Personal Teaching Statement

My first choice for teaching would be middle school geometry teacher. This is mostly covered in 7th grade. My back ground in design and construction lend itself very well to this subject. I think this allows me to make connections between geometry and the real world application fairly easy. I have also worked in business for the past 11 years and can connect some basic business practices to mathematics.

In my free time I enjoy camping, hiking, fishing and being outdoors when the weather is nice. I am not a huge sports fan but baseball is fun to go see. It also can be used for teaching math. When I was in middle school in the 1980s, I took sports statistics as a math class and I learned to keep score at baseball games and football games. This was very fun and although I have forgotten many of the methods this would be a great way to for students to collect data or analyze statistics for probability. I would like to have introductory lessons similar to this for many of my lessons. I feel these would play to students interests and connect the lessons more concretely to real life. 

My graphic design experience makes me fairly fluent on a computer and I prefer the Mac platform. I spend to much of my free time playing video games. Mostly FPS style games although sometimes a good RPG adventure game comes along. I have a dog and two cats and live with 3.5 other people. Both of these interests lend themselves to teaching geometry and algebra. Most students have some sort of interest in games and many are geared solely to preteens. Again you can use them for data collection or simply making connections between computer graphics and the mathematics behind them helps students make connections between what they are learning and possible job avenues for them in the future. It also makes it fun if you assign video game playing as homework in order for students to track points and achievement for use in class. 

Math is not Linear and this prezi illustrates that point brilliantly. I agree that math touches so many facets of our day to day life and is so expansive that to teach it without context is like learning to use a computer without having one to work with (this has been done). Connecting previous knowledge is the obvious part of the equation, but I really appreciated that she talked about making connections to future learning. Understanding how what they learned in grade school builds a foundation for what they will learn in high school as well as use in future occupations. Giving them examples from calculus and algebra that connects to the geometry I am teaching. It gets students to think ahead in life and make connections to the fact that it does get easier and more obvious.

The Jump model of teaching math made a lot of sense to me and I have tried to use something similar when helping students with math work in classes I have volunteered in. Breaking every problem up into smaller problems helps show how working on even the hardest problem can be simplified. I also recently used an iPad app called AlgebraTouch that shows you how to break up algebra problems into different components using simple “one-touch” demonstrations. It makes these problems very easy and is very fun to work with. This video didn’t go into as much detail about the Jump method but I did download one of the free sample worksheets and it looks like it demonstrates this strategy very well.

The flip classroom is a good way to set up any classroom that would normally be lecture centered. It gives students a chance to have access to the teacher when working on real problems. It does let students watch the lectures at their own pace and I would add links from a blog that would allow teacher interaction as well as peer support and interaction. In addition giving students journals for which to make notes on and write questions they could bring to class would help them to bridge between the videos and classwork. These journals could also be used to collect data for use in lessons. For instance video game scores for use in statistics analysis. You could use it in bridged classrooms where multiple levels are being taught at once, letting students watch Kahn Academy to get a second perspective on the lesson would in my opinion be a great idea. It would also be important to advocate and apply for funding for students who could not afford technology in their homes. Setting up some way to check out technology or making sure it is available for mobile application. 

I have often heard that practice makes perfect. I have also heard second hand that if you do anything for 10,000 hours before you become an adult, you will reach genius level in that subject. Both point out that it is possible for every kid to be an all-star if they just put their mind to it and practice. I also like the idea of breaking up the subject, especially math, into chunks and practicing pieces individually, and eventually putting it back together in a whole learning environment. This gives students connection between the small pieces and how they fit into the bigger picture. I hope to use this method in my teaching. I feel that math is like learning a second language and that it needs to be practiced in context to become proficient. 

