Social Bookmarking NETS-T #4,5

1.) I saw the official signed copy of the Declaration of Independence. This document was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, and the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This historic document is critical to American history and a perfect primary source to share with my class.
http://archives.gov/historical-docs/document.html?doc=1&title.raw=Declaration%20of%20Independence

2.) This site showed different groups of students who experience achievement gaps. I know from previous research that ethnic groups such as the African American and Hispanic cultures suffer in academics and are a large part of the achievement gap. The site also suggested that students who have relocated to the main island from Pacific Islands in Micronesia. The struggles teachers are having is trying to set the students up for success, by learning the customs here, without forgetting their own culture. The article, Becoming A Culturally Competent Educator stresses the importance of an inclusive classroom.
http://www.nea.org/home/AchievementGaps.html

3.) Cyber bulling has become a growing problem among children and teenagers. The popular trends of MySpace and face book have created online diaries and communication centers. Though these resources are typically used to share pictures, relationship status and hobbies, many post and blogs are being misused. Young children and teens are using this media as a means of bulling and harassment via web. It was a great way to communicate with friends and family, but has now become a system used to blackmail, and makes others feel embarrassed or humiliated.
This rising epidemic can now not only embarrass student in a virtual world, but the real world as well. When students are exposed to cyber bulling takes a toll on personal satisfaction, but on their academic lives. Studies have shown that children who experience bulling have depression, low self esteem and even committed suicide. Physical factors come into effect too because other student not only want to humiliate them but hurt them. These events can leave emotional scar, and cause long term damage. Most of the bulling occurs in the home environment, where parents typically don’t monitor their children’s time in the internet. A fine line is drawn between schools responsibility and parent liability. Students are advised to ignore bullies, because they tend to feed off the satisfaction and reaction of others.
Test Score: 0 – 5 Points: Cyber Saint
Congratulations! You’re a cyber saint! Your online behavior is exemplary! Keep up the good work!
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html

4.) This guide for instructors had many useful tools for students to use. The “subject access” Cybrarian for Kids- was a media to assist with homework assignments, research papers as resources appropriate for science fair projects. This is a wonderful reference for the classroom setting. . Another tool was the “teacher helper”, which showed educators different tools that they could use in the classroom. The site that I used was http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/

5.)Multiple Intelligence
My top three intelligences are Naturalistic, Kinesthetic and Interpersonal. The dominate trait was a Naturalistic learner. These people tend to understand the patterns of living things, and apply reasoning to the world. These learners enjoy learning of the outdoor environment, and care for nature and animals. I was equally distributed as a kinesthetic learner, and this intelligence is identified with movement. This intelligence use movement to express yourself and the best way to remember information is to associate it with an activity. Movements such as dance, acting, or sports come easily. Lastly I discovered that I am an Interpersonal learner. This means that I need social interaction to learn. Whether it be with other students, teacher or parents the interaction is critical. In addition to communicating a chance to express options is just as important in sharing thoughts. These multiple intelligence defines me as a learner; now that this has been identified I can focus on my specific learning styles to make the most of my education.
http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-introduction
**For Anyone interested I have attached my personal philosophy. After taking this Multiple Intelligence quiz, it was interesting to see the same pattern reappear. This assessment was surprisingly very similar to the results found in another quiz.***
My Educational Philosophy
My personal philosophy of education is most closely related to progressivism, which was seen after completing the Educational Philosophy Test. Progressivism was described as an educational philosophy focused on providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary not only to survive, but also to succeed in a competitive society. A progressivist himself, John Dewey, is known for developing ideas that have been implemented in schools, because his thinking has impacted the debate about the role of school in society. As the name suggests, progressivism is a philosophy that is adaptable for society’s current state, and it is a philosophy that promotes education aimed at helping students to develop problem solving skills that will allow them to function successfully in the future. Lastly, Progressivism focuses on educating students in a manner that leads them to become productive adults, who can adapt to an ever-changing world.
The progressivism curriculum has a strong emphasis on problem solving and analysis, because these skills are vital to be a successful individual in today’s society. In addition, the curriculum is centered on activities and instruction that challenge the students’ problem solving and analysis abilities in an effort to strengthen these very skills. Since progressivism is influenced by a contemporary society, it is only appropriate that the progressivism curriculum is founded on providing for students instruction that ranges from basic real-world skills to higher levels of thinking. The teacher’s role in the classroom is to facilitate learning by posing questions for students that exercise their minds in a practical manner. Teachers are also responsible for the preparation of students for the real world and it is within the classroom setting that teachers must recreate problems that exist in society and guide students in the direction of solving these problems. Teachers of the progressivism philosophy encourage creative thinking as well as analytic thinking. The questions they pose for their students are often open-ended questions that may or may not have prescribed answers. Progressivism is centered on an ever-changing society, and so today’s problems constantly become more intricate and complex, demanding that students use creativity and ingenuity to find the most solution. Teachers act as the link between the shelter of childhood and the harshness of the real world, and it is their responsibility to introduce the reality of being a productive member of society to their students, and the expectations and obstacles that lay before them on their path.
The teaching methods used in a progressivism classroom support the idea of problem-based learning, where the student is required to develop solutions to existing or potential problems. Together both teacher and students, are given the opportunity to speculate and question the world around them. An example of this interaction can be seen when the classroom is divided into small groups, and the students are encouraged to discuss, and share their thoughts. The teacher is there to encourage this process, instead of just providing answers or any solutions. This learning environment is collaborative and democratic, giving opportunity for all to speak their minds and receive feedback from peers as well as the teacher. This continuous loop of feedback can be beneficial or potentially hazardous to self esteem, and self perception, which is the leading downfall in a progressive philosophy classroom.
I have enhanced my personal philosophy by not only taking The Educational Philosophy Test, but other assessments that helped me discover my true learning and working styles. Now that I have established a basic foundation of my philosophy on education, I can adjust my teaching styles accordingly. This knowledge will allow me to react and anticipate events or problems in the classroom because I have a better understanding of my reactions or biases to different situations. It is human nature to have these reactions or feelings, but acting appropriately is the key to a healthy and proficient classroom. A high quality teacher, is aware of the different learning styles, and takes the standard curriculum, and transforms it into a lesson plan, engaging every learner. It is extremely important to understand the habits and behaviors of each learning style and with an understanding of these learners can be identified. The Assessment stated that “A learning modality is the use of sensory information to learn, and there are three different types; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic”, and there is typically one predominant modality, but many people have a combination of these modalities that are needed to entice learning.
I discovered myself even further by completing the Learning Styles Assessment. I found that I am a visual and auditory learner, followed by kinesthetic close behind. I am not dominant in one particular method, which has increased the probability for me to obtain information from any lecture, due to the ability to learn through different modalities. After taking this assessment, I have become aware “how to spot one” of these types of learners, and what adjustments can be made to ensure that the student is receiving the information that works best with their learning style. In addition to taking the Learning Styles Assessment, I have completed the Working Styles Assessment, which incorporates more fundamentals into my personal philosophy of education.

