I was going to leave it at my last post for the week but

I loved the chapters we had for reading too much to not share! The authors are head on in their descriptions of textbooks, both in their intention and misguided flaws. The two quotes I liked especially were: "those bodies of knowledge, those big building-blocks of information, need a place to live- and that's what textbooks are for, among other things" and "In the drive to include everything, key ideas fade into the background, or are never successfully communicated, or simply don't stick with students."

I have been feeling this for so long know but have not had a way to put it so succinctly. I knew that I felt textbooks had good intentions and there was something I felt was important about them. As the authors put it, textbooks are reference books. I have long believed that students should be taught skills so that, essentially, they could learn to teach themselves. This is why in elementary school (and again in middle and high school), librarians and teachers and aides all spend hours and weeks teaching students how to use a card catalogue (some schools and libraries still have them!), how to use the library database, how to look up a topic in a encyclopedia (and how wikipedia can be used as a starting point but not necessarily a reliable source!), about indexes and libraries and anything and everything source-y. Teaching students how to use these tools allows them to open worlds of knowledge or simply learn a little about something. But when you take these tools (textbooks **coughcough**) and make them the one and only source. Well, it's too little and too much at the same time.

Confession time: though I have worked very hard to maintain my grades throughout my school career, as a "good student" if you will, I very often struggle with the feeling that I don't have any real basis to actually learn anything. In high school teachers often accused us of not caring about learning and only caring about grades. This bothered myself and my classmates because we couldn't very well not care about grades, could we? It was our grades that would make our teachers and parents and friends call us smart, that would maybe help us get scholarships, get into National Honor Society, and make it so we could wear a cool little sash thing and have an extra tassle and pin at graduation. It wasn't that we didn't want to learn, it was just that learning how to sort of work the system could only be in our favor. We were BS experts, vocab-droppers, and multiple choice test taker extraordinaires. Honestly, I have to admit that these skills have served me doubly in many of my survey courses at college, where we're expected to learn twice as much as high school students in half the time. As a voracious reader since childhood and someone who has spent many hours googling and going from one link to the next to learn more and more, it makes me really sad that in the high school and college levels, it is often the case that "getting through it" is often valued over "getting into it." I think it would be so much more valuable for me to really understand energy conversion than to just know that it involved ATP ... or something?

I am grateful that despite what my teachers thought, I often really wanted to learn about what they were telling me and often they were excellent teachers who really taught me a lot and inspired me to learn more. Unfortunately some of them I could not understand, went to fast, didn't break things down, didn't give us a chance to delve in and explore different sources so that maybe one of them or all of them would trigger that lightbulb, and so I gave up understanding for figuring out how to simply pass. Without all those colorful opportunities, with one skim-able and forgettable textbook, what my teachers feared would happen happens: students give up any chance of understanding for simply passing. That is if they've been lucky enough to acquire those skills because otherwise they might fail, both your class and really having learned anything. And really isn't that you failing your students?

Class 3/25

Class last week was really interesting all around. I so much preferred the observation method we used last week as opposed to the I-Walk method. Though I think the I-Walk has its merits (you can get more observations done in a shorter period of time, it's good for observing classroom layouts, teacher to student ratios, and so on) I think last week's protocol gave us an opportunity to really, really see how teachers interacted with their students. As someone who likes to take my time with things and think about them, this method was very conducive to my own preferred methods. Of course, even though staying in a classroom for so long gave us a better opportunity to observe a teacher's style and how the students reacted to it and how the teacher reacted to the students, even still I found myself wishing I could stay and watch the classes for longer. It is nice to see a variety but sometimes I think we're going too fast to ever really see what's going on, to mull over what we saw, and then find a way to integrate what we learned into our teaching schema.

After the observations we got the chance to hear from parents what they look for in a teacher. I think this was so important to hear because nearly always parents will not have a say in who teaches their child and so I think it is crucial that we always try to be the best teacher a parent or child could hope for. And, like with the student panel, what the parents are hoping for is almost logical and really so easy: to be available. I think this sums up what the parents said because they all agreed that they think a teacher should make their personality available and, most importantly, be available and willing to communicate to a parent how their child is doing. Phone calls were brought up over and over again, requests that teacher's not only tell a parent when their child is struggling (though if this is the case they want to know as soon as you know) but also when their child is doing well. Because kids spend a minimum of six hours at school a day, not including the time it takes to get to and from school or any after-school activities, it might be inevitable that teachers see more of their student than the parents do.  They are trusting you to take care of their child as well as they would and that you care about them, as well.

Chapter 4: yes ... and no.