The best practices in education that stand out for me are Differentiation, Ecology, Problem Development, Clear and Common Focus, High Standards and Supportive Learning in no particular order. Differentiation refers to attacking problems from different points of view and different levels of understanding. Not all students learn at the same rate or have the same learning styles. It is very important to me to offer students different ways to show they their understanding and learn in the way that suits them both. Ecology might be my favorite. I think that taking math or any other material out of the vacuum of the text book and applying it to real-world problems or situations makes better learning.  Making those connections are key to answer that age old question of “why do I need to know this”. It also helps when trying to engage students. Using their interests as learning experiences helps them to internalize the information. Along with this Problem Development gets students to think backwards and reflect on where the instruction can be used. It forces them to make the connections and allows for critical thinking. Having a Clear and Common Focus, from teacher, student, parents, administrator and staff makes sure everyone effected is on the same page. Teachers as well as Students need commitment from parents and administrators because they are the support system that reinforces learning. High Standards ensures that not only is everyone held to the same standard but that each person, teachers included, are working at their best level. Students who are challenged within their Zone of Proximal Development achieve at a higher rate than students who are not. Supportive Learning provides a positive, safe environment for all students to participate and learn.

“Practice can not be separated from theory” in that what we learn must be what we teach. As we as educators teach we must constantly be learning as well. This seemingly simple idea sometimes get lost as we set into our day to day routine. Learning about our students, and their worlds, learning new strategies, learning new ways to connect our lessons to the outside world, these are ways we can continue to develop as educators. Several principles for instruction that I think are important are: Allowing for errors, provide students to learn as they go. Provide for immediate relevance and make it obvious, the connections between your lesson and the your students future. And make Instruction learner centered so that students drive the learning and hopefully demand a high quality education.

I feel that a hybrid classroom that included these aspects in a cohesive learning environment are essential to setting up students for success. A classroom where students come in prepared for class and excited about learning may seem like a difficult task but I think it is achievable. Lessons that immerse the student in the subject and connect him/her to their future, engage them and motivate them to learn what I will be teaching. Lessons that implore interaction gives students the desire to learn mathematics and make it relevant. 

Research and Information Fluency for Teachers

Research and information fluency for me is staying current on curriculum, math context and how they relate to the content you are teaching. Staying up to date on  current trends and new technology in any field is important to stay fluent in your subject. Math changes and it is nothing like what I did when I was in middle school. With the introduction of computers and all the technology, useful math has taken on a more meaningful context for me. Seeing how it is used in video games, computer modeling and design makes it easier for me to point to real examples to my students. Also connecting math through the other disciplines is important. Science lends its self well to integrate math using data, graphing and other elements but successfully integrating it into ELA is more challenging. If you can find ways to do this, not only do you make better connections but you also bring in elements to ELA that more mathematically minded students would identify with.

There are a myriad of resources out there to help you identify knowledge that a teacher would need to be fluent in their subject. Mathematics Curriculum Topic Study, by Page Keeley and Cheryl M. Rose (2006) is a great guide for finding resources for connecting state standards and practices that best suit them. It has over 200 pages that break out each standard and give resources for which you can find lessons and learning material to go along with it. On page 43 there is a "Cycle of Learning" diagram that illustrates different facets of learning. "Topic Application, Topic Engagement, Topic Elicitation, Topic Exploration, Topic Development, Topic Synthesis and Reflection" are all parts of inquiry based instruction that I think help teachers keep understand how to approach and adapt to learning. Connecting the material to the "adult content knowledge" we wish them to know is how we as educators need to approach the material we are teaching. The first component is using staying current with the standards and understanding why they were developed. Then making the connections to our lessons is most important part.

Connected Math Interview

On December 12th I interviewed my mentor teacher from my student teaching about Connected Math and I found it interesting the information she gave me. In general she really likes the curriculum but pointed out, in my opinion, a huge hole in the design. No instruction for the teacher on how to set up the lessons. No notes on how teacher should introduce topics or how to give them a basic understanding of the concepts. Maybe this is because it is trying to be more inquiry based but some resourced would be nice. She did say that the lessons do follow a good logical progression, but that if instructions is not deliberate students get confused. This makes it very important for the teacher to set up the lesson with the understanding about how his/her student learn and thorough knowledge of the subject. Another drawback involves homework. Because this math is so different from what many parents know, it is difficult for them to help with homework. I was thinking that when I teach these lessons it might be a good idea to flip my classroom, assigning videos online for students to watch the night before. There are videos on the connected math webpage that I might be able to use. Using the site as a resource I can help students who fall behind or are more advanced work at their own pace. The class that I will be doing my student teaching in would be perfect for this because they have one laptop of every two students available with internet in the classroom. I intend to take full advantage of this resource when I start teaching in January. This is perfect for the way her classroom is set up, in pairs of tables, so student can naturally work together. This also makes it easy to larger groups of four students by just turning around. 

