Chapter 15 Notes

Profession defined: is more than a group of individuals all engaged in the same line of work. Professions have a more or less recognizable set of characteristics that distinguish them from nonprofessionals. Characteristics are as follows:

1. A profession renders a unique, definite and essential service to society.
2. A profession relies on intellectual skills in the performance of its service.
3. A profession entails a long period of specialized training.
4. Both individual members of the profession and the professional group enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy and decision making authority.
5. A profession requires its members to accept personal responsibility for their actions and decisions and in general for their performance.
6. A profession emphasizes the services rendered by its practitioners more than their financial rewards.
7. A profession is self governing and responsible for policing its own ranks.
8. A profession has a code of ethics that sets out the acceptable standards of conduct for its members.
These characteristics are the major requirements of a profession.

Limited training: The teaching profession requires a short period of specialized training and entrance into the occupation is not especially competitive.

Responsibility for their profession: As professionals, teachers do very little policing of their own ranks. 1. The professional organizations are like other self serving organizations composed of teams or autoworks whose primary energy of teacher associations and unions are devoted to their own survival and growth. 2. They attempt to protect their members, increase their salaries and expand their benefits

Job security and salary: teachers are hired rather than operating as independent agents. They are on a fixed salary schedule and are protected by tenure laws rather than independently having to find a market for their services.

The case for teaching as a profession: Teaching as a profession is witnessed and proven by the nobility of the teachers work. Society has entrusted teachers with its most important responsibility: the education of its children. Services to others is the very heart of what is means to be a professional

The teachers unique skill: Teachers are specialists who pass on to the young the key skills they need to participate effectively in the culture. They aid the young in acquiring the most difficult, if not the most important skills, those that involve thinking and manipulating ideas. Teachers also provide an intellectual service to the community

One level teacher: They tend to be preoccupied with classroom discipline and keeping students busy. They are robotic in narrowly following preset patterns. Namely patterns set out by the curriculum guides and textbooks

Level two teachers: mentally reflect on what they are doing in a classroom but their reflection lies within a narrow range. They have an awareness of the uniqueness of their classroom and their students and go beyond curriculum guides.

Level three teachers: focus on their individual students and they take a wide view of knowledge. They attend to their curricular guides and the prescribed materials but those materials serves as a launching pads rather than being the sole targets of their instruction.

Professional development: Is a large term encompassing the efforts both by a school and by individual teachers to improve their skills and competences

Professional development opportunities: Most schools and districts sponsor professional developments:
In service programs: courses, workshops and short retreats often focus on some particular problem or issue such as communication with parents.
Supervision: A new teacher department head may observe the class regularly and discuss the observations with them. An elementary school teacher, the building principal or lead teacher may make regular visits and follow with a feedback session.
Mentoring: More experienced teachers are assigned to assist beginners

Characteristics of Effective Professional Development: Effective professional development does the following for teachers. Reform expert Michael Fullan suggests that teachers seeking to improve themselves are characterized by four attitudes: 1.They accept that it is possible to improve. 2. They are ready to be self critical 3. They recognize better practice than their own. 4. Most importantly they are willing to learn what they have to learn to do what needs to be done.

Chapter 15 Reflection

Teaching is a profession. Teachers are a part of an occupational group with similar goal, responsibilities and concerns. Although it requires a shorter period of training and not especially competitive, it has an intellectual and philosophical foundation.
Teachers are not independent agents who need to find certain markets for their services. They are hired with a fixed salary and are protected by tenure laws. Teaching as a profession is proven by the nature of their work. Society places their trust and confidence on teachers to educate their children. Society expects teachers to fill their children with the knowledge they need in order to succeed in the future. Teachers in turn, go above and beyond to pass on that knowledge to their students to help become successful in education, and at times they purchase necessary supplies when the school’s budget is limited.
The chapter explains that new teachers must be “learning professionals”. Professionals committed to growth as a person and as a professional. Being a part of the community of teachers and learning together as such is extremely important. The key is to give knowledge and to take knowledge. This will enable new teachers as well as veteran teachers to “survive” professionally.

Chapter 14 Notes

Chapter 14 describes some of the surprises that a new teacher may encounter:
School Milieu: the new teacher’s very familiarity with life in schools is a problem in that it lulls many into a false sense of understanding what is happening around them leading up to a sense of false security. they also have to learn their way around a new building and find out how to obtain supplies they need.

Administrator: Mixed bag and many hats: New teachers relationships with their principals are far less on-dimensional. New teachers need to view their principal a their colleague. A fellow educator who shares the same task as a new teacher, to bring civilization to students. Principals are official leaders, policymakers, crisis managers, facilitators, judges and social lambs. Supportive administrators help teachers to become reflective and solve their own problems

Mixed blessings: A new teacher’s professional peers can be even more influential in learning how to teach and how to survive in a classroom. Teachers usually work independently in their own classroom with their own students. They can help with giving ideas and tips and can help the new teacher with learning the customs of the school. They can also have a negative influence by undermining a new teacher’s idealism, lowering his or her standards and offering no help at all.

