The World Systems

Gezon and Kottak. (2012). The world system and colonialism. Culture. Retrieved from: http://create.mcgraw-hill.com. (Transformational Global Leadership. McGraw-Hill Create p. 6-28).

Traveling to other countries throughout my life, I have witnessed different levels of living. I have observed how nations vary in degree of financial standing. However, I have not taken the time to learn about the differing levels of world systems. Therefore, this vocabulary and information is new to me:

·         Core: powerful nations with control over finance and technologies (US, Germany, Japan)

·         Semi periphery: cheap labor and distributes both above and below their level of living(Brazil and India)

·         Periphery: cheap labor and exports raw materials and agriculture (Haiti and Guatemala)

It seems, basically our entire way of life: what we eat, drink, wear, and usages of communication have been derived from some sort of expansion due to industrialization. Goods and services are moved from one continent to another-country to country-state to state-city to city until everything is one big rotation. I don’t know if I’ve thought of goods and services this way before, but it’s comforting to think that we all have something to share and provide for one another. The question now is why are these same services worth more or less in varying countries? I guess it could be because of the worth of the good in that particular region and the amount of effort put into the service. But, I can’t help but wonder if the service would be better if it had more worth tied to it? 

I like the blurb on McDonalds. The idea was to bring to our attention where foods come from and what we eat daily. It’s amazing that by eating one hamburger, we are really eating one item that has products that originated all over the world. It makes me think there is no such thing as “Chinese food” or “Italian food”. It makes me think that I need to be more aware of how lucky I really am to have my favorite foods right on my table.

Culture Think: I agree with the idea that many Americans believe they are middle class; I too identify with the middle class. Some of the values include work ethic, usage of time, family structure, understanding needs and wants, and education. High class individuals may also value some of these areas, but I think they are valued to a different degree. Middle class families are happy to work for what they want/need and value the fact that they had to work so hard in order to achieve so much. Middle class families also seek a strong balance between work life and family life. They strive to be grounded. Education is essential and they strive for life-long learning rather than monetary items.

It’s sad to look at the map showing which nations are semi periphery, periphery, and core. Obviously, I am grateful that I live in a core nation. However, I feel bad for those who are periphery. I can’t help but wonder what more we could do to help those nations build themselves to move up in the classification. Especially since our country is in such financial danger; it is hard to think about helping other countries when there are plenty of people to help in our own neighborhoods. I think, again, it comes down to needs vs. wants and how people live. The standard of living is very different in other places of the world and I believe our standard to be much higher and our needs to be much stronger since we have lived in such luxury for so long. 

The Challenges of Human Resource Management

Bjorkman, Evans, and Pucik. (2011). The challenges of international human resource management. The Global Challenge. (2^nd ed.). Retrieved from: http://create.mcgraw-hill.com. (Transformational Global Leadership. McGraw-Hill Create p. 5-46).

Robert Owen came to be known as the father of “modern personnel management” because he noticed the amount of money being spent on machinery and not enough money being spent on pay for workers. He then implemented new ideas: child labor laws regarding payment, housing and food for workers, education opportunities, and even opened evening recreation for workers. He would have definitely been the man to work for at such a hard time in the industrial field. It seems that he just took common sense-care-and implemented that into the workplace. This obviously creates happier workers who in turn work harder. It was then that the ideas of industry started to change and throughout time evolved with each and every change in the economy.

I thought it was also interesting to think about the change in women vs. men workers during the war. When women came to work in the factories for men, the management had to adapt the machines and change the work for novice workers since women had no former experience in these types of fields. I find that so intriguing because in the workforce now, women have many of the same jobs as men and some women are even more successful. I can’t help but think about how if we had novice workers come into a field, it would be young employees. These younger employees would probably find a better, more efficient way to get the same job completed because they are of the new generation of problem solvers.

Basically, globalization has been around for centuries. It just took time for each organization and country to figure out HOW the globalization was being implemented and when. It then took time and effort from companies to make it work from one country to the next, but that is still an ongoing problem. Some of the main issues that need to be addressed when working globally include: technical systems, people skills, and cultural values. I believe these three areas to be an ongoing issue for the world forever; especially as technology is changing and the generations are improving rapidly. Values will continue to change and people skills will increase and decline due to that same technology increase. We as a community have to work together to keep it all functioning properly-even across borders. Without this communication ability, companies will falter.

Thomas Friedman suggests that the world is now “flat.” I don't know if I agree that the world is flat. I think the examples he describes as "flatteners" have actually made us more well-rounded people. I think they have made us who we are today and that we are working with people all over the world to make the world circular.

This literature made me think and consider further the changes companies face as they become global and what will make them successful in the future. It’s interesting to note that companies with strong areas of communication find more success…isn’t that in everything in life?

Assessment

Rothstein, R., Jacobsen, R. and Wilder, T. (2009). Grading education. American Educator, 24-33.

The author starts off this research by discussing No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This was an endeavor from the federal government that on paper seemed to be wonderful. Actually, I agree with the idea behind NCLB; all students will be literate at grade level by 2013-2014. However, the people behind the scenes did not take many variables into consideration when passing this law. Testing is such a hard way to measure a school’s improvement. NCLB just makes teachers feel stressed and accountable for things that are beyond their control. There are so many variables that go into a student testing well, and one test usually does not show the growth of that student. Not to mention the text anxiety teachers and students both face. Some students may make great strides in their academics, but on test day show complete failure and the teacher is held accountable. It doesn't quite seem right. Teachers feel as if they are teaching to tests, not to what will prepare a student for life and encourage life-long learning skills.

