Annotated Bibliography
Social Curriculum Research Articles - Cyber Bullying
Article 1:
Mishna, F., Saini, M., & Solomon, S. (2009). Ongoing and online: Children and youth's perceptions of cyber bulling. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 1222-1228. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.05.004
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Children and Youth Services Review. Professors from the social work department at the University of Toronto conducted the research presented in this article. The study was a unique collaboration between the university and surrounding school districts in which school counselors helped shape the methodology of the study. The purpose of this research article is to highlight the affects of cyber bullying from the student's perspective using qualitative data. It's intended audience is for other researchers or school counselors. The participants were 38 students from grades 5-8. Students were placed into forums where they were interviewed about their views on cyber bullying. The results suggest that students view cyber bullying as an on-going event because unlike traditional bullying, cyber bullying does not have physical boundaries. The results also suggest that students find the anonymity of the cyber bullying to be the most alarming characteristic. While the authors present their study in an academic writing style that utilizes scientific and counseling vocabulary, the article was easy to read and the main points were apparent. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders that could be affected by this article are school counselors and mental health providers.
I found this article interesting because in recent years social media has changed the way people socialize. What seems to be occurring is that interaction in cyber space looks and feels different from face-to-face interaction. How might differences in interaction affect student behaviors since students are increasingly using technology as part of their education? I chose this article because it focused on cyber bullying from the student’s perspective where as previous studies have mainly addressed this issue from a clinical or adult’s point of view. The findings from the study suggest that students are more aware of cyber bullying and that its effects reach further into a student’s social world then previous studies have suggested. As a future teacher, it is important for me to build and maintain a caring environment for my students within the classroom both physically and virtually. The article left me wondering how I might incorporate social behavioral expectations for my students when working online. For example, as a class, my students and I can discuss and create rules that apply to socializing on and off the internet. Since the study was conducted in a Canadian school district, I am left wondering if the study’s findings would differ for American students.
Article 2:
Agaston, P., Kowalski, R., & Limber, S. (2007). Students' perspective on cyber bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S59-S60. doi: 10.1016/j/jadohealth.2007.09.003
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Journal for Adolescent Health. This research presented was a unique collaboration between Kowalski, a professor of psychology at Clemson University, and two school district employees (Agatston is a counselor for the local school district and Limber works for the Prevention and Intervention Center for the Cobb county school district). The purpose of the article is to characterize cyber bullying from the perspective of American middle school and high school students using qualitative data from focus groups. Participants were 150 middle school and high school students who participated in gender based focus groups. The results suggest that female students view cyber bullying as problematic in their private and school lives, while male counterparts did not view cyber bullying as an issue. Moreover, students do not feel that school personnel can help them with cyber bullies. While the article is presented in a research format, it was written using minimal scientific vocabulary, which made it easy to read. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible steak holders that could be affected by this article could be school counselors and those interested youth mental health.
This article was interesting in that it looked at cyber bullying from the American students’ perspective. The results speak to the need for school administration and teachers to create a comfortable setting that allows students to seek assistance regarding cyber bullying. As a future teacher, the article made me think about how I would set up a classroom environment that would allow students to speak freely about cyber bullying and to seek help from adults. For example, I can create an anonymous online forum where students can write and reflect about their online experiences to me. The article left me asking questions about the authors’ methodology. For example, the authors mentioned socio-economic status (SES) as a possible grouping category. How might SES influence a student’s perspective on cyber bullying? Also, the participants in this subject were middle school and high school students. How might elementary students view cyber bullying?
Article 3:
Mishna, F., Khoury-Kassabri, M., Gadalla, T., & Daciuk, J. (2012). Risk factors for involvement in cyber bullying: Victims, bullies and bully-victims. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.08.032
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in Children and Youth Services Review. Professors in the social work department who specialize in child welfare did the research presented in the article. The intended audience is for researchers and mental health professionals. The purpose of the article is to exam the risk factors that are associated with cyber bullying, specifically what determines a student’s likeliness to be a cyber bully, a victim or both. The results suggest that cyber bullies are more likely to be female students. Moreover, students who cyber bully are more likely than non-cyber bullies to spend three of more hours on the computer during the day and have experienced some type of bullying at school. The article is written using scientific vocabulary and was not appealing to read due to extensive references and statistical jargon. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected by this article are school counselors.
