Writing Circle 3

While revising my paper for class tomorrow, I was using my draft from last week as my guide.  The comments that Mike wrote on the draft were very helpful.  He told me to make the paper more about my own experience, especially the end.  I was having trouble writing the last few paragraphs for my paper, and he suggested to write about how I would want my classroom to be.  He asked me how would I want to teach if I could do anything?  How would my classroom look?  What would my own standards be?  This made me think about my own vision, and how my thoughts of curriculum and education as a whole have changed.

I decided to end my paper with what I have learned, and how I plan to change next year.  These changes may not seem drastic to my students, but they are drastic to me.  Since this paper is more of an ethnographic piece, I think the reader would be interested in how I have changed as a teacher.  The reader may want to know how I plan to use what I have learned from this research next year and in the future.  I think this reflection of my own research will be a wonderful closing to my paper. 

I believe I used the Japanese education model of discovery learning while working on this paper.  I asked the big question of "Why are we behind?" and I used my knowledge as a classroom teacher and researched to find the answer.  The question is challenging, but not too challenging that I got frustrated.  Yes, I only looked at one aspect of the curriculum, but math is my own 'video game,' and in the future I may begin other games and try to make it past the first level.  Also, the Japanese curriculum model is not the only answer, but at least it is a start.  I can change in my classroom to better prepare my students.  At least I am starting somewhere.

Writing Circles Blog 2

On Thursday I met with Lannie and Mike.  Lannie read my paper again, and liked the changes I made.  I moved around my introduction, and I feel that it makes a huge difference in my paper.  It sets up the whole discussion and point I want to make about the U.S. education system.  What I want to make a point of is that I believe our education system must change.  I am simply comparing our way to the way of the Japanese, and I am not saying their ways are the best.  Just like my every day lessons, I like to 'steal' ideas from others and slightly change them to work for me.  I see my research of the Japanese education to be the same.  I enjoy discovering what works for their culture, and thinking about how I can incorporate their ideas into my own classroom.

Mike read my paper for the first time this week since he was not here last week.  He enjoyed how I laid out the Japanese education culture so that he could relate back to it as my paper unfolded.  He also enjoyed how my personal experiences weaved throughout the middle of my paper.  Once I set up the Japanese culture, I was able to speak of my own experiences.

As I spoke with Lannie and Mike about my paper and how it excites me, I realized that the major difference between Japanese education and U.S. education is the sequence of the high school math.  I talked with them about how I believe our curriculum for math should be, especially Algebra I and Algebra II.  I began to think about how I would structure the curriculum to make it meaningful to the students.  I would never hear, "When are we ever going to use this?" again!  It made me excited to e-mail the professor at JCU about the sequence of curriculum for mathematics.  I really want to know how she feels about changing the sequence of Algebra I and Algebra II.  If we could make our content narrow and deep rather than shallow and wide, I believe our students would be leaps and bounds away from where we are today.

Talking with Lannie and Mike made me realize how invested I am with this topic.  It is not that I want to make our education system the same as the Japanese, but I want to use the best parts of their curricular content areas and make them our own.  I really look forward to discussing these topics with my colleagues to discover if they agree with my new ideas.

Writing Circles Blog 1

Today I met with Dr. Shutkin and Lannie during class to discuss my paper.  My paper has actually been easier to relate to than I expected.  I had a conference with Dr. Shutkin earlier in the semester after writing the proposal, and I was unsure if my topic was one in which I could relate.  I realized that after researching the Japanese culture and education, I agreed with what they were doing in the classroom.  I actually tried a discovery lesson in my classroom, and it was difficult for me to stand back as my students struggled with a problem. 

While talking with Dr. Shutin and Lannie, I realized that this feeling of needing to help my students with each problem is a cultural feeling.  Because U.S. students are given immediate feedback during most of their struggles, they always expect this type of feedback.  They do not know how struggle though a problem and try different methods to be able to solve a problem.  The U.S. students' problem solving abilities are much weaker than their Japanese counterparts.