Barton, P.E., and Coley, R.J. (2009). Measuring the achievement elephant. Educational Leadership, 30-34.

This article discussed the achievement gap and the high stakes of standardized testing. Basically, the tests do not show what students have learned or gained and do not give enough insight to parents regarding what their child needs to improve upon. The tests do not really even test skills, they test “test taking skills.” I find it hard to agree with high stakes testing, especially because NCLB will never happen and then what?  Where will we stand at that point and what did we accomplish by requiring high stakes testing for all these years? Nothing. We will have only learned that this type of assessment does not drive student achievement or teaching. We will have learned that students all learn differently and that it takes a community to teach students, not one teacher on any given day. It takes parent involvement, assistance, and peers to make education worthwhile. Even reading literature on NCLB aggravates me!

In the article, The Many Meanings of “Multiple Measures,” author Susan M. Brookhart discusses the ways schools and districts assess and move students through grade levels. One important idea I read in this article is the reminder that student assessment should not be completed on just one assessment, but by a variety of assessments. Teachers should assess students in a few different ways because just as they learn differently, they are also assessed differently. I never really took this into consideration as a teacher. I graded their writing based on the state rubric; I feel this is sufficient because students all have different writing skills in various traits and they could let their personality show here. However, there were other standards I was required to assess that I did so though multiple choice testing. That was not my best option; I understand that now.  I should have given a few options of assessment and allowed students to choose how they’d like to be assessed-in a way that was best for them. In my classes now, Dr. Lumadue gives us two options for overall assessment: 1.) MERLOT web page or 2.) Research Paper. One would think that I would choose the research paper over a web page creation due to my love of writing. However, I have not once chosen that option. Why? Well, the web page gives me an outlet for creativity and I actually learn more as I create the website because I have to research a variety of topics. It is important to remember that multiple measures are the best way to assess students of all ages.

In the article, Assessment-Driven Improvements in Middle School Students’ Writing, the authors discuss the difference between summative and formative assessment. We are reminded that summative assessment takes place at the end of the unit and usually determines if a student learned the required information for that unit. Formative assessment, however, takes place during the unit to determine what more needs to be taught to individual students. This can be done through teacher, self, or peer assessment. It made me think about how often I did peer assessment in class and usually it worked really well. Kids are typically harder on each other and can often explain concepts to one another in a way that is easy for them to understand. From the research, I felt good about the information I was reading and about the assessment I tried to accomplish while teaching.

Further, I always had my students write with a rubric. This research study expressed the great increase students have when given a rubric to assess their writing. A rubric sets standards and creates a way for them to rise to the occasion. Many students have a desire to rise to that occasion. As long as we set our expectations high and share that motivation, they will rise and desire improvement.

Corbett, D. and Wilson, B. (2009). Students’ reactions to a “no failure” grading system and how they informed teacher practice. Theory Into Practice, 191-197.

This article is based off information that students want a teacher that cares about them. By caring, the students mean a teacher that is going to make them do their work, but assist them as necessary. The teacher is not living by the motto “I told you what to do; now you figure it out.”  I see how students like this type of teacher, but I also see how this type of teacher can be taken advantage of in certain situations. For example, I had a student that never came to school. She missed school at least once a week and sometimes for the entire week. Upon return, her parents just expected me to sit down with her that second and explain all the work she had missed and make sure she was up to par by the next day. It just doesn’t work like that!  Teachers are determined caring if they don’t accept “I didn’t do it” as an answer. I tried that too. Honestly, I think it worked better when I said, “That’s not acceptable, “but with 43 kids in a class, I felt I had to teach them to be responsible for their own work. I did, however, offer them extra help in the morning, but they had to make the effort. That seems a little contradicting, doesn’t it?  If they didn’t make the effort to try an assignment, why would they make the effort to come in for extra help? I just thought they would care more about their grades. Most of them did not and their parents did not either…so what’s the point there?

I also like the idea that schools need to be on-board and not just individual teachers. This article addresses the idea that schools need to have a “no failure” grading policy. At the school I worked at, students were (in my mind) rewarded for not doing work. If they didn’t do an assignment, they didn’t get a “0” in the grade book, they got a 50%. Now that doesn’t seem right either. How can a student who does NO work get half credit? That’s like if I decided not to go to work and got 50% of my pay. Sign me up!  The theory behind it is that students who get a few too many zeroes can’t “bail” themselves out and fix their grades. My theory is, good; if I didn’t go to work a few too many days, I’d lose it. What are we teaching our youth by letting them “get by” with nothing? Now, if we’d like to address the idea of having student recomplete work, that’s another story. I am ALL FOR students redoing assignments. This article addresses the concept of students recompleting assignments if they get a “C” grade or lower. Absolutely, give them a second chance. They tried, and maybe failed, but they tried. Often students do not understand the content the first time and after assessment and reinstruction, it clicks with them. At least they were willing to reconsider the material and try again.

