Summative

Summative Field Blog

 

This semester of Education 100 has been a real interesting experience for me and has really helped guide me in the right direction for what I really what I want to do in the field. Through all the field experiences with and without my classmates has shown to be a great. I have found myself in this group and where I belong. I now have better understanding on what it means to be a teacher, why do teacher teach, and what motivates them. I've always asked on what makes a good teacher, and I have figured out that it is passion. Without passion you cannot teach. If a teacher doesn't have a passion to want to teach kids and have a big interest to be a mentor and provide insightful information to the kids of the future than why teach?

 

We talked about in class about the banking method and how it has been a part of classrooms and now it has been changing. Teachers are going are going outside this concept and have found different methods of teaching, not only based on the students learning style, but on what proves to be successful for the students and the teachers all together. Technology has also had a very big impact on how students learn and do things in the classroom. There are smartboards, laptops, social media, online databases, etc. All having a beneficial purposes with also distracting consequences to the students learning. Cell phones I have come to know are very useful, but pose a big problem in high school because of how much of a distraction it had become with all the social media.

 

Finally, I would to talk about the student-teacher relationship in high school. It has become a helpful give and take kind of relationship. The teachers provide them with all the resources needed to be successful in class and even if the student is struggling the teacher is most willing to help meet with them before or after class for the benefit of the student so he or she can improve in-class. More so the teacher is looked at as a mentor and a friend that the student can talk with the m about anything in and outside life of school. Teacher's and education of our kids is this nation's backbone and without it I do not think that society could function properly and that is why schools today are doing there very best to provide each and every kids with the most adequate or best education they can receive.

FieldPost 5

Beachwood High School (Day 3&4)

 

                             

 

My third and fourth day were relatively short days, but also very informative in my final days in making my observations. During my third day I observed Mrs. Ogilvy's classes to see what the other history teacher there and what her students were like.

 

Observations: Mrs. Ogilvy's 10th grade U.S. History class

• a big class of 23+ students
• very funny teacher, which helps her students be more relaxed knowing she can be open to them and laugh
• the day I observed this class, her students got their tests back from last week. they go over the answers and she shows her how the students should of approach the questions
• she is very interactive with her students and hardly sits down
• she also shows a great passion for teaching and for history
• Weebly, which is widely used in Beachwood, a place where teachers can websites for students can do homework, write blogs, take tests, etc.
• both Mrs. Buddenhagen and Mrs. Ogilvy utilize this tool very well.
• since it was towards the end of the year, the students got to pick each other's names out of a bucket and each would pick from a list a variety of movies that were about historical events for their final project and write a paper and make a presentation about the movie
• the students table are side by side, which means the students sit side by side next to each other and can help discuss about assignments and encourages talking and distraction to an extent.

Observations: Mrs. Ogilvy's 11th/12th grade Government class

• small class of like 11 students
• that class the students had to turn in a hand made book about different famous U.S. politicians or presidents in history.
• all the students took a test together with the teacher on where they fell on the political affiliation spectrum like if they were left or right and see how accurate it was to them
• the teacher would go through each question and tell the students what each one meant
• I remember back when I was high school I took that same political affiliation test, it was somewhat accurate when it said I fell more to the left side.
• the class seemed to be a very laid back class, but whatever was assigned for the class to do any day they would get done early because they had such a small class, and more things could get done faster.

Observations (Day 4): Mrs. Buddenhagen's 11th/12th grade Sociology class

• still finishing the video "Generation Like"
• they discuss the empowerment factor and the fact of getting noticed and notoriety people get on social media.
• the students were asked to input their opinion about their take on social media and how it had impacted their lives and how it has changed over the course of their adolescent lives.

Overall, the last was a good day and just helped me reassure that this is why I want to be a History teacher in high school. I believe I can relate to the kids at that age and be more supportive as they make the jump from high school to college and be a mentor and friend for them in the future.

FieldPost 4

Beachwood High School (Day 2)

 

                                      

 

 

In my second day of observations for Mrs. Buddenhagen's classes it was a simple day of school for students. So far, observations have prove to show me that I have chosen the right major that fitted me and that I knew I would be happy doing.

