Kids lose attention fast. That is old news. But integrating art into the typical classroom curriculum may be the solution. Art can come in the form of paint, dance, or music. Natalie Kidd touches on this subject in her article titled, "Could Arts-Integrated Education Help Your Child Succeed?" She discusses reseach that has proven that children are more engaged when an art-integrating curriculum is used. At-risk children benefit more than any other student group. Art connects the students to the information being taught in a new way. When students connect to the material, they learn it better. And who doesn't remember loving art in elementary school? It is a fun way to learn, and sadly it is not used enough in schools.
In the article, Kidd points out that although many teachers would love to integrate art into their lessons, they do not have the time or resources to do so. Continuing education for teachers is focused on subjects such as math, science, or other core subjects. But things are looking up.
"With new education funding being dedicated to innovative school programs that get the job done, the chances are better than ever that your child's school could be the next to adopt the arts-integrated approach."
So be looking out for new arts-integrated lessons in schools. Students, teachers, and parents will benefit.
Kidd, Natalie. "Could Arts-Integrated Education Help Your Child Succeed?" Education.com.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Information Ocean
Stephanie Rosalia is a librarian in Brighton Beach, an immigrant community. She is featured in a New York Times video, where she discusses her view on the 21st century information world. She states that "where i was in the information desert, they're in the information ocean, and they're drowning." How true is that? If a student were to search Christopher Columbus on Google, there would be millions of returns. How is a student supposed to know where to start? They need to be taught how to navigate the internet, search for the information that they are looking for, and determine whether a source is valid or not.
Librarians used to be in schools only to help students find books and encourage literacy. Now they are much more than that.
"I connect kids with books, and also with information."
It is Rosalia's job to help her students navigate this world of information. That may be through the books they read, the videos they watch, the audiotapes that they listen to, or the internet that they are searching. The possiblities are endless now, and there is more of a need now than ever for someone to step in a teach children how to navigate.
link to video: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/02/15/arts/1194837851726/the-21st-century-librarian.html?ref=education
Librarians used to be in schools only to help students find books and encourage literacy. Now they are much more than that.
"I connect kids with books, and also with information."
It is Rosalia's job to help her students navigate this world of information. That may be through the books they read, the videos they watch, the audiotapes that they listen to, or the internet that they are searching. The possiblities are endless now, and there is more of a need now than ever for someone to step in a teach children how to navigate.
link to video: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/02/15/arts/1194837851726/the-21st-century-librarian.html?ref=education
Encouraging Literacy at Home
Tips for teachers are given in this month's issue of The Reading Teacher, and one that I found interesting was the idea of sharing with parents the natural ways to incorporate literacy at home. Families typically write lists, write in journals, and enjoy jokes whether they are in comics or on TV. All of these things incorporate reading and writing, and if parents are aware of ways to encourage their children to participate and practice their literacy skills then students will be more successful in the classroom.
Parent involvement is important, but not always easy to come by. Instead of asking a lot of parents when it comes to homework help, teachers can share ways to use routines that are already in place to help their children learn. A lot of the issue currently is that parents don't know how to help. It is the job of the teacher to keep parents informed.
The article written by Timothy Rasinski and Nancy Padak calls this way of literacy instuction "Family literacy". If the family is involved in the student's learning, then the student will be encouraged to do better.
Timothy Rasinski
Nancy Padak "Family Literacy: Write Soon!" The Reading Teacher. April 2009.
Parent involvement is important, but not always easy to come by. Instead of asking a lot of parents when it comes to homework help, teachers can share ways to use routines that are already in place to help their children learn. A lot of the issue currently is that parents don't know how to help. It is the job of the teacher to keep parents informed.
The article written by Timothy Rasinski and Nancy Padak calls this way of literacy instuction "Family literacy". If the family is involved in the student's learning, then the student will be encouraged to do better.
Timothy Rasinski
Nancy Padak "Family Literacy: Write Soon!" The Reading Teacher. April 2009.
Violence in Schools, Remembering Columbine
It is hard to believe that a decade has gone by since the shooting at Columbine that woke people up to the reality of violence in schools. Sadly, time makes people forget. Until another incident hits the headlines like the Virginia Tech shooting, and then we're awake again. In an article in Education Week, Debra Viadero reflects on the Columbine shooting and highlights lessons that can still be learned from the tragedy. One of her main points is that teens having problems is a reality in school. There are differences that need to be taken into account, and students who need attention. Mr. Langman, a teacher at Columbine, quotes in the article, “If you get stuck thinking that there’s a certain kind of kid that we can identify, then we’re going to be missing kids who are potential dangers.”
As educators, we need to be aware of all of our students and their differences. When they feel neglected, they act out, and that is when trouble happens.
I remember watching a video in one of my classes last year about a kid who shot people at school. The video included interviews with his parents and older sister. They were oblivious to the behaviors that he was demonstrating before the shooting, and obviously did nothing about it. Just because you think that a tendency of a child is "just the way they are", doesn't mean you shouldn't address it. Parents and teachers need to work together to address these issues.
Viadero, Debra. "Lessons Sifted From Tragedy at Columbine". Education Week. April 7, 2009.
As educators, we need to be aware of all of our students and their differences. When they feel neglected, they act out, and that is when trouble happens.