Overall, students WANT responsibility. They want teachers to give them breathing room, but they want to be held accountable and praised when they do succeed.  Not only do they need to see that responsibility for their work is important, but quality is important. Some students, especially in writing, think quantity is better.  However, a well written paper with direct and concise ideas is much more interesting and understood than one with lots of “fluff.”  I think it’s important that we not only teach our students to try, but to try with quality. When the quality we are seeking (and it must be expected) is not met, let them try again. They will see the expectations, live up to them, and reach for them in the future.

Motivation, Engagement, and Classroom Management

Dweck, C.S., (2007). The perils and promises of praise. Educational Leadership, 34-39.

Interesting enough, this article discussing praise poses the idea that students believe they have a fixed amount of intelligence. The reason I think this is so interesting is because I NEVER thought that and have NEVER heard that students could possibly believe that. I now wish I would have thought about that concept because I would have asked my students and then told them it wasn’t true. If they honestly believe they can only learn so much, it’s no wonder their desire to learn decreases.  Maybe I should have taken more time teaching students the power of the brain. It’s important for students to realize they have the ability to gain intelligence and when they do that, they focus more on how much they can learn and their learning increases.

The difference between these two types of students is that the student with the fixed mind set will hit a wall, if you will. They get to a point where they no longer think they need to know the information especially when they are having a hard time understanding a hard concept. They then shut down because they think it’s not important for them to learn. The student who has the ideas that they should continually learn will hit that same wall and decide they need to find a way around the wall. They find new strategies for learning.

They key idea here is to ignite learning in students while they are young and emphasize to them different learning strategies. It’s important for them to know there is more than one way to solve just about every problem and that they need to discover what works for them. Through discovery, they have more of a chance to understand he content better anyway.  It is important to teach them that their brain is a muscle, and the more they work it, the stronger it becomes. They need to understand that every time they try something that’s hard, their brain makes connections and over time they become smarter from those connections being put together.

The authors also determined that praise given to students because they are smart was not nearly as beneficial as praising students because they tried something. I need to keep this in mind with my own children. It’s more important to praise their effort, with exactness and details of what they did correctly that to praise how smart they are. Seems simple enough!

Willingham, D.T., (2008). Should learning be its own reward? American Educator, 29-35.

I was actually really surprised to read about schools paying students money to not only do well on tests, but even to come to school. Honestly, I have NEVER heard about this and I’m appalled. How can students expect to be paid for doing well?  Shouldn’t they have an inner desire to learn and do well? I understand many students do not have that intrinsic desire, especially those living in low income families. However, isn’t it our job as educators to create that motivation? Really, there is no other way than paying them? I have a hard time believe that. By paying students money for doing well on tests, I feel it does give incentive, but then it also gives them a mixed message. When we are always trying to teach students to be life-long learners, this will not follow through with that idea.  I feel it is more of a bribe than anything and I do not feel bribery is the way to rear children.

The author suggests these guidelines regarding rewards: don’t use the rewards unless absolutely necessary, use the rewards only for a specific reason, and use them only for a limited time. Some have found that rewards can cause negative responses as well. I once had a student who would not talk. Literally, he would not talk. He did not talk to me, friends, other teachers, etc. So, I told him that every time he answered a question in class, he’d get a sticker and once his chart was full, he’d get a prize. Well, it was hard for him at first, but then every single thing he said, “Yes, No, Maybe,” he asked for a sticker. So, I had to redirect the rules and make it more challenging so he would give responses with meaning and actually use vocabulary. This helped me get the response I wanted and helped him overcome his fears.  I felt at that time, the rewards were absolutely necessary. The reward was given for a specific reason, to get him to talk. And as soon as it became a hassle to keep up with the stickers, we removed the reward system slowly decreasing until it was no longer needed.

I don’t think rewards necessarily hurt students, but I think they need to be used on a child-to-child basis. What works for one child may not work for another. It’s just like teaching…we need to try strategies until we find what works.

Cushman, K. (2010). The strive of it. Educational Leadership, 50-55.

Inspiration for teens can be hard to come by for many teachers. Their minds are all going different directions and their emotions the complete opposite. Students need meaning in their work to make their learning successful. They need a reason to research. Teachers who ask students a question that is relevant to them find much more success in student work because they actually feel they have a say in the work. Teachers can engaged students through questioning, stories, and conflicts. Students say that when they find the meaning outside of school (in the areas above) it gives them more meaning to work at school. It is also true that as students continue to seek information, they create more questions and want to find more answers, in turn leading them to make predictions and communicate better while they are working.

Cushman, K. and Rogers, L. (2008). Middle school students talk about social forces in the classroom. Middle School Journal, 39 (3), 14-24.

I found this article to be very interesting because I taught middle school. Had I been a little more on top of things and a little less worried about all the fluff and paper work, I would have read some journal articles like this and really been a good, successful teacher.  There were portions of this article that I totally agreed with and portions that I even smiled and laughed because I have experienced similar situations.  I would like to say, I completely agree with the idea that outside forces play a greater role than classroom material in middle school learning. These students enjoy working together and talking. I always found it so funny when I couldn’t get a class to be quiet, but then when I’d ask a question, I couldn’t get one kid to answer…duh, I didn’t relate the material enough to them.  In a study with middle school students, after observing them in their classroom, they were brought to a focus group and here were their thoughts:

·         Help us find common ground with each other.

•             Teach us how to work together in safe, collaborative groups.

•             Let us practice working out issues that affect the class.

•             Treat us all with the same respect.

•             Let us tackle problems that help develop our ideas about what is fair.

