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EDCI 3200: Journal EntriesKristina Stinson

Georgia State University

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Kristina Stinson

EDCI 3200

Cross

Monday 10-12:30

Journal One: You Want to Be a What?

Summary:

Young adolescence is one of the most difficult, yet beautiful stages in a person’s life.

Each child undergoes not only physical changes; these children begin to shape who they are

during this time of their lives. In the first three chapters of What Every Middle School Teacher

Should Know by Dave F. Brown and Trudy Knowles, the authors define what young adolescence

really means, the specifics of the physical changes the children go through, and what

characteristics make up an effective middle school teacher.

To begin, the chapter titled “You Want to Be a What” defines adolescence and gives a

brief overview of the certain changes students go through during middle school. These students

will experience physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and identity changes throughout their

development in middle school, which can add a lot of stress and pressure to their lives. In order

to be an effective teacher and mentor to these students, educators must understand what

these students are going through and carry many characteristics that allow them to relate and

benefit their students.

In the second chapter, the authors discuss the physical and internal changes

experienced during this developmental time period. From growth spurts, skeletal and muscular

changes, hormones, to specific physical changes of each gender, the physical being of each child

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is maturing at very rapid rates. It states even some children can gain 10 pounds and grow 6

inches or more in one single year.

Chapter three discusses the cognitive development of young adolescents in middle

school. Although their bodies are maturing rapidly, so are their minds. It goes into detail about

the science behind the development of brain connections during this time period, but it also

stresses the importance of declarative learning in the lives of these students. Higher-levels and

challenges are needed when teaching these students because this allows them to apply what

they learn to real-life situations and it also allows the students to think more critically. By doing

this, lessons learned can be deeply embedded into their long-term memory.

Questions:

-What are some strategies teachers can use to promote declarative learning and help embed lessons into the long-term memory of their students?

-How do we, as teachers, create an environment where our vulnerable students are able to freely express themselves without feeling like they are being judged or ridiculed?

Free Choice (Text to Life):

In my middle school years, I remember always being so concerned about my physical being and

the way I looked. I was always taller than all the boys and even all the girls in my grade, which

made me feel like I really stood out in a crowd. As a middle school girl, being different made me

feel like an outcast or even a freak. It seemed like boys didn’t like me and girls would make fun

of me because my pants were too short for my rapidly growing legs. Talking to boys was

unheard of in my own little world; I was so timid and I was terrified about what they thought

about me. The opinion of others mattered more than what I thought of myself. I remember

waking up to get ready for school and I was so focused on what someone would say if I wore a

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certain outfit or if I wore make-up, which I did on very rare occasions. In addition to my own

lack of self-confidence and uncertainty, there was something that made this whole “looking

good” issue even worse. I went to a middle school that had a DRESS CODE. Even when everyone

dressed the same, I was still concerned about the way I dressed and looked to others.

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Kristina Stinson

Cross

Monday 10:00-12:00

EDCI 3200

Journal 2: Socialization and Identity

In this week’s reading of What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, the social

changes as well as identity changes that occur during each child’s middle school years were

discussed. Their cognitive and physical changes create a challenge for these children to decide

who they think they are and who they want to become (p. 33). They yearn to find their place

and belonging in a group and developing interpersonal relationships becomes a priority in the

students’ lives and can even interfere with their learning. Spending much of their time worrying

about fitting in or socializing with friends can distract them as they undergo ethnic, sexual,

moral, and gender identity changes. Another interesting thing I discovered was how important

the development of a student’s self-esteem is. If a good foundation of self-esteem and

confidence is not built during middle school, this can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Instead of being frustrated with our students because of this, teachers must be able to

understand what social changes they are going through and “acknowledge the vital role of

socialization plays during middle school years” (p. 35). By allowing our students to freely

explore and create their identity with a little guidance, we can help them develop a sense of

confidence in who they are and where they belong.