This article was interesting because it compared and contrasted cyber bulling to traditional bullying. Previous studies mentioned in the article suggest that cyber bullying is different from traditional bullying in that it affects students emotionally and mentally more so than the traditional bullying. Another important difference between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is that cyber bullies are also victims where as traditional bullies rarely become victims themselves. The results from this study reveal a very complex and social situation that occurs out of school for students and can be unnoticed by teachers and parents. As a future teacher, this helps me reevaluate how I define a bully. I am curious as what types of bullying occur on the internet and if the types change with school-age. For example, does cyber bullying become more emotional with school-age?
Mishna, F., Saini, M., & Solomon, S. (2009). Ongoing and online: Children and youth's perceptions of cyber bulling. Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 1222-1228. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.05.004
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Children and Youth Services Review. Professors from the social work department at the University of Toronto conducted the research presented in this article. The study was a unique collaboration between the university and surrounding school districts in which school counselors helped shape the methodology of the study. The purpose of this research article is to highlight the affects of cyber bullying from the student's perspective using qualitative data. It's intended audience is for other researchers or school counselors. The participants were 38 students from grades 5-8. Students were placed into forums where they were interviewed about their views on cyber bullying. The results suggest that students view cyber bullying as an on-going event because unlike traditional bullying, cyber bullying does not have physical boundaries. The results also suggest that students find the anonymity of the cyber bullying to be the most alarming characteristic. While the authors present their study in an academic writing style that utilizes scientific and counseling vocabulary, the article was easy to read and the main points were apparent. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders that could be affected by this article are school counselors and mental health providers.
I found this article interesting because in recent years social media has changed the way people socialize. What seems to be occurring is that interaction in cyber space looks and feels different from face-to-face interaction. How might differences in interaction affect student behaviors since students are increasingly using technology as part of their education? I chose this article because it focused on cyber bullying from the student’s perspective where as previous studies have mainly addressed this issue from a clinical or adult’s point of view. The findings from the study suggest that students are more aware of cyber bullying and that its effects reach further into a student’s social world then previous studies have suggested. As a future teacher, it is important for me to build and maintain a caring environment for my students within the classroom both physically and virtually. The article left me wondering how I might incorporate social behavioral expectations for my students when working online. For example, as a class, my students and I can discuss and create rules that apply to socializing on and off the internet. Since the study was conducted in a Canadian school district, I am left wondering if the study’s findings would differ for American students.
Article 2:
Agaston, P., Kowalski, R., & Limber, S. (2007). Students' perspective on cyber bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S59-S60. doi: 10.1016/j/jadohealth.2007.09.003
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Journal for Adolescent Health. This research presented was a unique collaboration between Kowalski, a professor of psychology at Clemson University, and two school district employees (Agatston is a counselor for the local school district and Limber works for the Prevention and Intervention Center for the Cobb county school district). The purpose of the article is to characterize cyber bullying from the perspective of American middle school and high school students using qualitative data from focus groups. Participants were 150 middle school and high school students who participated in gender based focus groups. The results suggest that female students view cyber bullying as problematic in their private and school lives, while male counterparts did not view cyber bullying as an issue. Moreover, students do not feel that school personnel can help them with cyber bullies. While the article is presented in a research format, it was written using minimal scientific vocabulary, which made it easy to read. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible steak holders that could be affected by this article could be school counselors and those interested youth mental health.
