" of social studies instruction. The subject matter is the combined national, state, and district curriculum that teaches the overriding goal for social studies instruction from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). This "what" (skills, ideas, issues etc.) of teaching comprises the seven social sciences. Then the purpose, or the "why" do we teach this content has to do with the outcome we are aiming for. The ultimate goal of social studies instruction is to prepare students for citizenship responsibilities in a democratic society. The subject provides social understanding and the purpose is civic competence.
ReplyDeleteSubject also refers to the scope, because subject matter is part of scope and scope is what is being taught. Subject matter is driven by the standards both national and State. Using the state standards teacher and districts create a flowing curriculum that meets each standard. The purpose according to the text is to help students “develop social understanding.” To gain knowledge about people around the world no matter how far away they are. Understand history and historical events that occurred. To be efficient as a citizen, by understanding the role in which each individual plays in our democracy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Victoria it is the “Why” and “What” of social studies instruction.
This post is from Angela Merritt:
ReplyDeleteThe author in the text is talking about subject and purpose in reference to "subject matter" and Civic competence". In saying that, what the author means by "subject" are the different kinds of information, resources, issues that are at hand in the social science arena. All of which are things that can, do and will affect us at some point in our existence. Areas such as political affairs, geographical information, psychology and other specific areas of social sciences are considered to be part of these “subjects”. The “subject” is speaking of the facts of what needs to be taught and learned in the everyday school curriculum. Its importance is stressed and better defined by using the term "purpose". What the author describes purpose to be is the reasoning to behind why the "subject matter" is so relevant. Purpose as he describes as "civic competence" is important in the social sciences area because it allows us to make rational, wise and open-minded choices and decisions about things that may affect us. This knowledge combined with experience better equips us to make these decisions and choices in our everyday lives. The author knows that both experience and knowledge of these issues are what will allow our children to be informed of the things that are relevant and important to them and their future. It's important for us to learn about these things because it's even more important for us to make good, informed decisions in regards to them because we are so well informed. This can go from minor and usually irrelevant information to information that could be detrimental and of great importance in a decision that you are to make one day.
Scope and sequence are so important for elementary teachers because this dictates what material the children will be taught and how the order in which they will be taught it. It is important for all elementary teachers to teach the same scope of ideas or concepts and help the students build upon those ideas and deepen their knowledge as they progress through school. The primary teachers help students build a foundation and basic understanding of social studies topics such as family and communities to name a few. Teachers of older students help those students broaden their understanding of the same concepts across multiple concepts and real world settings. For example older elementary school students still study families, but in a global context comparing and contrasting familial values, composition, roles, etc. with those of families originating from different cultures and parts of the world. It is imperative that elementary teachers work together to coordinate a sequence of curriculum that leads children from a basic knowledge of ideas to a deeper understanding and application of those ideas.
ReplyDeleteScope and sequence are very important in elementary education. The scope is the actual content that is going to be taught and the sequence is the order you are teaching it in. This is important because of the age of the children you are dealing with. You must start at a level that makes sense for their development and pertains to them. If you simply start in Kindergarten by talking about how the United States was formed and how people of other countries came here, the children would be uninterested and confused. The scope must be something they can grasp. This goes right along with the sequence, children must learn about the world right around them and then branch out into other areas of the world. These children’s background knowledge is going to be all different even though they live in the same area. Some of them may have never been out of the state while others may have been on a cruise to the Bahamas. The instructor must meet them where they are first and then expand.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I like what you said about teachers working together. I agree it is so important that we do our part at every level to keep building on the child's knowledge of the world around him. I can see how this will open up a dialogue between teachers about what the children are retaining or what we may need to change to teach more effectively.
ReplyDeleteWhen the author is discussing subject and purpose, he is talking about why are we teaching this material, our goal, and what the outcome that we hope to achieve. Personally I believe that we teach these things to produce educated individuals that understand how the world has come to be and to understand that different does not mean bad instead it means different. I want to provide my students with knowledge of the world around them so that they will not be close minded to others differences instead be respectful of them. The subjects are all the areas that we need to cover so that the students get a whole picture of the world they live in.
ReplyDeleteI think that scope and sequence is important. Like so many others have said, without scope, students would be learning the exact same thing year after year. When teachers communicate with each other about what students have done in previous years, it allows the new teacher to build on that but not do the exact same projects. Without sequence, the teacher may do lessons that the students are not ready for. I had a teacher in high school that would jump around in the book a lot and it didn’t quite make sense to me until we actually finished the book. So I really think that sequence is very important.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Victoria Donnelly that the author is referring to the “what and why”. The subject is what a teacher is teaching and the why is the purpose for teaching it. Every subject has a purpose. One of the things I have learned from doing observations in schools and from the teaching program is if you are giving busy work to students and the students are not getting anything out of it then it is a waste of time. The teacher needs to understand the purpose of what they are teaching and so do the students.
ReplyDeleteScope & Sequence:
ReplyDeleteScope and sequence is a certain subject matter being taught in a specific order. Obviously, what is being discussed in a 1st grade classroom is not the topic of conversation in an 8th grade classroom. Each grade builds onto what was taught in the previous grade. For teachers, it is their job to present the information in a way that personalizes it for the students. The students need to be able to connect the learning experiences in the classroom with the experiences of the outside world. This provides the students with a reason as to why they are discussing the subject at hand. All of my courses have deliberately focused on building students’ background knowledge. Background knowledge is what assists the students to make the connection between the classroom world and the real world. I love the examples the text provides for building background knowledge and setting the stage. If the lesson focuses on the Santa Fe Trail, create a fake fire, put a wagon on the wall, and wear a bonnet on your head. The text (p. 8) brings up the discussion of where food comes from. I know in my school district that Farm Bureau representatives go into the classrooms and discuss farming with the students. The representatives review wheat, milk, and the planting process. They even hand out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the students. This is a memorable experience for the students, because a visitor is the one presenting the information. It’s all about creativity and knowing your students on a personal level. If teachers know the likes and dislikes of the students, they can use this information to their advantage. Another big topic has been the fact that not all students learn the same way. This is why it is so crucial to present information in different ways. Create lessons that will leave a lasting impression on the students. That way the information sticks with them, and they are able to master the material and be prepared for the next year.
In response to George P.:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you whole-heartedly that teachers should be in constant communication with one another. This allows them to know what was already discussed the previous year. Then, they could recap it and move on from there. A teacher definitely wants to make sure the students are on the same level before advancing any further.
