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//Back to Home// =Welcome to Amy's World! = = = Amy Eichstaedt: Choice book = = = =  // The Element // by Ken Robinson

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The Element is a term used to describe the place where the things we love to and the things we are good at come together. Ken Robinson used countless real life examples to illustrate the element. One example was a girl who was being judged in school as a trouble-maker. She was probably ADHD before it was ever discovered, so she was taken to a psychologist. Luckily the psychologist was wise enough to determine she needed to move in order to think and her gift for dance was discovered shortly after. The girl had found her “element”. Others are not so lucky. =====

= = The element is the intersection of natural aptitude and personal passion. Most of the examples describe people who have found their element and, therefore, feel like their most authentic selves. There are so many kinds of intelligences that can lead to one’s element. Robinson states three features of human intelligence. It has to be extraordinarily diverse, dynamic, and distinctive. = = Finding your element can be a challenge. There are personal, social, and cultural constraints working against you. You element might be risky financially (acting, writing, etc.) and thus your family may not approve. Even stronger is the cultural pressure of friends and cultural stereotypes that might make going after your element an uphill battle. = = Finally, luck itself can play a hand. The author himself was destined to be a soccer player until he was struck with polio as a child. Because he was placed into a school for the disabled, he has a passion for educational reform. He also became more studious and eventually went on to college to become a writer. He asserts that his life was changed due to circumstance and his ability to “reframe” the situation to make the best of it. He also attributes his ability to find his own element to a wonderful mentor that encouraged his studies. So many things have to be in place in order to find it that some of us might be a bit discouraged. Robinson says that some of us have several elements, not just one, but finding one or several elements is the key to a balanced and fulfilled life. = = He was a bit brutal on education, although most of it rang true for me. He said that Education should be one of the main processes that take us to our element, but often it has the exact opposite effect. Did you know that George Harrison and Paul McCartney did not even like music in school and no music teacher ever noticed they had any musical talent? He also says that standardized tests provide essential data to support and improve education. The problem comes when these tests become the focus of education, instead of just a tool. Finally, too many educational reform movements focus on being teacher-proof. The most successful systems in the world invest in teachers! You have to love him for saying that! = = Ken Robinson challenges every single person to find their element. Have you found yours? Do you have more than one? What is it that makes you your most authentic self? = = * =* = * *
 * 1) ===== Our understanding of the range of our capabilities. =====
 * 2) ===== Our understanding of how all of these capabilities relate to each other. =====
 * 3) Our understanding of how much potential we have for growth and change.

=Writing a Book with 5 Chapters on Education=

**Chapter 1- __Curriculum__: The Heart and Soul of What We Do**
__Big ?__ - How can we meet ever increasing curriculum demands? __Books__ //What Keeps Teachers Going// - ch. 6 //Un-Standardizing the Curriculum// - ch. 3 __Activity:__ Bring in examples from your own classroom of where you have merged curriculum to illustrate working smarter, not harder.
 * 1) How can we rethink curricuum so we are working smarter, not harder?
 * 2) Why must education keep changing terminology when we are often essentially talking about the same things?
 * 3) What is the best way to meet all curriculum needs?

**Chapter 2-** **__Assessment / Data__: A Blessing or a Cross to Bear?**
Big ? - How can we still hold on to our educational integrityyet meet the expectations of standardized testing? __Books__ //Un-Standardizing the Curriculum// - ch. 4, 6, 7 __Activity__: Bring in examples of quick assesments that really work. Show an example of a data collecting technique used in your classroom.
 * 1) How can we make standardized testing work to our advantage?
 * 2) What is the best way to "teach to the test" while still accomplishing the curriculum?
 * 3) How can we fit in time to teach between all of the assessments?

**Chapter 3- __What Do Good Schools Look Like?__**
Big ? - How can we create a safe, healthy environment that enables all students to be successful? __Books__ //What Keeps Teachers Going// - ch. 9 Final Thoughts //Educational Foundations// - ch. 13, 14, 15, 16 __Activity__: In groups or as individuals design the perfect school. Consider things like collaboration, communication, design, layout, schedules, curriculum, interventions, inclusion, co-curriculars, adminstration, teaching assistants, assessment, class sizes, etc.
 * 1) How can we make sure students achieve success academically, socially, and emotionally?
 * 2) How do we find the balance between discipline and nurturing?
 * 3) How do we find the time for community building skills, guidance laessons, and academics?

