Practicum: A Video Reflection

Hey guys! So for the last assignment I will ever do for Practicum, I was asked to make a video reflecting on what I learned over the course of the semester. Though I am no cinematographer by any means, here's my video!

Right here!

UMF Student Teacher Portfolio Presentations: What'd I learn?

Hey guys!

So today I had the opportunity to attend UMF's Student Teacher Portfolio Presentations! What this is a walk-up style presentation given by the current UMF students who are finishing their semester as a student teacher, each of whom present the work that they have done during them time in their field placement. Though I was only able to stay for about a half an hour, I feel like I took a lot away from these presentations.

The first presentation I went to was with Dominick.

Dominick is a Secondary Education Social Studies Concentration finishing up his semester in Winthrop Middle School. As he explained to me, Dominick came into his mentor teaching students about the civil war. Dominick seemed really excited to be sharing the lesson plans that he wrote and gave. Specifically, Since he felt that the Civil War is a subject that could be given months to study, he explained how he picked each topic that he chose to teach the students about. As he described, since most everyone doesn't remember what they learned during middle school, his goal was to give lessons that would stick with students; Dominick wanted to create lessons with a deep impact. He then proceeded to describe in detail the how and why he explained the realities of the slavery, the Triangle Trade and slave servitude, all of which had the underlying point to make the students realize the reality that slaves had to go through.

Though I learned a lot about what Dominick was teaching his students, I feel that the number one thing I took away was the advice he gave, which was "save everything," and "don't worry about student teaching yet." Though it's cliche, I feel that Dominick really put me at ease when it comes to students teaching: students teaching is doable, and everything that I am doing right now is preparing me and is reinforcing me love for education.

The next presenter I went to was Stephen Riitano's.

I was really excited to see Stephen's portfolio. Since I have known Stephen for a little bit, I was excited to see what he's been doing in his classroom this semester (since I know that he has been very excited to get into the classroom). Like Dominick, Stephen gave me an extensive background about what he did, and he too gave me advice. He stressed the fact that I should start saving everything I have been doing since I started Practicum. 

Since I've heard this from two sources, you think I should take the advice?

Stephen also gave me one heck of a pep talk. He reassured me that, even though Practicum has literally been the hardest thing I have ever done, that It most certainly is preparing me for student teaching, even though it might not feel like it right now.

Overall, I am really happy that I went to the Student Teacher Portfolios. I feel like I learned a lot about what to expect from student teaching, and I feel like I got solid advice about what to do and not to do as I continue towards becoming a teacher.

A WordCloud of What Makes Up School Community

This is a word cloud that my classmate Griffin and I made as part of our EDU 224 class. This image is made using WordCloud, and is comprised of words that describe what makes up school community.

Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan William: A Summery

In his novel Embedded Formative Assessment, Dylan Wiliam describes the power that formative assessment can have in a classroom. With the focus of most schools being test scores and student achievement, its hard to have both students and teachers engaged in the required material. Thus, when it comes to creating ways to keep students captivated by their learning, Wiliam argues that high-quality teachers should make an effort to include formative assessment as a way to keep students engaged and on task. In each chapter, I found myself being pulled in by many of the strategies that Wiliam suggested, ranging from ways for students to think about their own learning to strategies for peer engagement, making this book one I recommend for any and all educators.

Chapter 1 focused on selling the idea of "good" education, as a whole. Tying the education system to the economy and the United States growing demand for workers, Wiliam was able to captivate the audience right from the first page of the novel. As economics is a subject that everyone has experience with (whether it be from a class or just from experience of being a member of the U.S. Economic System), he clearly executed the need for education. Further, by making a point to address the difficulties of raising student achievement (such as school structure, curriculum reform, impact of educational-technology, etc) and the importance of quality teachers, Wiliam is further able to sell the significance of quality schooling. Though this may be a chapter written to convince the reader to continue with the book, it sets a great stage for the materials to come in later chapters.

