Ch. 15: Parents as Parents in Twenty-First Century Learning

Through the twenty-first century learning method that Wormeli describes in this chapter enlightens us on exactly how we should involve parents in schooling these days, phone calls,
e-mails and sometimes text messages can be acceptable to keep everyone on the same page
with learning. Parents should be involved in every step of the learning
process. I think my way of twenty-first century learning would be setting up a
wiki in which parents and students could both access so they would know what
happened on each day, the homework and if any slips needed to be signed. With
this system teachers could post daily, weekly or monthly homework assignments,
tests and quizzes, project directions, maps, student samples, vocabulary lists,
reminders, research findings, book list, recommended websites and much more.
The advantages of keeping it online allows us to build on what worked and
eliminate what didn’t without having to flip through books and binders of
lesson plans, so this web-setup helps both teachers and parents. With a
website, like a wiki, students will be more apt to hand in work on time and
study harder because their parents have access to it as well and will always
know if they are done their work. Wormeli listed suggested sites on page 173 to
setup grades, quizzes and reminders. He also emphasized on e-mail parents are
more apt to answer an e-mail than to answer a voicemail because they have the
time to process what’s being said when it is time more than the spoken word or
a setup meeting. There isn’t enough time in the day to call every parent or
have random check-up meetings, but sending an e-mail just takes a couple of
minutes just as replying to one. Wormeli also listed other ways to emphasize
involvement in and out of the classroom, again some we already knew about and
are common sense but will come in handy when in the classroom as ways to reach
out. The one thing I absolutely disagree with is home visits. I feel that a
home visit is an invasion of privacy, I wouldn’t want my students parents
coming to my house and snooping around so why should it be acceptable for me to
go to their house to observe how they interact with their children? I could see
this happening in a more low-income based preschool like a ‘Head Start’ more than
in a middle school setting. I feel this would also cause more time and stress
on both the teacher and the parent because the teacher would have to drive to
each house and the parent would worry as to if the dishes are put away or the
floor is vacuumed. Surveys and newsletters are always awesome standbys and my
personal favorites. I loved when the newsletters were sent home in my middle
school and they had quotes from students or little drawings that helped put the
parent in the student’s shoes. Overall, Wormeli had great ideas as to how to
get parents involved in the twenty-first century and I am sure that I will flip
back to this chapter once I have a classroom of my own and struggle with this
concept.

Ch. 9: Involving Parents and Communities

I would like to think that it is common sense that if parents are involved in their child’s learning that the child will benefit and be more successful in life and academics as a whole. Jackson
and Davis emphasized this aspect by writing a chapter on how to get parents and
community members involved in learning so success is achieved. Through reading
this chapter I kept thinking to myself and writing in the margins “Duh,” “Of
course,” and “Doesn’t everyone know this,” but I guess in some households the
norm on schooling has gone out the window. Parents no longer think that it is
their specific job to enrich their child’s life on the knowledge of academics
and be interested in what their child is learning at school, after all that is
where their tax money is going, right? In my household, I was a three sport
athlete, I worked at part time job and I was in all the school plays, my parents
were on the sidelines cheering me on during sports, in the audience during my
performances and “nagging” me to do my homework. They were always interested in
the new things I was learning, the field trips I went on and the amount of
homework I got in a night. With their involvement, I felt that I had to prove
myself and show what I could achieve. It saddens me to think that some parents
don’t even care what their child does after school let alone what they learn in
school. Family involvement is very important because it helps boost morel and
self-esteem in a child. With the involvement from others besides teachers they
know and realize how to act and behave in the “real-world” and their self-worth.
We should always give credit where credit is deserved. The children or young
adults as they may be are the kin of their parents and I feel it is their
parent’s responsibility to bring out the best in their children. Davis and Jackson
listed non-expensive things parents can do to show involvement on page 196 and
I feel that these three things should take place in every household. They are
(1) create a home environment that encourages learning, (2) express high (but
not unrealistic) expectations for their children’s achievement and future
careers, and (3) become involved in their children’s education at school and in
the community. By following these three expectations most students are able to
get higher grades, better test scores, have more positive attitudes, receive higher
graduation rates, better attendance and fewer placements in special education
as well as high enrollment in postsecondary education (colleges). The school
also profits because they know the parents by name and get the support for what
they do and how they do it. Throughout the chapter there were many ways on how
to involve parents that I may use in my classroom and spread school wide, but
most of them I felt we learned in practicum and were common sense like mentor
programs, after-school programs, and community service. I think another great
idea would be to have the parents read the same book as the students and have a
discussion with parents versus students so the students come show their
knowledge and the parents could enlighten their children on different ways of
reading the text (this worked out well with A Clockwork Orange in my
high school English class). I feel involvement helps all around: parents,
teachers and students and should be implemented throughout the whole year.

