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Post by carolinebyrnes on Jun 5, 2016 1:55:37 GMT
Here is a place to discuss reading 8
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Post by Tiffani on Jun 6, 2016 2:00:13 GMT
I really liked the following quote from the Lee & Buxton article:
"There is a need for teachers to build trusting relationships with students who have been marginalized in science classrooms. When teachers provide safe environments for students to take part in learning [science] they can help their students see science as personally meaningful and relevant to their current and future lives."
This quote does a great job of outlining the importance of supporting students' learning in the classroom on a higher level than just simply teaching them the content. It is vital for teachers to support "marginalized" students, or those students who are seen as "non-mainstream" in regard to the classroom and academic environment. Students need to feel as if they can identify with the content they are learning (in some way). It is necessary that teachers help students build confidence in an area that they may not feel comfortable with, or an academic area that does not relate very well to the student's primary discourse. It is also important for teachers to show students how the content can play an important role in the student's life.
I also found the idea of culturally congruent instruction to be very interesting. This is another way that teachers can help students identify with the information that they are being taught. While working at a middle school in Carol City, Miami, I'd seen many different ways that the teachers tried to incorporate culturally relevant experiences into the curriculum to get students more interested and motivated to learn. This includes things like giving the students reading material that they could relate to. I remember reading an entire poem about Jordan's (which are a popular pair of shoes, haha).
What are some other ways some of you can think of that might allow students to better identify with the content, or ways that they can be encouraged (by helping make them feel more confident within the particular subject matter)?
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Post by jamestgardiner on Jun 6, 2016 14:46:27 GMT
Tiffani, I agree that there is a need to be able to identify with marginalized students. As public education becomes more diverse as well as important, teachers must be able to communicate with students they are different from. I think it is important for teachers to be aware of the literacy practices that their students have grown up in. Being familiar with different cultures allows teachers to be able to communicate their subjects in a way for the students to want to engage in. I think back to last Thursday's reading for an example. The author mentioned that a student answered a math problem when it was written in basketball terms. But, he was unable to answer the question when it was written in a different way. I think this is good practice for teachers to write questions in a way for the students to be able to first identify with it then figure out the answer. After this has been done, the students will be able to better generalize the problems and find answers.
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Post by jamestgardiner on Jun 6, 2016 15:33:54 GMT
I think it is necessary for teachers to provide a safe environment for non-mainstream students to achieve high standards in the classroom. The teacher needs to provide an enriching environment that is relatable to the student. One idea I have is that teachers can implement science experiments, activities, projects, etc. that the student can relate. I learned in my grade school science class that "science is everything." Science is in every aspect of our lives in some way. Experiments that engage students in activities students enjoy will create pathways for them to understand the scientific material. Being interested in something is helpful to learning about that topic. I think this is important for teachers to not only understand but act on in their classrooms to help marginalized students.
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linda
New Member
Posts: 30 
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Post by linda on Jun 6, 2016 23:13:02 GMT
It was interesting to me how Reading 8 talked about conformity and how children join groups to compensate for their family group they are leaving behind as they move through middle school. I was saddened by the jock/burnout comparison, it made me think of how we always say that if we don't study our history we will just repeat it. This article made it seem as though moving through childhood to adulthood involved this "me against them attitude" with the different groups in schools. It's interesting that the middle school years are a tough time for children developmentally. Maybe not the right time to add to it by starting new, bigger schools and changing classrooms? Some schools are K-8 and then 9-12 for high school. I wonder if this helps children feel secure and safe before they are better able to cope in high school, evolving to be more inclusive and accepting.
Apologies, the above was not the correct Reading 8, below are my thoughts on Reading 8:
I think the reading drove home how non-mainstream students have knowledge that is not usually brought out in their classrooms and used by teachers and students both. Using the techniques that were explored in this article will help other students in the classroom as well, not only the ELLs and other marginalized students. I can see how doing science; by connecting cultural knowledge, using group work and student led learning, can engage and support students that presently are having difficulties learning.
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Post by tom56omara on Jun 7, 2016 1:21:53 GMT
I thought the culturally congruent instruction section was very on point. It stressed the idea that as educators we need to implement tools in the classroom that help students from a different cultural background. In my opinion this is a tough strategy to accomplish without presenting too much of the cultural material, which can result in being racially biased. When an instructor has 20 or more students, they can have a difficult time trying not to single out the few individuals in the classroom that are not from this western culture of education. However, my overall thoughts about culturally congruent instruction are positive. I think it can easily be accomplished within the classroom as long as the instructor is aware of the factors that come into play when conducting this type of curriculum.
