EDUCATION: Final Blog

PREMISE OF SCHOOL:

Over the course of the semester I learned a lot of valuable things to take with me and use throughout my future. I really enjoyed being in the classroom and working with the children. In the classroom I learned some valuable transitions and other techniques that seemed to work really well with the children. Unfortunately the classroom is just not for me. Maybe it was the school that I was in, but then I never really planned on being a teacher. I didnt have the same connection with kids as the teacher did. I wanted to be at their level and be a support for them and these teachers were so cold and repetitive. I do want to remain working with children, just in a different setting. I currently work in afterschool and I absolutely love it. We do homework and enrichments, but I feel like it is a more loving and caring environment for the students than the classroom that I experienced. I know or atleast hope there are great teachers out there that can meet all the needs of their students.

Throughout the class I feel like we touched on a lot of important concepts in education. We had the chance to learn about the different things that not only take place in the classroom but the educational system as well. I thought it was very important to do this because there is more to education than just the classroom.

I truly enjoyed hearing from the other students in the class. The blogs were a different way of communicating that allowed us to gather all of our thoughts and share them. I thought that there was some good topics that were chosen. I learned a lot about some people and when you know someone you understand where they come from and their experiences that will affect their careers.

I wish everyone the BEST in whatever it is that you go on to do later in life.

ZERO TOLERANCE

　
Is Zero Tolerance Effective In Schools?

Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are required to impose a pre-determined punishment regardless of the individual, extenuating circumstances, or past history. Zero-tolerance policies have been adopted in schools and other education venues around the world. These policies are usually promoted as preventing drug abuse and violence in schools. In schools, common zero-tolerance policies concern possession or use of drugs or weapons.

Under zero tolerance school policies, there is a heightened risk of innocent students being punished for behavior that they did not exhibit, or behavior that is misinterpreted or misconstrued. Students with psychological disorders, such as attention deficit disorder, may act outwardly and rashly through no fault of their own. It is argued that these types of students need professional care and attention, rather than strict punishment.

The severity of zero tolerance punishments is greatly debated. Some supporters maintain that these punishments are very effective at preventing deviant behavior, and some opponents maintain that they harm a student's opportunities to improve or gain access to help. For example, suspending or expelling a student because of a drug infraction may remove the student from the school's support system, making him or her more likely to commit further drug infractions.

The safety of students is always the top priority of administration, teachers and parents, and because of this, some supporters say that removing deviant or dangerous students from the student body will prevent bad influences from reaching other students. Opponents say that student bodies aren't as affected by the influence of a few deviant individuals, and that the community as a whole can benefit from providing help and support for those who need it.

Zero tolerance policies are consistent, meaning that there are clear-cut and unarguable punishments for each specific behavior and infraction. This usually means that students are well aware of the consequences for their actions, and that they must be responsible for their decisions. However, some maintain that students sometimes lose control of themselves, and aren't always responsible for misbehaving or violating policies.

Most school administrators strive for firm, fair, and consistent discipline applied with good common sense. Students need consequences, but they must be appropriate to the context of the situation, the disciplinary and academic history of the student, age appropriateness, and related factors.

THEORIST IN EDUCATION:

JEAN PIAGET:

Jean Piaget is a Swiss psychologist who was the first to make a systematice study of the axquisition of understanding in children. Piaget took the intellectual functioning of adults as the central phenomenon to be explained and wanted to know how an adult acquired the ability to think logically and to draw valid conclusions about he world from evidence. Jean Piaget teory is based on the idea that the child develops through stages until they arrive at a stage of thinking that resembles that of an adult. He believes that intellectual growth of a child arises primarily our of the interactions with objects in the environment. Children organize and adapt their experiences to allow them to deal with future situations in a more effective way.

The four stages Piaget separates children in to are sensorimotor (birth-2yrs), preoperational (2yrs-7yrs), concrete-operational (7yrs-12yrs), and formal operations (12yrs-adult). During the sensorimotor stage, the child learns about oneself and their environment through motor and reflex. Though derives from sensation and movement and the child learns that they are separate from their environment and aspects within it. In the preoperational stage, children start to use symbols to represent objects and assumes that others see situations from their viewpoints. Children take in information and then changes it to fit their ideas. During the concrete stage, accommodation increases. The child develops an ability to think abstractly and to make rational judgements about concrete or observable factors. In the final stage, people no longer need concrete objects to make rational judgements. People are capable of reasoning and understanding many possibilities from several different perspectives.