I remember watching a video in one of my classes last year about a kid who shot people at school. The video included interviews with his parents and older sister. They were oblivious to the behaviors that he was demonstrating before the shooting, and obviously did nothing about it. Just because you think that a tendency of a child is "just the way they are", doesn't mean you shouldn't address it. Parents and teachers need to work together to address these issues.
Viadero, Debra. "Lessons Sifted From Tragedy at Columbine". Education Week. April 7, 2009.
Teaching: Not just a job, but a mission
As I was reading Elle Magazine today I was reading an article about 12 intelligent women of today. Number 2 in the article was a woman by the name of Michelle Rhee. She is a Washington D.C. school chancellor who has been pushing for reform in hiring of teachers. She believes that " a child's success in school, and therefore in life, is wholly entwined with how good her teachers are." She has taken this idea and fired many of the system's bureaucrats (270 teachers and 36 principals to be exact) in order to hire teachers who are there for the right reasons-- the students. She is also trying to push for paying teachers based on merit and getting rid of the tenure system altogether. This may not sound like the best idea for teachers who have been teaching for years and are set in their ways, but her intention is to have quality teachers in the school systems.
There is a reason that Michelle Rhee is included in this article. She is bold, and not afraid to speak her mind and fight for what she believes. I believe that her intentions are good. As a future teacher, my hope is that I would fall into the category of teachers that she would want teaching her students. I care about the students and want the best for them. Rewarding teachers for merit would be a great motivator for teachers who have forgotten why they got into teaching in the first place. Students should always be the priority, and if it takes a woman like Michelle Rhee to remind us of that, then I say go for it.
"The Mentalists". Elle Magazine, p.229. April 2009.
There is a reason that Michelle Rhee is included in this article. She is bold, and not afraid to speak her mind and fight for what she believes. I believe that her intentions are good. As a future teacher, my hope is that I would fall into the category of teachers that she would want teaching her students. I care about the students and want the best for them. Rewarding teachers for merit would be a great motivator for teachers who have forgotten why they got into teaching in the first place. Students should always be the priority, and if it takes a woman like Michelle Rhee to remind us of that, then I say go for it.
"The Mentalists". Elle Magazine, p.229. April 2009.
School Days Too Short?
I can just hear the groaning and booing that would come from students if school days were announced to be longer in length and one day added to the week. But this is the viewpoint of some in the U.S. right now. Their argument is that in order to compete with students abroad, students need to spend more time in school. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says, "I fundamentally think that our school day is too short, our school week is too short and our school year is too short." So does that mean that we will be seeing a change any time soon? Probably not.
There is way to much that goes into changing the school calendar and changing the length of a school day. Personally, I hope that there is no change made. Students are young and cannot focus for longer than they are already required to. If the school day was lengthened, there would less kids making the effort to focus and learn. Also, there is a scheduled summer break for a reason. Students need that break. They need to play and have fun outside of school so that they have the energy and motivation to come back and learn. Motivation would be lost if the time that students were in school was extended. The quality of teaching needs to step up in order for students to be prepared for the competition abroad, not the hours of school per year.
The Associated Press. "U.S. Schools Chief Says Kids Need More Class Time". April 7, 2009.
There is way to much that goes into changing the school calendar and changing the length of a school day. Personally, I hope that there is no change made. Students are young and cannot focus for longer than they are already required to. If the school day was lengthened, there would less kids making the effort to focus and learn. Also, there is a scheduled summer break for a reason. Students need that break. They need to play and have fun outside of school so that they have the energy and motivation to come back and learn. Motivation would be lost if the time that students were in school was extended. The quality of teaching needs to step up in order for students to be prepared for the competition abroad, not the hours of school per year.
The Associated Press. "U.S. Schools Chief Says Kids Need More Class Time". April 7, 2009.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
SMALLab: The classroom of the future
I am blown away with the ways that technology is being incorporated in K-12 classrooms. In a recent article in Education Week, Katie Ash touches on the high-tech simulations that are being used in classrooms such as the SMALLab (Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Lab). With this form of technology, there is a floor matt with trussing around it that can be used as a simulation tool.
David Birchfield, an assistant professor in the arts, media, and engineering program at Arizona State University quotes, "We’re trying to really bring together emerging technologies with what’s known about K-12 learning, and advance the two of those together." An idea like this is not new, but to see programs such as SMALLab in schools is encouraging. Students can but their knowledge into action with these digital games. Word problems come to life, and for many students, this is just the ticket to learning.
In my Educational Media class at Auburn, we are always asked to talk about how we will incorporate technology into our own classrooms in the future. These kinds of programs are ones that I could definately see myself using if the resources were available to me at the school I am teaching at.
Ash, Katie. "High-Tech Simulations Linked to Learning". Education Week. April 6, 2009.
David Birchfield, an assistant professor in the arts, media, and engineering program at Arizona State University quotes, "We’re trying to really bring together emerging technologies with what’s known about K-12 learning, and advance the two of those together." An idea like this is not new, but to see programs such as SMALLab in schools is encouraging. Students can but their knowledge into action with these digital games. Word problems come to life, and for many students, this is just the ticket to learning.
In my Educational Media class at Auburn, we are always asked to talk about how we will incorporate technology into our own classrooms in the future. These kinds of programs are ones that I could definately see myself using if the resources were available to me at the school I am teaching at.
Ash, Katie. "High-Tech Simulations Linked to Learning". Education Week. April 6, 2009.
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