Constructivist vs. Traditionalist

Both of these styles of teaching vary in many ways. The constructivist teacher acts as a facilitator of learning which allows for the students to take charge of their learning experiences. Also, it lends itself to a more student-centered approach in the classroom. I think this is important because it gives the students a sense of responsibility and purpose. On the other hand, the traditionalist teacher acts as the dissemenator of knowledge. In a traditionalist classroom you may notice that the student's desk are set up in rows whereas in a constructivist classroom the students would be sitting in small groups of three to four. The traditionalist teacher is much more structured in their approach to delivering instruction. Both of these teaching styles have their advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion, it would be beneficial to try and incorporate both of these styles of teaching into your everyday classroom environment. I say this because students do need structure but they also need plenty of opportunities to express themselves and take charge of their learning!

Summer School

So far summer school has been very intense. Each week is like equivalent to a month in a regular semester! Ahhhh! Not to mention that I am taking two classes this semester, but somehow I have managed to balance all the work up to this point. I am taking English 3360 and Philosophy 3340. This week is especially hectic because I have one midterm today in Philosophy and another midterm due on Wednesday for my English class. I am very nervous about my Philosophy midterm because it covers a lot of material. This is my first time to take a Philosophy course, so all of the concepts presented are new to me. Hopefully I will perform well on the test today. I have decided to stay on campus through lunch in order to study more for this test. I keep reminding myself that this will be my last time to take summer school, for undergraduate courses anyways. I say this because I will be student teaching in the fall and then graduating in December. Woo-Hoo! FINALLY! Hopefully after my first couple years of teaching I will be able to start working on my master's degree--this may require taking more summer courses, but thats okay!

How Could You Use This Brick?

The Brick...
-It has holes, so you could plant some flowers in it.
-You could throw it through a window. (Hopefully you wouldn't though)
-You could use it as a door stop.
-It could be used to hold something down on a windy day.
-You could use it as a weight to work out with.
-It could be part of some structure you are building.
-You could use it to hammer a nail in.
-It could be used as a pencil and/or pen holder.
-You could use it as a book end.

My Identity as a Writer

My identity as a writer.....that is a tough topic. Lately I feel like all of my writing has been done for a specific purpose, such as to fulfill an assignment for a class. I have written reflections, philosophy and ethical statements, research papers, case studies, and so on. These papers were mainly written because they had to be. Even though this is the case, I still enjoy writing epecially when it involves a topic which I am passionate about. During my field basing semester, I thoroughly enjoyed writing lesson plan reflections because they gave me insight into my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. I learned a lot from these reflections and consider them a wonderful learning experience. The semester before my field basing, I was in a Reading Diagnostic class where we completed a case study. This was an awesome experience because it gave me insight into a specific child's learning style and learning abilities. All of this is said to explain that I do love to write and I think that writing serves many different puposes. Lately I have been doing a lot of academic writing, but I would like to make more time for "pleasure writing". This class has inspired me to start a writing journal of my daily experiences. I think this would be an interesting way for me to branch out and develop as a writer. School is so intense, but I would like to make time for this type of writing in my life!!!

The Process of Group Work

This weekend I worked with my group on a presentation for today which concerned a chapter from "Making Meaning on the Page and in Our Lives". In class on Thursday we got together and split the chapter up so that we would know which part of the chapter we were each responsible for presenting. This seemed like the most logical thing to do because we were not going to be able to meet in person over the weekend. After reading the chapter, I went back and focused on my particular portion which I was going to present. I made notes and pulled main ideas from my reading in order to share with the class the key points of this section. My group and I communicated through email to ensure that we were all doing our jobs and would be prepared for today's presentation. My group was very easy to work with and communicated well. We came up with an activity to present along with our chapter and then got the copies made for today. Also, we meet early this morning to go over our presentation. In our meeting this morning we decided to add another element to our activity in order to really capture the chapter. Group work is powerful because when you put several minds together, you are able to come up with some great ideas. I know that my group is ready for our presentation today, and I hope the class enjoys the activity which we have planned for them.

"A Modern Profile of Adult Literacy" Response

This article focused on a day in the life of a modern man who designs and installs garden in a suburban town in northern California. As the article discusses this man's day, it goes into detail about the range of skills that this man uses on a daily basis for his work and leisure. After reading this article, it is clear that this individual is highly literate and technology savvy. He uses his skills not only to enhance his business, but also to enhance and enjoy his personal life. This was a very interesting article that proves a strong point about the importance of literacy. It goes to show that no matter what field of work you are in, you are bound to be exposed to a variety of encounters which require you to be a literate individual. This gives me inspiration for becoming the best teacher that I can, and provided students with a solid foundation in order to become a contributing and literate adult for our society.

"The Neglected R" Response

This article was mainly focused upon the fact that writing, education's second "R" has become the "neglected R" in our school system. It states that our schools do not place enough emphasis on the teaching of writing. Also, it goes on to say that our teachers are not allowing enough time for students to be immersed in writing during the school week. Those who support this article believe that writing is a vital skill to have in today's world and that it is very important to be able to express yourself clearly and professionaly through writing. "The Neglected R" article and those involved in the movement proposed in this article are passionate about getting everyone involved ranging from teachers to government officials in order to implement a new approach to writing in our educational system that will benefit students from kindergarten through their college education. I believe that this article poses a valid arguement, and I think it would be great to see this plan in action. I believe that any type of learning, including learning how to write proficiently, should be made fun and engaging for students of all ages. I was glad to have been exposed to this article.