So much to learn: A teachers only problem is his or her student’s failure to learn and to develop. the degree of the child's success as learners is the best way to measure a teacher’s success or failure.

Students: Friends or Friends? and Important aspect of the relationship is based on how well the students are achieving the goal of learning. Some college student think that as teachers they should have warm relations with their students. Yet, they forget how cruel kids can be to kids. The teacher is there to teach and the students are there to learn.

Parents: Natural allies with different agendas: The parent and the teacher are natural partners. Both are working to help the child become a more fully developed person. Reasons for parent teacher problems: varied perceptions, judgments on students, differences of social class and experience, overburdened parents, the pain of change, and privilege and responsibility.

Surviving the first year of teaching: Prepare for the predictable events and problems. New teachers should study their strengths and weaknesses. Keeping a teaching journal will help new teachers to record ideas, and strategies. A journal serves two functions: a constant reminder that they are preparing to actually be in charge of their classroom. Second, a journal can be lifesaver when they struggle during the first year

Find a mentor: A first year teacher can have no greater gift than a good mentor. It can be an experienced teacher who is willing to act as a guide and confidant the first year. Some school districts have developed special arrangements to help beginning teachers with special induction programs, support mentor programs or both.

Chapter 14 also encourages a new teacher to take care of their health. Due to the stess of a new job a new teacher is prone to mild ailments.

Chapter 14 Reflection

Chapter 14 begins by saying that as a new teacher “surprise is a big part of the first year.” Not only do they have to know their way around the new school but they need to learn how to accept the judgments of their principals and view them as a source of support. Also, new teachers encounter “mixed blessings” with thier peers. Some teachers can be an everyday source of ideas and tips but they can also have a negative influence in undermining a new teacher’s idealism, lowering his or her standards and offering no help at all to the new teacher.
A new teacher’s biggest problem is the effectiveness of whether or not their students are learning. The success or failure of a new teacher is measured on the the success of his or her students. Parent-teacher problems can be another issue for new teachers. In the evaluation of the students progress some parents may not agree with the teacher’s evaluation. Issues with social distances and overburdened parents is another factor. But it is the parents who often give the new teachers the sense of privilege and responsibility in being a teacher.
The chapter advices new teachers to take care of themselves. A new teaching job can be physically, emotionally and mentally draining. The stress and strain of a new job can set them up for minor ailments but it can also cause mild depression. Mild depression can lead up to new teachers not living up to their own expectations or not having established realistic standards and not knowing if they are succeeding or failing at their new position as a teacher.
The chapter advise giving special attention to your health. To deal with stress by trying to solve key problems that are a concern and to look for ways to relieve stress indirectly.

Chapter 13 Notes

Enrollment in teacher education programs: there are 200,000 teachers prepared each year. Only 60 percent actually enter the classroom. About 30-40 percent leave within the first five years
Geographical location: Teachers tend to be more “place bound” than any other professional due to families.
Subject matter and grade levels taught: teachers are prepared for different specialities. Schools are also seeking male and minority teachers. Because most teachers are females, schools want to increase the number of males especially in the elementary level.
The job prospects for future teachers is promising. Because student enrollment is slowly increasing. which more jobs for teachers.

The severe shortage of minority teachers: The minority school age students is increasing rapidly while the number of minority teachers is decreasing. These students represent 43 percent of of all students enrolled in public schools. The shortage of minority teachers is problematic for several reasons. First: minority children deserve to have positive minority role models who can help guide them in a world still plagued with racism. Second: white children need to have minority teachers as role models to help them overcome the effects of stereotyping and racism. Third: it is important for the United States well being to have a teaching staff that reflects the diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds in its population. Fourth: Minority teachers are needed to serve as cultural brokers who can help students navigate their school environment and culture. Jaime Escalante was used a an example.

Employers beside the public schools: U.S. Government: Department of Defense, salaries are comparable to those of the United States. Preference is given to applicants who have at least one year of successful full-time employment as a professional educator.
private Schools: These teachers usually chose to teach in private school due to their religious motives. Private school teachers a paid less than those of public schools. For many teachers the lower salaries tend to be offset by favorable working conditions, for example, fewer classroom control problems, stricter discipline and less students on drugs and parents who are more supportive.

