This is an interesting essay I first read in a newspaper op-ed page, and later tracked down online. The author makes some insightful points about the emphasis of athletics in our schools (particularly in rural eastern Oklahoma), sometimes to the detriment of academics. He then discusses the feasibility of incorporating some of the techniques and attitudes of coaches into classroom teaching, including an emphasis on "drilling" and repetition. This of course brings up an interesting potential conflict, in my opinion, with the philosophy of the Learning Cycle.
Bibliographic Note:
Jason R. Edwards, The Center for Vision and Values at Grove City College, "Fewer Teachers; More Coaches", http://gcc.savvior.com/Edwards_Coach.php?view_all=1 , 9/22/05.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Education and the Law
In November I have a three hour course at OU-Tulsa over two weekends called Education and the Law (EACS 6243) . I have obtained the required text and would like to comment on it periodically as I read ahead in anticipation of the class. I will also look up some more articles and web sites, with an emphasis on Johnson-O'Malley and other aspects of education pertaining to Native Americans. I also feel strongly that all educators should have a stronger grasp of education law, and particularly those in the Instuctional Leadership and Academic Curriculum program.
Bibliographic Note:
Lawrence F. Rossow and Jacqueline Stefkovich, Education Law: Cases and Materials, (Durham, North Carolina, Carolina Academic Press, 2005).
Bibliographic Note:
Lawrence F. Rossow and Jacqueline Stefkovich, Education Law: Cases and Materials, (Durham, North Carolina, Carolina Academic Press, 2005).
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Learning Cycle Web Pages
In order to further understand the Learning Cycle and take in various perspectives on it I have researched, compiled, and viewed a variety of web sites relating to this topic, some of which I have cited here. The web sites fluctuate greatly in reliability, in my opinion, and many credit no one directly for their content, but I felt as I begin to formulate a plan of attack for my own research I need to be aware of what diversity of viewpoints is available in this area.
Bibliographic Note:
Mark Waters, et al., Modular Trainers' Course, "The Experiential Learning Cycle", http://www.trainer.org.uk/members/theory/process/learning_cycle.htm, no date.
The Maryland Virtual High School of Science and Mathematics, "Learning Cycle Instructional Model", http://mvhs1.mbhs.edu/mvhsproj/learningcycle/lc.html, no date.
No author, "The Kolb Learning Cycle", http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/PAGEMILL/Kolb.htm, no date.
Anthony W. Lorsbach, "The Learning Cycle as a Tool for Planning Science Instruction", http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/scienceed/lorsbach/257lrcy.htm , Illinois State University. I came across this succinct and informative web site while searching for articles, it encapsulates the Learning Cycle quite well, in my opinion.
Bibliographic Note:
Mark Waters, et al., Modular Trainers' Course, "The Experiential Learning Cycle", http://www.trainer.org.uk/members/theory/process/learning_cycle.htm, no date.
The Maryland Virtual High School of Science and Mathematics, "Learning Cycle Instructional Model", http://mvhs1.mbhs.edu/mvhsproj/learningcycle/lc.html, no date.
No author, "The Kolb Learning Cycle", http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/PAGEMILL/Kolb.htm, no date.
Anthony W. Lorsbach, "The Learning Cycle as a Tool for Planning Science Instruction", http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/scienceed/lorsbach/257lrcy.htm , Illinois State University. I came across this succinct and informative web site while searching for articles, it encapsulates the Learning Cycle quite well, in my opinion.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
History, Technology, and Native Populations
These readings are intended to broaden and deepen my perspective and understanding of Native American cultures and their relationships with European settlers.
Bibliographic Note:
Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, (New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 1999). Most of this work deals with non-Europeans, but Diamond's thesis sheds light on why Western civilization became hegemonic: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Those who domesticated plants and animals early got a head start on developing writing, government, technology, weapons of war, and immunity to deadly germs. (Library Journal 2/15/97)
Charles C. Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, (New York, Random House, 2005). The book marshals evidence accumulated over the last several decades about pre-columbian human population and natural environments in the New World and concludes that human populations were much higher, more sophisticated, and more in control of the land than is commonly thought, in line with the earliest reports of Europeans such as Gaspar de Carvajal and Hernando de Soto.