 

Observations: Mrs B's 10th grade Sociology class

• very small class - about 10 students
• watching a documentary on PBS called "Generation Like", a video about how the latest generations of adolescents have become so attached to the new technology of the 21st century like social media
• they have many discussions about how this generation use of technology and social media has succumbed to having that feeling of being "liked"
• also how advertising has affected the way companies try to get their product out to the consumers
• I noticed the girl in the class for Mrs. B has a hearing impairment and has a personal translator by using sign language to translate what Mrs. B is saying

Observations: Mrs. B's 9th grade World Studies class

• an average sized class of 16 students
• learning of the battle for Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima
• every student has a laptop and uses it to watch short videos and go on an HBO website that takes them into and interactive "play by play" of what went down at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima
• the students were to take notes from the videos and interactive website
• very well behaved class
• the rules for cell phones here at the school seemed to be very relaxed.

This was mostly a day of discussion for the students and a lot of interesting topics that had to do a lot with our lives. That is the thing about history is it always has something to relate to our lives and always has an impact.



FieldPost 3

Beachwood High School (Day 1)

 

             

Beachwood High School is the next school I visited and did some observation hours at under two teachers. Mrs. Buddenhagen and Mrs. Ogilvy, the two history teachers at BHS, taught a range of classes: AP Psychology, World Studies, U.S. History, Government, and Sociology.

 

A little background of Beachwood is that it is an average sized suburban public high school with approximately 600 students. Also, BHS is very diverse in terms of culture and socioeconomic status. BHS gets a lot of students in the district that are Jewish. This high school is technologically advanced throughout the school. All the students get to rent out a mini laptop at the beginning of the year for the whole year or they have the option to use their own. There is no dress code or uniform, so the students can wear whatever they want with some exceptions. The library there is very small compared to my high school, Reynoldsburg High School. Most of the students that attend BHS belong to the upper-middle and upper class. Here is my first of many observations I make in Mrs. Buddenahagen's class.

 

Observations: Mrs. Buddenhagen's 11th/12th grade AP Psychology class

• when I first walked into her class I honestly thought it was her freshman or sophomore class, the students looked so young. She told me they were all juniors and seniors and I was surprised to the fullest. I felt old for a second.
• Mrs. B, as the students call her, is a very eccentric teacher. She shows passion in teaching and shows her interest in history.
• students seemed to be very focus for the couple weeks because the AP test is coming soon, so Mrs. B is doing a good job in prepping them.
• she gives them essay prompts and guides her students through them to show them how to properly answer an AP essay.
• looking at the classroom, it looked very bland. there were few posters and it didn't look exciting at all, but that didn't matter because Mrs. B was a fun teacher.
• the students sit at tables with 4 sitting at each, which encouraged discussion and let the students help with each other if they got stuck on a problem.

Observations: Mrs. B's 9th grade World Studies class

• the students watched an interview with Oprah interviewing Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, on his experiences and was part documentary too
• Mrs. B gave the students insight on how life during WWII and Nazi Concentration Camps was like for the Jewish population
• she told them how the genocide of millions of Jews was the most terrifying thing of that time period
• she would constantly ask her students to think about how would you feel and react if you went through this. The students seemed to feel much sorrow and wouldn't know how to feel, they just it knew it would be terrible and frightful.

In conclusion, Mrs. Buddenhagen has a very interesting class full of culturally diverse students. Mrs. B like the other teachers I have observed show no sign of using the banking method and has much discussion in her classroom and incorporates many different kinds of teaching styles.

 

 

FieldPost 2

Reynoldsburg High School (Day 2)

 

 

 

In my second day at Reynoldsburg High school during my spring break I went and observed Mr. Fleming's 9th grade American History class. Mr. Fleming is a fairly young teacher, but has a lot experience within the history profession. He is a very eccentric teacher and since he is young, it is easy for him to relate to the kids and he is funny, which helps him keep the student's attention.

 

Observations: Mr. Fleming's 9th grade American History class

 

• a very big class - over 20 students
• in this class, unlike Mr. McDaniels' classes, Mr. Fleming has his students sit in individual desks - for him it creates more individuality in a student and helps them think on their own and be more creative
• the teacher is also very interactive with the students and always asking them to answer questions that relate to the student's life - topics being assimilation and nativism and how it has affected their lives in some shape or form
• the teacher's funniness helps the students relax and feel comfortable to a teacher who can make the students laugh and learn something at the same time
• cell phones are also a big problem in his class- if he sees one, he takes it and keeps until the end of class so it doesn't become a distraction
• he puts a big emphasis on individual work
• the classroom setting: very interesting, lots of pictures and posters, war uniforms, maps, flags, old historical event newspapers
• great use of technology- the students use a website called webquest that they would do their homework on, find worksheets and tests for class - an especially great tool for students who are absent, this would reduce excuses for students reasons on why they were not able to do an assignment because it was online

All in all, Mr. Fleming is good teacher and really tries to help his students in any way at any time because that is how passionate he is about the student's success in the class. Just like Mr. McDaniels he strays away form the banking method and does his own mix of a lecture/interactive discussion with extensive use of the smartboard provided.