The purpose of Scope and Sequence is basically to prepare students for the next grade. Scope is the actual subject the teacher wants his or her students to learn while sequence is the order all the subject matters are taught. Each new school year, teachers have to give their students a formative test to see what they know. This will tell them what level their students are practicing at and how steps they need to take to prepare them for the next grade. Relating each lesson with a child's background knowledge plays a big role in a child acquiring new information. When teaching a lesson about how to draw a maps of things, the teacher could pick of worksheet the students could relate to such as a map of their backyard or their playground. This will allow them to absorb the information even better! A teacher must have some type of sequence when it comes to the subjects in school. Kindergarteners are not going to be learning how to subtract the first day of school. It is important to keep a steady sequence that your students can keep up with. I feel it is also important to review, review, review! You can never review too much! The more you review, the more likely the student is to retain the information.
ReplyDeleteMeredith R-- I agree with you about not every child learning the same way! Teachers need to make sure they change things up from day to day or provide a separate activity that certain students who learn differently will succeed at. I also agree with you about the teacher getting to know the students! The more a teachers knows about his or her students, the better! This way the teacher can pick appropriate assignments, games and speakers that their students with enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThe authors discusses subject and purpose throughout chapter 1. He says that subject is the what of teaching and learning the curriculum. It includes every aspects of teaching Social Studies from philosophy to religion. The purpose is the why of teaching and learning the curriculum. It also stated on page 5 that many schools typically go about the what and why by finding out students knowledge, attitudes, values and skills. These can be considered sub-goals. Teachers need to be careful about the materials they pick to teacher. Before choosing material, ask what is the purpose behind teaching this? Will this be busy work or will my students actually get something out of this? From my experience, I have seen times where students get something out an assignment and do not get anything.
ReplyDeleteGeorge P- I mentioned in my response about students not getting anything out of certain assignments as well. I also mentioned that teachers need to consider if every students will benefit from this assignment or only a select few. I have seen many times where students hurry through an assignment and play a game then I ask them a question about what they learned and they are clueless!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Calee:
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in my post, I have discussed in many of my courses the importance of giving reason to the information. This is done by connecting the information in the classroom to experiences the students come across in the outside world.
And, you are right about some assignments being effective and some not so much. This is where self-reflection comes into play. What worked? What didn't work? What would make it better? What do the students want to see in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteGreat job everyone.
ReplyDeleteFrom this point forward, let us now focus on Culturally Responsive teaching. Tell me what strategies can be used to be culturally responsive?
Thanks, Splichal
The term culturally responsive means to use cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning more relevant to and effective for them. The way the teachers approach these students should make the students feel pride in their ethnic identity. Most students of culture have to try and decide between their educational success and their cultural identity. The children from the majority groups do better in school than the minority groups because they don’t have to face this choice on a daily basis. Whether we, as teachers, like the culture or not we have to deal with it and make these students feel as comfortable as they can so that they will choose educational success over their cultural identity. I do know that I am becoming a part of the minority group. I am white and there are times where I feel uncomfortable in some places because the people around you make you feel like you shouldn’t be here. I say this because it happened to me a couple of week ago. I know how I feel so I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.
ReplyDeleteBeing culturally responsive is critical in teaching. It would be so important to make sure you know who your students are, where they come from, what they hold to be true and what you can do to keep them as involved and a part of the class as you can. To be socially or culturally isolated from their peers or teachers would be harmful to their learning and growing as a student and person. I liked the idea in the book that said to learn hello, good morning, thank you, etc in the language that is spoken by a student/students other than English. Not only would that be fun for the teacher but it may make the students who speak the language feel more at home or comfortable. That is really what the point of being culturally responsive is to me. No one should feel isolated because they are perceived to be "different". I would like to have a bulletin board up on the first day of school that says, "Our differences unite us." Its also not only about being from a different culture. Where we all come from makes us different from one another. What I mean by this is how we were raised. I try to take that into consideration every time I am around students or teaching students in the classroom. I have my degree in Psychology and that has helped tremendously. I've always been one to ask, "Why does this person react this way?" Now I ask myself that about each student. We can't ignore differences, we should flourish because of them.
ReplyDeleteKathryn W~ You know that should be a golden rule. Or actually, I think it is. You would never want someone to feel the way you felt so you make sure they never do. We should take that into teaching and treat our students the way we want and need to be treated. I mean that saying is age old, "Treat others how you want to be treated." Most of us have no idea what it feels like to be culturally isolated but I bet if we did we would change our thinking very quickly. I too have been in places where I have felt like I shouldn't be there or wasn't wanted there. I have also seen others feel that way. My husband is a roofer and there are many Mexican people who have come from Texas or Mexico to roof for us. Our town had a huge hailstorm June 1. We took our employees out to eat one night and you could feel tension in the room when all the other restaurant customers were staring at all of us. I silently dared someone to say something but thankfully no one did. I get worked up at people treating others unfairly.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to consider scope and sequence in teaching elementary students, because it is essential that we build upon what the students already know and have experienced and then help them to expand that knowledge and life experience through educational experiences. In order to make new knowledge meaningful, it must be connected to what they already know and understand. Following a curriculum sequence guides students from concrete, familiar, and more “basic” subjects to topics that are broader, perhaps unfamiliar, or more remote. As we help students build upon what they’ve learned in the past, we can introduce new material, comparing and contrasting it to what they already know. This encourages them to think and organize their knowledge so that they are then able to apply it to new knowledge in the future. Utilizing a plan of scope and sequence ensures that each topic is gradually expanded and deepened as the student grows intellectually. We teachers don’t want to, as the text worded it “skate across the thin surface of a topic”.
ReplyDeleteThe author defines “subject” as the “what” of teaching and learning – the curriculum. He defines “purpose” as “civic competence” or “the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” Students must be provided the “what” to enable them to accomplish the “purpose”. Teaching students the facts, ideas, skills, and issues derived from the social sciences and humanities – and deepening them through the use of scope and sequencing plans – gives them the “social knowledge” they need in order to develop “civic competence”. These are the two goals of social studies education. This is how we educate people to live and function effectively and responsibly in a democratic society as well as in a global community.
One way teachers can be “culturally responsive” is by incorporating aspects of diverse student backgrounds into the classroom environment, such as taking the time and effort to learn some simple words and phrases in the native languages of his/her students. Students need to be proud of their ethnicity, heritage, families, and background, so it’s important that they don’t feel that they have to choose either school or home but instead can feel an important part of both. An elementary teacher could invite students’ families in to the classroom to share pictures, native foods, music, clothing, tools, and customs with the class. Study of different countries and cultures helps all students to learn from and value both the similarities and differences among cultures, and most kids would love the opportunity to hear, see, smell, taste, and touch something new! This allows students to show a pride in what they bring to the classroom society and involves families in their child’s educational world, fostering communication between school and home.
