M6:U3:A4 - Tackling the Grading Dilemma

As Rebecca Alber alludes to in her opening of Tactics for Tackling the Grading Dilemma, grading is one of those tasks that seeks to never end and can be hard to ever get caught up in or on top of. As the title of the article suggests she offers some suggestions to become more proficient in this task including, peer assessment, self evaluation, a one-in-four strategy, stamping, and student journals. For the most part I have used all of these tactics and found that they have their benefits and drawbacks.

As Ms. Alber mentions, I have found great success in peer-assessment. Not only does it remove the onus on the teacher to personally remark on each assignment but it also teaches students certain analysis skills that they can take with them and apply to future assignments. While this is something that works best with older, more mature students, if the assignments are simple enough (such as with a spelling test) it can also be applied to younger students. I find that by using peer or self assessment it can also create somewhat of a mood of community when the students all feel they have a role in the class and are tasked with an important responsibility.

The 'one-in-four rule' is something that I feel works with younger students as the effort they put in might be a bit more important than the result. However, as students become more sophisticated with their output I think it is important that they receive feedback that helps them improve in the future. This method may be necessary if the teacher is dealing with hundreds of assignments at a time.

Having a system of stamps, stickers, or even phrases that hold a meaning works well for minor assignments that can be assessed quickly. The students should know that level system that is involved (that a gold sticker is better than a silver, for example) and it can motivate them to but more effort into their work.

Having an ongoing student journal that the teacher can collect at anytime and mark multiple assignment at once can be extremely helpful. It can show each student's progress and gives the teacher more variables to look at. Having each students update their work on an online blog also can be great for teachers accessibility. It can also create more transparency and also for more dialog between student and teacher. It is also easily view able by parents so it keeps them in the loop.

Technology has also made grading easier for the teacher. Platforms such as Schoology and ClassDojo help teachers not only create assessments that are gradable through automation but can also compile grades and save teachers time in a number of different ways. This can free them up to create better content for the class.


Sources:
http://www.edutopia.org/grading-dilemma-strategies-tactics

Module 6: Unit2: Activity 4: High Expectations and Providing Intervention

In my classroom I try to make sure the students know what is expected of them. The most basic tasks for the lesson are always somewhere on the board for all to see. As the teacher I constantly try to bring the lesson back to these goals to make sure that it something everyone leaves remembering. That being said this is the base, minimum that I expect students to get out of my class. Often there are topics and lessons that branch off from the main idea that I see as giving a fuller, more well rounded understanding. I guess I don' t really communicate this to my students as they are usually in grades 1 to 4 and i don't involve them to deeply in my full intentions. Perhaps I will try to in the future.

While I don;t necessarily share my expectations concerning the material with my students, i do when it come to their performance in class. I expect them to try their best within the context of the lesson, take risks and participate frequently in class, only use English, and treat others in the class with respect. I don't really project these as class rules but I positively reinforce this kind of behaviour and it doesn't take long for it to become common place in the classroom.

Response to Intervention, or RTI, is an approach that provides lessons with different levels to helping learners at different stages. This methods help the students progress even if they have difficulty with the material and need special attention. It helps students who are struggling reach the same level of understanding as the rest of the class. Recognizing that a student is in need of extra help early before half the year is over and it is a huge problem is probably one of the most important factors in helping struggling students. Having the class work as a team and realize that they need to work together to succeed would be a great way for the struggling students to get the extra help that they need and for other students to learn valuable social lessons.

Sources:

http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/response-to-intervention-secondary-school-philip-caposey

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/intervention-rti-benefits-ben-johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK1bT8ls0M

Module 6: Unit 2: Activity 3: Use of Specific Feedback and Praise

A Prezi on the use of specific praise and feedback in the classroom.

Module 5: Unit 5: Activity 3

Writing lesson plans and units plans is definitely an exercise that is a useful and necessary when having both a long term and short term goals for a class of students. The most obvious reason for a lesson plan is that it gives you structure for your class and helps it run in a smooth manner. It can be a challenge to plan specific activities an goals long term, especially regarding young students, as there can be a number of variable that may come up and throw a wrench into precise planning. That being said foresight it needed to make sure the class has a goal to work towards.

For my activities done for this lesson it was a little hard for me to plan for the class that I wanted because I have not had much experience teaching grade five students for an extended period of time. I had doubts whether the activities and expectations I had for them were accurate.

