Should Teachers Give Extra Credit?

I think that extra credit can be a good thing IF you do not give too much of it.  Extra credit should relate to the area that you are teaching.  The same extra credit opportunity should be given to every class and have a clear deadline.  I don't think that extra credit should be easy.  It should require slightly more work than that of a typical assignment. 

One common mistake that I came across during high school was that teachers would give so much extra credit that it was TOO easy to get an A or above.  The extra credit was usually really easy to complete, and probably really easy to grade.  It is important to make sure that extra credit will provide the student with an opportunity to learn something.  It should take time and effort to complete and extra time to grade as well.  If the students are willing to put in the extra work, so should you.  Or...you could just not give extra credit...

Another reason extra credit should be given is for motivation to go above and beyond.  It will help students to learn more about the subject while also increasing their grade.  I believe that extra credit should be given, but only once or twice a semester  Here is one article that relates to what I was talking about:

extra-credit-can-help-all-students-improve

Teaching with the Peace Corps

The only thing I knew that I wanted to do in my future was to join the Peace Corps.  The only thing I wasn't sure about was what I was going to do with them.  Now I know that I want to teach overseas with them.  I am not sure exactly what will happen, but I look forward to the opportunity.

Teaching overseas will be a totally different experience from teaching in America.  I will likely be teaching English instead of history, like I will be teaching here in the U.S.  One volunteer provided an example of how it might be different.  He talks about what reasons people came in to learn English.  He states:  "A few thought that English can help getting a job; another's dream was understanding lyrics to English songs, and a few came to just socialize."

I think that teaching overseas will help me teach in America as well.  The experience will be valuable in my understanding of different cultures and it will help me learn to teach to people of any background.  I know that my stories will be able to be used in my classroom and I hope that my students some day will have the opportunity to travel to experience a broad range of cultures.

Here is the website for education in the Peace Corps:

http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/

Using Facebook for School

As many people know, Facebook is one of the biggest social networks of our time.  Almost everyone that I know has a Facebook account.  Most of them check it daily and I even know that many people spend a large portion of their day on it.  Most adults think that Facebook is a large distraction and some educators think it should be banned in schools.  I believe that teachers can use Facebook to their advantage.

Since kids are already spending a lot of their free time on Facebook, teachers should find ways to incorporate it into their lessons.  Students can do small projects on Facebook.  For example, post a news story or a link to a website that connects to what you are covering in class and have them post comments.  They can have discussions with classmates while they are on Facebook about an event in history or a scientific discovery.  They can write about a book they are reading or discuss ideas for a thesis of a paper they are going to write.  There are so many possibilities from just a single post.

Another way to use Facebook is as a source of reminders or changes in assignments.  If they all can come to one Facebook page for a class, the teacher can remind everyone of an assignment at the same time.  Students could ask questions about an assignment and when the teacher answers, everyone else in the class will know too.  It will be easier for shy kids to ask questions without having to speak in front of the entire class too. 

You could also use Facebook to post Power-points from class or important points covered in class.  This could help students remember what was covered and help sick students understand what was talked about in class.  There are so many ideas that have not been covered as well.  Here is a link to a website that can help you incorporate Facebook into your classroom:

100 ways you should be using facebook in your classroom

What makes Professor Green's teaching great?

After my first day of class in History of Christian Thought, I knew that it was going to be a great class.  Professor Green made sure that everyone knew that his class was not going to be a class where you could get an "Easy A."  We had to write response papers on readings for class.  He made it very clear that they would not be easy.  Each student had to participate in class discussions in order to get an 'A' as well.  Then, after the rest of his introduction, he gave everybody the opportunity to leave the class if they would like to.

Now this does not sound like a great class...it just sounds hard.  Professor Green wanted only the students that were willing to put in the work.  He definitely put in the effort.  Each day (at 8:00) he had more energy than the students in the class.  He showed that he was really passionate about what he taught.  I think that it is important to love what you do and have high expectations for students and he did just that.  Professor Green was also organized and stuck to a schedule.  He was good at facilitating class discussions and asked us really hard questions.  Another thing he did well was opening up and connecting to students.  He had a great sense of humor and was always welcome to one on one conversations outside of class.

Here are some of his blogs:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-green-phd

Bullying in Schools

Jodee Blanco recently did a presentation of “It’s Not Just Joking Around” on Tuesday, November 16th, at Decorah High School Auditorium.  She spoke about bullying in schools and ways to keep it from happening. On her website she states, "No one should have to endure being teased, bullied, or abused. Cruelty violates a person’s sense of self and others. If you or someone you know—perhaps your son, daughter, student, or a friend—is being bullied at school, you can help. Listen to them. Let them know they are not alone in their struggle. Be compassionate, supportive, and strong."  In the end, I found that it really all came down to good parenting.  A good parent should let their kids know that they are there for them.

I was not a big fan of her teaching style.  I understand that she went through some VERY rough times in high school, but it seemed like she was too focused on herself at times.  She was very intense and made me fell uncomfortable at times.  On the other hand, she did a very good job of getting her point across. 