I look forward to working with connected math but I know it will be challenging to make the connections and introduction of the material in a way that these students will understand. I will also have to be able to summarize and present clear objectives that connect to the unit. 

Inquiry Learning Model and The CMP Model

The goal of the CMP Model of learning is very similar to the Inquiry Learning Model in that it aims to produce reasoning students. The classical sources of inquiry learning date back to Aristotle but more recently was introduced into modern education by John Dewey with the notion of constructivist education. The CMP model takes a functional approach to teaching mathematics as apposed to a structural approach. This aligns it more with the Inquiry Learning Model and centers it around the student. Rather than focusing on learning the procedures of solving equations it helps students to understand the function of the equations and to "uncover" equations as part of problem solving. This is directly apposed to the direct instruction model of education where the teacher is the primary source of information. Instead using CMP as an inquiry based learning model, students discover and put into contact mathematical principles and thus internalize the importance and properties of what is being studied. The traditional or Glencoe Mathematics system relies heavily on completely modeled examples with clear explanations that are accompanied by guided practice. Although this seems to be a good way to teach, it is the epitome of direct instruction and works very well for only students who thrive in this sort of environment. In order to reach a wider range of student, I feel inquiry based learning supported by a knowledgeable teacher with bits of direct instruction would do a better job of teaching higher order reasoning students. It would also make math more interesting to students who learning styles differ from the teachers teaching style.

Resources:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S1532690XCI1804_3

http://www.discover.tased.edu.au/sose/inquimod.htm

http://www.ehow.com/way_5862807_inquiry_based-math-learning.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquiry#Classical_sources

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub4.html

http://connectedmath.msu.edu/

http://www.math.udel.edu/LIECAL/papers/LieCalEquationSolvingPaper.pdf

The Teaching of Equation Solving: Approaches in Standards-Based and Traditional Curricula in the United States, Pedagogies: An International Journal.

Closure and Anticipatory Set

Closure
Closure is the release of students the ability to demonstrate their ability to use the material. It can be the conclusion but also could be further questions that you give the student to think about. Maybe something you want them to think about for the next lesson? It should have obvious clues for students to understand they have successfully completed the lesson. or make account if students need to revisit it. It can also have a component that connects this lesson to previous lessons for the students.

Anticipatory Set
Anticipatory Set is the question you pose to your students to get them interested in the material. It grabs their attention and sets them up for the lesson. It's purpose is to focus the students attention on the subject. One important aspect of the anticipatory set is the outline or objectives you give a student so they have a clear idea of the goals for the lesson. It can make connections to previous learning.

Sources:

http://www.okbu.net/ed/398/set.htm

http://members.tripod.com/teaching_is_reaching/lesson_design.htm

3-4 Assignment

My micro teaching lesson last semester on using nets to produce cubs and other 3D shapes was taught to 3 other people in my cohort. I started with a short demonstration on how a cardboard box was put together. I thought the visuals worked well and the worksheets worked out ok. One student caught on very well but I had I don't think my instruction helped one of the students. I think a more in-depth group discussion as well as being more explicit with my instructions would have been better. I should have written some of the key elements of a cube net on the board as they where discovered and I think that I could have been clearer with my expectations. I thought that having the majority of the work a hands-on activity was the best part of the lesson and being able to adapt it to several different learning levels also worked well. I also think that the translation from three students to a classroom full of students might be challenging for this lesson but if I worked more on the board and had more description written down I could effectively reach 30 or so students. 

2 of 3 My classroom

• Preview and reflect on each of the following mini-presentations.

• Math is not linear  |  A Better Way to Teach Math  |  The Flipped Classroom

Math is not Linear is my favorite of the three presentations. First I think Prezi is brilliant and second I agree that math touches so many facets of our day to day life and is so expansive that to teach it without context is like learning to use a computer without having one to work with (this has been done). Connecting previous knowledge is the obvious part of the equation, but I really appreciated that she talked about making connections to future learning. I think this is great. It gets students to think ahead in life and make connections to the fact that it does get easier and more obvious. 