My middle school experience consisted of a constant search for my own identity and

especially my yearning desire to fit in to the cool crowd. There were so many cliques, none of

which I really felt like I fit into. I played sports, but wasn’t “cool” or “outgoing enough” for

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them. Coolness, at least at my middle school, was equivalent to how many things you had, not

as much as who you were as a person. The so-called “popular” crowd consisted of those whose

parents were wealthy and bought them the nicest clothes or the coolest new technology. I

came from a humble, yet well-off family who always provided for me, but because I didn’t

necessarily shop at expensive stores or wear the same clothes that the popular girls wore, I

didn’t fit in with their crowd. I was constantly ridiculed because of what I wore, despite the fact

that we had a dress code in middle school. However, over time the insults from those who I

thought were my friends didn’t mean as much because my mom and dad helped me realize I

am my own unique person and those who make fun of me because of what I wear or how I look

are not true friends. Instead of trying to get acceptance from others, I learned to accept myself,

which would lead to an immense increase in self-esteem. My final question is, how can I help

children avoid the bullies, stand above the judgers, escape the ridiculers, and stand up for who

they are and what they want to be?

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Kristina Stinson

Cross

Monday 10-12:30

Journal Entry

Chapter 11: Making Instruction Meaningful

The primary focus of this chapter stresses the importance of reflecting constructivist

values in the classroom. By combing knowledge with meaning, we will be able to create a more

clear understanding of our lessons as well as the world for our students. By having realistic

expectations for our students while still challenging them, we can help them have much more

confidence in themselves and their abilities. In addition, something that really stood out to me in

this chapter is the fact that we must “recognize students’ academic efforts rather than merely

products” (Brown and Knowles 183). This quote acknowledges a point that needs to be

addressed in modern day education. Many educators often get caught up in their grading as well

as standardized test scores, which can cloud the minds of students. It causes the students to

believe that the importance of what they are learning in class is to pass a test or make an

acceptable grade on something. This is not how our students should be feeling. By stressing

more importance on the end result or score, teachers are fueling the factory mindset, as addressed

earlier in our readings.

In addition, another interesting point in this reading is how meaningful learning derives

from socialization. The book discusses the effects of “bounce” remarks and conversations (pg.

185). This concept can be defined as the action of students learning from one another instead of

learning from the teacher. They can lead themselves in their own discussion with their

classmates and can feed off of one another. Instead of creating a competitive environment,

teachers can create a wonderful environment where students can depend on one another to create

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their own independent ideas and thinking. In middle school, this type of learning was extremely

beneficial. I remember I wasn’t the best at mathematics and I had my own strategy to solve

problems that didn’t always work; however, by working in groups with my classmates, I gained

a whole new perspective and an entirely new strategy to solve mathematical equations

effectively.

Chapter 4: Literacy Versus Proficiency

In this chapter, I learned an entirely new concept in teaching, literacy versus proficiency.

According to the book, literacy is functioning in a location that has a central language while

proficiency is being able to write in that language. Literacy may mean that you understand the

language; however, it may not mean you are able to write in that language. Schools today often

stress the importance of proficiency before literacy. However, without an understanding of the

language, how can we expect our students to write in that language? I see a huge problem with

this because it can cause massive frustrations in the minds of ESOL students who are striving

and working hard to be proficient, but do not fully understand certain English words, phrases,

etc.

Chapter 3: Color Blindness

A concept addressed in this chapter is the concept of color blindness. Many teachers

today claim they “do not see color” and simply treat their students the same. This couldn’t be any

further from the truth. By failing to see racial and cultural differences in the classroom, teachers

are taking away the identity of each individual student. This can affect a student’s self-efficacy

and confidence in which they are as unique individuals with unique backgrounds. Difference

must be celebrated in the classroom instead of being hidden and suppressed.

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Questions:

Instead of limiting celebration of unique cultures to certain months/days of the year, how can we

address the importance of ALL cultures in everyday lessons?

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Kristina Stinson

EDCI 3200

Cross

Monday 10:00-12:30

Journal 5: Differentiation

In Wormeli’s book about differentiation, I discovered a common theme among all of the

different sections. This theme happened to be defined by a single word, ADJUST. One of the

most essential traits to have as an educator is to be flexible for our students; we are not trying to

make life convenient and easier for ourselves. By devoting countless hours planning lessons that

are relatable and subjective, we want to design learning experiences for our students that will

stick with them. They students are like sponges; however, I don’t find this to be completely true.

