Friday, December 14, 2007
Teachers Education Program
Today I had my Orientation for the Teacher’s Program. I learned a few things about the different departments realated to the education program at MSU. We did an actitity, but my group was not successful at completing everything we were required to do. Anyway, I did not like that too much because they did not give us enough time to get all the information we needed. Although I did not like that, it was worth going because of five students that just graduated as teachers from MSU had prepared something for us. They each read a story about their experiences in student teaching. The stories were really interesting, and they showed the good and the bad about what they went through in the classrooms. The students had not expected to find a big challenge, but they all had a student that caught their attention; these kids had behavioral problems, or they performed poorly in class. All these new teachers had to face these issues, and with the help of their cooperative teachers, they were able to find a solution. I got emotional listening to these stories, and it just made more clear to me that even though I am embarking in a tough career, it is what I want to do. My purpose in life is to make a difference in the life of kids.
School Meetings
First, I went to my little sister's Parents-Teachers conference at Mc Kinnon Middle School. I went with my sister who is 2 years younger than me. We went instead of my mom because she had to work, and she does not speak English fluently.
It was a good experience because that was the first time going into a middle school in my town. The school was nice, it was clean, and everything looked new. It was very bright in there, and everything looked organized. I am glad my little sister attends such a nice public school. When it was our turn to go in the classroom, me and my sister sat down, and we met my little sister’s teachers. There were four, and they teach Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. It was great to see how these conferences are conducted at schools. It was also interesting to hear what the teachers had to say about my sister. They said she is really loud, and acts like the class clown. I had no idea my sister was behaving like that at school because she just started attending there last September, and this was the first parent-teacher conference. I also learned that teachers talk about students’ grades, but they also tell the parents about the positive things about their kids, and the things the kids need to work on.
I told the teachers that I was an education major at MSU; they were glad to hear that, and I felt proud of my career choice. The Math teacher told me “That is good. There are not enough teachers.”
My other activity at a school was at Arts High School. I went with another girl from my Curriculum class to see a play the students were doing. It was called “The Exonerated,” and it is a true story about 6 people who were wrongly convicted, and sentenced to the death row. Many years later they were found innocent, but had lost a big part of their lives. There were 12 students on stage; the play was amazing, and I really enjoyed it. It was not what I had expected; the actors were not moving around the stage like I am used to; they just sat down, and told their stories. In most cases, it was like a monologue, but they did have some dialogues. It was totally different than other plays I have seen because it was really dark, and the only ones that we could see were the actors talking. The other kids were just sitting still. The dialogues sometimes occurred between a student in the middle of the stage, and another one far away, on the side of the stage. The lighting effect was really good.
I think those kids are really talented. They did a great job acting, and especially memorizing such a long speech, and one that had so many legal vocabulary. They looked really professional, and I think everyone in the audience was impressed with their performance. We talked to the Arts High School teacher who invited us to see the play. She was there to support her students, and was really impressed with what she saw that night. I am going to try to go to the other activities coming up at AHS because students need support, and because it is great to see how talented urban kids are.
It was a good experience because that was the first time going into a middle school in my town. The school was nice, it was clean, and everything looked new. It was very bright in there, and everything looked organized. I am glad my little sister attends such a nice public school. When it was our turn to go in the classroom, me and my sister sat down, and we met my little sister’s teachers. There were four, and they teach Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. It was great to see how these conferences are conducted at schools. It was also interesting to hear what the teachers had to say about my sister. They said she is really loud, and acts like the class clown. I had no idea my sister was behaving like that at school because she just started attending there last September, and this was the first parent-teacher conference. I also learned that teachers talk about students’ grades, but they also tell the parents about the positive things about their kids, and the things the kids need to work on.
I told the teachers that I was an education major at MSU; they were glad to hear that, and I felt proud of my career choice. The Math teacher told me “That is good. There are not enough teachers.”
My other activity at a school was at Arts High School. I went with another girl from my Curriculum class to see a play the students were doing. It was called “The Exonerated,” and it is a true story about 6 people who were wrongly convicted, and sentenced to the death row. Many years later they were found innocent, but had lost a big part of their lives. There were 12 students on stage; the play was amazing, and I really enjoyed it. It was not what I had expected; the actors were not moving around the stage like I am used to; they just sat down, and told their stories. In most cases, it was like a monologue, but they did have some dialogues. It was totally different than other plays I have seen because it was really dark, and the only ones that we could see were the actors talking. The other kids were just sitting still. The dialogues sometimes occurred between a student in the middle of the stage, and another one far away, on the side of the stage. The lighting effect was really good.