Regarding the the Teach Now unit it was interesting to learn about the concept of Common Core Standards as I would to know more. Unpacking a standard is definitely a skill I need to work on and was interesting to learn . If I had to point out some criticism it would be that a lot of the activities were quite repetitive and it sometimes felt like I was trying to find new ways to say the something.

It should be interesting to move on to the next module and learn about student assessment.

Module 5: Unit 5: Activity 1 - Unit Plan

This is a social studies unit which focuses somewhat on history. It is the hope that the students will not only learn topics and era's of history covered in these lessons but will take away knowledge that will relate to daily realities in the the real word. These concepts could be stretched to multiple lesson each but for the purpose of this activity I will focus on one lesson for each topic.

The standards were taken from the New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies. Follow the link for access to the lessons.

M5:U3:A2: High Impact Teaching Strategies

Module 5: Unit 3: Activity 1: Forms of Assessment

Module 5: Unit 1: Activity 4:

Although I have never had to work with the Common Core or specific governmental standards, I have definitely work for schools that had developed their own system and their own lesson plans that went along with the specific themes. I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with the terms 'backwards mapping' and 'unpacking'. While I guess I did mentally do some of these tasks in regards to lesson plans I have never formally went through the process discussed in this unit. 

While it would be time consuming to do this (although it would get easier with time) I can definitely see the benefit to going through these processes and planning out specific steps to each lessons. In the end it will lead to a better experience for the students, who will get more out of the lesson, and also for the teacher who will experience less stress the better planned and smoother the lesson goes.

Lesson objectives are something that every teacher should think about when creating or following a lesson plan. There really is very little point in having a class in which the students can't take something with them to use in their time outside the classroom. It is useful to try and focus on what has been termed as '21st Century Skill's', collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, etc., and try and incorporate them into lessons of any subject.


The backward mapping, unpacking, and lesson objectives referred to in this post can be found here:

Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3

The standards came from The International Baccalaureate.

Module 4: Unit 6: Activity 4: Video and Reflection

The comments below are for the following video:





This video was really interesting to watch these two teacher go through their first years. Certain parts brought back memories from situations I have faced in the past, mostly mistakes I made but also some of the positive situations.

 The class introductions were interesting and the two teachers approached it a little differently. Mr. Torres did something that I a have been doing, a brief self introduction of my self before asking the students to each to do one themselves. Its a great way to personalize and humanize yourself in the eyes of the students. Ms. Felix seemed to be a little less successful engaging the students and I think it was because her ideas were a little too childish for the age level. However, putting the students in groups for activities is a great idea to get them out of their shell a bit.

I could relate to Mr. Torres' classroom management problems as the behaviour devolved as the year went on. His 'friend' approach to the students is similar to how I interact with my students and I have had problems with the class getting out of hand. As the mentor mentioned, there has to be a time to let the students know where the boundaries are. As was mentioned regarding the problems Ms. Felix was having with her students, busy work and activities that seem pointless to the students will result in boredom and eventually misbehavior. The CSI lesson that was given in Mr. Torres' class shows that if the students are made to see why something is important, or why it is useful they will become engaged and the teacher wont have to worry about dealing with negative behaviour. Ms. Felix was on the right track with the lesson about viruses.

One great idea I took from this video is was having the students to redo the assignments until they get the grade they are happy with. It gives the students more control over the lesson and their grade and it also shows them in a very direct way that if they work hard towards something they will be able to see the results.

This is an interesting video to watch and gave me a bit of encouragement in whatever situation i will find myself in in the future.

Module 4: Unit 3: Activity 3: Establishment of Rules and Procedures

I had a somewhat similar experience to what Marcos Torres mentions in his video. I guess I had forgotten what it was like to be a student as a child because I also expected the students to sit down and listen to me lecture on. Of course it was a disaster. It may have taken Mr. Torres a few months to correct his mistakes in applying discipline but it definitely took me a lot longer. I gradually learned that I was creating a me against them situation which not benefiting anyone. Although I got a long with the students I was having a real hard time creating an environment where students were listening to the teacher and one another. Now I general will allow a certain level of talk and goofing around among the students as long as the class is generally working well and on task. One of the best ways ensure the class is behaved and staying on task it to constantly walking around and interacting with the students. This is key when giving a lecture or having a class discussion but it is especially important the students are doing independent or small group work. If things are getting out of hand I usually walk over and start talking to the students about the task at hand or whatever they are talking about and they usually get the hint and go back to work.

