I started the semester with a Bio Poem and I'd like to end with a Bio Poem. Some lines are different than my original Bio Poem due changed due to maturation.
Katie
Motivated, independent, and intuitive
Daughter of John and Krista
Sister of Christine, Noelle, Heidi, and T.J.
Lover of chocolate, Starbucks, and country music
Who feels love, personal growth, and respect
Who needs support, friendship, and a positive atmosphere
Who fears failure
Who completed her Fall semester of graduate school
Who wants to travel and become knowledgeable
Resident of Albany, NY
Neville
Shaker High
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Speak
Since Speak was my favorite reading this semester, I wanted some of my thoughts regarding the reading to be a part of my blog...
As a future teacher in today’s society, I am thankful for artists such as Laurie Halse Anderson who write on such imperative themes, especially rape. I have been in the high school setting interning for 15 weeks, and I have yet to hear the word “rape”. In fact, thinking back to my college days, I don’t recall discussing rape in any class except a short 2 week non-credit abuse workshop. The education system is shunning the word rape, and in return turning their heads at the action of rape. Society has been raising generations under the belief that “rape” is an unspoken word. The problem here is that rape is prevalent. And even worse, some citizens do not realize that rape is morally wrong.
In my opinion, teachers need to be vocal about rape, allowing students to openly discuss sexual harassment. Students should be taught what to do if they are a victim of rape. A great way to introduce a shocking theme, such as rape, is through a book that exploits the topic. Such reading can allow teachers and students to critique the situation and learn what they should do in a particular situation. In doing so, the readers will study the characters in depth. Graphic organizers, such as character maps or flow charts, can be used to chart the growth and emotions of the character at different points throughout the book. Educators should allow for group discussions to provoke students to be open on the subject. Also, reading about an expressive theme may stir some emotions and the students should be encouraged to ask questions, share opinions or beliefs, and debate with other classmates on the topic. After all, one does not own their knowledge until they can verbalize and defend it.
As a future teacher in today’s society, I am thankful for artists such as Laurie Halse Anderson who write on such imperative themes, especially rape. I have been in the high school setting interning for 15 weeks, and I have yet to hear the word “rape”. In fact, thinking back to my college days, I don’t recall discussing rape in any class except a short 2 week non-credit abuse workshop. The education system is shunning the word rape, and in return turning their heads at the action of rape. Society has been raising generations under the belief that “rape” is an unspoken word. The problem here is that rape is prevalent. And even worse, some citizens do not realize that rape is morally wrong.
In my opinion, teachers need to be vocal about rape, allowing students to openly discuss sexual harassment. Students should be taught what to do if they are a victim of rape. A great way to introduce a shocking theme, such as rape, is through a book that exploits the topic. Such reading can allow teachers and students to critique the situation and learn what they should do in a particular situation. In doing so, the readers will study the characters in depth. Graphic organizers, such as character maps or flow charts, can be used to chart the growth and emotions of the character at different points throughout the book. Educators should allow for group discussions to provoke students to be open on the subject. Also, reading about an expressive theme may stir some emotions and the students should be encouraged to ask questions, share opinions or beliefs, and debate with other classmates on the topic. After all, one does not own their knowledge until they can verbalize and defend it.
The Independence of Learning
I need a break from talking about academics; I'm going to reflect on my experiences of being a graduate student in the one year MAT program. Before going any further, if anyone can relate to these feelings please make a comment!
Prior to the beginning of the semester, almost all of my previous endeavers led me down a well socialized path. For example, the main purpose of attending high school and college was to socialize.Thus, I spent the majority of my academic life mingling. After graduation, I took a month and a half off from work and school, planning to attend graduate school in the fall. Quickly realizing that my savings were depleting, I knew the only way to keep up with the life I wanted to live required me to withdraw from graduate school and get a job. I managed to find myself a respectable job as a renewal underwriter for a local workers’ compensation insurance company. This life I wanted to live consisted of: eating out daily, no homework, the freedom to travel, going out whenever, and having the financial means to do so. A year later, I decided to try graduate school again.
