Blog 6- A Call from Obama

1) If President Obama called me to ask my opinion about five things to be done about education, I would first tell him he has the wrong number or the wrong Karen Vigna!  I would tell him to:


-first read Diane Ravitch's book if he hasn't already. The first 9 chapters are a good lesson for all as to what NOT to do.
- I would also encourage him to make sure charter schools are closely monitored and necessary.
-To use standardized testing as a means to provide feedback to the student and parents as far as their progress in school and not use it as a means for funding, teacher evaluation or anything else. It isn't working. Stop.
-To realign the use of the teachers union. Is it necessary? Shouldn't we all be hired and fired at will like in the other job markets? Why are some teachers just sitting around doing nothing and still being paid full salaries with benefits and pension? How is that fair?
-To reevaluate who has access to public education. Are the proper checks and balances being done at the federal level to ensure that the people using our public funds in public schools have the right to do so? I think certain districts are bleeding the system dry and abusing the public's right to an education.




2) The most meaningful thing I gained from the Ratvich book, is the fact that I am blessed to work in a Catholic school where I do not have to deal with this annoying political battle. We certainly have our own set of problems, but I don't feel that I am being micromanaged and threatened.  I also have boundaries but creative control of the pacing of my class, which I greatly appreciate.  I also appreciate the communication we do have at our school, it certainly isn't perfect, but I feel that our voices will be heard. I am so glad I am not affiliated with a teachers union nor do I have to "teach to the test." I feel like I can have discussions in my classroom- moral discussions- that would not work in a public classroom.  I am glad I read this book, though, because I can see what system many of our students are coming from. It is a scary place in many places and many of these students are not supported to receive an education they wholeheartedly deserve.


3) As a teacher, I can do my best to serve my school, students and parents.  I can listen, evaluate, adapt, and reflect on my lessons and strategies I use in my classroom.  When I need help or assistance, I will ask for it. When I need parent support or there is a cause for concern, I will reach out and facilitate communication. I need to make sure the proper mission and goals for our students are being supported and encouraged at home as well.  As a citizen, if major changes are not being made, I do not think I can allow my own child to attend public school in its current state.  I cannot believe in a system that treats my child as a number rather than a whole person. If I have to work three jobs to ensure that he has a good and well-rounded education, I will do so.


4) Here are the two associations I discovered:


National Council of the Teachers of English
http://www.ncte.org/tyca/
I love how they have their list of conventions that I could attend, which I do plan on doing. This could also be a great thing to share with my department. I absolutely am excited to discover the lesson plans they have on their site. They even had a link to this other association called ReadWriteThink.org:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/collaboration-sites-sounds-using-979.html. They also have a link to peer reviewed journals which is helpful when doing more research for my capstone project. I used NCTE a number of times  and found out they were so resourceful! I really enjoyed reading articles written by well-respected peers in the field.


College English Association
http://www2.widener.edu/~cea/
I didn't find their website as user friendly as NCTE, however, they do have conferences for teachers to attend.  It says that their website is going to  be redesigned and coming soon, so hopefully there will be more links for educators to use. They do have conferences available so maybe there is more for them to offer at their conferences as opposed to their website.


5) Over the next three years, if I could, I would:


a) -still would like to attend more plays and productions by the various theatres here in the Bay area
    -attend a conference locally to help support my English classroom
    -have my students attend a play with me as a field trip
    -have my students meet me at a bookstore to meet with a local author or an author they have read in class
    -have local authors come and have a forum at my school for assembly to enrich both the teachers and the students


b) books I would like to read: 
-Everyone Can Write: Essays toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching Writing
-An Unquiet Pedagogy: Transforming Practice in the English Classroom by Eleanor Kutz
-Clearing the Way: Working with Teenage Writers by Tom Romano
-The Rise and Fall of English: Reconstructing English as a Discipline by Robert Scholes
-Reasonable Creatures: Essays on Women and Feminism by Katha Pollitt




c) I would still like to investigate more with NCTE and the various journals they have in there as well as The English Journal, which both are wonderful resources that I rarely have time to read. I would really like to make time next school year making this a priority. 




