Teaching Towards Democracy Reflection

Reflection

        Throughout the time in my education class, Teaching Towards Democracy with Dr. David McGough, I experienced many educational moments. The overarching question for the class was what role does education hold in a democratic society? This question is key for the class because as teachers, we must understand what our end goal is for our students. Why is it that we are having the students go to mandated schooling till they are 18 years old? What purpose does this education hold? These questions were ones I held after understanding what the goal was for this education class.

        When we first started the class we began by understanding what makes up a democracy along with what our society holds in high regards as ideal values. This class looked into three main aspects of society, which were democracy, capitalism, and religion. After learning this, we found out that for our final project in the class we would need to complete an advocacy project. This project could be on whatever subject or group of people we deemed needed improvement. For myself, I choose to group up with 3 other students in the class to work in an advocacy project for college student debt in Vermont. This project would work on colleagueship and advocacy which were the two principles we would need to address within this class for our teaching license.

        What I found most interesting about this class, was how every aspect that we learned about connected with one-another. We first started with what values were held within our democratic society. This was to help understand what our society thought of as acceptable behaviors along with how our citizens should act. After learning about our society, we started to look at how education fits into these beliefs. Within the class, I read many articles about various aspects of life like racism, the idea of democracy in schools, what advocacy is, and even the history behind the pledge of allegiance. All of these articles helped deepen my understanding of how education can play a role in democracy, and even what a democracy means within our society. Sue Winton cites from John P. Portelli and R. Patrick Solomon’s book titled, The Erosion of Democracy in Education: From Critique to Possibilities. Winton states, “...a critical democratic perspective understands democracy as an ideal that is committed to equity, diversity, social justice, reasoned choices, and public participation (Solomon & Portelli, 2001)” (as cited in Winton, p. 43). When I started my final group project within the class, I found myself being able to refer back to articles like this many times for its strong connections to the topic at hand.

        The idea behind a democracy is that the people come together as a whole to govern themselves. Within our society we come together to vote on certain laws and regulations that affect our life. For our class, and for the principle number 11, colleagueship was a constant aspect that was addressed. The class had to understand what colleagueship meant and utilize it every meeting because as a class, we would come together and have discussions about our readings. For these discussions we would have delegated roles for students to play. One student would play as a leader who controlled the group's discussion and call on people, two other students would play as discussion students who started off the topic of discussion, then there was a student who took notes on these discussions and reiterates them at the end. As the semester went on our professor would add more in-depth roles to the discussion to keep it interesting, which at the end of the semester each student in the class had a role. These discussions were another aspect that connected to colleagueship (along with democracy) because they forced the class to understand how to work well with each other. For the class, we had to make sure ours (and others) voices were heard or represented, while being understanding of others points of views. These roles helped me understand what it meant to be in a democracy because each person has a role within the group, which we must make sure everyone had a say within the discussion.

        For the advocacy project I got the chance to understand what it meant to work in a group towards an actual end goal (rather than discussions in a classroom). This was a major learning point for me because it showed me what it would take for me as an educator to advocate for a student's change in school. My project was to advocate for change in the Vermont college system because students are graduating with rising debt. Throughout this project my group and I had to understand what each other's roles were, work with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, along getting the project in the time period we had. This was a stressful project at times because of meetings times and some students missing meetings, but we were able to get the project done and learn many things from it. Besides learning how to work with other people in a group, I learned how the process of advocacy went. Before this project I just thought of advocacy was when a person (or group) protested against something or conducted fund raisers towards a cause. But after completing this project and reading the articles, I understand that those are just two of the many roles advocacy can take on. Advocacy can be more in depth (and in most cases needs to be), and can take on many more roles to reach the goal of advocating for a certain cause.

        In closing, I learned many useful ideas about the connection of democracy and education. Every aspect of this class was constructed to further the understanding this guiding question about democracy. I found this beneficial in my learning process because when I got the chance to look back on all my papers, readings, and projects, I can understand how they are all connected and lead to the understanding I have now. I will be able to utilize these new ideas and concepts when I become a teacher because my goal as an educator is to have my student’s live better lives along with having them become lifelong learners. In an article by Louis A. Gatta he states,

“The role of the public schools in providing services to help students develop socialization skills, decision making skills, and problem solving skills is in a state of transition. The chance in the family structure in American society over the last decade has forced schools to reexamine their role in providing student services outside the realm of the classroom.” (p.1, Gatta).

This statement by Gatta shows how the role of education is changing from what it use to be. Educators and school figures understand that schools must take on the role of teaching students bigger life lessons then how to do math or science. This is what this class has taught me. As an instructor, I am licensed to teach other people's children when they are in school for 8 hours a day. During this time, I must help the students understand what life lessons they will need to have, or know about, for when they begin their life in this society. I will aim to better the lives of my students and aid them in the process of becoming knowledgeable and involved citizens.