When introducing rules and expected classroom norms I am a big fan of discussing what they should be with the students. By doing so it gets the students thinking about what type of behaviour will be the best for the classroom environment. If a student comes up with a crazy rule that is inappropriate then questioning the student and talking about it will allow you to eventually discard it when they realize how unfeasible the rule is. In general it is possible to guide the rules and classroom norms to where you want them to be but the students feel like they had a role in creating them.

My non-negotiables are definitely fewer that when I first started as a teacher. I have definitely relaxed on a lot of rules that I would have had at the beginning. As I said above, I was creating a we vs. them scenario and I would take a lot of the little offences somewhat personal and as a challenge to my authority as the teacher. It would have to depend on the age level I was teaching but if I had to list the non-negotiables that I expect now in my class my list would look like this:

·         Show respect for others in the classroom.  This of course means not physical harm but also speaking to classmate and the teacher respectfully. Joking around is ok as long as the playful intent is clear.

·         Do your own work. No cheating or copying.

·         Try your best. I am willing to let a lot slide in a classroom discussion if the students are participating a engaged in the lesson.

·         No cellphones. This is one that I go back and forth on with my middle school students. While I would like to respect their freedom and trust them to be responsible enough to control the urge to use their phones for extended times during the lesson, the reality is they can’t seem to control themselves. I can’t really fault them too much as I just checked my phone as I was writing that last sentence.

Classroom meetings can be a valuable method to have the students reflect on the situations and behaviours that have happened the past week (or however often the meetings are scheduled). Like any subject that is being taught and learned, review and reflecting on what has happened or the class has learned can be helpful. The video from this activity is an excellent example of how classroom meetings can be effective and how the students are thinking about the concepts and it will make a lasting impression and more than likely affect their decision to act in a negative manner in the future.

Module 4: Unit 2: Activity 4: Reflections on High Expectations

One of the things I've noticed with dealing with young students it that whether the teacher has either high or low expectations they tend to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When teachers believe in their students and place high expectations on them it can be an incredibly motivating factor in the students putting in effort to succeed. Likewise the teacher will also feel a sense of responsibility and motivation themselves if they are identify students as being capable of  lofty goals. This has sometimes been referred to as the 'Pygmalion effect' Conversely, the 'Golem effect' refers to the opposite in which students who are not expected to succeed often fail and are brushed aside for those who are seen to be more worthy of attention. Many studies have been done on this topic and there is real world evidence to support it.

So what can be done to promote high expectations among students? What do high expectations look like? Some schools that have success with reforming have provided some strategies:

1. Developing, communicating, and implementing plans for motivation and management in every classroom. Everyone has to be on the same page.
2. Implementing instructional plans for bell-to-bell teaching. Students will reflect what they see around them, if the teacher is sitting at their desk ignoring the class and some students are goofing off chances are they will too. Filling class time with meaningful lessons and activities should be a priority.
3. Organizing and arranging classrooms to spur productivity. The environment the students spend their day in should be a place that is inviting and can inspire creativity.
4. Establishing high academic standards. For the most part, the reason the students are in school is to obtain knowledge and the skills to understand that knowledge. Educators should expect a lot from them.
5. Communicating expectations to students and their families. Along with the school, parents and the students themselves should be on board and understand the expectations being placed on the student.
6. Actively engaging each student in instructional tasks. As we mentioned in the last unit it is important for the teacher to be aware of the way he/she interacts with each student. Personal encouragement can go a long way in motivating a student.
7. Keeping students on target by using tasks that are of interest and of high value. Differentiating the lesson to cater to the needs and interests of the class will help the students maintain interest. It is important that the teacher doesn't completely recycle lessons from past years.
8. Providing timely feedback about progress to students to encourage their continued success. Being specific in the comments to will help the students and parents be aware of their progression.
9. Adopting grading practices that communicate high expectations and reduce frustration. Clarity and meaningfully grades are important to facilitate self improvement.
10. Dealing with severe behavior immediately. Students, especially those at younger ages will try to push the limits of the rules (and teacher) establishing clear rules is very important for classroom order.