What are teachers paid: For most teacher, satisfaction comes from being a service to others rather than the monetary side of teaching. The salary of a classroom teacher estimated $50,816 which has increased since 1990’s. Most public school salary schedules are usually determined by two factors. First: by the years of teaching and second by the amount of education, usually expressed in terms of college credit hours or advanced degree. Each school district determines what it will pay it’s teachers. Generally, large and middle sized school districts pay better than small ones and urban suburban districts pay better than rural ones.
How do you obtain a teaching position? first by being determined to campaign actively for a teaching position. Job seekers often make two common mistakes. First: they try on strategy, wait for results whether positve or negative and then try something else. Second: job seekers block themselves out at the wrong stage in the process. Prospective teachers need to get a resume ready, credentials and transcripts.
Teachers are using a teaching portfolio to display the products of their work, resume, transcripts and so forth. A credential file: includes letters of recommendation, copy of transcripts and resume.

Gain experience through substitute teaching: many education students develop valuable teaching skills through substituting. It can also offer a competitive advantage in the job market. Some schools districts are more apt to hire full time teachers from their substitute ranks.

Licensure: is the official recognition by a state governmental agency that an individual meets state requirements.
Certification: is the process by which the profession grants special recognition to an individual who has met certain qualifications specified by the profession.
Alternative licensure: Programs have been developed as a response to 1) teachers shortages and 2) the perception on the part of some lawmakers that courses in education contribute little to a teacher's effectiveness.

In addition to teaching, there are other jobs teachers can do in their school districts to include librarian, counselor, administrator and school psychologist. Employment with child day care centers are an option as well. Large businesses also conduct training programs for their employees and require services from people who can write, design and implement programs.

Chapter 13 Reflection

In reading Chapter 13 I learned that there will be a strong demand for teachers in our future. With the increase in student enrollment, comes the need for teachers. Before student enrollment was twenty-one  per class size now that number has been increasing to almost twenty-five per teacher in public secondary schools. As that number continues to creep up, our schools need more teachers to meet the demands of student enrollment. The chapter tells that an estimated two million new teachers will be needed in our country in the next ten years. Fortunately it is the returning teachers who will fill the anticipated shortages.

One of the greatest shortages is the Minority teachers. As the enrollment of minority groups increases which they represent forty-three percent,  the minority teachers decrease. The chapter explains that minority students deserve to have positive minority role models who can help steer them in the right direction , especially in our world that is still one that continues to have racism.

The chapter reflects on Jaime Escalante. As a teacher, he set high standards and made hard demands on his students. They were not allowed into his class unless they had done the homework assigned to them. He taught his students, who came from minority groups that no matter what race, they could accomplish anything. He motivated his students and in turn they learned “self pride” that came along with such accomplishments.
I strongly believe that we need more minority teachers for the fact that students from such groups can have a true model that exhibits the “I did it, you can too” attitude. This is what stood out mostly for me in this chapter. Most of our teachers our white, not that it is a bad thing. But for those of us who come from a minority background such as myself, we need that positive role model throughout our education.

Chapter 12 Notes

Excellence  has been the rallying cry and focus of educational reform. Accountability: teaching to test-what was tested becomes what is taught. Schools teach what is being tested this way students can achieve a high score on the standardized tests.

Authentic or performance assessment: Advocates claim that authentic assessment involves performance test that get closer to how a student applies the knowledge rather than how they store it in their minds. One way is through portfolios, students show off their best work. Teachers determine the learning progress through this.

Constructivism: Is a theory of knowledge acquisitions built on the idea that the learner interacts with new information to  construct meaning from it. It provides a fram of reference of organizing classroom practices so that students learn all content areas.
Active learning process: learners build and add to their understanding of concepts, rules and strategies through direct hands-on experimention.
Scaffolding: the teacher uses clues, questions and hints to extend students understanding.

Many reformers have also been concerned about excellence of character: one way they see that reform can occur is through character education: which is defined as the effort to help the young acquire a moral compass, a sense of right and wrong and the enduring habits necessary to live a good life. One major approach is to teach more directly and more vigorously the moral values that are already embedded in our culture. The teacher confronts students with ethical issues and moral lesson that are integrated in the lesson.
Service learning: knowing about justice, compassion and courage is one thing, making them a part of one’s life and practicing them diligently is another. Reformers realize schools can create opportunities for students, beginning at the early grades to help one another and the adults in the school buildings.

No Child Left Behind Act: Reactions have been mixed in how federal aid is distributed. that is has been inadequately funded by the federal government. Another concern is its provision that if any student fails the state test for 2 consecutive years, the school is rated as failing. States lack uniformity. Each state sets its own standards and designs it own assessments of the standards,and passing scores for the assessment.

