Response for Week 4

http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/nj_math_coalition/pguide/pguide.html
http://newton.nap.edu/books/030907276X/html/17.html

As an educator in a Catholic School, I have my own definition of standards. They are used to hold us accountable for what we are teaching in our classrooms. It also requires the schools, districts, and other staff to be held accountable for what is going on in their school that is helping students succeed through academic achievement and learning. We follow the same standards every other school follows, only we have the added standards for Religion. The standards that have been written for the Diocese of Phoenix are taken right from the state standards. Our school is going through an accreditation process this year, so we are using our standards more this year than ever before, but, they shouldn’t be only used in a time where you are being checked up on. They should be the driving force behind everything you do in your classroom, from the material you teach, the way you teach it, and the assessment upon completion. They are the heart and soul of any objective of any lesson you come up with. They are also to be used to assess student mastery of the subject content.

Reading Response for Week 2

http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/675wq.html
http://www.sedl.org/work/historical/tap.html
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/
http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/construct/Characteristics%20of%20Constructivist%20Learning.pdf

As I read the above articles I thought a lot about my own classroom and how I could use the ideas presented in my classroom. The article titled Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and learning is a wealth of knowledge on how to allow students to think for themselves instead of always doing the thinking for them. It has some wonderful explanations on how to implement this type of teaching into your classroom. I know for myself it is hard to let go of the role of teacher and allow students to take ownership of their learning and eventually turn into their own teachers. For a teacher to stand back and be a facilitator instead of the dictator is hard to do. I know in my classroom, with the children being so young it is hard for me to allow the students to set the pace of their learning. I know what I have to get done with in a school year and if they don’t “get it” after so long, it time to move on. Allowing the students to at least take what they know, build on it by questioning and experiencing, they will have a better understanding of the material when it comes time to move on. When students set their own pace for learning they will be more successful. Using WebQuests is a great way of bringing technology into the classroom and also allows for students to create their own learning environment.