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This class has taught me a lot about how my students will think, feel, and learn throughout the time they spend in my classroom. I have learned that their development will be especially important in planning lessons. Their development also plays a key role in their behavior in class, and the best way to teach and manage these students. My lessons need to be tailored to help them grow and learn, not only educationally, but socially and physically.

I have also learned more about myself as a prospective teacher. After studying the different learning theories, I realized that I follow the Constructivist approach. I value the ideas of group learning, engaging inquiry lessons, and student responsibility for their own learning. I think using these methods, no matter what age, will provide the best experiences for my students. This class has given me some wonderful ideas for future lesson plans that will accomplish these goals.

I was able to integrate new technologies I have never worked with into projects. I particularly enjoyed used Glogster and Prezi. They are creative programs that would be great for classroom presentations, as well as teaching older students how to use for their own projects. One technology I was not thrilled with was the eText. I would have much rather preferred having the physical text in front of me, instead of paying the same price for a text book that expires at the end of the summer session.

One of the other technologies we got to use was LiveBinders. My eFolio is available here and includes my reflections on the major projects, podcasts, and my philosophy of education based on the course content.

Culture in the Classroom

Anita Woolfolk's podcast on culture diversity in the classroom was particularly interesting. It didn't include a lot of tips for teachers, but it was full of quick facts about other cultures.

Students tend to respect a teacher more if they are aware of their cultural beliefs. 18% of the United States population speaks a language other than English, and half of these people speak Spanish. In fact, some teachers have said they have more than ten languages represented in their classroom at one time. By 2020, it is estimated that over 66% of school-aged children will be African American, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American; many of these will be the children of new immigrants.

Some of the cultural quick facts Woolfolk discusses are:

• The Chinese language has no sign/symbol correspondence, thus they have trouble with decoding and phonics in English.
• In Columbia, they believe it is rude to use a teacher's name. Instead they simply use "Teacher" as a title.
• It is common for Middle Eastern boys to touch during play. However, in America, boys only touch during sports or fights. This can cause arguments in class.
•  In Argentina it is considered rude for children to look directly at adults. Even if a teacher says, "Look in my eyes," these children may be uncomfortable.
• Somalian children may have trouble sitting still, as they may have never been in school or sat in chairs for long periods of time.
• Saudi Arabian boys can find working with girls to be insulting, as their culture believes boys and girls should not be together.
• Buddhists may feel insulted if you pat them on the head because they believe your soul is housed in your head.
• Other Asian cultures may nod yes, even if they do not agree, because nodding shows that you are listening carefully.
• In Korea, it is rude to open a gift in front of the giver. If you are unsure, you can politely ask if it's okay to open the gift now.
• Many cultures may find notes written in red pen offensive, as they believe red is the color of death.

Some of these cultural beliefs I had heard before, but many I was unaware of. A good way to identify different cultures in a classroom would be to take a class survey at the beginning of the year. You can ask students where their families are from. Then any countries you are unsure of you can look up information on. Woolfolk suggests using this website for more information about being sensitive to different cultures in the classroom.

Using Cooperative Learning

After doing my project on Maria Montessori, as well as the group project on the Constructivist theory, I have become really interested in using group work in my classroom. Anita Woolfolk's podcast on cooperative learning gives more benefits to this set up, as well as some ideas.

Cooperative learning truly occurs when students need to depend on each other to complete a task, and build on each other's knowledge. It must be a team effort, where everyone chips in. The teacher needs to make sure they chose a model that fits the goal of the lesson, and provide direction and support when needed. They also need to make sure they monitor students while they are working on the project to make sure they are on the right track and learning the material correctly.

The benefits to cooperative learning are plentiful if it is accomplished correctly. Students are motivated to complete their work because they know their partners are counting on them. They are required to explain their thinking to their group members. Some theorists believe this is the most successful way to learn, as you are thinking about the information internally and deciding how to best present it to your peers. Students engage in productive dialogue; this is talk where students need to interpret and explain information, not just name and describe something Another benefit is that disequilibrium may occur in some students, making them wonder if the way they have been thinking is really correct. They will then strive to learn the right information to adjust their knowledge. Students not only become responsible for their own learning, but as well as teaching. They are required to find examples of a topic, or figure out how to present the information another way. This again gets them thinking critically.

Woolfolk provided examples of ways to find experts in your classroom to help create cooperative groups. Her daughter is an elementary school teacher and on the first day of school devises interview questions for her students that will relate to topics they will discuss that year. Students will ask each other questions like "Can you speak another language?" or "Do you know how to cook?" and find a student who fits each category. Each student would be made an expert in one area, so when that topic is discussed students have a peer to turn to for extra help.

I have said before that I think group work and cooperative learning is extremely important, especially in elementary school. Students need to have these social interactions and foster an ability to work as a team. These are skills that will not only increase their learning, but help them later in life beyond the classroom.