FieldPost 1

Reynoldsburg High School (Day 1)

Reynoldsburg High school for anyone who might not know, it is my alma mater high school. Over spring break I had decided to do three hours of class and student observations under a couple of history teachers.

Some background knowledge of Reynoldsburg High School is that it is very diverse and different in terms of socioeconomic status between students. There are students that range from the lower class to the upper-middle class being the highest. Reynoldsburg High school is funded very well and is up to date on a bunch of things when it comes to technology. In every classroom at Reynoldsburg High School there are smartboards.  Also, an interesting fact is that there is close to 1,500 students that attend Reynoldsburg High School.

Over the course of two days, I observed two classes. First, I examined Mr. McDaniel's 9th and 10th grade American History classes, and last I observed Mr. Fleming's 9th grade American History class. I observed many things when I went in and examined Mr. McDaniel's class.

Observations: Mr. McDaniel's 10th grade American History class

• students sit in tables with groups of 4 - this encouraged talking and discussion between students, so they can help each other with homework and assignments
• the teacher was able to keep the attention of the students the whole class.
• The teacher didn't sit down at his desk once - he was always standing
• the teacher was very interactive with his students when they got stuck on a problem and would help with them work through in many different ways
• able to integrate the smart board very well in class to teach
• the students were extra focused that day because it was the week before OGT week.
• in terms of the classroom setting, it seemed to be boring: not a lot of posters, not so much color, doesn't pop out and make you want so say that this class is interesting
• the teacher provides the students with good hints and tips to help the students succeed when taking the OGT
• cell phones seemed to be a problem. seen more as a distraction than a helpful tool.

Observations: Mr. McDaniel's 9th grade American History class
 

• very big class - upwards of over 20 students
• same classroom setting
• in this class, students were more willing to help each other/they felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas on their assignment
• also, the teacher was very in tuned with asking many questions during discussion and most of the students seemed to be very reciprocal.

Overall, for my first time observing a high school class, it felt a little weird. It was a new environment for me. Instead of being a student in high school, I was an individual with tasked to evaluate and observe how a class is ran. Mr. McDaniel is a very comical teacher with a little sarcasm built into him, but the students in both of his classes really like him. He was very relatable. He always could relate a topic of discussion they were talking about to his life and how it could of related to the student's lives too. The biggest thing I saw within these classes was he stayed away from the banking concept/method and did his own thing that seemed to helpful for the students.

This I Believe Essay Proposal

I believe that to be a successful teacher and really make an impact on a student's academic journey through school is that the teacher must have a "passion" for the profession of teaching. Most of the semester I have focused on the different aspects of teaching and always asking the question, "What makes a good teacher?" In this paper I want to attempt to answer this question.

I believe that for students to thrive in school and in the classroom that the teacher must be passionate and unique at the same time. I say unique because all teachers are different and have different teaching styles; having a teacher that can relate, connect, and communicate well with their students will show how far the student is willing to do the same and respond well academically. A good teacher means they can go into any kind of school, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, and help improve the students way of thinking, approaching problems in and outside of school, and create a relationship with the student will prove to the increase in achievement and motivation in school.

Not every teacher is a "good" teacher. Not to say they are good or bad, but more so what do they have to offer the school, the students, and the community besides just having the credentials of a degree. What can you do to change or make an impact on the students life? What best defines you as a teacher? Having learned different learning styles, like the banking method, I see the different ways teachers teach and how they try to go outside from that concept and be unique. Overall, what I want to know is what it takes for teacher to be "good", make an impact on a students life (the teacher-student relationship), and how teachers can overcome the hardships they might face within the school where they teach to be that ideal "passionate" teacher.