I was in for a change, you could say. I was required to be a responsible citizen everyday in the eyes of my students. Any sort of slacking was not an option. In the world of student teaching, if you do not do your prep work it is quite obvious to all watching. Not long after the program started, I realized the extent of which my graduate work consumed any social life I had remaining outside of student teaching.
The first month was tough. Coming from a background in Mathematics, I was not accustomed to the amount of writing that was required of me. And to my surprise, the most writing I had to do for this semester came from my graduate mathematics course based on problem solving, reasoning, and communication.
The months following were lonely, to say the least. I left for Shaker High before my roommates woke up and I returned home most nights after night classes at 9pm. Even at 9pm, my day was not done—there were papers to grade, notes to review, warm ups to create, etc.
I wasn’t lonely in the bored, sitting at home, by myself kind of lonely. It was a different kind of lonely that I never experienced before. Studying for a Mathematics final is a one man job. Writing a research paper is also a solo activity. I calculated that my work week averaged from 50-55 hours a week. This however, is my average 15 weeks into the semester. When I first started, the average week was closer to 60 hours. Twenty of those hours were from student teaching and 10 of the hours were from my graduated classes. The remaining 20-25 hours a week was made up of my prep work for student teaching and my own graduate work.
These hours were spent alone, working independently. This semester displayed how learning can be a lonely, independent activity. After 23 years of focusing on my social life, I can actually say overall the independence was refreshing, like a breathe of fresh air. BUT, on a day to day encounter, the independence was harsh and the silence was loud.
I look forward to Christmas break--the calm before the storm.
Prior to the beginning of the semester, almost all of my previous endeavers led me down a well socialized path. For example, the main purpose of attending high school and college was to socialize.Thus, I spent the majority of my academic life mingling. After graduation, I took a month and a half off from work and school, planning to attend graduate school in the fall. Quickly realizing that my savings were depleting, I knew the only way to keep up with the life I wanted to live required me to withdraw from graduate school and get a job. I managed to find myself a respectable job as a renewal underwriter for a local workers’ compensation insurance company. This life I wanted to live consisted of: eating out daily, no homework, the freedom to travel, going out whenever, and having the financial means to do so. A year later, I decided to try graduate school again.
I was in for a change, you could say. I was required to be a responsible citizen everyday in the eyes of my students. Any sort of slacking was not an option. In the world of student teaching, if you do not do your prep work it is quite obvious to all watching. Not long after the program started, I realized the extent of which my graduate work consumed any social life I had remaining outside of student teaching.
The first month was tough. Coming from a background in Mathematics, I was not accustomed to the amount of writing that was required of me. And to my surprise, the most writing I had to do for this semester came from my graduate mathematics course based on problem solving, reasoning, and communication.
The months following were lonely, to say the least. I left for Shaker High before my roommates woke up and I returned home most nights after night classes at 9pm. Even at 9pm, my day was not done—there were papers to grade, notes to review, warm ups to create, etc.
I wasn’t lonely in the bored, sitting at home, by myself kind of lonely. It was a different kind of lonely that I never experienced before. Studying for a Mathematics final is a one man job. Writing a research paper is also a solo activity. I calculated that my work week averaged from 50-55 hours a week. This however, is my average 15 weeks into the semester. When I first started, the average week was closer to 60 hours. Twenty of those hours were from student teaching and 10 of the hours were from my graduated classes. The remaining 20-25 hours a week was made up of my prep work for student teaching and my own graduate work.
These hours were spent alone, working independently. This semester displayed how learning can be a lonely, independent activity. After 23 years of focusing on my social life, I can actually say overall the independence was refreshing, like a breathe of fresh air. BUT, on a day to day encounter, the independence was harsh and the silence was loud.
I look forward to Christmas break--the calm before the storm.