She believes that educators can play a large role in helping out with the problem.  She doesn't want teachers to just "sweep it under the rug" when it happens.  Instead they need to befriend both the victim and the bullier.  She says that bullying instances should be dealt with immediately and firmly.  It is important to connect with parents as well.  This may be difficult but "stay calm" even if the parents are not.  She has suggestions for parents, educators, and victims on her website.

Here is her website:

http://www.jodeeblanco.com/

Summer Vacation: Good or Bad

     Growing up in America, it is hard to imagine what life would be like without a summer break.  But David Von Drehle of Time Magazine argues that spending so much time outside of school can be bad for many kids.  He especially believes that it affects children of lower class.  The differences in high-income kids and low-income kids is huge.  The high-income kids usually keep up the pace of learning during the summer, while the low-income kids lose ground or stay the same.  He uses evidence from hours of instruction and math scores for fifteen year old children to show how we lag behind other countries.

Here is a video that shows how children can keep caught up:
http://www.youtube.com/ 

     Others argue that Von Drehle doesn't have all of his facts right.  Inge Dean, of Play Therapy states that summer vacation is vital for unstructured learning.  This unstructured learning helps children develop ways to "unwind" and discover the world on their own.  It is up to the parents to see that there children do not sit on the computer all day.  He even goes so far as to quote Richard Louv:

    “if it is true that being in nature reduces the symptoms of ADHD, then the converse may also be true:  ADHD may be a set of symptoms aggravated by lack of exposure to nature. By this line of thinking ….the real disorder is less in the child than it is in the imposed, artificial environment. Viewed from this angle, a society that has disengaged the child from nature and natural play is most certainly disorder, if well-meaning.”

     Personally, I think that it is important for children to be able to experience summer, but I also think that they should find ways to continue learning.  Once again, this comes down to good parenting and schooling.  If students can find an strong interest in a subject, they will be more likely to continue learning about it in the future.

     See the following links for more information.  The first link is the Time Magazine article and the second and third are arguments against the article.
 http://www.time.com

 http://blogs.greatschools.org

http://www.goodtherapy.org

Deborah Gist and teacher qualifications

Over the summer I spent some time reading articles and books in my subject areas, which are history and education.  One article in Time magazine caught my attention.  The article by Amanda Ripley is about Rhode Island's commissioner of schools.  The article stated that "Gist...announced that staffing decisions would be based on teacher qualifications, not seniority."  She is also working on a new evaluation system "in which teachers get annual reviews."  Adding to that, she raised the test-score requirements to the highest in the nation for entrance into teacher-training programs.  She also supported the firing of every single teacher at one of the states worst schools.  Is she doing the right thing?  Even though I don't like the idea of firing every teacher from a school, I think it is important to remember that it is not about the teachers, but the students.

One of her ideas that I love, is the idea of making staffing decisions based on qualifications, NOT seniority.  The students would benefit greatly from this.  I remember losing some great teachers at our school when cuts were made just because they were the youngest, or newest teachers.  We were losing the most qualified teachers and it was making our education program weaker.  I do not think that teachers should be safe from getting fired just because they have been at the school for more years than others.  Teachers should be safe from getting fired because they are great teachers.

I also like her idea of raising test-score requirements to get into the education program.  We should only accept those who work the hardest.  On the other hand, we need to make sure that they are great teachers.  Just because somebody gets a good score on a test or is the brightest student in a class doesn't mean they will be a great teacher.

For the full article on Deborah Gist, use the following link:
Deborah Gist - The 2010 TIME 100 - TIME

 

Respect In The Classroom

Respect is something that must be earned.  It won't be given to you automatically.  Most students won't respect you just because you are their superior.  Therefore you must earn their respect over time.  To do this, you must respect them.  To show respect you must listen to your students.  If you expect them to listen to you, you must listen to them.

When Elona Hartjes, from Teachers at Risk, was asked on her podcast, "How do I earn my students respect?"  She replied, "I follow the golden rule.  I treat them the way that I would want them to treat me.  It really works.  I have a few rules but they are all about showing one another respect.  I don't mean the kind of respect that when I tell them to jump, they ask how high.  I honor them, how they feel, what they say and do and I expect them to do the same for me and their fellow classmates."

Respect from students will only be possible if the teacher treats the students with respect.  In my high school years I respected most of my teachers because they treated me like an adult.  With respect, a teacher can avoid much misbehavior.  Students will be more likely to listen and less likely to talk out of turn.  Also, students will be more likely to do their work and turn it in on time.  One of my teachers called a student when he found out he was skipping class.  My teacher said that he does that every few years so that people don't skip again.  He said that it works every time.  This teacher didn't necessarily "earn" respect, but he "commanded" respect from his students...it probably helped that he was the football coach...

On the other hand, when the teacher doesn't gain respect, he or she may have a noisy classroom, or maybe have students who don't turn in their homework.  One of my teachers was not able to control the classroom at all because none of us respected her.  As soon as students realize you don't have control, it is nearly impossible to gain their respect.

Overall, respect is mutual.  It must be given to the students for the teacher to be able to receive it.  As soon as it is lost it is extremely difficult to get it back.

See this link to see more about Elona Hartjes:
http://www.teachersatrisk.com/2007/08/10/respect-in-the-classroom-is-a-two-way-street