Personal Learning Activity # 3: No More Gesticulating!

Yes, I am one of those people who ALWAYS talks with her hands. Sometimes I depend on my gesticulations to make up for a lack of diction I might be experiencing certain days. Anyway, it's not really that much of a problem, but I've been more observant of other people and notice they barely gesticulate. Sometimes I feel it distracts my listener(s) from what I'm saying; so, my goal for this week was to test myself and see if I could stop gesticulating; also, if it makes a difference in my listener's perceived attention.
Methods for no more gesticulating is pretty self-explanatory: abstain from using my hands. It was pretty tough, and sometimes (many times) I couldn't help myself from gesticulating. I found it a little annoying that it just came naturally; I made a conscious effort to stop, but in many cases it didn't work. The times that I was successful and didn't use my hands occurred as a result of making more eye contact with others (which is another thing I'm desperately trying to improve). I found that if I concentrate on the person's eyes, I am less aware of my hands and more aware of the words I'm trying to say.
Assessing myself is also easy because either I would give in and use my hands, or I wouldn't. I think I failed at this because in more instances than not, I used my hands. Oh, well. It was worth a try and is something I will continually try to improve or prevent from doing.
My motivation for this was pretty high, I guess. Again, it is something I've become aware that I do--almost incessantly. My friends politely make fun of my gestures and try to imitate me. It's funny, but it makes me feel embarrassed--knowing that I use my hands all the time to convey the point I'm trying to make.
This week's reading seems to allude to the power of gestures--which is ultimately a good thing. It talks how teachers can encourage kids to collaborate and cooperate with peers, and to do so successfully, we have to demonstrate respect and caring for others and their opinions. A simple gesture, such as a thumb's up, is a good way to motivate, comfort, and encourage others. On the contrary, pointing at someone/singling them out is not respectful and only makes a child feel isolated or hurt. Teachers who really care and express it are the most effective. In one study, students reported that caring teachers are the ones who "asked if something was wrong when they [students] seemed upset," or whose "disciplinary procedures are fair and respectful" (Woolfolk 432). Woolfolk also says, "teachers trust and respect their students and care about them as learners and as people" (432). In my opinion, by showing proper gestures, or for those who don't gesture, students will be able to tell if you really care if you express it in your gestures or the amount of eye contact.

Personal Learning Activity # 2: Reading for Fun

The activity I chose for this week was to leisurely read for at least 20-30 minutes. My objectives were to devote some personal time to an activity that I love and try to unwind after a long or busy day. Since the only real time available to read was at night before bed, one of my methods included finishing homework and getting ready for bed earlier than usual, that way I could have at least some time to read one chapter. There really wasn't a way to properly assess this. I just know that my reading comprehension of books I read for leisure is much higher than when I read texts for college. I find that fact peculiar, but I guess it is all based on motivation: if I don't find the material interesting/enjoyable, I definitely won't be motivated to read it (but reluctanly continue because of the pressure to do well in classes); conversely, if I like the material I'm reading, my motivation to continue is high. My motivation was very high because reading is something I love to do and rarely have any time to read for leisure, except during the summer. This motivation I describe is that of intrinsic motivation, or motivation that is stimulated by personal interests (Woolfolk 373). It's really sad that I can't even do an activity that I love during the school year because of superfluous amounts of homework. I wish I could find time to read books for fun--not college texts that drain all energy and motivation from me--throughout the school year. That's why I chose this particular activity, because I was able to do something that makes me happy and in which I find great pleasure:)

Vocation Visiter: Higher Calling Conversation

Dr. Beate Hofmann, a professor of Christian education at the University of Applied Sciences, came all the way from Nuremberg, Germany. She spoke about some experiences that occurred in Germany during World War II. I attended her lecture and also heard her speak in my Christian Theology class. The lecture, titled "The Political Dimension of Christian Faith: Eye-Opening Experiences During the Hitler Regime in Germany," was empowering because it revealed the roles women had back at that time. They had the stereotypical maternal roles of tending to children and home, while men worked.
During the totalitarian regime, Adolph Hitler tried to spread the Aryan race (European without Jewish descent, or more familiarly, blonde hair and blue eyes). He encouraged an increase in birthrate, for if there were more people to reproduce, the more chances of increasing the "perfect" race. He gave women what was called a Mother's Cross. To receive this cross, a mother had to bear 4 or more children. For every child exceeding the fourth (i.e. fifth, sixth, seventh...etc., child), the mother received another cross. Women were supposed to wear these crosses in public so people could congratulate her for contributing to an increase in the Aryan poplulation.
Going back to the Holocaust and how it relates to education, we have to realize that Hitler was an extremist, completely turned around in his views. The damage he caused is irreversible, but can be prevented through the power of communication in today's society. We have to inform people that hate, discrimination, subjugation, and murder are not justifiable and, once again, irreversible. It is scary that someone like Hitler had the power and support to cause so much destruction. Of course, he gained power solely through propaganda.
It is our job as teachers to make sure discrimination/prejudice and other such subjugation does not take place in our schools. If we show how destructive hate can be, and then promote kindness in our classroom, students will emulate the niceties we establish in our classroom. It is important to exhibit a genuine caring and love for students, encouraging them to accept differences and be kind to everyone, for we are all different. We cannot have another incident such as the Holocaust happen again. Instead, we have to be sure spread the message and show the tragic results of a that time period when a power-hungry, prejudiced person was in power.