The important concepts I might learn while doing research about my topic is how different aspects might affect the way a teacher teaches. The school district is a big factor in terms of how much support they might receive, the political side showing what different rules and regulations might a teacher might have to adapt to fit into their curriculum, and cultural issues. Every student is different and getting to know your student and providing the respect and support you have for them goes a long way for the a student's success in the classroom. Throughout my life and I am sure others that there has been a time when they have had teachers that they did not particularly like because of how they taught or how they were with students. For this reason is why I want to look into what makes a good teacher and how can having a good teacher benefit everyone from all positions like the parents, students, faculty, and community.

Field Blog Post 3: Orange High School

Is the Banking Concept still prevalent in high school?

 

         

 

 

On February 27, 2014 my education class went on a trip to visit and observe Orange High School. Our missions was to pose a question that we might ask when observing a high school class. Is the Banking Concept still prevalent in high school? First, I am going to list what I observed while being at Orange HS.

 

Mr. Burkhart's 9th grade World History Class:

• watched an old WWII movie based on the struggles overseas with genocide, life in the trenches, and survival.
• throughout the movie Mr. Burkhart would pause the movie and walk around the class and ask his students questions about the movie and they would of been like if they were to experience that back in WWII time and how might it be different in present day times.
• the students would respond with great angst o trying to make sense of what life was like back in those times
• the students would feel remorse when they saw a gruesome scene in the movie that depicted the fighting in a graphic way. knowing what happened back then and what is happening to people around the world was very sad, but intriguing to them

 

 In terms of saying if the banking concept is still used in today in high school; I can say that it is rarely used. In my observation, the teacher went outside the banking concept and tried to help his students realize and imagine life during WWII and all the violence and genocide that went along with it. He challenged his students to think critically and analyze as they were watching to put themselves in the shoes of the soldiers and give the teacher their feedback on what they might of thought or done during that time period. Mr. Burkhart was very interactive with his students and hardly sat down and always asking the students to think and analyze the movie.

Blog Post 7

Tapping into a students Full Potential

 

On February 25, 2014 our class read Chapter 4 in the Bill Ayers graphic novel on building bridges, which I interpreted it as shaping the student and helping them tap into their full potential in all things they do. We were required to choose a quote on from the chapter that you believe in and how it asserts your teaching aspirations. I chose the quote from Bill Ayers chapter 4 on the bottom of page 56, which says, "The bridge from childhood is long and complex, built block by block." What I believe Bill Ayers is trying to portray here is that it takes time to mold children into the individuals they want to become and try with all their power to help them succeed along the journey.

 

This quote helps me come to an even deeper realization of why I want to become a teacher in the first place. Not only because I have a passion for teaching, but knowing that I can make a difference in each child's life in their journey to become the best they can become and more. Giving advice on life, time management, perseverance to stride for success, and to be happy. In the end, if your not happy with your life, accomplishments, and the differences you made on people or the world then you have done something wrong. Bill Ayers makes it clear for all people that to be a teacher or teach, in general, whatever it might be; you must have a passion and know that you have the opportunity to change the life of a student.



Blog Post 6

Blog Post-It

 

On Thursday, February 20, 2014 my education class was required to read chapter 8 in our Educational Foundations book on the "banking concept" of education in which Paulo Freire describes education being based on this concept of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat. This concept has been under scrutiny over the years and still today this method is being used by teachers and schools all over the world. Along with the reading, we were required to make post-it notes and put them at places in the chapter where we felt we didn't understand a term or statement or ask a question about the reading.

 

My question I posed to the teacher and the class which seemed to be the popular question of debate was on page 109 of chapter 8, which discusses liberation in the classroom. I asked, "What are liberating ourselves from? The banking concept, the way we are retaining knowledge, the way we are taught, etc.?" Many people had great answers to this question. We like to think we are liberating ourselves from the banking concept and how consistent everything is and never changing. we discussed that in the classroom we should be able to explore different ways and methods of learning and teaching.

 

I can relate to some of the teachers I used to have in high school and I have had some teachers here at John Carroll that only use this method, even though they might not know they are using the banking concept. The classes that seem to stay within the norms of a classroom, and do use the banking method, seem to be a boring and uninteresting topic or field of study. For this reason is little in part in why I decided to switch my major from psychology to education because of how it made me see clear of what the banking concept is and how it is being used and how I feel that it is not so effective. Students of all ages need to experience the world, ask questions, be creative. And teachers need to go outside the norms of society in the classroom to do all in their power to help their students succeed and be all they can be to the best of their ability.