My Daily Reminder
While attending Siena College, I had the opportunity to volunteer for Urban Scholars, where I helped expose inner city adolescents to a variety of college courses and potential career paths. I had the privilege to do 20 hours of observation at a local inner city school in the Albany School District. Also, I chaperoned multicultural overnights for prospective students. Most significantly, I studied abroad in Kingston, Jamaica, where I served as a teacher’s assistant to Kingston’s YMCA program for male high school drop-outs.
These experiences have opened my eyes to the hardships of poverty and my heart to their circumstances. My encounters with these groups of students have endowed me with a passion to close the achievement gap and serve America’s education system. I want to join the education field because it will allow me to act on this desire. I would like to thank Sage Graduate School for providing me with the training and professional support to do so.
These experiences have opened my eyes to the hardships of poverty and my heart to their circumstances. My encounters with these groups of students have endowed me with a passion to close the achievement gap and serve America’s education system. I want to join the education field because it will allow me to act on this desire. I would like to thank Sage Graduate School for providing me with the training and professional support to do so.
Falling in Love...
During my first week in Kingston, Jamaica, I was on a quest to find where I would complete the service portion of my study abroad program. I had high expectations for myself and wanted to work in place that would most benefit from what I could give. I chose to work as a teacher’s assistant for a youth development program at the Kingston YMCA. The program focused on providing life skills and raising self esteem of at-risk youth so that they could become responsible, successful citizens.
The YMCA staff was struggling to obtain this goal. The uncertified teachers had the heart but not the means to help the students to succeed; the program was only locally funded and could not afford highly educated teachers. Thus, I took on the task of organizing a program to train the existing teachers.
I had found my path, but the road to accomplishment threw more than a few curves at me. The teachers were not as accepting of my intentions as I had hoped. They did not think I could live in their world even understand their culture. My immediate response was to gain their support, respect, and trust by immersing myself in the Jamaican culture and society. I embraced their customs. I road the bus to work and school, ate and cooked Caribbean food, stayed in a Jamaican home, and even learned to speak some basic Patios, Jamaica’s second language. Not only did I prove myself to them, I fell in love with this culturally rich island.
The YMCA staff was struggling to obtain this goal. The uncertified teachers had the heart but not the means to help the students to succeed; the program was only locally funded and could not afford highly educated teachers. Thus, I took on the task of organizing a program to train the existing teachers.
I had found my path, but the road to accomplishment threw more than a few curves at me. The teachers were not as accepting of my intentions as I had hoped. They did not think I could live in their world even understand their culture. My immediate response was to gain their support, respect, and trust by immersing myself in the Jamaican culture and society. I embraced their customs. I road the bus to work and school, ate and cooked Caribbean food, stayed in a Jamaican home, and even learned to speak some basic Patios, Jamaica’s second language. Not only did I prove myself to them, I fell in love with this culturally rich island.
Corporal Punishment
In Jamaica, a major hurdle arose when I found out the teachers used corporal punishment on a regular basis as a means of controlling the class. I feel strongly that the use of corporal punishment went against the purpose of raising self esteem and developing responsible leaders. In fact, this public, physical punishment lowered the students’ self esteem and reinforced the idea of using violence to gain results in life. My first step in combating this issue was to educate myself. I read all kinds of research on corporal punishment in Jamaican and found that I was not along in my feelings. More and more groups, especially parents, are becoming less accepting of the use of physical punishment in an educational setting. My next step was to demonstrate alternatives. I introduced new teaching methods that reinforced positive behavior. I set higher academic expectations by increasing the level of difficulty of the curriculum and incorporated words of encouragement to instill a desire to succeed in the students. The students were more engaged in learning, and the teachers were able to significantly decrease their use of corporal punishment.
Throughout the process, I documented my experiences in a journal. On my last day, I gave it to my Program Director. She felt so strongly about the progress that she has continued teacher training based on my logs. I could not be prouder that I was able to leave a lasting impression on such a worthy program.
Throughout the process, I documented my experiences in a journal. On my last day, I gave it to my Program Director. She felt so strongly about the progress that she has continued teacher training based on my logs. I could not be prouder that I was able to leave a lasting impression on such a worthy program.