Old World diseases spread through the Americas in great pandemics the century following 1492. Without these diseases, the conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires, as well as subsequent conquests, would have been impossible. Perhaps the most audacious observation in the book is that the Amazon Rainforest has been largely shaped by forgotten agricultural methods, including the creation of terra preta. (Wikipedia, 9/20/06)
Bibliographic Note:
Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, (New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 1999). Most of this work deals with non-Europeans, but Diamond's thesis sheds light on why Western civilization became hegemonic: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Those who domesticated plants and animals early got a head start on developing writing, government, technology, weapons of war, and immunity to deadly germs. (Library Journal 2/15/97)
Charles C. Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, (New York, Random House, 2005). The book marshals evidence accumulated over the last several decades about pre-columbian human population and natural environments in the New World and concludes that human populations were much higher, more sophisticated, and more in control of the land than is commonly thought, in line with the earliest reports of Europeans such as Gaspar de Carvajal and Hernando de Soto.
Old World diseases spread through the Americas in great pandemics the century following 1492. Without these diseases, the conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires, as well as subsequent conquests, would have been impossible. Perhaps the most audacious observation in the book is that the Amazon Rainforest has been largely shaped by forgotten agricultural methods, including the creation of terra preta. (Wikipedia, 9/20/06)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Native American Science Education
In this section I hope to find, read, and discuss some references relating specifically to science education and Native American student populations, as well as closely related topics. I was able to obtain the book Igniting the Sparkle... through InterLibrary Loan and have begun to read it.
The Science & Education article deals with two more unusual and interesting curricula: the Imagining Nature Project at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, Australia and the Native Eyes Project at the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both projects incorporate innovative and unique strategies to teach science to non-science majors of diverse cultural origin.
Bibliographic Note:
Gregory A. Cajete, Igniting the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Model, (North Carolina, Kivaki Press, 1999). This book describes a culturally responsive, wholistic, Native American science curriculum the author has been teaching for 25 years.
David Wade Chambers, "Seeing a World in a Grain of Sand: Science Teaching in a Multicultural Context", Science & Education 8:633-644, 1999.
The Science & Education article deals with two more unusual and interesting curricula: the Imagining Nature Project at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, Australia and the Native Eyes Project at the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both projects incorporate innovative and unique strategies to teach science to non-science majors of diverse cultural origin.
Bibliographic Note:
Gregory A. Cajete, Igniting the Sparkle: An Indigenous Science Education Model, (North Carolina, Kivaki Press, 1999). This book describes a culturally responsive, wholistic, Native American science curriculum the author has been teaching for 25 years.
David Wade Chambers, "Seeing a World in a Grain of Sand: Science Teaching in a Multicultural Context", Science & Education 8:633-644, 1999.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Reports on Educational Opportunity
A few months ago I read a newspaper article about the death of Harvard statistician Charles Frederick Mosteller, and found out he had co-authored a book on educational opportunity with Patrick Moynihan in 1972. I have ordered the book and am awaiting its arrival. I felt this and related articles would be a good starting point leading into more specific articles on science instruction for Native Americans and in rural and poorer schools in general. It also gives me a historical perspective on education in the U.S. and some important societal and cultural milestones as well. I have also been reading my NSTA Reports (I am a member) for September 2006, and there some interesting articles on grant writing, No Child Left Behind, and science literacy.
So far I would say the overwhelming point I am taking from these readings is that a student's home, family, and socioeconomic situation may not be the only factors that determine their academic success, they are collectively by far the most important, far outweighing anything that has or can be done at school.
Bibliographic Note:
James S. Coleman et al. "Equality of Educational Opportunity Study (EEOS)" U.S. Office of Education (1966).