This article was interesting in that it looked at cyber bullying from the American students’ perspective. The results speak to the need for school administration and teachers to create a comfortable setting that allows students to seek assistance regarding cyber bullying. As a future teacher, the article made me think about how I would set up a classroom environment that would allow students to speak freely about cyber bullying and to seek help from adults. For example, I can create an anonymous online forum where students can write and reflect about their online experiences to me. The article left me asking questions about the authors’ methodology. For example, the authors mentioned socio-economic status (SES) as a possible grouping category. How might SES influence a student’s perspective on cyber bullying? Also, the participants in this subject were middle school and high school students. How might elementary students view cyber bullying?
Article 3:
Mishna, F., Khoury-Kassabri, M., Gadalla, T., & Daciuk, J. (2012). Risk factors for involvement in cyber bullying: Victims, bullies and bully-victims. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.08.032
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in Children and Youth Services Review. Professors in the social work department who specialize in child welfare did the research presented in the article. The intended audience is for researchers and mental health professionals. The purpose of the article is to exam the risk factors that are associated with cyber bullying, specifically what determines a student’s likeliness to be a cyber bully, a victim or both. The results suggest that cyber bullies are more likely to be female students. Moreover, students who cyber bully are more likely than non-cyber bullies to spend three of more hours on the computer during the day and have experienced some type of bullying at school. The article is written using scientific vocabulary and was not appealing to read due to extensive references and statistical jargon. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected by this article are school counselors.
This article was interesting because it compared and contrasted cyber bulling to traditional bullying. Previous studies mentioned in the article suggest that cyber bullying is different from traditional bullying in that it affects students emotionally and mentally more so than the traditional bullying. Another important difference between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is that cyber bullies are also victims where as traditional bullies rarely become victims themselves. The results from this study reveal a very complex and social situation that occurs out of school for students and can be unnoticed by teachers and parents. As a future teacher, this helps me reevaluate how I define a bully. I am curious as what types of bullying occur on the internet and if the types change with school-age. For example, does cyber bullying become more emotional with school-age?
Equity Research Articles - Mathematics Education
Article 1:
Hand, V. (2012). Seeing culture and power in mathematical learning: toward a model of equitable instruction. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 80, 233-247. doi: 10.1007/s10649-012-9387-9
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in journal for Educational Studies in Mathematics. The author is a professor in the education department at the University of Colorado Boulder. The intended audience is for researchers, specifically those in the education and sociology fields. The purpose of the article is to characterize how experienced math teachers practice equitable pedagogy in their classrooms and if teachers are aware and sensitive to their equitable practices. The article presents a two-part qualitative study in which five teachers (three high school and two middle school) were video taped and observed while teaching in their classrooms. The results suggest that math teachers practice equity in the classroom by supporting broad student participation, validating student interests and discussing non-equitable practices with students (e.g., why there is a disproportionate number of females to males in math majors). The results suggest that equity can be observed and characterized in the classroom and the preliminary findings from this study can be used as foundational work for equity training. The article was written using scientific vocabulary as well as a sociology terms and definitions. The article was difficult to read as because of the heavy use of sociology jargon. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this study are researchers and school personnel involved in teacher equity training programs.
I found this article interesting because it addressed equity practices in teaching math, a subject that is increasingly skewed by gender and ethnicity factors. As a future teacher, understanding how to practice equity when teaching mathematics is incredibly important, particularly in elementary where foundational math skills are learned. Some questions I had for the author are: How would the teachers in the study rate their own equity practices? Do students notice different equity practices between teachers? Do we see similar equity practices in other subjects (e.g., science, art, history)?
Article 2:
Pang, V., Han, P., & Pang, J. (2011). Asian american and pacific islander students: Equity and the achievement gap. Educational Researcher, 40(8), 378-398. doi: 10.3102/0013189x11424222
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Educational Researcher on behalf of the American Educational Research Association. The authors are professors from the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. The intended audience is for researchers in the education field. The purpose of the article is to understand the equity and achievement gaps between white American students and Asian American students. Research has suggested that academic stereotypes of Asian American students can hinder learning opportunities and performance for Asian American students. The study aimed to statistically quantify student performance in reading and mathematics and to compare Asian American student performance to their White American counterparts. One million standardized test scores from 7th graders in California from 2003 to 2008 were collected and grouped according to student ethnicity and socio-economic status. The results suggest that as a group, White American students perform better in reading then Asian American students but that the reverse profile is seen in regards to math performance. However, not all Asian American groups out performed White American students. For example, results show that Samoan American students performed poorly when compared to White American students. The results speak to the need for teachers to not assume student ability and performance based on ethnicity and the need for future research to understand the underlying factors of student performance as it relates to ethnicity and culture. The article is written using scientific vocabulary and the use statistical tables but is easy to read and follow. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this study are researchers in education and sociology.
