Classroom Instruction that Works

I chose the book “Classroom Instruction that Works:  Research-Based Strategies for Creating Student Achievement” by Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering and Jane E. Pollock for my book review. The authors all have very extensive resumes.  Dr. Marzano has written over 30 books and written 150+ articles on educational topics.  Dr. Pollock consults with schools to improve student learning and teaching practices.  She has co-authored many books.   Dr. Pickering is also the author of many related books.

The book is broken into 13 sections.  Nine of these sections address specific areas of instructional strategies including “Cooperative Learning” and “Homework and Practice.”   This YouTube video deals with Chapter 7:  Cooperative Learning and this one goes along with Chapter 8:  Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback.

This past year, after viewing our NWEA test results, Wahpeton High School teachers identified an area of need for our students.  Our students are lacking in the ability to summarize nonfiction.  This area was seen as a problem throughout the curricular areas.  I remember thinking at the time “how do you teach summarizing?”  It seems like we (at the high school level) assumed this was skill the kids knew, when in fact, they did not.  Chapter 3 of this text is titled “Summarizing and Note Taking.”  An example from the chapter says to teach the “Rule-Based Strategy” for summarizing.  

The rules are:

-Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to understanding.

-Delete redundant material

-Substitute superordinate terms for lists (e.g., “flowers” for “daisies, tulips, and roses”).

-Select a topic sentence, or invent one if it is missing.

I thought this was a great way to teach students summary.  The rest of the chapter had some good information about note taking as well, which I feel is another area of deficiency for students.

Another interesting point was made in the “Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition” chapter.  The generalization provided was that “not all students realize the importance of believing in effort. . . studies have demonstrated that some students are not aware of the fact that the effort they put into a task has as direct effect on their success.”  As a teacher, I am sometimes quick to say that a student failed to put forth any effort, but I never realized that maybe that student didn’t realize that effort could equal success.  This piece of research supports the theory that teachers need to explain the effort belief to their students.

Overall, the book was very informational and offered many research based ideas and strategies.  Unfortunately, it was very dry and hard to read.  I appreciate the fact that the methods in the book are research based, but often I felt that all of the research citing took away from the fluency of the book.  I would recommend it to someone who was looking for solutions in a particular area so that that person could read a specific chapter but I’m not sure I could recommend the book as a whole for some leisurely summer time reading.  Oh, and save the 25 bucks.  Check it out of your local library.

 

"My best friend is black."

“If you’re surrounded by whites, you have something to prove,” says Sam Boarkye, who attended Ohio State University.  An article in the New York Times entitled “Interracial Roommates Can Reduce Prejudice” states that several university studies have found that having a roommate of a different race can reduce prejudice, diversity friendships and even boost black students’ academic performance.  But, the research also found that these relationships are more stressful and more likely to break up same-race pairings. Boarkye is the only black student on his floor and feels that he is pushed to do better so that he can disprove the stereotype that black people are not smart.

When I first read this article, I was not surprised by the findings at all.  I can personally attest to this type of behavior by minorities. For my first year of college, I had a black roommate.  This was not because of race; this was because we were from the same high school. At that time, there were about twenty Afro-Americans on campus.  We were all either in sports or directly related to someone who was in a sport. At that time, black people were not lining up to go to school in North Dakota, a lot of us were victims of some type of misfortune.  Whatever the reason, all of us felt that we had something to prove.

Black people are told from when they are very young that it is not enough for us to do just as well as everyone else.  We are always pushed to do better in anything that we do because there are too many prejudices otherwise. So when we are around a group that is predominately white, we try to exceed all expectations.

It is the same now.  I live in Wahpeton, North Dakota, which is not exactly the multicultural center of the universe.  When I meet people, they assume that I play a sport at the college (NDSCS).  They are not quick to assume that I am a student that does not play a sport, or a teacher at the local high school.  To me, these are honest mistakes (though stereotypical) and not something that I should be angry about.  I figure that I must try harder to get my name out in the community so people will know that we have black community members along with athletes.

Minorities in general have more pressures than most non-minorities realize.  Every time we are in public, we have a responsibility of crushing stereotypes that the general public may have. Sometimes, even we forget that.

Academia hinders technology

Class! Be sure to text me your homework, if you are sick, update your Facebook status; and I better not see you on Xbox online tonight!!

Has anybody played Dance, Dance, Revolution (better known as DDR)?  Well, if you haven’t, you are missing out on quite a workout.  I first encountered this game in an arcade when I was on summer break from college living in Alaska.  It was a huge machine with an interactive dance floor.  For those who may not know, not only must you hit a certain spot on the dance floor, but you also have to coordinate it with a specific time.  So, right place, right time. Better yet two people are able to go head to head, making this experience twice as fun.  Ten dollars and five but kickings later, I was sent home with my tail between my legs by kids (whose ages ranged from five to fifteen years old).