I like the example the text gave for introducing the U.S. Constitution. Since it’s crucial to tie new knowledge to prior knowledge and experience, teachers have to be aware of student backgrounds and prior knowledge in order to help them access their prior knowledge. As in the example provided, some students can link the concept of bylaws to the bylaws or rules of social groups like 4-H or scouts while others can link the same concept to those of religious organizations to which they or their families belong. All students are able to link the new knowledge to background knowledge, retaining pride in their own backgrounds while learning new ideas and concepts.
Melissa-
ReplyDeleteYou mention the Golden Rule in your post. I want to take it another step. At a recent Joe Coles conference, he stated that teachers need to revise the golden rule to state, "Treat others the way THEY want to be treated." In other words, just because I want to be treated one way, it doesn't mean every child wants to be treated like me. Realistically, that treating everyone how I want to be treated is pretty narrow minded. Culturally speaking, some may think that a number of behaviors I exhibit may be rude. We need to respect every child and his/her culture and treat the individual student how THEY want to be treated.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you said about cultural responsiveness. I too have a degree in psychology and understanding White privilege from the perspective of a White person is not something that comes easily or without a great deal of introspection. Since we cannot change who we are, we need to embrace the fact that every child who walks into our future classrooms deserves the right to maintain their ethnic and cultural identity. I want students to feel they are completely accepted in my classroom. Assimilation to the majority culture is not a choice any student should be forced to make. The teaching example about learning and using language representative of minority students in the classroom was a good one. I also liked the idea of when preparing a classroom newspaper, using a variety of examples from all the ethnic-minority local newspapers will provide a richer model than just mainstream publications. Your bulletin board idea signifying that difference unite us was another great idea. I'll have to remember that one. Your post was thoughtful and illuminating. Thanks for sharing.
First off the one of the most important things that teachers need to remember about being culturally responsive is to help student keep their “cultural and linguistic identities” while still learning the curriculum. One strategy that is very important for teachers to use is respect. Teachers need to show all students respects that they will receive it back. But with culturally diverse students, teachers can show respect for their culture and incorporate it into some of the lessons. Another strategy that teachers can use is to be knowledgeable of his/her students’ background. The more knowledge that the teacher has the easier it will be for him/her to teach the student and understand the student. I have noticed that many teachers use the first week of school to gain more knowledge about each of their students, they have them write a story, draw a picture, or give a presentation about themselves.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I too share your frustrations with what you experienced in the place where you were eating with the roofers. Now lets take that situation and place our students in their shoes. This is exactly what I am talking about with teaching and being culturally responsive. Many of you have made some wonderful comments in this regard. It can also be a touchy subject for us in our personal lives - once again, it can be the same for our students. Good work everyone.
ReplyDeleteOKAY, new topic to discuss. Let's talk about Multiple Entry Points. This is the term that Howard Gardner uses but some of you may be more familiar with Varied Instruction. For this discussion, lets point out all the different ways that we can teach. As many as you can. I will start with using ARTIFACTS to teach. How cool is it for our kids when you can bring in something to share? It is like show and tell but you are using it as a teaching tool. An artifact does not need to be OLD or historical. Bring in a piece of barbed wire. Have students investigate how barbed wire reshaped our country and how it has impacted our economy.
Let's here what you all have as ideas. Splichal
Scope and sequence is key to social studies, or for that matter any subject matter, in the educational process. Scope is the subject matter, and sequence is the order in which things are taught. Basically this is discussing planning instruction based on a scaffolding model. Students learn basic concepts and then develop into more complex concepts. For example a kindergarten student learns about how they are in social situations at home, the store, school, etc. Then they build on those concepts to realize neighborhoods, communities, regions of the world, government and more as they age and grow older.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to scaffold the lessons on student’s previous knowledge and to start at the beginning for beginning students. Students learn as the knowledge from previous experiences and their new experiences mesh to form new questions, ideas and concepts. Basically this chapter is saying you cannot introduce complex governmental ideas such as how a bill becomes law without a student first realizing we live in the United States and it is a country!
I understand Varied Instruction as: A variety of teaching methods, that is appropriate to the situation and the needs of the students.
ReplyDeleteWe as educators can understand and believe that our students benefit from opportunities to do projects sometimes on their own and at other times in groups. Some subjects are very skill-oriented and require a sequenced approach (scope and sequence), while others lend themselves to a freer exploration. (Varied Instruction) Using our best judgment to balance the needs of our learners, the expectations of their parents, and the demands of our district are important factors to take into consideration when utilizing Varied Instruction. Strategic ideas for VI could include: Word Illustrations, K-W-L charts, Brainstorming, Event Chains, T-Charts, Venn Diagrams, Two column note taking, analogies, GIST, Sequence Books, Graphs, Charades, Post it Notes.
Nöelle Pohl
Being culturally responsive to me, means more than just being knowledgeable and aware of other cultures. To be truly culturally responsive you have to be able to look for, notice and more importantly actively embrace and assist things that you are seeing. Children learn,act,react, and respond differently to better understand your students you must truly know them and find what works for them, knowing the basics of outside things that might affect them such as cultural differences as well as even gender differences, religious differences or personality differences. Finding what works best for each child is truly important to their success. I'm the mother of a bi-racial ADHD child, what most teachers soon find out about my son is that he is very loud. He isn't loud on purpose or try to seek attention, he is just naturally a loud child, often not realizing how loud he truly is because he is use to speaking over numerous, loud adults. In figuring this out, teachers are able to work with him and be more understanding of his situation, the patience paid off for his teacher last year and he eventually was able to calm his voice, he recognized signs and would catch himself before having to be told.
ReplyDeleteA number of people have given great definitions of what it means to be culturally responsive. A teacher who is culturally responsive will use whatever tools are available to connect the home and school cultures of a student. I would like to expand on a point that Melissa Howard made. She said, “Where we all come from makes us different from one another. What I mean by this is how we were raised.” Melissa made an excellent point that culture is more than ethnic diversity. We must be careful to not interchange the terms culture with race and ethnicity. Culture is defined by our text as an individual’s “values, beliefs, and customs.” Ethnicity and race can be a part of a person’s culture but it goes even deeper than that. Culture can vary widely between people of a similar ethnic background. For example, two African American students, one from a rich family and one from a poor family can have very different values, beliefs, and customs. Similarly, a student raised in a devoutly religious family and a student from a family with little moral character would also be on opposite ends of the school culture, which is usually defined by the majority group in the school. I believe that the best strategy that I can use is to get to know my students as individuals. By discovering the details of my students’ diverse cultures, I will be able to recognize when the differences between their home and school cultures are causing information not to be comprehended.