I found this article interesting because it addresses student stereotypes and myths about student performance. With an increasingly diverse student body, it is important that teachers refrain from letting stereotypes about student ethnicity shape how they teach and interact with students. This particular study speaks to the negative impacts of high expectations for Asian American students to do well in school and the possible negative affects it can have when students do not reach expectations. Some questions I have for the authors are: How would results differ when comparing genders and math performance? How does student perception of stereotypes affect their own performance in math?
Hand, V. (2012). Seeing culture and power in mathematical learning: toward a model of equitable instruction. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 80, 233-247. doi: 10.1007/s10649-012-9387-9
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in journal for Educational Studies in Mathematics. The author is a professor in the education department at the University of Colorado Boulder. The intended audience is for researchers, specifically those in the education and sociology fields. The purpose of the article is to characterize how experienced math teachers practice equitable pedagogy in their classrooms and if teachers are aware and sensitive to their equitable practices. The article presents a two-part qualitative study in which five teachers (three high school and two middle school) were video taped and observed while teaching in their classrooms. The results suggest that math teachers practice equity in the classroom by supporting broad student participation, validating student interests and discussing non-equitable practices with students (e.g., why there is a disproportionate number of females to males in math majors). The results suggest that equity can be observed and characterized in the classroom and the preliminary findings from this study can be used as foundational work for equity training. The article was written using scientific vocabulary as well as a sociology terms and definitions. The article was difficult to read as because of the heavy use of sociology jargon. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this study are researchers and school personnel involved in teacher equity training programs.
I found this article interesting because it addressed equity practices in teaching math, a subject that is increasingly skewed by gender and ethnicity factors. As a future teacher, understanding how to practice equity when teaching mathematics is incredibly important, particularly in elementary where foundational math skills are learned. Some questions I had for the author are: How would the teachers in the study rate their own equity practices? Do students notice different equity practices between teachers? Do we see similar equity practices in other subjects (e.g., science, art, history)?
Article 2:
Pang, V., Han, P., & Pang, J. (2011). Asian american and pacific islander students: Equity and the achievement gap. Educational Researcher, 40(8), 378-398. doi: 10.3102/0013189x11424222
The article is presented in a research format (i.e., delineated sections for an abstract, methods, results and discussion section) and was published in the Educational Researcher on behalf of the American Educational Research Association. The authors are professors from the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. The intended audience is for researchers in the education field. The purpose of the article is to understand the equity and achievement gaps between white American students and Asian American students. Research has suggested that academic stereotypes of Asian American students can hinder learning opportunities and performance for Asian American students. The study aimed to statistically quantify student performance in reading and mathematics and to compare Asian American student performance to their White American counterparts. One million standardized test scores from 7th graders in California from 2003 to 2008 were collected and grouped according to student ethnicity and socio-economic status. The results suggest that as a group, White American students perform better in reading then Asian American students but that the reverse profile is seen in regards to math performance. However, not all Asian American groups out performed White American students. For example, results show that Samoan American students performed poorly when compared to White American students. The results speak to the need for teachers to not assume student ability and performance based on ethnicity and the need for future research to understand the underlying factors of student performance as it relates to ethnicity and culture. The article is written using scientific vocabulary and the use statistical tables but is easy to read and follow. The article is reliable because it is peer reviewed and published in a credible journal. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this study are researchers in education and sociology.