Chapter 2, in my opinion, is also a selling point. Though the book is centered around the idea of formative assessment (hence the name, after-all), this is the first point in the novel where formative assessment is even mentioned. Wiliam describes teaching as a "contingent activity" (56), meaning that there is no real way to predict the makeup of call. As a teacher, you can't predict the mix of students you'll have in class, you won't be able to guess what they'll get out of your instructions, and you most certainly won't be able to gauge where your students are if you're not checking in. Therefore, Wiliam dedicates this chapter to selling the readers on the power of formative assessment. In laymen's terms, formative assessments give the teacher the power to modify their instructional practice to best meet the needs of their students. As Wiliam describes on page 52, there are 5 key strategies needed in order to adjust practices to meet the needs of our kiddos:

"1. Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning learning intentions and success criteria.

2. Eliciting evidence of learning.

3. Providing feedback that moves learning forward.

4. Activating learners as instructional resources for one another.

5. Activating learners as owners of their own learning."

This is Wiliams first introduction of what is to come in the rest of the book, and by introducing these strategies, he is able to create a sense of anticipation and intrigue that encourages the reader to continue forward with the reading. Again, I consider this chapter to be more a selling point, as it acts a hook for the audience, drawing them deeper into the ideas that Wiliam plans on exploring.

Chapter 3 is strategy one: "Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning learning intentions and success criteria." What does he mean by this?

Tell the kids where they're going.

Though he recognizes that there is no one "right" way to tell students where they are going to be going with their learning, he spends the majority of this chapter explaining the significance of informing students of where they're headed, as well as different strategies to go about doing so. My favorite strategy he shared is "Test-Item Design," which is an activity where students write questions as if they were writing for a test. Having done this in my history classes in high school, it allowed me the opportunity to make connections from my learning to the end goal (the test), as well as giving me the opportunity to practice writing questions that mimicked those I could see on in-class tests, as well as on the AP test. Though it's not a strategy that I think would have worked in other classes, I feel that giving students the opportunity to write their own questions clearly communicates the expectations of where students are expected to end up. I feel that its important to have an open line of communication with students, regardless if you're talking about curriculum or a sports game coming up. Thus, informing students of your expectations is crucial. I mean, you'd want to know how to get to restaurant where you're meeting your friends, right? So, why can't students have a road map of their learning?

As part of this assigned reading, I tweeted short descriptions of chapters 3-7.

Chapter 4, "Eliciting Evidence of Learning," focuses on the teacher's ability to quickly adjust their instructional practices based upon where their students are, and their academic needs. By giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding through formative assessments, this acts as an opportunity for the teacher to change the class structure to meet the needs of students. Students struggling with a foundational piece [especially in math!], lets spend an extra class period going over the material, and lets give them a little more practice so they can feel confident in the material. This chapter also encouraged teachers to, while adjusting for their students needs, to ask questions that prompted deeper thinking, while maintaining engagement. I enjoyed Wiliam's description of "hinge-point questions," questions that take students less than two minute to respond to, and less than thirty seconds for the teacher to gauge the classes' overall understand. It was a type of question I actually incorporated into the Geometry lesson I wrote for one of my classes in Practicum, through having students answer a quick question using mini-whiteboard to communicate their answer quickly. These purposeful questions, I feel, encourage students to think critically about the material that they're going over, and causes them to stay more engaged with the material.

Chapter 5, "Providing Feedback that Moves Learning Forward" focuses on the importance, and the significance of different types of feedback. All students have had teacher that has given unclean or even useless feedback that they're suppose to use to "improve." But how are students to improve when they have no idea what they need work on. Wiliam, in this chapter, proposes that teachers be clear and purposeful with their praise, meaning that the feedback should cause critical thinking versus  causing an emotional response. Often times, students associate feedback with praise on their person, rather than there work. Therefore, teachers must be purposeful with their praise, specifying it to the students work. Further, Wiliam makes point to mention that it is not the role of teacher to give their students answers, as that denies students that meaningful opportunity for critical thinking. By giving meaningful and purposeful feedback, this allows teachers to guide students in their personal improvement, which gives the students the opportunity to develop their skills, and more importantly, gives the students the chance to form a game plan for their future learning.