Something else that Dr. Shutkin mentioned was about how the Japanese educational system is very similar to a video game.  When playing a video game, the player begins with level 1, where he/she learns the building blocks of the game.  The player then moves on to level 2, which uses what was learned in level 1, and challenges the player.  The challenge keeps the player interested, but is not too difficult that he/she wants to give up.  The Japanese education system plays the same game though out a grade level, and beats the whole game.  On the other hand, the U.S. begins one game, and progresses to level 2 or 3, then moves to another game during the same year and progresses to level 2 or 3.  Then the next year, the students begin again with the first game, but have to re-teach themselves the building blocks before they can 'play' the game.  The Japanese students are able to begin fresh with the next topic the next year and the game from the previous year is a part of their long term memory.  This comparison is very helpful for the comparison I am trying to make between the Japanese and U.S. educational systems.

Dr. Shutkin also gave told me to contact a professor at JCU who is the president of NCTM.  I am very interested to hear what she has to say about making a change in the order of concepts for high school mathematics courses.  I plan to e-mail next week her about my findings once I find a few more strong resources for my argument.

Finally, I was unsure of my introduction.  Lannie had very helpful advise about beginning with my experience in my AP Stats class and teaching to the test.  I feel that the beginning of my Literature Review is very strong, and Lannie agreed, but I still do not like my introduction.  She said if I bring in my own experiences, then I will hook the reader sooner in my paper.  This was very helpful since I felt that my intro was the weakest part of my draft.

Discussing my paper and ideas with Dr. Shutkin and Lannie tonight has really helped me become more confident about my topic and paper.  Dr. Shutkin gave me more strong resources and Lannie helped me with my introduction.  I have enjoyed writing this paper because I am very interested in the topic.  I can also relate it to my every day life, and I have already began to reflect upon my own teaching because of this paper.

Blog 7

Carlos Alberto Torres asked the questions, "what has changed and what has stayed the same in the years since the first and second addition of this book?"  Even though I have only taught for three years, it is interesting to ask myself the same question:  How has the curriculum in your classroom changed since you first began teaching?

Which thesis statement do you agree and disagree with the most?  Thesis 1: Schooling justifies and reproduces inequalities in capitalist societies.  Thesis 2:  Schooling reproduces authoritarian, classist, racist, homophobic, and patriarchal relationships in capitalist societies.  Thesis 3:  Schooling and knowledge are unable to counteract the commodification of social relationships because the capitalist culture creates nothing by a culture of consumption.  Thesis 4:  In some instances, schooling is viewed as a 'babysitting service' for children and youth, allowing parents freedom from care of them from the few hours they are at a learning site.

Torres states that 'schools have lost their edge as state instruments acting in locus parenti helping children and youth to become morally socialized and cultivated in the disciplines of the spirit at the body' (52).  Do you agree that schools have lost their edge?  Why or why not?

The statement on page 55 "The schools are losing relevance..."  How do you feel as a teaching reading this statement?

On page 59, Torres asks many difficult questions that begin with "What difference do schools make if...?"  Create your own question to add to this list that he has already generated.

WeBlog 5

             After reading Pinar’s Chapter 2 this week, one of his quotes keeps reoccurring in my thoughts.  His statement of, “Standardization makes everyone stupid” (55).  This statement precedes, “Because intellectual labor is also an emotional undertaking, the individual teacher’s judgment is necessary to rebalance and restructure these various elements each day, in each class” (55).  When I read this, I immediately underlined and starred the page.  I have blogged previously about how Everyday Math hinders students’ ability to learn and makes it impossible for teachers to teach to their specific students.  Programs like Everyday Math standardize not only the math curriculum, but also the presentation of mathematical concepts.   These programs create robots as teachers and students; the teacher read the scripts to the students, and the students regurgitate the information back to the teachers.

                 This reading proposed a question in my mind, “What are the pros and cons of standardization?”  Both Pinar and Apple would agree that standardization removes the teaching out of teaching, but what do the advocates of standardization believe?  What do the results of standardized tests really show about a school or teacher?  Many of these questions could be answered through much research.

