Reflection

After looking at the eend result of this UBD Project, it makes me think about the areas that I need to imrove on as a teacher. There are a lot of lesson plans that my fellow classmates did that make me think about the weaknesses I have and how I can improve on them. I was just talking to a friend of mine last night about his first (and right now last) year of teaching in Brooklyn. He was in the teaching fellow, but he still felt little support from the school or program. This guy is a great teacher and role model for the student, and hopefully he will be going back to teach in Newark, but like many that want to make a difference, they just end up feeling frustrated.

I feel very grateful that I had a group that was great and supportive because I had no idea what was going on in the beginning. They showed a tremendous amount of patience with me throughout the process. I was a little dissapointed that we could'nt do more curriculum based on content, but as I said earlier, I still got a lot out of this project (and it makes sense since many students in class are going to be administrators).

The concept of the Big Ideas and Essential Questions I had in the back of my mind since I started teaching, but this project allowed me to practically put them in use when creating lesson plans. Hopefully I can develop these better as I continue teaching.

This project, along with the Standards critique, provided me with a background to confidently fullfill the curriculum given to me by my district, but also (and more importantly), create new curriculums that I have been trying to work on.

Core Content Curriculum Standards - Science

Core Content Curriculum Standards - Science

By:
Kristen Angelastro, David Shellenhamer, Albert N. Moussab

Overarching Summary Statement – Science

The Core Content Curriculum Standards for Science can be broken down into three categories; skills, knowledge and dispositions. Science is based on facts, experiments and proof. The skills needed to accomplish these are; problem solving, decision making, inquiry skills, formulating usable questions, drawing conclusions, communicating results and mathematical applications. These skills will lead to the science knowledge needed for a student to become a well rounded citizen transferring their science knowledge into their everyday lives. This knowledge is the; history and development of science and technology, cultural impacts of science, understanding of the general characteristics of life, understanding the structure and behavior of matter (Chemistry), understanding basic laws of physics, understanding the dynamics of earth, understand the basic ideas of the universe and the basic knowledge of how humans affect the environment. This will give the learner the dispositions they need like remembering to recycle and changing their clothes as the seasons change based on their knowledge of science.

The principle and purpose:
Is to enhance student’s knowledge and skills in several areas;
Scientific Processes
Science and Society
Mathematical Applications
Nature and Process of Technology
Characteristics of Life
Chemistry
Physics
Earth Science
Astronomy and Space Science
Environmental Studies

The Overt Messages:
They are overwhelming, vague and difficult to understand. This will cause teaching to be very specified as to what the state wants.


They are not necessarily what is best for the students but, what the state is expecting from them. This causes teaching and learning to be geared to what an outside source is expecting and not the individual needs of students.

The Covert Messages:
They should be used as a guide to maximize the skills and knowledge that is best for your students.

Put them into your own words so they are understandable to you and make them into big ideas and essential questions to guide you.

Many of the standards repeat themselves and overlap. The instructor can then take what is essential and use that to guide their teaching, their students learning and the students will be gaining knowledge that is best suited to their abilities and needs.

Strengths
Students can apply the history of discoveries and events toward advancing science and technology. They examine groups from different points of view and interpret how their cultures contribute to advancement of the field.


Students are able to empathize and gain perspective into how social values and physical constraints can play a role in limiting the use of technology to solve problems.

Students are able to use the 6 facets of understanding in these parts of the CCCS.

Students can examine characteristics of life and apply them to real-world issues. Students can generate opinions, interpret the information and explain their conclusions based on the real-world information they have received.

Allows students to understand how conclusions are formed in science, and also gives them the capability to rationalize different problems in their own life and draw conclusions.
This can open up a number of opportunities for students to see their roles in society, and how their contributions to the class make up the environment in the classroom.

Weaknesses
No mention of Differentiation
Students who do not understand the “big idea” or part of the standard are left struggling because there is no alternative strategy or idea mentioned in CCCS.

Certain “Buzz” Words overused with no elaboration.
The words, “develop, problem solving, gain an understanding, observe and describe” are used often, without using specifics in how students are developing these understandings. Just observing and describing most likely will not lead to a greater understanding without using the 6 facets.

Many standards too big, and try to cover too many ideas.
Standard 5.1 for instance, has students developing and 3 different strategies (problem-solving, decision making, and inquiry skills), while formulating 7 different assessment strategies. This standard is so long and confusing that any teacher could interpret it differently.

Resources

American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www.nj.gov/education/aps/njscp/Science_end_of_grade.pdf

Assistance & Recources Integrating Science Education; Science Lesson Resources for Lesson Design (1997-2008). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www.edusite.com/lesson.htm

Grade 3 Science Core Unit (1990, October) Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/gr3ucesc.html

New Jersey Professional Education Port: Virtual Academy (2006). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www.nj.gov/education/njpep/classroom/classroom_resources/science/science_standards_resources_K_4.html

State of New Jersey, Department of Education (2006). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://education.state.nj.us/cccs/?_standard_matrix;c=5

Science Netlinks, Benchmark Index (2008). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/benchmark_index.cfm

Wiggins, G.& McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Interesting movie to check out

In the latest edition of Rethinking Schools there is a movie review on a new film called "Radio Free Oaxaca." Anything that has to do with Oaxaca catches my eye anyway, but this was something that I had heard of even before I saw this review. As the article says, "[This film] tells the story of how the 2006 teachers' strike in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, became a mass movement that took over 14 radio stations and a television station, using the media to mobilize people and fight back against state and federal repression." The story of the Oaxaca teachers and their rebellion last year is inspirational to everyone looking to achieve "social justice" throughout the world. This tape should be copied and given to all of the teachers' unions (not like it would matter). It is a shame that many of us went along with our daily business while this was going on in Mexico. A more active union, which is run by the rank and file, will hopefully change that.

