You Take a Position - Chapter 12 p.405

You Take a Position - Chapter 12 p.405

If I am forced to make a definitive choice I believe that the learner-centered instruction is superior to the teacher-centered approach. Recent research has revealed the manner in which secondary students learn. These findings include the following,

• Students learn when the subject area is meaningful to them and their peer group;
• Students learn when they are allowed to use all their senses;
• Students learn with the use of current technology;
• Students learn when they are in an orderly and safe environment.

Learner-centered instruction incorporates learning strategies that promote self discovery and higher level of thinking. Cooperative learning, guided discovery, and independent study are three examples of effective learner-centered instruction. All these methods require a great deal of upfront work for the teacher. These methods concentrate on introducing examples of a phenomenon or an idea and having the student(s) find the connections. The students are more cognitively connected to this type of interaction with the teacher. The teacher uses questioning, rather than expository methods, to entice thought processes in her students. Students have been found to retain more information when using these types of instruction.

I believe that teacher-centered instruction, specifically the direct learning method, does have merit as well. I believe that a well constructed lesson will be necessary to introduce new concepts to students without any previous knowledge of the content area.

Dr. Isaacson's presentation follow up:

Students are motivated to learn when they feel comfortable surrounded by a compassionate cohort and are guided by a caring teacher that stimulates their intellectual self. I will instill order in my classroom by giving students a clear set of rules to follow which I will enforce consistently. I will conduct myself professionally and communicate a clear understanding of my expectations with respect to both their conduct and their performance in my class. I will gain further insight into their lives by using journaling and sponsor a class website. I will create an environment conducive to learning by arranging the desks in a rectangular formation as well as using small grouping and station-based instruction .I will treat all my students alike because I believe all students have the ability to learn given the correct tools. I will balance a teacher-oriented approach to teaching with a student-based method of instruction which will culminate in a classroom of students driven to learn. My students will use a higher level of thinking when I incorporate pointed questions and encourage responses using cues if necessary. I will reflect on each day in the classroom to document successes and failures and use this information to improve my performance.

Kauchak & Eggen: You Take a Position p 361

I would use an assertive discipline approach to classroom management. I believe it will contribute to a productive learning environment. As a first time teacher, I need to use a concrete method to keep order in the class. I will communicate the rules succinctly, display them clearly in the classroom, and explain my reasoning behind creating this particular set of rules. Students have to feel safe to learn and following rules creates a safe environment. I will apply the rules consistently upon the correct student(s) and in addition I will also offer strategies about how the student(s) may have handled the situation better. This will be done in a private and non-confrontational manner. I will keep the student’s self esteem in mind and try to be subtle in dealing with infractions to my rules. I think any classroom will benefit with an assertive discipline approach in conjunction with a positive classroom environment fueled by a caring teacher and students that are cooperative in their dealing with one another.

Kauchak & Eggen You Take a Position P. 203

I oppose the emphasis on essential knowledge in the practice of teaching. Although I believe that all students need a core level of understanding in many key areas of instruction to function as an adult in our society, it is the method of rote learning that I am opposed to.
As I have evolved from a undergrad student to a secondary education teacher-in-training, I have experienced an Essentialism philosophic approach to teaching as well as a Progressivism method. Therefore, I can state that I prefer the pragmatic approach of the Progressivism philosophy. During my high school and undergraduate education tenure, I was taught by instructors using primarily the Idealism and Realism philosophy, with a few exceptions. My classroom experience consisted of lectures, assessments using quizzes and tests, and laboratory experiments thrown into the mix. My current education experience, as well as the thought processes I have developed due to the curriculum I am currently engaged in, supports a more Progressivism approach to teaching. In addition, as I was studying for the Praxis II test covering my content area of Biology, I came to the realization that the "big picture" made a lot more sense to me than when I was originally taught the same material in college. Of course I was not able to receive my instruction in a progressive manner seeing as I was being self taught. I think my life experience and knowledge helped me to grasp the content in a more meaningful manner. I was able to comprehend more readily how life itself is intertwined in so many unique ways. I found it easier to learn the concepts in terms of a "grand scheme of events"" versus merely learning and memorizing facts.
I have come to the conclusion that although it involves more work on my part and it will take a great deal of time for my teaching method to evolve, I will adopt a Progressivism philosophy of teaching when I am given the opportunity.

Kellough & Carjuzaa Excersize 2.1B

For my warm-up activity I would have every student in the class tell me his/her name and write it on an index card. I would collect the cards and pass out a short survey sheet with likes, dislikes, favorites and other questions that would define his/her personality. I will use either a overhead projector or a laptop to quickly jot down each name and project it for everyone to see. Then I could randomly pick a question and answer combination and ask for a show of hands of students with that response. (I will design questions that will hopefully that multiple students will have answered in the same manner.) These students can stand and then I can pick another question until I have one student left. Of course I will use every opportunity to use each student's name as often as possible.

Exercise 1.5-Kellough

I went to a private school, St. Michael School in Orland Park, Illinois. It had a 1-8th grade format, so therefore I never attended a junior high or middle school. It was a small school with just 2 classes per grade level. We were taught by Dominican nuns for the most part with very few lay teachers. I remember liking my teachers in the primary grades. When I got to the older grades the teaching was not very good because many of the nuns were old and frankly somewhat senile. They focused more on behavior than on educational content. The exception to this observation was my 7th grade teacher, Sister Mary Carleen. She actually noticed my interest in the sciences and allowed me to help set up labs, which I enjoyed immensely. On the other hand I would love to forget my 6th grade teacher, Sister Ludovica who resorted to corporal punishment if we did not follow a strict code of conduct. My parents were not very active in my educational experience due to the fact that my father worked fourteen hours a day and my mom was busy with three younger siblings. Most of the students got along pretty well especially in the earlier years and overall I enjoyed my primary school experience.
I went to Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois. It was a large public school. We had a very diverse student body with three major social groups (preps, greasers and hippies). Everyone knew which group they belonged to and there was not very much interaction between the groups. We weren't offered a lot of educational options outside the traditional four years of English, Math and Science. I didn't feel educationally challenged until the last two years of school. My favorite teacher was junior year Creative Writing Class, Mr. Steinhardt. He was an individual with a engaging teaching style. He also encouraged all his students to experience the arts whenever possible. I remember my senior Physics teacher as being downright mean. Again I never experienced any parental pressure due to the reasons stated above my parents just expected me to get good grades. My decision to go to college was made independently with the help of a school counselor. Once I decided to go to college I couldn't wait to get out of high school.