Courtney+Carreon

My Journal Responses: Response 1. Response 2. Response 3. Response 4. Response 5. Response 6.

Introduction: By way of introduction, my name is Courtney Carreon and I am currently teaching the Advanced Placement Language and Composition courses as well as the American Literature courses for 11th grade English students. This is my 3rd overseas position, and I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Jane E. Pollock during my stay in Colombia – rewriting the English Curriculum for k-12. It was quite an eye-opening experience. In looking over the materials presented to us I have many expectations for this course. As an educator, phrase like “understanding by design” and “backwards design” are frequently heard but never fully understood. I am hoping, quite frankly, to learn what the hype is about. Mostly, I am interested in streamlining my curriculum and finding a more fluid way to present the materials. I believe that deepening my knowledge of curriculum and design and assessment will make lesson planning and my communication about objectives and goals with my students more efficient.   __Response Journal #2 __ · **What is the author's point of view with regard to the //knowledge arts//? ** David Perkins regards the knowledge arts as the most essential skills that a student can obtain throughout their education. By using active verbs he describes how using knowledge arts in the real world involves creating, communicating, organizing, and acting. He feels that our traditional schools are below “par” in these areas. We deliver a wealth of information to students without showing them how to apply it. · **How would you respond to his ideas and suggestions? ** I would respond with enthusiasm that it is about time for educational reform and shifting the focus to the knowledge arts is a fantastic way to begin. I do believe that “. . . it is more than just tools for teacher to teach with. . .” but the time has come for new educators to stop teaching the way they were taught and open our eyes to the use that our students can make of the knowledge we give them. · **What are the implications of his ideas for curriculum designers? ** The implications for curriculum designers is that they will have to re-evaluate the outcomes and goals of their long term planning shifting to those that will force students to accomplish real life goals within that subject area.  · **In Eisner's view what //aims// are appropriate for schools seeking to prepare students for today and tomorrow? ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">According to Eisner’s view, schools should prepare students for today’s world, not the unforeseeable future of tomorrow. He believes that should take the time to teach skills such as judgment, critical thinking, generation of powerful ideas, meaningful literacy, and collaboration. Through these skills students will be able to effectively maneuver their way through an ever changing world. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">In your experience, what factors give rise to the 'preparatory' and 'hoop jumping' conception of education that runs contrary to his beliefs ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I believe the idea of proverbial “hoop jumping” is inherent in American educational systems because teachers from pre-school on up focus on rules, regulations, standards and procedures, and less on the actual knowledge that a student’s is able to use. This is especially prevalent in today’s society with Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” legislature. This legislature embodies the very idea of “hoop jumping” because its soul focus is passing a test, not succeeding in life. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">To what extent are you able to focus on Eisner's //aims// in your present teaching situation? ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Honestly, I focus on two of the areas extensively in my classroom but often neglect the others. I focus on Critical thinking and Meaningful literacy in my English classroom. Students are asked to read the newspaper daily and come up with different strategies that are being used in the writing. They create their own newspapers with focus on manipulation/persuasion and general presentation of ideas. Communication is an essential in today’s world. I need to strengthen generation of powerful ideas, judgment, and collaboration. I’m afraid that in these three areas I have not yet been successful. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> __Response Journal #3__ <span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> Visit the website //Concept to Classroom// and read [|Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning] workshop. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Describe some of the benefits of constructivism. ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The benefits of constructivism are numerous. This paradigm encourages students to take responsibility for their own education asking them to generate their own ideas and to learn for themselves incorporating previous knowledge and building on it. It enhances the idea that it is acceptable to have different perspectives because each person brings their own knowledge to the proverbial table. Constructivism helps teachers to illustrate to students that they will learn information that is meaningful to them. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">What should educators be cautions of in relation to constructivism? ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Educators need to be aware that some critics have suggested that constructivism works well only with students who are naturally intelligent or with students who come from privileged backgrounds. Be cautious of the fact that “group think” is a problem with constructivism and classroom instructors must be training to facilitate this model effectively so that one small group is not dominating the class. There is also little research that constructivism works because it is not a paradigm based on standardized tests. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> __Response Journal #4__ ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Read [|PowerfulLearning.pdf]. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Give an example from your own experience for each of Brandt's conditions for //powerful learning//. ** ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">When teaching my English classes I find that teaching College application essay is much easier for the students to understand because it directly affects them. They know that they will be writing them soon so it is meaningful to them. The same thing is true with SAT prep. I know that this runs counter to some of the ideas we have studies thus far but it is an experience that I have had. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I have personally felt very daunted by technology. In EDC601 that we are taking as part of this masters program, I have been asked to do this with technology that I never would have thought possible. Because we take it step by step I am able to achieve my goals. I now have an end goal of a personal website with a class wiki and common lectures on podcast! ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">I have to good fortune to have two very healthy baby boys. In helping them to grow and develop I have learned that some things they are just not ready for. My two (almost three) year old, for most of his life could not understand justification for his or our actions; now that he is developmentally ready he is constantly asking why. The same thing is true I notice with my students. I have recently made a jump from teaching 9th graders to teaching 11th graders. At the beginning of the year we review grammar and even though some of the students come from different schools and this curriculum is not a review it is new, they handle it with the same skill level as the students who learned the information in 9th grade. I have to believe that this ease of learning comes from learning other similar areas. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">My husband and I are both taking the same masters’ courses. We have studied and worked together but often find things frustrating because we learn differently. For example, when discussing the use of delicious, I found it easier to go through the module and learn how to use it for my specific purposes, where my husband preferred to roam around the website and figure it out on his own through trial and error. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> Watching students grow and change is the best part of my job. Tapping in to prior knowledge helps to make learning meaning ful for students. When I teach writing, we first discuss the parts of a paragraph and whey they are useful. Then, we build upon those ideas and eventually create the 5 paragraph essay. When I teach Romeo and Juliet I start with words that they know that shakespeare invented, I also ask them to tell me everthing they know about the starcrossed lovers. As they build upon what they know they become more and more interested. When I finally tell them that Juliet was only 13 years old, they are hooked. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This is an area that I feel I can improve upon in my classroom. In teaching Romeo and Juliet to 9th graders, overwhelmingly the things that they remember most about the class were the things that they did together. Reading their parts aloud and creating their own script with stages movements really help them to understand the aspects of playwriting. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">We have recently had trouble with this at our school. Every year students take the SAT 10 and then the scores are reported back to the school. Up until this year the students never saw their scores. This year administration decided to remove students from honors and AP classes based on their test scores. The students were in an absolute outrage overwhelming the counselors with the outcry “we have never seen the results so we thought they didn’t matter.” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">In younger years we learn to make acronyms and mnemonic devices to remember things. I have learned to use Socratic Seminars in my classes as a way to structure critical thinking and question design. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Having a good rapport with my students makes them feel very comfortable coming to me with questions and putting faith in me when it comes to their education. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This year when reading the book the crucible, instead of just having the students read their separate parts, I had them actually come in costume. We didn’t have time to act it out, but coming in costume really helped them to make the play come alive and read with fluency. They also have taken a more active interest in their characters for analysis. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Which of these conditions are viable in your present teaching assignment? ** I try very hard to make learning meaningful for the students. I have taught satire by using the Simpsons and try hard to use real life examples when teaching. I feel that I have created a positive emotional climate in my classroom that influences learning. I provide quick feedback for all assignments and offer many opportunities for revision.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> **<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> **People learn what is personally meaningful to them.**
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">People learn when they accept challenging but achievable goals. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Learning is developmental. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Individuals learn differently. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">People construct new knowledge by building on their current knowledge. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Much learning occurs through social interaction. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">People need feedback to learn. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Successful learning involves use of strategies – which themselves are learned. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">A positive emotional climate strengthens learning. **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">10.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"> ****<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Learning is influenced by the total environment. **

Response 5

I do believe that very good instructional planning happens through backwards design, but I have not had the opportunity to research the different methods of designing curriculum. I have noted through my own personal experience that backwards design works the best for me in my teaching and planning and that most of the professors that I have had the good fortune to work with have touted backwards design as the most effective tool in designing units. As for <span style="color: rgb(171, 150, 150)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Justifying the claim that the best lesson and unit designs are “backwards," the research that you have presented demonstrates this because it requires teachers to consider what their ultimate outcome is to be for each unit, relate that outcome to the standards set by the district and then look at how their students will acheive those goals. By planning in this way teachers are always focused on what students will walk away understanding and not what projects and paper are easy to assess.

Response 6

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 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">What behaviors do you associate with student understanding? When a student truly understands the material that we have covered in class I expect her to be able to apply the information in a variety of different ways. I do not expect a student to simply explain the material exactly as it was presented to them in class. I expect a confident student to be able to answer and complete difficult tasks using the information or ideas.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">How do you distinguish between students "knowing" and "doing" versus understanding what they are studying? A student who can "plug and chug" has a very surface understanding of the information not unlike a classically conditioned dog. However a student who understands what they are studying and has made a real and lasting connection with the information will be able to use that information in a variety of different ways.