d) English teacher conferences I would like to attend:


National Conference of English Teachers in Sydney, Australia: October 3rd and 4th
The 2012 NCTE National English Conference: November 15-18, Las Vegas, NV




e) Places I would love to visit in the world connected to my subject area:


-Stratford-upon-Avon
-The Globe Theatre
-The theatres of Ancient Greece
-RADA: The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
-The Julliard School in New York City


6) I really enjoyed all the presentations and thought that they were all unique and interesting. I particularly enjoyed Megan Manley's because I felt that I could really adapt that to my own classroom. I like the idea of focusing on the outcasts in literature because so many students might feel that way themselves. It makes for a unique discussion and interest in the classroom. I felt that some of the books she had were of particular interest to my own classroom and I even suggested a couple from my own repertoire for her use as well.  I would be interested to check in with her next year to see how she implemented her research and what the outcome was. If she decided to do a website or a wikispace, I would really love access to it for my classroom. All in all, I thought, "Way to go, everyone!" I think everyone seemed generally enthusiastic about their subject matter which is the point of the program.  There is also genuine support for one another as well.  I am really looking forward to implementing my own research in my capstone project in the fall.






    

Blog 5- Technology & The Student

1) After reading the article last week on technology and watching Dr. Robert's presentation, I am honestly worried more as a parent than as a teacher.  I want to unplug my household, but have a hard time doing so because we are computer addicts. My son is only two years old and knows how to use my iPhone! I had to password protect it so he could not change all my settings. I think parents need to monitor television usage, computer usage, and know when the appropriate time is to allow them to have their own cell phone. I think it is ridiculous when I see small children have their own phones.  Who are they talking to?  I think it is absurd that children can play games and be on their phones at the dinner table. The first responsibility is for a parent to make sure they know how "plugged-in" their children are.  It is important to note how socially awkward our children are going to become not knowing how to carry a normal conversation using eye contact. I think my son is more engaged using his imagination playing with his toys than when he watches a short episode of his favorite show, Caillou. My focus question for  him is that how has he shared this information with parents and what has their response been? Is this problem only going to get worse? Are we going to loose focus as a society on what is important if we never speak to one another face to face?


2) I have read the New York Times Article, "More Pupils Are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality."


3) I whole-heartedly disagree with students taking courses online to "make-up" the courses they failed in the classroom. I think we can offer differentiated instruction in the classroom, but I get so angry when students purposefully fail a course knowing that they can just take it online in the summer. Why on earth would they want to spend their summers doing this? Why not just do the work like they should during the year?  Not only that, there is minimal supervision on how students are accessing information. In the page paragraph of the article, the student went on Wikipedia to get information!  This will greatly affect education in general because teachers should be the primary source of information for the student in helping them guide their content knowledge.  Taking one online course for enrichment is one thing, taking it for an entire "education" is another.  It is all about being cheap, but I really feel this cheapens education as a whole. If there is a sufficient lack of evidence as a whole, how can we realistically say this is working for our students?  I can see plagiarism being a big drawback for these students.  I make all of my students write their essays in class because of this problem. It is really the only way I can see that they do not copy information. Online education seems like a "last ditch resort" for students who are in desperate situations. It seems like an easy out for them. I see it in my own school community where students take courses through BYU online so they can graduate on time with the rest of their peers. I think it is a total joke. The best situation I saw to alleviate this is to have a senior join a sophomore English class that she failed. Knowing this causes embarrassment, it will prevent them from putting themselves in this situation ever again! I really do not think you can substitute technology for teaching. It just is not the same as face-to-face communication. The implications are large and the ultimate sufferers are going to be the students.