Interesting Quotes from the Semester
-"Miss Neville, are you trying to kill us with Math"
-Me to student: "Why didn't you attend after school detention?" Student: "I forgot which room to go to. I went to 107 rather than 207." Me: "You mean after 13 weeks of being in the same class room you suddenly forgot where to go?" Student: "Yes" --> I had to walk away at this point.
-During the semester I held several conversations regarding the word test vs. quiz or quest. Eventually the word test became forbidden in the classroom.
-Me to student in the back of the room: "Can you please put your shirt down?" Enough said, I don't think I should ever have to say those words in a classroom; however, my students sure did get a laugh.
-"Is this a joke?" --refering to the imaginary number system
-One conversation that stands out is when I asked one of my students to come in afterschool and s/he preceeded to tell me how s/he goes to drug counseling everyday. Why? Well, because s/he started their own meth lab over the summer.
-And the most common quote "Why do we have to know this? I'm never going to see this again."
Monday, December 10, 2007
I See the Light
It's 11:oo pm on Monday night.
I have 25 make up tests to grade because my regents students failed their original test miserably. Perhaps, it's because the students thought imaginary numbers were a joke. Or maybe it's because I called it a "test" rather than a quest or quiz. Apparently, test is the new 4 letter word prohibited in the classroom--silly me.
I have to review notes on quadratic inequalities to teach my honor students first and second period tomorrow.
I have my research paper to complete by tomorrow night at midnight.
A peer review to prepare for Wednesday's seminar.
Prep for my final observation on Wednesday.
And lastly, my Mathematics final-say a prayer for me. Roughly 9:00 pm on Wednesday I will have completed my first semester of grad school. (I can almost see the light.) You better believe I'll be celebrating with a bottle of wine and an episode of Private Practice--oh baby oh baby!
At this time I'd like to reflect on the things that got me through this semester. And when things get tough next semester, which I'm sure they will, I can refer to this list as a pick me up or an escape:
Iced coffee, green tea, internet cafes, starbucks--and the guy who is teaching himself Greek (hopefully next semester I'll learn more about him), banning the word stress--it's now called power surges, chocolate, chips and salsa, arios, writing letters, running, e-mailing buddies, yoga, brothers and sisters, shopping for work out clothes, david gray, taylor swift, candlelight, itunes, my diary, kickboxing, quotes, king of queens, reading my horoscope, mud soccer, people watching, eavesdropping, thanksgiving eve, fantasy vacation planning, attending movie theaters solo, sweatpants, hoodies, novels, romantic ideas, '08 election, sing a longs, kashi, my down comforter, charities, naps, happy hours, kraft mac and cheese, merissa, first snowfall, Jamaican rum cream, bread and balsamic vinaigrette, kenny chesney, long drives with music cranked, new friends, old friends, text messaging, hot sauce, mexican food, lark fest, massages, ME days, 5k runs, long showers accompanied by country music, grey's anatomy, belly laughing, taking chances, chisel class, chelsea love, photos of when I did have a social life, a glass of wine, dance parties, flirting, and sleeping!
I have 25 make up tests to grade because my regents students failed their original test miserably. Perhaps, it's because the students thought imaginary numbers were a joke. Or maybe it's because I called it a "test" rather than a quest or quiz. Apparently, test is the new 4 letter word prohibited in the classroom--silly me.
I have to review notes on quadratic inequalities to teach my honor students first and second period tomorrow.
I have my research paper to complete by tomorrow night at midnight.
A peer review to prepare for Wednesday's seminar.
Prep for my final observation on Wednesday.
And lastly, my Mathematics final-say a prayer for me. Roughly 9:00 pm on Wednesday I will have completed my first semester of grad school. (I can almost see the light.) You better believe I'll be celebrating with a bottle of wine and an episode of Private Practice--oh baby oh baby!
