Journal Reflection #11

Outside of a teacher position, in which of the governing roles (legislator, principal, superintendent, and school board member) would you most like to serve? Why?

I would definitely choose being the principal, simply because you will have the opportunity to see the children on a daily basis.  I’m very welcoming and having the opportunity to see children getting dropped off in the morning by their parents and making their way through the front door, give me the chills.  I would take that role and ace it, I would attempt to encourage them every single student.  You also have the opportunity to conduct random observations which would allow me to see how the teachers working there are performing.  Knowledge is golden, and I would expect every student to receive it.  My theory is, it doesn’t matter how its taught as long as were being educated.  

Journal Reflection -CH10

Predict what will have changed about today's schools by the year 2020. This is your opportunity to forecast.

By the year 2020 education will be much different from the current education.  The majority of the differences will be caused by the development of computer technology.  Computer-based education is growing rapidly and will bring drastic changes.  Paperback books were nice, but in 2020 all the reading will be via digital means.  Centralized institutions, there will be no need for big buildings.  They will get smaller and greener, schedules will change.  The amounts of paper utilized in a school will decrease their paper usage by 90%.  College admissions will revolve around creating digital portfolios, rather than SAT scores.

            I believe us the students will lead the way with technology. The use cell phones for communication. iPhones and Droid phones are commonplace now. Just imagine what apps and devices will be available in a year. 10 years? I can’t even imagine what cars will look like then and what software will be embedded. Access to the internet will be every where with free wifi. Students will be using virtual worlds to share digital content and collaborate. Twitter is today.  It can be a little scary, how things will dramatically change.  With high hopes, I’m sure it will be for the best! 

Journal Reflection #7

Think about your own education. At what grade level did you first encounter computers, CD-ROMs, computer games, or the Internet at school or in your classroom?

I believe it was early in elementary when we were introduced to computers.  I remember the old mac computers, we all begged are parents to get us one even though the monitors were humongous and now would seem ridiculous to own. If I remember correctly it was in the 2^nd grade when we all had mandatory computer class, they showed us the basics and how to use them.  Internet didn’t come till later I can’t say I used it much in elementary but come middle school internet was huge.  We all owned AOL accounts that are parents had set up for us with of course certain guidelines.  The keyboarding elective I took in 6^th grade was probably the smartest course I could have taken.  This allowed me to bump up my WPM from 10 to 70 at the age of 13.  I was fast both in the classroom and in the chat rooms. Education has advanced in many ways thanks to the use of computers.  It’s really disappointing running into peers I attended high school that still cant fully take advantage of how much computers can help.  How a simple tutorial on Microsoft office can expand your capability of performing certain tasks both in school and work. 

Journal Reflection #6

In your opinion, what is the single most important characteristic of an effective teacher?

The single most important characteristic an effective teacher must have is a positive attitude. A positive attitude is key to maintaining a positive classroom.  A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, positive events and positive outcomes. If a teacher can develop the ability to maintain positive at all times, most importantly when instructing new material the students will not only enjoy the material but learn it in a positive mindset.  It is obviously the most difficult characteristic to accomplish, simply because sometimes life happens. But to make the attempt to try and maintain yourself positive as a teacher will benefit each and every one of those kids sitting in front of you.  Maintaining a positive attitude will make you believe and act as if all students will be successful in your class.  There will be no losers in your classroom.  Students will live up to your expectations.

Journal Reflection #5

Did you experience any of the strategies of differentiated instruction listed in the text? If so, indicate which ones (such as stations, problem-based learning) you experienced and your reaction to this kind of learning. If not then discuss the benefits it holds for students in our schools today.

I can’t say I myself took part in differentiated instruction, but I do recall some classmates doing things differently than the rest of us, which could have been part of this method. Differentiated instruction is a method teachers utilize that responds to a student’s variance rather than adopting a standardized approach to teaching.  I think this benefits students in many ways.  By teachers recognizing what they need to customize in their instruction techniques to meet that certain individuals needs will help each student in their own way.  Teachers that use this method in the classroom will be able to acknowledge the students needs individually, and grant the ability to teach them in ways that the student can learn the material.  I think its great!

Journal Reflection #4

Pick one of the social challenges and give as many ideas as you can for how a teacher could address its effects in his or her classroom.