The Jump model of teaching math made a lot of sense to me and I have tried to use something similar when helping students with math work in classes I have volunteered in. Breaking every problem up into smaller problems helps show how working on even the hardest problem can be simplified. I also recently used an iPad app called AlgebraTouch that shows you how to break up algebra problems into different components using simple “one-touch” demonstrations. It makes these problems very easy and is very fun to work with. This video didn’t go into as much detail about the Jump method but I did download one of the free sample worksheets and it looks like it demonstrates this strategy very well.

The flip classroom is a good way to set up any classroom that would normally be lecture centered. It gives students a chance to have access to the teacher when working on real problems. It does let students watch the lectures at their own pace but I worry about students who don’t have access to computers or simply don’t do their homework. You would have to lecture to them anyway or set aside time for them to watch the video in class. It also doesn’t give students a chance to ask questions as the lecture goes along. Maybe some sort of hybrid with a teacher available in a forum while students watch the videos at home would be more appropriate. You could use it in bridged classrooms where multiple levels are being taught at once, letting students watch Kahn Academy to get a second perspective on the lesson would in my opinion be a good idea.

The talent code is an interesting statement and I have often heard that practice makes perfect. I have also heard second hand that if you do anything for 10,000 hours before you become an adult, you will reach genius level in that subject. Both point out that it is possible for every kid to be an allstar if they just put their mind to it and practice. I also like the idea of breaking up the subject, especially math, into chunks and practicing pieces individually. I hope to use this method in my teaching.

Together these techniques would help to foster a better learning environment for many students. I will use elements of all of them in my classroom.

Warm-ups in the Math Class

My first question about warm-ups is why are they used primarily in math and not other subjects? I think they can be very effective to get your mind thinking in the mode of the class. Writing classes I think could benefit from this especially creative writing or poetry. In math it serves to get students to focus and think mathematically. It can also have a calming or focusing effect for students who are coming in from lunch or from other frantic activities. It can also be a sort of brainstorm activity instead of the common questions. A quick chat within small groups about yesterdays lesson serves to refresh the previous lesson. It can also be a recap by the teacher, specifically about the expectations you have of them or the direction your unit is headed. This would help keep students on track after maybe the third or fourth day on the same subject. They could also be used to take the "temperature" of the class and to determine if students are following along. Except for a very informal formative assessment I don't think this is very practical because you would have set aside grading time for each warm-up and track every piece of paper turned in. 

Middle School Geometry Standards

The standards from the three different organizations are fairly similar with a few being more specific and others being more general. For instance the Common Core Standards ask a student to be able to draw a geometric shape and the NCTM standards call on a student to be able to analyze characteristics of shapes. The three standards together, in my opinion, cover almost every aspect of geometry and bring it down to a middle school level. Connected Math goes further to requiring specific vocabulary that students would know. My favorite standard is from the CC standards, 7.G.6. involves solving real-world problems involving two and three dimensional objects. This goes to the very heart of why we teach math, so that our students can solve real-world problems. 

My matrix of middle school geometry standards.

Appropriate Use of Technology

• Task 2-2:  Standards, standards everywhere.    

http://www.khanacademy.org/video/similar-triangles?playlist=Geometry 

This lesson defiantly addresses some of the standards for 7th grade geometry. It shows how to draw triangles and the unique properties of triangles including sum of all angles will equal 180 degrees. It also describes sizes, orientations and transformations of triangles and the properties of similar triangles and how similar triangles may be different sizes due to scaling but the angles remain the same. It also touches on rotational symmetry.

I think this was effective for refreshing my memory about similar triangles and would be a good demonstration to begin a class with. However I think that a better lesson would be one where 7th graders could follow along with. Giving them a hands-on opportunity to see how similar triangles interact. It also would need to build on previous knowledge about the properties of triangles. He is very clear and concise which makes him easy to understand and follow.

This technology does offer a way for students to access lessons from home if they have computers. It also would be available to parents who are trying to help their children with homework.

It does lack some sort of hands on element that I think is essential to this kind of lesson. Maybe different size similar triangle blocks or paper cut outs. I also would include rotational symmetry in more depth. Showing how the same triangle can be resized or rotated and still have the same angles. 