ReplyDeleteBeing culturally responsive is so important our classrooms are becoming more diverse by the day. Personally I find it exciting but at the same time challenging. To be culturally responsive we must first look at ourselves and see if who we are and whom we may not understand or feel comfortable with. Taking courses such as Multiculturalism can be a great start to analyzing this and opening your eyes to views that are not correct or biased. Then we must start learning about our students cultures and truly find ways to integrate them into the classroom in a respectful way. Definitely making sure the communication to parents or guardians is important. I do see this as a downfall in the current school I work in, if the parents don’t make the step in communicating the staff sees the parents as not caring. However, I can see that it may be intimidating or uncomfortable for these parents to come into the school institution. Also they may not feel that this is their job and instead see things completely different from the school staff. I love what the author said about not stereotyping based on what we do learn about our students backgrounds. I have heard teachers say things that are stereotypical and it just makes my stomach turn. Finally, we must remember no matter the child they all learn differently and come with different background knowledge and we must do our best to reach them all by differentiating our instruction. I have heard teachers say why are we dumbing it down for “them”. I totally disagree with this statement, if anything it strengthens the learning process for every student. Even though Sue may be an auditory learner and understands the lesson, when you show a video of the process for your visual learner Mary, and have the students use a graphic organizer to demonstrate everyone learns on another level. This just enriches instruction for everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Melissa Howard, I loved your post. Exactly no one should be isolated for any reason. I also loved the idea of learning how to say phrases in your student’s primary language. I have been trying to practice this as a Para and I find that the children love teaching me. The other students around them are also anxious to learn their language as well. Being in the classroom really does show you that we are all so different and come from such different backgrounds. It is my goal as well to try and understand reactions or beliefs that my students’ have so that I can understand and serve them better. I agree we should flourish because of our differences. I have actually heard a teacher say about a student to another teacher “I don’t like him I don’t want him in my classroom, next year.” I was astonished, when did it become all about us as adults and not about the children we serve. Fortunately, I know enough other great teachers that embrace their students’ differences and the children flourish because of them. As I always say to children that question me about Special Education students that they see in the school that may not have arms, walk with a limp, always need a straw, can’t talk, etc…., we are all created differently and wouldn’t it be boring if we all looked the same. Then we can discuss the child’s strengths or likenesses to them such as, he loves to listen to music, or he is really good at math, he loves Spiderman, etc…. Children usually accept these differences much better than adults and respond positively.
ReplyDeleteMultiple Entry Points interests me greatly because, I think some of the most effective teachers I have known are good at using them. Some ideas are personal Pictures, such as vacation pictures, pictures you have taken around the area, etc… Also paintings, YouTube videos, videos you have done, discovery channel, or history channel. Local collectors such as coin collectors, arrowhead collectors, rock collectors, gun collectors…. Art projects such paintings, clay, paper mache, etc…. The use of costumes and role play could work well. Bringing in outside speakers such as ranchers, dairy farm operators, wildlife experts, hunters, farmers, feedlot operators, extension office employees, mill workers, etc… any industry that is in your area would give some insight to different areas of study. Fieldtrips, either live or filmed to local areas of interest. Having children get pen pals or email children in another country or state to get information about the topics. Websites would have lots of information or get brochures to different landmark sites.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter is a high school sophomore and adores her World History teacher from last year. The main reason is that this teacher fully embraces the concept of Multiple Entry Points. Not only does this make her class interesting for all the students, but it provides instruction that is fully accessible and engaging for my daughter, who has mild Asperger Syndrome. She has used a variety of ideas, and each has been effective for a variety of students.
ReplyDeleteFor example, my daughter is an artist, and very much a visual-spatial student. For various reports and class projects, this teacher allowed my daughter to contribute information in the form of drawing maps, creating physical examples of artifacts such as shields and tools, and writing anime cartoons to recount historical events. She frequently paired students for reports, and formed small groups for discussions and brainstorming.
One of my favorite ways to work with children’s literature is to dramatize it. I co-taught a preschool theatre program a couple of years ago. We took simple children’s books and helped the children create simple costumes (paper plate masks, hats, capes) and props which they used to play out the story. We also sang simple songs that fit with the book’s theme.
I used a kinesthetic technique last year with third graders studying geometric transformations, having students physically act out the transformations in pairs. One student would strike a pose, and their partner would have to strike the same pose, then perform a slide (translation) or flip (reflection). For rotations, the students would have to start their pose on the ground, and the partner would have to demonstrate a turn (rotation) to another position.
Social studies is a great subject to explore ethnic groups and cultures through food tastings, artwork, music, and stories, both oral and written. All of these Multiple Entry Point ideas work well for students who aren’t pen-and-paper students, but really engage students who learn well through more traditional ways as well. My goal as an educator is to make learning accessible to everyone in my classroom, and to help students love to learn.
In response to Jenni P, regarding scope and sequence:
ReplyDeleteYou emphasized that it is important for teachers to follow a scope and sequence that links new information to prior knowledge from previous grades. When I think of scope and sequence, I tend to go to mathematics, in which children in the U.S. are first taught rote counting, then numeracy, then addition and subtraction. In older grades, students are then taught multiplication and division, and so on. Although we are starting to move toward a more all-encompassing curriculum for math, the sequence involved in traditional math instruction is what I visualize when I think of scope and sequence.
I really enjoyed reading about teaching citizenship in our text, and exploring further how scope and sequence apply in social studies. I was raised in a very patriotic family, and from a very young age was instructed by my grandfather (who served as a U.S. Congressman while I was 3-6 years old) about the importance of our Constitution and the privilege of voting. I had not considered that these are really ideals that must be addressed through school curriculum because not all children learn these things at home. I guess this is another part of my "knapsack" that I need to keep in mind as I teach.
Regarding culturally responsive teaching:
ReplyDeleteI witnessed a really inspiring situation at my internship on Wednesday afternoon, and it fits into cultural responsiveness well: one of the students in the class is profoundly deaf and has a sign language interpreter attend class with her all day. As the students were packing up to leave, one of the girls had a question for the student who is deaf, and addressed it directly to the interpreter while the deaf student had her back turned doing something else. The interpreter said to the classmate, "You should ask Susie about that," then proceeded to tap the student on the shoulder and get her attention so the question could be asked. I loved how the interpreter did not answer for the student (although I'm sure she could have), but instructed the classmate to address her directly. This is a third grade classroom, by the way.