4) http://www.dropbox.com/- We recently moved to an iPad system at our school and all of the students are going to have one when we start in August as well. I have yet to use the dropbox tool, but I am looking forward at using it for my classroom.  I like the idea of web based storage especially when it comes to students losing files. Having a dropbox system allows them to recover files. It also enables me as a teacher to move from classroom to classroom and use various computers with the same data. 


http://www.chatzy.com/ - I absolutely love the idea of online collaboration and discussion as we have done with our 402 and 403 classes. I think translating that to the high school classroom should be easy using the chatzy tool. Having this tool creates a virtual classroom and making this an assignment could be really important for students to get their homework completed online. Less paperwork and less time spent on grading is also a plus for the teacher as well. This could be used with chapter discussions of the reading that was requested. Students are online when they get home anyways, why not have them do their homework while being online as well! 


http://quizlet.com/ - I have never heard of this and now I am so excited about it! Every week we do vocabulary flashcards and this quizlet tool is a great asset to change my vocab lessons and bring them into the 21st century.  I love the idea that they can make flashcards online. So many times, I get the excuse of my students not having flashcards or running out of them which they do get a zero because of this. Having this resource in my class is the first step for them moving this lesson using their new iPads and hopefully jogging their memory while doing so. 


http://rubistar.4teachers.org/- I recently just saw this tool in my 403 class and am so excited about it. I have always thought that one of my weaknesses as a teacher was not having a clear rubric for assignments. With this tool, I will be able to create it and save it to use it in years to come. With all of the templates set in place and the ability to adapt it to your own classroom, rubistar makes it possible and clear for your students as to your expectations. You can always have them refer to the rubric when they question you on the grade they received. I really wish I knew about this last year, when my rubric for an outside reading book failed and students showcased juvenile results. With rubistar, you can make sure every aspect of the assignment is clear and the grading is clear as well. It holds the student as well as the teacher accountable for the grade. 

A Lesson Before Dying Interdisciplinary Learning

In the spring, I teach Ernest Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying. It may sound strange, but, it is a great way to end the year for the students. We do our novels chronologically, so we end with the most recent novel. Many of my students really connect with this piece. It is a beautifully written novel about an innocent young man, Jefferson, who is wrongfully sentenced to death. The main character, Grant, a school teacher, is the only educated African-American man in the area and given the task of trying to make Jefferson "a man" before he dies.  Ironically, it is Grant who learns the most important lesson of all.

Since this novel takes place in Louisiana after World War II and before the Civil Rights Movement, there are a variety of historical approaches to use.  I give the students a research project to do in order for them to understand the background of the novel- this was one that was used by a teacher who taught this class before I did. I am always impressed with their interest regarding this assignment. They have a choice to research such topics as Jim Crow Laws, Capital Punishment and the Cajun Culture. Here is a sample of what it entails:

A Lesson Before Dying Research Project

  

You will write a 2-3 page paper (excluding the work cited page) researching a particular aspect from A Lesson Before Dying. The purpose of this research project is to further your understanding of the culture, background, and setting of the novel.

We will also be learning the “works cited” format detailed in your Elements of Language text (pages 266-275).  You will use at least three separate sources, and you will both cite and quote* each source at least once, for a total of six citations. At least one reference must be a printed reference (such as an encyclopedia), at least one source must be a printed book, and at least one source must be digital ( database, or website).

In your paper you will answer the basic questions of:

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

Research areas include:

Cajun Culture: Who were the Cajuns? Where are they located? How did they come to Louisiana? What makes Cajuns distinct (food, music, language, traditions)?

Jim Crow Laws:  Where did Jim Crow laws apply? Where did the name “Jim Crow” come from? When were they enacted? What exactly were they? When did they end?  What are some specific examples?

Death Penalty, Past and Present: When did the death penalty begin in the Unite States?  Where is it still practiced?  What are the arguments for and against the death penalty?  What racial issues some to light regarding the death penalty?

Sharecropping:  Where was share cropping practices?  What were the rules?  Who benefited most from sharecropping and who suffered?  Were there any alternatives for sharecroppers?  When did the practice come to an end and why?

Reconstruction and the Ku Klux Klan:  What was reconstruction?  Where and when did it take place?  When and where did the KKK begin? What was the goal?  Was reconstruction successful? Why or why not?

