Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Gagne Lesson Plan and Rubric
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Teaching Philosphy
Every student has the right to a multicultural curriculum that emphasizes cultural relevancy and higher thinking skills. I endeavor to be a culturally relevant teacher focusing on a multicultural curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking skills and maintaining a fair and consistent classroom management. Education is one of the greatest tools of empowerment on both an individual and communal level. Numerous studies have recounted the devastating effects of a lack of education. Social Studies in the high school curriculum are vital to the educational empowerment of students. The Social Studies curriculum should not only teach the values of democratic civic participation but also model them. Through history and government classes students should the importance of equality, tolerance, and public discourse. It is imperative that “all students in a school regardless of their strengths, weaknesses, or labels—should be full members of the…school community, with their individual needs met” (Sapon-Shevin 2007). The Social Studies strive to engage students in an educational process that empowers and includes all students.
William Butler Yeats said “"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." It is my goal to create a classroom atmosphere that encourages academic, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication skills that will assist students in becoming responsible and productive citizens. Every student and every classroom is unique, and it is the teacher who has the authority and responsibility to shape the climate and community of the classroom (Whitaker 2004). It is the role of the teacher to be the variable in the classroom that directs the course of the class. A key component to the classroom climate is teacher expectations. The energy and employment of positive expectations the classroom help produce positive results (Wong 2004).
Historians spend most of their time reading and critically analyzing historical texts. However, Social Studies and literacy are not often seen at two overlapping content areas in high school classrooms. I believe that the combination of Social Studies and literacy can and should work together to build off of each other, making literacy an integral part of the Social Studies curriculum. Integrating engaged reading to a course can often provide the opportunity to practice literacy and historical analysis at the same time. Education, especially in the field of Social Studies, is one of the most important modes of empowerment. Knowledge not only builds confidence but also provides the skills for self-efficacy. Studying history presents a unique form of empowerment by providing models of people who have overcome obstacles. If the purpose of a history course is to empower students, the empowerment would be futile unless they have the skill sets to achieve their goals.
Employing literacy properly in the classroom is achieved through four key principles: active reading, engagement, critical literacy, and inquiry. In order to receive the maximum benefit of using literacy in the classroom teachers must adapt several pedagogical techniques. Zwiers endorses that “as teachers, we must strive to see classroom learning through the eyes of our diverse students and then provide texts and teaching that relate to their diverse backgrounds and interests” (Zwiers 2004). Principally, teachers must choose literature that encourages engagement. Standard history textbooks today are rarely written in a way that is attractive to students. Textbooks present too much information in a dry and unimaginative way, and often students do not understand the correct way to read a textbook.
Specific teaching strategies I will employ in my classroom are motivation through choice, modeling and scaffolding. Students are more receptive to an assignment if they feel that they had a part in the decision (Guthrie 2000). After the text is chosen the teacher should model reading for the students. To help the students gain the most from the reading the teacher exemplifies how to be a good reader (Zweirs 2004). The modeling of metacognition by the teacher and then practicing with fellow students prepares students to work confidently on their own.
Activating background knowledge and making connections are two additional teaching strategies that are widely applicable (Tovani 2000, Zweirs 2004). Students will be better able to absorb the information if they have already been thinking about what else they know about the subject. Making connections to personal experience and previous knowledge furthers students’ understanding of the content (Tovani 2000). By making connections students become motivated to build off previous knowledge rather than being daunted by something unknown.
One important aspect I intend to implement role of critical literacy in a Social Studies class. Many of the objectives of critical literacy are encompassed in the purposes on teaching Social Studies. Critical literacy includes disrupting the commonplace, interrogating multiple viewpoints, focusing on socio-political issues, taking action and promoting social justice. Critical literacy also allows students a connection to the immediate, allowing them to connect academic theories and practice to their everyday life. Pescatore emphasizes how reflecting and acting on current events can empower students. Through engaging current events students begin to understand that they can have an impact on their community and the world around them and not simply resign to be passive observers (Pescatore 2007). Newspaper articles are specifically written to engage their audience and often at a level for easy comprehension. For example the USA Today is written at a fifth-grade reading level. Inquiry projects are an additional pedagogical technique that not only relies on increased reading engagement but also critical literacy (Wilhelm 2007).
I believe that many aspects of teaching are not fully understood until they are personally experienced. As I enter the class I expect to learn as much from my students as they learn from me. The classroom should be a reciprocal environment which places importance on every member of the classroom. I look forward to continuing my journey towards becoming the most effective teacher I can be.