I thought it was handled very gently and beautifully by the interpreter. I also noted during the class period how the other children really embraced the student who is hearing impaired and treated her like anyone else. Sometimes, I think it is the children who teach US because usually, children only see other children, not colors, languages or disabilities. While it is very important to celebrate the diversity in the classroom, it is also important to celebrate those things that make us the same.
In response to Joshua F:
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head: it is important to learn about each child individually in order to address their specific learning needs in the best way possible.
And you are absolutely correct, being culturally responsive is not just about ethnicity and race, but about values, belief and family structure as well. All of these things contribute to who a student is and how they learn best in school. Great reminders!
Jenni P. provided us with a number of ways that a teacher can use multiple entry points in their daily classroom activities and Amanda D., had an excellent personal example of a teacher who has impacted her daughter's education. I am familiar with Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, but I had not heard of the term multiple entry points until now. I thought that the text provided excellent examples of ways that a teacher could use multiple entry points for each of Gardner's Intelligences. One thought that the text brought up and that I completely agree with is that teachers should not stereotype students into categories. I personally believe that multiple entry points should be provided to allow students different ways of accessing the curriculum and they should be allowed to choose their preferred method. This is just one more example of how getting to know your students and meeting their diverse needs will help make teachers more effective. As I think about all that I will need to know and do as a classroom teacher as early as next year, it is humbling to realize how much I don't know. The first year will be so difficult, but I look forward to the experience I will gain that will help my effectiveness grow each year, which is a key to becoming a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Samantha Beames about culturally responsive teaching:
ReplyDeleteYou commented on how we need to respect the students by allowing them to hold on to their culture. This is so important. Teachers should encourage students to embrace their culture and heritage. The students could give a presentation about their culture/heritage! A student bringing in things from their home or past generations is a great way to show the other students how the information in class can be applied to the outside world!
Being a culturally responsive teacher is especially important to me because of my own experiences in school as an African American student. When I read in the text that being culturally responsive helps students learn what you want them to learn because they are not required to hide or feel bad about who they are, I immediately understood why my siblings and I had such a hard time in school. Back in the 70’s and early 80’s teachers were not culturally responsive and therefore there was no sense of pride in my own ethnic and cultural identity, in fact, on many occasions I felt humiliated and a sense of hatred for my own kind. I had to choose between assimilation (which insured school success) and my cultural identity. I chose assimilation and suffered the consequence of separation from my community. My sister chose cultural identity and suffered in school to the point of becoming a juvenile delinquent and high school dropout. Children should never have to make such choices and this is why it is important that teachers be culturally responsive. Children should have the best of both worlds in society today, success in school and pride in who they are, where they come from and their rich family history. To do this, teachers should first create an atmosphere of cultural acceptance and sensitivity. Getting to know your students, their families, belief systems, cultural attitudes and their way of life and also sharing this with the classroom, will help create a culturally sensitive classroom in which all students can learn and grow successfully.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience. Often times when we think of culture, we think of race or ethnicity but it doesn’t stop there, the hearing impaired have a culture of their own. They too need to be respected, included, and given a sense of pride regardless of their disability. It sounds like this interpreter understands this. As teachers we have to make sure that all students in our classroom are given an equal opportunity to feel proud of who they are. For the hearing impaired it can be as simple as using basic sign language during class activities. Dr. Walizer does this in our reading course.
I absolutely love the idea of getting out of the textbook! From my personal experience, I always try to make things difficult and over analyze. Simple things, like bringing barbed wire into the classroom is a great way to broaden the classroom experience. In fact, I am sitting here know wondering what website I should look at to come up with a spectacular activity. It's frustrating and time consuming and I am realizing that I have to get pass that and keep it simple. So here goes - somewhat along the barbed wire theme. Have a cowboy day. Invite the students to bring something cowboy related to wear or share in class during the lesson. Keep it open and make no suggestions as to what the student can bring. This will hopefully get parents involved and spur conversation out of the classroom.
ReplyDelete@ Lacey
Even though a new conversation has started I can't help but comment on your post about the Golden Rule. I absolutely love this updated take on the Golden Rule - "treat others the way THEY want to be treated" The Golden Rule is painted on one of our school walls. I will never look at it the same. I love this new version and will implement it in my classroom.
I think multiple entry points can encompass many things. I was talking to my daughter who is a sophomore in high school about one of her favorite teachers. I asked what made him so cool. She said that he always explains a problems in terms she can understand and that he always explains it both orally and visually by posting an example. It sounds to me like in his oral explanation he gives more than one explanation as well.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about Mr. Splichal's example of bringing artifacts into the classroom. This by itself is a way to build background knowledge and tie the learning to something real, but often we can build on this more and discuss with students how different artifacts might be connected to their lives no matter what their culture is and help them to connect what they are learning about the artifact to what we want them to learn in the curriculum. In Mathematics methods the text talks about relational understanding and instrumental understanding. Relational understanding ties the new knowledge with as many other areas of knowledge and information as possible, while instrumental learning just learns the new information without connecting it with any other knowledge. This limits the students ability to understand what they are learning. This isn't exactly multiple entry point learning, but it builds knowledge in multiple ways and connects it in as many ways as possible to other learning.
One thing that I like to do is to tie in literature and stories and read a story to start students thinking. But I think it important to ask questions that begin the thought process so the students will continue to question and expand their thoughts. I also think that using teaching techniques that benefit multiple learning styles is important. As often as possible as concept should be experienced in more than one way, such as using pictures, manipulatives or other hands on learning tools, as well as spoken and/or written information. Learning should connect with real life and build that bridge that turns information into knowledge.
Amanda Drury~
ReplyDeleteI loved your post regarding multiple entry points and your daughter's teacher. I am a big fan of children's literature and love to see it brought to life through drama, illustrations, and so on. I agree that we need to engage students and reach them in as many ways as possible, not all students are pencil and paper learners. Most students will understand the paper/pencil portion better when it is paired with other ways of learning, such as kinesthetic, oral and visual.
