Tuesday, December 11, 2007
SED and EDU
EDU 125 presented me with the opportunity to learn more about the historical aspects of education. It was great to be able to learn some of where the greatest educators started in life and how they have shaped the world today. It also gave me a clear understanding of different types of education in the classroom. I also liked being able to see portfolios of other students. It was great to see how they had things set up and also wonderful to hear about their experience at UMF. My favorite part of this class was being able to talk to the two first year teachers and one experienced educator. I had a so many questions in mind and they were able to answer a great deal of them without me even having to ask. I really enjoyed their input on education. This class was great as well. I learned so many new things and that is a wonderful feeling to walk away with.
I feel very confident with the career that I hope to have. I know that there are going to be struggles along the way but these first classes made me feel confident that it is what I want to do with my life. I am excited to get started!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Diversity
If I were to teach diversity in a class room I think I might go about using the same method that was used in Freedom Writers. The line game is a good way to show your students that even though they may be different in colors they all will have something in common with each other. Diversity is not suppose to be a negative word but some view it as something that could be potentially detrimental. I believe that diversity should be discussed in all schools and that it should ever be an issue in any school. Students need to learn that there are difference's among people and that they can be both positive and negative.
If I were to have a classroom that was diverse in a number of ways I think I might approach it by having each student talk about themselves and share with the class who they are as an individual. It can be challenging to teach students that don't have anything in common so as the teacher I would listen to their stories and find a common ground for all of them to stand on. I feel that this would be the best thing I could do. I also think that if it is a negatively diverse room then it might be more of a challenge and I am not sure how I would go about handling it. I would have to hear the stories of the students first. Each class is different, so you can't have a game plan, it is definitely something that you have to learn about first, before you can even think about teaching it.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Booker T. Washington and John Dewey
To be an influential educator means you need to make your stamp on the world. There are very few people who are able to achieve such greatness. There are two men who were both influential in there own ways that I have learned about, Booker T. Washington and John Dewey. These two spent a great deal of there lives educating those around them.
Booker T. Washington wanted to educate everyone on how to better the economy and one of his biggest aspirations was to stop discrimination amongst different races. He once said; “In all things that are purely social we can be separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all thing essential to mutual progress.” His dreams of equality were the renderings of his teachings. He wanted all to know that he planned to stand on even ground with his fellow Americans and wanted to educate others to do and feel the same as he did.
John Dewey educated his students on philosophy. His ideas were based on a democratic way of life. He taught philosophy in many schools and even taught some of the best philosophers in the world. He felt that; “Philosophy recovers itself when it ceases to be a device for dealing with the problems of philosophers and becomes a method, cultivated by philosophers, for dealing with the problems of men.” He wanted to educated mankind on the great ideas that his philosophy had to offer.
Both men were influential in educating the world today and without either of them there were have been a significant difference in the way things are and could be. The time they spent educating others was time well spent.
Work Cited
Otto, M. C. (1996). John Dewey. (B. Johnson, Ed.). Collier's Encyclopedia ( Vol. 8, pp. 171-172). New York: P.F Collier L.P.Alder, M. J. (1998). Booker T. Washington. The New Encyclopedia Britannica (15th ed., Vol. 12, p. 509). Chicago: Britannica Inc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/bookertwashington/
http://www.nps.gov/archive/bowa/btwbio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-dewey.htm
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/janicke/Dewey.html
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The First American High School
The first American high school was actually founded in 1635 to prepare only young men for college life at Harvard. At the time this school was based on government and state rule so women were not allowed to attend. This school was known as the
The
The school changed its name in 1824 to
http://www.boston.com/news/education/gallery/English_High_91407?pg=17
http://www.boston.k12.ma.us/english/alumni/EHShistory.htm
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/hsinit/papers/history.doc
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Informally Learning
Another very important part of my life was when I joined the Big Brother Big Sister program. I had a little sister who was in third grade and although I can't give to many specifics on this girl she was wonderful to learn from. I would say she is the reason I want to teach children. They are truly my passion. I have never been more willing to dedicate my life to someone as I am to them. They have this perfect innocence about them and it has become my dream and goal to influence and impact the life of as many people as I can. She is the reason why I am going to be a teacher and I am forever in her debt for the wonderful things she gave to me. I never would have thought that a third grade child would be one of my greatest influence's in life but she is and will always be.
My mother is my "informal educator." She has taught me right from wrong, how to tie my shoes, how to do math, and even how to love the simple things in life. There are so many things that she gave me, including the opportunity to be in college today. She is the woman that gave me life, gave me love, and gave me the will to succeed in life. She is the woman I owe my everything to and she doesn't ever expect anything back from me. Even as a little girl when I needed a kiss to fix my boo boo to now when I need her to show me support she is always there. She has taught me compassion, honestly, and given me the strength to keep my head up at an all time low. She is my educator and the one I will always look to for advise. She is my hero.