I think those kids are really talented. They did a great job acting, and especially memorizing such a long speech, and one that had so many legal vocabulary. They looked really professional, and I think everyone in the audience was impressed with their performance. We talked to the Arts High School teacher who invited us to see the play. She was there to support her students, and was really impressed with what she saw that night. I am going to try to go to the other activities coming up at AHS because students need support, and because it is great to see how talented urban kids are.
My Community Hours
For my hours of community service, I went to Hispanic Affairs, in Dover. It is a nice organization, and they have many programs to help the community improve their lives. For example, they have English classes, workshops for parents and mothers, and so on. One of the main programs they run is Home Energy Assistance. I went to their offices twice, and I helped out with filing applicant's paperwork, and also filing it. Inoticed there were so many applications, and I learned a little bit of everything because people have to fill out their applications, and provide their gas, energy, and other home bills. Some people apply for government assistance to pay their bills because their doctors determined that someone in their household is at risk of getting sick if they do not get heat in the winter, or air conditioning in the summer.
It was a pleasant experience because everybody there was nice, and they made me feel welcome. My schedule did not match the times in which they had English classes, but I am going to go back, and volunteer to help out with the foreign language classes. I am problably going to go back also to help out in the Home Energy Department. It was fun to see a workplace where everybody is Hispanic. All the employees were speaking in Spanish in the offices, and they had Hispanic music on.
It was a pleasant experience because everybody there was nice, and they made me feel welcome. My schedule did not match the times in which they had English classes, but I am going to go back, and volunteer to help out with the foreign language classes. I am problably going to go back also to help out in the Home Energy Department. It was fun to see a workplace where everybody is Hispanic. All the employees were speaking in Spanish in the offices, and they had Hispanic music on.
Inquiry Project: Notes from the 3 Observers
The two girls in my group and I observed our teachers at AHS, and we asked them some questions about motivation. When we got together and talked about our notes, I realized that the other two teachers were better than mine at motivating their students. I am not sure if it is because they teach subject areas where more motivation is needed (English and History), or because of a limitation with the Spanish language. My teacher did motivate them to learn, for example, she used flashcards, videos and the projector, but she did not try as many different methods as the other teachers. I think the fact that it as a beginner’s class makes it harder for the teacher to have a variety of projects because they children cannot speak in Spanish yet. They just know some words, and basic conversations. I am not sure if that is why my teacher did not seem as great of a motivator as the other educators. Or maybe she was just not good at it.
I think she likes her job, but she is frustrated with some of the problems she faces, and she might have given up a little bit. For example, she told me about a girl in her other class that did not listen to her. This girl ignores the teacher’s instructions, and she always talks in class. The teacher has tried to fix the problem, but the student’s parents have not come in to talk about it. Overall, I think motivating students to learn is extremely important, but it is a challenge to keep everyone interested in the topic.
I think she likes her job, but she is frustrated with some of the problems she faces, and she might have given up a little bit. For example, she told me about a girl in her other class that did not listen to her. This girl ignores the teacher’s instructions, and she always talks in class. The teacher has tried to fix the problem, but the student’s parents have not come in to talk about it. Overall, I think motivating students to learn is extremely important, but it is a challenge to keep everyone interested in the topic.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Interview
Besides getting my notes from my observation, I wanted to get more information from Mrs. Perez, the Spanish teacher. My inquiry project is “How teachers motivate students” so I asked her about what she does to get students interested in learning Spanish. She told me that the first day of class she makes her students read an article about the benefits of learning Spanish. So, kids realize how useful it is to learn this language because of the amount of Hipanics living in the United States, especially in their communities. For example, some students work, so they feel good about being able to help a customer who only speaks Spanish. By relating learning a foreign language to their lives and making it meaningful to them, she motivates her new students.
To motivate her students she uses “differentiated instruction” because every student learns in a different way. So she uses visuals, audio devices, her body, hands-on activities, and so on, to adjust her teaching to the needs of her students. For example, when she teaches the names of the fruits, she brings in plastic fruits; and to learn the names of objects she uses flashcards. She also uses music to get them interested in learning this foreign language, for example, she has a song that teaches the alphabet, and another one about the months of the year. Also, she uses video tapes, and a proyector to show transparencies.