It makes sense that children go through different stages and this is exactly why it is so important to make sure learning is at an appropriate level. There are certain things that children can process. Depending on their age and developmental stage, children are able to process certain social and cognitive situations. In some cases children can not process information because they are not ready and their cognitive process is not at the same level. It is important for children to build on their knowledge and learn from their experiences in order to understand how to handle and process situations effectively.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990617-2,00.html

SOCIAL JUSTICE- EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION:

Every morning, diverse students – rich and poor, black and white, rural and urban, gay and straight — begin the school day by rising, facing the flag, and pledging allegiance to a country that claims to be indivisible, ensuring liberty and justice for all. Students learn the value of equality, which states that everyone in the United States has the right of equal treatment regardless of background, belief, economic status, race, religion, or sex. Students also learn about the value of justice, a belief that society offers the same benefits and has the same obligations to all of its citizens. Both of these values teach students that individuals and groups are not favored over other individuals or groups. Although students are learning the value of equality and justice, this is not always the case within the educational system. Instead of everyone being treated the same and having the same opportunities, there still exist differences among both equality and justice.

The idea of social justice brings many different issues to the administrators within the educational system. Yes teachers are introduced to some diversity, but how educated are they on culturally diverse groups?

Teachers are suppose to be able to provide students with a learning environment in which race, class, ability, language, appearance, sexuality and gender are accepted. Children need to have equal opportunities for success and learning. Equal does not mean the same though. Students come from many different cultures, languages, lifestyles and values. Treating each student exactly the same will not be in the best interest of the students. It is important to focus on the individual and their needs.

The ethnic background of culturally diverse students should not be dishonored in the classroom. Instead, the different backgrounds should be embraced and recognized as an important part of ones identity. There are a variety of learning materials that would aid in the assistance of educating other students to appreciate various ethnic perspectives. For example, learning through multicultural literature. There are many different things teachers need to take into consideration when teaching students. On top of teaching important information, they need to be culturally diverse and truly provide their student with equality and justice.

EDUCATIONAL METAPHOR

Education is very important and leads to the openning of different windows. These windows provide one with opportunities to reach success and the things they really want in life. If I was to put the purpose of education in a metaphor, it would be:


THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION IS TO TURN MIRRORS INTO WINDOWS

Throughout education we learn different information and life skills that have meaning and use throughout life. The information that we learn in schools helps for later success in life and that is why education and the educational process is so important. Schools work to build the foundations for success. All of these foundations, life skills, and important knowledge provides opportunity.

These opportunities enable each educated individual of society to earn a living. Education aims at making the individuals of society self-sufficient. They try to teach students how to live within society, including interactions and success to move forward in success. Education produces productive human resources, which can contribute to the creation of wealth.

Education puts down the foundation for the success. Education allows dreams and aspirations to become true or atleast move someone closer to their dreams and what they want. Education helps a students and people meet their career objectives and achieve an economic growth. Education builds a resourceful individual who can benefit from their knowledge. These resources that this individual has can open windows for success. Education results in a sense of personal fulfillment and opens windows to go on to do other things. An educated human being, having experienced the positive effects of education on their personality is on the right path to success.

An individual goes from looking at just oneself and not being able to see what they want in life to seeing what is out in this world for them to grasp and take part of!!!!

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES: COGNITIVISM

HOW IS COGNITIVISM APPLIED IN THE CLASSROOM?
　Cognitivism is the psychology of learning which emphasizes human cognition or intelligence as a special endowment enabling man to form hypotheses and develop intellectually. The underlying concepts of cognitivism involve how we think and gain knowledge. Cognitivism involves examining learning, memory, problem solving skills, and intelligence. The goal of cognitivism is for students to develop thinking skills for lifelong self-directed learning.

Students construct meaningful knowledge through experiences and interactions. The development of engaging and interactive activities and lessons will promote this kind of learning. Students must be able to interact with one another and be able to share ideas and thoughts. Through various different experiences and interactions, students learn skills that will last them a life time. Students benefit greatly from the use of manipulatives and real-life learning opportunities. It is best in these learning opportunities are relevant to prior experiences of the students. It is the teachers responsiblity to stimulate cognitive development. This can be done through mediation of students learning and monitoring of the thought process.