Works Cited

Winton, S. (2008). Character education: Implications for critical democracy (43- 63). International critical childhood policy studies, Vo1, No1. Retrieved from, http://journals.sfu.ca/iccps/index.php/childhoods/article/view/4

Gatta, L. (2016). A student advocacy program a means of expanding the role and effectiveness of teachers. p.1

Reflection for Foundations of Inclusive Practice Class

Reflection

     During my time in Foundations of Inclusive Practice with Robert Schultz I learned many aspects of teaching that I will use throughout my whole career. This class focuses on special education and all facets that are involved with teaching students with special needs. During this semester I read many useful textbooks that helped deepen my understanding of the various types of disabilities some students might face. These textbooks were Learners with Mild Disabilities by Eileen Raymond, Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading by Robert Marzano, and lastly Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom by Tracey Hall. Each book gave me a different aspect to teaching that I did not have before, along with a better understanding of how I can design my classes for inclusion. Along with these books I had to attend 20 hours in a host school observing that particular school’s special education program and type my second entry to the State of Vermont for my licensure.

     During my time at my host school I was able to witness the school’s special education program first hand. This experience was necessary for me as a teacher because previously I only had my own ideas on what education for special needs students entailed, but now I have real life experience with how these programs operate. During my time with the host school I was able to observe how the teacher conducted her program to include all her students into both the special and general education programs. I was able to experience many different types of disabilities students there faced which gave me insight into how disabilities like ADHD, Cognitive disorders, Behavioral disorders, and ASD actually affected the students in school. I was able to witness students on IEPs and 504 plans which was a new experience to me since we had only learned about it in the Foundations class. Previously I had only read about the disorders and how they could possibly affect a student's ability to be taught, but with this experience I gained first hand knowledge of how students struggle with their disabilities. I saw how ADHD can cause students to have a harder time paying attention to the teacher’s lessons, and how behavioral issue students can act out in the class in a variety of ways. Because I had read the books from my Foundations class I had an understanding of why these students were acting the way they did. From actually observing this I was able to understand how to approach the students and how to apply the lessons I learned to teach them in a way that will help lessen the difficulties these students face.

      From my Learners with Mild Disabilities book by Eileen Raymond I was able to get a very descriptive insight into what the medical and educational terms are for each disability. This was important for me because it gave me better background knowledge on how the disability came to being identified, along with how it has grown to affect the students with it. Raymond’s book was very in depth on the various disabilities students might face, so reading this material prepared me for what I observed during my time in my host school. For the last two books, Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading by Robert Marzano and Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom by Tracey Hall, I was able to understand how to assess students and create an environment that benefits all types of learners including ones with disabilities. These books, combined with my observation, are what helped me develop my answer to the guiding question of this class. This guiding question was, “How can we design for inclusion?”, which in the beginning of the semester I had a hard time answering with any depth. Now that the semester is ending I have more insight into the question. Before taking this class I thought that each teacher just takes every step possible to include all students. I believed that the teacher would teach one way, then another way again to reach every type of student’s needs. After taking this class, with the required material in combination with my observation hours, I was able to fully understand what inclusion is and how I can integrate students into my class. Now that the semester is ending I believe that for me to design my class for inclusion I will have to take the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) approach to teaching. This approach was eye opening for me because it showed me that my previous approach of taking one step at a time to teach various types of learners wasn't working for all students. For me to include all students I will need to have one approach that reaches all students, which is what the UDL approach is all about. My approach should include all student’s needs at once, which might be daunting at first because it will be a lot of work, but will meet my goal of teaching all students about art. I will aim to have my lessons and class be set up in a way that accommodates all students whether or not they have a disability. I hope to have my class be an environment that accommodates all types of students so when a student that does have a disability attends my class, it will not be a problem for them to learn. The Foundations of Inclusive Practice class was a great learning experience for me to understand the special education world along with the various disabilities students may face. This classes reading material, observation hours, and entry to the State of Vermont were useful in my growing experience as a future art educator.

References

Eileen B. Raymond (2012), Learners with Mild Disabilities: A Characteristics Approach. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River New Jersey 07458.

Tracey E. Hall (2012), Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom. The Guilford Press, 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012.

Robert J. Marzano (2010), Formative Assessment & Standards-Based Grading. Marzano Research Laboratory, 555 North Morton Street, Bloomington IN.

My Final Reflection for Education

Jay T. Palmisano

4/29/14

Final Reflection

          In my Ecology of Human Experience class, taught by Kelly Swindlehurst, I gained many things from the class. I learned many useful ideas and tips for educating that will help me tremendously later on in my career. Along with learning many useful ideas, this class was unique from my past experiences with other education classes. This class will definitely have a strong impact on my career as a teacher because I learned many useful ideas that are apart of the history and tools a teacher has.