Classroom Management: Teacher vs. Student Perspectives

In her twelfth podcast, Anita Woolfolk discusses different views of classroom management. It is obvious to say that a classroom with good management offers an orderly environment with fewer distractions, where more learning can occur. To get a better idea of why some classrooms had better classroom management, researchers began to observe classrooms on the first day of school. Then they returned to the classrooms throughout the year to see how each was progressing. They noticed one common thread between classes that were succeeding: planned and taught rules and procedures. These procedures were introduced on the first day of class and were modeled, practiced, and retaught by the teachers.

One issue researchers noticed was a difference in belief between students and teachers. Students feel that good teachers: 1) care about their students, 2) exercise authority fairly, 3) are creative. If they believe they have a good teacher students are more motivated and less likely to drop out. They want fair rules that protect and respect the students. They don't want teachers to be excessively harsh, and expect differentiation between students.

The problem lies in how respect should be earned and given. Students feel that they need to see that a teacher cares about them before the will give that teacher respect. However, teachers feel that students need to earn respect and caring. Many teachers believe that they need to be mean at the beginning of the year to command respect for their students, operating under the idea "Don't smile until Christmas." When this method is used, students feel the teachers become more rigid and less creative. This disconnect creates what Woolfolk calls, the downward spiral of mistrust. Students hold out on cooperation until the teacher earns, while the teacher becomes more stern because the students aren't responding. In situations where students have been let down by teachers before, it is particularly difficult to break this cycle because they are expecting to be treated unfairly. Students will be even more defiant, and in turn teachers off more punishment, pushing the student further away.

I will need to be aware of this balance in my classroom. It will be important to make sure my students feel respected and comfortable, while making sure they also respect me. Starting the school year with a specific set of rules and procedures to uphold in the classroom is the first step in creating this balance.

Test Taking Strategies

I have never felt like I was a bad test taker; I usually feel confident going into tests. This is because I take detailed notes, do required homework, and study accordingly. However, I know this is not always the case, and I should expect test anxiety among my future students. Test anxiety makes it tough for students to focus on a test because they're minds are full of worry about the material. It is important to instill in my students test taking tips. Anita Woolfolk talks about some simple and effective strategies to use in podcast #14.

Before the test:

• Attend class, do the readings, and complete the assignments; especially attend the classes right before the test in case there are hints about the test.
• Pay attention during review sessions - take notes and ask questions about the content of the test
• Create your own review sheet with the major concepts
• Prepare at home - get a good night's sleep, set an alarm and a back-up alarm, eat a good breakfast

During the test:

• Keep a positive attitude, avoid telling yourself you aren't going to do well
• Use your time wisely - look over the test before you start, look for questions with higher point values, don't dwell on a question you can't remember, use the whole testing time
• Ask for clarification if you need one
• Avoid leaving blanks - if you are unsure, guess; don't leave essays blank
• Read the whole question
• Don't make questions harder then they are; often your first instinct is the right answer
• ALWAYS be sure to double check for your name

After test:

• Double check the teacher's grading - everyone makes mistakes
• Analyze questions you got wrong - maybe you are making the same mistake that can easily be corrected
• Make notes on the test if the teacher reviews it
• Ask the teacher for extra credit or a make-up exam
• Save the test to study from later

Some these strategies may only be useful for older students, but many of them are applicable no matter the age. As a teacher, I can also remember some of these tips and use them in my classroom. For example, I can provide students with my own study sheet highlighting the important concepts that will be on a test. I can instill a positive attitude in my class by encouraging them and saying I know they will do well. I can also take time to review with my students, and allow them to know the format of the test. In my future classroom, these are definitely ideas I will practice to help students cope with test anxiety.

I Must Confess, I am a Procrastinator.

(I procrastinated writing this post by searching for the right picture)

Anita Woolfolk's tenth podcast is about procrastination. I have to admit that I have been a terrible procrastinator as long as I have been in charge of my own learning. Once high school rolled around and I started receiving more long-term projects instead of daily homework, I began putting off the work until the last minute.

According to the podcast, I am not alone. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of college students engage in procrastinating, and 75 percent of them are aware they are procrastinating. Some students may spend up to one third of their day procrastinating. Some things we do daily, like texting or going online, become the easiest ways to procrastinate, and the hardest habits to break.