When I read an article like “High school students devote more hours to TV, Internet and video games” I get a little upset.  Not so much at the students, but at grown ups. Many schools are doing all that they can to update the facility and staff on new technologies.  A lot of teachers are taking continuing education classes on integrating these technologies in the classroom.  But is academia doing everything that we can to keep up with the technology of our students?  For example, how many of us Twitter, have a Facebook page, know how to make a blackboard classroom, have used Garage Band, In design, or any of the creative applications that come standard on a computer? Ask yourself; can you use all of the capabilities on your cell phone?  If you said yes to these things, congratulations, you are in the minority.

These are the types of instruments that our students are using and most schools ban these things because we feel that the students will not use them appropriately.  Because of this “don’t see it, don’t teach it” type of thinking, kids explore and become way more advanced than us. Some of us do not ever desire to use some of these programs and instruments in our everyday life, but does that mean we don’t explore it and teach proper usage?

I am an English teacher, I want to use blogger.com, imovie, garageband, everything I can get my hands on.  But I am limited because everything is blocked by the state.  If I were a gym teacher I would look at some of the Wii games as rewards and alternatives to standard curriculum.  I think we need to open our minds about these types of technologies instead of looking for ways to divert students away from them.  Think about it, prohibition drove liquor sells through the roof. If we want kids to limit the hours kids spend staring at a screen, give them screen time during the school day.

Stay up on all of the latest technologies at by visiting this site.

NY to cut staff development days

I am convinced that teachers have a love-hate relationship with staff development days at the beginning of the year.  Think about it, you have been at home the whole summer, you are probably sick of your own kids and need a change of scenery, or you are ready to once again mold the minds of impressionable youth.  Once you get to school, you are excited to hear about summer stories, i.e. births, fishing trips, makeovers, etc. (admit it, we are no better than the kids on their first day). This is the part that most of us come to love on the first day of school.

What teachers usually can’t stand are things like session topics, which usually are the same every year; length of time spent in those sessions, which could go up to (but not limited to) two hours long; and the simple fact that some people will never get time to set up their classroom for the first day of students.

A New York Times article entitled, “Principals Denounce Plan to Cut Two Training Days,” A tentative agreement reached between the city of New York and the teachers’ union would eliminate two days of staff development before the first day of school, saving the city $2 billion over 20 years by rolling back pension benefits for new teachers. The New York City principals union does not agree with this decision. “It’s very important that we set the tone correctly on day one,” says union principal, Ernest A. Logan.

Once again, education is looked at for a place to save money.  I don’t understand what some people are thinking nowadays.  If teachers are not educated, students will not be educated.  If students are not exposed to as much as possible, they will not be well-rounded adults.  I think that there are better plans than this that could be explored.  The fact of the matter is staff development days are a joke to a lot of faculty, staff, and administrators.  They are usually inefficient and the information that is given is usually something that was explored in a previous year. Staff development days are something that should be used for staff development.  I would like to see districts do things that would help teachers excel with their continuing education. There are many teachers, like us, who seek continuing education credits to better ourselves in our profession.  Why should we be subject to more staff development days that would not grant us any kind of credit?  I would like to see districts reform their staff development days.

Is doing your job putting your job in jeopardy?

I looked up at the clock and it was 9 am.  “Break till 9:10!” I said.  The class gasped and vanished from my sight in two minutes flat.  I thought that I would check my email and catch up on the day’s news.  It is summer school and I am teaching speech class, which is required in the Wahpeton School District.  I look at the subject line of my first email -- “Upsetting News,” I thought, “great, who else died?” But when I opened the email, it would not only change the way I teach, but ponder my longevity in this profession, again.

I received the email from Jeremy Murphy, West Fargo High School, advisor to one of the best high school papers I have seen in a long time and a fellow journalism advisor and visionary, who took a floundering organization and revitalized it to semi-greatness (it has been a tough road for him, but he is doing well). To summarize, the email said that he and his administration had different ideas on high school journalism and that he was removed from his position as advisor.  The next day, this article was printed in the Fargo Forum a day after that another article was published.

As a journalism advisor, I am upset that something like this would and could happen.  The administration felt that a story about them was not good enough to be published because the kids uncovered an issue that would make West Fargo look bad, wow.  For those who are not familiar with high school journalism, a school has the right to pull a story from a high school publication if they feel that it will disrupt the functionality of the school, which is called the prior review policy. But, the school must have a prior review policy set in place.  If West Fargo told Murphy not to publish something and he did anyway, then the termination would be valid. If the school had no policy, then West Fargo is going to look really bad in the coming months.

            This always poses a problem with advisors across the country. We teach students that we build up our school and never tear it down with slanderous or libelous assaults.  On the other hand, advisors also teach that students have a responsibility to find the truth; when they find that truth, no matter how unpopular it is or how unpopular it makes them, they have a responsibility to tell it.  That is not libel or slander; that is good journalism.

            As a parent, I would be worried about my student’s rights in a public school that hinders the students from seeking the truth.  We always talk about how we want kids to explore and dare to be great. Yet, schools only want that to happen when the school is in a good light. 

