Group Differences Forum

I really enjoyed the class discussions we had over the course of two days.  I really enjoyed the way everyone participated and how we had civil discussions about various topics.  Many of the topics were hard to get a grasp on and I think everyone did a good job of explaining and facilitating discussion.  I enjoyed the topics on Religion and LGBTQ.  I felt like I talked a lot during these discussions and appreciated the viewpoints of my classmates.  There were things I agreed with and disagreed with during these discussions.  I agreed that regardless of personal beliefs on either religion or LGBTQ, the students are the most important and they should not feel uncomfortable or unsafe.  As a teacher, we should be someone students feel comfortable talking about things with.  Many of the discussion topics and questions posed during our class time challenged me to think about my own thoughts and it also made me realize there are a lot of things/scenarios I haven't really thought of that could/will pop up in my classroom.  The texts that I read were really informative especially about the achievement gap that exists in our society today.  My article had to do with multiculturalism and the importance of it in a classroom.  We discussed how one might foster multi-culture ideas in the classroom and the significance of having diversity.  We also discussed the consequences of having students from different ethnic backgrounds who do not feel comfortable in the classroom or feel as though their heritage or nationality is not appreciated.  Concerning the Gloria-Ladsen Billings article, it tied into our subject because multiculturalism affects the achievement gaps that exist.  Our discussions did a good job of relating back to this text and what the achievement gap is.

I think that having these types of discussions is a very good way to learn and see different perspectives about issues like this.  All of these issues have grey areas and I thought discussing these helped me to strengthen my own personal ideas or introduce me to some ideas I hadn't thought of before.  I think group differences will definitely impact my classroom practice no matter where I end up teaching.  There is going to be some aspect of (probably) each issue that we covered throughout my career.  Group differences is an important component of the classroom dynamic and it is important for teachers to understand and think about these issues at all times.  Diversity in the classroom is a good thing, and teachers must be aware on how to handle various scenarios for the betterment of their students and classroom.

PLE Post 8 (Self-Reflection)

I think my participation has been pretty decent so far this semester, probably about a 95/100 or so.  I tend not to talk too much in my classes because it's just not my personality but I have enjoyed this class and like discussing things, especially topics I'm passionate about or that I have a strong opinion on.  I have not missed any class meetings and I walked in a minute late on one day.  My tickets out of the door I have really tried to be honest and answer each prompt.  I do like these "tickets" because I think that it is taken into consideration whereas in other classes I have it is not.  I have read almost all of the outside material if I do not forget and I do look at all of the links posted.  I think that these outside sources and links have been useful additional resources and has made me understand the material more easily.  I have read the textbook but I prefer to keep notes on my computer in class and use outside resources to comprehend the topics and materials of the course.  I do need to quit forgetting my PLE's that are due.  With so many online things for other classes and having another blog for my TPTE Technology class I get confused on how to work blogger and also what is due and when.  I will need to do a better job on the online aspect of this class. I have gotten a lot out of this class so far and can definitely see the things we have learned applying to my classroom in the future.  Many of my classes, including some education classes, have not shown me much to where I would apply them to my future profession.  I think my participation and effort in this class definitely earns me the grade I mentioned previously.

PLE Post 6

I would define successful mastery of my lesson objectives from a behavioral view of learning if I no longer have to use negative reinforcement or punishments in order to get my students to learn or comprehend the material.  I would prefer modeling to exhibit behaviors relevant to the students' own circumstances so that they grasp the lesson objectives.  For a social cognitive theory, I want my students to use self regulations themselves when observing my lesson objectives.  Using both of these theories, I think that a successful mastery of my lesson objectives would be made much easier for myself and my students.

Post 5

Post 3: Field Trip

After attending the lecture given by Barb and Lois, I was blown away with how impressive a woman Barb is.  Having severe autism, coupled with being mute and having Tourette's syndrome it is amazing how she has written two books with such clarity and insightfulness.  The lecture was very interesting to me because it demonstrated that although someone may have a severe disability, they can still enhance others' lives through their writing, words or thoughts.  Reading the excerpts from her book, I found myself realizing much about people with disabilities and reconsidering pre-conceived notions I had before encountering Barb.  She is very funny and I genuinely laughed while reading some of her excerpts.  It was a great experience to go through and it opened my eyes to alternative methods of educating someone and although the average person may think the person can't provide much to society, in reality they can provide a viewpoint that none of us could about life, education and other things.  It was a tremendous experience and I am glad I attended.

PLE Post 1

After reviewing the syllabus and sitting in on our first class session I am excited at the opportunities this class will provide me. As a secondary education minor and member of the education program, I feel like this class will help me in my future profession as a teacher. Psychology, especially that of a child or student, is an imperative component of instruction. I am hoping to learn about various ways to teach children from different backgrounds and cultures. In this class I am looking forward to learning problem-solving techniques and then how I will apply them to the real world of teaching. Classroom management is another concept that I would like to learn more about and excel in. After having this class, I want to be able to be a more confident and intelligent teacher not just about subject matter but in professionalism in the classroom.