Philosophy Project By Kristen Poland EDCI 506 6/15/2015 With a specific application to high school Spanish 1 Introduction My Philosophy of Education Through the completion of various activities and readings, I have come to believe that my philosophy on education does not follow just one theory, but instead a collection of different aspects of the Essentialism and the Progressive Theory. Over the next few slide I will explain how, and what should be taught in a high school Spanish 1 classroom as well as what the roles are of parents, the teacher and students. Remain Open to New Ideas The Facilitator from New & Veteran Teachers from the Students from Outside Resources How should teachers view their role in the classroom? Responsibilities & Duties of the Teacher The Instructor Narrative Wearing Multiple Hats It is my philosophy that a good teacher does not have just one approach to reaching their students, but wears multiple hats or takes on a variety of duties and responsibilities to best expose their students to what is needed in the curriculum while still allowing time to explore other interesting avenues. The Instructor When discussing particular grammar topics such as Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns it can be difficult to show proper usage without a bit of direct instruction or lecture to first explain to topic. I would not go as far as to say the teacher is considered the repository of knowledge to be transmitted all the time, as is descried in Essentialism; but in some situations it can be a more effective means of learning. Once the explanation is complete the class can move to discussion, partnered practice, and creation where the teacher can take a back seat and let the students work. However, at the beginning I imagine it would be hard to deliver the same information. Narrative cont. The Facilitator As mentioned on the previous slide, one of the other roles of the teacher, in my view, is to allow the students an opportunity to think for themselves, experiment, make mistakes and learn from them. The teacher should show students how to learn, what questions to ask, and how to evaluate what they hear. These life skills can cross over into all aspects of learning in high school, college, and the workforce. Narrative cont. Staying Open As a new teacher, there is a vast and seemingly endless list of things I still do not know. I believe it is important for new and even veteran teachers to remain open to new ideas. New techniques, activities and strategies can come from other teachers within the school, the internet, even the students have something to teach us if we allow ourselves to be flexible and willing to adjust in the classroom. Their creativity can spark ideas we wouldnt have had if we dont first ask how they might want to do things. Narrative cont. to Other Students to Teacher Role of the Student Active Participation What are the rights and responsibilities of the students? Active Listener & Note taker Risk Taker Respectful Self-Advocate Active Listener & Note Taker The role of the student is to be just as versatile as the teacher has to be. At times, where needs to be direct instruction and quietly listening to the full explanation, actively taking notes and reflecting before asking questions allows all students a chance to absorb the information. Active Participation When it is appropriate for the activity, students need to be fully involved in the group and partnered practice for optimal retention. Narrative Be Respectful In order to create a community within the classroom, there needs to be a consistent level of respect for both the teacher and other students. If I, as the teacher, am spending too much time dealing with discipline issues, it is taking away from the opportunity to learn for the rest of the class. And if a student is fearful of being rebuked by other classmates, no one will want be volunteer. If I can convince the students we are a unit made up of individuals our time together can be better spent. Narrative cont. Self-Advocate Students need to be able to ask questions if they are unclear about a particular topic. If they would prefer not to do so in front of the class, then on a notecard passed to me, in an, or after school during tutoring. I can only answer the questions asked. Take Risks It is important to encourage originality with the given material. Anyone can drill a phrase in Spanish, but taking everything that has been learned and manipulating it into original sentences moves the learner from being comfortable in the textbook to comfortable in real life situations. Narrative cont. Instilling an Initial Drive & Place an Importance on Education Showing we are a TEAM with Phone Calls &s Home Progress Reports Hawk Star Postcards Introduce Myself For Failing Grades Expectations and ways to foster good relationships Between Teachers and Parents A love for learning starts at home I have learned that in most cases a motivation to do well in school comes from a strong support system at home where the parents place an importance on education and are involved in helping their student grow and succeed. I would like to encourage parental involvement and by letting them know that we (the parent, the student, and the teacher) are all working to help the student grow together. Narrative Communication with the parents In an ideal world, I would call all parents at the beginning of the year to introduce myself and share something positive I observed from their student. Unfortunately, last semester I had 160+ students, and it would have taken until Midterm to make all the calls were that the plan. But, within the first few classes, it is usually apparent who your difficult students might be. I would call home as I mentioned above so that if I do need to contact home later in the year for grade or behavior concerns, the first thing they hear from me is not a negative. I believe this will help build a good rapport with the parents. Narrative cont. HawkStar Postcards This is a way to share positive observations with parents. The cards are sent in the mail and could be anything from a job well done on a presentation, a students change in attitude, an increase in homework completion or simply not falling asleep in class all week. Progress Reports sent home These should be sent regularly, perhaps every 2 weeks, so both student and parent are aware of current progress. Narrative cont. Staff Shared Files Participate in Non- work Related Socializing Observations Expectations and ways to foster good relationships Between Teachers and other Teachers Narrative Staff Shared Files This was storage file that all teachers had access to on the school computers. We were encouraged to look through each others lesson plans, PowerPoints, and activities to use what we liked, tweek what we didnt like and collaborate as much as possible. As a new teacher this was a life saver! It also embodied the way teachers in my school saw other teachers. Everyone was so eager to help! Observations Observations do not just have to be for the year end evaluation done by the administrator. Teachers observing other teachers can give new