 



Field Blog Post 2: BMS

Beachwood Middle School

 

 

On Thursday, February 2014, my education class went to Beachwood Middle School and observed the classrooms and the learning environment. To give a little background on this school, BMS is located in a commercially thriving part of the mini suburbs outside the Cleveland area, which means they are provided with a good amount of grants and funding. Not only that, but the school has a very diverse school with various amounts of culture. In this middle school, since they very financially stable, they provide every student a laptop to borrow for the school year. This school is very different from my middle school when I attended years ago. My school wasn't like Beachwood because of how more integrative they were with technology, the opportunity to learn a different language, etc. My school was very boring in comparison to Beachwood. Here are some of the observations I noticed in my time at Beachwood.

 

5th grade Art class:

• Jazz music in the background, which made the class more calm and helped sooth the mind of the students.
• the teacher was very interactive with students, when they needed help or some kind of inspiration on how to make the art they were making.
• positive comment all around from the teacher to the students
• there were big tables with multiple students at each, which helped the students socialize and help each other on their art.
• the walls of the classroom were filled with the students artwork and accomplishments; this shoed great appreciation for the students creativeness

 

5th and 6th grade Spanish class:

• very colorful; lots of posters of the Spanish speaking world
• the whole class was very interactive, the teacher would have the whole class dance and sing to songs designated to words and grammar they were learning at the time, which made it fun for the kids.
• the teacher was very eccentric and made the class very fun because she had a great personality and knowledge of Spanish to the point where she made it fun to learn Spanish.

 

Overall, my visit to Beachwood Middle School was a successful one. I learned how the learning environment differed from elementary school to middle school. Beachwood is a good school that is very diverse with vey interactive classes that make learning fun and interesting, but still challenges the students to think and solve problems. I could see myself doing more observations here in the future.

  



Blog Post 5: LGBT Commmunity

How is the LGBT community perceived in schools?

 

In class we talked about the readings in our Educational Foundations book about the LGBT community in schools and the struggles and harsh reality that people face belonging to that group. We went around the room and discussed about how each person's high school situation on this topic was. Most people high school including my high school didn't really think that the LGBT community was under too much scrutiny or was treated badly in school. It wasn't a big deal. Every school for the most part had a club for the LGBT community and wasn't really talked about in schools, but people knew they had one. Not too say there isn't bullying or inequality with the LGBT community, but schools nowadays are adapting and evolving to be more accepting of this group, which is a good thing. Then there are the schools that just are not accepting of this community like private schools. More specifically, religious schools because based the on the rules of the faith they do not believe that the LGBT community be accepted not only in schools, but in society.

 

So what do students do if they are facing adversity due to the fact that they are a part of the LGBT community or support it? They best answer according to the podcast we watched in class, is to seek out people: an adult, a teacher, a best friend, or even your guidance counselor for good advise and for great moral support through that persons tough time. Unfortunately, bullying is still in schools for people in the LGBT community and if that person that is being bullied doesn't seek out help it will only get worse.

 

 

Blog Post 4: Instutional Racism

Institutional Racism

 

What is institutional racism? How do we determine an action unintended, to be racist? I believe that institutional racism is the inequality of opportunity between races, gender, and sexuality. People are constantly being profiled as being this or being that, not deserving of this, or do not have the right. These things are surprisingly still in schools today even as we speak. It's not just in schools, but all around us in our daily life. Women make less money than men, gay people don't have the right to marry in the majority of the United States, and even religion still to this day are issues that are being questioned and criticized by the people who find offense in these wrong doings in our society. This is considered wrong because of how society has now-a-days mostly accepted these problems as social norms, but these are slowly changing and once we get this change; it is how we take advantage and see the benefits instead of the negatives.

 

Many people including myself have not only witnessed institutional racism, but have lived it. I've seen so many times in the workplace, at school, and outside in daily life or activity where people are not treated equally based on the specific features or background a person is affiliated with. I tend to see problems arise when that sort of action happens. This has been an issue for me and my family when it came to filling out the FAFSA for financial aid. You know the process is more beneficial for poor and ethnic families because of how there looked upon. For example, a big Latino family consisting versus a small white family, both have I teenager both applying to the same school. The bigger family that is Latino gets more financial aid from the government than the kid from the small white family. Now right there just isn't fair because the inequality both have on getting the same high amount of financial aid based on the difference in ethnic, family, and financial backgrounds.

