Hey John J, When're You Gonna Come Full Circle

A semester has come and gone.

I reflect on some of the things I learned in Sixth grade.

-Sixth Graders are wired!

-as such you have a 50/50 chance with them. So if you can grasp them you can do a lot of good things with them.

-It was a good experience because I was able to see a check point as far as what kids those age are capable of and how their minds work through problems, as well as their maturity level.

-I became a kid's favorite teacher!

-I need to have a more happy and upbeat appearance

-I need to not block the camera which is there to record our experiences for evaluation purposes

-Intonate!

-Plan for the unexpected and for things which could happen

-Don't be and expert on a subject, if you do, you'll end up rushing over subjects and material which students are sometimes beginners at

-talk to the kids more about what's going on in the projects.

-"Woah, Mike in a tie?! Watch out world!" -Geoff Wright

Example in Action

This past thursday it was my turn to teach something. I chose to teach about construction technology by doing the activity of building a wall. I won't go into the details of what I did, as many know some basics or the informations can be found, rather I want to focus on some of the flaws of my teaching and the trap that teachers fall into and emulate over and over. Teachers are trained to be experts in their fields of study. Birds of a feather flock together, and so I think as adults we always seek the highest level of thinking. But teachers can't have this mindset. Example: When experts on subjects teach, they submit complex terms that are common language, but which are new to students. The experts (teachers) don't always think of the terms that may be new and unfamiliar to students, and as they mention them in their ramblings of teaching, students are alienated and distanced from the opportunity for learning.

Secondly, I always talk to empty space. I think because of my shyness I cope with that by instead of looking directly at a person I look in between them, or, in the example of my construction teaching, I teach the wood. Geoff W's critique was that it looked like I was teaching the wood. The wood understood how to build walls but what about the students?

We need to realize that we are teaching. Teaching implies that the pupil is receiving new information. As such we mustn't assume total familiarity of the subject.

Technology: A Platform for Behavior

This was an interesting week in 276R. There was a big transformation in the teaching that went on by the students. Before we were sitting through many presentations. But today we were taught something. One lesson stands out above all the others which was taught by Jeff Cook. His personality really enhanced teaching. Ethical behavior and teaching psychology and ways of thinking are still responsibilities of teachers and in technology we have the best platform by which proper behavior can be taught. Certainly with the erosion of morals and ethics in our modern world, students are very unlikely to receive proper direction and molding for behavior and thinking that is right, save it be from good parents in the home, and from religious activity. Our current environment is complex one. We are scared by the caution to not mix religion in our classrooms. It scares us into thinking we can't teach morals and ethics. Life lessons aren't religion-specific behaviors. TRUE it is more difficult to draw a line where you aren't mentioning god, but we can still mention good. Every person born on this earth is given the Light of Christ, which guides us to remember and recognize that which is good and that which is wrong. A problem arises when individuals are never taught these lessons, and later in life when faced with ethical decisions, there is no reservoir from which former students can draw. Let us not forget, as teachers, the obligation we have to teach.

An Anti-Climactic Breakthrough

From this weeks experience I wanted to sum things up from our observation in Skyline. I was so set on going to observe teaching in a multimedia class. I didn't even know what was included in multimedia. So despite our group being 5 (when it should have been 3) I went. We woke up super early so we could get there on time. The school was old. But unfortunately we caught the teacher on a "B" day so she wasn't teaching multimedia, she was teaching business tech. aka word processing. But I did learn some valuable things. I saw that it really takes a lot of preplanning to have learning activities and tasks ready for the class. Alicia did a mostly good job at this. I only saw one problem. When students finished their tasks, Alicia had to come by each student and check off their assignment, but it was a big time waster because lots of students finished at the same time, and we watched one particular student wait for 15 minutes for the teacher to come verify what she had done. Perhaps she could have had a list of non time-pertinent tasks which students could do while they were waiting, which maybe weren't required but which further enhanced learning. I think a big problem in education is that because teachers must in part wait for everyone to catch up, the students with greater potential and capacity to achieve faster are held back. I experienced this in 8th grade science. I went and complained to a teacher that we weren't learning enough. She actually said well I"m sorry the other kids are just dumb and can't keep up. As teachers we should look out for all levels of achievement and help cater to their needs and wants.

Case in Point

For this week I wanted to tell the story of my Sacrament meeting experience this past Sunday. In the first of three talks, the girl speaking had no direction or purpose to her talk. She had mixed thoughts, unrelated stories and ended without a recap or emphasis. The second speaker began her talk and within 30 seconds she lost me. She wasn't a speaker, she was a reader. Even though her talk was laced with jokes and one-liners, she lost my respect and my attention. This iterates again the importance of being a good teacher and reaching out of her normal zone to hit all types of listeners. Granted I should have used the techniques of CETE (Wong) but lots rests on the leader of discussion, the person who has the floor.

Aims of an Education

I've had somewhat of a rough week. We had a "tiff" in our apartment which left me in some distress, yet gave me some time to think about things that are going on around me.

I love this major, and I think the things I'm learning prepare me so much better than could any other filed of study. We are becoming well rounded in technical literacy while also learning differences in learning and teaching styles. As such I am beginning to find more purpose in listening to lectures and more effectiveness in conversing, speaking, and teaching others with whom I speak to. I ask more pointed and guiding questions. I use scaffolding in conversations when I need to persuade others to see something my way. I sometimes don't answer questions directly but ask questions in return. I'm even giving better attention to my own hierarchy of needs. This knowledge and learning even benefits me at work as a supervisor, where I deal with hot heads and misunderstandings in Intramural Sports. Before I used to get sucked into arguments and rushed into making judgments. But now, because of the things we learn in 276, I approach my work in new, seemingly more effective ways.