As a future English teacher, I think I will have an easier time applying the notion that students should read a variety of writing than perhaps those in other content areas. Though it might seem a little odd in a science or math classroom to read fiction or a non-fiction narrative, such as is suggested with biographies on Einstein’s theory of relativity, it is completely normal in an English classroom. Really, I only occasionally used “English” textbooks growing up and usually they were anthologies, or once in awhile a grammar workbook or a Greek and Latin roots book, which were helpful references. The only thing I disagree with is that the book says that there is time to implement extra/different novels because standards are seeking for teachers to cover less topics with deeper understanding. Well, perhaps, but that ignores the fact that there are still required texts within that “smaller” number of topics. Teachers I know, good teachers, tell me time and time again how they have to cut out extra reading in favor of making sure they fit in every book mandated by the state, or how they have to get rid of lesson plans because the state has decided that they’re superfluous to what “should” be taught. Also, the book hates on older texts some, which I find a bit ridiculous. Think of The Outsiders, one of the best stories of prejudice to be written, so timeless that kids often don’t even realize that it was written 50 years ago, and was one of the first true young adult novels to exist. Yes, there are dozens of books that are more recently written, that might mention cell phones or the internet, but it doesn’t mean they’re more relatable. Often the classic is the way to go because it was so wonderful and well-liked that it spawned hundreds of authors to attempt to recreate the feeling it gave but only the original will have all the power. Other times, it is perhaps better to start with a newer version or novel, but not as a replacement. I can attest to the power watching 10 Things I Hate About You as a way my teacher unlocked Taming of The Shrew for me (and made me truly appreciate it), as well as nearly any other modernized version of Shakespeare, but it was a mutual appreciation- I couldn’t fully appreciate the film without knowing the play nor could I fully appreciate the play without the help the movies gave me. It never meant deleting the text all-together.

Central Falls Scavenger Hunt

  4. How many schools are in the city?
 As far as I can tell there are 6 public schools in the CF district (1 pre-k, 3 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high). There is also one private school, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, that serves pre-K through 8, and their pre-K program is a spanish/english immersion classroom.

10. Is there a movie theater in town?
 No, and as far as I can tell there has been since very early in the 20th century, all theaters closing around the 1920s. I would guess that residents usually go to Cinema World in Lincoln or one of the providence theaters.

22. The first mayor of Central Falls looking down on its current students. I couldn't find his name but I guess his visage lives on!

 12. This here is a bit of Jenks Park covered in snow. By reading the plaque at the corner of the photo I learned that Jenks is also a bird sanctuary created by CF students. The park is also a historical site; the tower in the background is called "Cogswell Tower" and was erected in 1904. It also was a significant site during King Philip's War. Reading the history and having learned abut King Philip's War in high school, I think I'd like to walk around a bit more sometime soon!

 8. This is the outside of the Dexter St. post office, right by CF High.

14.  The only newspaper I can find that is produced in Central Falls is http://acontecerlatino.com/, a newspaper serving Latino communities. I'm shocked that they don't receive the Valley Breeze in Central Falls (we do in Burrillville) because they would usually be considered part of the Valley.

23. The Irish revolutionary that escaped Australia  and eventually settled in Central Falls was James Wilson (a different James Wilson than the signer of the declaration, who was born in Scotland.) And visited by DeValera, wow! I took an Irish history class while I went to University of Limerick and learned all about the Fenians and their revolutionary plights against the British. It is so cool to see a piece of this fascinating history so close to me!

18. According to some statistics I found, the overwhelming majoritiy of CF residents identify as Roman Catholic. I found 8 Catholic churches, 1 Baptist church, 4 "spirit-filled" churches, and 1 specifically "hispanic" church. As far as I can tell, there are no mosques are synagogues in the city. I think the closest mosque would be perhaps the one on Sayles Hill but I'm not sure about synagogues.

9. Is there a fire station? a police station?  how are fire emergencies handled? What crime statistics are available?

-Yes, there is a fire station. The website for the department says "call 911" for emergencies, so I'd guess that fire emergencies are handled as they usually are. Calls are likely dispatched to the station.
-Yes, there is a police station.
-Statistics for every crime are available for 2012 on the RI state police website. They can also be compared back to 2005.

11. Are there public rec facilities? Are there organized community sports?
-There is Jenks Park, Macomber Stadium, the Higginson Ave Sports Complex, the Higginson Ave basket courts, the Garfield Street Playground, the Wyatt Detention Recreation Facility, River Island Park, Pierce Park, Lewis and Hunt Playground, Illinois St. Playground, Sacred Heart Ave Playground, Crossman Street Playground, and the Saul Tarlow Ballfield.
-There is youth soccer, football, and little league.

(EDIT 2/24)

What did I learn? What am I know questioning?