                  Another question that rose while reading Apple’s work last week was, “How can teachers be trained differently at the university level to be more successful in the classroom?”  In Arnot’s piece, she states, “In the United Kingdom… responsibility for the school curriculum and its teaching had been devolved to the teaching profession, and teachers who were represented as experts in curriculum delivery to the diverse needs of local school communities” (18).  I do not believe that the public agrees that teachers are experts of curriculum.  Furthermore, when we discussed teaching in inner city schools, many of us in class did not feel qualified or ready to teach students in these settings.  Can teachers be trained differently in college for these situations, or must one learn by doing?

               Finally, the last question that has always boggled my mind is, “What motivates the unmotivated students?”  Jean Anyon’s work discussed the class system found within education.  I too found this to be true, but what is the cause of this segregation?  Is the cause offered opportunity, motivation of the students, money, or something else?  In class, we also discussed what made students strive for their best.  Is it their family, their upbringing, a teacher, or biologically their make-up?  Students who just seem to not care have always mystified me.  I want to know if there is a trend among these students; be it economic status, location, race, academic promise, or gender.  All schools have the students who succeed and those who do not.  I want to know what makes those unsuccessful students unmotivated to try.

                    Even though my questions have risen from reading Pinar and Apple and also from class discussion, I feel that they are of all different topics of education and curriculum.  Classroom standardization, teacher preparation, and student motivation are all topics across the board.  I am interested to discuss these questions in class to discover if others have asked themselves the same questions or if I can narrow down any of my ideas into a specific research topic.  The topic I find the most interesting would be student motivation, but I am unsure about the research performed in this area.

WeBlog 4

         While reading Madeleine Arnot’s piece, the first statement that first caught my attention was, “In the United Kingdom… responsibility for the school curriculum and its teaching had been devolved to the teaching profession, and teachers who were represented as experts in curriculum delivery to the diverse needs of local school communities” (18).  This statement struck me, because I feel that this is how education should be run today.  Instead, the government makes the decisions about curriculum and what ‘should’ be taught in schools.  It always surprises me that teachers are not considered to be professionals or experts at their trade.  A teacher is just as much as an expert in curriculum as an accountant is with taxes or a sales person is with their product. 

This same idea was revisited again when Arnot wrote, “The pacing of knowledge established by the government took over the time in which teachers and the professional subject networks might fruitfully reflect on the messages transmitted though the curriculum” (31).  This statement reminded me of when we discussed the Everyday Math Program during class.  As I can remember from our discussion in class, the government is pushing the use of this program.  Programs like these take make the country believe that anyone can create a curriculum and simply teach it if they can follow the script.  These programs take away the ability of the teacher to move at the pace of his/her students.  For me, I am the only teacher who teaches College Algebra, and I love it.  I do not have to keep up or wait for anyone else, and this type of curriculum is what these students need.  If I find the students to be particularly interested in a certain concept, I can delve deeper into the section rather than quickly move on to the next section.
               I wanted to become a teacher, because I want to teach the future minds of America.  I believe that the curriculum for these minds is constantly changing.  Because of this constant change, no one, other than the teacher in his/her own classroom, should restrict what should be taught.  The teacher knows his/her students best and is an expert in the content curriculum.  If the government or public disagrees, then maybe something should be changed at the university level to better prepare teachers rather than restrict them once they get in the classroom.
              I also found Jean Anyon’s piece to be very interesting.  When she described how the working class students simply learned rote behavior; the middle class students learned how to do the work to get the right answer; and, the affluent professional students were asked to interpret and apply their knowledge (40-41).  From my experience, I find this to be true as well.  I completed some of my student teaching in an inner city school in Toledo, Ohio.  I found that the students were given workbooks that follow a day to day script.  The school community was much different as well.  The teachers did not work together, and the students were not allowed in the building other than while school was in process.  I felt that many of the teachers were simply trying to push the students through rather than challenge them.  I do not blame the teachers, because I could sympathize with them.  Many teachers and students have worries other than their school work.  Some students may be worried about when their next meal would be, or if they would have to take care of their brothers and sisters at night rather than complete their homework. 
                  On the other hand, I now teach at a school in an affluent professional area.  I am able to teach completely differently compared to my student teaching experience.  Most of the students are present daily, and many of their main concerns are about school.  Many of them do not have the home concerns that many of the working class students deal with daily.  Furthermore, as a teacher, I do not have a scripted math book in which I have to teach.  I create my own lessons and work with my department to do what is best of our students.  I notice that I have more flexibility within my position compared to the teachers as the inner city schools.  Many of those teachers have the same teaching abilities as I do, but they do not have the same flexibility as I, which greatly restricts them.   After reading this section, I do not agree that there should be class differences in schools, but I can understand how the separation gradually occurred.

