Group+9+Module+1

1. What does research say?

MANDY: There are a lot of differnt requests about what researchers say, and there several answers. Some researchers believe that what they have to say isn't accepted by educators. People in education may feel milead by research. Research gives information to practitioners, policymakers, and the research community. What research says is valuable because it offers more than results. Research provides grounds for thinking more deeply about what is being studied. Research studies provide 1. purpose, hypothesis, research question, 2. background discussion of relevant research, 3. research methodology, 4. results, and finally 5. implications for future research practice.

SUSANNAH: I agree. Unfortunately, I think research in education is relatively (compared to scientific research, say) new and it is taking a long time for educators, including Principals, to really trust it. Everyone I know thinks research is good, but wants me to keep teaching as I was before, or with teaching the test as the only focus. No one REALLY believes that student test scores will really rise if I teach reading without focus books and Buckledown books. They do agree that what I am learning as a reading specialist will promote love of reading and be enjoyable to the students, but that it will not raise test scores, and that has to be priority now. People I talk to think that education research is something that only works in an isolated clinical setting and not something that applies to real life school situations. As a teacher, I think it is great to know what is most likely to work! I think that all undergrade teaching degrees and all administrators should have to take at least one class that shows them that education research is legitimate and can be trusted. I know that research does not solve all our problems or prove everything (such as the exact effect of a sand & water table in a kdg classroom). But for the grades I teach - 3rd - 5th, it is hugely and immensely helpful.

PEGGY: According to the text, research is valuable because it offers more than results, it provides grounds for deeper thinking, provides teachers with techniques and technology that would unliketly be developed, and presents teachers with a challengee to look at teaching skills differently.

RENEE: Peggy I agree the importance and value research is to teachers. The text also mentions the many uses of research including, it can be used to identify problems or potential problems. Research can be used to increase our understanding of how things work with no implied or intended eventual action. Finally, it can be used to develop technologies to apply in various situations.

MANDY: Susannah. You mentioned that teaching to the test is sometimes the only focus. I hate that administrators and other peopel in "charge" do not understand the learning process. In my opinion, teaching to the test doesn't help our students. It teaches them a select amount of information and a lot of the other imorportant aspects of reading are left out. Teaching ot the test is boring and since all the time is taken up doing that there isn't a lot of time for readers theater, plays, puppets, and any other fun strategies.

PEGGY: I agree with you Mandy and Susannah, teaching to the test isn't teaching. How can we expect our students to be interested in what they are expected to learn if our teaching is implicit and mindless?

RENEE: I teach at an elementary school and several 3rd-5th grade teacher only teach to the test. Many of the teachers only teach reading and math, reading and math. They do not teach science and social studies. For many students science and social studies are ineresting and enjoyable to learn about. There is a lot of reading in social studies and a lot of math in science. It is sad to me to see all those science kits never opened. The students are missing out on hands-on science projects and learning about other exciting places in our world. I teach special education and last year I had a 4th grade student tell me that he had gone to Oklahoma over the weekend for his brothers birthday. Another student told him, "we are in Oklahoma". He asked me, "Is we in Oklahoma Ms. Trail?" The birthday party had been in O.K City. Our students need social studies. Research shows that students remember data more if they learn it through hands-on activities rather than seeing or hearing it.

SUSANNAH: Yes, same here. I am very frustrated. Next year I am going to include science and social studies, but label it reading instead.

2. Apply four dimensions of teaching and learning to your teaching style.

MANDY: Four dimensions of the constructivist classroom that apply to my teaching style would be; tanformation-when learners transform knowledge or skills, discussion/reflection-exploring, and clarifying meaning, application- creating opportunities for learners to apply skills and understanding, evaluation- learners reflect upon their learning experience.

SUSANNAH: I have learned that I am not nearly explicit enough in my teaching. I do not remember struggling learning to read, and once I learned my multiplication tables, division seemed obvious. So, when I teach, remembering how I learned, I take a lot for granted and assumed that they would get what I was covering in class implicitly, especially with all the hands on & concete manipulatives I was having them use. I started being much more explicit in my teaching last year and it makes a huge difference. I started to think that implicit teaching was all bad, but there are times when I like the students to "mess around" with things and make their own observations (as with science) but then follow up with explicit teaching of the concept they were supposed to "get". Implicit learning often occurs when building prior knowledge. I team taught with an organized teacher this year, so I have learned to be more organized. I am dedicated, so, in general, I made sure I was systematic, but it took me hours longer than other teachers to get there. Now, I am systematic and it does not take so long. Having to follow the benchmarks and target teach standards helpd me get systematic. There are, agin, some times that students need to freely interact with things, to explore, say their scienticfic properties, but eventually the observations need to be systemized some how so that the student can apply what they have learned/observed to other situatons. My goal is for students to become mindful. This is difficult to cultivate when everything we do is not considered legitimate unless it is explicitly teaching test-taking skills and testing content. I am a mindful teacher, which is why it bothers me so much that we cannot teach reading as it is supposed to be taught. I hope to find a way to contextualize my teaching more next year. I have nothing against assessing student's progress, but testing 8 - 10 weeks out of the school year does not support contextualized teaching (at the very least for the 8-10 weeks).

RENEE: Susannah I agree with you that students are tested too often and too much, I work for TPS in an elementary school and students are given benchmark test about every three weeks. That does not include reading and math pre and post test, BEAR, DIBBELS etc... I believe that testing students once every nine weeks would be sufficient. But what do I know, I just work with the students 6 hours a day. I did hear that the Target Teach tesing is no more. There will be test...it's all a money game.