For Activity 3 our group chose talk about high expectation for three  levels, kindergarten, middle school, and university students. My group members, Emily and Aga were both very involved in the project from the beginning. Aga set up a Google Doc for us to share our ideas on the project and we frequently communicated about the project through messaging. We came up with this list of standards that we expect from out students:

• Academic achievement
• Behavior
• Affective Domain
• Pride in work
• No plagiarism
• Having students take a role in the learning process 

Our collaborative efforts can be founds here: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/2429650-tnm4u2a3

Sources:

http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/expectations-and-student-outcomes.pdf

http://gearup.ous.edu/sites/default/files/Research-Briefs/ResearchBriefHighExpectations.pdf

http://www.connectionsproject.ilstu.edu/HSTWresources/04-ia-highexp.pdf

Module 4: Unit 1: Activity 4: Reflection on Classroom Climate

There is a real difference between an expert in a field and being able to teach it. Probably the most important task for a teacher is developing a positive classroom climate in order for the student to absorb the material from the class. Being an educator means you are only able to pass along knowledge but create an environment that the student is receptive to learning. This mean developing a relationship with your students and making sure the students have healthy relationships with each other.


There are many strategies that are available to teachers to help provide this environment to the students. First and foremost it starts with the teacher. The teacher should provide the students with guidance and should control the behavior and subject matter of the class. While collaboration with the students in the classroom is important it should be noted that too much leeway can lead to chaos.  Successful teacher should be somewhat unemotional and have a matter-of-fact attitude about teaching. Too much emotional investment or having a too romanticized view of the class can lead to trouble.



This is not to say that teachers should be robotic, teachers should develop a relationship with each student. By knowing something about each student and providing lessons and content that is personalized for the students in their class it will create added interest in learning. Humor and friendly physical behavior (i.e. a pat on the back, high five, etc.) can also be effective.

A classroom needs consistency from the teacher when dealing with behavior, this goes for both positive and negative consequences. The impact of consequences are negated if they are not used consistency. For this reason, I think its important for teachers to keep their emotions and personal biases in check when dealing with students. In my teaching experience this has definitely been a struggle at time and i find it a good exercise to consistently try and look at the situation from the perspective of the student and try and determine why they are acting in the way they are.

A major factor that plays a huge role in how smoothly a class is run is how students treat each other and the level of respect they show one another. One of the ideas I found fascinating in this unit was the idea of facilitating emotional intelligence as a teacher. While having students develop this skills will make for a more enjoyable classroom  experience for everyone these are also qualities that make for better human beings. Sherri Gordon's article lists a lot great strategies that, aside from improving the classroom climate, also have the added benefit of increasing academic success and preventing bullying.

Finally, I thought the idea of using group work as a way to promote positive student-to-student interaction, improve academic performance, and even as a reduce bullying was enlightening. It is something i'm going to try and implement in some of my classes a little more. I have a few classes where there is a huge gap in the level of participation and it has caused some problems. I think this will be a great method to try to build some classroom comradely.  


Sources:

Marzano, Robert J. (2007) The Art and Science of Teaching. Alexandria, Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Curtis, Diane (2003, March 13) Raise Your Students' Emotional-Intelligence Quotient. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/10-tips-creating-caring-school

Gordon, Sherri (2013, December 31) 8 Strategies for Increasing the Emotional Intelligence of Students. Retrieved from: http://bullying.about.com/od/Educators/fl/8-Strategies-for-Increasing-the-Emotional-Intelligence-of-Students.htm

Johnson, Roger T. and Johnson, David W. (2014) Encouraging Student/Student Interaction. Retrieved from: https://www.narst.org/publications/research/encourage2.cfm

Infographic on Individual Accountability in Project Based Learning

Module 3: Unit 4: Activity 5: Video Log: Reflection on Digital Tools for Learning

Some musings on the current and future benefit of touchscreen technology in the classroom.

Module 3: Week 4: Activity 1: Instructional Goals for Selecting Digital Tools

Technology in the classroom is something that when used correctly can bring an added element to a lesson and spark interest in students where there wasn't any before. However, when used incorrectly it can be nothing more than a time filler and actually create negative consequences.

Some topics just lend themselves to be better served by having additional visual/audio material or hands-on activities. It would be a boring lesson on van Gogh's paintings or Debussy's music without being able to see or hear the receptive artist's work. The possibilities for for interactive maps for geography or history lessons seem very attractive. Adding tech into the classroom gives the teacher the opportunity to enhance lessons when appropriate. The possibility of collaboration and group work using technology is also a factor that a teacher should not ignore. Applications like Google Docs gives the teacher a new and more effective way of monitoring the students work and progress. If a teacher has planned out their lesson properly and the tech adds to its effectiveness then it has been a success.