The Opportunity Not Taken. . .

I am going to tell the truth, I WANT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Don’t laugh, it is very true and I will to attain this goal. Now there is some motivation as to why I want to do this.  They are:

1) I want to be able to do things and see things that most people dream of,

2) gain as many titles as possible. Titles equal power, and power, when used correctly, helps you get what you want, when you want it; and

3) I am competitive, I want more than what you have (which is funny because I am a teacher).

What I am going to talk about are the ways that I plan to take over the world.  Hopefully, you will see what action I am taking and strive for the same goals.

            Let’s talk about my competitive side.  I am a jock, an English teacher jock.  I can run faster than you and I could whip you in a spelling bee at the same time (weird combination, right?).  I want a big house, I want to retire with a lot of money, and I want to own a lake home.  Many people look down on teaching because they say that you can never make enough money.  These people can only be more wrong if they believed that two plus two equals five.  There is a lot of money to be made in teaching, if you play your cards right.

            For example, some people will start out around $23,000.00; you can qualify for government assistance in some states making that kind of money (I did in Alaska). But, you only work 9 months out of the year; they are a trying, hard, and daunting nine months, but nine months nonetheless.  You have an opportunity during the summer to start your own business if you wanted.  You have an opportunity to take on other projects that will make money.  If you are an English teacher like me, you could tutor English or non-speaking English students, coach a team, or do something totally out of your realm.  That could be an extra $4,000.00 in your pocket.  Maybe you don’t want to work during the summer, fine, but some of you are due for a lane change, so why would you not work towards that.  Some lane changes carry a raise of about $1,700.  Even if it is less than that, every year that you do not change a lane or work towards your MS +45, you are missing out on free money.  Let’s be blunt, you are missing out on free money BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING LAZY (and you tell your students to take responsibility).

            Like I said before, I like titles so I am a part of three boards.  I am the SLATE representative for the NDCTE, I am Chairman of the EMAC for NDEA, and I am the Vice President of the Wahpeton Reading Council.  Yes, I am tooting my own horn.  Why would I partake in all of these extra-curriculars? Networking.  Knowing a lot of people is always a good thing, knowing people who are powerful in your profession is everything. That is how you get what you want, and a good way to secure your job, so rub as many shoulders as possible. Plus, those groups have sent me on trips (paid trips). FREE! Who doesn’t like free stuff? Which brings me to my last point, being able to see and do things that people only dream.  I got the opportunity this year to go to an international convention.  If you have not been to one, you do not know what you’re missing.  Not one of these regional ones, The International Reading Association Convention.  Different moneys that were put together by the reading council paid for all of this, check with your district. Lastly, everyone should be a part of an organization; it is your professional responsibility.

The motivation for this blog came when I was reading the NCTE magazine article entitled "The Results of the 2009 Elections Are In" online, which told about the current elections. It made me think about some things teachers could do to better our profession.

Are you worth $125,000??

In a New York Times article titled, “Next Test: Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers," a school in Washington Heights in New York City is testing the idea of offering that much money to teachers.  Some teachers who were hired include:

• A former trainer of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant,
• An explorer from Arizona who spent decades at public, private, urban, and rural schools, and
• An accomplished violinist

They are all part of an innovative charter school that will open in September.  Salaries will be set at $125,000, which is twice as much than the average New York City public school teacher earns and two and a half times more than the national average for teacher salaries.  Teachers will also be eligible for bonuses of up to $25,000 a year.

            The Equity Project (which is the school’s name) has the theory that better pay brings better teachers, not “revolutionary technology, talented principals, or smaller class sizes.” The school will pick students in a lottery that will “give preference to children from the neighborhood and to low academic performance,” mostly from Hispanic families. So far, they have received 600 applications.  The school will open this spring with 120 fifth-graders chosen.

I say that it is about time teachers get their due when it comes to pay.  Yes, this school will bring on a lot of challenges, but I feel that the teachers will take better control of their students’ education with a bigger paycheck.  All of us have been to a store, seen something that was pertinent to a lesson we were teaching, and bought the product knowing that we would not be reimbursed.  Some teachers say, “Well, if the school is not going to pay me for it, then the kids really don’t need it.”  Higher pay will help assuage any of those added costs of being a teacher.

What I do not like about this article is the way that the school (and the teachers) boasted about their background.  I can understand being proud of what you did and where you came from, but what I don’t like is the type of profiling that is shown in this article. Do the past experiences of some of these teachers make them a better candidate than someone who did not have the opportunity to do some of these things? No. Some of my best teachers were ones who were too poor to do a lot of things.  I believe that content knowledge takes a backseat to classroom management skills.  If I can't manage a classroom, then what does it matter if I know a lot about the subject?

Would you teach at a school that offered $125,000 a year even if you knew that your job might not be there next year?

Do better salaries bring better-qualified teachers?

Would you give up some of your technology in your school in order to have a bigger paycheck?