This is all tying in with our project. Along with finding characteristics of my friends' best social studies teacher, they often gave an example of what assignments they most enjoyed doing. One strategy his teacher used was to assign a project and let the student use his or her talents to report the assignment. As you can imagine, there were many different reports given. My friend was starting his career in ventriloquism and he wrote a script on the bicentennial celebration in 1976 and performed it for the class. He said that he learned a lot from the assignment and he, along with his classmates, were initiated by a new enthusiasm for the day. He said that watching the rest of his classmates give their reports, they encouraged him to learn more about the subjects they were presenting. (He also is my father-in-law.)
ReplyDeleteI think that by allowing students to be creative is an important part of teaching. It engages them in the subject and excites them about what they are learning.
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteNow that we are learning about scope and sequence, I can see it today in our education right now. In each of our courses we are learning pretty much scope and sequence. You said in your post you have been talking about relational understanding and instrumental understanding. "Relational understanding ties the new knowledge with as many other areas of knowledge and information as possible, while instrumental learning just learns the new information without connecting it with any other knowledge. This limits the students ability to understand what they are learning. This isn't exactly multiple entry point learning, but it builds knowledge in multiple ways and connects it in as many ways as possible to other learning." This is pretty much just another way of saying scope and sequence.
Joel~ I love how what we are learning is tying together, and I really like teaching kids with information tied together and integrated and teaching children to do that also.
ReplyDeleteThinking more about the use of artifacts in the classroom.... when I taught preschool my Dad would bring some of his artifacts to show and he gave a little presentation about finding them and what they were used for. He has a limestone corn grinder, and many, many arrowheads and scrapers. It brings history to life in new and exciting ways!
I am a big fan of “Multiple Entry Points”. I have a daughter who has ADHD and sitting still through the traditional “lecture” from teachers just doesn’t work for her. Last year her English teacher had the students read a story and then they were given the option to create a PowerPoint, collage, or video depicting the story. My daughters group chose to make a video recording (dramatization). She was so excited about the project and when it was completed, she brought the DVD home for the family to watch. We all got a kick out of watching her “Big Screen” debut. This type of learning gets to the core of students. To this day she still remembers intricate details of that story and I believe it is because of how it was presented. It doesn’t take much to make learning fun and interesting, you just have to be creative.
ReplyDeleteTo Amanda D.
ReplyDeleteIt is refreshing to hear that your daughter’s teacher allowed her to use an area of strength to complete a project in class. Too often teachers will dictate to students the method rather than asking what method they would like to use. If more teachers sought direction from their students’ and were in tune with the interest of the individual child, then learning would be more interesting and kids would find school to be cool.
I can remember back to my 7th grade year (27 years ago). We were discussing World War II and my teacher had a soldier from the war come to our classroom with pictures and video clips of what life was like back in the early 1940’s. He explained how America pulled together and how women started working in ‘mens jobs’ so that we would remain a strong country. He had several copies of the war films that were shown at the local theaters before the feature presentation. He had several old flyers and pamphlets about what citizens could do to help the ‘cause’. He explained that the storm sirens that they still use today were originally installed to notify Americans if an air strike ever occurred, and they tested the sirens daily. When people would hear the air raid sirens they would seek shelter, school children would crawl under their desks. It was so very exciting, and different that our class was totally engrossed in war time America and the teacher allowed us to do research and write reports in leu of some regular ‘textbook’ assignments. As students, we thought we were getting away with something, but we were still learning history. I still enjoy reading and studying about wartime America.
ReplyDeleteMatt~ I think that is some of the best learning that there is, when students think they are getting away with something. I don't think that school should always be set up in a way that students don't know they are learning, but most of the time I think it should be fun and engaging so that they don't even think of it as "school."
ReplyDeleteRe: Mr. Splichal
ReplyDeleteI have always been in primary grade (1st and 2nd grade) classrooms and those classes are very different from my current internship classroom (5th grade). If I took a piece of barbed wire into the primary grade classroom I would hear endless stories about how Billy caught his jeans on the barbed wire fence and ripped his pants and had to walk all the way home with his undershorts showing. In the 5th grade classroom that I am currently in, I can see how using items such as artifacts could stir up some research projects. The 5th grade classroom that I am in this semester does a ‘Wax Museum’ each fall. Every 5th grade student picks a person from American history and researches that person in depth. Then they write a 2 or 3 minute speech and prepare their wardrobe to be that person. One evening in December, all 100+ 5th grade students set up their wax museum in the school gym and invite their parents and neighbors to attend. The parent drops a dime in the can in front of the student, and the student (imitating a wax character) comes to life and gives his or her presentation on their character. I’ve been told than in previous years there have been between 500-800 people walk through the gym that evening and the money that is collected is donated to a needy cause (last year the Joplin, MO tornado victims). It sounds like an awesome experience and I am very lucky to be able to be part of it this year!
Re: Noelle
ReplyDeleteIt is important that we remember that all students learn using different methods. I’ve known students who can not learn by reading the information out of a book, the information has to be presented to them in an alternative method. One of the things that I am concerned about is being able to recognize these students in my future classroom and being able to accommodate them so that all students can be successful. Great Post!
Re: Jenni P (culturally responsive)
I loved your post! Our classroom are becoming more diverse every day. In several school districts across America we are all minorities. It is very important that we, as teachers, display an attitude of cultural equality. Communication with the parents is very important also. In several of the classrooms that I’ve been in over the past 3 years, if the parent doesn’t communicate with the school or teacher, then the parent automatically doesn’t care. They are busy and they don’t have time to mess with their kids school. I’ve found that most parents want to be involved in their children’s schools, but they either don’t feel comfortable about calling the teacher, or they are concerned that the teacher is too busy to talk with them. Great Post!
Re: Jenni P (multiple entry points)
I loved your post! It is so important that we make learning fun, interesting, and exciting for our students. We need to make them WANT to learn. The examples that you gave sound like so much fun and I can only imagine the interaction that they students would have with these people and items. The sky is the limit!
Re: Amanda Drury (multiple entry points)
Your post is awesome, and it does sound like your daughter had an awesome history teacher last year. Designing and teaching a class that utilizes multiple entry points doesn’t sound easy, actually it sounds like a whole bunch of work, but if it allows you to reach just one more child then it is all worth it! Thanks for the great post!
Re: Joshua F:
That is one of my main concerns as a future teacher. I want to be able to identify these students and be able to address their specific learning methods in my classroom. It will take some time to be able to recognize the different learning needs, but over time I’m sure that the lessons I design will cover multiple learning methods.
Re: StaceyWri:
Asking the students to create a power point or video is a wonderful idea! That way the students will be teaching their peers using multiple entry points. My son made a dvd in 5th grade and he really enjoyed the project, and the students in his ELP class enjoyed watching it also, and it is something that we will treasure for many, many years.