The problem is that too often, tech in the classroom can be used only as a reward or a time killer . If the teacher has not prepared their lesson properly or just wants to keep the students occupied and turns on a screen to show a video unrelated the lesson and may distract students from the original theme of the class. Also using tech in this way or only when they are playing games, basically purely for entertainment, might negatively associates tech in the minds of the students.

The potential for interactive websites, apps on iPads, educational videos and other tech are great as education tools. Teachers should strive to find a proper place for them in the classroom.

Module 3: Week 3: Activity 1: Reflection on Digital Tools

Is there one tool the stands out as being most effective? Why?


Although in the past I have used technology effectively in the classroom and for lessons, I currently am working with very young children and, aside from a CD player, there is no digital technology in the classroom. The most effective tools for me in as a teacher currently have been one which I have used to prepare lessons and learn about teaching techniques that I can use with my students. Websites such as Edutopia, TeachingChannel, YouTube, and, more specifically to Korea, the message boards on Waygook have all been helpful. I recently found out about Research for Better teaching and a blog by Kathy Schrock that i look forward to reading more about. So I guess i'll kind of cheat and say the Internet is the more effective tool for me.

In what other ways can you use these tools?

In terms of interacting with other educators and sharing ideas a lot of the websites I mentioned above have comment sections below the articles and have Facebook page or one on another social networking page. Edutopia also has a YouTube page  with hundreds of videos on various educational subjects.

How can you extend use of these tools in the classroom with your students?

A lot of the information I get from reading these sites is directly transferable to the classroom. Whether its a method for dealing with a behavior problem or a new lesson plan idea its brought into my daily lessons.

Module 3: Week1: Activity 1: Create Persona(s) of Students in the Digital Age

The Plan:

I currently teach at Bewegung, a kindergarten in Seoul, Korea. The school is based off a German model and is very activity based. The students’ schedule starts at around 9:45/10am. After a morning snack and free time to run around, the classes start 10:10. Throughout the day the students will have 30 minutes of class followed by 10 minutes of free time, there is a 50 minute lunch break at noon. Because of the continue breaks throughout the day I find the students are in an excellent attitude to learn in the classroom.  I will be observing the students from the morning until lunch.

The classes are conducted in both Korean and English at about a 50/50 rate. The classes I teach in English are reading, science, phonics, and storytelling.

The students in the school are all Korean between the ages of 3-7. Mainly I teach the 6 & 7 year olds but I definitely interact with the younger students during the breaks between classes. As I mentioned above the school is very activity based so the children learn through games, building, and creating. However my classes often use books. Aside from CD Players in the classrooms and computers for staff there is no technology used for the lessons.

My plan is to document the classes I attend and teach tomorrow. I’ll try to interview some of the older students but in all honesty their English language level is pretty basic. I’ll capture some classes by video and interview some of the other teachers in the school to obtain information for the report.

Some Questions for the teachers/staff:

Do you think these students would benefit with more technology in the classroom?

How important do you feel learning through technology is in this current age?

What motivates children to learn at Bewegung?

How do you think the young age of these children affects their ability to learn?

Do any of the students in the school have any special needs?

Are there any specific subjects or activities that the students enjoy above others?

Are there any other conditions affecting the students’ learning?

Questions for students:

Do you find the lessons in school interesting or boring?

What is your favorite in class?

Would you like to have computers or videos in class?

How often do you use computer/tablets at home?

What do you use the computers at home for?

The Report:

First of all a brief overview of the persona of my students and the information I received from my interview questions and observations. The students in Bewegung rang from three to seven years old. All of the students in the school are currently Korean although I was told that foreign students have attended in the past. Most of the students started at the school at around 4 years old and this school is the first regular interaction they have with people outside their own family. Needless to say the three and four year old children have a problem adjusting when they first enroll. The class sizes are pretty small for the most part. The largest class, the six year old class, has 12 students. The seven, five, and four year old classes have eight, ten, and six students respectively.

Although I don’t have access to any financial information from the student’s families, I can guess from the tuition of the school and the job titles of the parents (and the handbags) that they are fairly well off. I would guess they are upper-middle class. Quite a few of the parents are both full time professionals. In terms of cultural influences I would say there is not a lot differentiating the students at this school from children their age in other countries. While they are fully aware they are Korean they seem to be fairly ignorant of the outside world. A few had been on family trips to Guam, the Philippians, and Thailand. Their interests lie in things like Lego and other toys, dinosaurs, strange cartoons that I have never heard of, and other typical childhood fascinations.