Chapter 6, "Activating Learners as Instructional Resources for One Another" is dedicated to teachers guiding students to becoming "peer-advisors" for one another. As Wiliam describes, teaching another person something is the hardest, but most beneficial thing that a person can do: "every teacher... has acknowledged you never really understand something until you try to teach it to someone else" (166). Therefore, in this chapter, he really draws home the importance of peer-work. Benefiting not only the student receiving feedback, but also the student giving it, peer work gives student the opportunity to think critically about an assignment, about how the other person is doing, but as well as how they personally are doing with the assignment. In my experience, I was more receptive to my peers feedback versus my teacher, as they were able to, in-the-moment, tell me what I was doing wrong, and where I could improve. While the teachers feedback may the same as my peer, hearing it from a person rather than reading it on a note that was written on my paper brings the feedback to life. Often times, students are motivated to learn how to improve, and are equally as willing to help their peers improve. Further, Wiliam offers the strategy of "Peer Improvement of Homework," which, in laymen's terms, is having the students grade their own work, or the work of their peers using a rubric. Wiliam describes that, after employing this technique, that students began actually doing their homework, and their work became neater, as they didn't want to be excluded from they day's activities because they had not completed their work, and they wanted their work to clearly communicate their ideas. Personally, I adore this idea, and it is something that I plan on incorporating into my own classroom. I believe that self-reflection is a invaluable skill, and being able to apply said skill to one's own work, as well as the work of their peers will improve student discipline, skill, and responsibility for their own learning.

In Chapter 7, "Activating Learners as Owners of Their Own Learning," Wiliam examines the impact that the student has on their own learning, as well as the importance of mindset in education. Though teachers are their to guide students in their learning, they are not completely responsible for the learning of their students. Teachers, as Wiliam describes, are responsible for designing situations that stimulate learning, while students are responsible for creating learning. Though it seems easy in practice, being responsible for ones own learning is emotionally challenging. Tying this chapter to Carol Dweck's research on mindset, Wiliam recognizes the emotional toll that taking responsibility for their learning can have on a student. Students often struggle with their perceived image of "smartness," and challenging their image frightens students. As students are afraid to look "stupid," taking responsibility for their learning challenges their image, and can drastically influence one's ability to critically self reflect. Though it is challenging, taking responsibility for their learning allows students to develop the skills of critical self-reflection, which ultimately lead to improving their academic skills. This, in my opinion, is the hardest, yet most important skill that they can learn, and master. Overall, this was my favorite chapter in the book, as it was something that I was able to connect with, as taking responsibility for my own learning was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my academic career, and rocked me to my core.

This book was a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it to anyone entering the world of education. I truly feel that I learned a lot, both in strategies as well as of the importance of formative assessment, and everything I learned, I feel, I will be using in my future classroom.

Three Wise Teacher Project: What Can These Resources Teach You?

About a month ago I was tasked with reaching out to three teachers that influenced me on my path to becoming an educator, thanking them, and asking them if they had any resources that they would like to share. Though originally I thought it more so a project based around letting those who influenced us know about the impact that they have had in our lives and our career aspirations, the project turned out to be something greater than what I initially imagined it to be. The "Three Wise Teacher Project" acted more as a stepping stone for us, as pre-service teachers, to figure out what influenced the teachers that influenced us.

As I wrote in my previous blog post describing the project, I reached out to three ladies whom, had I not had the luxury of studying under/working with them I do not know if I would be in college, or on the path to becoming an educator.

First, I reached out to Clarissa Thompson, a professor at UMF who taught my EDU102/103 course during my first semester of college. Clarissa, who I swear to god is a walking dictionary of education-related resources, pointed me in the direction of a podcast episode produced by the Cult of Pedagogy, hosted by Jennifer Gonzalez, specifically focused on a Fellowship Program designed by Math for America (MƒA). With the focus on profession development (PD) of proven-successful teachers (that is, teachers not within their first five years teaching, and who have been shown to be successful in terms of content instruction), the Fellowship program designed by MƒA works to help successful teachers receive the support they need as they move away from the "sit and get" model of PD. With the Fellowship Model, as Gonzalez describes it, being based around the system of same-concentration community development MƒA acts as a support system for teachers as they continue with their personal development through cutting-edge classes and instructional opportunities that allow these teachers to continue to learn, as well as gives ample opportunity to lead.