Charles Frederick Mosteller and Patrick Moynihan, On Equality of Educational Opportunity, (New York, Random House, 1972).
John F. Kain, "Equality of Educational Opportunity Revisited", New England Economic Review, 1996.
So far I would say the overwhelming point I am taking from these readings is that a student's home, family, and socioeconomic situation may not be the only factors that determine their academic success, they are collectively by far the most important, far outweighing anything that has or can be done at school.
Bibliographic Note:
James S. Coleman et al. "Equality of Educational Opportunity Study (EEOS)" U.S. Office of Education (1966).
Charles Frederick Mosteller and Patrick Moynihan, On Equality of Educational Opportunity, (New York, Random House, 1972).
John F. Kain, "Equality of Educational Opportunity Revisited", New England Economic Review, 1996.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Initial Post of Individual Studies Course.
I am still reading through this text, and am even in the process of incorporating some of the labs into my 6-8th curriculum. I will report on the results as they become available. In response to Dr. Pedersen's comments, in my previous position at the high school level in Texas we had district curriculum guides that laid out very specifically what, how, and when we were to teach a given topic, within a course. At the small, rural PreK-8 school I am at currently there has never been a prescribed curriculum in any course, including science. We did adopt the Carolina Biological STC/MS program last year, and implemented it this year, and it is grounded in the Learning Cycle philosophy. Obviously we have had previously much latitude in how we taught our courses, as long as our students were well-versed in the essential PASS objectives.
Based on what I knew coming in, as well as the reading I have done so far this semester, I believe the learning cycle to be a model of teaching, but I would like to know Dr. Pedersen's definitions of teaching approaches, models, and methods before I go any further.
The idea of knowledge construction as opposed to just presenting information to students for them to memorize, makes sense to me, but it is also requiring a turnabout from the methods by which I was taught in school for the most part, and even some of the teaching methods I employ myself. My teaching philosophy, in general terms, has evolved over a nearly twenty year career-spanning third grade through AP/IB/Honors high school seniors-to include as many different ways of presenting material to the students as possible. By that I mean in order to accomodate the various learning styles represented by the students in my classes I might give notes, assign readings, perform demonstrations, have student-driven hands-on labs, student oral reports and discussions, and more, all on the same topic. I realize now that I had in fact used Learning cycle methods without having been formally trained or recognizing the techniques as such. Of course this is all relative to teaching at the high school level for the first fifteen years, and I am adjusting to teaching middle and elementary school students with differing levels of cognition and development.
Bibliographic Note:
John Renner and Edmund Marek, The Learning Cycle and Elementary School Science Teaching, (Portsmouth, NH, Heinemann Educational Books, 1988). I borrowed this book from a coworker to investigate the Learning Cycle on my own.
Based on what I knew coming in, as well as the reading I have done so far this semester, I believe the learning cycle to be a model of teaching, but I would like to know Dr. Pedersen's definitions of teaching approaches, models, and methods before I go any further.
The idea of knowledge construction as opposed to just presenting information to students for them to memorize, makes sense to me, but it is also requiring a turnabout from the methods by which I was taught in school for the most part, and even some of the teaching methods I employ myself. My teaching philosophy, in general terms, has evolved over a nearly twenty year career-spanning third grade through AP/IB/Honors high school seniors-to include as many different ways of presenting material to the students as possible. By that I mean in order to accomodate the various learning styles represented by the students in my classes I might give notes, assign readings, perform demonstrations, have student-driven hands-on labs, student oral reports and discussions, and more, all on the same topic. I realize now that I had in fact used Learning cycle methods without having been formally trained or recognizing the techniques as such. Of course this is all relative to teaching at the high school level for the first fifteen years, and I am adjusting to teaching middle and elementary school students with differing levels of cognition and development.
Bibliographic Note:
John Renner and Edmund Marek, The Learning Cycle and Elementary School Science Teaching, (Portsmouth, NH, Heinemann Educational Books, 1988). I borrowed this book from a coworker to investigate the Learning Cycle on my own.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)