At this time I'd like to reflect on the things that got me through this semester. And when things get tough next semester, which I'm sure they will, I can refer to this list as a pick me up or an escape:
Iced coffee, green tea, internet cafes, starbucks--and the guy who is teaching himself Greek (hopefully next semester I'll learn more about him), banning the word stress--it's now called power surges, chocolate, chips and salsa, arios, writing letters, running, e-mailing buddies, yoga, brothers and sisters, shopping for work out clothes, david gray, taylor swift, candlelight, itunes, my diary, kickboxing, quotes, king of queens, reading my horoscope, mud soccer, people watching, eavesdropping, thanksgiving eve, fantasy vacation planning, attending movie theaters solo, sweatpants, hoodies, novels, romantic ideas, '08 election, sing a longs, kashi, my down comforter, charities, naps, happy hours, kraft mac and cheese, merissa, first snowfall, Jamaican rum cream, bread and balsamic vinaigrette, kenny chesney, long drives with music cranked, new friends, old friends, text messaging, hot sauce, mexican food, lark fest, massages, ME days, 5k runs, long showers accompanied by country music, grey's anatomy, belly laughing, taking chances, chisel class, chelsea love, photos of when I did have a social life, a glass of wine, dance parties, flirting, and sleeping!
Personalities within the Classroom
Character traits in the class room are becoming evident! Each class has several personalities combined together to form one classroom personality. It’s amazing to see that the teacher’s mood really affects the classroom persona. I expected to see a large difference between the Honors class and the Regents class; however, I was shocked to see the difference between the two Honors class. My first two periods are Honors level classes and my third period class is Regents level. In general, my second period of Honors students seems to be weaker than the first class, even though the lesson plans are exactly the same. It is important to note, that as the teacher, I believe the lesson given second period is better than the same lesson given first period. In my opinion, each time I teach the same lesson, it gets better. I feel more confident with the material and have an idea of the questions that will be asked.
After the first two weeks of class, it is apparent that second period tends to take longer to go over homework, quizzes, and tests. There are more questions on concepts and simple errors in period 2. Also, it seems that overall period one’s atmosphere screams confidence, where period 2 does not. I want to boost the confidence level of period 2. I also note that new strategies may have to be developed for going over homework with period 2.
My goal for the remaining of the semester is to build the confidence in period 2. Confidence is part of what makes an Honors student stand out.
After the first two weeks of class, it is apparent that second period tends to take longer to go over homework, quizzes, and tests. There are more questions on concepts and simple errors in period 2. Also, it seems that overall period one’s atmosphere screams confidence, where period 2 does not. I want to boost the confidence level of period 2. I also note that new strategies may have to be developed for going over homework with period 2.
My goal for the remaining of the semester is to build the confidence in period 2. Confidence is part of what makes an Honors student stand out.
Japanese education system versus United States
The Japanese education system is known for its structure, strength, and rigor; however, to no surprise, there are flaws. Although it is almost impossible to judge an education system of another culture, I think the level of preparation forced upon the students is too intense. Unlike the United States, Japanese students are required to take entrance examinations to get into highschool. It worries me that some Japanese students are developing stress related problems at such a young age of 12-15. I find it unreasonable that the high school entrance exams weigh so much on the students’ future. At the mere age of 15, a student does not truly know themselves or their aspirations. The high school entrance exams also apply pressure to the parents of the students, who want the best education for their child, and the teachers, who are trying to satisfactorily educate the students for the exam.
At the same time, I do not think the Japanese high school entrance exams are terrible all together. They provide the students with motivation that can be carried with them in their future. Also, the students learn at an early age how to take responsibility for ones education. This is a value that many students in the United States lack. As in all education systems, there are some flawed and some exceptional aspects of the system.
In conclusion, Japanese students preparing to take the high school entrance exam put forth a great amount of effort and take personal sacrifices to do well. A little pressure never hurt anyone, but too much pressure is not healthy. The question is what is too much pressure?
At the same time, I do not think the Japanese high school entrance exams are terrible all together. They provide the students with motivation that can be carried with them in their future. Also, the students learn at an early age how to take responsibility for ones education. This is a value that many students in the United States lack. As in all education systems, there are some flawed and some exceptional aspects of the system.