State educational reform: one common theme is the call for excellence
common elements in state reform: an increase in graduation requirements, more academic learning time, standards based education, higher expectations for teachers, higher salaries for teachers

School choice: a reform that has been put in place in both state and local school district levels is to offer families more choices about where their children will attend school. School choice-an important aspect of access and educational opportunity. Parents argue that poor parents should have a choice in the schools their children attend, just as wealthy parents do. It is a parents right and it ensures access to educational opportunities

Chapter 12 Reflection

According to Chapter 12 those that oppose reform ask “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” But schools can always use change. For the sake of promoting good education for our children. As our world continues to change so should our schools to empower the students to function accordingly with the changes taking place.

There is a controversy about how to test students to see if they are actually meeting standards and becoming well educated individuals. Many parents do not like the standardized testing. Usually teachers will teach to the test. This way when it comes to test time students will score well. Others say that performance assessment gets closer to a students applied knowledge but it takes more time to assess. I feel that if there is any kind of reform when it comes to testing, that it should include the students “real” applied knowledge. I think that teaching to the test is a waste of time simply because it doesn’t measure the students actual knowledge of the subject.The results are of those that were drilled into them at the beginning of the school year.

Educational reform needs to start with the teachers. If the teachers are not fully qualified to teach, they should not be in a classroom. Also, reform needs to allow teachers to inspire the minds of our students. It needs to allow them to have that one on one basis with them. An to give them the chance to build their students intellect through character and knowledge.

Chapter 11 Reflection

If I could serve in a governing position, I would chose to be a superintendent.

A superintendent hires his principals and supervises them. The superintendent makes decisions on what is best for students. And that is what I like most about that position.

Being a superintendent would be a very interesting job in that they get to “clean house” when needed. As a superintendent I would be able to cultivate relationships with the districts communities. Keeping them up to date with  how a school is performing not only in testing but overall. As a superintendent, building these relationships will help to increase schools budgeting and allow for better school resources such as up to date textbooks and technology.

As a superintendent I would be able to make improvements for school facilities.

A low income school does not need to look the part. A superintendent has the power to make improvements necessary for students to feel proud to attend their school.

Superintendents make up the school's policies and procedures. The most important part of a superintendent job is make schools a solid and safe environment so that a student is allowed to reach his or her highest academic potential. A schools should be considered as a students second home. It is where they spend most of their days. And as a superintendent I would strive to make my schools as safe as possible.

Another reason I would like to be a superintendent is because they are the motivators of our principals and teachers. Through them, they are the ones that bring about the motivation in our educators to help give better instruction to our students.

Chapter 11 Notes

The state legislatures are the most influential actors in establishing school policy. The governor’s office has the power to affect educational policy but often chooses to do so only on limited basis. Governors and state legislatures have the tremendous influence over educational policy and expenditures.

State Board of Education: exercised general control and supervision of schools within the state. It also establishes and enforces minimum standards for the operation of all phases of elementary and secondary education from the state to the local school system level.

Chief state school officer: also known as the superintendent, is responsible for serving as the chief administrator of the state department of education.

State department of education: responsible for carrying out the policies of the state board of education and the laws passed by the state legislature. Most schools, school districts, colleges of education are strongly affected by the policies and actions of the state department

The state creates local school districts to facilitate local control of education. their purpose is to carry out education in a manner that conforms with state policy

Local school board: represents the citizens of the district in setting up a school program, hiring school personnel to operate the schools, determining organizational and administrative policy and evaluating the results of the programs and performance of personnel.

Superintendent of schools: is undeniably the most powerful officer in the local school organization. The most important function is gathering and providing information to the local school board so its members can make informed decision.

School Principals: are generally considered to be a part of the administrative organization, directly accountable to the superintendent and the local school boards. Principals usually interview prospective faculty members and make faculty assignments, supervise and evaluate staff members, schedule students and classes,  manage school budget, administer district discipline policies and procure and dispense supplies. Most importantly, principals are expected to function as instructional leaders for their schools.

Among the most influential forces on the schools are professional education organizations
such as the National education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. State politicians pay attention to these organizations because of their power to influence.
Site based decision making: tended to increase teachers power. The key is that most changes needed to occur at the school level.

Parents are their children's first and primary teachers and the only ones who follow a child’s progress from year to year. PTA or PTO serve as a communications link between parents and the formal school organization with teachers usually acting as representatives of the school. Most PTO are comparatively impotent in achieving educational aims. Strategies to improve partnership between parents and teachers are: frequent parent teacher conferences, homework hotlines, email, workshops and volunteer programs.

Business: have been at the forefront of efforts to restructure public education. They have become both the strongest critics and the staunchest advocates for public schools. Business have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to improve elementary and secondary schools. One major effort on the part of business is to influence school reform is the business roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of the leading U.S. corporations. Many Business leaders are convinced that education reform is essential to the health of U.S. economy

Federal government: The U.S. supreme court has played a particularly important role in changing educational policy in the country. Because of its ruling have altered or reduced the power of state and local educational authorities. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the U.S. supreme court ruled that the doctrine of “separate but equal” had no place in public education.