I would include a hands on element to this lesson. Blocks, paper cutouts or an online application would help to reach students who have a hard time following along or are tactile learners. I would also include examples for the real world such as the Eiffel Tower or bridges that use triangles to increase strength. There are also some really cool resources out their to illustrate geometric properties like this one from Wolfram (http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/GoldilocksAndThe3SimilarTriangles/).

The standard share a few harmonious similarities but are in some cases vague and disconnected. The NCTM Standards seemed very concrete. They are worded in a more real world situation and I can see connecting them to real life situation easier. 

Task 1-3

The best practices in education that stand out for me are Differentiation, Ecology, Problem Development, Clear and Common Focus, High Standards and Supportive Learning in no particular order. Differentiation refers to attacking problems from different points of view and different levels of understanding. Not all students learn at the same rate or have the same learning styles. Offering students different ways to show they their understanding or to learn a lesson is critical. Ecology might be my favorite. It is taking math or any other material out of the vacuum of the text book and applying it to real-world problems or situations.  Making those connections are key to answer that age old question of “why do I need to know this”. It also helps when trying to engage students. Using their interests as learning experiences helps them to internalize the information. Along with this Problem Development gets students to think backwards and reflect on where the instruction can be used. It forces them to make the connections and allows for critical thinking. Having a Clear and Common Focus, from teacher, student, parents, administrator and staff makes sure everyone effected is on the same page. Teachers as well as Students need commitment from parents and administrators because they are the support system that reinforces learning. High Standards ensures that not only is everyone held to the same standard but that each person, teachers included, are working at their best level. Students who are challenged within their Zone of Proximal Development achieve at a higher rate than students who are not. Supportive Learning provides a positive, safe environment for all students to participate and learn.


“Practice can not be separated from theory” in that what we learn must be what we teach. As we as educators teach we must constantly be learning as well. This seemingly simple idea sometimes get lost as we set into our day to day routine. Learning about our students, and their worlds, learning new strategies, learning new ways to connect our lessons to the outside world, these are ways we can continue to develop as educators. Several principles for instruction that I think are important are: Allowing for errors, provide students to learn as they go. Provide for immediate relevance and make it obvious, the connections between your lesson and the your students future. And make Instruction learner centered so that students drive the learning and hopefully demand a high quality education.

About Me

My first choice for teaching would be middle school geometry teacher. This is mostly covered in 7th grade. My back ground in design and construction lend itself very well to this subject. I think this allows me to make connections between geometry and the real world application fairly easy. I have also workedein business for the past 11 years and can connect some basic business practices to mathematics.

In my free time I enjoy camping, hiking, fishing and being outdoors when the weather is nice. I am not a huge sports fan but baseball is fun to go see. My graphic design experience makes me fairly fluent on a computer and I prefer the Mac platform. I spend to much of my free time playing video games. Mostly FPS style games although sometimes a good RPG adventure game comes along. I have a dog and two cats and live with 3.5 other people.

DC Evaluations makes me wonder?

This article "D.C. Evaluations Target Hundreds for Firing or Bonuses" brings very specific questions to my mind... How does someone become a bad teacher? Where they always ineffective? Did they become complacent? Did they get burned out? How does anyone survive while being ineffective at their job? Are their these same problems in other fields? How can we as educators do a better job at helping students be successful and not go down a path that leads to unhappiness?

My point is that after 17 or more years of school young adults should be on a path to success. If a teacher enters the system ineffective then somewhere along the way the educational system has failed miserably. It's not enough as a teacher to teach their subject I feel that they should be helping students to find their strengths and weaknesses. To find their hidden talents and to get them excited about the subject they are good at and to help them find their path to happiness.

For those teachers that started out successful and became complacent or disgruntled maybe it is time for a change. I know first hand what it is like to become set in a job that you feel is ineffective and was fortunate to have the opportunity to try something new. People are living longer these days and is only natural that they go through these transitions. The higher education system has done a good job of offering programs for people such as me. It almost seams like it is too easy. But then again I don't have a family to support or am overwhelmed with bills and expenses.

Maybe moving more students into the higher education system sooner would enable them to explore more opportunities and to better find that first career and be more effective as citizens. If only we could afford it?

