White-water Rafting

Teachers face many problems in the classroom—little ones, big ones, and some that will never have a perfect solution. Since I am not a teacher or trainer (yet), I had to seek help from teachers at work and my daughters who teach. “Little” problems included being required to teach to a test that is not an accurate measure of knowledge or ability and lack of parental support. Bigger ones included how to meet the needs of both gifted and below-average students while conforming to state standards and how to deal with cheating (both online and in class) on tests (student using phone to record answers for friend that hadn’t taken test yet). And then there are those problems that might go unsolved and follow us to the grave.

The first deals with discipline, but in a little broader sense than a student being disruptive in class. Yes, you can kick that student out of class, but what if that student (unbeknownst to the professor) is one of the students on campus that has violent tendencies? There are departments on campus that know who these students are, but that information is not usually shared with the academic departments. Does the professor risk disciplining an unruly student and cross fingers he won’t come back and retaliate? There have been instances in the building connected to mine when students got in a fight in the bathroom or hallway- and one had a weapon. Fortunately we haven’t had a shooting or stabbing—yet. Is it worth the risk kicking that student out? Because we normally don’t get word of who could potentially be a problem, I was rather amazed (and disturbed) when my boss forwarded me an e-mail yesterday which contained the names and pictures of several students who are registered sex offenders. I don’t think I would be very comfortable teaching that student (if I were a teacher), but I couldn’t kick him out. I guess that’s another problem in itself.

The second “unsolvable” problem deals with truancy/absenteeism. My youngest daughter teaches in high school. She had this to say, “I work in a title 1 school (40% or more of students come from low-income families) and we have quite a few students who work full time jobs after school to support their families. Even though they don’t want to do badly in a class or miss school, they have that responsibility to their family and things at school suffer (GPA, truancy, credits)”. She couldn’t think of any students in her class offhand, but she sent me an article about a student in Houston. A junior missed 18 days of school over the year because she worked two jobs to help support her two siblings—and was still an honor student. But because of the missed classes, she was put in jail. The link to this article is: http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/05-31-12-jailed-honor-student-gets-her-name-cleared-and-100000-judge-sets-aside-conviction-in-face-of-outrage/ .

The problem exists in college also. I was talking about this article to two teachers in my building. They teach traditional classes and skill center classes. Skill center classes are self-paced, but students must attend so many hours a week (they have to clock in and out like at a job) to keep their funding (financial aid). They can make all A’s, but if they don’t attend the required hours, they lose their funding to continue. In both these cases (high school and college), I see the need for attendance. But if a student must be absent beyond what is allowable but still makes good grades, couldn’t some consideration be made on a case by case basis? And I emphasize “must”; I’m not talking about the student who is just too lazy to come to class. I would rather have a student in my class who does excellent work, but due to circumstances beyond her control, misses class a little too often, than a student who just fills a seat in class and submits the bare minimum (if even that) of work. If I ever get the opportunity to teach, I think this problem would definitely haunt me!

Assignment 1.1

Tough Decision

As pleased as I am that I have no critical decisions (that I am aware of) to make in the near future, it does create a problem for completing this assignment. There is an issue that I need to give some serious thought to, however, so this assignment will force me to address it.

When I made the decision to begin this program, a friend asked about attending graduation. I replied that I would not be attending a graduation—I live too far away and it wouldn’t make sense since I didn’t know anyone.  But the thought has crept into the back of my mind that it would be nice to meet my fellow classmates and share in the joy of completing this journey together. I will use the five-step decision –making process to decide what I should do.

Define the Decision Clearly

The decision is do I stick with my practical nature and receive my diploma (hopefully) in the mail; or do I break the budget and attend graduation with my classmates?

Consider All the Possible Choices

In this case, there are really only two choices: attend graduation or stay home.

Gather All Relevant Information and Evaluate the Pros and Cons of Each Possible Choice

Possible Choices	Information Needed	Pros	Cons
Stay home	None	Stress free, save money	Won’t get to share the experience with my classmates
Attend graduation	Will any of my classmates attend? Distance: RT=1612 mi. Drive time: 25 hrs. RT Hotel cost est.: $110x2 Gas: $250 (est.) Date, time, location of graduation?	Get to meet my classmates	Take time from work Expensive! Stressful If I attend graduation, I would want my 4 daughters there also. It is not likely they could attend and I would be disappointed.

Select the Choice That Seems to Best Meet the Needs of the Situation

Based on the information I have at this time, the better choice seems to be stay home. It is quite possible my classmates will not be attending either. I will still (I hope) graduate and get a diploma, but I won’t have the expense and stress.

Implement a Plan of Action and Then Monitor the Results, Making Necessary Adjustments

My plan at this point is to stay home and be envious of my classmates. If it turned out that my daughters could (and would) attend with me, I might reconsider my decision—especially if I knew some of my classmates would be there too!

Assignment 4.2 – Personal Development Journal

Completing the various learning style assessments has been a strong learning experience for me. On the VAK assessment I am Auditory; on VARK I am Read/Write; on the Felder assessment I am Sensing, Verbal, Sequential, and Balanced Active/Reflective. Although it may seem contradictory, they all kind of work together. Obviously I am not 100% on any of them, but rather a blend of all of them. For instance, I thought the Auditory and Verbal ones were off—I sometimes get confused by verbal information and I am definitely not a polished speaker. But I do focus on the task at hand, like sequential and specific bits of information, can memorize well (but not for as long as I used to), process information methodically, and prefer concrete information.