As I mentioned in the plan, Bewegung’s lessons are very hands on and activity based. In the classes students are often creating something or working on a project. These activity can be a music, math, or science lessons but they could also be more abstract and based on critical thinking and problem solving. One lesson I observed with the 7 year old class was a science lesson in which the students were making a sundial. They learned about shadows, the place of the sun in the sky throughout the day, and telling time. Another interesting aspect of the student’s day is their frequent free (play) time, ten minutes between every class. The students are very social and active during this time and often some of the themes and activities from the lesson spill over into the free time.

As far as the staff and teachers knew there were no students that had be diagnosed with any kind of disability. There were no students with physical disabilities however, is obviously at least one student that has pretty extreme problems with the material and probably has some sort of learning disability.

The school is filled with games, educational toys, and tools for art activities. In terms of digital technology there is none. It is pretty rare for a kindergarten in Korean to have no screen in the classroom and it seems to be a conscious choice by the school. When the children were asked if they wanted video and computers for educational games in the class, the students unsurprisingly said yes. At home the students have regular access to TV, computers, and tablets. Some said they have regular access to these tool and some said their parents wouldn’t let them use them. Most of the students said they use their computers and tablets for games, however, these games sound like they have educational purposes rather than being purely for entertainment.

The students at Bewegung seem to enjoy their time at the school. The ratio of time studying in the classroom and independent play time seems to work well to keep the students focused during lessons. While I think tablets, video, and other digital technology could be incorporated into the classroom at this school there doesn’t seem to be a great need for it. 

Modual 3: Week 1: Activity 3:Applications of Brain-based Learning in a Digital Age

Brain based learning is the idea that learning can be done more effectively when the brain is stimulated. This can be done a number using a number of educational techniques but the basic idea is that by doing something memorable to connect the class content to it has a better chance of being retained. Eliciting an emotional response to help the brain create connections and keep new information. Watching YouTube videos of this online one can see that a lot of the brain based lessons involve chanting and hand and body motions, however, these is not the exclusive methods for brain based learning.  


Many forms of technology can be used to help the brain make these connections in the brain. These can be in the form of videos, games, apps, as well as interactive books, programs, or websites. Different devises can also be used to help make a lesson more memorable, touch screens can be particularly useful as the can combined a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experience.


Brain based education is based on many factors that together help the student greatly. This method is also very social and many of the activities involve interacting in groups or with a partner. Within these groups members will often repeat facts or explanations from the teacher. This is because talking about something will allow you to remember it better than if you just hear it. This is also true regarding writing, writing can be better than reading and listening for retaining knowledge. Basically by having students sit still in a classroom and listen to a teacher lecture we are putting then in a position to fail at learning.


This brings us to another important part of brain based learning, a student’s environment is highly important in making the brain function properly. The classroom climate must be a safe, stress-free environment. Altering the environment with different types of lighting, smells, music, or silence, can help in learning. Different seating for different subjects is one example of altering environment to increase the capacity to retain information.As was mentioned, technology can be integral in a brain based learning environment. Specifically digital technology in the classroom has boomed in recent years with whole fields of study (ie. edtech) becoming prominent. So how can technology come together with education in a brain based classroom?


Certain video games that have material that is suitable for the classroom would be an excellent way to make content stimulating and memorable. They can be a good method for team work and interaction while relaying information through multiple senses. Educational video games can make the learning memorable and the likelihood for retaining the information increases if the game is played over and over.


Touchscreen tablets can also be a great method of delivering content in a creative, interactive, and engaging way. There are many creatively made apps for almost any subject imaginable. The format works great with topics that have a visual element that can further the understanding of the subject. Many interactive books are also available for tablets and often enhance the experience of the story with sounds and visuals.


Finally with technology gaining influence in the classroom it is important to remember that the focus of the classroom should be the students and their interactions with each other. Students also benefit from a linking of indoor and outdoor activities.

Sources:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/video-games-learning-student-engagement-judy-willis

Sprenger, M. (2010). Brain-based teaching :) in the digital age. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

http://feaweb.org/brain-based-learning-strategies

http://thesecondprinciple.com/optimal-learning/brainbased-education-an-overview/

http://thesecondprinciple.com/optimal-learning/usingbrainbasededucation/

http://greggfestastuff.blogspot.kr/p/brain-based-teaching-learning-with.html

Planning for English Language Learners (Teach-now Module 2: Week 4: Activity 3)

Almost every class I have taught in Korea has had students with a wide range of English speaking, reading, and comprehension ability. They are students who seems to excel at all aspects of learning English. This student will consistently speak up and want to answer questions. Some students are almost the exact opposite and will rarely pay attention and have consistent trouble doing the basics in the class. Then there are students who excel at some parts of the class and not with others. While some students may be comfortable speaking to answer questions but has trouble with syntax and grammar, others may excel at book work and reading comprehension be have difficulty speaking aloud and pronunciation.

