Definitly something I struggle most with.  Ultimately most important to get to know who is in your class.  Treating your students as individuals.

Bridges to understanding-nice resource for documenting ones cultural heredity.

Worldmapper- Resource for researching different culture.

An idea to incorporate in my classroom, would be to research different body type by culture.  This would be a good discussion about how our bodies are made up genetically so different.

I found this checklist most useful…..

A Difficult Conversations Checklist

Step 1: Walk through these three conversations

1. Sort out WHAT HAPPENED
2. Understand EMOTIONS
3. Ground your IDENTITY

Step 2: Check your purposes and decide whether to raise the issue

Purposes: What do I hope to accomplish?

Deciding:  Can you affect the problem by changing your contributions?

Step 3: Start from the third story

1. Describe the problem as the difference between your stories.  Include both viewpoints as a legitimate part of the discussion.
2. Share your purposes
3. Invite them to join you as a partner in sorting out the situation together.

Step 4:  Explore their story and yours

Listen to understand

Share your own viewpoint

Reframe, reframe, reframe to keep on track.  From truth to perceptions, blame to contribution, accusations to feelings, and so on.

Step 5:  Problem-Solving

Invent options that meet each side’s most important concerns and interests.

Look to standards for what should happen.  Keep in mind the standard of mutual caretaking; relationships that always go one way rarely last.

Talk about how to keep communication open as you forward.

Wow, where do I begin.  The technology I have been exposed to over the past two years has been very beneficial.

Best web resource for tech: 21 things for the 21^st century!

Can’t forget Learning Mastery.org as well J

A thought from Scott that I have held onto along the way is “what is the least amount of geeking with the most amount of return for my students”.

Kids helping each other, the key is for me, the teacher, to know just enough that I can teach them and then let them lead the way.

A review of the technology I am using most……

The use of email and class websites to communicate with kids and parents.

Power point and the idea of keeping it simple, visual and to the point. >Presentation Zen…an enlightened presentation approach, 10 ten slide tip approach, saving the details, less information is better! Is it a document or a slide?

Survey Monkey for the use of feedback to better improve instruction.

Jing for the use of screen casting.  Taking a snap shot picture of your screen and being able to record your audio to explain a process.

Where did my assumptions come from?  What are my beliefs?

My personal frustrations of not being able to focus on one thing.  Every year, a new concept is brought to us as “this is the next best thing”, the next year new idea, “this is the best thing”.  So many things coming at us at such a high pace that we can’t ever get really good at one idea or philosophy.

Where are we headed and how can we influence that?

21 Things for the 21st Century Educator

Core 24 info (Changing the graduation requirements, no longer 19 credits but 24!)

video link

Outline of how it will work

Preparing all students for real life.

succeeding in work and post high school.

Requiring students to choose a high school and beyond plan. Following a certain plan.

Personally, I am very excited about the direction this is going.  The students I see, need a direction for their last two years of high school and I believe this type of focus and having to choose might be of help.

• Keeping story simple and very visual
• The process  -
• Preparation, visuals and delivery

Getting away from the Grid…focusing on what is important.

The Design Stage –simplicity

Less is more….what can I take away versus what can I add.

When in doubt leave it out…  Empty space is not nothing

Balance

Get away from barriers, making a connection with the audience

Kaizen (always making improvements)

Chapter #6 – Portfolios: – A Window into Students’ Thinking and Learning

Chapter six describes student portfolios as windows into students’ thinking and learning.

 It is defined a “a collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas”

Portfolios look beneath the surface, discover what students think, how they think, what they value, and who they are.

A great tool for documenting students’ growth, efforts, and achievements.

Why Should Teachers Use student Portfolios?

(8 reasons given)

• Documentation of students’ best work, effort, and growth.
• Focus on authentic performance, or knowledge
• Student opportunities for self-assessment and reflection
• Evidence of thinking
• Thick description of student learning (reveal students’ learning processes with the multiple levels of learning…to include decision-making process and understanding quality attributes of their work)
• Validation of a developmental view of learning (witnessing growth when done over period of time)
• Choice and individualization for students and teachers (they become self-portraits of students as learners)
• Opportunities for conversations with different audiences (parents, counselors, and support staff)

Different Kinds of Portfolios and What Purposes Do They Serve?