"You the Teacher; You the Student" : Personal Learning Activity #1: Watch the News

In Ed. Psych., we were given a personal learning log to record an activity that we wanted to learn. We are to choose an activity from a different "domain" for each week. These domains consist of health/wellness; political; interpersonal; spiritual; environmental; entertainment; lifestyle; local; or other. After establishing the domain, we identify our objectives of what we want to learn; describe the methods of how to complete the objectives; find ways of assessing our learning; and then reflect on how our lesson relates to the concepts identified in the assigned reading for that week.
For the week of Monday, March 26 to Saturday, March 31, I decided to make an effort to learn more about current events on a local, stately, or worldly basis.
My objectives: be in the know of politics, environmental issues, local/worldly issues--nothing that relates to celebrities! I wanted to really pay attention to what is going on in our nation/world and show a genuine caring/concern for what is happening at this point in time.
My methods: watch the local/world news, MSNBC; go online and find websites of the Cedar Rapids Gazette (my hometown), Des Moines Register (my state's capitol), and New York Times. Listen to and read stories of current events taking place in the community, state, nation, and world.
Assessment: I kept a journal to record the most interesting and/or shocking events of this week. Whenever I discussed the issues with others, I wouldn't consult the journal, that way I could see how much I really did learn. It made for interesting discussions since I could get different insight/opinions on these current issues.
Reflection: After I watched the news and read various online articles from newspapers, I discussed certain issues with my boyfriend, roommate, and other friends. We talked about how we, as Americans and students, are greatly affected these particular issues (e.g. increased tuition, increased minimum wage). It was really interesting that some issues were mentioned and discussed in my other classes. I feel that in order for a student to really know what is going on in the world, they cannot depend on other students, and instead, have to do some research for themselves. This type of learning is called situated learning. It "emphasizes that learning in the real world is not like studying in school" (Woolfolk, 347). It requires students to investigate activities and relate them to the real world--which will ultimately reveal what they have learned and how to apply it to particular situations.

Technology: Good or Evil?

We were asked in our Ed. Pysch. class if we thought technology was troublesome or advantageous; also, if it is important to incorporate the exploration of technology into classroom activities. Personally, I feel that technology is both a burden and privilege, and that it is important to engage in technological activities, but not make them a primary focus.
As teachers in the 21st century, we are entering a period in which technology is consistently changing the course of our lives and how we perform tasks. Think about all the things that exist today upon which we place much dependence, for either entertainment or daily-essential purposes: cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, high-speed internet, high-definition television, and so much more. Kids these days have the privilege of being exposed to all of the latest fads of this generation; yet children are faced with many dangers if their use of technology is not supervised and/or limited. For this reason, I think technology is not such a great thing; not to mention it can be very cumbersome and time-consuming. For example, we were recently assigned to post a short video on YouTube. Well, my group's video was 1 minute and 33 seconds, and could not be posted because it exceeded 100MB, which is the maximum capacity of a YouTube clip. We ended up burning the movie onto a disk and turning it in after spending almost an hour trying to upload the video onto YouTube. It was ridiculous. At times like this I am completely frustrated with technology so much that I resent it. I can also think of times when my internet is so slow or refuses to work when I am in dire need to use it. As the saying goes, "Technology is great until it stops working." I competely agree.
I think that technology is a wonderful thing-- I mean, without it, many things would be impossible, or made that much more difficult, to perform. I am grateful for technology, but there are some drawbacks to it, especially in a classroom setting. One thing that drove me insane in my middle school years (the explosion of internet usage) was the fact that many teachers assumed that EVERYONE owned a computer. I dreaded when they assigned projects involving internet research outside of the classroom. This was very much an inconvenience for me because my family did not have a computer--well, we did, but it did not have internet. We actually did not get a computer until I was a freshman in high school (2001-2002). So relying on a friend's computer and making trips to the library was very hectic. It seemed like I was the only one in the school that did not have a computer--not entirely true, but almost. This is why I feel that today we have to be careful that we do not assign projects requiring use of technology (i.e. digital/video cameras or computers) without first making resources available for kids whose families do not own the proper equipment. We cannot assume that every single family has these things, and thus, either have to allow the projects to be done inside the classroom or provide kids with the proper resources. It is important for kids to delve into technological-based experiments and explore the exciting field of technology. It will deepen their knowledge and facilitate survival in a fast-paced, ever-changing world of technology. So, to reiterate, one will definitely be privileged if they are technologically advanced/literate, which is why it is essential for teachers to incorporate some activities utilizing technology into their teaching, but teachers should not make technology-use their primary focus in the classroom.