Sponges do absorb, but when they are squeezed, they lose everything they have absorbed.

Students are similar in this aspect. They may take in all the information, but it doesn’t mean it

sticks with them permanently. We want our students to be like blank slates of rock in which we

embed and carve knowledge that can last forever. If we can adjust our schedules as well as our

lesson plans, we can create an environment for our students to thrive and enjoy learning.

In this chapter, the author discusses the steps to consider before, during, and after

designing learning experiences and lesson plans. The following points summarize the most

important things to think about BEFORE designing:

Identify essential objectives or learning goals

Identify students with special needs and ADAPT for them

Formative/summative assessment design is important

Design/deliver preassessments based on summative assessments

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While designing, the following should be considered:

Know your students and design around them (ADJUST)

Review lesson plan with colleague

Run mental tape in order to efficiently convey each important part of the lesson

Obtain/create materials needed for lesson

ADJUST formative/summative assessment

Afterwards, the following should be considered to follow-up the lesson/learning experience:

Evaluate lesson’s success with my students

Record advice about changes when lesson is repeated

ADJUST assessments and objectives later

In each of these points, there is a relation to the word adjust. Adjusting is extremely important in

this process of differentiation in design. The book states that we should “plan so well that you

can adjust as needed (pg. 36). As teachers, we must be able to adjust to our vast array of students

that are a different levels in their learning journey. Just because one students may understand

through this kind of lesson doesn’t mean another student may fully understand. Another name

for this is called “tiering” (pg. 36). We must adjust so the students can learn (pg. 20).

Another interesting point brought up in this reading the fact that homework doesn’t

compensate for ineffective discussion. Teachers may believe that this extra practice will help

them learn the concept in a better way and can allow them to have more practice; however, how

can the students do this if they do not fully grasp the lesson? We cannot put that weight on the

students’ shoulders. We are their guides; we should be able to effectively teach them the lesson

in the classroom instead of relying on the students to solve their misunderstandings on their own.

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In my high school, I encountered this issue on multiple occasions. I wouldn’t fully

understand a math lesson in class and the teacher wouldn’t even make sure I fully understood

before I left that day. So when I went home, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I would

try going on YouTube to try and find videos to help me solve certain problems, but I still did not

fully understand.

With this said, I want to be able to adjust and plan for my students. Regardless of the

multitude of hours I spend creating a lesson for my students, I want to be able to make sure that I

find a way for them to be fully engaged, interested, and inspired by each of my lessons. By

referring to this journal, later I can be reminded of certain steps I need to take in order to be a

successful designer of learning experiences and lessons.

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Kristina Stinson

Cross

Monday 10:00-12:30

Introduction:

This week, I decided to change my approach on the way I wrote my journal. Instead of doing the typical summary and analysis I usually do, I will be using bullet points to organize my thoughts and understandings of the readings. Since it was such a large chunk of material that included an abundance of very important information, I wanted to make sure I included all of the pieces that stood out to me most in which I can reflect on in the future more easily.

Taking an Inquiry Stance on Teaching (Chapter 5)

Challenges = OPPORUNITIES

“A habit of mind in which the practitioner generates local knowledge in order to transform urban teaching/learning/schooling” (pg . 115)

Teaching is a continuous learning process

Reflective Practice

PAUSE from activities, open mind, complex thinking, examine beliefs, goals, practices Develop NEW insight/understanding Teacher = reflective practitioner “Teaching tugs at the heart, opens the heart, and even breaks the heart…” (p. 117). KNOW what we STAND for PROCESS-BASED not product-based

Reflection-in-action: “thinking on our feet” (intuition)

Reflection-on-action: after practice reflection

LENSES: connected to what our own students are experiencing

Reflection can make a teacher feel less vulnerable. (p. 138) So, make time to reflect for yourself and your students.

Teaching to Standards Without Standardizing Curriculum (Chapter 6)

Meaningful, creative learning opportunities Background of standards/evolution – look back at standards as a reminder of the larger goal for

students No Child Left behind

-grant $ to low income areas Standardization = test-prep method (scripted lessons) (“pacing”)

Widget Effect

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Teachers are learners—thoughtful individual professionals, not “widgets” – interchangeable parts of equal effectiveness -robots of standardized system,

SELF EFFICACY = POSTIVE & IMPORTANT

Closing Achievement Gap

Product of history Don’t dumb down curriculum Employ habits of inquiry to learn material (problem-based learning) Inequality = WE ARE THE VOICE AS TEACHERS

It is much more complex than just “for” or “against” standards.