Testing found to have no effect on learning.

The very last line from this article in Edweek.com. is a quote that sums up this article perfectly for me- (Mr. Baron said. “That was basically accepted without evidence or support in NCLB and other government and private sector efforts to increase performance.”) All the money, time and effort put it to judging performance just makes me sad. Knowing that so much more could have been done to improve education. We all know that it is not a perfect system and all that money could have gone into things that had been proven to work. This may sound crazy but maybe school performance should be based on end results... Do the students get jobs? Are they good at them? Are they productive? Are the Successful? Maybe when a person gets to the end of their life they should look back and reflect on the relevance of their education.

Cutting Edge vs. Cutting Cost

Wow is all I have to say about the district in Florida that is buying every student in two schools ipads. It is both super cool and foolish at the same time. I like that they are giving students the next generation of learning material but at what cost. I guess it's ok because they got a grant for it? I still don't know how to react, I mean $900,000 is a lot of money and could have been a lot of teachers... That is a tough decision. The part in this article about the cell phone towers is interesting because it raises question about how schools can make extra money. Could the do more to raise funds, maybe rent out space during the summer?

Sports come under fire in local schools

After this weeks outpour of emotion regarding rumors of Salem Keizer School District cutting sports from public schools I thought it would be interesting to see what was going on around the country under the same topic. This search on Edweek.org brought up about a half dozen articles about the subject. Interestingly enough the very first article is about Oregon Schools. It's mostly about closing schools and the impacts they have had throughout Oregon. It is a very sad day when these issues are raised, because I feel they could have been avoided. Long term thinking should have been the focus since schools where institutionalized all those years ago. Maybe during the eighties we should have set aside some of the revenue from the boom years so that we wouldn't be faced with these decisions. I have never been much of a financial planner so maybe I shouldn't say anything but even I know when you have to make the hard choices education should always be first priority.

4-Day Weeks for Schools?

Two Pennsylvania school districts are considering 4-day work weeks in order to save money. Having students stay home an extra day sounds like most kids wish come true, but how about learning? Will they loose electives in order to compensate for the lack of instruction time? It seems to just be permanent furlow days for all the teachers. If you cross reference this article on Edweek.com with this one from Politicususa.com you can see why we are falling behind in many aspects of world competition, lack of emphasis on the future:( It makes me sad to see the repercussions of the last 30 years of a lack of value placed on education. 100 years ago not everyone got to school and today everyone takes the process for granted. Hopefully we figure out that eduction is the key to our nations success before we go the way of ancient Rome and implode.

Technology in todays writing classrooms.

This is an interesting article about using technology for writing class. I think it is interesting that they make the point that most professional writing today takes place on the web and is looked at differently than traditional writing. I feel this is a little obvious and not as timely as it was meant to be. If you look back in time writing for business has always been more functional than what is taught in schools. I am in advertising and many of the rules of traditional writing are thrown out the window when it comes to a good ad. Punctuation, bah just put a exclamation point. I feel that technology has just brought writing to a wider participation level. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media have given an audience to everyone who cares to put down their thoughts. This is great, everyone gets a voice and an outlet for their opinion, but it also makes it even more important for traditional writing skills to be learned because even if you have something good to say, if it is poorly written, it will not convey the intended meaning.

"why and how they learn" Keys to good learning!

Research is an interesting thing. If you ask the right questions you can always get the answers you want.

In this article by Sarah D. Sparks she discusses research that backs up the theory that if learning is difficult you will actually learn more. This makes sense to me because it means to me because if something is harder and you spend the time you are spending more effort. And by spending more effort you are getting more in return from your education. Making the connection of why and how you learn goes along way to making connections to what you are learning and why it's important. I like research like this because it supports my basic educational philosophies. I have never been a great student but I have always learned more by spending the time and energy to learn while I go, as appose to cramming at the last minute. Unfortunately I only do this when the subject is interesting to me and I like what I am doing. At the middle school and high school level it is hard to engage students in every subject. The question then becomes how do we get students to enjoy studying the hard way in subject they don't care about? If we can answer that questions we have solved all of our educational woes... except funding:(

Primary sources and the use of technology to bring them to the classroom.