•             Watch closely what is really going on with us, inside and outside the classroom.

(Fundamentals of Active Engagement. McGraw-Hill Create p. 234).

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I think these thoughts hit middle school students’ right on the nose. They want to be respected and they want everything to be fair, even if life isn’t fair.

One student made the comment, "People think about themselves that they’re too fat, too thin, too stupid, and they think that people are going to notice whatever they’re insecure about. I think that it’s just in their mind. I think people should just think positive about themselves, not think in a negative way, and that might help them a little"(Fundamentals of Active Engagement. McGraw-Hill Create p. 235).

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This is the most interesting comment I have read. Why?  Well, this student is obviously mature above his age. At times, I don't even think about my own insecurities like this. WOW!

Another student said, "But if there’s a project, she could try to pair up people who really don’t talk to each other, don’t respect each other. And they could actually learn to become friends and respect each other, knowing they’re both being their selves in a way they both can relate to."

(Fundamentals of Active Engagement. McGraw-Hill Create p. 235).

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This is an interesting idea from a student. As t teacher, I have found myself doing the exact opposite to avoid the confrontation that would take place. This student is more grown up than I am obviously. This concept is definitely real to life' you do not get to choose who you work with on a daily basis. You get what you get and you learn to adapt. Maybe people would be better at doing so if they were taught this skill while in their youth.

Finally, I thought this ideas was interesting, "…you might ask for their thoughts on what is desirable in the classroom, perhaps with questions like these:

•             What does it look like when a student shows respect for another student?

•             What does it look like when a teacher shows respect for a student?

•             What does it look like when a student shows respect for a teacher?

•             What can other people do to make it feel safe to speak up when you disagree with another student in class?

•             What makes it feel safe to say you don’t know the answer?

•             What can other people do to make it safe to speak up when you do know the answer?"

(Fundamentals of Active Engagement. McGraw-Hill Create p. 236).

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 These are some good points because how many times have we said to students, "Are you being respectful," and they look at us with a blank stare?  Maybe they do not really understand or know what respectful is, as they were never taught this skill. Rather than assuming, we should ask and make sure there is a clear understanding for the entire group of not just what the norms are, but what they look like.

Overall, I think this article has some good insight; interestingly enough, the insight came from the students. This makes me think that maybe, just maybe, we should spend more time listening to them and less time fighting them. We could get more done in a timely manner this way.

Learning and Instruction

Jensen, E.P. (2008). A fresh look at brain-based education, Phi Delta Kappan, 409-413.

Brain-based learning is basically engaging students with strategies that are based off principles through understanding the brain. It is based off knowing how the brain works and using that understanding in your teaching. The author makes a good point in that we all have strategies learned through experience, but not all of those strategies are successful and beneficial to student learning (Jensen, 2008).

Brain-based learning has a variety of facets involving how the brain works to the surroundings we live. They all affect the brain. Each day we have new neurons develop in our brain and many of those are associated with mood and memory. Teachers should take that into consideration when teaching a lesson or preparing for a school day; their mood and the mood of the classroom does make a difference on the brain. The social environment is also very important and teachers need to take into consideration the fact that they might need to be more aware and manage the social environment of students. Chronic stress can be very harmful to both staff and students, as it affects attendance, memory, and even social skills. Teachers should use caution in assigning tasks to stress a student even beyond scaffolding; it could cause a breakdown in the learning. As always, good nutrition and exercise play a huge role in student memory and cognition. I find it interesting that this information has been researched time and time again, and yet schools still omit physical education and sell junk food at an alarming rate.

What needs to happen is the following: neuroscience researchers need to meet with teachers practicing “best practices” and develop strategies that work best. Then, these strategies need to be shared with all teachers along with the research on WHY they will work. This will allow the scientists to do their part and teachers to do theirs.

Willingham, D.T., (2009). What will improve a student’s memory.  American Educator, 17-26.

The author addresses how students can learn information they are reading in order to apply them to life, their assessment, and remember what they are learning. This concept should be discussed with students around 6^th grade, as that is when the work load gets more demanding (Willingham, 2009). To concur, I am interested in reading this information because I myself was never taught how to really study. It’s like, good students just come up with a way that works for them; students who are a little weaker, just “get by.”

“Memories are formed as the residue of thought” (Willingham, 2009, 119.)  The more you think about something, the more you’ll remember it later. Making cues can help one remember something they have either studied or memorized. Tests do not often provide cues, but students who have prepared can create cues as they study to be prepared for each topic.   The cues must be distinctive, however, so they don’t get mixed up with other ideas or concepts prepared for or given on the assessment.

Forming memories can be done in various ways. Some strategies to help students form memories include: having students ask “why”? If they ask this question at the end of a paragraph or portion of a summary, they can then determine why something was written in the text and why it was important. They are then thinking about it more and have a better understanding of the concept. Another idea is to have students create some type of Thinking Map as they read to bring out the main points of the chapter and then take those main points and elaborate on them. I’d suggest a Tree Map with the chapter being the top, the main points the branches, and the ideas to back up the main points the “leaves.” Also, students could create an outline of the chapter and then ask them to create a different type of outline. This requires them to take the information they thought was important, think about the ideas and how they relate, and then rewrite what is necessary to add to their understanding or memory. Finally, mnemonics is also another way to retain this information. The ideas here include: rhymes, peg words, acronyms, etc.