 



Field Blog Post 1

A visit to Mercer Elementary School

 

         

 

On January 30, 2014 my education class went and visited Mercer Elementary School nearby John Carroll University. My first thoughts as my class and I were on are way to the school was I haven't been inside an elementary school classroom since I was a little kid. All kinds of questions were going through my head. I wonder how school has changed for elementary students since I was an elementary student? What are the teachers like now a days? How interactive are the students in the classroom? I was so skeptical about going. As we walked inside the building of the elementary school it was as I was an elementary student again. I felt like a little kid in school, with so many questions about the world and having that innocence we have being a kid experiencing the world without limits. My college professor, Dr. Shutkin, told my class to go on and take a tour of the school and go into the classroom and experience and observe how an elementary classroom is conducted. Now this school was a little different than most schools, it was an International Baccalaureate school. This meant it was class that explored more aspects of the world and learning than most schools. They had a much more hands on, creative, and open curriculum when it came to learning. They had mandarin speaking and Spanish speaking classes, which was the start to its uniqueness. The walls of most, or I think all of the school was work of the students, which spoke great measures of the school. The school teachers embraced the work of the students that put them on the walls for everyone else to see. One of our assignments our teacher was to go into the classroom and observe the basic elementary school and take notes on our experience in the classroom

 

Observations in Mrs. Polantz 3rd grade class:

1. the kids seemed very eager to learn.
2. the classroom was very organized, colorful, and full of work of the students on the walls inside the classroom. It was a fun learning environment to be a part of.
3. the teacher was very interactive with kids asking them all sorts of questions about the subject they were learning at the time.
4. the kids were very attentive every time she asked a question to the students.
5. the kids we observed were able to follow directions well in class.
6. lots of kids were willing to participate in class either by answering the question on the smart board or verbally at the desk with their hands raised. 
7. the kids were not shy at all to say or ask what was on their mind either about a question about the subject they were learning or personal questions to us or the teacher about anything.
8. the teacher seemed patient when things got either a little too loud or hectic and able every time to grab their attention back to their work they were doing in the class.
9. overall, the teacher made it fun and the kids were intrigued to learn.
10. the classroom had a comfortable learning environment and the teacher was a great one in terms of how passionate she was and seeing that she loved teaching kids and helping them succeed to the best of their ability.

This experience at Mercer Elementary school was a good one because of how comfortable and how good of an learning environment it is overall. The staff/faculty seemed to love their job and were passionate about teaching. In the future I hope to maybe do more student teaching their one day in he foreseeable future.

Blog Post 3: A Question About Teachers

What makes a great teacher?

 

I always ask myself what makes a good teacher and how can I apply that to class and my future as an educator. Many things make a teacher, but what makes them unique is what really counts. All teachers are different and have special qualities that make them not only certified to teach, but to learn. What I am mean by this is that any teacher, whoever it might be has to have a certain "passion" to teach in order to be a teacher. Without the love to educate young minds into the future leaders of this country, why teach?

 

Teachers have a certain love to do what they do in terms of either subject or the enjoyment teachers get when they see their students achieve success in the classroom. A good teacher goes above and beyond to connect with their students on a personal level that helps build relationships. If a teacher can do this it makes the student more comfortable and confident to perform well in the class. A good teacher will create a learning environment for the students that will make them interested to learn and encourage them to explore their talents and specialties.

 

I always like to remember the memories of one my favorite teachers I had in my life. Now don't get me wrong most teachers I have had were pretty good, but Mr. Murray, my sophomore English teacher was a great teacher. I remember the first the day of class when he talked about a funny story in his life, the class all laughed and that instant this was going to be an exciting class. Now English has never been my favorite subject, but how he taught it made the class more confident to express. He made the class room environment a place where he would provide positive reinforcement, but still be critical. This helped the class become more confident that they would share anything about their life or papers with judgment. I had gained a friend. Mr. Murray was so open to hear anything and I was willing to share. He always gave good advice on how to live your life and always be passionate about what you like and making good life decisions. What really made it a good friendship was that we both shared interest in what we loved. We both loved baseball. He was a Boston Red Sox fan and I was New York Yankees fan, so you know how that went. We always talk smack about each others team in a fun, but respectful way because we both had respect for each others team regardless of the long lived rivalry. Mr. Murray was a passionate, fun, caring teacher that would do anything in his power to help the student succeed in his class.

 

These are the qualities that a teacher should have to make them a great teacher. Having something in common with your students, so you can connect with them on a personal level. Have a passion of loving to teach and always enjoying knowing what your doing is transforming the nation's youth into the leaders of tomorrow.

