Philosophy of education -Version 2

I would like to be a teacher because I truly believe that children are our future and it is important that teachers provide them with the right information and tools to lead their lives in a positive way. John Dewey is a famous philosopher and educator, and its far-reaching impact on modern education. He promotes that education and learning are a lifelong process, and promotes the overall concept of the learning and life. As an educator, my teaching goal is through active teaching encourage students' learning enthusiasm and let them realize learning is a lifelong process.

In my classroom, I would like to keep student-centered learning and want students to have the freedom that allows for expression and creativity. I want to teach students in a way that has some straightforward instruction, but that also gives students room to grow, expand on their own. To help my students achieve these learning goals, I use various of pedagogical methods for teaching.

To help my students foster creativity, I would like arrange two art classes every week.

They are divided into small teams to finish the project. Before they are doing the special project, groups need to discuss how to do and make sure everyone is assigned to the task. For example, students learn to create an egg carton caterpillar. Groups take the egg cartons and cut them, so each group has a section three eggs long. They can  attach something on and color with markers. When finished, groups can attach them to a bulletin board. Through the art class, students will learn to appreciate the art created not only by them but by others as well.

To help my students expand their own, I allow them to pose their own questions and try to answer independently. I feel it is beneficial for students to sometimes work for the answer rather than being told because it stretches their knowledge and teaches them how to find information in a variety of ways. So I would like to introduce SMILE platform to my classroom. SMILE allows students create their questions. These generated questions on SMILE require students to think deeply about the material, make connections to prior learning, enhance their creativity, challenge themselves with peer discussion and debate, and self-assess. Before using the SMILE platform, I will teach them how to ask and why higher order thinking questions are meaningful. SMILE makes student thinking visible and motivates students to learn the content at hand. Students can monitor their own learning, at the same time, I can monitor student learning problems.

To encourage my students to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned, I would like to use informal assessment. For example, they learn about the structure of human body system. I provide brief explanations of necessary background knowledge and play the video, select the article to let them read aloud with a discussion. In the end of the class, I make a list of questions that make sure everyone understands. Though review their answers, I can know what they learn about, and what they confuse.

Overall, educators should help students develop their individual talents and abilities, reach their potential, help them develop into responsible members of groups, assist them respect the environment and create a meaningful life. As a future educator, it is critical to remember to enjoy students and everything they have to offer. 

week 12-keystone project

Week 7 assignment

Here is my ISTE technology standard assignment

Week 5-assignment 2

A, Bullying has become a common issue around the world either at school or online. Bullying is serious and has harmful effects on the lives of the youth. After I watch the video about Jasmine McClain, I got shocked. She got bullied because of the style of her clothes and shoes. She left the school for a while and after coming back to the school, she hangs herself at home to end the life.

B, Because school often ignore bullying, children can be reinforced for intimidating others. Bullying also thrives in an environment where students are more likely to receive negative feedback and negative attention from teachers than in a positive school climate that fosters respect and sets high standards for interpersonal behavior.

C, Based on the 2016 report,  More than one out of every five (20.8%) students report being bullied. Especially among high school students, 15.5% are cyberbullied and 20.2% are bullied on school property.  It is clear that bullying is still the main problem among the students. If I am a teacher, I can not guarantee that bullying will not happen, but I would try my best to let the probability of occurrence of events to a minimum. There are some strategies I will carry out. 

1. Know our school and District policies on bullying
2. Conduct Actitivites in the classroom aroung bulling. Help students identify bullying behavior in books, TV and movies. Talk about the impact of the bullying.
3. Take immediate action. Prevent the bullying spread immediately if I find it.

Parents: 

1. Everyday talk with and listen to children. Parents should ask questions about their school, even ask about their peers.
2. Be a good example. Any time parents speak to other person in a mean way or rude way influence children. so it is important for parents become good model.
3. Make sure children understand bullying. Explain what it is and the impact of it . Tell them it is not good for them to bully , be bullied or watch other peers be bullied.

School: 

1. Develop a school code of conduct that reinforces school values and defines unacceptabe behavior and results
2. Conduct bullying prevention activities such assemblies, arts contests highlighting school values and reinforce the information that bullying is wrong.
3. Increase supervision. Make sure students in stairwells, locker rooms, and cafeterias are "visible".

Reference:

1. Children’s Needs: Development, Problems and Alternatives and Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention published by NASP
2. Center for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2015). Understanding bullying. Retrieved  from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying_factsheet.pdf
3. Bullying: A guide for parents. (National Autistic Society). Retrieved from http://www.autism.org.uk/Living-with-autism/Education-and-transition/Primary-and-secondary-school/Your-child-at-school/Bullying-a-guide-for-parents.aspx