In conclusion, Japanese students preparing to take the high school entrance exam put forth a great amount of effort and take personal sacrifices to do well. A little pressure never hurt anyone, but too much pressure is not healthy. The question is what is too much pressure?
Conceptual Understanding in the Classroom
I support the belief that conceptual learning and basic skills are essential in mathematics classrooms. Students should be taught to reason effectively, allowing the ability to work through problems rather than memorizing a step by step procedure. The ability to be able to reason effectively should be pushed in all classrooms as it is a valuable life skill, especially when entering the work force. Mathematics educators can assess the student’s ability to reason by assigning problems that allow students to “think outside the box” using their creativity, rather than a set procedure.
I also agree that today’s teachers need professional development. I trust that the teachers have a deep understanding of mathematic skills, yet they do not know that teaching concepts along with basic skills is necessary. For example, instructors who have been teaching for several years are prone to teach by rote learning. On the same topic, teachers may not know how to express the fundamentals of mathematics in a conceptual framework to the students. Either way, professional development will solve both problems. I strongly think mathematics educators should focus on creating an environment that incites higher level thinking while instilling basic mathematical skills.
I also agree that today’s teachers need professional development. I trust that the teachers have a deep understanding of mathematic skills, yet they do not know that teaching concepts along with basic skills is necessary. For example, instructors who have been teaching for several years are prone to teach by rote learning. On the same topic, teachers may not know how to express the fundamentals of mathematics in a conceptual framework to the students. Either way, professional development will solve both problems. I strongly think mathematics educators should focus on creating an environment that incites higher level thinking while instilling basic mathematical skills.
Implementing Graphing Technology in the Classroom
Halfway through my student teaching experience, I was forced to implement graphing technology into the classroom. We started topics such as quadractic inequalities, absolute value inequalities, and radical equations which graphing calculators are necessary to fully teach the unit. I realized I was not comfortable with the graphing calculator and did some research on the importance of the integration of technology into the mathematics classroom. I read the article “The Role of Graphing Calculators in Mathematics Reform” by Bert Waits and Franklin Demana (1998) to gain knowledge on the topic.
The most interesting part of this article is that it was written almost ten years ago. In Waits and Deamana’s closing paragraph they state “it is clear to us that ten or fifteen years in the future the mathematics curriculum of today will have changed considerably to take full advantage of just the technology that exists today.” In my opinion, the authors’ prediction of the mathematics curriculum was correct. It today’s classroom, graphing calculators are used almost everyday and readily available to the students. For example in my placement, each student owns their own calculator and in addition each classroom has a set of roughly ten calculators that the students’ may borrow. There is a television screen in each of the mathematics classroom that displays the screen of the teachers’ calculator. Thus, students are actively learning how to use the calculator correct. Additionally, there are large posters of the calculators with the buttons labeled so that the educator can teach the students the navigation of the graphing technology. Waits and Demana were also correct when they considered professional development a key factor in implementing technology in a classroom. In another example referring to my placement, staff development day at the start of the school year a workshop on the latest Texas Instrument graphing calculator called TI-Nspire was held.
In conclusion, I think Waits and Demana approach to integrating the graphing calculator into the traditional mathematics curriculum is beneficial to the students’ learning and a similar approach can be seen in the various classrooms today. Waits and Demana were correct in their thought process, just a little ahead of the rest of society.
The most interesting part of this article is that it was written almost ten years ago. In Waits and Deamana’s closing paragraph they state “it is clear to us that ten or fifteen years in the future the mathematics curriculum of today will have changed considerably to take full advantage of just the technology that exists today.” In my opinion, the authors’ prediction of the mathematics curriculum was correct. It today’s classroom, graphing calculators are used almost everyday and readily available to the students. For example in my placement, each student owns their own calculator and in addition each classroom has a set of roughly ten calculators that the students’ may borrow. There is a television screen in each of the mathematics classroom that displays the screen of the teachers’ calculator. Thus, students are actively learning how to use the calculator correct. Additionally, there are large posters of the calculators with the buttons labeled so that the educator can teach the students the navigation of the graphing technology. Waits and Demana were also correct when they considered professional development a key factor in implementing technology in a classroom. In another example referring to my placement, staff development day at the start of the school year a workshop on the latest Texas Instrument graphing calculator called TI-Nspire was held.