WeBlog 3

Grumet

I found that reading Grumet's piece very interesting and inviting.  I enjoyed how she described her journal and why she did or did not like it.  She did not want her journal to be too big or too small.  It made the reader be able to relate to her writing in a journal.  I even pictured in my mind what I would want my journal to look like.  Grumet told us through her stories that everyone writes differently and about different things.  No one is going to write at the same time or about the same types of things.  Everyone must find what works for him/her because it will make the most impact for that person.

I definitely related to this article, because I realized that it is okay that I am one to write short notes about what happened each day.  I am not a flowery writer, but I just like to jot things down.  Short, quick statements that will help me remember what happened each day.  For me, writing a page a day would be torture.  I do like writing, because it is a place to put all of my thoughts. After writing, I noticed I was more relaxed.  If I needed to simply complain, I could without judgment.  Finally, just like Grumet, even though I have only been journaling for a couple weeks, I enjoy reading about and ‘remembering how it felt’ during a certain, special time in the classroom.

Pinar

One of Pinar's lines that really struck me was when he stated, "Undertaking the education of the public requires academic and self-knowledge, themselves reciprocally related" (47).  He further states, "... it matters very much who you are, how you are, with yourself and with others" (p. 48). I felt that these quotes tied in completely with my journal writing.  I noticed that I wrote about the lessons, but I mainly wrote about my students.  I would write about questions they asked me, their attitudes towards the new material, or if something one of them said struck me.  Sometimes I would write about things that bothered me, but I would always try to end with a positive comment.  These positive comments always came from my students.  Yes, I agree that curriculum is of academic content, but the way the teacher presents the curriculum is the measure of what sticks with the student and what does not.

Pinar described what some teachers are doing in their classrooms as 'scripted lessons' (44).  This made me ask myself, "If this is what schools are moving towards, what is the point in earning a teaching degree?"  Anyone can read from scripted notes, but not anyone can teach.  Each day I analyze my students and what they know.  These observations create the plan for what I plan to do the next day.  I will not move onto a new lesson without all the students moving with me.  If I had a scripted lesson plan, I would not be an effective teacher for my students.

Apple

When first reading the introduction to Apple's work, I found it very difficult to read.  I remember Dr. Shutkin saying it would be difficult to process, and I completely agree.  I am interested to read about how the authors of the book use Apple's previous work and relate his thoughts to the present time.  I am eager to discover which of his theories still hold true now compared to the 1970's.

I am excited to read about the 'hidden curriculum' section in Chapter 1, because I believe it will be interesting to read Arnot's thoughts about how "the 'hidden curriculum' encouraged feminists" (10).  I believe that I will relate it to my own school and think about what the 'hidden curriculum' is.  I am sure to question myself about buying into the 'hidden curriculum,' and if I agree with it.

I believe Chapter 2 will be interesting since it discusses how "knowledge is distributed to students differently positioned in the class structure" (10).  I am anticipating the class discussions about the present day beliefs and how public school teachers will soon be paid by value added.  Do we, as a class, believe that this huge change in education will change how the knowledge is distributed to students?  Will this change still separate the upper, middle, and lower classes, or will the gap decrease?  I think we will have many opinions to discuss after reading this chapter.

