Morgan Spurlock's "Chalk"

In one of our Ed Psych lectures we got to watch the documentary "Chalk". It was quite an entertaining and hilarious perspective of new teachers in a high school. It documented the teaching careers of four new teachers, and highlighted the mishaps as well as the blunders that new teachers encounter. It showed that teaching is not necessarily for everyone, and that some people may or may not be cut out for the teaching profession. It raises questions about the theory that you can teach anyone to be a teacher.
Although the documentary had some quite funny clips, it sometimes seemed like the film was mocking the teaching profession with the questionable methods of teaching, and the crazy characters that the teachers documented were. Despite sometimes giving teachers a bad rapport, I think that Morgan Spurlock's intent was to highlight the fact that teaching is not in any way easy. In my opinion, it was a way to emphasize the role and powerful effect of a great and positive teacher.

If you are interested in seeing the film, or you're in a good mood for a laugh, check out the trailer for "Chalk": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpmc_NBLbNM

Decorah Administration Lecture

In one of our many lectures for Ed Psych this semester, we were able to hear the thoughts of two administrators from the Decorah Public Schools. We heard from the Decorah Middle School principal, as well as the Activities Director from Decorah High School. It was definitely interesting to hear their perspectives on a variety of things in education.
One of the most interesting things that struck me from their lecture was the fact that neither of them had planned to be in the administrative position that they currently held. Both had started out as teachers, and somewhat "fell" into the position of principal or Activities Director. Both administrators shared their real love of teaching in the classroom, and also the benefits of being in their current position. They both wished that they could have spent more time in the classroom, or coaching, but could not given the responsibilities of their new position. It was great to hear that they both loved teaching so much.
They also spoke about how the administrative position is much different work than teaching in the classroom. They have different responsibilities, like communicating with the entire student body or all the teachers, as well as more disciplinary responsibilities.
Both the administrators were also very much in favor of "No Child Left Behind", which somewhat differed from other perspectives in the education system. They thought that with research based instruction, teachers and students were better educated, and students could be taught what they really need to know, in a way that is proven to work. My thoughts were that as leaders in their respective schools, they had to lead by example, and embrace the hand of testing that was given to them.
Again, as I look at different people's perspectives, one thing that pops out to me as a future teacher is the vital role of communication.

Here is an article that talks about the administrtion's role in support of NCLB. It proves that the high stakes testing issue has many sides, components, and topics to have discussed: http://p8.hostingprod.com/@www.principalspolicyblog.org/blog/2007/07/despite_negative_feelings_admi.html

i-movie Book Reviews

For our small study groups for Ed Psych, we were assigned to read a book from a list of books written for teachers, to discuss these books, and finally create an i-movie to demonstrate what concepts and ideas we had learned from the book. Not only was it beneficial to learn from our own books relevance to future teachers, but the final i-movie project was an opportunity to learn more technology, hopefully something that we can incorporate into our own classrooms. In our lecture the other night, we were able to view all the groups' final projects, and see little glimpses of what their books were about. Seeing these various i-movies definitely has made my interest in education increase. I am very interested in reading some of these novels in my free time, after the rush of the end of the semester calms down.

The book that my small group chose to read and discuss was titled Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. It talked about the "nature-deficit-disorder" that has come to plague the current generation of children. Louv explains how there are countless ways to learn, to heal, and to play, from the outdoors and nature, and that the current generation is not encouraged to do so. It is a cry for teachers and parents to encourage outdoor education for the youth, before the "last frontier" of nature is destroyed and not valued anymore. I think that as a future teacher, it will be very important to keep these things in mind. nature is a very powerful thing, and it must not be taken for granted. With many of the author's suggestions, my classroom can benefit from the "Great Outdoors".

Here is a link to my group's i-movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0PvvPCUk2w

Conversations Across Differences Forum

At this forum, “Conversations Across Difference”, I had the opportunity to speak openly with many of my peers, many that I would not necessarily come in contact with on an everyday basis. It was not only enlightening, but provided me with a much needed “shock” to get my head in the right moment. Just because many of these events or confrontations concerning difference do not directly affect me at certain times, it is definitely an issue that I should be involved in and of great importance to me as a Luther student. Stepping aside and not dealing with the issue is not acceptable, and after attending this forum, I realize that these thoughtful reflections must turn to action.
I think that throughout our conversation, our group came to a few heavy conclusions about looking at difference. We realized that a lot of these misconceptions and subconscious fears of difference, whatever that difference may be are due to complete ignorance, or a lack of experience with those that are different. We talked about how we are afraid to branch out and leave our comfort zone. Many people are drawn to others that have similar traits, looks and interests. People have a struggle to feel accepted, and don’t want to be the one that stands out. We talked about how it is hard for all of us to come together, but once it happens, it seems as though it was never a real issue in the first place.
I think that these conversations at Luther are vital to the goals of a liberal arts education. In order to be well rounded, and truly understand each other, we must branch out, and really get to know each other. We sat down together as equal parties, and talked about how we feel about race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, and what we can do to bring about action. After talking to each other, it makes these events more personal, and gives you a stronger bond to help bring about change and understanding. I think it is important for all Luther students to not only understand each other, but to have the desire to understand each other, and try to embrace and learn from our differences.
I think that as a furture teacher, understanding difference is key to better reaching and teaching your students. In order to help them succeed, you must be able to understand their backgrounds, homes, cultures, and traditions, not just your own.
Here you can check out your own knowledge of diversity with this online quiz. it may put some things about diversity anequality into perspective for white teachers: http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quiz/quiz1.htm