Boys and Girls Learn Differently

Through Jasmine and Mykayla's book talk, we learned a lot about differentiating by gender. Boys are more apt to be competitive while girls are more shy and nervous if they are wrong. The author suggestion seperating gender to reach a comfort level. I don't find this a reality though, how will they be exposed to the opposite sex and their opinions if we always seperate them. Jasmine's story about the little boy in her mother's class breaks my heart because little boys need that interaction with other little boys to be themselves but as children grow up they need a mixture of both genders in order to find themselves. Some aspects of the book, I feel I will use in my classroom like (1) the recovery room, (2) the 60 second rule, (3) same gender grouping, (4) book retrivals and (5) talk about its/write about its. Each of these processes will build character and individuality which will bring out the best in ALL students. This book will come in handy in the future and I feel that I will purchase it to keep it in my teaching library. The other thing I appreciated from their talk was the topic of mandatory sports and how a 'sport' doesn't have to be the normal sports we think of/hear about on a daily basis. Sports are good to relieve stress and also to give a sense of character. Teachers should have different sports incorporated in their teaching like daily hikes, yoga, frisbee, walks, etc. to keep students fit and focused.

ch. 8:A Safe and Healthy School Environment

Have you ever understood why the students
that played three sports a year was in the high level track? In this chapter Jackson
and Davis explain why a safe and healthy school environment is important and
how we can maintain one. Health and fitness can affect an adolescent’s learning
and that is just not health and fitness from the student but from the school
itself. Did your school offer a healthy meal? Did you have free time for
exercise? Was your P. E. class year round? Did you have recess in middle
school? These questions if answered yes to the majority than you indeed came
from a healthy environment and were taught to be healthy and fit. What about
safety? Did you fear bullying? Were you scared of a lockdown or shooting? Was
there graffiti on the walls? Did your teachers belittle you? If answered no to
these questions than you were in a safe environment as well. Finding a balance
between safety and healthy is difficult to reach so Jackson and Davis help teachers
evaluate themselves by listing out standards for a healthy learning
environment, classroom management and discipline, promoting positive
interethnic and interracial relations, peer mediation and health promoting. The
two sections that hit me the hardest were the interethnic and interracial
relations and peer mediation because a lot of it has to do with the students
themselves. I love the idea of having students
mediate with each other to help solve their own problems because it tends to
allow them to take ownership and build confidence levels in themselves and
trust with those around them. Overall, this chapter will be a reference to me
when I have a classroom of myself.

Ch. 4: Designing Instruction to Improve Teaching and Learning

Through this chapter, we were exposed to the
challenges of a curriculum. How should it be set up? What do we want to
accomplish? And, how can we accomplish it for all learners? Jackson and Davis
stress that our main goal is to ensure that every student achieves success. As
middle school teachers our vision of a “successful” 15 year-old student is (a)
intellectually reflective, (b) caring, (c) healthy, (d) ethical, (e) a good
citizen and (f) en route to a lifetime of meaningful work. Educators are placed
in the school system as the heartbeat of the students—they are responsible for
the teaching and the learning process. Sometimes the teachers become the
students of the students to make the process full circle and rewarding. The
three things to make learning successful when integrated together are
curriculum, assessment methods, and students as well as the instruction. The
instruction is the meat and potatoes of the classroom and includes the tools,
strategies, lessons, and activities. This setup is much like the backwards
design we used in practicum. The curriculum is what is being accomplished all
together, the assessment is a way to have students demonstrate what was accomplished,
and the students needs, interests and concerns must mesh to make learning
successful. I disagreed with the equity and excellence section greatly because
I grew up in a tracked school. I hated how the upper levels and lower levels
had different projects from each other and choice was eliminated. I believe
that if all schools were untracked than students would have a greater chance to
become stronger and show their full potential. Tracking, I feel, is a way to
pull the weaker students down and push the higher achievers up at the same
time. Don’t we want to push everyone to success? I enjoyed reading about the
two models, WHERE and differentiated instruction and I feel both of these would
boost student achievement and overall success. When a student is engaged he/she
would be more likely to do their best and give effort to their work. Through
both of these instruction methods, choice is the key. This chapter also focused
on reading and learning how to read. I found it heartbreaking how many young
adolescents actually couldn’t read. I know in my classes, strategies will be
sought out but I loved the idea of libraries in the classroom with books on
content in all reading levels. When I was in middle school we had reading buddies
at the elementary school, where we’d go over once a week and read to a first
grader. I felt that this was beneficial to both the middle school student and
the first grader. I think this “buddy reading” should be implemented in all
districts so that reading is still the focus but not priority.

