Double Entry Journal 6

The dominant paradigm that is showing signs of wear is "the instructional model of the teacher and the textbook as the primary sources of knowledge, conveyed through lecturing, discussion, and reading" according to the reading. Project based learning supports student learning by being organized in a way that the questions lead the students to encounter central ideas and concepts. It supports learning by focusing on the students investigating which involves them building knowledge. Another great thing about project based learning is that is allows the students to design and manage their own work on a personal and group level. Research has found that students that are involved in this approach benefit in gains of factual learning. Many short term studies that compared project based learning to traditional learning show that there are several advantages to project based learning, such as better identifying a problem. Problem based learning also puts students into small groups and the activities aim to have students solve a particular problem with the reason and resources they have. Some benefits of this approach are that students are solving realistic problems , students are taking an active role in learning, and  there are multiple answers rather than a single answer. Most studies about problem based learning are done in the medical field as this type of teaching is often used in those settings. Studies show that those who have been in problem based learning usually have a higher ability to problem solve. Studies also show that problem based learning helps students learn how to apply the theories they have learned in realistic situations. Learning through design approach is based on the idea that students learn deeply when asked to design or create an artifact. This approach supports revision, it also creates a need for collaboration due to  the difficulty of the work, and it always the students to have different roles and for each to become an expert over their part of the project. There have been very few studies done on the comparison between learning through design and traditional but the study mentioned in the text was about a group of sixth graders and the learning through design group had better learning outcomes. The three approaches are quite similar and the article even refers to them as "cousins". While each project is group based the focuses of each are a little different. Project based learning has students focus on central ideas, which are often common to all groups, while problem based learning has many possible answers and none are consider the "right" answer and students don't have to be pushed toward a central theme. Learning by design has students break the work down more than the others and usually has students become experts of a certain area, rather than everyone knowing a little bit about everything. In my opinion the most important benefit to learning used in these approaches is the fact students must work as a group. Learning to work with people and in groups becomes very important after school. Many jobs in the world today often require collaborations between people, and learning to give and take in a group becomes a valuable skill. When you work properly as a group not only can you learn more but in the group discussions many pointsof view come out so it leads to a more open form of learning.

Double Entry Journal #5

Reverent listening in teaching is a teacher who truly respects their students but also gets respect from them. Reverent listening can support culturally responsive teaching because it promotes the valuing of everyone's opinion. Any cultural capital a student may have will be brought to the forefront and valued. The quote "Reverent listening is not to be confused with humiliation and domination by others who force us to listen,and even less so, with the kind of incompetence that wants to be told what to do". shows what Reverent listening is not. Reverent listening actually promotes all to speak and listen and for no one person to dominate. Most teachers that show traits of a reverent teacher are teachers I have had in college. I hate talking in classes but these teachers made me believe my opinion was valuable and I found myself wanted to participate in discussions because I felt     that my ideas were an asset to the entire class. Factors that contribute to "toxic" school culture are a culture that is dominated by one, silencing the rest, and one that makes students feel as if their opinions and ideas are not valued. While I do not have a specific quote from the article I plan on incorporating many of the traits mentioned in the article. One section that sticks out was the one that focused on knowledge. IN that section the article goes over how many people view things differently and as a teacher it is very important for you to see how you students view things rather than to simply teach to your own view. The article had some great ideas that all teachers should incorporate into their plans as a teacher. 

Where I'm From Reflection Draft

The relationship between literacy, language and power is one that is extremely important. Those who possess  language and literacy skills are often the ones who are put in power. Often those who do not speak like the people who are in power are criticized for the way that they speak. The quote from the article I choose is  "First, and most obvious teachers and schools must accept, believe, and act upon the belief that children of poverty are learners." I choose this quote because it shows that children from poor families are sometimes considered non learners. I cant help but think that the fact that they don't have the language and literacy skills of those in power plays a role in this. The article is based on the fact that those who don't speak like those in power are considered dumb or below everyone else. The article points out that the school did nothing to help the mother because they did not even take her seriously.

Teachers can overcome the cultural deficit perspective by taking time to get to know their students as individuals rather than lumping them into groups. In the article "A Look at Luis Moll's Research Into Hidden Family Resources" once the teacher learns about them as individuals, and loses her cultural deficit perspective, she then teaches off of what the students have learned and she gets overwhelming success. The teacher realizes that each student possess cultural capital and uses this to her and the students advantage. The teacher in the article can attribute some of her success to the funds of knowledge held within the community. When you take the time to learn about your students or do projects such as the Where I'm From activity, you get a much better sense of where the students are and it gives a great starting place to make their education apply to everyday life and become more important to them. One strategy that really seems to work for non-standard English speaking students is relating the English words back to their language. When you provide the association between the two words it becomes much easier for them to grasp. We often learn by association and being able to associate an English word with a word I already makes it easier to learn. Teaching from many perspectives is also very important as not everyone views the world the same. So being open to many different points of view and many ideas is extremely important as a teacher.

The Where I'm From project supported culturally responsive teaching by giving the instructor a chance to see where each of us come from and we got to use what we know to make a project for a formal classroom. The assignment blurred the line between me as a student and me as a person, which allowed a more personal connection to the assignment. It also covered many of the ways in which we learn, the writing of the poem and the making of the video are aimed toward different kinds of learners as we got to read, see pictures, and the making of the video was hands on. The project also gave me a sense of pride in my personal life and you could see the pride in all the projects. As I watched them I couldn't help but to think about how everyone's project was so well done and everyone truly cared about they were represented by their project. We also got to learn about all those in the class, I found myself watching everyone's just to find out more about them. I feel closer to everyone in the class just from watching their video and knowing a little about them. The project overall did a great job of celebrating who we are and bringing a diverse class together. In my future classroom being culturally responsible will be very important. I will probably use a this project or one similar to this early on the course because bringing students together will certainly make for a much better learning environment for all.

Where I'm From

Where I'm From

I am from  Baseball gloves and Basketball hoops, from bailing hay all summer and the greatness that is Mountain Dew.

I am from the tan house in the country with the huge yard and the baseball backstop.  
I am from the twisting creek we use to fish in, the wooded hillside
I am from family reunions at grandpa's house at the end of each May and never being on time, from Loys and Sapps.

I am from the do it yourself projects and always working hard.
From treating those as you want to be treated  and always doing your best.
I am from going to church on Sunday mornings but sometimes missing to gain some much needed sleep.

I'm from New Martinsville and Wise Acres, Nan's tater soup and Mom's Thanksgiving Turkey .

From the Engagement to my wife with the April Fools joke that wasn't , the first true family vacation to Disney World, and the and the dysfunction of our cats.

I am from riding bikes, fishing in the creek,  helping with projects around the house, throwing my first "perfect game" on a summer afternoon in the back yard, a place where family means everything,  living next to my grandparents, spending time with my brother and parents, swinging on vines during "adventures" in the woods and dominating in neighborhood wiffle ball games.