Week 4

As I was reading the Gong book this week, I came a cross what I think is the core message and key to the purpose of the book-How to be an effective Teacher/Learner. When teaching and learning one must ask the four questions, Why? What? How? So What? The why is the core purpose for the subject being taught. The what is the meaning of what being taught. How is the application of what is taught. So what identifies the values and morals. I think I came across a tool for better learning and retention. Not that this is necessarily ground breaking but that I've personally identified it is what matters. I want to try to making a 4 squared box at the top of each page of notes per class, and in the box, throughout a lecture I could identify the 4 questions of effective L/T's. This will help by clearly identifying the subject, identifying application, why we're learning it and how we can use it in future teaching, and the hardest, to then identify values within what is taught. This technique will serve as a mind mapping tool. By giving a visual organizational graphic to our learning opportunities, we are better prepared to remember the things we learn and apply them across disciplines.

Teachers vs. Learners

This week I relearned what it is to be a teacher and good learner. And they key to being an effective teacher is to be a lifelong learner. Students who earn a PhD do so by much study. The PhD degree translates into a love for knowledge. In order to a good teacher you need to ever be a good learner and vice versa. As we teach we learn new ways in which we can deliver information and problem solving techniques. If a teacher never learns these new ways he isn't a teacher. For to be a teacher implies that one is learning from what comes from your mouth. To learn we must be able to teach what is given to us. Otherwise it is simply stored away perhaps for a moment in life but over time things left unshared go unremembered. In order to be a learner, it implies knowing a matter well enough to teach it to another. Additionally this act serves as a technique for planting ideas more firmly in your brain's memory. Teachers-Learners, Learners-Teachers: Nothing without the other.

And Furthermore

In reading the Wong book I relearned some of the things I had observed throughout my Secondary School experience. That many teachers fall into a trap, becoming bitter and cynical. I again saw that when I went to observe for the first time in a Junior High. Wong taught about having a yearly renewal of enthusiasm and excitement towards teaching and students. And somehow I have to do it. I believe a way to do that is to have you fingers in different pies. I think that teachers and people in general become oblivious, when they get caught up in their own little world, when their life only consists of teaching or whatever endeavor it be. We are alive and energetic when we have balanced lives full of activities of different sorts. So I think a way to keep renewing enthusiasm for teaching self awareness and ability to correct your ways is to be active in life's bounties.

Seven Intelligence Elements

We went over over the seven elements of learning/ or different ways in which students can learn. It's a funny things to learn because it puts words to the things I see myself doing already when I interact with others. Many times I arrive in a conversation and tell another about something new that I've experienced. But sometimes they don't understand and so I break it down into simpler elements and make comparisons when I can. I use logical intelligence and Constructivism. When I was sitting in a Moral Leadership lecture learning about the different learning styles as set forth using the Kolb model, I became perplexed because I thought because of the different learning types I would always alienate a large part of the class. But knowing now the 7 intelligences and 3 areas of educational psychology, I am more able to use these to better reach my future students. Bro. Wright said that if we use at least 4 of the different intelligences we'll always touch our students.

Week one

There are two things I want to reflect on as my first blog.

1. Dress. 2. There is no one recipe to become an effective teacher.

1. I was a little skeptical about the need for me to dress as professionally as I should. But after reading the "Wong" book and the things written about dress and class respect and also by seeing it hold true to me, I decided that I should dress better. It's true though. From moment one Dr. Wright had my respect because he dressed appropriately, and even more because I like his style. It's quite dapper. And because he had my attention I payed attention to his authoritative lessons which were great as well.

2. As part of the first day we did an activity where we hoisted students on a trampoline into the air. We launched a girl about 6 feet into the air. the point is that in the Wong book it says not to do activities on the first day. And activities for activities sake are useless. Well yes, don't just do things to keep kids occupied or quiet, but let it carry a purpose. Also i think the two opposing schools of thought-to activity the first day or to not-shouldn't be subscribed to every time all the time. As teachers we should be able to think on our feet, and able to change lesson plans according to the different learning styles, paces, and needs of your class. If a teacher always teaches one way, they alienate the portion of the class who doesn't learn by the sector in which you teach. (Kolb Learning Styles)

My teaching philosophy is echoed in the teachings given in class by Brother Wright. This theme is what Brigham Young taught the saints. Teach principles and let the saints learn for themselves. Brother Wright also used this same example when recounting the story about fishing with his son. Teach and then let students figure it out. This I think was illustrated on my mission. Sometimes when we walked long distances from appointment to appointment, I would talk with my companion about different types of technology and inventions. In one instance I though about how cool it might be to have a magnetic suspension on a car. Fast forward to the last few years-Audi and many other companies are using electromagnetic technology in their suspension systems to give a wide range of handling characteristics to their cars. The thoughts and inventions I had on my mission were able to be realized because principles about the physical world were taught to me and then when I had the time I was able to imagine solutions. And that is my philosophy in teaching. Teach in a way that informs students in the way things work and guide them to solutions to problems which are then solved by those basic principles.