With the concentration of the podcast being based on the Fellowship Model itself versus the program offered by MƒA, the overall theme of the episode was the benefits of being involved with such an organization/program that gives experienced professional teachers the opportunity to continue learning, regardless of concentration area. As it is described in the episode, teachers need the exposure and the opportunity to "do" their concentration. Teachers are expected to be able to teach the material of their concentration area, correct? Then how are they to keep up-to-date with the newest improvements/discoveries in their concentration area if they do not have the opportunity to work with new material? By providing teachers the opportunity to step into the role of students again to learn about the developments in their field by offering a variety of courses based around the interests of their teachers involves, MƒA acts as a facilitator for continued professional development, as the Fellows have the opportunity to learn about on anything they'd like, ranging from concentration-specific material to different pedagogical strategies that gives them a different lens to approach their subject with. I loved this podcast, as it gave me the opportunity to think about my future as an educator, as well as ways for me to continue in my development as a teacher that will ultimately benefit my students.

Clarissa also referred me to the website specific to math-concentrations, https://www.youcubed.org. Being founded by a woman whom she had her EDU102/103 students read, Jo Boaler. Clarissa made a point to refer me to this website, as Boaler explores the world of mathematics education and the significance of mathematics-educational practices that influence a students willingness to learn/develop their mathematic skills- a topic that fascinates me. Specifically, I read an article from the website titled Ability and Mathematics: the mindset revolution that is reshaping education, written by Boaler herself. If you ask a group of people what they think of math, a majority you'll get responses along the line like "ewwwwwww... I hate math!", "I am so bad at math,", and my personal favorite: "I am NOT a math person!". Math, in today's society, is given the stink eye, as most people do not see the significance, nor the reason for mathematics education. In my experience, these people who do not like math struggle with math, and therefore hate math because they do not understand it.

Cyclical idea, right?


In this article, Boaler explores the significance between the grouping-by-level system in place in the United State and in England, and the influence of a students mindset (i.e. fixed and growth mindsets) in regards to their success in the course. Boaler explains that, when students are separated and put into classes based upon their ability to handle the academic rigor, this communicates to the student that they are defined by their outwardly displayed "intelligence" (their ability to perform in academics), which is determined by other (their teachers and administrators).


Grouping high achieving students with high achievement students, and low-achieving students with low-achieving students, the grouping model that schools enact is based on the idea that by putting students into classrooms based on ability allows for educators to alter the course material in a way that will reach the greatest number of students, while not preventing the academic growth of others. Ironically, numerous studies have shown that academically separated classrooms fair worse than mixed-ability classrooms: “the impact of different ability grouping practices have shown that when schools abandon ability grouping practice and move to mixed or heterogeneous grouping, achievement and participation improves significantly” (Boaler 147). Though the idea of leveled classes, in theory, is in the best interest of the student, some students often feel isolated from their academically-different peers, and indirectly told that their ability to handle rigor is static, meaning that they are unable to jump from a lower-level class to a higher level class.

By creating such a structured classroom environment based upon a students ability to handle academic rigor, students are then “stuck” in a class that defines them as a label, which in turn influences their mindset. “Smart” students take Honors level courses, “normal” students take College Prep, and “dumb” students take Applied-level courses. Though it is not said, it is an unwritten code that the level-course you take what what you are, “smart,” “normal” or “dumb.” Regardless of the name of the class, regardless what a group of students is called, all students defined by their performance in a class, versus their capabilities and their drive to succeed. All students, in all levels, feel this stereotype, not just low-achieving students. In schools utilizing a grouping model, it is not uncommon to see high-achieving students shut down when they do not understand something. These high achieving students, when they don’t understand the material, will feel stupid, because “only smart kids take Honors,” and if they were really smart, would they really be struggling with the material?

By not divide students into classes based on their perceived ability to handle academic rigor, students have the opportunity to collaborate with academically-different peers, meaning low-achieving students can work with high-achieving students, which not only encourages the development of peer relations, but also eliminates the idea that students have different "worths" as students of all academic levels are in the same class. Further, by placing mixed ability students into a single classroom, this further stimulates the development of growth mindsets, as low-achieving students see themselves performing the same work as high-achieving students, indirectly communicating to the student that they, too, are capable of the same work as their peers, regardless of their academic past. Mindset is everything, and by allowing student the opportunity to mingle and work with various-leveled peers, this contributes to their success in and out of the mathematics classroom.