The Vagina Monologues

I know...for those of you who do not know what this is, you are probably wondering what in the world this is and why am I blogging about it. Well, the Vagina Monologues is a group of women who interview women and ask them questions like, "If your vagina could get dressed what would it wear?" or "If your vagina could talk, what would it say?" Actually, this is all a part of the act of the Vagina Monologues. They use these interviews as comedic relief/satire to convey a very powerful message. The Vagina Monologues are advocates for what is called V-Day; a day in which women reclaim peace. According to the pamphlet I received,
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anit-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual slavery. The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina.

At the beginning of the show I found myself cringing at the multiple uses of the word "vagina," but I soon became intrigued by the messages in which they were trying to portray in their acts. Most acts were very funny and received great responses from the audience (of mostly women, I should add). Other acts were more serious and described the violence of women in third-world countries. It is terrible to think of the experiences women are going through and the violence and terror they face. In these acts I actually started crying, trying to picture these women as permanently damaged or ruined as a result to overly-excited, cruel men.

The Vagina Monologues were very empowering, and made me realize that it is important to formulate a classroom in which violence (against either girls or boys) is prohibited. Today we are seeing an abundance of messages that exhibit violence: tv/movies, video games, child's play, etc. As future teachers, we need to figure out a way to speak to our students about handling conflicts in such a way so to prevent further violence.

Are Americans Falling Behind?

Until recently, the United States has been the most advanced (cognitively, technologically, militarily) nation. Currently, however, we seem to be competing with China. The following is a bothersome fact about students in the United States compared to students in China. It shows that the United States is not placing as much emphasis on one's education like that of other countries, such as China.

• Fewer than 40,000 students in the United States study Chinese, a language spoken by 1.3 billion people. Almost all students study English.

This makes sense because English is an internationally-known language, and is critical to learn if one wants to make a living not only in the United States, but in other English-speaking countries as well. As US citizens, however, we do not understand how much we benefit from having the world accommodate to our language. By requiring students internationally to learn English, it shows that the United States is the center of authority. If it were some other country who out-ranked the US, one that spoke an uncommon language differing from our own, then we would be the ones to include it in our schools' curriculums. We would have to teach it to our students so that they could reap the benefits of knowing two languages in order to succeed in life.

I think it is really important for students to know two languages; perhaps they would not have to be fluent in both, but they would benefit from knowing two languages over a person who knows just one. In other countries they make sure that their students are learning two languages simultaneously at the earliest age of first grade. Some might argue that the child does not have the proper brain capacity to understand two languages, but I think that is misleading. If we teach students at the lower levels of school (kindergarten through third grade) where a student's brain is like a sponge, in that it soaks in, so to speak, so much information that will be remembered for life, and will later on just be second nature. But, no, the US has to introduce students to foreign languages in high school. This is an issue in itself because some bigger schools have many languages to offer: Spanish, French, German, Norwegian, Chinese, Japanese; while other smaller schools may only have two options or one option of learning Spanish. Don't get me wrong, with the increasing number of immigrants in the US, it is important for us, as US citizens, to learn Spanish so to cooperate effectively with minority students and their families.

I think the US needs to be wiser in their goals for education. We are falling behind. Test scores comparing Chinese students to American students prove that the Chinese are more advanced and demanding in their academic studies. If we continue with the No Child Left Behind Act, the quality of a US education will diminish greatly. It is sad that the United States offers an education to EVERYONE, and there are students who do not appreciate the advantages of having an education. Instead, they slack off, miss school, and waste tax payers' money as well as their teachers' and parents' time. Meanwhile, kids over in China are working very diligently and at a very high academic level, that which surpasses the United States; and we wonder why we are falling behind....hmm...let's think about it.