(5 given)

• The Showcase (designed to document achievement)
• Development or Growth portfolio (designed to show the student’s growth or change over time)
• The Process portfolio (documents the process by which work is done, as well as the final product)
• The Transfer portfolio (is used to communicate with a students’ teacher, school, or admissions office when students move form one educational setting to another)
• The keepsake portfolio (serves as students’ favorite or memorable work, much like a scrapbook or photo albums)

What kinds of Artifacts Do Portfolios Include? (Varies widely, but often share some common pieces)

• Letter to the reader
• Table of contents
• Goal statements
• Reflections on the work pieces includes
• Drafts and final versions of pieces included
• Self peer and teacher evaluations

Issues to Consider when Designing a Portfolio:

• Work that shows persistent (exp. Project that took at least 1 week to complete)
• Mathematical representation/communication (Work that has graph, table, chart etc.)
• Reading/Writing
• Communication in another language (pen pal letter)
• Collaboration (work done with at least one other person)

Guidelines for beginning to use Portfolio’s:

(Maybe a far stretch but the book says)

“Like a good wine, they improve with time” HOWEVER…

“Unlike good wine, they are not meant to sit still”

Don’t get overwhelmed:

• Decide upon a primary purpose and audience
• Identify the learning outcomes that will drive the design
• Start small focused
• Inform parents of your plans and include a time for sharing the outcome
• Create your own and use it to model

Chapter #6 – Hyperactivity – The Learner in Motion:

Chapter six defined hyperactivity by chronic restlessness and disruptive behavior that persist beyond the age of 4. 

(Hyperactive children may continually walk, jump, roll, and fidget. Movements can be disorganized and rapid but also slow and measured.)

The differences:

Hyperactivity- 

• Occurs in about 5% of children nationwide
• 25% in selected populations
• Most commonly observed in males by a 5 –to-1 (may be disproportionate due to: majority of elementary teachers being female, & girls socialized to be quiet and dmure, while boys are encouraged to play more/take more risks…
• Often caused by differences in the learner’s brain
• It should not be assumed that all hyperactive children have ADD
• Its looking at patterns, not isolated behaviors

Overactivity –   

• A normal behavior by most children an certain stages of development – “not considered hyperactivity unless it persist beyond the age of 4”
• Can be a normal response to an unsuitable learning environment (stand & deliver teaching style, sitting too long)

Attention-Deficit Disorder –

• These children exhibit more of an implusive “stop-start” pattern
• Onset generally occurs closer to age 6 or 7

-How teachers deal with Hyperactivity- Skilled teachers find ways for more class movements and reinforcement of reasonable boundaries.

-Likely Causes

• Chronic Distress – maybe an oversupply of adrenaline (which is the hormone of urgency)
• Could be that dopamine “feel good” neurotransmitter is out of balance
• Nutrition- eating too many of foods high in salt, fat, sugar –not enough veggies, protein, or eating sporadically.
• Some researchers believe hyperactivity may be result of mild brain trauma, seizures or early attachment deficits.
• Heredity – increase in boys whose fathers were hyperactive.

Brain areas involved: Thalamus and the Reticular activating system (both help regulate attention) Prefrontal Cortex which is important for motor responses is usually underactive in this type of student and the Ganglia and Cerebellum also important to motor activity responsible for decision-making, timing and movement are commonly overactive. 

Recognizable Symptoms:

• Fidgeting
• Restlessness
• Emotional immaturity
• Disregarding rules and routines
• Acting without caution
• Engaging in antisocial behavior
• Less need to sleep
• Overdoing simple tasks

Educators can help by:

• Maintaining a positive attitude
• Employ movement in the learning environment
• Incorporate skills training and emotional intelligence
• Seek support/ Create a response team

Parents can help by:  (as educators we can suggests the following)

• Don’t panic or try to stop the hyperactivity
• Listening to child and remain flexible
• Try changing the diet
• Seeking medical advice
• Assuring that their child is not “broken”