Finally, I think Allan Luke's chapter will be the most interesting to me since it "explores the deskilling of teachers" (11).  With so many standardized tests, teachers are losing their creativity and passion for teaching.  Now, with the new income system, even more teachers will become deskilled.  I am interested to read about how to keep the creativity alive in the classroom and, most importantly, in the curriculum.

Even though it took me a while to read this chapter, I know I will grow more comfortable with the language and style of the text.  I am anxious to find out what is different between Apple's ideas from the 1970's compared to today.  Did he have all the right answers back then?  If so, why have we not listened to him yet?  Finally, what can I do in my own school and classroom to keep the curriculum alive for my students?

WebBlog 2

First, I want to Thank William Pinar for simply standing up for teachers and saying exactly what he thinks.  I really enjoyed reading his thoughts about how economists and financial advisors should be held accountable for the financial crisis of 2008, just as teachers should be held accountable for how their students perform on tests (19).  Yes, I understand that it is our job to teach students, but it is not our job to take the test for the student.  Similarly, it is the financial advisors job to assist someone in making smart, financial decisions.  But, the advisor has no control of the economy and should not be held accountable if he/she did not predict the 2008 drop.

Second, I completely agree with both William Pinar’s and Michael Apple’s opinions about teachers being paid based on their student’s test scores.  Apple states, “Indeed, this is one of those times when the opposite will probably be the result: even more uncreative curricula and teaching, ever more testing and more emphasis on it, and increasingly alienated students and teachers” (27).  I teach a senior College Algebra course, and I know that if the students had to take and pass a test at the end of the year, my job would be on the line.  This course is the lowest math course a senior can take before graduation, and this course is one of the lowest courses taken at a college level for credit.  These students do not enjoy math class, and forcing them to take a standardized test at the end of the year would not make them study any more. 

Furthermore, I do not simply grade the correct answers like a standardized test, but for correct concepts.  A student may calculate the wrong answer because he/she forgot a negative sign, but I do not take off full credit for this mistake.  The mistake would only count as one point off.  On a standardized test, the student would lose all credit for a simple mistake.  What I care about when grading is if the student understands the concepts.  Yes, he/she may have calculated the wrong answer because of a dropped negative sign, but I am not grading for dropping negative sign, I am grading the understanding of a specific computational process.

The previous example coincides with Pinar’s quote, “Linking learning to test scores encourages drop-outs who can’t take the pressure or simply can’t be bothered” (18).  I believe my students would simply give up if I graded simply for correct answers rather than the correct process.  I want to give my students confidence before leaving for college, which is why I teach my seniors a chapter of Calculus before they graduate.  I keep it a secret that I am teaching them Calculus, because they would only focus on the word ‘Calculus” not the simple concepts being taught in class.  I call the concepts different terms so that the students do not become intimidated by the word ‘Calculus.’  Once all of my students are prepared for a test, I tell them that they are taking a Calculus test.  A look of shock but confidence appears on their faces.  They are so proud of themselves and finally confident in their math skills because they accomplished more than they could have ever anticipated.  If I had to give a standardized test at the end of the year, I would not be able to give my students the confidence they need to do well in a college math course.

Finally, my favorite quote from both of the readings was from Pinar when he stated, “Teachers offer opportunities; it is the students’ responsibility to take advantage of them” (20).  I almost used this quote in an e-mail earlier this week.  I believe that it perfectly articulates what teachers do each day, and what students are ‘supposed’ to do with what is given to them.  This quote is very similar to the metaphor: A horse can be led to water, but no one can make the horse drink the water.

I really enjoyed reading both pieces by Pinar and Apple.  It definitely makes me excited for this class because the issues discussed are controversial but very relevant to the everyday life of a teacher.