The Working Styles Assessment allowed me to establish a better understanding of my work habits, and situations or environments that are most comfortable for me to operate and function in. I found this assessment to be a little difficult because I could narrow my answer down to two choices, but depending on further information I could have pick differently. This assessment reveled that my dominant working characteristic is Expressive, and these workers tend to be creative and artistic as well as; spontaneous in actions and decisions, like involvement with others, and jump from one activity to another. I would definitely conclude that this assessment is completely accurate, I find myself to be creative and enjoy hands on activities that allow he to express emotions, and would also agree that I enjoy starting new exciting tasks though I many never seem to complete them. A drawback of my working style is that Expressive people tend to be over committed, and they struggle in conveying closer because they are always starting new tasks. Overall, I feel that my working style would be beneficial in the classroom, because I would be able to portray information visually for student, as well as a physical object for the kinesthetic student to interact during the lesson.

I feel that my personal philosophy on education, learning styles, working styles, and multiple intelligences have accurately described me as a person. These assessments have given me a foundation, and deeper understanding of my values and behaviors. I believe that everyone should have an understanding of their personal philosophy in education before entering the classroom, beneficial to teachers because it will help you bring new interpretation and ideas to existing concepts, creating a classroom free flowing and stress free. Not only will you provide a better lesson plan, engaging all learners, but your thoughts and how you view different situations will develop. When you are finally in touch with this mindset, you will be able to pursuit teaching in a clear and unbiased vision. Furthermore, when you have a better understanding of your beliefs of values, teaching will allow you to process different situations with an unbiased approach, clarifying problems before they occur. It was stated that “A teacher’s philosophy is inseparable from daily experience and a way of viewing the world. Its presence is constant, helping to shape and being shaped by tangible means, through which teachers carry on their day-to-day responsibilities.” (Pg. 329) This statement reveals that every decision made affects you as a teacher, because your philosophy is the same in the classroom, as it is in your personal life. In addition, seeing a pattern in your decision making will allow you to make alternative choices, ones that induce good or valuable habits. Once a pattern is observed, it is easier to make changes, and promote a positive attitude in our lives and to the students in the classroom.

6.)Grade Level: 1-2 Subject: Science and Health
This Lesson plan was designed to think out gender roles, and stereotypes that are created by society. The activity was to reveal diversity among peers in their careers. The teacher’s goal was to eliminate any associations related to specific jobs. Any stereotypes the opinion the students have now, will be challenged and a different outlook on gender roles will hopefully be explored. I agree with the teachers closing activity to have a class discussion, expressing new thoughts. The objective of this activity was to show students that gender does not limit your success, that everyone can achieve their goals.
http://www.tolerance.org/activity/girls-can-be-plumbers

7.)The most interesting questions I found were;
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quizzes.html
Question 1: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, what is the percentage of U.S. schools with no teachers of color on staff?
Answer: 40%
When beginning this quiz, I glanced over the questions and quickly realized that the majority of the questions were statistical or comparison of ethnicities’. I took a logical and conservative guess when answering these questions. I think it is important to be familiar with the statistics of the field I am trying to enter, because it makes me aware of the diverse population. I had chose answer b, 20% of the population, and was shocked to see that the correct answer was doubled.
Question 7: Compared with their U.S.-born peers, how likely are immigrant men in the U.S., ages 18-39, to be in jail or prison, according to a 2008 report from the Immigration Policy Center?
Answer: 5 times less likely
This particular question I had to read over a few times. My initial thought was that people who immigrate to this country would not be familiar with our customs and laws, so the tendency to break them might increase. Then I thought the immigrant males would want to find work and not draw attention to them, so they would obey the laws to the highest manor. I tossed these two options around for a few, and decided that they might be in the prison system more because the United States has numerous laws to follow, so I thought these odds would increase. Surprisingly, I was wrong.

8.)After taking this ten point quiz, it was easy to understand why we need to teach our students about Netiquette. It is actually very useful in establishing proper behavior online. When technology provides us with the tools to communicate, we must still be responsible to act appropriately. The do’s and don’ts of online communication are implied rules, and each user acts accordingly. Students nationwide should have to pass this quiz, providing proof that they are capable of a basic understanding of the virtual world.
I scored a 70% on the quiz.
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/