I learned that even though it is so small, Central Falls has a rich history right within its square mile! This should not surprise me as Rhode Island and the Blackstone Valley in particular play significant roles in American history, but it thrilled me in the very least! I love learning RI history and was so excited to hear about how CF rubbed shoulders with Irish history as well! I guess it's the same as the excitement we feel when we're on a known battleground or recognize a location in a movie and that feeling of "I've been in the same place that history happened! I could be standing on the same spot so and so stood!" and it's quite fun. Now I'm wondering if students of CF known how much exciting stuff has happened in their little city.

What will this mean as I continue my journey from student to teacher?

I think what this activity embodies is the idea that now I won't just passively wait for teachers to feed me information but rather, as the teacher, I will seek out information to feed my students because of my own feelings of what is important and wanting them to know the same.
 

Understanding UBD

Understanding by design, or UBD, is a teaching tactic that is new to me but one I can easily see myself attempting to employ. I think myself and many of my classmates (though I don’t mean to speak for them, these are just my own assumptions) struggle with what we’re taught about teaching for several reasons. Namely:

1.       What we’re being taught is often drastically different from the way we were taught in high school, thus taking away the opportunity for us to have any models.

&

2.       What we’re being taught often demonizes the methods by which we were taught, creating a strange push and pull from our inclinations as teachers: we gravitate towards the methods through which we learned but also feel the need to shun them as we’ve been told that these methods are “bad” methods.

I will not say that none of my teachers in high school created their lesson plans “backwards”, from what they wanted us to understand to the ways in which they planned on transmitting such understanding. However, I know for a fact that nearly all of my high school successes can be measured by the grades I got on tests, quizzes, and essays. Though chapter 1 extolls  a balance between “demonstration and application of knowledge” and drilling, I find it to be, for once, one text that does not demonize such “drilling.” I appreciated here the sports metaphor because as a dancer (sorry, it’s always going to come back to dance for me!) I know that drilling is necessary to get good at a piece of something but I also know that drilling doesn’t always translate to understanding in the long run. Yes, I can do that move on its own perfectly, but can I do it in a step? Can I do it with a different timing? When I practice it in context, there comes my demonstration of understanding and application.

I would say that my high school teachers got understanding out of me in the same way- tests and quizzes and in-class practice/drills resulted in understanding via essays or projects. I think that modules A and F (thank you, thank you for giving “real life” examples and processes in these readings!)  were excellent in conveying this process, particulary in instances such as:

A driving test is an excellent example of how knowledge and application converge to create understanding. For once, I kind of get it and see that the methods we are being taught really aren’t so different from the way in which I was taught. And for once, teaching is somewhat demystified and I can actually see how I will apply these not-so-new methods in my own teaching someday.

My Blog Log

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XDY4OuJm3Ug05U6FIbYs_vUcCF2caQ3htrUsVaNTzmw/edit?usp=sharing

Chapters 1 & 2

                Reading through these chapters, I had a few  general thoughts: “well there’s another problem”, “that makes sense”, and “why aren’t we doing this?”

                First things first, I do have to say that I enjoyed reading these chapters. They were much easier to read than many text books and articles and gave many opportunities to actively stop and consider what we’ve just read. The first example about the students who read Fast Food Nation was one of these opportunites. Honestly though, I was a more than a little distracted by the students actions. I understand that the “point” of the example was to celebrate the fact that students were inspired by their reading (and having read the book, it’s a fairly long read with lots of history and figures involved) but I couldn’t help but be a little appalled. As a future English teacher, I of course want my students to realize how much relevant information can be garnered from books and to use that information to become active members of society. But in raising readers and training them to be active members of society, it is also our duty as teachers to raise thoughtful members of society. What kind of teacher would allow students to harass innocent workers, who need a job to get money, and take time out of their day to deal with them? The whole scene was downright rude and just knowing how often workers have to deal with the repercussions  of such “peaceful protests” was upsetting, as well as these notion of reading a book about slaughter to young children. It is wonderful to think of students being able to take texts and make them meaningful in their lives, but they are still children yet and it is a teacher’s job to help them be intelligent enough to act like the adults we would want them to be. Teaching is that large of a job.

                The other impressions I had had to do with the fact that we as teachers need to teach students not just how to decode but how to read deeply.  Teaching read strategies, going through the stages of reading, to that I say “of course!” But then I hesitate because it makes sense that teachers may not remember that students need this. The chapters in the book keep reiterating that most students have never been taught these skills, so why is it to be expected that we suddenly gained them in college? I don’t know how the other content areas differ, but I know that to be in the English content area requires lots and lots of English classes. But they are the same classes taken by “regular” English majors. Usually this involved reading a book a week, discussion, and then an essay. If this is what we do for four years of our lives, how are we going to remember to slow down the process for our students if our teachers haven’t given us the same opportunity? Well, I guess we’re learning it now in classes such as this, but we aren’t applying it. So that’s a problem to me.