3.1415.........

So I am not even sure how I came across this but think it crazy. This 12 year old kid memorized pi to 340 decimal places. To be honest I had to look up what came after 3.14 because I didnt even know to three decimal places. Here is the link : http://www.kcci.com/r/25845894/detail.html

"Why Johnny Can't Disobey"

So this article does bring up a very good point in that maybe students that are too obedient in schools can be a problem. Most people tend to follow other and do what they are told even if it is "wrong". This was proven in the experiment performed at Yale where most people did shock others because they were told to do so even though it brought harm to others. I do think this is article is a little out there. If being too obedient in the classroom is a problem then I think the teacher needs to be evaluated on what they are teaching because as long as they are teaching appropriate things then there shouldn't be anything wrong with a student being too obedient. However as teachers I think we should give these kind of students more freedom that way they can make decisions on their own and are not so dependent on doing exactly what they are told. I think personally that most people would be able to make a better decision between right and wrong rather than just doing something because they were following someone such as a leader of a cult especially since people are more knowledgeable on the past situations that have occurred such as the Holocaust and Jonestown.

Other Classes and Scheduling

Abstract Algebra
So I feel accomplished that I have a B in Abstract Algebra and I feel like I might somehow someway be making progress in that class but it is very difficult. A B is plenty good for me in that class so I hope I can maintain it because I have an 83% and that is the lowest B you can have.

ME 320
Did you ask your cooperating teacher about interviewing a student? I understand what we are supposed to do and what it is for but don't really understand how it will truly benefit us. We were once students so we know how it feels if we are understanding the material or not understanding the material and our reactions to it. So I guess it hard for me to see why exactly we need to interview a student but o well maybe it will have some benefits to it.

Scheduling
So I think I have my schedule all figured out and hopefully get into all the classes I want to. I am still unsure about a couple of classes of what I am going to take. What time are you going to take 372? I forget what time Mary said she was going to.

My First Actual Lesson!

So I am going to be teaching my actual first lesson next Thursday and I am kind of nervous already. I have not even come close to teaching a whole class before. It works out great because the day before I teach they will take the chapter test so I will be starting a brand new chapter for them! I will be teaching one step equations so it is a very basic concept and think the students will be able to pick up on it pretty easily so that will make my job easier but we will see. I really hope I do a good job and that my cooperating teacher thinks I will be a good teacher and not completely screw it up. I am excited but really nervous so wish me luck!

How would you change/adapt the internet?

The internet can be such a powerful tool but can be strongly abused. There are so many things on the internet and people tend to abuse the power that is given to them via the internet. I think there should be restrictions of what people can do on the internet such as posting things. I think that more monitoring on the internet should emphasized especially for students in school. So many times we here about people searching different things on the internet that is illegal and harms people but people get away with it such as how to do different things. I think more emphasize should be placed on monitoring internet usage. I know this would be an extremely difficult task but I think we can do a better job than what is happening now.

Bullying Evaluation

Before listening, have students define bullying in their own words and fill in Cause and Effect graphic organizer as to what they think are causes of bullying and effects of bullying.
During listening, note statistics that interest them and continue to fill out Cause and Effect chart--make changes to what they have already predicted.
After listening, reflect on bullying and complete Cause and Effect chart and share with the class.

For evaluation, have students complete a 1 page journal entry on how bullying has influenced them if at all, and how they can be a part of the solution to the bullying problem. Share with a partner and have each partner give feedback to each other's ideas. Hand in to teacher and have teacher also give feedback! Completion and understanding points!!! 

Kourtney & Chris

Finally I Got to Go to the Schools this Semester!

So I had my first field placement yesterday morning at West Branch High School. It is a very nice school and reminds me of my high school except bigger and is very similar to Minerva in my opinion. My cooperating teacher is Mr. Alazaus and he is a really good teacher and is a huge technology buff. He uses the smart board for everything and I feel like I am going to learn a lot from him. He has this notepad that he uses for the smartboard so he can sit in the back of the class to teach and to also monitor the classroom. He jokes around with his students and has a good relationship with them which is what I want to have in my classroom. I am in a wide range of classes so I get a good variety. I am in an Algebra 2 class, basic algebra, and geometry. I am really nervous though to teach for the first time in an actual classroom but am glad I have well behaved students.

Field Placement!