This is Brilliant! Primary sources help get student's "hands dirty" while learning. This article in edweek.org is about using primary sources while teaching history. I think this is awesome. It gives students first hand insight into historical events. I also think that it can be used in other subjects. Using historical material while teaching literature can go a long way to give students what writers are going through while writing. For instance Oliver Twist can be accompanied by historical artifacts showing the conditions during the era can help students understand what Dickens was talking about and connect students to the characters through common threads. I also think this can be used in math. A quick google image search for pythagorean theory primary source brings up thousands of images for proofs of the theory. These might not be primary sources but they can help illustrate the uses for the theory. The great thing about using this in math is that numbers have been used for a long time and even ancient texts can be deciphered because of the visual nature of math. Hopefully I can use these examples to show context and make connections for my students.

Local news in Education Week

This search for the key word "Oregon" on Edweek.org brings up over seven articles linked to Oregon education. There is so much going on around the nation that it is surprising to see that much information on the local level. Everything from new laws being enacted to policies to the reactions of certain political parties to specific teachers political activism.

The first one that caught my eye, is the one about charter schools. I am particularly interested in them so I try and read everything I can. This one had an alarming title stating that the house voted down a charter school bill. But after reading the short article I think that the right thing was done. To much regulation has been a trend lately just for the sake of doing something different. I wonder how much money is wasted on trying to introduce new laws that never make it past the house? Especially when it is trying to "fix" something that is not broken.

The other article that I thought could have a huge impact on the future generations is the one from December that talks about Oregon setting a precedence by allowing the use of spell checks on writing exams. Now I am probably not one to speak because I am a terrible speller but I do believe that where maybe I failed as a student to learn how to spell. Students today should not learn to rely on technology to   get around learning a basic skill. I use spell check constantly, almost every day. Without it I would not be able to do my job, but I think students should learn to spell correctly then be allowed to use spell check. Similarly they should learn to do long division before being able to use a calculator. These are just basic skills and if we get a generation or two that don't know them. They will become the property of an elite few and we will get generations that will lose their independence.

I am happy that Oregon is staying in the news with regards to education because it means we are at least not staying stagnant. I will continue to keep up to date on not just national educational news but local news that will have a great impact on me in the next few years.

What to do with the rest of my life?

I have been trying to decide what I want to do when I graduate in just over a year. The local economy and school district don't look to promising and I have been thinking a lot about different opportunities. There are many articles about Teach for America on Edweek.com, and I have been thinking lately that I need to look into this organizations. This search brought up more than ten articles with both positive and negative that I thought where very interesting. It looks to me that several alumni from the program have gone on to do some good things, but that it may be a very difficult first couple of years. The overall success rate according to this article does give me some hope compared to the 50 percent of regular teachers who don't make through the first couple of years. 61 percent is a slightly bigger number and maybe the experience would do me some good. I am still open to anything at this point and the more experience I can garner the better.

Common Core Standards, Common Curriculum, What does it all mean?

This article about a group of people with vested interest in education have decided that America needs to have standards. Last year many states adopted the Common Core Standards making the primary goals for every school in adopting states very much the same. This group of leaders wants to take that a few steps further and diagram exactly what each student should learn each year.  This sounds a little to me like E. D. Hirsch. He was a educational philosopher from the 1980s who was an advisor to Ronald Reagan during his presidency. Have we really started to come back around to thinking that school is for skill building and not for creating citizens? Especially since today every bit of information you could ever want is on the internet. Our resources could be better served, teaching students how to create new resources, find the answers to life's mysteries and ask the hard questions.

Data Mining not just for Amazon anymore.

This article in Education Week talks about using the seemingly extraneous information that can be gathered while a student is interacting with technology to determine how the student is doing. I think this is awesome but leaves off a very huge part of the equation, paying for students access to technology. I also feel that a good teacher is doing just that as he or she is interacting with their students. Of course the teacher can gather every minutia of information that every student is putting out but maybe this information can help teachers identify students who need help or who are excelling at their subjects. The example given of the students who use clickers to answer questions is an interesting one to me. Sure it lets every student participate, but as the article points out it would be difficult to immediately interact with that much information. Further, I believe that school should be more than just being able to answer questions on que but to have that social interaction of standing up before your peers and demonstrating your participation. The more we focus on every detail of academic achievement the more we lose sight of the goal of education, to empower better citizens.