The Power of Student-Designed Curriculum: Exceeding Standards (Chapter 9)

In this section, the power of a single middle school student’s voice is emphasized especially when designing curriculum around certain standards. The book defines curriculum as something that is not prepackaged, scripted lessons or what the teacher prefers to teach or even a program that must be completed to meet content standards assigned by the state/district. It is so much more than that.

Curriculum is actually:

the complete experience of middle school students a plan that involves students in learning a construct that enables students to access, process, interpret, and make connections to

information curiosities in the lives of these students , in this class planned and unplanned

In this chapter, another thing I want to remember is how important it is to allow our students to have the opportunity to experience freedom in school and also have a high school experience that is powerful and beneficial. This applies to ALL students, not just those who plan on going to college. As a future high school teacher, this really hit me. I want to give my students hope for their futures and faith in who they are and what they are capable of achieving.

Other important things that stood out to me:

Education falls victim to things that are “more important” in the eyes of our government. World issues, governmental issues, etc. can become more of a priority than education in the

government Democracy is essential in a constructivist classroom; students and teachers coincide and learn

from one another Curriculum should be challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant Challenging = critical thinking and hard questions Exploratory = expand/open their minds – attitude and approach Integrative = integrates issues and multiple perspectives Relevant = pursue answers to questions they have about themselves/world

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All ^ allow OPPORTUNITY for students Interdisciplinary approach: THEME based – teams come up with ideas (ex. Environment) … not

based on textbooks… it is to better meet the needs of middle level students

Curriculum Integration: What Does It Look Like In Real Life? (Chapter 10) Develop curriculum

Questions from chapters:

In this limited context of learning merely for tests, how can what students learn have deep meaning or relevance?

What will it take to ensure equal opportunity for our nation’s children?

Kristina Stinson

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Dr. Cross

5 March 2015

Journal 7: Modules & Teachers are Designers

Module A: The Basics of Understanding By Design

Two interdependent ideas:

1. Research on learning and cognition that highlights the centrality of teaching and assessing for understanding

2. Helpful and time-honored process for curriculum writing (Wiggins & McTiche 2005)

Plan BACKWARDS to get long-term results—start with planning the goal then find what activities could be used. This will help you avoid teaching straight out of the book and will help you develop meaning for each activity. If the students understand the reason why they are doing something, it will help them become more engaged and interested in the work or activity. So, plan with the “big idea” in mind.

Six facets of learning:

1. Explain2. Interpret3. Apply4. Shift Perspective5. Empathize6. Self-Assess

Teachers are COACHES of understanding, not TELLERS of information.

UbD = a continuous reflection of continuous improvement of design to promote achievement for our students which allows us to make adjustments. These adjustments will make all the difference in the classroom. With feedback from both my students and colleagues about my own designs, I can use the criticism constructively in order to make the learning experiences for my children as effective and fun as possible.

Module B - Templates

Module B gives us examples of what an UbD template should look like and how we can use them in our design. We don’t have to use them exactly the way they are given to us, but instead use certain examples to create our own unique template for our lesson plans and educational experiences.

To the right is an example of such template.

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It also reflects the common theme of “backwards” design.

Module C: Starting Points

This module discusses how to begin the designing process. Since “backwards design” is promoted constantly across many of our texts we have read, it is also stressed in this book especially when coming up with the plan of action for our design. In the section titled “Process Versus Product”, it discusses how important it is to make sure teachers know that the perfect design will not come to us automatically. There is a long process in which we reflect on our ideas and change them accordingly as we gain more experience and knowledge throughout our careers.

Four questions to ask self when designing:

1. 1. What kind of a designer are you? 2. What kind of content goals will you focus on? 3. What is the scope of your unit? (scope = subskills students will learn)4. Is it best to start with a new unit or revise an old unit?