I found this article very interesting, given that I attended a class that utilized the leveled classroom model, and my Practicum placement is in a school that too follows this model. Though I have not experienced the negative impact that Boaler makes not of in the article, I am able to look back and reflect on my time as a student, when I felt that I needed to match the academic-ability of my peers, though I may not have necessarily been on level with them. While I do understand where she comes from, as a teacher, I feel that dividing students based on ability to handle academic provides them a class that tailored to their currently academic level. Some students may need extra guidance on specific material, while other students may be ready to move on after they are first exposed to it. The downside to mixed-ability classrooms is that if some students are ready to move on, while others are not, the teacher must go at the speed of the lowest achieving student, therefore limiting the potential learning of others. Though it something I have experience first-hand, I still am trying to wrap my head around this idea, and would be very interested in spending time in a school with a mixed-classroom model.

After reaching out to Clarissa, I reached out to Elyse Pratt-Ronco, the Assistant Director of the UMF TRIO Upward Bound Program, which I was a member of for the entirety of my high-school career. As Upward Bound is a program designed to aid low-income first-generation college students as they get their foot-in-the-door to post-secondary education, I strongly believe that had I not participated in this program, I would not be where I am today, both as a college student, as well a person studying to becoming Math Teacher. During Upward Bound, I ended up discovering a passion for learning about economic inequalities in education (both secondary and post-secondary). Given that Elyse working specifically with students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, she is well versed in the resources for working with students from said background.

Having formed a close bond with Elyse through my time during UB, she knows of my passion for socio-economic disadvantages in education, as well as my intention to stay and to teach in Maine upon graduation from UMF. Therefore, she suggested I read the book Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol. Given how a large percentage of Maine students are labeled as low-income (and first-gen), Elyse recommended the book based on the very real demographics of Maine, as it will directly influence the kinds of students I will have in the future. Having read the first five chapters, I can attest to how phenomenal this book is. Though it focuses on socioeconomic inequalities found in urban areas, this book gives a powerful insight as to the reality that some students experience, in both their personal lives, but as well as their experiences in schools. Specifically, the book focuses on the economic struggles that minority students face, as well as to how race plays into the injustice within the school setting. In my opinion, it is important to recognize and to be able to adjust your curriculum based on the background and the needs of your students. Further, I feel that it's important to recognize that, while you may feel that you're lacking the resources needed to properly teach your class, that some schools can't afford to higher enough teachers to have someone sit in and monitor a study hall, provide heat for the building, or even fix the holes in the building that let in rain and other weather.

What's Rubrics Got To Do With It? (hint: everything)

Hey guys,

Recently my class was asked to think about what the difference between a good, and a bad rubric were, meaning, what makes something a quality rubric, and what makes a rubric vague, unclear, and ultimately unhelpful?

To answer this question I want to compare two rubrics, one good, one bad, and explain the differences.

Source:
http://southbayrobot.com/2018/09/socratic-seminar-lesson-plan-template/socratic-seminar-lesson-plan-template-rubric-examples-study-com/

Above is an example of a rubric for a socratic-style class discussion. 

Beginning with the Preparation category, how is not understanding the reading something to dock students on? I am not a strong reader, I understand that, accept it, and make any and all efforts I can in order to get through the material. Should this rubric have been implemented when I was in a class study Shakespeare, I would have failed miserably, as reading is not one of my strong suits. Thus, as I didn't understand the reading, I came to class expecting to take notes on the discussion our class would have over the text, and make note of any key concepts or motifs that I had overlooked due to my inability to dig as deep in the text as my classmates. But, as all students do, I would sometimes zone out in the middle of these discussions, and therefore miss some ideas and notes over the material. Additionally, because I was taking notes and trying to compare the discussion to my (limited) understanding of the text, rarely, if ever, did I speak up and contribute to the class discussion. Thus, for a student like me who's struggling to understand the readings, a rubric like this will, for lack of a better term, tank their grade. At most I would have gotten a "Mastery" in listening if it was a good day, and a "proficient" every other day. Further, I would have not scored very high in both preparation and speaking, as I took class time to try to understand what I had read, versus trying to find the hidden depth as to why the curtains are blue.