Retrieving information can be one of the most frustrating aspects of studying. Many students say they study and feel they know the information, but then cannot retrieve it when necessary. Therefore, some strategies to help them include: studying over time and over studying. When we study over a good period of time, we learn the information. Rather than cramming the night before where we get some information in our head, but lose a lot during the night. This tactic just helps students get through the test and doesn’t really help them LEARN the information. Over studying includes studying material even after you think you have learned what you need. It is suggested that you study 20 percent more. This will make sure the information is truly learned and not just memorized for a short time. Finally, teach the material to another student, especially one who can ask powerful and meaningful follow-up questions. This will gauge understanding and allow one to determine if more study time is necessary. If one can teach the material, it is mastered.

Honigsfeld, A., and Dunn R. (2009). Learning-style responsive approaches for teaching typically performing and at-risk adolescents. The Clearing House, 220-224.

Basically, the author desires that teachers stop the “drill and kill” method that is ALL too common and start teaching students strategies that work.  I agree that with NCLB teachers feel such pressure to get good test scores that all they do is CRAM for constructed response and test prep a month before the CRT’s. That’s not teaching students how to be life-long learners; that’s teaching students to get through the test! Typically performing students are those who are basically on level. They are doing all they can, but stay on the average level in class. At risk students are those who have mental disabilities, special needs (physically or mentally), or just plain do not have their needs met at home/life. Teachers have found that those students with special needs respond much better to tactile/hands-on activities. Yet again, I have to address the idea that it is NOT just these students that respond well. The majority of students will respond to this type of teaching!  There are numerous resources on the internet and ideas for students to engage in learning through these modalities. Really, it just takes the time and effort for the teacher to plan and prepare for such lessons.

Marzano, R.J. (2009). Setting the record straight on “high-yield” strategies. Phi Delta Kappan, 30-37.

Marzano is an amazing author and educator who developed literature for teacher use on strategies that will encourage development, engagement, and learning. He is definitely a “big-wig” in the education field. However, he stresses that teachers must remember each student is different and they all require different strategies to learn and to be assessed. Therefore, the strategies he suggests are just suggestions and teachers need to rely on their expertise more than a piece of literature. He also notes that teachers tend to make some mistakes while using his strategies and this can be detrimental to student achievement. The mistakes include: focusing on a narrow range of strategies (teachers should not simply use a set of strategies, but a wide range of strategies to really reach all students); assuming that high-yield strategies should be used in every class (as stated before, it depends on the teacher and the students regarding when and how to use a strategy.); assuming that high-yield strategies will always work (the educator needs to determine if the strategy is producing a the result desired, if not, they need to adapt accordingly).

Schools should make sure they are using common language between teachers and students. This also means common language between grade levels and subject areas. If the language is the same, there is less confusion and frustration from students.  Administrators should also give teachers feedback as they walk through their rooms when they do see strategies that work and then suggest teachers to view each other.  This will allow them to share their teaching strategies and knowledge to improve themselves.

Basically, Marzano just wants teachers to use the strategies that work for their classroom and to pay attention to what their student needs include. The literature is not really a way to teach, it’s a guide to adapt and develop teaching strategies that work.

Mustacchi, J. (2009). R U safe? Educational Leadership, 78-82.

Cyber bullying is not a completely new concept, but new to our generation as well as former generations. Growing up, I was bullied until middle school. I found refuge from my home. These students now have no refuge; the various technological ways of the world have now provided a way for bullying to creep into the lives of students anywhere. The author provides a powerful way for learners to understand bullying. That is having them research an aspect of bullying and requiring them to present the information. This puts them right in the forefront of the problem, allows them to witness the situations, and create problem solving skills for those in need. I personally think this is a very insightful idea and a great way for students to not only learn about one another, but think critically about a problem that is relevant to them.

It is important to teach students and our own children the sly ways cyber bullying can be implemented and provide ways for them to discuss this with adults. It is just as important that victims have a way to share their thoughts and problems while feeling safe. The article goes on to share how 8^th grade students taught 6^th grade students through presentations about bullying. I find students will always rise to expectations when they are given: motivation, ownership, and purpose.

Individual Differences Among Learners

Regan, K.S., (2009). Improving the way we think about students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 60-65.

The author discusses four concepts teachers should take into consideration when dealing with emotional or behavioral disorders. The interesting thing to me is that these strategies are not new ideas or concepts. These are strategies and roles teachers should take into their classroom every single day, no matter the content or age they teach. The author suggests that positive learning comes from a positive relationship with the teacher. I find this to be true through experience.  There have been times when I have not had a positive relationship with a student and due to BOTH of our negative attitudes education lacked. It seems quite selfish and childish of me now; I've learned a lot over my years. There are many days in the classroom I wish I could take back.

The four strategies the author suggests for positive learning include: 1.) the teacher being a reflective teacher; 2.) the teacher should develop a relationship with every student; 3.) the teacher should define roles for the classroom; 4.) the teacher should provide creative resources for learning.

It is important that teachers remember that engagement is essential to the learning and how they are engaged as well as how their student is engaged determines the learning. Teachers need to ask higher-order thinking questions and provide the correct type of praise in order for students to increase their on task behavior.

Friedlander, D. (2009). Sam comes to school: Including students with autism in your classroom. The Clearing House, 141-144.