Categorical grants: money that must be spent for designated purposes. Stated generally in the legislation and more percisely by the federal agency administering the funds.
Block grants: are sums of money that come with only minimal federal restrictions and are transferred from the federal government to the state governments as a block of money rather than by categories.

The federal government's most significant efforts have sought to address the needs of children from high poverty areas which are at risk for educational failure. The Compensatory education, is an approach to creating more equal educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.

Chapter 10 Reflection

In the year 2020 many things will change. From technology and books and if we went a bit further, the reduction of paper. Also a change that I predict will occur is we will no longer have traditional school desk, making room for computers.

Technology will change our schools completely. In fact, it already has but in the next decade, teachers will use computer programs even more so to teach lessons. Teachers will be using web based programs to post assignments or classroom bulletins. Seeing that this is through the World Wide Web, students will be able access their classroom information from anywhere. The school's curriculum will be more computer based than it is now. Computers today is how students learn and at the rate that technology is being introduced in schools, students will only be using computers with the teacher as the facilitator.
Teachers will be able to post the assignment for the day or week and with each student having a computer, they will be able to have that lesson pop up on their screen giving them the ability to view and perhaps write their own notes which is where the reduction of paper comes into play. Teachers are now asking for powerpoints and other means of presenting and turning in assignments. Some teachers are now preferring to have students email assigned homework to them. With “Word” students are able to write their papers and send it out through email. Paper in this manner will certainly be reduced.
I forecast that there will no longer be the traditional student desks in the classrooms. The classrooms will have computer tables that run the length of the classroom allowing for more room, much like a computer lab but in a regular classroom setting. Each student will be assigned a computer and through it, they will be able to view the lesson as the teacher is presenting it.
One of the biggest changes I see taking place in the future in our schools is textbooks. With the introduction of the Ipad and kyndal, schools will slowly set aside the hard copy textbook and instead give each student access to their class textbook through these devices. Students will be able to take quizzes on the lesson and perhaps their exams, much like we do in online college courses.
Many changes have already occurred in our schools but with technology today making a big impact in our present day, technology is where our educational change will occur in the year 2020.

Chapter 9 Reflection

In reading Chapter 9 I was confused about all the different types of philosophies that the chapter described. As the chapter continued to describe all the different types of philosophies,I began to see how a teacher needs to have a philosophy to guide them. That each falls into a different category and how each is essential in how it affects a students ability to learn. Teachers each have a different philosophy from which they teach by. In taking the Philosophy of Education self inventory, I found that my philosophy of education leans toward Perennialism. It was an eye opener for me to see what I thought my philosophy was, ended up being the opposite. I believe that a student should be pushed to do his or her very best and that lazy work is unacceptable. This type of thinking was described as perennialsim in the chapter.
Some teachers chose to borrow from various philosophies by choosing what looks attractive. This can become a problem in that it show inconsistency and liable to confuse everyone. Therefore it is important that teachers adopt a philosophy from which to teach by.

I concluded that no matter what philosophy is adopted that moral values such as honesty, respect for others, and fairness should be taught in order for students to thrive in schools and in their communities.

Chapter 9 notes

Chapter nine discusses different types of philosophies that teachers use to teach students.
Philosophy as described in the chapter “forms the intellectual underpinning on which the practice of education rests.” Philosophy is divided into several areas that are important to teaching: Metaphysics, epistemology, axiology and logic.

Metaphysics: Involves the attempt to explain the nature of the real world or nature of existence. It tries to answer the question “What is real?” The curriculum explains reality to students and it represents what a community believes is worth knowing.

Epistemology: deals with questions regarding knowledge and knowing. Skeptics, question if we are really able to know what the truth is. Agnostics, are convinced that there are no truths. Epistemology deals not only with nature of truth but with the ways we can know reality. Teachers work to focus on helping students find the most effective  way of coming to know, gaining new knowledge.

Axiology: focuses on the nature of what we value and how we value it. hedonists believe in seeking pleasure an living for the moment. Stoics seedk to be unaffected by pleasure or pain. There are two subtopics for Axiology: Ethics, takes us into the realm of values that relate to good and bad behavior. Aesthetics: deals with the question of values regarding beauty and art. And lastly,Logic: is the branch of philosophy that deals with reasoning.

Four philosophies that are influential in American education: Perennialism, essentialism, romanticism and progressivism.

Perennialism: views truth and human nature as constant, objective and unchanging. In schools particular emphasis is placed on literature and humanities. Perennialists believe that traditional subjects provide greatest insight into the human condition. They believe that education is preparation for life and believe that is should not attempt to imitate life or be lifelike. They believe that a person learns through disciplined study of the great works and ideas of human history

Essentialism: is a uniquely American philosophy of education that began in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Essentialists do not focus as intently on truth as Perennialists do. They are less concerned with the classic as being primary. They search for what will help a person live a productive life today.