With these three questions in mind, they can help spark ideas for activities and lessons while keeping the end goal in mind. Similar to the way students learn through experience, reflection, mistakes, and time, teachers also learn about what their goals are for the students, what their designs are like, and even how they approach teaching through the same processes.

Teachers are DESIGNERS Curriculum and assessments are designed Must be mindful of audience—“client-centered” Designs = software, this makes users (students) more productive

Using Standards When Designing Used to form/shape work Useful framework = identify priorities Best designs follow function = vision Fight constraints….RESILIENCY

******Clarify desired results—be thoughtful and specific

“Backward” is Best

Focus of Section: Deliberate/focused design

Step 1: Focus on desired learnings followed by logical teaching—also shift in thinking

Step out of comfort zone Not HOW to teach or WHICH material to use Teachers = Guides, Students = Tourists (creates understanding in an exploratory way) Focus on LEARNING, not teaching (QUESTION to ask self: What will learner need to understand

or accomplish goals?)

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PURPOSE to the practice “Goals beyond the book” (p. 15) Approach by DESIGN, not by “hope” –don’t just hope the information sticks

In this section, however, there is something I do not agree with in this section. They focus more on the result of things than the PROCESS. I believe that the process is much more important that the product.

Twin Sins of Traditional Design

-What are the twin sins?

1. Hands-on without being a minds-on Experiences accidently lead to insight/achievement

*consider the MEANING of the activity 2. “Coverage”

Do not “march through the textbook” (p. 16) Overview of discipline/field of study Do not have transparency of purpose Do not feed the facts – give them a purpose/goal

No clear purpose and goals means that students will be unable to give satisfactory responses.

Ask Students These Questions: 1. What are you doing?2. Why are you being asked to do it?3. What will it help you do?4. How does it fit with what you have previously done?5. How will you show you have learned it?

What would count as evidence of such achievement?

QUESTION TO ASK SELF: **What text, activities, and methods will best enable such results?

As teachers, we are COACHES, not TELLERS. We shouldn’t TELL our students to do things without details and structure. We must help them understand how to do things and why they are doing those things.

3 Stages of Backward Design

1. Identify desired results Established goals Understandings Essential questions (EQs)

2. Determine acceptable evidence Performance tasks and other evidence

Ex: performance finals or group discussions—“show what you know”3. Plan learning experiences and instruction

Refer to template given on page 22 (initial design frame)

Do not go step by step by these 3 stages; instead, reflect on these stages to help with your design (just like how we reflect on standards).

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Templates Form = succinctly present the design unit Function = guide the design process

-EQs, desired understanding, key knowledge, and skills will acquire as result of unit?

1. ESTABLISHED GOALS

2. PERFORMANCE TASKS, OTHER EVIDENCE, SELF-ASSESSMENT, & REFLECTION

3. SPECFIC DETAILED ACTIVITIES

*Self-assessing their designs against appropriate criteria (p. 27)

IMPORTANT: Peer review = “critical friend” –VERY useful when designing

Design Tools

1. Templates2. Prompts 3. Scaffolds 4. Organizers5. Idea Sheets

Use these things (above) as “training wheels” (p. 29).

When using assessments:

They are teaching targets for sharpening focus of instruction and editing past lesson plans Enable performance

In this reading, I discovered how important the little details are when designing the learning experiences of our students.

Sources of Knowledge

Teachers

Parents

Media

Peers

Religion

Filter

Religion Morals

Philosophy

As teachers, we are combating other sources of knowledge and also trying to break through the filter in order for our students to effectively learn. Although

this may be challenging, we should approach it in a positive way. By designing our curriculum in a way that encourages

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Module A: The Basics of Understanding By Design

Two interdependent ideas:

3. Research on learning and cognition that highlights the centrality of teaching and assessing for understanding

4. Helpful and time-honored process for curriculum writing (Wiggins & McTiche 2005)

Plan BACKWARDS to get long-term results—start with planning the goal then find what activities could be used. This will help you avoid teaching straight out of the book and will help you develop meaning for each activity. If the students understand the reason why they are doing something, it will help them become more engaged and interested in the work or activity. So, plan with the “big idea” in mind.