**Chapter 4- Lesson Planning / Organization: The Nuts and Bolts**
Big ? - What is the best method to use to organize and focus your lesson plans? __Books__ //Teaching the Best Practice Way// - Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 __Activity__: Bring in an example of a lesson plan form you use with a lesson plan on it. Then transfer the lesson to a different format. Compare/Contrast.
 * 1) Does the method you choose depend on the teacher or the students?
 * 2) What is the best way to lesson plan with a focus on differentiation?
 * 3) Does certain subject matter or grade lend itself to certain organizational methods?

**Chapter 5- Special Education / Differentiation: What Sets Us Apart**
Big ? - How do we meet the needs of every learner in an inclusive classroom? __Books__ //Unequal Childhoods// - ch. 4 A Child's Pace //Educational Foundations// - ch. 8 __Activity__: Write out a description of a differentiated lesson and a description of several students in your class at different ability levels. Then you will trade with a collegue and describe how you would differentiate their lesson. Compare/Contrast/Discuss.
 * 1) How can we effectively differentiate with such a wide range of abilities?
 * 2) What is the best way to modify or alternate the curriculum?
 * 3) What is the best way to explain the lack of fairness in regards to differentiation to all age levels?

= * = = Interview with Grandpa: = ==== I had the honor of interviewing my grandpa. It was perfect timing. He just returned home to Wisconsin last week after wintering in Arizona. He actually has a home now in Arizona and just stays with my parents when he visits, but I still prefer to call Wisconsin his home. He is by far my favorite grandparent, so I immediately hit him up for an interview. He certainly fit the "elderly" bill since he turned 85 on Friday and we threw him a big party! Boy, did he ever have some educational stories! He went to 10 schools from kindergarten to 10th grade. Most in Indiana or Chicago, Illinois, but a few in Washington D.C. His parents moved a few times and he also stayed with godparents for a while. Some schools were public and some were Catholic schools, complete with nuns. I switched schools once in 7th grade and had to make new friends. It was very traumatic. I cannot even imagine changing schools ten times. Partly due to that, my grandpa views himself as an unsuccessful student and claims to have liked only math and recess. He walked to school every day until 9th grade. Then he took the public bus sytem to school. He was a bit proud to say he never had to ride a school bus. I took the school bus until I changed schools in seventh grade. Can't say I have much love lost for the school bus. In fact, I used to love getting picked up by my dad (It could also be the fact that he bought me a chocolate ice cream cone on the way home!). ==== ==== Here's the scoop- my grandpa had one teacher (no assistant) with 30-35 kids in each class. He had no music or art classes. Gym was taught by the regular ed teacher and was usually exercises with dumbells. In fact, all but one school he attended did not even have a gym. He recalls discipline as being a nun with a ruler to the back of the hand. In some cases kids had to write something one hundred times such as "I will not throw snow". Other times kids had to bang erasers or sweep the room. The length of the school day was the same as today and he still had summer vacation, but he remembers tests to be very different. Test were not written. The teacher said the questions orally and the students wrote down the answers. That way you had to pay attention. He also emphasized that every test was also a spelling test! Can you imagine! No spelling lists, just grading it along with their other work. (Hmmm...I like the relevance. I'll have to give that one more thought.) ==== ==== When I asked him about how his parents viewed education he said that he never really got any help with homework. However, one story told me that his mother cared. In the middle of his 5th grade year he switched schools. My grandpa told his mother that this teacher was different. She let the kids get up and walk around, go to the bathroom without a pass, and read a lot to herself. He said he had trouble with homework that year as well. His mother did not approve, so the next year she put him in a different school where he did 5th grade over again. There was certainly a standard expectation to how a classroom was to be run in those days. Almost every teacher was the same. Today's classrooms certainly allow for teacher differences and personalities. ==== ==== My grandpa dropped out of school after 10th grade. He did a few odd jobs, but really liked working in a factory where they made turrets for fighter planes in Washington D.C. Shortly after his 17th birthday he joined the navy and served in WWII. In the Navy he also took some math and english courses, which finally led him to get his GED while stationed in Hawaii. After navy life he did mechanic work in his garage while working as an apprentice to industrial engineers. It was after discovering that he knew more than some of the industrial engineers for which he was working, that my grandpa decided to go to college, funded partly by the GI bill and partly by constant hard work. (Did I mention that he married my grandma after the navy and they had five children during this time?) He went to Purdue and then MSOE part-time until he earned his industrial engineering degree. On the side, he had been teaching night school. He enjoyed teaching, so he went to UWMilwaukee for his teaching license and, upon graduation, took a job teaching machine shop at Miwaukee Technical High School (then called Boys Tech). Not bad for someone who dropped out after tenth grade and considered himself a poor student! If I sound proud it is because I am. ==== ==== When asked how he views education now, My grandpa says that he wished he had payed more attention. College was hard because he lacked some of the foundation. When he was in school he said that he liked his teachers, but they were not his friends and he rarely talked to them. As a teacher, he enjoyed his students, especially talking to them about his knowledge of naval avaition. I am in awe of his story. I feel like things were very easy for me - "handed to me on a platter" seems appropriate. I truly enjoyed my interview with my grandpa, especially the part where he told me how he met my grandma. She had told me years ago, but it was fun to hear his side of the story. It was a truly enlightening and enjoyable afternoon that I was honored to have had with him. ====