*Cite means refer to information in a source, Quote means write down (in quotation marks) what is said in the text.

By having access to this historical information, it enables the students to understand the motives and actions of the characters during this time period.  I also show the PBS Documentary, The Murder of Emmett Till, which is about the brutal murder of a young boy who whistled at a white woman in Mississippi. PBS has some wonderful resources for teachers on showing this poignant video which includes lessons on history, civics, geography and economics:


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/index.html

I also think music can be a big component with this novel. I love to access the resources from my former employer, The International House of Blues Foundation. It is a non-profit music and arts organization that provides educational programs for students. Unfortunately, we do not have a venue close-by that would be a great place for a field trip. However, they do have some resources online that helps teachers to have some access to historical information of this time period. There are also some great art projects that can be done as well.  Here is a link to their Blues SchoolHouse resources:

http://www.ihobf.org/programming/learning-center/learning-center-blues-schoolhouse-resources/

I also like playing some zydeco and blues music during their journal entry time so they can gain a greater understanding of the lesson of the day.

I really think you cannot teach this novel without this background knowledge or else the novel looses some of its significance and impact for the students. These resources are free and very useful in my classroom.  A worthwhile investment is purchasing the DVD of Emmett Till ($20 on shoppbs.org).

The challenge with teaching all of this is finding the time to fit it all in because it does take away from the discussion of the novel. With some careful lesson planning, it can be done. Most of the reading needs to be put on the students to do outside of the classroom, which for this book they are usually more than happy to do.

Addendum: I would really like to incorporate more history when teaching Wuthering Heights. I have the students do a research project which for the past few years has been lackluster. I would like them to take themselves on a journey giving them the tools to do their own historical inquiry of the life and times in a Victorian society. Students can look at Victorian fashion or women's roles in the Victorian era.  I saw this online through a search and thought it was interesting:

http://www.mla.org/store/CID5/PID248  -- I could purchase this to help give me more ideas on teaching this novel too!

I also think taking the students on a visual quest journey of the English moors would be a great idea.   One group could actually focus on the village of Haworth where the Bronte sisters were raised.

http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/outandabout/haworth.htm

We can even have students work on researching Victorian art and architecture. There are so many new ways I can go with this novel that I do plan on incorporating them next year.


Especially since next year they are going to have iPads this could easily be done in class.



I have viewed the following blogs:
http://schoolinglife32.blogspot.com/
http://misshollison.blogspot.com/
http://yvhsteachermat.blogspot.com/

I responded to the following blog:
http://misshollison.blogspot.com/

MAIT 402- Session 2 "Mind the Gap"

1) "The more I saw, the more I lost faith." (p.4) - This quote spoke to me, because the more I read this book, the more I lost faith in the educational system as it is structured today. I can see where this statement rings true for Ratvich and rings true for many in our educational system. Many people who were once strong advocates for this system now work in other sectors or fields altogether because they felt they were hitting so many brick walls and not getting anywhere. It was shocking to read about the business models of education and how human needs are taken out of the equation.

   "If kids were not succeeding in their regular public school, why not let them take their federal funds to another public school or to a private-even religious-school? (p.8)  This poses a big question with a big problem.  What will happen to public schools if people were allowed to do this? Would everyone cram private schools for the access to a different system? Ratvich poses the question that should poorer families have similar choices as affluent families. This is such a huge hot button controversial question, I don't think there is a straight yes or no answer to that.  Wouldn't this sound more like a socialist society than a democratic society? Is this fair?  You want to give children the opportunity to an education but at what cost both economically and morally?

2) A well-educated person means being a well-rounded person with a wide variety of experience and knowledge that he or she can relate to others in an accessible way. A well-educated person can use the skills they obtained in school to be able to effectively handle life situations and manage their knowledge for the good.  In today's world, a well-educated person should be able to know reading, writing and math but also be well-read and understand how to interpret material critically. They should also know how to use technology appropriately, keep abreast of the new trends and ideas, keep informed of current events and information.  I believe a well-educated person is also an excellent observer and listener.  Someone told me a long time ago that no one ever learned anything by talking and this is so true. We learn by actively listening to trusted individuals who are there to help us make the most of our strengths.