I found this article interesting because it addresses student stereotypes and myths about student performance. With an increasingly diverse student body, it is important that teachers refrain from letting stereotypes about student ethnicity shape how they teach and interact with students. This particular study speaks to the negative impacts of high expectations for Asian American students to do well in school and the possible negative affects it can have when students do not reach expectations. Some questions I have for the authors are: How would results differ when comparing genders and math performance? How does student perception of stereotypes affect their own performance in math?
Pedagogical Resources
Source 1:
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers (2010). Common core state standards initiative. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org
The Common Core website is formatted to provide information regarding new English Language Arts and Mathematics standards. The website contains standards for each grade level as well as resources for further information regarding standards. The authors of the Common Core is credited to the National Governors Association, an bipartisan organization comprised of state governors, and the Council of Chief State School Officers, a nonpartisan organization comprised of every state school officer. Both organizations are influential in educational policy changes. What is unique about the Common Core standards is that they were developed by a unique collaboration between teachers, professors, educational researchers and policy reformers. The purpose of Common Core is to create teaching curriculum that will help students to develop a deeper knowledge of mathematics and English language arts that will transfer to real-life settings. The intended audience for the Common Core website is the lay public, teachers and parents. It is written in a style that easy to read and follow. The information on the website is reliable as it is linked to government resources and contains a public license for the information that it contains. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this website are school districts, teachers, parents and students.
As a student in the credential program, the Common Core standards will affect the way I am trained and how I to teach. While the website contains information regarding the new teaching standards, I am curious to know how experienced teachers have addressed the new standards in their classrooms. For example, what are some methods to teach students in depth knowledge of mathematics in elementary schools? How do the new standards affect English language learners? I would also like to see how the new standards compare and contrast to the previous state standards for math and English. Equally as important, the how is the effectiveness of common core assessed?
Source 2:
Charney, R. (2002). Teaching children to care. (revised ed.). Tuner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.
Teaching Children to Care, by Ruth Charney, is book on classroom management methods. Charney is a veteran elementary and middle school teacher of 35-years and is currently a consultant for professional teacher development and a writer. The book is formatted into clear chapters that address building a community in the classroom, discipline, the role of language and the social curriculum for grades K-8. The purpose of the book is to help teachers understand the complexity and depth of caring that is required to be an effective teacher. In each chapter Charney provides relatable classroom scenarios and gives clear examples and strategies that are based on previous educational works. The book contains a table of contents and appendix that is easy to navigate. The writing is easy to read and follow while keeping an educational tone. The book is reliable in that it draws from notable works regarding classroom management and the reflections of an experienced teacher. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this book are teacher training programs and teachers of all levels.
I found this book to be very helpful during my school placements and can foresee this book being reliable resource for classroom management strategies in the future. Charney highlights the needs for teachers to be reflective in their social curriculum and in interactions with their students. As someone who is new to the teaching profession, it made me aware of the importance of self-reflection in regards to the academic and social curriculum. One particular section of the book, “Building a Learning Community”, really spoke to me. In this section Charney provides and examples and ideas for building greater social bonds between students and teachers. For example, Charney used morning meetings in classrooms as time for teachers and students to bridge home and academic life in the classroom. In one of my school placements, my cooperating teacher was influenced by Charney’s book. I was able to see examples from the book take place in my school placement and saw the positive affects that it had on the classroom community.
Source 3:
Schrock, K. (n.d.). Kathy schrock’s guide to everything. Retrieved from http://www.schrockguid.net/index.html
Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything, is an educators blog that collects the authors presentations and development of applications for iPads in the classroom. Kathy Schrock is former elementary school teacher turned educational technologist. She currently provides teacher development trainings on integrating technology in the classroom. The purpose of the site is to provide educators with technology resources. The site has guides, presentations and screen casts of how to use educational apps on the iPad. The writing and content is easy to follow. The site seems like a credible and very knowledgeable source to learn about using iPads in the classroom and gives numerous resources for the types of apps available. Schrock also links some of the apps to different cognitive theories such as Bloom’s taxonomy. The site has many linked resources including how to purchase and use apps that are presented. The possible stakeholders that could be affected or influenced by the information on the website could be teachers, school leaders, educational technologists and students.
