Group Differences Forum

I was pleased by the topics covered in the Group Differences Forum. The conversations covered material that I originally thought would bore me to tears, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. The discussions held my interest and I learn a lot from the presented information. I think I mostly agreed with the points raised by all the groups, particularly the notion of poverty and the effect it has on the achievement gap in our schools. This topic riles me up quite a bit whenever it comes up. I suppose this represents a concealed passion for justice and fairness, though I've never fancied myself the socio-political activist sort. On the other side of the spectrum, I found myself somewhat irritated by topics like gender identification and LBGTQ. I understand that struggling for equality must happen or inequity will continue, but I feel that many of the voices on these topics split hairs over the minutia of the subject. I'm certain many individuals would desire to see my head on a plate for feeling that way, but what can I do? It's how I feel.

The extensiveness of the information presented in the forum far exceeded the treatment in our text if for no other reason than the interaction we engaged in during the forum. The topics certainly got me thinking, and I believe my future classroom will benefit from what I heard. Thank you, Anne, for putting the Group Differences Forum in our curriculum!

Post 5 - Constructing a Learning Environment

Constructing a learning environment intimidates me mostly because I don't feel that I have any original ideas or a strong opinion on the subject. My immediate thought on the matter is constructing the classroom in roughly a circular seating arrangement. This facilitates reading aloud in the classroom and gives every student visual access to the faces of all his or her peers. This seating arrangement also allows me to address the entire class from the center of the circle or to walk the perimeter to view (spy on?) the students' work or behavior. Having a close-by neighbor also promotes collaboration or partner discussion throughout the writing process.

  As far as the behavior issues in the case study (high school), I would have to reevaluate the benefit of sitting in such a way. I think I would start by talking to the three of them together, perhaps pulling them into the hallway and asking them what was up and why they are behaving in such a way. If this didn't work, I would probably have a one on one discussion with each of them and clearly state my expectations of each of them and lay out some clear boundaries and consequences for violation of any of those boundaries. I would break the seating into smaller groups if this didn't work, separating them to see if their misbehavior stemmed from their proximity to one another. If separation didn't work, I would group them together and place them near my desk to closely monitor their behavior and intervene promptly before they could disrupt the class too badly. If isolation near my desk yielded no improvement, I would resort to meetings with the principal or calls home. Surely seniors in high school would shape up prior to this point, though.

Barb and Lois

To be honest, I had never really considered the possibility of teaching an individual with autism. I suppose my thoughts had always been that a student with autism would have been addressed prior to being in my classroom (being a high school teacher). Also, I had imagined an autistic student would already have an IEP on place that I would contribute to and assist with. Perhaps this picture is naive and too idealized, though.

As far as Barb and Lois' presentation/discussion, I was fascinated by the concept of students with autism experiencing some degree of freedom through typing. I find "non-verbal thought" absolutely mind blowing. Perhaps it's my linguistics background poking through, but I have a difficult time conceiving of thought without language. I would enjoy reading further on the topic on the future and anticipate the impact such knowledge could have on education.

Some of what Barb had to say (or rather Lois through Barb) caught me off guard. Rocking with a person or spinning with them if they stand up and spin seemed counterintuitive if not offensive. I don't think I would have ever done something like that had I not heard what Lois/Barb had to say on the topic. The same goes for speaking slowly and from the diaphragm to enhance the accuracy of communication.

Assessments (Post 2 - Chapter 14)

Informal vs. Formal

The most obvious form of informal assessment would be the spontaneous, in-class essay. Requiring the students to express themselves on a particular topic applicable to the curriculum has the potential to track both their assimilation of ideas from class discussion and their comprehension of course readings. I believe this potentiality makes informal assessment the most complete form of assessment in an English classroom.

Paper-pencil vs. Performance

A short-answer/small essay exam would be an example of paper-pencil assessment. I would use this form of assessment to evaluate students’ level of reading retention by asking them to describe certain characters, plot devices, or symbols from their reading. This would give me an idea of what I need to focus on in future classes and also hold the students accountable to their readings on a weekly or semi-weekly basis.

Standardized vs. Teacher-developed

An end-of-unit exam would be the sort of teacher-developed assessment I would use. Tailor-made questions (multiple choice, true/false, vocabulary definitions, etc) can target specific learning goals and hammer home necessary items for future standardized exams.

Criterion-referenced vs. Norm-referenced

A term/research paper would be a great example of a criterion-referenced assessment. Requiring students to follow essay structures (introduction, thesis, body, conclusion) and citation standards would indicate their level of comprehension and mastery. These assessments can also potentially build a great deal of confidence and momentum within the classroom and, in turn, can help provide some level of intrinsic motivation for future assignments.

Traditional vs. Authentic

A systematic critique of a work (novel, song/poem, play/movie, etc.) would be an example of an authentic assessment. Requiring the students to apply conceptual ideas of critical theory to a pop-culture or contemporary work help students understand that they can/should use the same techniques developed in-class to evaluate the media they consume in the real world outside the classroom. This would (hopefully) pay future dividends in college and beyond through authentic self-expression and beneficial self-analysis.

Trying things out...

Just seeing how this works. More to come later...