3) All my peers made many valid points regarding the first two chapters and most of us agreed that it was very disheartening to see that the system is set-up in such a defeating way. It is defeating to the system itself and teacher and student alike. I feel upset about it because I feel that there is not an easy solution to this bureaucracy. I am grateful to teach where I do teach because I do have logical creative control of my classroom.  My employers entrusted me to do the job I am expected to do.  The best way to run an educational system is to have a combination of both business and educational sense. It is important to include teachers, parents, students and the curriculum in the decision making process.  It is also important for everyone to be accountable for their work and stay on a budget. It is important to remember we are dealing with children who are diverse in both background, skill and capability. There is no one size fits all to this system.  It has to be adaptable and acceptable.   A child is more than a number, but a human being with various needs and feelings.  This pressure and test can disenfranchise many and discourage many from getting an education altogether. I feel though there is so much red tape, so much corruption and poor management that it is set up to fail.  Ravitch points out many administrators committing fraud and stealing from the system.  I am honestly glad that they are not giving this book as a read for the teaching credential program because we might not have many teachers left if everyone read this.  It is honest, but depressing.  It is honestly why I cannot see myself fighting to teach to a test in a system that simply does not work as it is structured now.


 4)A definite gap for me as far as content in English Language Arts is grammar. For example, 9/10 1.1-1.3 Grammar and Mechanics of writing. I know how to effectively write, however, it is difficult to teach the "why" in grammar and give reasoning's for certain grammar rules. Our textbook, Elements of Language is quite comprehensive, however I end up having to re-teach myself some of these rules before my lesson in order to answer the students questions appropriately. If I do not know why, I will go back to them in the class period and try and give them a better explanation until they understand it. I think to effectively teach grammar well, you do need a decent textbook, which we do have however, it tends to be dull and inadequate because the student buy in does not exist.

I noticed these websites which sound interesting:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6216966_teach-school-grammar-fun-way.html

I really love this idea of creating a grammar court in my classroom- it would be great to do this with one specific topic per week:
http://www.communityofwriters.com/teachers/lesson-plans/conventions/grammar-court

 This is a wonderful lesson on how to teach active vs. passive voice: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/14428-active-vs-passive-voice-lesson/ This is definitely going to be more appropriate for high school students and can help improve their writing. I especially liked the idea of a paragraph challenge to have them revise various different paragraphs to change to passive voice.

 A book that seems to get great reviews is:
 http://www.amazon.com/Grammar-High-School-Sentence-Composing-Approach--A/dp/0325010463/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341370063&sr=8-1&keywords=GRammar+for+high+school

I really love this article in the New York times on teaching grammar creatively. The teacher gives them an article and has the students self reflect on fun ways to learn grammar: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/creative-writing/

- this last article seems to be the one I can implement realistically in my classroom because students take active control of the principals and rules that are being learned and doing creative exercises to demonstrate their knowledge of them. It could be a classroom management nightmare if it is not followed with time limitation on each portion. This will also help with them understanding the why they need to know the grammar as well.

5) The first article that was definitely useful to my research was an article by Sally Sue Rothenberg and Susan Watts called "Students with Learning Difficulties Meet Shakespeare: Using A Scaffolded Reading Experience." This article provided an interesting take on teaching Shakespeare using a method I have never heard of before called SRE (Scaffolded Reading Experience).  It is a model of implicit instruction which in essence sounds what I do already in my classroom but I have never heard it described as SRE. The students in her classroom did not have a specific diagnosed disability however they more or less performed academically at  level that was on par with their ability.  I have many students with this exact same problem.  This method that she used with Macbeth, allowed for a lot of student engagement and interest with pre-reading, during reading and post reading activities. She explained how she used items relating to the students lives- in particular film that they can relate to on their own level. Over a 10-day period she was able to cover this material and said that she had success with student interest and engagement. Once they finished, many felt they were more confident to approach other Shakespearean material without fear. I think this article will be completely useful in my research because it is exactly on topic with my guiding question. I think it would be interesting to get an article from a students perspective as well.