I was drawn by the amount of information and resources that was available on the website. Since we have been learning about various technology applications in EDS 203, I thought it was a unique that Schrock complied all of her resources onto a website to share with others. As a future teacher, I can foresee myself using her website to learn about various technology applications. Some questions I had for the author are: how would she address cyber bullying? Are there limitations to using technology at different grade levels?
Source 4:
Meier, D. (1997). Learning in small moments: Life in an urban classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Learning in small moments: Life in an urban classroom, by Daniel Meier, is a book about a teacher’s journey in finding his own voice as a teacher and developing reflective inquiry skills. The book is formatted as a non-fiction novel with chapters that chronicle the authors experience from the first day of school to the last day of school. Daniel Meier is an experienced teacher who later on pursued his doctorate in education and is now a professor in the educational leadership department at San Francisco State University. The intended audience is for teachers of all levels. In each chapter, Meier provides a sincere and reflective recount of his experiences as a co-teacher in a first grade classroom. His experiences span topics such as building a caring classroom community, developing professionally, creating professional bonds with colleagues and finding his own voice and style as a teacher. Through the book, Meier highlights the importance of a teacher being able to reflect on his or her own work and behavior. The book is well written and easy to read. While the source is comprised of anecdotal evidence, it is written by a well-known professor in the field of education and can be used a reliable reflection source. The possible stakeholders that could be affected or influenced by this book are teachers of all levels, particularly new teachers who are learning about the importance of self-reflection.
I enjoyed reading this book as it recounted the experiences of a veteran teacher in a new school setting. Being new to the teaching profession, I appreciated that Meier reflected on his accomplishments as well as his failures. It helped me realize that building a caring classroom environment is always a work in progress. One particular chapter that spoke to me was, “Astronauts and Hammerhead spaceships-Getting to Know Students”. This article highlighted the importance of teachers to know their students beyond the academics. For example, Meier came to understand and accept his students’ interest in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and used this knowledge to connect his students to writing lessons. Getting to know students is a way to bridge the home and academic life.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers (2010). Common core state standards initiative. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org
The Common Core website is formatted to provide information regarding new English Language Arts and Mathematics standards. The website contains standards for each grade level as well as resources for further information regarding standards. The authors of the Common Core is credited to the National Governors Association, an bipartisan organization comprised of state governors, and the Council of Chief State School Officers, a nonpartisan organization comprised of every state school officer. Both organizations are influential in educational policy changes. What is unique about the Common Core standards is that they were developed by a unique collaboration between teachers, professors, educational researchers and policy reformers. The purpose of Common Core is to create teaching curriculum that will help students to develop a deeper knowledge of mathematics and English language arts that will transfer to real-life settings. The intended audience for the Common Core website is the lay public, teachers and parents. It is written in a style that easy to read and follow. The information on the website is reliable as it is linked to government resources and contains a public license for the information that it contains. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this website are school districts, teachers, parents and students.
As a student in the credential program, the Common Core standards will affect the way I am trained and how I to teach. While the website contains information regarding the new teaching standards, I am curious to know how experienced teachers have addressed the new standards in their classrooms. For example, what are some methods to teach students in depth knowledge of mathematics in elementary schools? How do the new standards affect English language learners? I would also like to see how the new standards compare and contrast to the previous state standards for math and English. Equally as important, the how is the effectiveness of common core assessed?
Source 2:
Charney, R. (2002). Teaching children to care. (revised ed.). Tuner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.