I am very excited that we finally got our field placement. I am thrilled that we all like where we are going. You are obviously going to love Minerva and I think I am going to really enjoy West Branch as I have heard a ton of good things about it! And Mary got a pretty cool place as well. I know this doesn't relate to ED 355 but figured I would blog that way we are blogging back and forth something rather than nothing. I looked up my teachers schedule and when I get there he will be teaching Algebra 2 then into Geometry then back to Algebra 2. I hope teaching the lessons will go well because I am kind of nervous though. I am also nervous about getting our tests back in Abstract Algebra as well :(.

DRTA

So did you find any cool articles that you can use for your DRTA? I have a really cool article that I found for my resource list that I am going to use. It is titled The Legend of Soh-Cah-Toa
Mental Princess of the Ages and is by S.K. Martz. I found it and it was really interesting and there is a good chance I will use it in my classroom when I do start teaching. It would be a nice change of pace to things. If you want to take a look at it the link is <http://www.themathlab.com/writings/short%20stories/sohcahtoa/overview.htm>. P.S. I am very happy I don't have to share mine in class. Completely completely off topic but I just looked out the window and the sunset and the sky looks absolutely amazing! Sorry for the slight case of ADDness there. :) 

E book

E Book

E book

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Literacy Quote

“Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable.”

- Grace Slick

Intriguing Lines in An Ethic of Excellence

While reading through the second part of the book I found this lines very interesting and they stuck out from the other text. I am not sure I fully agree with them disagree with them or just how I feel about them in general. Most of them I agree with though. Here they are. "Oddly, test taking skills have little connection to real life. When a student finishes schooling, she is judged for the rest of her life on the kind of person she is and the kind of work that she does. Rarely does this include how she performs on a test. When we assess the growth and progress of our children, when we assess the value of our co-workers, it's not test scores but rather character and accomplishments that are the basis of our measure" (pgs 101-202). "Instead of working to build clever test-takers, schools would feel compelled to spend time building thoughtful students and good citizens" (pg 102). "The average education major in America is a below-average college students" (pg 121). "Almost half of America's new teachers leave the profession within five years" (pg 121). "Teaching isn't about papers and pencils; teaching is about relationships" (pg 124). Also the whole teaching as a craft section on pages 127-128. Do you have any reactions to these comments? The one comment that is hard to accept is the one where the average education major in America is a below average student because that kind of hurts because I think that you and I and most people are above average students.

Ethic of Excellence Response

I really do like the idea that Ron Berger presents throughout this book in how he establishes the culture in his classroom. It sounds like a very good idea and would want to implement in my classroom but I think it will be difficult to do so especially because so much emphasis is placed on standardized testing now in school. I think it would be difficult to convince some people that it is an appropriate way to teach in your classroom but easiest is usually not the best way.

Blog Review

"Judge Orders Partial Settlement of Doe vs. Ohio"

This was a court case regarding the free, appropriate, public education (FAPE). There are two parts in the lawsuit. The first part consists of the way Ohio funds special education and related services. The second part  challenged the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) procedures for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The partial settlement covers four things. 

1. The way ODE monitors local school districts and other agencies compliance with the IDEA.

2. The way ODE handles school districts’ requests for waivers of state standards controlling the delivery of special education services.

3. The way ODE operates its system for handling complaints about special education matters.

4. The way ODE corrects school districts’ failure to comply with the IDEA.

After about a year they finally made an agreement.

1. ODE to provide public involvement and access to information regarding its IDEA monitoring systems. Local school districts must post for public review local districts’ performance and hold open meetings to hear concerns.


2. ODE must provide protections and additional oversight when a waiver to the state requirements for class size are requested by schools. Parents in the district whose children would be affected by allowing the rules on class size, case load and other factors, must now be given notice of requests for such waivers before ODE can decide to give the waiver. Waivers cannot deny FAPE to affected students.


3. ODE must provide additional notice to parents/guardians of the complaint process and advocacy resources when a parent files a state level complaint. ODE is required to conduct a more thorough investigation of complaints which challenge the delivery of FAPE, or a school’s failure to implement due process hearings or state level review decisions, and the inappropriate use of restraints or seclusion. ODE must correct violations of the law in a timely manner.


4. ODE must enforce complaint timelines and mediation cannot delay these timelines.


5. ODE must enforce state and federal standards and require a district to correct failures within one year. Penalties may be applied for failure to correct.


The two lists are from "

Judge Orders Partial Settlement of Doe v. State of Ohio"  from Wordpress.com

5 Favorite Books

1) The Cure

2) The Hobbit

3) The Giver

4) Eat, Pray, Love

5) The Notebook

First Post

Here is my very first post. Hopefully it will work.