I asked her about other resources she has. She told me the textbook is outdated, and that she barely uses it because she does not like it. She said they have been trying to get an updated book, but they are still talking about it. She hopes the Newark Board of Education takes care of that soon. Then I asked her about technology: how they use it, and if she thinks it is the best method to teach Spanish. She said that they only have one computer lab in the entire school (with 27 computers), and that it represents a problem because she cannot take her students there often. She tries to take her class at least once a month to the lab, but there are many teachers who want to use it, so there is limited access to it. Moreover, the lab does not have the appropriate program installed. She said her students would really benefit from having a good Spanish computer program because they love computers, and they are already familiar with them. If they had more computers and the right technology to teach Spanish at school, she would be able to get them interested and motivated. There is a chance that Arts High School will buy the Rosetta Stone (language software) next year for Spanish and French, so that every computer can have it, and students can each practice on a computer. Because this software is an interactive approach to learning a language, kids will see learning Spanish as something fun, instead of getting bored reading the textbook.
To motivate her students she uses “differentiated instruction” because every student learns in a different way. So she uses visuals, audio devices, her body, hands-on activities, and so on, to adjust her teaching to the needs of her students. For example, when she teaches the names of the fruits, she brings in plastic fruits; and to learn the names of objects she uses flashcards. She also uses music to get them interested in learning this foreign language, for example, she has a song that teaches the alphabet, and another one about the months of the year. Also, she uses video tapes, and a proyector to show transparencies.
I asked her about other resources she has. She told me the textbook is outdated, and that she barely uses it because she does not like it. She said they have been trying to get an updated book, but they are still talking about it. She hopes the Newark Board of Education takes care of that soon. Then I asked her about technology: how they use it, and if she thinks it is the best method to teach Spanish. She said that they only have one computer lab in the entire school (with 27 computers), and that it represents a problem because she cannot take her students there often. She tries to take her class at least once a month to the lab, but there are many teachers who want to use it, so there is limited access to it. Moreover, the lab does not have the appropriate program installed. She said her students would really benefit from having a good Spanish computer program because they love computers, and they are already familiar with them. If they had more computers and the right technology to teach Spanish at school, she would be able to get them interested and motivated. There is a chance that Arts High School will buy the Rosetta Stone (language software) next year for Spanish and French, so that every computer can have it, and students can each practice on a computer. Because this software is an interactive approach to learning a language, kids will see learning Spanish as something fun, instead of getting bored reading the textbook.
My Observation at Arts High School
My observation at Arts High School went really good, and I am glad I had the opportunity to do it there. I observed Mrs. Perez’ s class the day before Thanksgiving. She teachers Spanish I to freshman and sophomore students. I sat down in the back of her classroom, and observed two different groups of students. I did a sketch of the classroom, and I noticed that it was big, had beige walls, shiny wood floor, five big glass windows,and the lightning was good. It was funny to see that there was a texbook holding the window open, so I guess it was broken. When I got there, the classroom was hot, and several students were complaining; but soon, air started to come in though the broken window.
Let’s start with the classroom setup: the students were sitting in pairs, and they were facing the white-erase board in the front of the classroom. There was also a chalkboard on each side of the classroom, and the one on the right had the homework assignment written on it. The board on the left had student’s posters hanging from it. There were boards in amost every wall with students’ creative projects. Also, there was a wooden shelf in the corner of the room,and it looked unorganized because it had projects, textbooks, and some stacks of papers. Next, there was a filing cabinet, and on top of it there was a decorative table cloth, and there were pieces of craft work, a piñata, and other objects that looked Hispanic, especially Mexican. In the other corner, there was the teacher’s desk, her chair, and another desk with her computer and printer. Her desk was organized, but a few papers she was working with looked unorganized. In the back of the classroom, there was an old fan (on the floor), and an old TV set. There were four flags from different Hispanic countries hanging from the windows, and the U. S. flag hanging in front of the classroom. There was a phone on the wall, a table, and the bathroom log sheet by the entrance. There was a big yellow poster taped to that wall that said with the class expectations. There was a poster on the door that said “Welcome to our class” in Spanish.