Autism is a part of a group of disorders engulfed in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Most of these children have problems in social areas, especially picking up social cues and forming typical relationships. These students struggle in the first years of school due to the overwhelming atmosphere and change. Below are some strategies that will not only help you, as the classroom teacher, to find peace and patience with your autistic student, but more importantly, will allow your student to ease and transition into the new atmosphere easily.

1.       Get to know your autistic student as much as possible before they enter the classroom. Talk so parents during the summer. Find out their individual needs, preferences, and strengths. Plan a meeting with the parents and student before the school year; allow the child to get comfortable with you and the classroom.

2.       Have routines in the classroom. This will allow the student to feel familiar with what is happening and they will then have less uncertainty.

3.       Brainstorm with parents on what types of strategies most benefit the student at home. Incorporating those strategies at school will also be beneficial.

4.       Create a buddy system for the student. Allow them to have a “go to” person for questions and concerns. On this same note, have a schedule printed each day of what comes next to allow the student to be conscious of the time and what they will complete each day in class. This gives direction (and actually is beneficial for ALL students).

5.       Create a behavioral plan that all students will abide by. Allow students with autism to relate that plan to you, so they truly understand the concepts.

Overall, leading classroom with interactive opportunities allows all students to succeed. It allows students without behavioral challenges to practice compassion and empathy for others. While at the same time it allows the student with the challenge the time necessary to practice their skills.

Flores, M.M., (2008). Universal design in elementary and middle school. Childhood Education.

Basically, this article went into detail the importance of teaching with various strategies in the classroom to meet the needs of all learners. Students with an IEP may need extra support and legally, the teacher needs to comply with that support. The general education classroom teacher is the most important person to implement these strategies because the student is in their room the entire time. This is harder for middle school teachers (speaking from experience) because teachers tend to forget which student has which accommodations or interventions.  I found, the best thing to do was teach in a way that would reach all needs and assign projects based on the needs of the class as a whole. This way, students could vary their assignments depending on their needs. For example, if I gave a project, they were all expected to complete the same expectations, but I gave options of how to complete. Another example is that if I offered extra credit, I offered it to the entire class. This included making test corrections. If students with IEP’s needed to make corrections on their tests for higher grades, why couldn’t general education students?  The way I looked at it, is that if they were going to change something to make it right, they would learn and the re-teaching at that point was from themselves and probably more meaningful.

Christopher, M.M., and Shewmaker, J. (2010). The relationship of perfectionism to affective variables in gifted and highly able children. Gifted Child Today, 20-30.

What is interesting here is that perfectionism can possibly have three outcomes, all of which are completely different. For example, research supports three conclusions: 1.) perfectionism MAY result in pathological problems; 2.) Perfectionism MAY result in high academic achievement; 3.) There is a large span of perfectionism characteristics (Christopher & Shewmaker, 2010). It almost seems as if the ideas are contradictory and maybe that means there needs to be more research or maybe it just means humans are not robots and we all experience and react to things differently. The research even concludes that perfectionism does not always cause depression and that it does not always cause anxiety. Students have so many variables they are dealing with in life and this one issue could be part of the reason students face anxiety and depression, but not a cause. As long as gifted students are given realistic expectations, especially in the early grade levels, they will succeed and find their niche. I have found that with perfectionists/gifted learners, it is important to give them positive feedback and reinforcement. However, it is just as important to give them the opportunity to find what they can improve on in a specific assignment and not always seek for what YOU are looking for in their work.

Moule, J. (2009). Understanding unconscious bias and unintentional racism. Phi Delta Kappan, 321-326.

This article focuses greatly on the idea that many people perform unintentional racism through their actions. The actions may, to one, be a safety precaution, but to the other, a form a racism. I found this article interesting because this idea does not take on the form of racist attitudes or beliefs (always) and people might not even think about how they are being perceived. One example was of a woman who held her purse closer to her when a black man walked by. I found it interesting that the black man found that offensive, while the woman was just trying to be cautious. I think I found it interesting because I would have done the same thing…and I don’t consider myself racist!  Again, it’s in perception.  I think the author makes a good point, however, in that we need to teach tolerance in our classrooms. As students receive instruction by our nonverbal cues, just as much as our verbal ones, it makes a difference how we treat each individual.  It also comes down to being aware of our surroundings and taking into consideration who and what is around us at all times.

Bonomo, V. (2010). Gender matters in elementary education. Educational Horizons, 247-264.

We have known since the beginning of time that men and women are different. They think differently and perceive VERY differently; this is what makes them compatible in many ways. In the classroom, research is starting to point out the differences and how it affects learning. For example, in regards to the five senses, girls have eyes that are drawn to warmer colors as well as faces. This possibly makes it easier for girls to concentrate in the classroom since they are continually looking at a person teaching and not moving objects (which are what boys are drawn to). In addition, girls tend to be more sensitive to hearing. When a speaker raises their volume, girls tend to feel they are angry, causing them to tune out from the speaker. In regards to smell, girls tend to have a higher sensitivity to smell an can cause differences in the classroom due to interests and success.

They key idea here is that teachers should be educated on the differences between the genders and then using those differences in their teaching design and strategies. This will allow both boys and girls to be equally engaged in the learning process. Try to keep your lessons mini-lessons and then adapt the practice as necessary for each group. One idea is when using white boards and markers, allow the girls to use varied colors and to work with a small group of girls. Allow the boys to play a game in order to accomplish the same task, but with a goal in mind with competitiveness.