A rubric like this does not account for students who have other kinds of intelligences; since this rubric is based upon one's ability to understand the reading, it solely benefits students with a verbal-linguistic  intelligence. 

Source:
https://wisc.pb.unizin.org/teachonlinerubrics/chapter/types-of-rubrics/

Above is an example of, what I consider to be, a quality rubric.

Though this rubric is used to assess writing assignments, I believe that one can clearly see the differences and the improvements that have been made in comparison to the first rubric I provided. Specifically, this rubric takes a more holistic and open-ended look at the assessment of the material. By merely saying that, in the Focus Category, to get a high score that one must clearly state their position and give well-chosen reasons gives the student being assessed under this rubric ample opportunity to earn a high grade. With such vague language, as well as no limits on needing to have X amount of sources, or having X literary devices incorporated into the essay, the focus is more on the message of the paper and the persuasion of the author. Additionally, the language that this rubric uses to describe what is needed to receive a high score is very positive. By phrasing the description in a way that places more emphasis on the reader's ability to understand the argument versus shunning kids for grammar mistakes gives allows students to be relieved of the pressure to pass in a flawless piece of work, versus one that contains a powerful argument. Again, with the focus being on the students ideas versus their execution gives students motivation to put their full effort into an assignment they may not be passionate about. 

More than Face Value: Incorporating Deeper Knowledge into our Units

'Sup guys

Last week my EDU 222 class began a lot different than it normal does. Our instructor had us get into small groups and handed us card from the The Extraordinaires® Design Studio PRO card set each of which had a unique character that we had to interpret to be one of the students in our classroom. Though we could only make assumptions from the design on the front, on the back there were three other pictures that gave deeper insight to the "student."

As a group, we had to make inferences about the students, who they are as students, what their learning style is, and other various factors that give us, as educators, deeper insight into our classroom dynamic. In the beginning, we had to make inferences of one student, known as "Tribal Child" (Mowgli as our group so lovingly referred to him... straight up this kid looked like a carbon copy of Mowgli). Mowgli, we assumed by the picture on the front of the card, that he came from a low-income family and had had little schooling in his life time, which contributed to his distaste for school. Additionally, we made the assumption that he valued family very much, as in the picture he was being taught by an elder how to use a bow-and-arrow, while his younger brother sat close by.

While we made assumptions about Mowgli and who is as a student, eventually we were given three other cards with different characters whom also suppose to be "students" in our classroom, and of whom we also had to make inferences about who they were as students based solely on the front of the card.

Eventually, after we finally overturned the cards, we learned more about each student as an individual that we would not have been able to conclude had we just looked at the front of the card; we learned that one of our students was a father, the second lived in a restrictive household and felt isolated from her school community, and the last one was a very awkward kid who turned out to have a passion for music. Without filling these cards over, we would have had had a full picture of these students.

In the grand scheme, we had to design a GRASPS project in a subject other than our concentrations (we picked economics) that would accommodate the differences between all of the students and allow for them to thrive in their own unique ways. As a group, we decided to create a role-playing version of life, in which students would pick a career that they were interested in pursuing after high school, researching said career and figuring out what they would need to do in order to achieve their career goal, as well as figuring out how to budget based on the income of their career-of-choice.

As a future educator, I feel that this activity is very beneficial as we begin our journey as an educator. As we begin planning units, we need to be aware of the differences amongst our students, as well as their backgrounds as it can influence their ability to understand the material or complete the work their assigned. By being aware of students' background gives us insight as to how we should approach material, whether or not students will be able to complete some assignments (ex. if a student does not have internet at home, they may not be able to complete some assignments requiring internet access), or if they have a home life that prevents them from being able to work on group projects as they do not have access to the transportation need or they have over protective parents that prevent them from going out. By being able to recognize the different backgrounds of your students, you'll better be able to plan a unit that everyone is able to participate in, rather than a unit that students from "picturesque" backgrounds.