About the resources, they had a Spanish textbook from 2000 (En Español, Mc Dougal Littel), and the matching workbooks. The teacher told me the textbook is outdated, and that that they are working on getting a new one, but the Newark Board of Education is who makes that decision. Students keep their textbooks at home because most them would never bring them to school, and they leave their workbooks at school, so they can practice in class. During my observation, the teacher used the workbook once, but most of the time she handed out worksheets to students.
The teacher is Peruvian, and she looks Hispanic. She is petite, and she has dark skin and brown hair. There were 18 students in her first class (7 were absent), and 15 students in the second one. The students were from different races; there were a few white students, but most of them looked like they were Hispanic, or African American. There were two special education students. One of them had a learning disability, so she needed more time to test. The other one was in a wheel-chair, and she had an aid who sat next to her during class. The aid helps this student around the school, stays with her most of the time, and sometimes takes notes for her. All the students were well-behaved, except for a few that would walk around at times. During class, many students went to the bathroom, but they had to take turns; they filled out a log, and took the pass.
For the two groups of students I observed, they had to do an oral test, but the teacher did a review first. For the test, the teacher sat in the back of the room, in between two students. Each student had to stand in front of the classroom, and he or she had to pick 10 flashcards from the 20 the teacher had on a table. They had to look at the picture, and say the name of that object in Spanish. At the beginning the teacher asked who wanted to go first, and four students were arguing about who was going to be first. The students seemed calm, and attentive, except for a female black student that was sleeping the whole time. When a student made a mistake, the teacher told him/her to pick another flashcard to make up those for those points. The teacher was flexible when grading pronunciation; if they knew the answer but said it wrong, she still counted it as right, and she corrected the students’ pronunciation. Some students laughed when a classmate made mistakes on the oral test, but the teacher did not tell them to stop. When a student had all the answers correct, his/her classmates clapped. After all the students who wanted to take the test went, the teacher started calling the other ones. Then the teacher called the student who had been sleeping. She did not want to go; she stood up, and said she didn’t know what whe was doing. She said the names of 5 flashcards, and then she refused to continue and went back to her seat. Some students who had taken the test were sleeping on their desks. The teacher helped another student by giving him clues. Another student did not want to go, and she told the teacher that she needed more time to review, but she did not get any more time. During the oral test, the teacher talked to them in both English and Spanish.
After the test, the teacher handed out a worksheet to her students, so they had to match the picture to a word from a word bank. The teacher walked around the classroom, and she helped students who had questions. Since they sit in pairs, most students work with their partners; they compare their answer, and answer each other’s questions. Some students said their questions out loud, and the teacher asked the whole class for the answer. The teacher would say the different ways you can say something in Spanish, depending on the country. Then they announced it was time for students to go to homeroom, and they immediately grabbed their things and left.
The second group of students I observed did the same thing: the review, the oral test, and the worksheet. This group was not too attentive, a number of students were talking among themselves. Just like in the first class, students were arguing to go first. A male black student said “Shut the fuck up” to another boy. The teacher got upset, and told him to behave. Then the teacher told a girl who had her feet on her desk to put her feet down (in Spanish). Students were distracted, and many of them were playing. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and they had an early dismissal, so students wanted to go home. Most students were loud, and they were talking in groups,while they were doing the worksheet. They did not finish because it was time to go.
Let’s start with the classroom setup: the students were sitting in pairs, and they were facing the white-erase board in the front of the classroom. There was also a chalkboard on each side of the classroom, and the one on the right had the homework assignment written on it. The board on the left had student’s posters hanging from it. There were boards in amost every wall with students’ creative projects. Also, there was a wooden shelf in the corner of the room,and it looked unorganized because it had projects, textbooks, and some stacks of papers. Next, there was a filing cabinet, and on top of it there was a decorative table cloth, and there were pieces of craft work, a piñata, and other objects that looked Hispanic, especially Mexican. In the other corner, there was the teacher’s desk, her chair, and another desk with her computer and printer. Her desk was organized, but a few papers she was working with looked unorganized. In the back of the classroom, there was an old fan (on the floor), and an old TV set. There were four flags from different Hispanic countries hanging from the windows, and the U. S. flag hanging in front of the classroom. There was a phone on the wall, a table, and the bathroom log sheet by the entrance. There was a big yellow poster taped to that wall that said with the class expectations. There was a poster on the door that said “Welcome to our class” in Spanish.