                

            The text book that I currently use with one of my classes in focused on reading but also has a science or social studies section that relates to each story. The section in the current chapter is about storms and how to measure them. Covering these sections can be a challenge because some of the concepts can be beyond some of my students (they are 6) but usually they enjoy it.

For this lesson we will be reading through the three pages discussing the topics covered in the three pages and then hopefully if we have time the students can talk about their experiences in storms or other kinds of extreme weather.

              

            First off with the reading we usually take turns reading a sentence or two at a time. Different students will be at different levels of reading ability. While some fan fly through the sentences with ease others will have to sound out each syllable. I’m lucky to have a small class so I can spend a bit of time individually to help them if need be. After each student reads a sentence I usually ask another student a specific question about what was just read. The complexity of the sentence will depend of the level of the student. Using flash cards or pictures on the board can help a lot with students who have trouble with comprehension. I can use multiple ways of describing or explaining a concept or word to the student. If all else fails I will use Korean to make sure they get it before moving on to another student.  For the students who already have a good grasp of the topic or works I will try and talk about the topic in a context outside of the story. In this case the topic is storms so I could asks them when storms happen, if there is a storm in the winter how is it different from a summer storm, etc. A fancy way of explaining this would be teaching metacognition or authentic assessment but basically I want the students to think about what they are reading while learning how to read rather than just learning the sounds that go with the letters.

          

             For students that have trouble with getting the concepts of a story or reading, I often try to incorporate something that the students are already interested or would be familiar with. For my students I could use the lightening that a power ranger character can shoot, or even an amazing real-life video that shows and insane storm. Korean lays claim to creating one of the first rain gauges and some students may be familiar with that.

Special Education Referral Process (Teach-now Module 2: Week 3: Activity 3)

                In preparing for this assignment to analysis the special education referral process within Korea and realizing the difficulty of getting access to someone in that system, I thought it might be useful to compare the American method of referral (with which we have become very familiar throughout this course) and what I have learned of the Korean educational system.  

                While it seems there definitely are similarities in the two countries, one of the biggest differences that stuck out to me was the method (or lack thereof) for identifying those with disabilities. It seemed that a lot more prevalent system is in place in America. Korea, it seems, relies almost solely on the parents to get the process started while because of IDEA, a number of people are in the position to do so. The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA) allows a referral for evaluation to be made by teachers, principals, parents, social workers, doctors, or others concerned with the child’s welfare. While in Korea recommendations and suggestions can be made, not a whole lot will get started with out the parents will. It could be assumed that the parents would have their child’s best interest in mind and this would not be a huge issue, however, there are a number of factors that might cloud their judgment. Social stigma, denial, a feeling of shame, or a lack of education on the the topic could all be a factor. There could also be the fear that if their child is classified as someone with a disability they might not receive the level of education they would within the regular classroom.

                Within the referral process brought about by IDEA, students suspected of requiring special education will go through a process shown on the left which will ensure an initial evaluation to determine eligibility and then later a revaluation of the student to see if he/she is benefiting from the system that has been put in place. Students in America will be provided a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. There is a system put in place for an appeal of the evaluation if the parent disagrees and process can be halted if the parent doesn't wish for it to continue.  
             
               In Korea it seems there are some similarities and a few key differences. While it seems there is a wish to have all children attending regular classes with their peers, modified curriculum for those with special needs can be used and students can spend significant time away from their class. Also it seems the parents trump all other authorities and have the final say in which classes the student will attend. Without knowing more about the situation in Korea, I would say it would benefit giving educators a little more control over at least administering test if an student is suspected of needing extra attention. It seems that although the parents do have this power it probably only be a matter of time for them to realize special education would be needed. If students are expected to keep up with the workload and subject matter of the class it would eventually catch up with them. Delaying the referral and evaluation process may cause more damage. 