Subject and purpose are the what and why’s of what we are going to be taught. What we are going to be taught is determined by our state standards and objectives and the school’s curriculum. Why we are going to teach these things is the important part. I think it has goes back to the old saying, “Those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it”. We want to learn all the philosophies and the why’s about society good and bad so that we can learn from them. I am not saying this as well as I should be able to, but I thought Angela Merritt summed it up really great!!!!
ReplyDeleteI had never even heard the term multiple entry points, but I think this is the best way for teaching. I think there is a time and place for opening the textbooks but I think the students find this dry and boring sometimes. I love the idea of what JENNI P. said about pictures and paintings and YouTube and coin collectors. I think this is what students crave!!!
ReplyDeleteMatthew,
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE the wax museum idea! Not only are the students having fun learning historically significant information, but they have an awesome way to share what they are learning with the whole community AND benefiting a worthy cause!
I also like the story you shared on your experiences learning about World War II. It obviously impacted your life and stayed with you, and I think these are the kinds of experiences that I also remember most from school. I hope that 20 years from now, some student is remembering an awesome lesson that I taught that impacted them for life, too.
StaceyWri,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your personal experiences regarding cultural responsiveness. No child should ever feel torn between her cultural ideals and classroom expectations. My heart aches thinking of the weight you had to carry in order to be successful in school.
I saw a quote recently that I carry with me now: "Every child is a story yet to be told." I want each of my students to be proud of who he or she is, so that the stories told are ones of joy, success, happiness and fulfillment. Thank you for sharing your personal experience so that we understand the importance of instilling pride in our children whatever their cultural background.
Joel Stuckey-
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about learning scope and sequence in the classroom today. For example I am currently building up to that classroom of my own and I can define myself as a teacher. The process has and is building up in a learning order; first, I was taught what the classroom was about. Second, observing another instructor within their classroom. Third, student teaching occurs where we are able to put information into practice with critiquing. Finally the day where you have your own classroom.
Amanda Drury-
ReplyDeleteThank You for sharing that experience about the deaf student in the classroom. I have to completely agree with children not as judgmental upon different appearance compared to adults. They are more curious and eager to learn! This is a reason for me pursuing to become an elementary instructor. I have worked around the adult atmosphere for several years and the majority of discussions and attitudes, on a daily basis, is negative. Which always seem to make my attitude negative. I currently work with children and have always enjoyed being around young children because of their carefree, playful enjoying life and new experiences. They remind me that it is okay to laugh at something as simple as a Laffy Taffy joke!
In reading several comments on the "treat others the way ___ want to be treated", I feel that it is important to point out that the golden rule was not meant to imply a list of specific actions to do or not do to each other. I believe it is an overarching idea based on respect. If you want respect, give it. The way in which that respect is demonstrated varies from culture to culture, and we need to keep that in mind. However, if we teach and exemplify respect for all, then the rest will follow.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Peak~
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about the wax museum idea for the 5th graders. That is awesome. I am interning in a 6th grade class this fall and am used to working in the K/1 range so I am learning about things on a different level. The thought processes are a lot different! The 6th grade class I am in are making gifu lanterns for a social studies project, but the project has involved a lot of math as well! The students had to research on the internet the cost of the materials, how much of each material they would need, and then determine the cost per person before they started. Some of the materials in the original lantern were not available so they had to figure out alternatives. They had to use measuring skills galore to make sure they measured precisely and cut precisely in order not to waste materials for their classmates. It has been an interesting process and they are all very engaged and learning every step of the way!
Re: Matthew Peak
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about the wax museum!!! I would love to see that in person! I've heard of wax museums but I guess I didn't realize what they were. How neat that the student comes to life after 10 cents is deposited. I like how it incorporates service learning as well and they donate the money to a good cause. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad Mr. Splichal mentioned barbed wire because I just saw on TV last night that this guy had every kind of barbed wire ever made! I’m not quite sure but I think there are over 500 different patents! I think students would be so intrigued by learning about barbed wire and being able to see how the design has changed over the years!
ReplyDeleteAnother way of teaching is bringing in samples or examples of what you are discussing in class. I remember learning about owls in the fourth grade any the teacher brought in owl pellets!!! It really, really stunk and we all had clothes pins on our noses but I REMEMBER it to this day! Every student had an owl pellet to dissect and the objective was to figure out what owls eat by looking at the tiny bones in the pellets. I know this probably sounds so gross but what a great way to learn about what owls eat and to also learn about the food chain!
Working as a Title Aid last year I used a YouTube video while learning about John Williams and his work. I played music from Jaws, Superman, and Harry Potter. I wanted the students to think about how music brings a film to life and how it can bring about emotions. I asked them to imagine watching Jaws without the music. The movie probably wouldn’t be as scary. Anyways, the students loved listening to the different compositions and guessing the movie each one went with. I felt like the students left my classroom actually taking something with them and that’s always a great feeling! I think if I would have just made them read the book and answer some questions they wouldn’t have gotten the most out of the lesson.
RE: Matthew
ReplyDeleteI loved the way your teacher brought history to your classroom with a visit from a WWII soldier. This is an excellent example of one way to be an effective teacher, getting students to learn without knowing that they are learning. The method that this teacher used to encourage the students to learn about WWII relates really well back to multiple entry points. This "alternate" method of imparting knowledge was probably received very well by students who may have otherwise been uninterested in the subject. That really makes me think of how I need to bring social studies to the students not only in my formal observation, but also when I am a teacher. Thanks for the idea.
Amanda Drury, I loved your personal examples about multiple entry points. I like how the teacher accommodates your daughter to assess her understanding of the material. I guarantee she learned more than I ever did from any study guide. Some of my oldest son’s favorite teachers had them do hands on learning where they created items that existed in that time. One even had them create posters that were want ads for workers in certain eras. It really caused him to think about the work they were doing, whom they were looking to hire, and how they would have advertised it. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteDesiree,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea of using YouTube videos to teach. You used the example of music and how the music can portray or even bring emotion to the scene of a movie. I really liked how you did this and I will probably copy you some day, if you don't mind. I liked the movies you used such as Jaws. Without the music in Jaws, there would be no way that movie would put you on the edge of your seat. Thank you for sharing that example!
Everyone, I have loved reading your posts. I too love the wax museum idea. Great discussions everyone. I am pleased.