week 4 - assignment

Waiting for Superman is a 2010 documentary film talks about the American public education system by following several students who strive to be accepted into a charter school. Originally, I am curious about the film’s title. It talks about the education, but why is called “ waiting for superman”? After I watch it, I get to understand, and it shocked me. The title is based on Geoffrey Canada’s childhood dream that one day the hero Superman would come to the South Bronx and fix all that was wrong. Until one day, his mother told him the Superman was no real. Geoffrey cried because he felt all lost. And he understood there is no one could save the people in the South Bronx. I will describe in details what I learn in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, the film records the life of five children and their parents. Anthony, who lives in Washington, D.C., is one of 64 students competing for 24 beds in the Seed School, a public charter resident facility; Daisy, who lives in Los Angels, is one of 135 students competing for 10 openings in the KIP LA college charter school; Bianca and Francisco, who live in the Bronx, New York, are applied to the Harlem Success Academy; Emily, who lives in Redwood City, CA, has problem with math and would like to attend the Summit School. All children participate in the lottery because it will decide their future. Their parents firmly believe that there is a big difference between learning in the chapter school and the public school for the youth. While according to the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University reported in 2013, 56% of the charter schools showed no significant difference, and 19% have weaker learning gains than public schools Especially In mathematics, 40 % of the chapter schools were not significantly different and 31%were significantly weaker.

Secondly, there are two important people in the film. One is the reformer Michele Rhee, the former chancellor of the Washington, D.C. Who publicly against some behaviors that come from the teacher union of Washington, D.C. Also, she closed schools, dismissed educators and principals. One important revolution she made offers teachers who were willing to give up permanent contract would get twice annual merit-based salaries. In the film, she believed the education problems resulted from the corrupt bureaucracy. Her merit-based salary system got through by the Washington Teacher’s Union. While Rhee was force to resign in 2010. Another is the educator, Geoffrey Canada who graduated from Harvard University, and after graduated, he returned to Harlem to be a teacher. He helped build the Harlem Children’ Zone. It serves more than 10000 youth and nearly 10000 adults in 97 blocks. In the TED talks, he proposed that America has to innovate, even though the meet failure, we should not stop pushing the education forward.

In this film, I get to know many presidents claimed that they would change the status of education, and sadly, it became more worse; The Teacher Union defended permanent contract which protects teachers’ right; The American public school system has declined in the last 50 years, and United States has the worse math and science test scores.

There is no doubt that American education urgently needs reform. In 2015, the international math and science assessments released data shows that U.S. students continue to rank around the middle of the pack, and behind many advanced industrial nations. Also, the PISA results in 2015 showed that the U.S. ranked 30th in math and 19th in science among the 35 members of the organization for economic cooperation and development. America education faces challenges. A series of lows, standards, corrupt bureaucracy and even the attitude of complacency will impede reform. While, comparing to the status of education in China, even though Chinese has the higher scores, the examination-oriented makes students become a test tool, and obliterate their creativity.

Finally, I accept the Michele Rhee ‘s merit-based salary system, agree with that national education depends on good teachers, and I against teachers in the public school have a permanent contract. Merit-based salary let teachers recognize their performance on teaching. It means that remove low-performing educators and promote high-performing teachers. Also, this is useful for rewarding teachers who always hard working and mobilize their enthusiasm. As we all know, a great teacher can encourage students to find their potential, and be a trusted source of advice for students make right decisions in life. Also, students look to their teachers as mentors with knowledge and experience. So it is not exaggerate to say that a great teacher can change a student’s life. Take myself as an example, my kindergarten’s teacher was one of my mentors. I clearly remember she said to me: you are a good girl, do not shy, do yourself, and you must be excellent in the future. Her words encourage me to the performance of confidence because I know I can do well.

Overall, education is the foundation of a nation. People cannot decide whether a student goes to a good school bases on how much luck he/she has. Admittance according to students’ actual strength is a fair method. Also, the American education system failure has long-term consequences. Waiting for Superman let the audience to think deeper to look for solutions for U.S. Education.

Reference

1. Film Review Waiting for Superman (2010. (n.d.). Retrieved from  http://ijme-journal.org/index.php/ijme/article/download/419/573
2. U.S. academic achievement lags that of many other ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math
3. Waiting for "Superman". (2017, January 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:42, February 17, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php title=Waiting_for_%22Superman%22&oldid=761155716
4.  Three-year study finds teacher bonuses fail to improve test scores. By DORIE TURNER, The Associated Press, Southeast Missourian, September 22, 2010

Week 3- assignment 2

Week 2- education of philosophy

I would like to be a teacher because I truly believe that children are our future and it is important that teachers provide them with the right information and tools to lead their lives in a positive way. Also, students need to learn as much as they need food and clothing to live. A good teacher is not only teaching students the subject knowledge but can influence their personality which could change their future. As we entered a new era, education needs to go beyond individual survival. Educators should help students develop their individual talents and abilities, reach their potential, help them develop into responsible members of groups, help them respect the environment and create a meaningful life.

Instead of just teaching in the classroom, teachers are facilitators of learning, providing students with the information and tools they need to master a subject. Also, teachers like tutors, working with small groups of students. Teachers play the role of evaluators, assessing students' abilities through formal and informal assessments then providing suggestions.

As an educator, my teaching goal is through active teaching encourage students' learning enthusiasm. Through set up a solid lessen plan, keep student-centered and student directed learning, and purposeful activities designed to improve students' knowledge.