 



 



 

Blog Post 2: Observations

Blog Post 2: Mall Observations

In this observation assignment, Katie Cavasinni and I, went to the mall and sat down at the food court and observed the people around us. We noted different things we saw and how we interpreted them. Here is a list of things I saw and how I interpreted them.

Description 1:

There seems to be a gathering of people of all kinds of races, cultures, and backgrounds.

Interpretation 1:

It does not seem to be a normal or planned gathering of people. All these people are here for the same reason either to eat or to socialize.

Description 2:

There isn't too many people sitting alone, but there is a few. The elderly seem to sit alone.

Interpretation 2:

It seems that people that sat alone either because they were lonely, didn't have someone to ask to come with them to the mall, or just prefer to be alone when they are at the food court.

Description 3:

There is a decent amount of families here, some big and some small. Also, there seemed to be good amount of young girls with their mothers.

Interpretation 3:

The mall is a great place where families can bond, socialize, and interact with each other. Especially, the bond between a mother and her daughter is very special that they share with each other on a personal level.

Description 4:

There is a sense of happiness and relaxation when being in a mall or at the food court. Everyone seems to smile or be happy when eating their food.

Interpretation 4:

People come to the mall or food court to shop and have a great meal with their family, friends, or acquaintance. They must be happy to eat their food either because they were really hungry or the food is really good.

Description 5:

Katie and I were both approached by two young African American girls (about 10 or eleven years old) and they asked us if we wanted to buy some candy for their fundraiser for their swim team. I bought some candy off them

Interpretation 5:

I saw this as a need for the girls and they really were determined to help their team raise money.

Description 6:

Lots of people consistently tended to look at their phones quite a bit whether it was probably to call, check a text message, read an email, or use another app.

Interpretation 6:

Technology has had a big impact on human lives over the past decade or so and that has made people over time become more accustomed to checking their things over the phone, laptop, or some kind of computer in public places.

Reflections

 

In these observations that Katie and I did duly noted, we saw numerous differences between our observations. We discussed what we had in common first to establish that there was a connection between our two separate sightings. I discovered many things while observing in the mall at the food court that there seems to be an overall sense of happiness and relaxation; no stress or anxiety. Maybe, because it was a Sunday, but it seemed to be a very calm day.

The difference between Katie's observations and mine was that I saw things in the more general sense for what they were and Katie saw meaning and descriptive side of her observations. she noticed more of the environment around us. For example, she noted the uses of sound, light, and color used all around the food court. She has a more descriptive background when it comes to seeing the world around us. Plus, taking a consumer politics class, she loves writing and poetry, but isn't too culturally diverse because of the school she attended. As opposed to me, I saw my observations and based them on the cultural relationships because of the school and lifestyle I have been used to. Also, seeing the world in a general sense, more reality based, help me see the observations and interpretations Katie had more easy to understand. Overall, this was a good exercise that we were able to go out into the public, make observations and assumptions, turn them into interpretations of how we saw it and see the differences that two people see the world and people in it.

Blog Post 1: Class Survey

Personal Information
1. Josh
2. Reynoldsburg, Ohio
3. High School/College - Government, Psychology, Sociology & possibly Greek mythology
4. What makes me special is my ability to absorb and analyze information and interpret it. A few unique aspects about me that would help our classroom is I am open minded, skeptical, and a great listener.

Learning Style and more:
5. Having the level of openness with my classmates and professor, so we can talk about any topic or issue without being too criticized or judged.
6. I am that type of student in class that might start off quite and might not participate as much as the other students, but as the class starts to get rolling, I become more of an active participant in the class. I like to describe myself as always prepared, reliable/trustworthy, and open minded. Also, I am pretty food at taking directions and performing the task to the best of my ability.

Education Past and Present
7. One of my fondest memories as student was my government teacher brought me aside after class to tell me how much I was improving in the class. I started out the class struggling in the class and I told him history (government) is one of my favorite subjects. He told me keep up the good work and I ended up having a really good grade in the class.
8. Some significant issues or problems being faced now in the field of education is if the big state assessment test for high schools like the ACT able to prove the actual intelligence of a student.

About Dr. Shutkin:
9. What was your inspiration or motivation to get you into the field of education? What have you learned over the years in your classrooms, your methods of getting the students to be more open minded, skeptical, and optimistic about different topics and issues in the field of education?