ReplyDeleteLet's now move to the Mod 2 postings inside the other thread. Splichal
I think scope and sequence is important because certain subjects happen at certain times. Also some suject matter may of happened because of an earlier event so when a teacher is doing a discussion they don't want to start on a subject that confuses the class and happens out of order. Most of the time history happens in events and when you think of those events you have to be able to put them in order and make sure the students don't get confused. Students also learn at differently then others. While interning in my social studies class, I am noticing that social studies can be a hard subject to learn. My teacher recently started using taking notes as a technique in her 2nd grade class. The students are not quite used to it but we are kind of working together to figure out other ways to get the students to memorize or understand continents and etc. Any ideas would be great! I think this years second grade class isn't used to a lot of social studies and its new to them to have to memorize ideas and understand parts of the world.
ReplyDeleteReply to Kristi G. I think your definition of scope and sequence is a great one. I think you really brought out that its to help students broaden their minds of what they already know and to expand their ideas. To me though this is kind of hard thing to do especially in the lower classes. I intern in a second grade class and they are struggling a bit with social studies and some of the cultural aspects of it.
ReplyDeleteScope & Sequence - If you look at breaking the words apart individually they explain the process of them together. Scope - as instructors we must 'scope out' (determine/preview) what are the best areas of subject for each individual grade level to learn. Sequence - we place the subject information in a step order. At 1st grade you must learn to count individual numbers, so than in 2nd grade you can learn to add & subtract those numbers. Moving to 3rd grade comes multiplication and division; continuing on to high school where those numbers are placed with others and letters to from equations. Scope and sequence is a process to gradually increase and individuals knowledge with step by step learning.
ReplyDeleteMultiple Entries - There are many ways to incorporate learning into the classroom. As instructors I believe we should explore with as many as possible. A way of learning that was strong for myself during school was being able to relate the information to myself personally. Because we all have asked ourselves through every grade and subject, "When am I going to use this in the future?" I want to keep my students from asking this question over and over, by answering it before they can ask it in their minds. I want to be able to relate the information I am teaching to each individual students everyday,routine life.
Module 1 – Blog 1
ReplyDeleteThis module was very insightful. Being able to analyze the chapters and gain retrospect in regards to the curriculum and manners in which it has changed over the years with history, being able to analyze what we view as effective teachers allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of myself as an educator and ways to improve myself and handle the ever changing curriculum. Individuals, communities, states and nations make history every day. This fact can be seen with events in the last decade such as the terror attacks of 9/11, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the continuing War in Afghanistan. With these events still impacting America and her Children continuously, it is difficult to establish a curriculum. However, this does not mean that educators are to simply ignore what is going on around them. Just as it was in the 1940’s with Hitler, the 1960’s and the Cold War, educators must be held responsible to adapt their educational approach and keep the students current with the history being made in front of them. A failure to do so is dooming today’s children and generation to repeat history.
Scope and sequence are very relevant to my role as a teacher. Scope dictates the subject you are teaching and the scope is the order in which you teach the subject matter to the students. I like how this chapter breaks it down and shows that in social studies it starts with topics that are related to the student’s immediate surroundings, and as a student progresses through the grades the scope of the subject matter grows with them. I see scope as the big picture and the sequence as the steps it takes to reach the big picture. Scope and sequence are important because it gives you a foundation of what you need to cover for a particular grade but it also allows you teach it to children on levels that they can relate the subject matter to. This chapter also discusses using scope and sequence as a way for students to be able to learn to compare and contrast, and to build these skills.
ReplyDeleteIn Response to Amanda D.:
ReplyDeleteI guess I am not familiar with the term “multiple entry points”, but I am familiar with the idea and I think it is a great one. I think it goes back to Gardner’s multiple intelligences as well as giving students a choice in how they learn. I think that by allowing children to use their strengths it does create a better learning experience for them. I love the idea of finding alternative ways to teach material so that it keeps it exciting not only for the students but for the teacher as well.
I hadn't heard the term "multiple entry points" before, but I do understand the meaning as it compares to varied instruction and multiple intelligences. It is so important to realize that students have different needs and take in and retain information in various ways. An effective teacher will not use the same methods for every single lesson or activity that is done in the classroom. An effective teacher will find out the needs of his/her students and will change it up often in order to reach every single student. The effective teacher will also include several different instructional methods within each lesson. Technology, graphs/charts, visuals, hands-on activities, group activities, games, etc. could all be used in a single lesson in order to effectively deliver the information to ALL students.
ReplyDeleteLacey-
ReplyDeleteI agree that teacher collaboration is so very important. At the school in which I have been working for the past three years, the teachers had been collaborating in order to figure out what could be done to improve the reading program throughout the elementary school. They realized that the programs that the Kindergarten and 1st grade classes were using did not coincide with each other. The methods of teaching reading in KDG was completely different than that of the methods of the 1st grade teacher. Through collaboration, they were able to develop a new reading program so that the learning was consistent from grade to grade (as you stated in your post). Now that they are all on the same page, the students will benefit.
Scope and sequence are important in that they allow educators to prepare and build on prior knowledge in order to understand and meet their students needs to build the knowledge for the grade level that they are in. One good example of this is the internship teacher that I work under. She has worked in both the public and now private school districts. She understands how to meet students needs who transfer from the public schools into the more advanced curriculum that the private school does and can better adapt to that student's needs. She also collaborates with other teachers at the school to discuss what is expected at the next grade levels and prior grade levels to determine what information must be taught and understood so that the students can be successful. Just the other day she told me that at the public schools, she was a part of a group of math teachers that would sit down and come up with a document that listed all of the standards for each grade level and provide it to the teachers at all grade levels so that they understood what skills were taught in previous grade levels (prior knowledge) and how to be an effective teacher by meeting the standards at their grade level to become successful at the next grade level as well. I think that this type of teacher collaboration is essential in order to better meet the needs of students and be an effective teacher.
ReplyDeleteSheena -
ReplyDeleteI really like that you mentioned in your discussion that you want to answer the question "when am I going to use this in the future?" before your students do. I can't tell you how many times I would ask myself this question during school, ESPECIALLY when the content was more difficult for me to grasp. We have to understand that students at all grade levels may not grasp the content that is being taught, and the first instinct is usually to doubt the importance and accept failure because it is the easiest (not most grade-friendly) way out of it. However, I think that if you can be proactive and answer the question before the students as you mentioned, this would help you understand better where the students may be struggling at and help them understand how the skills being taught will apply to them personally. I know I heard teachers say something like "well, if you become an astronaut, you'll need to know this" - Really!? I think it definitely needs to be more individualized. Great post!