Ch. 8: Effective Assessments

We must remember that effective assessments do not have to all be the same. Why grade 15 written reports when students can show the same thing in different forms? Why not give choice? Why not take home a variety of projects that represent the same outcome? Wormeli reassures us that this approach of differentiation while assessing is perfectly normal and usually more enjoyable. Grading does not have to be hard or strenuous at all. Yes, we need a new criteria for each project, yet, the overlying point is did the students accomplish what you wanted them to learn, was your essential question met…Students should have the opportunity to show off their talents and meet expectations in their own, unique style. For example, at the beginning of the chapter, Wormeli talked about Danny who struggled with reading. Wormeli let him do his book report in a form other than writing the summary in order to achieve. While Danny sang and played his guitar, he was able to express what he learned from the book. We need to give students the option to show their true colors and not hid behind a giving assignment that they cannot do well at. The thing that stuck out in the chapter was the section on the goal. I find it interesting that the good assessments define at the beginning of the chapter and not the end of the unit. When the student and the teacher are on the same level the outcomes will improve tremendously because both parties will clearly understand what is expected. In my classroom, I hope to bring some of the examples of group and individual assessments that were mentioned on page 93 because they include MI’s, differentiation, socialization and imagination. A well-rounded student is subject to knowing who they are at least one of these levels; we are the coaches and guides that have the will and ability to bring these aspects to life. While assessing we need to know the difference between a “good” assessment and a “valid” assessment; a good assessment is a valid indicator of what students know and are able to do while valid assessments give students a fair and equal chance to show what they know and can do. As teachers, guides, and coaches, it is our job to assess while students are at their best. The main concern we should have while assessing is, “Did they meet our objectives?”—if the students understand our goal, the essential questions and the objectives, then we have done our job; it should not matter how they show what they have learned only that they do show that they have learned what we expected them to learn.

Ch. 7: Differentiated Instruction--Fitting the Lesson to the Learner

In differentiating instruction and lessons for all, we must remember to teach the content. All students are different and learn in different ways. The most important thing we need to keep in mind is what is essential to know. Wormeli said, we all have “fluff” in our lessons and must be flexible enough to change the “fluff” for the student’s interests and abilities. Some students need this extra information to push them to succeed while others imagine without the push and have the consistency to always ask why to get the information they need. I may be alone here, (and I’m ok with it), but I’ve never thought it was fair to give more work to the stronger students because of the myth that they can handle it and less work to the lower achievers. Why separate the workload in a week or month by giving the stronger readers two or three book reports and the struggling reader’s only one? I believe in differentiation, no doubt, but young adolescents are judgmental creatures and will quickly be able to pinpoint the stronger learners and the weaker ones and know where they fall. This will affect self-esteem, I feel. I was a strong reader in middle school but instead of having to do more, my teachers would have me compare the books I read in one report so essentially I was never doing more so it would not show, yet the teacher would know that I read four books versus Joe’s one, but it was something only the teacher and I would know. The opposite goes with math and myself, I would be at the lower spectrum. If my peers knew this, I feel I would be more self-conscience, therefore, we need to keep our students comfort levels in mind as well. In order to differentiate, we must remember that we have to be empathetic to our student’s interest, organized with grading, graphic organizers and be well-informed about the different areas within the content as well as be comfortable, flexible, tenacious, and resourceful within the classroom and have the ability to collaborate and include humor to the lessons. With all these things in mind, Wormeli helped me believe that differentiation is the key to a successful learning situation. My only fear is picking on the weak/strong achievers in the classroom therefore I won’t assign more, yet I would opt to assign choices and have information in different venues available, for instance, what I would expect if they were to draw the book report synopsis, or make an iMovie, Podcast or blog and how I would grade a written report versus an oral report. Having differentiation helps learners grow and succeed, but in every class we should have limitations and expectations for all to achieve. On another note, we, as teachers need to keep in mind the multiple intelligences to spark our student’s interests and boast differentiation.