In conclusion, I think Waits and Demana approach to integrating the graphing calculator into the traditional mathematics curriculum is beneficial to the students’ learning and a similar approach can be seen in the various classrooms today. Waits and Demana were correct in their thought process, just a little ahead of the rest of society.
The International Gap
A few weeks after being in the class room I knew I was not in favor of the mathematics curriculum in New York State. After further research, I began to support the need for a national curriculum and learned about the international gap. The international gap shows the United States falling behind other countries in mathematics, mainly due to the lack of a national curriculum. In addition, the curriculum in the United States has a unique set up compared to high achieving international countries. The following is my reaction to Coherent Curriculum: The Case of Mathematics, by Schmidt, Houang, & Cogan in 2002.
Analyzing 41 top achieving international countries shows that their curriculum increases in the level of difficult as the grade increases. Also, the topics covered in the A+ curriculum are taught during a condensed time period with the average length of a topic spanning over 3 years.
This is vastly different than the majority of state curriculums in the United States. Research shows that topics are covered for a longer span on time, resulting in repetition over the years. Thus, each topic is briefly touched upon at each grade and overall instruction on a topic lacks depth. This curriculum is identified as ‘a mile wide, an inch deep’. In addition to the repetition the curriculum displays incoherence, or inconsistency in the order of teaching the mathematics topics.
A major set back causing the international gap between the United States and the A+ countries is that the students do not have the appropriate requisite background to fully understand a particular topic because of the lack of order seen in the states’ curricula. Due to the lack of depth within each topic, some students do not attain enough knowledge to build upon. Therefore, students tend to fall more and more behind at the introduction of a new topic. According to Hirsch, the widening of the international gap can be attributed to this occurrence. Even more so, Hirsch believes the lack of previous knowledge and the process of falling behind due to an incoherent curriculum is the cause of the achievement gap between privileged and underprivileged students within the United States.
At this point in the article, I get frustrated and stop reading. Closing the achievement gap between minorities and their peers in the United States is the motive that keeps me going in the education field.
I am in agreement that the lack of a national curriculum is a disadvantage to the teachers and students in the United States. I am hopefully that changes will be reinforced; however, I know that the effects of the change will not be immediate. If the curriculum was altered, it would be a long process, but well worth the wait!
Analyzing 41 top achieving international countries shows that their curriculum increases in the level of difficult as the grade increases. Also, the topics covered in the A+ curriculum are taught during a condensed time period with the average length of a topic spanning over 3 years.
This is vastly different than the majority of state curriculums in the United States. Research shows that topics are covered for a longer span on time, resulting in repetition over the years. Thus, each topic is briefly touched upon at each grade and overall instruction on a topic lacks depth. This curriculum is identified as ‘a mile wide, an inch deep’. In addition to the repetition the curriculum displays incoherence, or inconsistency in the order of teaching the mathematics topics.
A major set back causing the international gap between the United States and the A+ countries is that the students do not have the appropriate requisite background to fully understand a particular topic because of the lack of order seen in the states’ curricula. Due to the lack of depth within each topic, some students do not attain enough knowledge to build upon. Therefore, students tend to fall more and more behind at the introduction of a new topic. According to Hirsch, the widening of the international gap can be attributed to this occurrence. Even more so, Hirsch believes the lack of previous knowledge and the process of falling behind due to an incoherent curriculum is the cause of the achievement gap between privileged and underprivileged students within the United States.
At this point in the article, I get frustrated and stop reading. Closing the achievement gap between minorities and their peers in the United States is the motive that keeps me going in the education field.