Six facets of learning:

7. Explain8. Interpret9. Apply

Religion Morals

Philosophy

As teachers, we are combating other sources of knowledge and also trying to break through the filter in order for our students to effectively learn. Although

this may be challenging, we should approach it in a positive way. By designing our curriculum in a way that encourages

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10. Shift Perspective11. Empathize12. Self-Assess

Teachers are COACHES of understanding, not TELLERS of information.

UbD = a continuous reflection of continuous improvement of design to promote achievement for our students which allows us to make adjustments. These adjustments will make all the difference in the classroom. With feedback from both my students and colleagues about my own designs, I can use the criticism constructively in order to make the learning experiences for my children as effective and fun as possible.

Module B - Templates

Module B gives us examples of what an UbD template should look like and how we can use them in our design. We don’t have to use them exactly the way they are given to us, but instead use certain examples to create our own unique template for our lesson plans and educational experiences.

To the right is an example of such template.

It also reflects the common theme of “backwards” design.

Module C: Starting Points

This module discusses how to begin the designing process. Since “backwards design” is promoted constantly across many of our texts we have read, it is also stressed in this book especially when coming up with the plan of action for our design. In the section titled “Process Versus Product”, it discusses how important it is to make sure teachers know that the perfect design will not come to us automatically. There is a long process in which we reflect on our ideas and change them accordingly as we gain more experience and knowledge throughout our careers.

Four questions to ask self when designing:

5. 1. What kind of a designer are you? 6. What kind of content goals will you focus on? 7. What is the scope of your unit? (scope = subskills students will learn)8. Is it best to start with a new unit or revise an old unit?

With these three questions in mind, they can help spark ideas for activities and lessons while keeping the end goal in mind. Similar to the way students learn through experience, reflection, mistakes, and

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time, teachers also learn about what their goals are for the students, what their designs are like, and even how they approach teaching through the same processes.

Kristina Stinson

EDCI 2300 - Cross

Journal Entry

Modules D, E, F: Wiggins & McTighe

By keeping the idea of backwards design in mind, I will use these three questions to help me

create my own unit plan:

1. What are the desired long-term and short term results of my unit?

The desired results should not be the same as the standards we use to help create our

lesson plans. Instead, we must look at a much larger picture. We must give genuine

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meaning to the learning our students are doing. A priority of ours should be to make

sure the students know WHY they are doing certain activities and work and WHY they

are learning about a certain topic. We must have a clear understanding-focused goal

while considering the content-related goals as well. Another question to ask yourself is:

how are students going to transfer the understandings and skills from this lesson?

2. What is appropriate evidence that learners have attained those desired results?

Assessing for understanding is different and often more challenging than assessing for

content acquisition (p. 49). Students can explain in their own words what they have

learned and provide reasoning or transfer what they have learned to new situations. To

do this, we can include assessment tasks that call for these things. Since I will be

teaching language arts, this kind of assessment will be much more prevalent and much

more beneficial. Since language arts includes reading acquisition and comprehension, it

would be much better to assess what a student learns from their own understanding of

the reading through transfer or an assessment that has the student explain in their own

words what they took in from that reading, novel, short story, poem, and so on.

Remember, assessment means valid evidence, not just format.

3. What are the most appropriate learning events for achieving those desired results?

To achieve the initial goals set, we must construct learning activities that are both

appropriate and effective. These activities should include critical thinking as a priority to

avoid conventional instruction and assessments. Critical thinking also leads to academic

success among all subjects, so its importance must be stressed. In addition, stray away

from activities we may find more comfortable for us as teachers and instead take risks

for the sake of your students.

Always reflect on our assessments using the Two-Question Test:

- Could students do the proposed assessment(s) well but not really have mastered or

understood the content in question?

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- Could students do poorly on the specific assessment(s) but really have mastery of

the content in question?

THE FOUR GOALS:

1) Transfer 2) Understandings 3) Knowledge 4) Skill

Transfer:

Intelligently and effectively drawing from their minds to independently handle new situations

and information in their own unique way. This can NOT be accomplished by rote learning, so it

is VERY important to make sure we, as teachers, provide students with teaching that is

meaningful and applicable to their lives.

Essential Questions = productive way to signal importance of ongoing inquiry – used to base

each unit upon….must be genuine and relevant