Friday, April 20, 2007
Personal Learning Activity # 3: No More Gesticulating!
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.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Personal Learning Activity # 2: Reading for Fun
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Vocation Visiter: Higher Calling Conversation
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.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
"You the Teacher; You the Student" : Personal Learning Activity #1: Watch the News
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.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Technology: Good or Evil?
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.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
The Vagina Monologues
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.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Are Americans Falling Behind?
- 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.