Development

Bergen, D. and Fromberg, D. P., (2009). Play and social interaction in middle childhood. Educational Psychology, (26) 426-430.

The authors in this article discuss the aspect of play: how kids play and when they play. They suggest that adults mostly remember their play from age eight to twelve (Bergen & Fromberg, 2009). Those are my fondest and most memorable moments. From playing with Barbie to building forts out back, I remember pretending and inventing. When did it stop?  Because it DID stop.  The authors suggest the demise of play has come from sports teams, music lessons, test prep courses, tutoring, etc. This is true and how interesting it because these activities are not negative use of time, just different use of time. Which is more important? That’s a question for the ages.  Growing up, we played until the street lights came on. We played street hockey, baseball in the desert, rode bikes, and invented all types of games with the resources that were available to us (not much). It was a time of creativity and innovation all our own. It was wonderful!  Plus, it taught us to get along with other neighbor kids, mind our manners, and obey our parents. These are all skills the youth of today should seek more improvement (in my opinion.)

The authors suggest the following regarding what is learned in play and what is important about play.  First, they believe role play of hard issues in life, like death and aggression can help them deal with these issues later in life. Second, children who negotiate play feel a need for that ability. Those who do not, and stand by the wayside, may later in life seek out gangs or other groups to fill a void. Third, children who play tag, jump rope and play games with hand-eye coordination, build, and construct develop a sense for math, chemistry, and physics.  (Well, that explains my lack thereof.) Children who engage in pretend play, with toys or imagination, tend to do this in the privacy of their own boundaries. They do not want adults around during this pretend play. It is thought that children who engage here have an ability to be patient and imagine life in the future, which benefits them later in life because they’ve already imagined what life “could” be like for them.

The generation in which we now live have changed the ideas of play. Technology has taken hold of many children and has changed their ideas and perspectives on play. Not to mention the space for play has changed drastically. Parents do not want their children roaming the neighborhoods, regardless of where you live, due to the increase in crime all over the world. Things definitely have changed in that regard. The time for play has changed. School districts have completely taken recess out of their schedules. We had at least two recesses a day during elementary school. Now, there is none. The time has been taken back to academics, academics, academics. When are the “big wigs” going to remember how much fun they had playing and how playing stimulates the brain and actually HELPS kids learn. Hugh?  Everyone will want to live in my world…because there will be play!

Winter, S.M., (2009). Childhood obesity in the testing era: What teachers and schools can do. Childhood Education, 85(5), 283-288.

Winter shares the idea that obesity points to poor school performance (2009). She explains that students at the highest risk are those who are poverty stricken and minorities. That research is actually really interesting to me because one would think those groups would lack in food, however, I think the actuality is that they are lacking in nutritious food.  Nutritious food requires preparation and those who lack home life and care will not get that; most likely they will be forced to eat high sodium, high fat and caloric foods.  She suggests some strategies for teachers to aid their students who face obesity: 1.) Stay informed: teachers should receive quality training regarding foods and nutrition and then stay informed with journals and credible websites. 2.) Design a School Action Plan: Administrators should work with teachers and parents to create a plan of prevention starting in the early grades. 3.) Promote Positive Psychosocial Development of Children:  Help students understand how to have self-control through modeling and self-development. 4.) Promote Healthy Diet and Nutrition: Create a positive eating environment and helping families have food security as needed. 5.) Encouraging Physical Activity: Have PE in school. (I find this idea particularly interesting because schools are cutting PE left and right. Funny how research shows how much it influences academic growth and the people sitting behind the desks who are ONLY concerned about academic test scores are cutting something that can improve those. Hugh?) It’s ironic that by trying to improve test scores, we have decreased physical health (Winter, 2009).

Trost, S.G., and Mars, H. (2010). Why we should not cut P.E. Educational Leadership,  60-65.

Research from this study examines student achievement when applying physical education, taking it away completely, and increasing physical activity. Studies continually exhibit the decrease of academic achievement with the lack of physical education. The interesting aspect was the schools that were given increased time for physical education (more than the norm) made large strides of success in academic achievement.  This adds to the fact that students are able to stay on task and focus for longer periods of time when allowed to have breaks including physical activity. This only makes sense.  If students can focus on a task for a longer period of time, it only makes sense that they would comprehend more resulting in higher achievement.  It is important to note, however, that must studies completed rate the time of physical education and not the quality of physical education.  That too can be a great issue to discuss. From my personal experience, I have witnessed high school girls attending P.E. They have no intention of messing up their hair or getting sweaty. Students in elementary school mostly all enjoy a good game of “steal the bacon,” but unless the teacher takes time to plan and implement the game, it will not get played and students will not have quality P.E.  A conclusion by the author addresses how policy makers need to stop justifying cuts of P.E. because they believe it will increase student achievement; that is not true and will not prove to be true (Trost & Mars, 2010).

Halpern-Felsher, B. (2009). Adolescent decision making. The Prevention Researcher, 3-7.

Adolescent age is a time of great decision making. The author suggests it important to note that competent decision making is based on the process of how the decision was made, not just the actual decision (Halpern-Felsher, 2009). Adolescents need to make decisions regarding many new and interesting concepts that before have not been open to them like: drug use, alcohol intake, sexual intimacy, etc. The reason it is hard for this age group to make decisions regarding these topics is due to peers.  I personally believe one way to prevent negative actions regarding these topics is to be open with your adolescent and prepare with prevention. It’s also important to teach by example; they watch our every move and if we teach them these actions are acceptable, why would they hesitate?