Romanticism: is based on writing of Jean Jacques Rousseau. They consider the individual more important than needs of society. The purpose of education is individual self-fulfillment. Education must help the students develop physically, intellectually, socially and morally.

Progressivism: views nature as being in flux, as ever changing. They believe that the place to begin an education is with students rather than the subject matter. They believe the school should be democratic in structure so children can learn to live well in a democracy and become good citizens

Behaviorism: is an educational approach that emerged directly from the pioneering research of B.F. Skinner. Skinner developed a theory called Operant conditioning which viewed learning as as the learner’s response to various stimuli. behaviorist uses clear objectives, establishes a learning environment that provides positive reinforcement, closely monitors and gives feedback on progress.

Eclecticism embodies the idea that truth can be found anywhere and therefore people should select from various doctrines, systems and sources. The eclectic teacher selects what he or she believes to be the most attractive features of several philosophies. Borrowing from different philosophies and determining which one will be most useful.

Teachers have different philosophies in which they use to teach their students. Which ever type of philosophy the teacher adopts they should include philosophies that teach moral values and those that the student can take and use for the choices they will make in the future.

Chapter 8 Reflection

Chapter 8 spoke about the issues that play a big role in a teachers life, ethics and laws.
Ethicis plays a big role in a teachers life. Teachers ethically influence students. The way they treat their students sends a very powerful message. By creating a classroom climate that is safe and that exhibits trust is another form of ethics that teachers should portray Showing and discusing values of respect, honesty and responsibility will influence students in real life events.
Most parents want their children to be taught by some one who upholds good ethical values. A teacher is some one whom the child spends most his or her day. Parents want teachers who will have a positive influence on their children. A teacher who has shows postive ethics will have a great influence on students. Those students will come to remember and appreciate it in the end. Ethics also plays a major role for teachers when it comes down to doing what is right. Speaking up when something is seen as not morally correct. and having the courage or willpower to act.
Teachers are also affected by the laws.  In the case for dismissal. The most commons reasons for dismissal are insubordination, incompetence and conduct unbecoming of a teacher.
Teachers have to be mindful of the laws imposed by their state as well as federal laws.They have to remember that the students also have their individual rights even after they graduate.
Even though some laws continue to change, teachers, for their own protection as well as those of their students should be reminded of what those laws are to protect themselves and those they are teaching.

Chapter 8 Notes

Using good ethics in teaching makes for special relationships with students and co-workers

Ethics=refers to a system or a code of morality embraced by a particular person or group
The characteristics of ethical teaching are: Appreciation for moral deliberation, meaning teachers need to see the complex dimensions of the problem and appreciate that care must be taken to protect the rights of others; Empathy: the ability to get inside the skin of another person. we need to feel what the other person is feeling. Knowledge: to deal effectively with ethical issues; Reasoning: means to reflect systematically on an issue; Courage: to be able to act in what is perceived to the be the right way.
Three ways to teach ethically are: Personal Example: The manner in which teachers treat students and the way a teacher works and the seriousness of their teaching sends a powerful message to their students; Classroom Climate: providing a safe and trusting environment for students will help students feel satisfaction in what they are learning; Ethical Dialogue: discussing with students the values of honesty, respect, and responsibility will help students in real life events.

Law=is a written rule that members of a given community must follow. Teachers are affected by the law.

Due Process=fairness. Due Process comes from two amendments, the Fifth Amendments states that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process law.” Fourteenth Amendment states that” no person should be denied the equal protection of the law.” Types of Due Process include: substantitive due process: has to do with the issue itself; and procedural due process: concerns the fairness of the process followed.

Contract= is a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties. Contracts differ from district to district and from state to state. Grievance=is the formal expression of a complaint about an unsatisfactory working condition. They usually concern disputes over working conditions. Continuing contract= states that it’s terms will remain in force until the teacher is given notice that the contract will be terminated on a particular date.
Tenure= teachers are hired on a probationary basis with the probationary period often lasting three years. State law determines when a teacher is eligible for tenure. It helps to maintain an adequate and competent teaching staff. Dismissal=to justify dismissals the school district must prove that the tenured teacher has violated some provision of the tenure law. Most common reasons for dismissal are: immorality, insubordination, incompetence and conduct unbecoming of a teacher. Liability= means blame. Meaning that the teacher is accept liability for a students injury
Reporting child abuse=teachers have the responsibility to safeguard students from the abuse and neglect from their parents and other adults. A teacher does not have to be certain that a child is being abused before they make a report. It is better to act than to be wrong. Assault and Battery=means a willful attack on another person that results in harm. Incidents should be reported immediately and disciplinary action demanded or legal charges filed.
Freedom of expression=includes symbolic expression=dress style and verbal or written expression. Academic Freedom= the freedom a teacher has to select course materials and to teach in a way he or she thinks fit. deals largely with issues in the classroom and the teachers rights as well as students to discuss ideas and read material of their choosing.
Absolute Academic Freedom=does not exist in K-12. Often generated a great deal of heat.