I am in agreement that the lack of a national curriculum is a disadvantage to the teachers and students in the United States. I am hopefully that changes will be reinforced; however, I know that the effects of the change will not be immediate. If the curriculum was altered, it would be a long process, but well worth the wait!
Mathematics is the Evil in Education
I’m frustrated. I want my students to want to learn Mathematics. The Honor students: They want to be at the top of the class, go to a top notch 4 year school, and keep their GPA up to make their coaches and parents proud. But do they want to learn Mathematics? Some of them yes. Some no. And this is frustrating. The honors classes differ from the regents class I teach in that the honors classes are more in depth with derivations and proofs of how concepts come about. In my opinion an honors student should appreciate the derivation of the quadratic formula using complete the square. Yet, there are moans coming from the corners of the classroom when they are required to take notes on something they are not tested on.
It shows how the education system in New York is solely based on grades. But at the end of the day, grades are just numbers. I would rather have my students get a B, learn from their mistakes, and admit they did not get an A than have my students receive an A by pure rote learning. But the students do not see the latter as an option. (This is evident after seeing the facial expressions when returning their first grade of the year.)
It shows how the education system in New York is solely based on grades. But at the end of the day, grades are just numbers. I would rather have my students get a B, learn from their mistakes, and admit they did not get an A than have my students receive an A by pure rote learning. But the students do not see the latter as an option. (This is evident after seeing the facial expressions when returning their first grade of the year.)
Is Teaching for ME?
I didn't always want to be a teacher. I never sat in my Mathematics classes in highschool and said to myself "I want to be a Math teacher." In fact, when my mother tried to tell me I should be teacher my response was always negative, "I don't want to spend my entire life in a school setting." Even in college while obtaining my bachelor's degree, I never had the desire to teach Mathematics. So here I am 2 years later, half way through a masters degree in Mathematics Education, surrounded by classmates who grew up knowing they wanted to be teacher. Sometimes it doesn't feel fair that I'm living somebody elses dream.
This isn't to say I don't like teaching: I appreciate the challenge; I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the students in addition to learning from them; I have an immense amount of respect for teachers; I take pleasure in integrating Mathematics in my daily life; and I may even go as far as saying I couldn't have gotten through the semester without the joy of my students. But this isn't enough for me. The semester made me realize that I can rise above the glass ceiling and the options are limitless. My passion does reside within the field of education. However, I have ideas that go beyond teaching Mathematics in a secondary education classroom. I plan on starting my career in the education field in a mathematics classroom and establish more concrete ideas to pursue--by making mistakes and learning from them.
At the same time this doesn't set well with me. Is it fair to the students that I will someday educate, that teaching them is just a starting point for me? Is it fair to the school that hires me that I will eventually want more?
The rebirth of my motivation came from teaching my 10th grade honors classes. In particular, there are 5 8th graders participating in one of my honors classes. These students are the definition of over achiever. Speaking to these students regarding their aspirations for the future allowed me to find the enthusiasm I lost over the years. For this reason, I'll be ever grateful to my students.
This isn't to say I don't like teaching: I appreciate the challenge; I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the students in addition to learning from them; I have an immense amount of respect for teachers; I take pleasure in integrating Mathematics in my daily life; and I may even go as far as saying I couldn't have gotten through the semester without the joy of my students. But this isn't enough for me. The semester made me realize that I can rise above the glass ceiling and the options are limitless. My passion does reside within the field of education. However, I have ideas that go beyond teaching Mathematics in a secondary education classroom. I plan on starting my career in the education field in a mathematics classroom and establish more concrete ideas to pursue--by making mistakes and learning from them.
At the same time this doesn't set well with me. Is it fair to the students that I will someday educate, that teaching them is just a starting point for me? Is it fair to the school that hires me that I will eventually want more?
The rebirth of my motivation came from teaching my 10th grade honors classes. In particular, there are 5 8th graders participating in one of my honors classes. These students are the definition of over achiever. Speaking to these students regarding their aspirations for the future allowed me to find the enthusiasm I lost over the years. For this reason, I'll be ever grateful to my students.
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