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Post by rachelmartin1 on Jun 7, 2016 2:59:31 GMT
I found the sociopolitical process of science instruction interesting! I especially liked this quote: "Tracking systems that lead to the existence of lower-track science classes serve to reproduce and maintain socioeconomic stratification." The article did not really expound on this statement and I wish the authors would have because it has such huge implications. I want to know what aspect of lower-track science classes is maintaining socioeconomic stratification. I wonder if it is the content the students are learning or the environment in which they are learning the material that is contributing to the socioeconomic stratification. I know this was not the point of the article, but I think it is a point worth expanding on.
There was a also a point in the article that went well with a TED Talk that was talked about in another thread. The TED Talk was about allowing kids different ways to participate in school instead of the traditional school environment. This particular article mentioned presenting multiple short activities in each lesson in order to encourage alternate ways for students to participate in class. This is a great idea, because it gives students different ways in which to participate, and gain the pertinent literacy skills and necessary content material. It also got me thinking about my time at Ghanzvini today. The students did not want to participate and struggled getting themselves motivated. Although it is necessary for these students to receive credit for classes they have failed in the past, this particular computer interface provides a very narrow way for students to participate and "learn" the required material.
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Post by ariellegetz on Jun 7, 2016 11:51:02 GMT
I thought the section about explicit instruction was incredibly interesting, it hit on a lot of things I have never considered before. Non-mainstream students may not have access to the norms of a classroom so it is up to the teacher to help those students bridge the gaps. I especially liked the part about bridging competing values and practices. The idea that teachers should encourage questioning and debate in the classroom while acknowledging that that is not always acceptable in all cultures is not something I have ever thought about. It is easy to assume that all your students are up-to-date on the culture of a classroom, however if that culture conflicts with their values they won't be as comfortable participating. Non-mainstream students may struggle with crossing cultural borders, but with scaffolding and meaningful tasks they can gradually be more open to inquiry lessons.
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Post by ataylor617 on Jun 10, 2016 21:58:13 GMT
I am interested in the concept of tracking as it was presented in this article. I'm not necessarily an advocate of tracking and I don't believe that the authors are either, but I do think that some tracking has its benefits. In Germany students are tracked from a very young age. This results in the maintenance of social class, but German students are very specialized in their specific areas. I'm interested in teaching across cultures. I often wonder if it is possible for teachers to create lesson plans that every student can grasp. As a history teacher I hope to create an environment where multiple perspectives are presented. I think it's important for teachers to understand where they may differ from their students and where they may be the same. Everyone was a kid once.
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Post by jessicadiazr on Jun 10, 2016 22:11:45 GMT
I am interested in the concept of tracking as it was presented in this article. I'm not necessarily an advocate of tracking and I don't believe that the authors are either, but I do think that some tracking has its benefits. In Germany students are tracked from a very young age. This results in the maintenance of social class, but German students are very specialized in their specific areas. I like that you brought this up! While minoring in French we learned about the educational system in France and they seem to have a similar tracking system in France. I found it interesting and how it could provide for very specialized skills. |
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Post by lsantana36 on Jun 14, 2016 5:54:13 GMT
I am interested in the concept of tracking as it was presented in this article. I'm not necessarily an advocate of tracking and I don't believe that the authors are either, but I do think that some tracking has its benefits. In Germany students are tracked from a very young age. This results in the maintenance of social class, but German students are very specialized in their specific areas. I'm interested in teaching across cultures. I often wonder if it is possible for teachers to create lesson plans that every student can grasp. As a history teacher I hope to create an environment where multiple perspectives are presented. I think it's important for teachers to understand where they may differ from their students and where they may be the same. Everyone was a kid once. I find this question extremely interesting. As a prospective teacher I strive to learn new ways to involve all, if not the majority of, my students in the lesson. I think teachers can get pretty close to creating lesson plans that every student can conceptually grasp, especially if their student demographic is not too diverse, but I don't think theres a way to create a lesson plan that works for everyone. Although this seems negative, students are just different and theres no way for teachers to predict their incoming students or how any student will grasp any topic. For example, I was never too good with chemistry and I struggled pretty much all year round except for when it came to reaction rates. For some students it can be the other way around or a split 50/50. All we can hope for is that we've managed to engage and really teach the majority of our students. |
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Post by crystalpiroozy on Jun 14, 2016 6:17:24 GMT
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