WebLog1: Class Survey

Personal information
1. Name, hometown, primary email.
Name: Emily Koesters
Hometown: Richfield
Email: ekoesters@hotmail.com
2. What name do you prefer to be called?
Emily
3. Undergraduate and graduate degree(s), education license(s), current employment: grade level, subject(s) if applicable, district.
Undergraduate Degree: Adolescent/Young Adult Education
Mathematics
University of Toledo 2009
Graduate Degree: Masters of Education in School Administration
John Carroll University expected May 2012
License: Professional 5 Year Teaching License Mathematics(7-12)
Administration License expected for May 2013
Employment: I teach Freshman Algebra 1, College Algebra for
seniors and AP Statistics for seniors at Walsh
Jesuit High School. I also coach Men's Volleyball
and run Intramural Softball at Walsh Jesuit.
4. What are a few of your more interesting hobbies, travel experiences, somewhat “unique” aspects about yourself that would help our classroom community get to know you a bit better.

Some of my more interesting hobbies would be that I currently play on two sand volleyball teams. One is on Sundays and the other is on Tuesdays. The one on Tuesday is a doubles league, and my partner is my husband. We also play in a mud volleyball tournament every year, and we have a blast!

Another hobby I enjoy to do over the weekend is to go camping and fishing with my husband. We go fishing at least every other weekend, and I love it. It is so relaxing for me, which is the opposite of how I feel during the week. 

Learning Style and more:
5. Being as specific as you can, what must be in place for you to feel comfortable taking intellectual risks in a classroom?

For me to take intellectual risks in class, I must know that I will not be ridiculed or adversely effected for an incorrect answer or an answer that is not with the majority of the class. Other than that, I am a pretty open book.

6. I am interested in your perception of yourself as a student. Please describe it. Consider such criteria as a) active oral class participation; b) responsible, timely class preparation (of readings, projects, etc.); c) honest, candid self-assessment; d) awareness of your own preferred learning styles/approaches; e) first thing that you do when you cannot or do not understand something; f)other dimensions you believe to be relevant and informative.

Since I am a teacher, I expect myself to be the type of student I enjoy having in class. Therefore, I turn in homework complete and on time, I do all of the readings necessary for class, I come to class on time and prepared, and I participate in class. If I did not do all of these things, I would be a hypocrite to my students, since I expect the same from them. Furthermore, if I need help, I will speak with the professor of the class, which is similar to what I want my own students to do with me. Finally, especially with a technology class, I enjoy and learn from hands-on activities. If I do something myself rather than simply watch someone else do it for me, I will learn it much faster.
7. Is there anything I should know about you, your learning style, or life situation that may be relevant to your successful performance in this course? (Please decide what to share with the class and what to share in confidence with me).
No, not that I know of as now.


Education Past and Present

8. Share a formative memory from your experiences as a student.


9. Please discuss what are, for you, the some significant issues or concerns facing the field of education right now.
I believe that right now, so many schools are in financial trouble, and this may result in a huge problem.  Schools are sacrificing after school programs, fine art classes, and much more.  Furthermore, I believe many teachers have to change with the time.  The students are so much different than students ten years ago, and teachers must teach the students to excel in their world.  Therefore, professional development and the want for change must be instilled in teachers across the country.

10. Let’s imagine, humbly, that this course is definitely going to be the most meaningful and relevant course you’ve ever experienced. EVER. Drawing on your past experience in classrooms, and thinking uniquely, specifically and BIG, describe what we need to (1) DO (activities/projects), (2) STUDY (content topics and compelling issues/questions), (3) BE (interacting with each other) and (4) AVOID (in the previous three categories) in order for your visionary views of an ideal course to be mostly realized.

1) I believe that we must do projects the affect our school or our teaching practices right now.  When we can see the results happening in front of us, I believe that we will learn so much and be able to have interesting discussions during class.
2) We should study how to develop the curriculum our schools have now into the curriculum we believe them to be for our students.  How do make the curriculum geared to our students today?
3)I think the course should be a discussion course where we bring our own experiences and beliefs to class to discuss openly with our classmates.
4) What I hope to avoid is confrontation since everyone will be sharing their own views.  I hope to aviod anyone feeling uncomfortable with sharing their beleifs in class.


About Dr. Shutkin:
11. Write down a question or two you would like to ask me about myself or the class.

What part of the course are you most excited to discuss with us?