World Events and Furthering Classroom Goals.

This article in Education Week, illustrates the importance of immersive education. Using current events you can give students of all ages connections to things that may have happened over a hundred years ago. I really liked how some of the teachers made those connection between different civilizations and brought this, most useful, information into their classroom. I can even see bringing it to my math classroom, using statistics and demographics as well as other aspects of world events into the classroom to illustrate basic math concepts. Showing how the proportions of Egyptians who support the revolution can have a greater impact as a unit, and showing mathematical relations between monetary power and social power. I also like how these teachers didn't have to reinvent the wheel. There are already hundreds of resources out their for teachers to use and adapt to different situations. I hope through current events my classroom can be more immersive and exciting for my students.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~Benjamin Franklin

Stimulis Money Graded for Effectiveness.

This article in Education Week tries to break down the effectiveness for the stimulis money that was injected into education just over a year a go. I am a very visual person and I found some of the graphs very interesting.

They illustrate the amount of money that when to which programs. We have heard a lot about the Race to the Top grants, and other innovative focused programs, but I was surprised to see the amount of money that went into traditional programs. I am glad that Education was made a priority for the government and received a sizable portion of these funds. I am sad that most regular people will not see this information and understand that their are some people in Washington still working for the good of the people.

The rest of the article talks about how the funds are about three quarters spent and the recovery has been too gradual so that it seems that we are going to be running out of funding very soon. Hopefully by the time I am looking for a job we will have made better strides.

School boards are the bridge...

Between the schools themselves and policy makers in Washington. Do they know something we don't? Edweek.org published this article about the findings of a recent study. It made me think of a buffer between the extremes, knee jerk reactionism and stagnation. After a rousing Graduate Seminar about the direction of  education in the U.S. I felt a little overwhelmed. I am glad that there are some more grounded attitudes in some of the decision makers. The board members listed as their priorities as making sure their students live "productive lives" and "fulfill their potential". These seem like good ideas to me. I guess that that is the great thing about a democracy, the checks and balances. No mater what is going on in the world as long as we keep a level head and make rational, informed decisions what could go wrong?

Texting for contact, part2

This article in Education Week bring up a very interesting point about texting, social media and student-teacher interaction. Schools are primarily a social institution and as such have a responsibility to teach social interaction as part of their commitment to the community. This article brings up a valid debate about the use of these technologies in the classroom but I think the debate is further reaching than this. I believe that educators have a responsibility to not only be available to our students but to model the proper use of this technology. Where better than in young adult programs, or even middle school to set an example of what is appropriate social interaction. Be it on the internet, the phone or in person, adults need to set a positive example for the future generations.

Getting real world experience, and learning.

This cover article of the January 19th Education Week is about a mentor program that puts high school students in situations that most college kids only dream about. Designing buildings and complex engineering projects. I am a full supporter of any program that helps students see the real world applications of what they are learning in the classroom. It gives them context for math, science, writing and other subjects that may seem boring when taken out of context.

These programs help fill a need for relevancy in education. In this article they are focusing on the STEM subjects but this model could be used in every field. For instance, locally, there are several charter schools that put the focus on the arts or environmental science. If we had these programs for things such as small business, politics, or any other manner of industry we could insure a strong source of future employers and employees in every field.

Cutting expenses, obvious vs. effectiveness.

When large institutions public and private go through hard financial times they often look for the easiest and most obvious places to cut. Unfortunately the ones making the decisions are usually the most expensive players. Luckily the governor of California has the elected position to see that one of the easiest ways to save allot of money right away is to cut a very expensive position, Education Secretary. This article, on Edweek.org goes more into the politics of the the decision, but I think that the financial reasons are fairly sound. I am glad that despite major cuts to the budget, Mr Brown is putting education first and not cutting much of the education budget.

Texting for Truancy

This article in Education Week has an interesting and very easy way to let parents know instantly if their kids are skipping. Seems pretty effective. I just wonder who would be responsible for sending the text out, the teacher or the administrator. I plan on being very reachable for parents and I wonder how reachable they want to be for me. I would hope that an open dialog will be created between me, my students and their parents.