Budget Cuts in NYC

After talking to a friend about the recent budget cuts in education in NYC, it made me wonder how much parents, students, and teachers are going to take before they start doing something about it. In NYC, the fact that they cut a principal's budget overnight is alarming, but what is even more alarming was that they just went into the computer and took it out themselves. While there was a good size protest in front of the Dep. of Ed. on Feb. 14, there is still very little opposition by students, parents, and teachers.

Very Interesting

I received this in an e-mail from a friend:

Teaching Ambassador Fellowship positions at the Department of Education
for the 2008-09 academic year. These positions will offer highly
motivated and innovative public school teachers the opportunity to
contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on
education. The program includes two tracks. Up to five Washington Fellows will
become full-time federal employees in Washington , D.C. ,
participating in policy discussions and working on education programs. Up to 20
Classroom Fellows will remain at their local schools under their regular
teaching contracts and be paid for various assignments and projects
throughout the school year on a part-time basis. All fellows will be
selected on their record of leadership, impact on student achievement, and
potential for contribution to the field. Only highly qualified public
school teachers who have spent at least three years in the classroom
are eligible to apply. And, to ensure collaboration, fellows must have
the full support of their principals. Applications are due by April 7.
Fellows will be named by early summer. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE
GO TO http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/

Enduring Understanding

This concept of enduring understanding is what made me want to be a history teacher, although I need a lot of work in successfully working with my students to reach this level. The lessons that are learned in history can and should be used as a political tool today. While many students may say "We study history so we don't make the same mistakes again," many of them see no relevance whatsoever. Even that phrase in and of itself has been repeated to them over and over again that they can recite it at will but have very little understanding of what it actually means.

To have a student not only remember important data from history but also translate how it works today is the greatest challenge teachers face. Apart from the way teachers teach, however, the way that the educational system is set up is also at fault. Students don't see the connection between world history and calculus, or physics and english. Therefore, when they learn information from one area, they don't know how to convey it to other areas.

Once students begin to truly understand the development of history (I'll use that since that is what I teach), then they will begin to see themselves as agents of change, and that the world isn't static, but constantly changing, and all of our actions affect how it changes.

Novice Teacher

Being a novice teacher is never an easy task. For the first time, you have a classroom all to yourself, you have to learn the curriculum, develop lesson plans, have some type of classroom management system, and at the same time go to graduate school. So what characteristics does a novice teacher need to overcome all of this?

I think that the ability to self-reflect is very important. Teaching, whether in your first year or twentieth year, is always a process. A process that can allow a teacher to become better and better everytime they go through it. The ability to sit down and think about what they are doing and how they are doing it is extremely important in developing as a teacher.

Another important characteristic is the ability to accept criticism. The first few years are tough, and if you can accept the criticism given to you from your peers or even students (many times they will give it without asking, thats how great they are), you can grow as a teacher as opposed to feeling defeated and demoralized.

Enthusiasm is probably one of the most important characteristics of a teacher. Many students, especially in high school, do not look forward to coming to school, particularly in the late winter months. Your enthusiasm will go a long way in building a relationship with the students. If your students see that you are interested in what you are teaching some of it will rub off on them.

There are other characteristics that are important, such as organization (which I still struggle with), patience, diligence, and confidence that can carry a teacher through those beginning years. And although this is about novice teachers, I have found that many of these characteristics are found in successful teachers that have been teaching for over 25 years.

Tough Choices or Tough Times

Since its inception, The No Child Left Behind Act has gotten a tremedous amount of publicity, and for the right reasons. Its unreasonable goals (not that it is ok for children to leave high school illeterate or poor in math, but between funding and 50 years of anti-intellectual culture) put educators and students in stressful positions that will eventually lead to failure. So we need to ask ourselves, what was the purpose and what are the goals? While NCLB may not be forever, the future of schooling will not remain the same. In 2007, a group called the NAtional Center on Education and the Economy issued a report called Tough Choices or Tough Times. While it was clear that the purpose is to reinvent the educational system so that the United States, the suggestions that they gave are pretty shocking. According to them, conventional high school would end at 10th grade and students would be funnelled into different areas - either to tech school to work, college track, or other "additional academics."

This would make one wonder the real intentions and purposes of all this. Is this part of a wider change that is going on in the world? Or is it simply another way to ready the population to take part in a democratic society?

Curriculum & control

Curriculum is the entire process that goes into the educational system. From the content knowledge, the way something is taught, the atmosphere in which it is taught, and the end goal that one wants to achieve. Since curriculums influence not only what people learn but also how they learn, we can't look at is as a neutral entity, able to be controlled by whomever wishes. Instead, curriculum design is highly political, as stated by Levin. But it is much deeper than that. In public schools, curriculum is controlled by those who control the same political-economic system. Those that benefit most from capitalism are those same people that dictate how and what students will learn. I agree with many others that the educators, students, and parents should play a majopr (primary) role in shaping the curriculum, but a deeper understanding of who controls the education system and for what purposes will lead to a more critical view of the entire social system. As Dead Prez said "The same people who control the school system control the prison system and the whole social system."

Mission Statement

To create a classroom environment that will promote critical thinking about social, political, and economic issues which will result in a deeper understanding of social justice that can inspire students, teachers, and parents to work collectively to bring about positive change on a local, national, and international level.

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