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How do we talk about issues that matter?

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       Teaching about controversial topics has been a long debate about how, when, or if they should even be discussed in the classroom. The answer to that is yes, we have come so far in our history and educating students on how we evolved with social movements and hardships allow them to form their own opinions and how to fight for things they believe in. In the module video about the teaching using the barometer method, the teacher began his class with an icebreaker to allow students to learn that their opinion is valued no matter what opinion they have. I think this would be useful in all classrooms to break the barrier between students. It also taught them how to express their different opinions by saying “I see why they said that but…”, this also showed good and positive argumentation skills.        Another factor of talking about issues that matter is for educators to be aware of any biases they have. The letter by Dylan Wray where he apologizes to his past students for having un
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How is Teaching Portrayed in the Public?

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  In movies, teachers can be portrayed in many ways. There can be a bad teacher, good teacher, over the top teacher, and many more. The movie Freedom Writers incorporated the personal life of Ms. Gruwell as well as her educational life. I believe the movie showed a lot of behind the scenes of the actions of teachers and students. The movie showed how Ms. Gruwell went out of her way to fund her own lessons, take her students to a weekend field trip, and drive her students’ home after school. Some aspects of the movie are some things a teacher might do in real life such as providing students with the resources they need. However the film made it seem like the tasks they went through happened in the easiest possible way when in fact, getting a field trip approved is a really difficult task even when it is a weekend trip instead of a single day. The actions of Ms. G fighting for her position and planning lessons happened at the drop of a dime. This is negatively portrayed because new educa
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How are schools integrated?

     Initially in the 1800's a court decision was made in Plessy v. Ferguson that individuals were equal but to be separated f rom each other. Brown v. Board of Edu cation overturned the "separate but equal" court decision within facilities however the damage was already done throughout the world.       Redlining forced African Americans and other minorities to be separated from wealthy white families within neighborhoods which was one of the foundations for creating segregated environments. What society does not realize is that even though we are no longer segregated legally, if had many effects on neighborhoods, jobs, and schools.  The videos from the module explained that children that come from low-income neighborhoods do not get adequate rest therefore they come to school tired and unfocused. On the other hand, students that come from wealthy families in white neighborhoods are in fact well rested and energized for the school day. Because of the huge divide within ne
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How Can Schools be More Equitable?

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 There is a strong line between equality and equity. Within society, we all want to be seen as equal however to become equitable is to provide everyone with things that specifically would help them and their needs. So how can schools be more equitable?  Schools can become more equitable by establishing appropriate school funding to different districts. Some teachers are spending all of their own time and money to get resources for their students that would benefit their learning experience. Unfortunately, throughout the world there is school districts that are low income and therefore can't provide resources that students will need. While on the other hand, high income school districts are performing at high levels because they have those needed resources. People don't realize that school funding has a major impact on the success of students. The article Unequal School Funding in the United States explains some of the effects on children due to the lack of funds. One of the ide
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How Can Educational Philosophies Influence Schooling?

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       Educational philosophies have been used and developed throughout the years. Teachers have to learn what works best for them and their students. Teachers are to come up with a set of guidelines they want to implement for themselves as well as their students. Is it best to have a teacher centered classroom or is it best to have a student centered classroom?      Educational philosophies can influence schooling in how the schools focus on curriculum. Some schools go by a strict grading system and are focused on getting those high scores while other schools focus in on student interest and education that benefits the student. I have seen students completely disregard connecting to lessons because they are worried about their grade average and moving to the next grade level.      More specifically a traditional classroom relies on a teacher facilitated education and on the other hand progressivism relies on the teacher being a guide within a students education. Due to the difference
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What are you willing to do to educate all children?

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  When it comes to teaching, it is crucial that ALL students can engage in the lesson. Regardless of their learning styles and regardless of their background, educators need to connect to their students. A few of my elementary teachers have greatly inspired me. In my future classroom, I will hold rewarding lunch dates for students to join me at lunch and receive help on anything they need or even just to have a conversation about their life. By doing this, I can learn about each of my students individually and learn their best ways of learning to accommodate my lessons for them.  I have come to realize that students show signs when they are not grasping onto an idea. Students that act or cause a scene could just need some extra help and in the future I want to recognize these behaviors and handle them the correct way. I have seen many teachers that let students leave the classroom and progressively act worse because they do not want to disturb the rest of the class. However, when the t
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How Can Instruction be Differentiated for Diverse Learners?

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    First, what makes a diverse leaner? Diverse learners come from many different backgrounds whether they have a disability or multiple intelligences. Students from around the world learn about their capabilities within the school.  Throughout the years, people with disabilities had to fight for their educational rights. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, enforced that children with disabilities are to receive a free public education as well as participate in activities with children without disabilities within a school. In short, IDEA allowed for students to receive the same education regardless of their circumstances. Since IDEA, an individualized education program is crafted by a team of school professionals and the child's parents or guardians (Barrett, 2013). The IEP is structured information that a child with disabilities needs to be successful in school, it lays out the goals for students to achieve. Teachers can create modifications to allow all students to benef
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