Teachers bring into their classrooms more than their minds but their attitudes and values

personal appearance, hair, clothes, and weight= teachers according the current view, do not have a constitutional right concerning their style of dressing and obesity may be it’s own punishment.
Private sexual behavior= courts have view a teachers private sexual habits as separate from their public lives as teachers. Conduct with students=allow a good degree of freedom when it comes down to their private and personal lifestyle as long as it does not affect their performance as teachers.

Students and the Law=most legal issues that affect teachers relate to students rights.

Suspension and Expulsion=example Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, schools need to keep in mind as the drug, violence, and drop out rate increases that some students are severely and deeply unhappy. Schools have three disciplinary alternatives; in-school suspension=for minor offenses and is brief in duration; out of school suspension and expulsion= are more serious and last longer periods with expulsion meaning complete separation from school.
Pregnancy, parenthood and Marriage= dismissing these students has been found to be discriminatory by the courts and a denial to their rights to education. Most schools make arrangements for the education of pregnant students
Corporal Punishment=the trend among states is clearly in favor of banning it.
Search and Seizure= a students locker may be searched by an appropriate school official, usually a school administrator if there is reasonable grounds to suspect that the locker contains something illegal. Authorities must have probable cause for believing that the person is in possession of something illegal to conduct any kind of search of a persons possessions.

Ethics and Law play an important role in a teachers career

One of the missions of schools is that they prepare our students for the future work force. Schools are being pressured by a number of sources pressuring schools to use technology.
1)Parents are placing pressure on schools to use technologies in the classroom. Parents are concerned not only that their children have access to technology in the classroom but also that the students learn technology skills that will allow them to compete in a jobs that are powered by technology 2)Students are placing pressure on schools by knowing more about which technologies are rcurrently available and how to use them than do teachers
3) Teachers are placing pressure on schools because they need both access to technology in their classroom
4) business are placing pressure on schools and governmental agencies to adequately prepare future employers.
5) The perception that the U.S . is falling behind the world in educational attainment has increased pressure on schools and teachers to bridge the gap. 6) Governmental agencies have moved to support federal, state, and local initiatives to ensure access to technology for K-12 students
computer applications can be classified as cognitive tools when used to engage and enhance thinking. Cognitive tools manage information in ways that allow users to think clearly, creatively and critically. Using cognitive tools often requires students to think harder, more critically or more creatively than they might without the tool. some examples of cognitive tools are:
research: archives provide a tremendous variety of information
analyzing data: spreadsheets and other analysis with multiple ways to view and think about data.
spread sheets: provide students with multiple ways to view and think about data

New technologies go through different stages of application. They are as follows:
1) Technology is applies to things we already know. Example: when teachers use power point or keynote. it is used to show text and pictures which is what over heads and projectors have done in the past.
2).Technology is used to improve upon existing tasks. Example:
3) The technology is used to do things that were not possible in the past.

Technology offers many tools for developing literacy. writing, communicating, and learning to read.
In science, technology can allow students to do legitimate scientific investigations on a scale that would otherwise be impossible In social studies: digital resources can be used to promote historical thinking and inquiry based learning Mathematics: techonolgy offers tutorials, and graphing calculators
Foreign Language: the world wide web and other communications tools open vast opportunities in foreign language education. Specail Needs: Technology tools can also assist students with special needs. In assertive technology: computers help in allowing students to participate in normal classroom activities that would otherwise be impossible it is a potential component of the individualized education (IEP) required under law for each child with a disability Blind students and their teachers can use a braille software which provides braille to print translations. Integrating technology into teaching can change the way a teacher delivers the content to the class. Teacher as a facilitator: a teacher is freed to become more involved in higher level evaluation of
performance.
Embedding technology in the curriculum: a new model of embedding technology skills within the context of the content. Small group instruction:  smaller group work are more conducive to active, engaged learning and student interactions. Technology can save a teacher time in areas of their daily work. Software Gradebook: keeps records of a student and parent information, calculate grades, Test generators: allow teachers to create a database of questions and then construct tests from them, IEP: helps manage paperwork involved, Time management tools: can be used for personal and academic purposes.

Chapter 7 Reflection

I have to admit that while in grade school I never did encounter the internet. I don’t think we even had internet during those days. But I do remember first being introduced to computers in the sixth grade.