The second article is "Words, Words, Words: reading Shakespeare with English Language Learners" by Christina Porter. As a literacy coach in a urban public high school, the author explains how she made the material, in particular, "Julius Caesar"to ELL students. She is specifically giving approaches here that I feel is exactly what my research is discussing. Although I do not teach many ELL students, this approach can apply to students who are in complete fear of Shakespeare and help with motivation and confidence to read it. I would definitely be interested in other articles she has because she is making the content less overwhelming.  She uses a book I use as well called Shakespeare Set Free which has some great activities for students. I will use this as a resource as well for my wiki.  She is very convincing because she is not just a researcher giving data, she is actually a teacher with hands-on experience on how this approach is effective.

Question for Joan: How can teachers be creative in the classroom when they are faced with so many bureaucratic challenges? What advice would you give to new teachers with this dilemma?

I have responded to the following blogs:
http://fatheadtroysmc.blogspot.com
http://aeckloff.blogspot.com/
http://Mikejas.blogspot.com/

MAIT 402-01 Blog Entry #1

I would definitely say that it is imperative to have outside school experience to deepen your subject area content knowledge.  For me, it has been the utmost essential tool I can use in my classroom.  I graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Santa Clara University many years ago and waited a long time to decide to become a teacher despite the protests and suggestions from my family, friends and peers.  I believe it was that real-world application of my skills that I obtained in my English classrooms that enable me to be an effective English teacher.  I can tell my students the “why” it is important to learn something because I really do know how it is used in the corporate world.  Knowing how important it is to have attention to detail and being able to communicate and present yourself appropriately is essential when in any work environment.  Having appropriate social skills, being able to write correctly, speak using the correct grammar and vocabulary is really essential in any job. I am grateful that I took the path I decided to take because I do not think I would be an effective high school teacher if I did not.  I believe that it is the world outside academia that enhances a teacher’s skill too. I also believe it can be a useful tool when working on an administration as well.  Running a private school is in essence running a business.  You need to have knowledge of your market, community, budgets, group dynamics, maintenance, as well as a clear understanding of the product you sell.  All of these things come into play and if you don’t have a clear understanding of that, you will only know the world inside your classroom.  I can tell my students the why they need to know proper grammar and writing because I have seen people who do not have those skills and they unfortunately do not get the opportunities to be promoted because they lack those essential skills.  It is these things that I really believe enable me to engage my high school students to not only think about their present but their futures as well.  The job market is more competitive now than ever and being confident in ones skills is so important.  Many of my students have high hopes and dreams for what they would love to accomplish in their lives. If they cannot write or speak appropriately, many doors will not be opened for them.  I always have my students write an introduction about themselves like they would in a cover letter as homework for the first day of class.  They refine that, improve upon their presentation and in the end, they have an appropriate cover letter that highlights their attributes.  Many students tell me that this is really helpful when they start looking for summer internships or jobs because they see how competitive it can be.

I have mixed emotions concerning Ball’s article.  While there are many times I do feel insecure about my subject area content knowledge, I do not think it is possible for a teacher to be all knowing.  There are times when I do tell students that I do not know the answer and I research the problem. During the next class session, I go back to their question and answer it appropriately. When were having a discussion in Introduction to Inquiry, it was mentioned that although someone is a scholar, they might not be an effective teacher. You can know everything about your subject; however, it does not mean that you will be able to communicate them effectively in a classroom. I think this is where Ball misses the mark here.  Yes, a teacher needs to be knowledgeable and we should be able to answer questions correctly. However, just because one knows a lot of information, it does not make them capable of communicating that to students.  There has to be some leeway that is given to allow a teacher to be human and be a life-long learner. Some teachers do grow stale and get lazy, but for the most part, especially with the teachers I have had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with, I have seen them go above and beyond to make their class interesting and accessible. I enjoyed the class discussion because many students brought up valid points.  The article did address the gaps in subject matter comprehension that one needs in order to be a teacher due to the way school is structured from Kindergarten through college. Many of us did not even realize we were going to be teachers until after our college education was finished. It is just important that whatever we do teach, we stress the how and more importantly, the why we teach it.  I did also appreciate when Ball said that basically our job is to give them the skills so they can “gain control over everyday real world problems” and to “be effective actors in their environment.” (p. 2) I like this quote so much I am definitely going to use it in my classroom anytime a student gives me grief about a lesson!