         Throughout this class I learned many lessons that were very useful and interesting. One of the lessons I learned was the Bronfenbrenner Model or also known as the ecological model. I learned that the Bronfenbrenner model is a way of depicting how an individual’s environment can impact him/her along with show the many aspects in an individual's life. This model shows the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and the Chronosystem, which is surrounding the individual. All of these parts of the Bronfenbrenner model are essential to understanding why an individual is the way he/she is, is because the environment a person lives in, will end up effecting he/she either directly or indirectly. I learned this from the readings for the class called Ecology of Family, “Macrosystem Influences on Family, Socialization, and Children”. On page 97, it states:

“How do features of the macrosystem influence the socialization of children?... Specific effects of macrosystem (socioeconomics statues, cultural orientation, and religious orientation) on socialization are examined to better understand how large contexts can affect the way family systems operate” (Berns, p. 97).

In this reading it showed me that the Bronfenbrenner model isn't just the Macrosystem or the Exosystem, but it involves the relationships between the aspects within the Macrosystem and Exosystem. Along with learning about the ecological model, I learned about typical and atypical development along with disabilities. These two lessons go together because if an individual’s life is atypical (different from what the typical individual goes through) it sometimes can be because of a disability they face. When reading Typical and Atypical Development, by Martin Herbert, I learned about how an individual’s life can be atypical and what that can cause as problem situations for that person. On page 222 it states that “A child with a motor impairment is likely to be restricted in how s/he is able to interact with the environment” (Herbert, 2003).

This reading showed to me how a disability in a certain aspect of life can impact an individual greatly. This lesson then connects to learning about disabilities when I read Skin Deep Learning: Teaching those who learn differently. In this reading I learned that just because an individual has a disability or lives an atypical life, does not mean they cannot reach their fullest potential. The reading stated:

“The reality is that all children have much greater potential than we ever imagine, but our rigid educational system assumes that some children are incapable of achieving academically and that one model of instruction fits all. Schools that recognize differences without negatively stereotyping children, believe in all children’s potential, and implement challenging instruction that embraces children in all their splendid variety....” (Skin Deep Learning, p. 103).

Along with learning about the ecological model, typical and atypical development, and about disabilities, I learned about cross-cultural development. I gained insight about what  cross-cultural development is when reading Anthropology and Child Development by Robert A. LeVine. On page 1 it states, 
“The study of child development has been largely confined to children in North America, Europe and other Western countries, who comprise less than 10 percent of all children in the world. The overwhelming majority of children grow up in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific under conditions differing dramatically from those familiar to Westerners...” (LeVine, 2008).

This showed me how this lesson is about understanding that individuals from around the world are different depending on their culture and environment. For example, a child growing up in America has a different culture, environment, ideals, and ways of living than a child from Africa or China. Because of these differences it makes the person more aware of understanding the background of a child so teaching he/she is easier. All of these lessons are what will help me become a better educator.

This class is going to be a major factor in my teaching career because these lessons will give me better understanding of why a student acts a certain way or how I will be able to help them get through a certain situation in the classroom. The lesson on the Bronfenbrenner model will help me in teaching because I will be able to look at a student’s environment and have some insight on why that certain student is the way he/she is. When I do understand why a student is acting a certain way, I will then be able to help or talk to the student to find assistance for them or aid them in getting past it. The second major lesson that will be useful is the typical and atypical lessons along with the disabilities lesson. Both of these lessons will help me as a teacher because if I do have a student in my class with a disability or has atypical development signs, then I will need to be able to understand why it is happening and what I can do to make it better for the student in my class. Knowing this will help my class be a solution to his situation or ease the pain, rather than it be adding to the problem by having me ignore it. The last major lesson in the class was on cross-cultural development. This lesson is a good lesson to end the class on because it leaves me understanding that there is no one way to teach a classroom full of individuals. I need to be prepared for a group of children that each have a totally different background. With these differences I need to be able to reach all of them and be able to change my approach of teaching them depending on their background or ideals. The cross-cultural development lesson was eye opening because it showed me how people from around the world live different lives, as a result of their environments, culture, ideals, and religion. All of this comes together to impact how an individual learns. In the end, this class was very different from all the other classes I have taken here at Johnson State College.

This class differed from my other classes here because in my past education class I learned strictly the history of education and theories from Piaget, Vygotsky, and others. The past class I took was very important on building my base understanding on the tools needed to become a teacher but this class was better because it taught me real world application of the lessons I learned. I feel better prepared to become a teacher now because I know the signs of problems in a student along with what a typical individual should do at what age and stage in life, and I understand how each person in the world is different depending on the country he/she is from.

At the end of this class, I feel I have done the best I could of done and have gained all the knowledge I can from this class. I feel I deserve a A in this class because I did all the homework, showed up to every class, did all the papers, and in general did the best that I can. These lessons I learned and the practical use of them will always be in the back of my head when I am teaching and will be useful for the rest of my life. I am ready to move on in the education course and continue to expand my knowledge on education and become as great of a teacher that I can be.

Work cited

Herbert, Martin. 2007. Typical and Atypical Development: Motor Impairments. Malden, MA. Blackwell Publishing.

LeVine, Robert. 2008. Anthropology and Child Development: A Cross-Cultural Reader. Blackwell Publishing.

Ecology of Family, “Macrosystem Influences on Family, Socialization, and Children”. Page 97

           Skin Deep Learning: Teaching those who learn differently. Page 103.