Chapter Four: What Does it Mean to Teach and to Learn?

Teaching is easy. You just stand up there and talkand you like to talk. This
idea that anyone can teach and that teaching is talking is a myth
Demands that studen must also be an active listener.
Teachers must know how to teach many different types of people, and you
need to be able to create opportunities for your students to learn.

Academic language = specifically used for academic purposes.

Students must learn academic language in order to be successful
represents the means by which students develop and express content
understandings.

Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Developed by psychologist

Benjamin Bloom, Blooms Taxonomy contains an educational hierarchy based
on the idea that combinations of simple behaviors lead to more complex
behaviors. Thus, with six major categories of objectives, teachers can help
their students progress in their learning.

Learners have an incredibly important role in their own learning, for they
must be active in their learning in order to truly understand concepts. Too,
learning requires social interactions between the learner and his or her
environment.
Curriculum refers to the materials that we as teachers will be required to
teach.
o national standards
o common core state standards

As teachers use assessments in order to collect information and find out what
our students are learning.
Use this information to edit our plans and help our students to the best of our
ability.

Chapter 5 Who Are Today's Students?

Students in contemporary US schools.
It is our job to learn our students' stories so that we can truly understand
them and gear our teaching toward their educational needs.

Each year, the student population diversifies, and we must take the different
forms of diversity into account when we teach.
Ethnic diversity
Language diversity
Religious diversity
Sexual orientation.

Differing socioeconomic backgrounds cause gaps in intellectual and cultural

advantages. closing the gap
Various factors in students' lives can make them "at-risk students." If the
child is not living with two parents, if family income is below the poverty line,
if the child is living with parent(s) who is (are) underemployed, if the child
changes schools at nontraditional times, or if the child resides in a homeless
shelter - these are all things that must be considered and then acted on
accordingly.
Diversity creates both challenges and opportunities within the classroom.
Provide students with a multicultural education. As the diversity in our
classrooms rises, that becomes much easier to accomplish.
Because of the differences between boys and girls, it is often debated
whether they should be taught separate or together. Regardless of if you
teach in a gender-separate or gender-mixed classroom, it is imperative that
you offer your students a gender-fair education.
o Same opportunities
The question of religion in schools is another issue that is continuously discussed as
our society changes. There are plenty of controversies that surround the idea of
religion and education, and we must remember that public schools must uphold the
First Amendment and protect the religious freedoms of every student.
The theory of multiple intelligences states that a person's intelligence is not based
off of a single attribute; instead, it is comprised of several abilities. Therefore, when
we teach, we need to consider our students and the various forms of intelligences

they have. As such, we must also consider the various learning styles and explore

how to teach the broad range of diverse students.

Chapter Six: Contemporary Trends in Education

Inclusion classrooms should look no different from mainstream classrooms

because education must take place in the least restrictive environment.
"good schools are good schools for all students." -> instruction must meet
the needs of all exceptional learners and everyone in between.
Differentiated instruction should be used in order to meet the needs of
different students' learning needs.
o Cooperative learning
o project-based learning
o problem-based learning

Common Core State Standards have revolutionized, curriculum, instruction, and

standardized testing. However, many schools are still figuring out how to
authentically represent the goals of the Common Core State Standards. This shows
that the revolution in curriculum is an ongoing process that will continue to improve.
There are many alternatives to traditional schools that provide students and
parents with more options to fit their personal needs. Homeschooling and charter
schools have become more popular as people explore more nontraditional options.
It is imperative that we as teachers create a safe school environment and find new
ways to prevent violence in schools. In recent years, although the majority of
students will never be touched by peer violence, news headlines have shaken
confidence in schools regarding violence. Therefore, new measures are being taken
to help establish a safe school climate.
Students have many basic rights that cannot be denied. They have a right to be
safe, a right to privacy, and the right to exercise the first amendment.
Teachers, too, have their own rights and responsibilities. In addition to the school
board needing to follow due process in order to dismiss or discipline a teacher.

Chapter Seven: Digital Technologies and Education

Students of today are digital natives, it is likely that my future students will spend a
large amount of time connected to social media. Although this can create its own
challenges, the idea of integrating technology into the classroom also provides
plenty of opportunities.
We have the ability to create flat classrooms so that teachers are not looked at as
the "keepers of truth." Too, we are able to have connected classrooms and use the
technologies that our students are accustomed to in order to better reach them.
Finally, we are able to use assistive technology to increase the capabilities of
students with disabilities.
One issue that comes with technologies in the classroom is information overload.
After all, there is a wealth of information on the internet, and we need to limit the
amount of technology that we expose students to in order to prevent them from
becoming overwhelmed. We must also be aware of the dangers in the internet.
Therefore, we need to teach our students how to use the internet in a safe way.
Technology can support learning in many ways. It fosters the use of real-world,
exciting problems in the classroom. Simulations, models, augmented realities, and
virtual realities - there are countless opportunities to make today's classrooms more
intriguing and beneficial to students via the use of technology.
The interactive web contains many outlets for social media, including blogs, Twitter,
and Facebook.
Software companies have specific services for schools in order to foster the
communication between parents, students, and teachers.
There is a digital divide among those who are good at using technology and those
who do not understand it. However, we are working to close this technology gap in
order to provide learning environments where young people can use technology,
even if they would usually be unable to at home.
Chapter Nine: The Classroom as Community
Classrooms with diverse students can share a common set of beliefs, values, and
goals. In order to accomplish this, we as teachers need to build community in the
classroom. The first step in building community in the classroom is having good
classroom management. Rules, procedures, and routines should be made with
collaboration between the teacher and the students in order to create ownership
and pride in the classroom. You should also have open, respectful, and honest
communication among everyone in your classroom.
As a teacher, it will be my job to make my classroom a safe place. We need to be
"fully on" from the moment that we enter the classroom so that we can be fully
conscious of everything that happens in the classroom. That way, we can have
active responses toward community building.

Measures need to be taken to prevent harassment and bullying in the classroom.

We need to know our school's policies on sexual harassment and inform our
students so that they know the sanctioned procedures for reporting abuse. We also
need to give our students the tools to stop both bullying and cyberbullying.
School safety affects and is affected by the community around it. Good
communication and collaboration are vital among students, teachers, and the
general community.