Freedom Writers

I had the opportunity to see the movie "Freedom Writers" over my J-term break. It was an excellent movie and is currently one of my favorites. I really feel as though I can relate to that teacher; I aspire to be a teacher in the near future, only I prefer to be an middle school English or elementary teacher.
This movie was very inspiring. It makes me realize how important it is for teachers to get to know their students outside of the classroom (i.e. personal, family, extra-curricular). The teacher in "Freedom Writers" was a first-year teacher with no previous experience. She was placed in probably the most difficult situations in which a first-time teacher could be placed--or any teacher for that matter. It takes place back in the 1990s, I believe, during the Rodney King revolts in Los Angelas, California. During this time, racism was a critical issue. If you were not White then your life was pretty much jeopardize if you should come in contact with an opposing race--one that is not your own. This means that Hispanics, African-Americans, Latinos, Chinese-Americans were all at risk. The teacher's goal in this movie is to inspire her students to want to learn--because in the beginning, they do not really care that they are getting an education and do not see its advantages. The teacher is very successful in unifying her classroom; making the students overcome the differences between races and see that they all have something in common, despite the difference in ethnicity/race.
It really is a great movie, one in which I highly recommend, especially to potential teachers/educators. The movie shows that if we all work together and forget or appreciate the differences between ourselves and others, then we can make a difference; be heroes.

Purpose of Teaching

So, I've been asked to provide answers to the following questions:

1. Why do we teach?
2. What is the difference between school "work" and student "learning"?
3. What makes for good teaching

To answer the first question, I believe we teach because it is an innate quality among human beings. Most people love to learn and experience new things and are so willing to be taught everything. Teaching enables us to broaden our horizons and be more open-minded to everything taking place in our world. We teach because it gives us a sense of higher knowledge and then when we communicate that knowledge to those uninformed, we are given a sense of pleasure and excitement knowing that we contributed to a person's learning process. There are no limitations on acquiring knowledge or teaching, which makes both learning and teaching fun. Teaching is, in itself, a learning process; when we are the educators passing on our knowledge to others, we have no way of preparing ourselves for the questions they will ask. Thus, we have to anticipate, as teachers/educators, the variety of people we are educating and that each individual learns differently. We should be prepared to answer any questions they are willing to ask us and always have an answer--even if it is a simple, "I don't know, but I can get back to you on that." Teaching is a part of a person's development. growing process. We base everything in life on what we learn, which is a never-ending process; for every day is a new lesson, we just have to take advantage of that opportunity to learn.

There are some similarities yet very big differences between school "work" and a student's "learning." It is only natural to assume that when we are assigned homework, the sole purpose of it is to take something away from it--learn from it. But, over the years, I have definitely noticed that some people abuse this privilege and feel obligated to finish their homework, instead of looking at it as a learning opportunity. A student's work should be completed as a task, yet not just to obey the teacher, but also for that individual's own benefit. Homework requires students to take a new objective/idea and ponder it, see what impact it has on their own life, and what it enables them to do with that information. Can they use it in their daily lives? Does it affect how they think or feel on a regular basis? Sometimes work is taken for its face value and nothing more. People do (or don't do) their homework to satisfy the teacher, or to just get it completed and move on with their day. But they don't realize that by not regarding their work as a learning opportunity, they are then forfeiting their chance to be a wise, knowledgeable person.

There are many aspects to good teaching. In fact, if you think about the good teachers (even some of the bad ones), and really thought about what made them such effective teachers, you would probably notice that each teacher had their own strategies of teaching. Some stategies perhaps contrast with others; but in the end, what matters is that they got through to you and had such an impact on you that, perhaps, you hope to incorporate some of their strategies into your own teaching. Some dimensions of teaching that I think are crucial are: caring, bonding/relationships, respect, discipline or sense of authority, creativity/fun, and a child-based curriculum.

Teachers have to care about their students and the process with which they acquire knowledge. Educators must know in depth about the child's family background. By doing so, the teacher is enabling him/herself to learn what makes the child "tick," if you will; what drives the student to behave or learn in a particular way. Connecting with the students, but keeping your distance and not being a student's best friend, will make for an effective classroom. There has to be a mutual respect and understanding about the rules of the classroom and what is going to be taking place, education-wise, in there. Teachers should be creative, because it allows students to think "outside the box" and have more fun in their learning. Creativity and fun evokes excitement to learn within the student. The more excited a student is to learn, the more apt they will be involved in the classroom activities, and the more successful and knowledgeable they will be in the future. Having a curriculum which is focused around the students is important. By creating activities that are appealing to the students--ones in which students will really enjoy partaking and being involved--you are thus setting yourself and the students up for an effective learing environment. It is also important that students understand the content of your material, or what it is you are trying to teach. At a certain age students begin questioning the purpose of the material or if it will ever be significant to their own lives; depending on the answer with which you provide them, it could have an everlasting effect on their lives. If they understand that the material is critical to their overall knowledge then they will use this knowledge effectively. On the contrary, if a student does not understand how the material can be applied to his/her own life, then the passion for learning is dissolved. That is why it is important for you, as a teacher, to take the material and apply it to the life of your students so they recognize its purpose in everyday-life. It is very hard to motivate students to learn; it is nothing you can force upon them.