Note: Because I currently work only part-time at a private academy, I didn't have direct access to someone through my school. I did however reach out to some people who work in special education in Korea and did get one person willing to answer my questions. I sent them but haven't heard back yet. When I do I will add them to my blog and to the discussion board. For now I had to rely on the answers Ian Pollard generously posted and a few other online resources I found and shared below.

Answers provided by Ian Pollard:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zhV3nrwtquMvj5cAOiP9ZvxrTGKCU0t8ABdYLiy8jjw/edit?usp=sharing

Other material:

http://tash.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/A-comparison-of-special-education-reform-in-South-Korea-and-Japan.ppt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8eG66Mzo5M

Edit: i received the answers to my questions at the last minute, you can find them here.

Infographic on Student Data in Korea (Teach-Now Module 2: Week 2: Activity 1)

Clinical Observation Activity: Parent Teacher Meeting (Teach-Now Module 2: Week 2: Activity 2)

Module 2: Activity 2: Clinical Observation Activity: Parent Teacher Meeting

Here is the link to the Google Doc for the analysis for these two PTA meetings:

Infographic on Innovative Teaching and Learning (Teach-Now Module 2: Activity 4)

Here is a infographic I created to try and summarize the findings of the Innovative Teaching and Learning Research: First Year Report published in October 2010. More info about ITL research can be found here.

Educational Organizations (Teach-Now Module 2: Activity 2)

Groups Within Korea

KOTESOL, Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, is a group that specifically caters to teachers of English within Korea. The group holds frequent conferences and has numerous publications to promote further education among its members. KOTESOL has numerous chapters around the country including one in Seoul  as well as an active Facebook group. 

The Korean Federation of Teachers Association (KFTA), with sites in both Korean and English boasts on it site as being "as the largest and most important organization for teachers, by contributing to the advancement of teachers' rights and the enhancement of education in Korea." While he site has limited information in English, it does provide an excellent list of websites concerning education in Korea as well as an aggregator for news about the group and education issues within Korea

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, or KTU, (sites in Korean & English) offers information to teachers across the country. While the English site is clearly a result of a poor translation attempt it does provide contact information to the group that boasts 70,000 members, 20% of all teachers in South Korea.  The KTU became of member of Education international in 1993. Events in the past year, however, have seen the legal status of the KTU revoked and there has been a subsequent fight to have it reinstated.  

The Korean Education and Research Service (KERIS) is a group and works with public schools and administrations to provides e-learning technologies and education Koreans. They stress the importance of ITC, information and communication technologies, to facilitate learning.

In September e-Learning Korea will be holding its annual conference at COEX in Seoul. The group, as their name suggests, promotes education through Korea's advanced technology infrastructure. While the speakers have not yet been announced for the 2014 conference, international speakers from previous years suggests that this event will accommodate both Korean and English speakers alike

International Groups

The Education Resources Information Center is a database of journal articles and other resources on research done on the field of education. The searchable database is pretty extensive and should prove to be pretty useful to me personal as my current studies move along.

Education International is a group that represents teachers and teachers unions around the world. I found this group's site to be a great resource for up to date news on education issues around the world. The group its self seems very involved in issues concerning the rights of children especially dealing with child labor and the right to education.

The Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) seems to be a net working group that holds annual conferences and training programs.  I would definitely be interested to learn more about this group as it seems to be related to where I would like to be teaching in the future.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Teach-Now Module 2: Activity 2)

The sentiment behind the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is hard to argue against.  In 1965 as a part of Lyndon Johnson’s ‘War on Poverty’ the act sought to equal the playing field by providing access to education for all children regardless of family income. The ESEA has been renewed every five years since, the most recent being referred to as the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB).

The government of any responsible, democratic country needs to provide a quality education, not only to benefit its citizens but also to ensure the future success of its country. It is in the interest of a nation as a whole to help those who do not have access to educational advantages. Title 1 of the ESEA looks to address this issue as it provides funding to schools and school districts with a high percentage of students that come from low-income families. NCLB also raises the bar for students with disabilities and ensures that they are provided the same level of education that any other student would get.

I clearly only have an extremely basic understanding of the ESEA, its implementation over the years, and its current form as NCLB. While it seems to its intensions in the right place it has no shortage of problems. Issues of racial disparities as well as standardized testing that encourages a teaching to the test methodology are a few that have been mentioned. There is also America’s less than favorable education ranking among countries in the world that is also a troubling issue.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_and_Secondary_Education_Act

http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=158

http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/events/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/

http://febp.newamerica.net/background-analysis/no-child-left-behind-overview