One of the major social challenges in schools that should be way ahead of the game and have no negative impact on any student is sexual education.  Sexual education should be implemented at a more strict level; there are so many resources available that this should not even be a challenge.  Now, this year, this time there should be no accidental teenage pregnancies or sexual transmitted diseases affecting students from retrieving their education.  We learn it from our parents, religion, even in our Biology class how much unexpected pregnancies are not only affecting the world due to over capacity but affecting the lives of young teenage girls and the lives of unborn children. We learn that countries that live in poverty have no education in the handful of methods that can be utilized to prevent this, but in the United States we do. Women at any given age have the ability to get educated, low income families that blame “it’s the only route they knew” have no excuses now.  Schools, universities, clinics, and many other women centers offer this education and the sources needed to keep from these things happening.  Babies are precious, and one day I would love to have my own, but I’ve been educated enough not from my family because at home it’s no premarital sex allowed, but through courses at the university and even Google.  I do think school especially high school is the most appropriate institution to provide instruction to young teens.  Whether it should be strictly factual information, psychological, social, health, I think they should teach it all.  Education is the key to success and educating young teenagers on sex is very important. Surveys mention that 47% of students engage in sexual relationships, that is more than enough to strike red flags in a school, and develop more secure yet more programs that provide education in this area.  If this was my area of study and I was in charge to address its effect in my classroom. I would cover 100% of the material and attempt to drill it in each one of my students. 

Journal Reflection # 3

Which area of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences do you feel is your area of strength? Explain why, and give an example.

From out of all the multiple intelligences Gardner has created I would have to opinionate that the area of strength is in the intrapersonal intelligence.  This area refers to gain the ability of understanding yourself and knowing your preferences, capabilities and deficiencies.  It’s by far obvious that once you develop that relationship with yourself you can accomplish things at a greater level.  I feel that it has somewhat of a similarity with learning to love yourself before you can love others.  In some cases there are many students that are bright but don’t get anywhere in life because of fear and lack of confidence in themselves to go deeper and try harder.  When you know yourself, what you want, the preferences the things you rather have in life and measure what you are capable of and what might be an obstacle you have a clear path to handle any given situation at any given moment. It’s important to realize how much your worth and building that relationship with yourself will have nothing but positive results.

Journal Reflection # 2

Name one common practice in schools that you would like to change, and describe how you would change it.

One common practice that some schools now offer is professional development.  This gives each student the opportunity to get their feet wet and get some hands on education.  Deciding what you want to be for the rest of your life at age nineteen is somewhat difficult.  I know for me it was tough, and till this day I still keep changing my mind and finding different areas in the workplace that I rather be doing.  The main goal would continue to be based on the fundamental belief that all students can learn and improve their performance.  The only difference is that we would implement more of the professional courses in the high school level.  This would give each student the opportunity to get real life taste of what the rest of their lives might be like.  For instance if a student wants to be a teacher, observation hours can begin in the high school level and that student can have an assigned teacher to observe.  If they want to be pediatricians a couple of observation hours and some hands on help at the local clinic would benefit the student in numerous of ways.  There are so many careers to choose from it would be impossible to include them all in one school. I would advise each school district to divide the schools into different areas and have a variety of professional fields.  This will not only help the students in deciding, it can also benefit society.  Helping hands never hurt anyone.

Journal Reflection #1

Describe the characteristics of your own most significant teacher.

My most significant teacher sent out a message through his teachings that I had never received before. His most powerful characteristic was that he was a caring person, he cared about his students.  He made me think? Made me question everything? To never believe everything I was told, instead he gave me that push, that power to find the answers myself.  It was a course that dealt much with religion, which of course raised many controversial issues in the classroom.  Never offending any of our beliefs and values, but always influencing each and every one of us to get out there and do something, to get out there and research it ourselves.  

He motivated everyone just by mentioning that if we took the initiative to take a course during the second part of summer we were already doing something good for ourselves.  Just with those short words of encouragement I was motivated to strive not just for that average C but for that A the A that I have never felt so proud of. 

He was patient, he was kind and he had developed his own way of getting through your mind that is really unexplainable.  I’d recommend him in a heart beat.  He had the desire to make a difference in the lives of the people sitting in his classroom. Which is the greatest characteristic a teacher could have.