I feel that my line of inquiry is all over the board at this point, but I have narrowed it down to two ideas. The first question is: How can a teacher make Shakespeare accessible in an ethnically diverse classroom?  The other question is: How can we promote independent and critical readers in the age of technology? I have found somewhat limited research on my first inquiry, however, I do plan on researching both and seeing which one might spark my interest more.  I find both compelling and both are current since I encounter these obstacles in my classroom.  I would find it interesting to talk to other teachers at other schools to see what they do.  I would also like to talk with some acting teachers as well to get their take on things. I also think contacting local resources such as Berkeley Rep and ACT to talk to their professors to get their take on ideas. For the other ones, I’d like to get opinions from both the technology side and the reading side.  I would like to talk to librarians and developers alike.  I have seen a big decline in recent years with students reading, both in their skills in reading out loud and their own initiative to read independently. I hope to find some information out there that will be able to help me.

I am very curious about this Capstone Project and want to make it both interesting to research and useful for my classroom. I hope my line of inquiry will develop and take more of a focused approach soon.

These are the blogs I have responded to:

http://aeckloff.blogspot.com      

http://smc-mat-temple.blogspot.com/

http://smc-mat-giotta.blogspot.com

5 Possible Guiding Questions

1) Looking at the needs of our current students and the students in other countries, why are our American students considered so far behind compared to those of foreign countries? How is the education system different and is it possible to restructure an entire school system that has been suffering for so long?

2) Some lessons are meant to be more interactive and some are meant to be more straightforward. Since expectations for the creativity in teaching are at high standards today, are students expecting more and more from teachers to entertain them rather than give them the essential skills they need to succeed?

3)Learning for the sake of gaining an education seems to be forgotten by many of our students today.   Is traditional assessment of students (homework, tests, projects and quizzes) allowing our students to apply the content knowledge gained in the classroom or is it seen by them as a way to occupy their time? How can this be changed?

4) Regarding content in subject areas, should teachers be mandated to have professional development to allow themselves to gain the ever evolving content in their subject as to not get stagnant? How can districts assist with teachers knowledge as well?

5) Since it is can be difficult for teachers to describe how they do what they do, is the art of teaching something that can inherently be taught in the long run? Is a teacher using effective PCK something that you have or you don't?

First Class!

Welcome to my first blog posting here on the blogger site.  I feel like this blog took me two hours to create because of my technological ineptitude, but here is the good news...I did it!  This will be also be quite different than my Buon Appetito blog, which of course is about my other favorite subject, food!  I will be using this blog as a forum for my Masters of Arts in Teaching program at St. Mary's College of Moraga.  My first class was yesterday and although it was seven hours long, it surprisingly went by quite quickly.  This is due to the fact that they had us engaged and moving to different areas and didn't keep us in the classroom for the entire time.  (Thank you, Meg and Joan!)  I can already tell this program will  be a lot of work, however, the subject matter is totally interesting to me.  As teachers during the school year, we rarely have time to connect with other teachers as far as the ways we can improve our teaching methods and the research and methodologies behind teaching.  Between prepping, teaching, grading, meetings, parent contact, school functions, supervision duties and all the other lovely things that you do as a teacher, you can only really take a hard look at your teaching skills through a forum such as this.  I am looking forward to this program.  Although I feel like an old-timer because I finished this program in 2006, my classmates offer a fresh and positive outlook on teaching and I look forward to learning from their input as well!