SUSANNAH: Yes, I am not sure what the deal is with testing this year - I guess I should know more. I will try to read up on the State website. It is ironic that TPS has such great Staff Development calsses, yet when it comes to implementing them in our classroom (except for smart board and promethean board use), our principals say,"THat's nice, but wait until after testing is over to do that."

PEGGY: Explicit-In my classroom, adaptation to the students //interest// //of// //reading selections// is a basis for the students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. Systematic-I plan far in advance for lessons, but I allow for interruptions and being flexible for the students who need to review in order for them to internalize the concept being presented. Mindful-This concept is exhibited through our discussion and reflection times, such as, when we introduce a new idea, thought, or subject through a reading passage then we explore possibilities from the students point of view. Contextualized-Through application of mindful learning the students are able to experience their 'Oh now I get it' moment, then they are able to transfer this information and evaluate themselves by reflection from their learning experience.

RENEE: The four dimentions I include in my teaching styles include, explicit, systematically planned teaching, mindful and contextualized teaching. First, as a special education teacher I explicitly demonstrate learning processes, skills, understandings and know-how repeatedly to students. I always provide students with the opportunity to clarify any confusion they might have. Often after giving students directions, I will ask them, "What are you going to do first?" and "What are you going to do next?" to make sure students have a clear understanding of the directions given. Next, I am very systematic and detailed in planning lessons for my students. Next, I always try to be mindful and opened to new information and different points of view when teaching and learning. Finally, contextualized- I teach in a simple, basic, uncomplicated style so students are engaged in transferable, useful and mindful learning.

MANDY: Peggy. You mentione the "oh now I get it moment"! Isn't that a wonderful experience we get to have as teachers? When you see a childs face light up with knowledge, understanding, and excitment for the material it makes everything we do worth while.

PEGGY: Somedays the "oh now I get moment" is the only thing that makes it worth teaching.

SUSANNAH: Yes. And then they take the test and do not recognise that is it something they already know. And all the "I get it moments" are cancel;ed out in the students' minds because, inspite of numerous "I get it moments", they do badly on the test. They believe their knowledge is invalid if they are not successful on tests. It is so sad.

3. What constructivist-like principle can you identify and what are the implementations for the classroom?

MANDY: I can identify with creating a classroom ethos/culture that supports and encourages deep engagement with multiple demonstrations of effecive reading behavior. The implementation for the classroom for this principle is through expectations that are communicated and through opportunities to engage in reflective learning.

SUSANNAH: Yes, I think that "reflective learning" is key. Unfortunately, it is hard to create time and attention for reflective learning with my class. They are noisy and rambunctious. They want me to give them the work, and then get it done as soon as they can. They want it gone and the last thing they want is to reflect on what they have done. reflective learning requires some peer interaction ans support and they have no idea how to do this. If I slow them down and get them to focus on some kind of reflection, they have dificulty listening to each other and taking turns. There is so much to teach them about how to behave socially and support each other instead of competing with each other before reflective learning can take place. Or maybe it would work the other way around.

PEGGY: I probably identify first with the 'classroom ethos/culture' largely because of the type of students I teach at this time. These guys have to be really engaged in whatever they are learning. Then, second, employing teaching activities and strategies from the four dimensions of teaching and learning. Getting these guys involved in learning, using discussion time, having a well contructed learning environment, and reflection through self evaluation has proven to be effective.

RENEE: I identify with a classroom with structures and processes that create continuous opportunities for the development of intellectual unrest. In the classroom learners would be encouraged and expected to think both speculatively and critically as they monitor their own understanding at the metacognitive level.

MANDY: Ideas for refective learning. Make the students reflect everyday in a journal about what they have learned. This can be used for all ages. I have youger children or students who cannot write draw pictures. Or for the older children, require them to write a paragraph everyday or for every subject that they have completed an activity. This not only helps them learn and reflect, it also lets us teachers know if they are understanding the material being presented to them.

PEGGY: Susannah, you said it is hard to get them to focus on some kind of reflection, maybe they could reflect by writing in a journal instead of verbal reflection.

SUSANNAH: Yes, I think that inclusion is good except when it comes time to have group discussions. The Ed kids are so easily detered from sharing and have so many walls up that they can barely function in a group, especially a full size classroom of 23 kids. I think if I had them in their own group of 6 or 7 that they would be more willing to share. In a class or 23 they are constantly on alert, scanning all the other kids for signs of possilble trouble. _ _ SUSANNAH's QUESTION FOR MODULE 1: What do you do about class discussions where most students say they do not like to read anything, and when they are offered free books they say, "Do we HAVE to take one? PEGGY: Of course there is a large age difference between the students you teach and the ones I teach, but if they as me that question I simple tell them No. As far as the class discussions, my capstone is on interest level reading materials. I introduce, readers theaters, graphic novels, ask them to pick out books they want to read, etc. It seems to help by-step that negative attitude.

PEGGY'S QUESTION FOR MODULE 1: How do we, as reading specialist, get our districts (that do not use reading specialist) to see the need for reading specialist and not as another special education position? Susannah: Wow, I thought reading specialists was the "in" thing now in districts. Maybe articles about reading specialists' success and district needs could be published in administrative magazines, or presented and administrative conventions. MANDY: I have been doing some other readings. Come to find out... kids with reading disabilities weren' placed in sped in the past. Administration is doing it now for more money. Surprise, surpise.