Teaching Children to Care, by Ruth Charney, is book on classroom management methods. Charney is a veteran elementary and middle school teacher of 35-years and is currently a consultant for professional teacher development and a writer. The book is formatted into clear chapters that address building a community in the classroom, discipline, the role of language and the social curriculum for grades K-8. The purpose of the book is to help teachers understand the complexity and depth of caring that is required to be an effective teacher. In each chapter Charney provides relatable classroom scenarios and gives clear examples and strategies that are based on previous educational works. The book contains a table of contents and appendix that is easy to navigate. The writing is easy to read and follow while keeping an educational tone. The book is reliable in that it draws from notable works regarding classroom management and the reflections of an experienced teacher. The possible stakeholders who could be affected or influenced by this book are teacher training programs and teachers of all levels.
I found this book to be very helpful during my school placements and can foresee this book being reliable resource for classroom management strategies in the future. Charney highlights the needs for teachers to be reflective in their social curriculum and in interactions with their students. As someone who is new to the teaching profession, it made me aware of the importance of self-reflection in regards to the academic and social curriculum. One particular section of the book, “Building a Learning Community”, really spoke to me. In this section Charney provides and examples and ideas for building greater social bonds between students and teachers. For example, Charney used morning meetings in classrooms as time for teachers and students to bridge home and academic life in the classroom. In one of my school placements, my cooperating teacher was influenced by Charney’s book. I was able to see examples from the book take place in my school placement and saw the positive affects that it had on the classroom community.
Source 3:
Schrock, K. (n.d.). Kathy schrock’s guide to everything. Retrieved from http://www.schrockguid.net/index.html
Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything, is an educators blog that collects the authors presentations and development of applications for iPads in the classroom. Kathy Schrock is former elementary school teacher turned educational technologist. She currently provides teacher development trainings on integrating technology in the classroom. The purpose of the site is to provide educators with technology resources. The site has guides, presentations and screen casts of how to use educational apps on the iPad. The writing and content is easy to follow. The site seems like a credible and very knowledgeable source to learn about using iPads in the classroom and gives numerous resources for the types of apps available. Schrock also links some of the apps to different cognitive theories such as Bloom’s taxonomy. The site has many linked resources including how to purchase and use apps that are presented. The possible stakeholders that could be affected or influenced by the information on the website could be teachers, school leaders, educational technologists and students.
I was drawn by the amount of information and resources that was available on the website. Since we have been learning about various technology applications in EDS 203, I thought it was a unique that Schrock complied all of her resources onto a website to share with others. As a future teacher, I can foresee myself using her website to learn about various technology applications. Some questions I had for the author are: how would she address cyber bullying? Are there limitations to using technology at different grade levels?
Source 4:
Meier, D. (1997). Learning in small moments: Life in an urban classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Learning in small moments: Life in an urban classroom, by Daniel Meier, is a book about a teacher’s journey in finding his own voice as a teacher and developing reflective inquiry skills. The book is formatted as a non-fiction novel with chapters that chronicle the authors experience from the first day of school to the last day of school. Daniel Meier is an experienced teacher who later on pursued his doctorate in education and is now a professor in the educational leadership department at San Francisco State University. The intended audience is for teachers of all levels. In each chapter, Meier provides a sincere and reflective recount of his experiences as a co-teacher in a first grade classroom. His experiences span topics such as building a caring classroom community, developing professionally, creating professional bonds with colleagues and finding his own voice and style as a teacher. Through the book, Meier highlights the importance of a teacher being able to reflect on his or her own work and behavior. The book is well written and easy to read. While the source is comprised of anecdotal evidence, it is written by a well-known professor in the field of education and can be used a reliable reflection source. The possible stakeholders that could be affected or influenced by this book are teachers of all levels, particularly new teachers who are learning about the importance of self-reflection.
I enjoyed reading this book as it recounted the experiences of a veteran teacher in a new school setting. Being new to the teaching profession, I appreciated that Meier reflected on his accomplishments as well as his failures. It helped me realize that building a caring classroom environment is always a work in progress. One particular chapter that spoke to me was, “Astronauts and Hammerhead spaceships-Getting to Know Students”. This article highlighted the importance of teachers to know their students beyond the academics. For example, Meier came to understand and accept his students’ interest in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and used this knowledge to connect his students to writing lessons. Getting to know students is a way to bridge the home and academic life.