The author suggests multiple paths to decision making (Halpern-Felsher, 2009). The first path is the path that requires the adolescent to take into consideration their actions and then consequences of the action.  It also requires them to think what others might think of them after the decision is made.  The second path is less planned and more reactive. It requires the adolescent to have an opinion on what others are doing allowing them to already have an opinion about the action.

The study also suggests the boys and girls have differences when making decisions. Girls tend to think more about the final outcome and boys tend to think about the moment (Halpern-Felsher, 2009). From personal experience, I believe this to be true. As an adolescent, I was always worried about what could  happen rather than what was happening at the moment. It was a horrible way to live, but kept me safe!

Due to life experience and brain development during the adolescent years, decisions are harder to make; this is true. I think that is why it is even more important to allow your adolescent freedom to choose, yet give them direction. It is important to make your home a place of refuge and place for other friends to feel welcome. This will allow them to stay out of trouble and make good decisions in a positive atmosphere. The author also suggests we give adolescents activities that give them the same sort of satisfaction to help them postpone the urge to make rash decisions until they are of age (Halpern-Felsher, 2009).

Richardson, Joan. (2010). Safe at school: An interview with Kevin Jennings. Phi Delta Kappan, 26, 43-48.

Kevin Jennings grew up in poverty. His father died at age 8, leaving his mother to raise him alone. She only had a 6^th grade education because she too grew up in poverty. During the depression, she had to quit school to pick cotton to keep her family going. Through all this, he moved schools a lot and never really had a stable home. However, his mother insisted that he go to college and continued to impress that upon him. He reminds us that “good parenting compensates for a lot of deficiencies” (Richardson, 2010, p. 41). He did go to college, a Harvard grad.

The bullying started in elementary school and progress through his older years. He was never supported, even when he told teachers. However, one teacher who taught math did help him and he received his first and last “A” in that class. I can’t believe this!  Sometimes students this smart do not get “A’s” because they do not apply themselves; they get bored in school. However, this was not the case. His attitude was that he loved learning; he just didn’t feel comfortable at school and his emotions controlled his learning.

Eventually he went back into the classroom to teach; he thinks he secretly wanted to make sure what happened to him never happened to anyone else-ever.  He wants to add “climate” to the new core standards. This will require teachers to teach with strong standards and make their classroom a positive place to be. I know, it seems that being a teacher you should just do that. However, I am here to tell you, I’ve worked in the classroom and it is not “just like that.” It’s sad really, that teachers don’t just make their classroom climate a standard.  Adjusting for a positive school climate also addresses academic needs. As students feel academically challenged and engaged, they will learn and have more desire to learn.  I think he has a great idea. By adding climate to standards, things will change. When teachers are held accountable, they will do things to make it better. It’s sad really, that these types of issues have to be a “standard” in order for one to comply.

Graham, S. (2010). What educators need to know about bullying behaviors. Phi Delta Kappan, 26, 66-69.

This article deals with myths of bullying. The author agrees that bullying has increased in recent years, but there are plenty of myths out there that need to be brought to attention and discussed with teachers and students.

#1: Bullies have low self-esteem: Actually most bullies are popular (as seen in many middle school settings).  This is partially the reason they are bullies-because they are perceived as cool by many other students and their behaviors are justified.

#2: Getting Bullied is a natural part of growing up: Actually, the complete opposite occurs with bullying. Bullying really increases their vulnerability.

#3: Once a victim, always a victim: There is not really proof that bullying stays with the same person all year. There are traits that may encourage bullying, however.

#4: Boys are physical and girls are relational victims and bullies: What is more correct is that the way bullies “attack” their victims change. While they are younger, they are more physical. As they get older, they realize they cannot get away with that as easy and tend to use psychological abuse.

#5: Zero tolerance policies reduce bullying: At times, they can even increase the negative behavior because the ideas backfire.

#6: Bullying involves only a perpetrator and a victim: In many instances the bullying takes place in front of at least 4 others. These bystanders can either address the situation (which is rare) or they can watch and do nothing, ultimately intimidating the victim more, or they can add to the negative situation.

Interventions include: finding ways for the bully to control their anger and the victims finding ways to see themselves more positively.

Damon, W. (2010). The bridge to character. Educational Leadership, 36-39.

We are all born with innate qualities and characteristics. We also learn many of these characteristics as we live at home with siblings and parents.  Then we progress even more as we go to school and work with peers, teachers, and administrators. The author suggests that adult guidance is necessary to teach youth the correct ways to make decisions and culturally acceptable character traits, rather than just accepting their natural ways (Damon, 2010). I agree with this idea and the concept that it takes a community to raise a child. I cannot be with my child every second of every day, so I have to rely on other adults to help me be consistent with my daughter’s behavior and character development.

Teaching students these qualities in schools should be part of their standards.  To learn moral qualities will aid students now, in group work and communication, and in the future as they progress to collaborative work in their job.  We need to teach them now, strategies and characteristics that will truly help them in the future. We need to think about what is more important: knowing the dates and names of people in a war, or how the war as handled and what could have been done to prevent that war?  It is important for them to have goals for the future and through charitable work for others they will learn and understand the importance of expressing concern for others, building compassion for another being.