ideas on instructional delivery, activities and classroom management. Non-Work Related Socializing Spending some time with other teachers in the workroom at lunch and social events can build healthy work relationships. Narrative cont. Greetings Introductions Likes & Dislikes School and Leisure Activities Family Core Knowledge Topics of Conversation What should be taught in the Spanish 1 class? Grammar ReadingWritingSpeakingListening Gustar Present Tense Verbs Regular Commonly Used Irregular Ir Narrative A touch of Essentialism It is my belief that at the beginning of a language study, there are a few topics that must be introduced before continuing as they gave you a nice basis from which to move forward. I have seen a variation in what order these topics listed on the previous page are taught, but I thing they are all essential to the Spanish 1 curriculum. History Ancient Peoples Modern Day Travel Spots Spanish Speaking Countries What should be taught? Holidays & Comparisons to US Holidays Quinceaera Dance & Music Artists Major Contributors in Various Fields ?? Student Interest ?? Special Topics to be Discussed Narrative Special Topics There is a infinite number of cultural topics that can discussed and researched throughout the year to compliment the required material. This can be a great opportunity for student input as to what they would like to learn about and how they would like to show their learning. How should the curriculum be taught? Methods and Strategies for Delivery of a New Concept Direct Instruction Partnered Practice Full Group Practice Creation (Partnered or Individual) Game to Reinforce Concept Learned Narrative According to chapter two in our reading, the Essentialist classroom follows the model of lecture and recitation, discussion, drill, and practice and a variety of teaching and learning materials to ensure that students learn the content. This model does prove to be most helpful when introducing a new grammar topic. I do like to find ways to mix things up with the vocabulary and cultural lessons. A variation of full group, small group, and individual activities can be helpful at different stages of the learning process. Differentiation Plan for Hispanohablantes Spelling Accents Native & Heritage Speakers Pre-assessment Focused Practice on Areas of Difficulty Cultural Readings in Target Language Peer Tutoring Narrative Pre-Assessment By testing native speakers at the beginning of a unit, I will learn where I need to focus their attentions, and what we can skip. They dont need to waste time re-learning the alphabet that they learned at age 3 in their own home. Focused Practice on Areas of Difficulty Because most students are not educated in Spanish, their speaking, pronunciation and vocabulary can be very good. It is areas like writing that leave much room for improvement. Cultural Reading in Target Language After native speakers have shown mastery of the unit being taught in the class, occasionally, there can be time remaining before we test and move on. This can be a good time to practice reading comprehension in Spanish. Also I (or they) can look for cultural reading about issues outside of their own background so the students can see what it means to be Hispanic in other parts of the world. Narrative cont. Peer Tutoring Once a student (native or not) has mastered a concept well enough that they feel comfortable enough to explain it to a struggling student in the classroom, the benefits can be significant for all involved. The student being tutored has a one-on-one experience with a different point of view, and the student doing the tutoring gains confidence. Not to mention, any number of small group social skills are being practiced here. Narrative cont. Ideas for further differentiation Surveys Freedom in Project Topics & Means of Presentation Accommodations for those with disabilities A touch of Progressivism This theory is marked by [an] emphasis on the individual child, informality of classroom procedure, and encouragement of self-expression. Homework Behavior Strategies for Motivating Students FIESTA Billetes Praise Mistake Hawk Star Postcards Home Mine Your own *explained under Teacher/Parent Expectations and Relationships Exploration of Personal Interests Narrative FIESTA board As a form or encouragement and positive reinforcement, I introduced the FIESTA idea. In the center at the bottom of the photo I have each class listed and letters beside them. If there is a class wide 100% homework completion on any given day or a positive note left by a substitute during my absence, the class receives a letter toward their FIESTA (party). If they can spell it, they can have it. It is a visible reminder and gets students to hold each other accountable for their own work and to stay on task during my absence. This is an attempt at creating a sense of community in the classroom as they are all working together for a common goal. Billetes (pictured below) As a form of positive encouragement, I have adopted a token reward system. If a student is on the winning team when we play a review game, goes above the required homework assignment, or completes an extra credit assignment they will receive this printed money that can be turned in as extra credit points on a quiz. Praise Mistakes To encourage students to take risks and try without fear of being wrong I will show my students that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Even I make mistakes occasionally. By offering a Billete for any mistakes found in my own PPTs or in another students work, I know they are paying close attention. And if they understand a concept well enough to pick out the errors, then they have mastered it. Narrative cont. Connection to Students Interests To make the material being learned relevant to my students own interest and lives so they might find it more applicable, I need to leave room for creativity in projects and be open to different suggestions about topics to be studied in addition to the essential material. In my philosophy, this is where the Progressive Philosophy is mixed with that of Essentialism. If one student can create a song, while another a PPT, while yet another a video successfully demonstrating their ability to express their likes and dislikes with the verb gustar then I know they have truly mastered the material. By giving them that freedom I can learn more about the individual students, since they are not confined to my own imagination, and they will remember and enjoy the activity more. Narrative cont. Concluding Statement This Philosophy Project has been an excellent exercise in synthesizing what we have studies in conjunction with my two years of classroom experience. It may not be much, but it is enough to put faces and real life experience behind the study. I have found My Philosophy to be a compilation of various thoughts (Essentialism & Progressivism) and styles as I have found the classroom has to be an ever moving, ever growing, community of students, teachers, and parents in order to keep all motivated, involved and interested in the language learning process. Gracias por su tiempo! Adis, Seorita Poland