In the Classroom it is important to understand that problem solving changes throughout childhood and for that reason it is important that children are learing at developmentally appropriate levels. It is also important to take into consideration cultural differences and the affect it has on academic achievements, language development, and other skills important in cognitive development.

In a classroom environment, there are many variables that influence and contribute to learning. When creating and implementing a learning environment, it is imperative that the teachers not only create a setting that promotes learning, but also take the time to understand each child. Classrooms are widely diverse and complex. Students learn differently and are at various developmental levels. Teachers who properly manage their classrooms and establish expectations will be able to incorporate diverse teaching philosophies and create an excellent learning environment for each student. It is important that teachers create a learning environment that encourages students to do their best and makes learning interesting. This creates a motivational climate within the classroom. There are two factors that are critical to motivate students, value and effort. Students must understand that the work they are performing is worthwhile. Value measures the importance of a student's work to himself and others. Effort is the amount of time and energy students put into their work. Understanding the value of academic tasks and the effort needed to complete those tasks can motivate students to perform better in the classroom environment.

http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/31012664/Cognitivism

INCLUSION

LEARING DISABLITIES: How do they affect the classroom?

There is a 6-10% estimate of the school-aged population in the United States that is labeled as being learning disabled. The learning disabled have difficulties with academic achievement and progress. There are descrepancies that exist between a persons potential for learning and what they actually learn. The learning disabled show an uneven pattern of language, physical, academic, and perceptual development. Learning disabilities develop at different rates and may run in families.
The primary characteristic of a learning disability is a significant difference between a child's achievement in some areas and his or her overall intelligence. Learning disabilities typically affect five general areas:
Spoken language: delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and speaking.
Written language: difficulties with reading, writing and spelling.
Arithmetic: difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in understanding basic concepts.
Reasoning: difficulty in organizing and integrating thoughts.
Memory: difficulty in remembering information and instructions. If your child has a learning disability you should contact the child's school and arrange for testing and evaluation. Federal law requires that public schools provide special education and related services to children who need them. There is different planning and placement that can take place. With the proper help most children that have a learning disability can make excellent progress.


I work for an afterschool program and in the program there is a child that struggles very much when it comes to homework. I have communicated with parents and teachers and it seems as if he is not getting the proper help needed. This young boy is 9 in 3rd grade. It is his second time in third grade. His most difficulties are with math. He has a tough time even adding simple numbers. I do whatever i can to help him with his homework to make sure he understands, but that is not enough if i am the only one. There definitely needs to be more done for this young child to help him succeed because doing nothing is not going to help.

http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/learning_disabilities.shtml

GENDER BIAS WITHIN EDUCATION

Multicultural education is a set of strategies and materials to help all students develop a positive self-concept by providing knowledge about history, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups. Most classrooms have diverent students from a variey of social classes and cultural and language groups.

WHAT ROLE DOES GENDER PLAY IN EDUCATION?

Even though boys and girls are sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, and listening to the same teacher, they recieve very different educations. When starting school boys and girls have equal achievements and opportunities. But this changes throughout education. The socialization of gender within schools assure that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Teachers tend to affirm that girls and boys should be treated differently. They have different expectations of boys and girls. The socialization by gender is different within schools and this creates a difference in toleration of behaviors between boys and girls. Certain assertive behavior from girls is seen as disruptive and viewed negitively. But assertive behavior from a boy is expected.

Gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbook, lesson, and teacher interactions with students. These gender bias' are part of the hidden curriculum of lessons thought to students through the functions of the everyday classroom.

Teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies, they need to provide strategies for altering behaviors, and be aware of gender bias in educational materials. Not all teachers are aware of the different attention, time and energy they give to students based on gender. Resources need to be provided to teachers in order to change imbedded behaviors. Curriculum materials need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, combining the experiences, needs and interests of both males and females.
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/genderbias.html

BANNING PHYSICAL CONTACT IN SCHOOL

Banning Pysical Contact Altogether

Banning Hugs and High Fives

Is there a difference between good and bad touching? Some schools say no and have gone as far as banning every form of physical contact imaginable. They believe that physical contact is interferring with learning and education.

