sameness as fairness?

 I think sameness as fairness in schools is not a good idea. I think that as teachers, we need to look at the students who are coming into our classroom. Each year, there are going to be students with different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, so how can we give the same lessons each year? We can’t! As teachers, we need to focus on each individual student and where they come from. We have to engage our students and take the time to get to know them. Through the readings this week, I learned that it is ok as an education to demand success for your students. It is not ok to let your students fail. We need to incorporate each student’s culture and background into their learning. We also need to expand how we are teaching our students. The use of multimodal literacies is a great way to help struggling readers and writers learn through fun exercises and experiences. Once students feel confident and successful, they will be much more engaged and ready to learn. I also liked the idea of Carter integrating the use of music in his classroom of urban students. Knowing the students hated writing, he had them analyze song lyrics and create their own meaning of the song. The students enjoyed the activity because they didn’t realize they were writing out a scenario, and they were having fun. I hope to incorporate activities like this in my classroom next year. Sameness and fairness in schools does not concentrate on each individual students needs. Instead, it is ensuring the same opportunities for all students. So what happens when you have a higher level learner and a lower level learner? They are to have the same education? One is not going to be challenged, and the other is going to be extremely challenged. Both are going to be frustrated and not want to be in school. This is why sameness as fairness in American schools is not the answer.

Are student's really learning?

"After all these years of common schooling, we still have no real way of knowing if students are learning." When I first read this statement, I really go to thinking about it. How do we know if students are learning? Yes, I mean assessments are a way of evaluating learning, but in reality, do the students really know it, or are they just memorizing key facts and ideas for the test?

Since NCLB in 2008, assessments really drive education. According to Carini, "assessment both controls and dominates what it is possible to do in schools.” I couldn't agree more. Teachers are not going to spend time on a topic they really enjoy or the students enjoy because they have to make sure they cover all the material on the test. It is sad to think that were producing almost robotic students who only are learning what they are going to be tested on and not expanding their minds. Also, administration plays a role in why teachers teach to the test. In a lot of school districts, it is important to have a high passing rate on state assessments. I know many school districts will do anything possible to improve test scores, not improve on the student's disability as to why he couldn't perform a certain task on the test. Carini again states that the only justification for having assessments is to improve test scores, and test scores are the only thing valued in schools.

I believe that we need to get out of the teach to the test mode. I agree with Luna this week when she describes teachers having the freedom to explore new ideas, ways of thinking, and collaboration. I believe that it is important as teachers today, to step away from the pen and paper assessments and have students really engage and learn the material. For example, as a special education self-contained social studies teacher, I felt immense freedom this year to really explore and create new lessons for my students to engage in, knowing I didn't have the pressure of a state assessment at the end of the year. I was able to collaborate with other social studies teachers and special education teachers to come up with creative project ideas that the students would love, rather than a test. It turns out, they really liked the project and I was able to spend time on each topic and really engage the students in the material.

I do feel that some sort of assessment is necessary to evaluate student progress. I think that these assessments need to be informal and formal. One way to do this is to have a daily "do now" question on the board so when students come into the room they are getting their brains in the material and remembering what they learned the previous day. I also think that formal assessments are needed to sum up each chapter, however, I think that this can be done through projects or group activities. I don't believe pen and paper, or essay tests are needed to be sure students are learning. I think that we should get away from standardized tests, since they discriminate against any minority group. These tests are aimed at middle class white students, and this clearly is not the case in New York State.

What it means to teach now.

      To say that teachers are undervalued is ridiculous.  "Study after study points to teacher expertise as the critical variable in effective reading instruction" (p. 15). Without teachers, how would students learn to read, or learn anything for that matter? Yes, I know parents are also considered teachers, but take this example. What if a parent is illiterate and doesn't speak English? How are they to help their child learn to read? How are they to help their child learn English and be successful in school? Without the constant work from a teacher, these students become successful!
     As a first year teacher, I am amazed to find myself learning new things every day from veteran teachers. At the same time, I offer new ideas and strategies to help my older colleagues. I think that teaching today can be defined as collaborative coaching. Teachers need to constantly be reevaluating their teaching, asking themselves questions like how can I improve on this lesson and what were successful aspects of the lesson? Teaching today is also collaborative with teachers. Teachers need to share ideas and lesson plans. I don't think teaching should be a competition, yet I know some people feel this way. Teaching is all about sharing. If you have a great lesson where the students were successful, engaged, and understood the lesson, why not pass it onto someone else to use? I think that you should take credit for coming up with a great idea, but at the same time, don't hide the lesson and take ownership of it.
      Another aspect of teaching today includes becoming a mother/father figure, or sister/brother figure to your students. For example, I work with 7th and 8th grade students. Some of them open up to me about their issues at home. They seek me out for advice and just someone they can talk to and who they trust. To be a mentor to these students is crucial because they might not get the attention at home. Maybe their parents work all day/night and they have no one to turn to. Being someone students can trust isn't exactly in our job description, however, it is an important aspect of being a teacher today. It is also important as a teacher to connect your students with their community. Getting their parent involved in the school and the community has a huge impact on how students will view coming to school. If their parents are involved, then their students will be more successful.
    Therefore, being a teacher today is not undervalued. Maybe people need to take a closer look at who is really benefitting from teachers. It's the students. Without great teachers, students would not be successful or prepared for the real world.

Option A: The role of multiple literacies in second language literacy

As a special education teacher, I see students struggling to read all the time. The school district I work in has a large low-socio economic class. What this means is that kids are coming to school not knowing how to read, and can't get help from home because their parents are illiterate as well.

I think the concept of multiple literacies for second and third language learners is a great way to help them enhance their skills. The concept of multiple literacies can be summed up in my opinion as a way for students to engage in literacy skills that are outside of the classroom. These include at home, within the community or just reading outside of school. "Out-of-school literacy practices in multiple languages must be considered equally consequential in the overall development of students’ identities." I never heard of this theory before but I think it is awesome. For example, one boy named Anton, was looked after by his older sister. She had him help her with her school work, and would create lessons for him to do. This helped him improve his literacy skills outside of school. I think that parental involvement is number one in getting students to succeed in literacy. I believe it is important to have parents read to their students and be involved in their school life. Here, Anton only had his sister because his mother was always working. I think that whoever it may be, the time out of school is needed to enhance those skills.

I really liked the classroom examples that were given in the reading by Hanenda. For example, I really connected with one point and I am actually going to start using it in my self-contained 8th grade social studies classroom! We have current event days every friday where I have my students look up an article either in a newspaper or online. They have to read it and write a paragraph on it describing it or asking questions about the article. I have the students chose the article they are interested in so it helps to engage them in the reading. I never before thought of doing this with my struggling readers in that class. In the article, they describe "Examining multiple and conflicting texts [e.g., reading the same event described by different newspapers or by different individuals who participated in the same event]. I could use this with my current events. I am going to now print off articles from The NY Times and a local newspaper and use these two different newspapers so the students can see the conflicting texts. I think this is a great idea and will really help my struggling readers!!