Our computer usage was more for literacy testing in English class. It wasn’t like it is now that elementary school children actually go to computer class to learn how to use it for research and the like. I know my daughter, who is in fifth grade is encourage to do research for little projects her class has to do. I remember when my children started elementary school and I was told that part of the curriculum was using computers not just for testing but for research. I was truly amazed at what my children were learning from the interent. In my day, we didn’t have that. For my own research, we had to do it the old fashion way, looking up books in library using the card catalog or micro-fich for articles. Even doing my research papers when I first entered college was done through book sources only. For my composition class, it was all handwritten or typed on a type writer. We didn’t have word processors. Our technology was extremely limited.

I was not attending school or college when the internet was introduced. Even in college in the late 1980’s computers were limited therefore everything was typed. I was first introduced to the internet in the 1990’s when it was first introduced to the public. I had already graduated from high school in 1985. It was an amazing tool and now it is our life-line I say. We can not do anything without it. Most of the questions that we have can be answered through the internet. Every time my ten year old daughter asks me a question that I do not know the answer to, I tell her to “google it”. Most of our research is now done through internet sources. Now I can see why my college courses were so limited with the assignments back then and how they are much more different now due to the amount of resources we have in our computers.

The only game I remember playing was called an Atari. I can’t even recall when that was first introduced, perhaps late 1980’s but the game was a little ball that would bounce across the screen.
In reflecting on this topic, we have come along way since my days in school. The amount of technology is amazing. Teachers teach with it and students are encouraged to use it to prepare them for their future jobs. In our present day, we are so dependent upon it for our jobs and our daily lives. If we had all this technology when I was in elementary school, I would have much more literate in computers.

Chapter 6 Notes

Chapter 6 opens up by telling us that an effective teacher is one that is always reflects
and evaluates their attitudes, practices, effectiveness and accomplishments even when the lesson went well. The chapter calls this “reflective teaching”.

Difference between an “expert” teacher and a “novice” teacher:
Experts teachers:  “read” the classroom, they show a great ability to gather information in a short time for multiple purposes, focused on learning what students already knew about the subject matter to be learned, they demonstrate skill in planning and classifying problems and formulating solutions.
Novice teachers:  describe the surface characteristics of the classroom, plans to ask students where they left off in their books and then present a review of important concepts.

To be effective decision makers, elementary and secondary teachers need to have attitudes, knowledge and skills that are necessary to be able to teach effectively.
There are five areas of competence that are essential for a teacher
1. Attitudes that foster learning and genuine human relationships: there are four major categories of attitudes affect teaching behavior 1) the teachers attitude toward self 2) the teachers attitude toward children and the relationship between self and others 3) the teachers attitudes toward peers and pupils and parents 4) the teachers attitude toward the subject matter.
2. Knowledge of the subject matter to be taught: whatever subject you teach you should show enthusiasm for it. Enthusiasm is the key to teaching success.
3.Theoretical knowledge about learning and human behavior:
4. Personal practical knowledge: is the set of understanding teachers have of the practical circumstances in which they work. Personal practical knowledge includes the beliefs, insights and habits that allow teaches to do their jobs in schools.
5. skills of teaching that promote student learning: simply knowing something does not guarantee the ability to act on that knowledge. There is profound difference in knowing and doing. All prospective teaches need to develop a repertoire of teaching skills to use as they see fit in varying classroom situations.
Using a variety of approaches is essential to meet the many different needs of students.

Classroom management skills: Actions taken to create and maintain a learning environment conductive to successful instruction. Developing a teacher-student relationship, arranging the physical environment, establishing rules and classroom policies are examples of classroom management.

Academic engaged time: is the time a student spends being successfully engaged with the academically relevant activities or materials. Classes that are poorly managed usually have little academic learning time. a teachers major task is to keep the students engaged. 30 minuetes of lesson engage time is the average time a student should be productively engaged. Effective teachers are those who can manage their classes to that the students are academically and productively engaged.

Kounin’s Research: Identified concepts to describe teachers classrooms management behavior that were useful. Withitness: teachers who are “with it’ are those who communicate to pupils and appear to know what is going on. Smoothness: involves the absence of behaviors initiated by teachers that interfere with the flow of academic events. Momemtum: the absences of teacher behaviours that slow down the pace of the lesson.

Questioning Skills: it is the central feature of most classrooms. It’s not only to monitor student comprehension but to stimulate students to engage with the content, relate it to their knowledge and to think about it’s applications.

Wait - Time: Teachers should give students adequate time to respond to a question. Waiting 3 to 5 seconds before calling on a different student or giving the answer themselves. Questions require students to process and generate what is being asked, therefore they need more time  to think about their answers.

Planning Skills:  Effective teachers base their planning on a rich store of perceptions of classroom events and of their students progress toward educational objectives and content standards. Teachers do four basic types of planning: yearly, unit, weekly and daily. Planning should include consideration of how to involve students.