About the resources, they had a Spanish textbook from 2000 (En Español, Mc Dougal Littel), and the matching workbooks. The teacher told me the textbook is outdated, and that that they are working on getting a new one, but the Newark Board of Education is who makes that decision. Students keep their textbooks at home because most them would never bring them to school, and they leave their workbooks at school, so they can practice in class. During my observation, the teacher used the workbook once, but most of the time she handed out worksheets to students.
The teacher is Peruvian, and she looks Hispanic. She is petite, and she has dark skin and brown hair. There were 18 students in her first class (7 were absent), and 15 students in the second one. The students were from different races; there were a few white students, but most of them looked like they were Hispanic, or African American. There were two special education students. One of them had a learning disability, so she needed more time to test. The other one was in a wheel-chair, and she had an aid who sat next to her during class. The aid helps this student around the school, stays with her most of the time, and sometimes takes notes for her. All the students were well-behaved, except for a few that would walk around at times. During class, many students went to the bathroom, but they had to take turns; they filled out a log, and took the pass.
For the two groups of students I observed, they had to do an oral test, but the teacher did a review first. For the test, the teacher sat in the back of the room, in between two students. Each student had to stand in front of the classroom, and he or she had to pick 10 flashcards from the 20 the teacher had on a table. They had to look at the picture, and say the name of that object in Spanish. At the beginning the teacher asked who wanted to go first, and four students were arguing about who was going to be first. The students seemed calm, and attentive, except for a female black student that was sleeping the whole time. When a student made a mistake, the teacher told him/her to pick another flashcard to make up those for those points. The teacher was flexible when grading pronunciation; if they knew the answer but said it wrong, she still counted it as right, and she corrected the students’ pronunciation. Some students laughed when a classmate made mistakes on the oral test, but the teacher did not tell them to stop. When a student had all the answers correct, his/her classmates clapped. After all the students who wanted to take the test went, the teacher started calling the other ones. Then the teacher called the student who had been sleeping. She did not want to go; she stood up, and said she didn’t know what whe was doing. She said the names of 5 flashcards, and then she refused to continue and went back to her seat. Some students who had taken the test were sleeping on their desks. The teacher helped another student by giving him clues. Another student did not want to go, and she told the teacher that she needed more time to review, but she did not get any more time. During the oral test, the teacher talked to them in both English and Spanish.
After the test, the teacher handed out a worksheet to her students, so they had to match the picture to a word from a word bank. The teacher walked around the classroom, and she helped students who had questions. Since they sit in pairs, most students work with their partners; they compare their answer, and answer each other’s questions. Some students said their questions out loud, and the teacher asked the whole class for the answer. The teacher would say the different ways you can say something in Spanish, depending on the country. Then they announced it was time for students to go to homeroom, and they immediately grabbed their things and left.
The second group of students I observed did the same thing: the review, the oral test, and the worksheet. This group was not too attentive, a number of students were talking among themselves. Just like in the first class, students were arguing to go first. A male black student said “Shut the fuck up” to another boy. The teacher got upset, and told him to behave. Then the teacher told a girl who had her feet on her desk to put her feet down (in Spanish). Students were distracted, and many of them were playing. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and they had an early dismissal, so students wanted to go home. Most students were loud, and they were talking in groups,while they were doing the worksheet. They did not finish because it was time to go.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Abbott v. Burke
I had never heard about the Abbott districts or the Abbott v. Burke cases, but I was glad to read about these rulings. The New Jersey Supreme Court’s rulings in favor of students’ rights to receive quality education is very positve and it representas a big step towards equality in our society. Schools are where everything starts and kids and teenagers need to have a good education to succeed when they graduate from high school.
It must have been a real challenge for these students, their parents and guardians to confront the New Jersey’s Education Commissioner. But how often does this happen? How often do students and their parents speak up and demand more? I wish more parents did this because most of them just see their kids go through their school years and do not realize the huge impact that schools have on their children’s future. Unfortunately poor districts are forgotten and their students have to deal with the consequences, so the only way that changes occur is when people get together and decide to fight for their rights.
It must have been a real challenge for these students, their parents and guardians to confront the New Jersey’s Education Commissioner. But how often does this happen? How often do students and their parents speak up and demand more? I wish more parents did this because most of them just see their kids go through their school years and do not realize the huge impact that schools have on their children’s future. Unfortunately poor districts are forgotten and their students have to deal with the consequences, so the only way that changes occur is when people get together and decide to fight for their rights.
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