Administrators who support banning hugs, high fives and touching in school believe it is a disruption to learning. They believe that: high fives or play fighting evolved into violence, regular hugfests between classes regularly impinged on class time, hugs were used to mock students, and unwelcomed hugs bordered on sexual harassment.

There is definitely a difference between good and bad touching. A hug or a high-five shows affection or excitement. A punch or a kick shows anger and fustration. Giving someone a hug is not the same thing as punching someone or pushing them to the ground. Some physical contact should not be acceptable in school, including those that cause harm to oneself or another or is disrepectful in any way. But touching, as in a high-five or hug, does not cause harm, infact it does the complete opposite. Yes children should be taught about personal space, but banning all physical contact is not the right solution. Instead you teach when physical contact, such as giving hugs or high-fives, is appropriate in school and when it is not.

Good physical contact is important when it comes to social development. Appropriate contact is especially important during emotional periods throughout childhood. School are beginning to regulate genuine, humanizing touch between students. Rather than banning all physical contact, schools need to acknowledge humanity and the need for physical contact and touch.

In schools, children who violate this "no touching" rule are punished in different ways. Some are suspended and others recieve detention. Rather than teachers focusing their time on teaching important concept, they are spending more time acting as referees throughout the school day. They have to make sure they do not see anythng "inappropriate." I feel as though it would take more time and energy trying to stop every kind of physical contact than to teach children the difference between appropriate touching and inappropriate touching. Hugs and high-fives are needed in development, so why ban it altogether?

http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/573

WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO TEACH?

There are many reasons why someone might decide to go into teaching. Every individual may have their own reasons based upon their experience and background throughout their childhood education. They way we were taught as children influences today. Some really like the way they learned something and others want to change and be different from the teachers and learning experience they encountered. People who usually go into teaching enjoy working with children and want to have a positive influence on them. People should come into teaching knowing what age group and what kind of children (behavioral/emotional) they want to work with. For example, I know i want to work with children of various ages (not past grade 5) that have behavioral or emotional problems. I decided on this after years of working with children. I was influenced first by my little brothers. They are adopted. They are half Haitian and half White and we have had them both since they were about 6weeks old. They were born addicted to drugs. I remember them going through withdrawls. Crying non stop for 5hours straight everyday and everything you tried just did not work. They are currently 6 and 5 years old and are still to this day dealing with emotional and behavioral issues. They have been through a lot at a very young age. No child deserves this. This is why teaching and being someone children can come to and count on are extremely important to me!!!

CHECKOUT SOME REASONS WHY PEOPLE TEACH....
http://www.helium.com/items/633186-teachers-why-do-we-want-to-teach

This website provides an article, Teacher's Bring it All to Life, by Rhonda Day, that discusses the various way why people choose to go into teaching. The author describes teaching as a noble, enviable, and demanding occupation that requires knowledge, patience, understanding, and a desire to help others. Rhonda Day list the primary reasons for teaching as followed:
1. A strong desire to give back to the community and the world.
2.  Watching someone who is able to grasp new concepts and ideas through small building blocks created by     teachers is a rewarding experience.
3.Watching others grow and develop mentally.
4. The one thing teachers love to do more than teach is learn!
5. Preparing, mentoring, and developing the youth of today for the leadership of tomorrow are highly valued talents.

I feel as though these are all valid reasons for people to go into teaching. Many feel good about themselves when giving back to the community. Building upon previous knowledge to make something that was once complex more simple is quite rewarding. Pure enjoyment for working with children and being part of their growth and development is important for many. Making a difference in childrens lives and learning experiences is what teaching is all about. Creating a community were children are able to learn is what matters most!!!

INTRODUCTION

Hi Everyone!! My name is Jacqueline Padgett. I am currently 21yrs old and a senior at SSU (salemstate university). I am an Early Childhood Education major and my minor is in business management. I have always wanted to work with young children. I would LOVE to own my own daycare one day after graduation. I currently work as a site coordinator at an afterschool program and i love my job. In my program i have children in grades K-5. It is challenging at times, but it pays off when you know you make a difference!! When i am not working or doing school work, I spend majority of my time with my family. I have an older brother, a twin sister, 2 step brothers, and 2 younger brothers (only 6 and 5yrs old). My family is important to me and I enjoy helping with my younger brothers. One just learned how to read, which is VERY exciting =) =)