After digesting all the information describing my learning styles, it became apparent to me that just reading the text isn’t enough for me to understand everything. Just a lecture is not sufficient either. If I try and take notes during a lecture, I cannot focus on what is being said and I get lost. If I were in a classroom situation, I think a lecture accompanied by a written outline of points would be ideal. Since I take an online class, that is not an option. I am going to try reading the text (out loud when necessary) and writing down points I need to research further.

I understand now why I read out loud (to myself) when I am having difficulty understanding the material, and talk myself through the steps when I try to complete a process I am not very familiar with. I couldn’t figure out why I like clear, concise (and verbal) directions or explanations; but if someone starts giving me a lot of information quickly and in random order, I am totally lost. There is more to figure out, but I think I am on the right path. I hope to use this new insight to be able to communicate with people better—both on a personal and professional level. If I don’t understand what I heard, I need to ask for clarification and not just feel lost. Likewise, when speaking to others, I need to make sure I was clear in what I said, or if I left them dazed and confused.

Assignment 3.3 Blog Post:  Technology—Friend or Foe of Education?

Victor Hugo ROJAS B. made an interesting post to his blog, victorhugor, on July 28, 2009, entitled “The Networked Teacher of the 21^st Century”.  He referred to educators as Networked Teachers due to the fact that they maintain blogs, wikis, video-conferences, social networking, and various other technology-based tools for interactive teaching and learning. He maintained that personality and teaching styles are not enough to consider an educator well-rounded; technology must be integrated into a teacher’s daily routine. My question:  Is technology a friend or foe of education?

Technology is beneficial to education in countless ways. My personal favorite is the online classroom. Since January 2006, I have earned a 2-year certificate of completion in Office Management, an A.A.S. degree in Information Technology, and I’m working on a BS in Adult Education; I have had only three classes in a traditional classroom. Online classes enable students who would otherwise be unable to attend college due to job, family, and other obligations or restrictions earn a degree. We have soldiers all over the world (and on ships and submarines) that take classes.

Technology is also a great study aid for students. Word processing software is much easier than pen and paper. Information on any topic is at their fingertips in seconds! Nowadays, they don’t even need a computer—just a cell phone. Gone are the days spending hours at the library poring over books and encyclopedias. Students can even purchase an eBook instead of a paper textbook.  

Technology and computers are a big help to instructors also. There are endless resources and instructional aids available online. Need a video to demonstrate a task? Try YouTube.  Have a student that just doesn’t seem to learn from your lectures? Check out tips for visual learning styles. Speaking of learning styles, computers can be used to provide lessons that would be suitable for different styles. The teacher can present a colorful PowerPoint that incorporates pictures and graphs, narration, and written bullets. Students can read information on the computer, or listen to tutorials and lectures, or watch a demonstration.

So it looks like technology in education is perfect, right? Not quite. Like most arguments, there are two sides. Consider this sentence: “My too friends went two the store to get gifts fore they’re dads.”  Isn’t Spellcheck great! I have noticed that some students rely on it a little too much.  And as much as I love online classes, I cannot tell you how many times I have been stressed and frustrated because I could not access class or do research for an assignment because the Internet was not working. And yes, the computer is a great research tool; but I have noticed that students “working” in the classroom aren’t always working on assignments.

There are several articles available online about texting affecting communication skills, spelling skills, and writing skills. I chose to read Texting Affects Communication Skills” by Superintendent A. Barbara Wheeler of Kent Count Public Schools. She points out that while technology has some positive aspects, there are also negative aspects: children playing video games and texting instead of physical activity outside; children (and adults) texting each other (in the same room) instead of having actual conversations; parents not communicating with their children face to face; and the destruction of the English language with LOL, OMG, where r u, etc. The article ends with this statement, “Our challenge in school, as well as at home, is not to fight technology because it is here to stay; but school personnel will play a critical role in channeling technology in the direction of quality teaching and learning. Parents must insist that children understand the appropriate use of technology and the significant impact that poor judgment can cause.” I think that statement perfectly sums up how technology should be considered by educators. You can read the entire article at: http://www.kent.k12.md.us/index.php?otion=com_content&view=article&id=555:texting-affects-communication-skills&catid=54:superintendent&ltemid=188.

assignment 2.2:Learning Styles: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Some people might say we've gone from "spare the rod, spoil the child" to "spoil the child because we don't want hurt feelings." I say, "all things in moderation". I have learned enough so far about learning styles to believe that they are a great learning/teaching tool. In my opinion, it is doing the student (every student) a big favor to assess his or her learning style and then give him or her the appropriate information and study tips for their particular learning style. By doing this, we are giving the students the information they need to help themselves and take responsibility in the learning process.

Should a teacher have to create assignments for every single learning style? Certainly not! But there are ways to make assignments work across several styles. For instance, the teacher could allow students to write a paper, record an oral paper, or do a video or PowerPoint of their paper. In the classroom, lectures could be accompanied by a written outline to fill in or or graphs and pictures. The lecture could be recorded for listening to later. Allowing students to work in small groups could reinforce the material in multiple styles. While students should learn in their preferred styles, they need exposure to other styles also; being comfortable with more than one style increases their chance for success.

The points below sum up my feelings about learning styles:

• They are an important tool; not a crutch
• Students should be made aware of their learning style(s)
• Teachers should coach students on how to learn with their learning style
• Teachers should NOT provide separate lessons for each student's style
• Teachers should plan assignments (when possible) that could be completed in a variety of ways according to learning styles
• Students should be held accountable for learning