Woolfolk talked about why these students procrastinate. Some claim they work better under pressure, and then proceed to save an important paper until the night before it is due. However, this work tends to be of a lower quality, included more errors, and is less original than what a student would have written if they started earlier. If a student has low self-efficacy, they may delay starting a project because they feel like they won't do good on it anyway. They use the excuse, "I'm going to fail anyway, so why waste my time?" Students may be victims of self-handicapping; they are unable to manage the emotions that come with failing an important assignment. These students use the excuse, "Well I didn't have enough time to do well," even though the assignment had been given out three months before. Depression can be another cause of procrastination that unfortunately gets the student stuck in a vicious circle. They are depressed so they don't start their project; they do poor on the project so they feel more depressed. Also, rebellion can come into play, especially in adolescents. These are the students that don't want to follow anyone else's rules or listen to a deadline. Finally, some procrastinators may simply be perfectionists. Their inability to start or complete a project comes from their desire for it to be perfect. They may decide it is never going to be as good as they want it to be, so why bother?

So what can I do as a teacher to help my students break their procrastinating ways? First, Woolfolk suggest raising students' self-efficacy. She offered the following ideas:

• Mastery - point out other projects students have completed well
• Modeling - show examples of past students' work so current students see it can be done
• Social Persuasion - use basic encouragement (e.g. "You can do this!")
• Anxiety - allow students to turn in an ungraded outline so you can give feedback

She also suggests behaviors to encourage among your students. I can tell my students to work on one piece at a time instead of looking at the big picture. Taking small bites out of a project tends to make you feel more accomplished and helps encourage you to keep working. She suggests working for ten minutes and then taking a small break. Another idea is creating a study group and set firm meeting times. This way, students will feel obligated to attend because they made a commitment to a friend.

In this class, I have personally used the last two options for self-management. When I looked at everything that needed to be accomplished in only five weeks, I would go into full on panic mode, shut down, and not be able to work at all. Instead, I decided to focus on one task at a time and get it done. Especially when it came to tying up loose ends at the end of the week. I scheduled what I would work on each day and made sure I completed those tasks. We also formed a study group and met every Tuesday on campus (sometimes more). Knowing that my peers were counting on me showing up, and the promise of coffee, made me show up and get work done.

I like to think as I get older, I get better at managing my procrastinating, and I hope that I will be able to help my students avoid becoming like me. I guess this is one case where only time will tell.

Fieldwork (Cluster 2): Planning for Student Development

For observations I have been following a kindergarten class. Students are typically five or six years old. Tailoring lessons to where students are developmentally is very important. A teacher shouldn't be asking too much of his or her students, nor should they be making activities too easy. The teacher I am observing seems to find that perfect balance.

According to Piaget's model, these students would be in preoperational phase of development. This means that the students are developing language, have trouble identifying past or future (they think solely in the present), can think through operations logically in one direction, and has difficulty understanding another person's perspective (Woolfolk, 2014). Children begin this stage by using gestures or symbols to represent what they want to say, such as drinking from an empty cup when they are thirsty or rubbing their stomachs when they are hungry. The students I observed are now at the end of this stage and are able to verbalize their needs. Not only do these students have trouble identifying past and future, they have trouble conceptualizing time. A student was trying to tell me a story about a lesson they had done the week before and instead said, "Yesterday, we did a math problem..." Children at this age have trouble understanding conservation. For example, during snack one student snapped his pretzel rod in half and said, "Look! Now I have two pretzels!" This started a chain of everyone doubling their pretzels this way so they could all have two pretzels.

Vygotsky believes the most important element to a child's development is verbal interaction to solve a problem. He also focused on the use of cultural tools, including technological and psychological tools played a large part in the educational process. Technological tools today include calculators, the internet, cell phones, and assistive technology for students with learning disabilities. Examples of psychological tools are Brail and sign language, maps, works of art, and language (Woolfolk, 2014). Thus, under this theory of development, children will learn better through engaging activities with their peers. By working together to solve a problem, they will be voicing their opinions and justifying them.

The teacher I observed plans lessons where her students participate in turn and talks, work on writing pieces where they explain a previous lesson or experience, and use tools such as a rekenrek for math. After group readings, the teacher would pose a question to the class, usually asking if the story reminded them of a time in their life. She would then let the students pair up to share their thoughts. After a minute or two, the students would turn back to the teacher who would call on three children to share out. They would have to say what they talked about, as well as their turn and talk partner to ensure they were listening. Students had journals they would write in once a week after a particularly exciting lesson or experience in school. For example, after the students planted their flowers, they were given time to journal about the experience, the steps in planting, or what they thought their flower would look like when it grew. This gave them a chance to practice conceptualizing time. They would have to say "Today we..." or "Next week my flower will..." Finally, the teacher tries to use tools in the classroom that reinforces student learning. When the students were working on subtraction, the teacher gathered the students on the meeting rug and gave them each a rekenrek to work with. They would slide the beads back and forth to show a math problem. They were able to visualize the problem, as well as experience it through touch.

Here is some information about child development provided by Princeton.

Sources:
Woolfolk, A. (2014). Educational psychology (12th ed.). Pearson Education.