Deaf Culture Interview:
====My mom has been a sign language interpreter in an elementary school since I was in the sixth grade. I thought it would be nice to compare deaf students' educational experiences to my own, and then even compare the deaf student experience pre-inclusion and post-inclusion.==== ====My mom had studied sign language for more than a decade before beginning her job as an interpreter. However, interpreting for adults proved to be a great deal different than children. She had to learn new signs, simpler ways to explain things, and she had to get creative in order to not have to finger-spell many words (since the younger kids could not spell!). In the eighties, deaf students were mainly educated in separate classroom for reading, writing, and math. There were 8-10 kids with one deaf ed teacher and one interpreter. My mom had to fascilitate small guided groups that were designed by the deaf ed teacher. The students were often in the regular classroom for social studies, science, recess, lunch, and specials. It was then that my mom translated for the regular ed teachers, made sure the directions were understood, and remained close by in case she was needed. There were some extremely bright students that were in the regualr classroom all day with an interpreter, but my mom mostly worked with those who needed more help or had fallen behind. Unfortunately they were out of the classroom so much that it was difficult to ever catch up.==== ====In more recent years the deaf students have almost all been mainstreamed into the regular classroom for all subjects. My mom works with one or two children in a specific grade level all day. When there is enough staffing this model works well. It also succeeds when students are still pulled into small groups as needed. (Everything in moderation, right?)==== ====It seems that before inclusion was the norm, deaf ed students' education was very different from my own in regards to class size. They seemed to be isolated from their peers more so I am sure that our social experiences were very different. However, in recent years it would seem that our experiences were very similar in terms of what subjects we had, class sizes, and teachers. My mom is very diplomatic and says that both models had positives and negatives, but when the deaf students are placed with the right regular ed teacher all day, it can be very enjoyable and beneficial for all.====

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= Tiger Mother: = ==== After reading this article I was left feeling uneasy and enlightened. I understand better why Chinese children perform better in school and musically. The practice and expectations are beyond anything I would ever imagine or expect. I knew they were stricter but to get yelled at and degraded to achieve their goals seems too harsh for me. Their children perform better, but at what expense? The tiger mother says that when it is all over the children are not scarred from the rigorous lifestyle, but do they even realize what they are missing? Most blatantly - they are missing their childhood. Obviously, the parents were raised the same way, so they are not even aware of what they are depriving their children of. That is the part that makes me uneasy. I felt even awkward as I read it. The mom screamed until the child could play a certain musical piece. In the end the child was happy that she could do it. Of course she was. It was the onlyway to get mom to stop yelling and the only way she would receive praise. ==== ==== I do not pretend that all western parents know what is best for their children, and some are much too easy going. I often feel that school provides structure that is lacking at home. However, tiger mom goes to the extreme. I even find myself setting goals for my own kids and homework schedules, just to have them altered when a beautiful spring day develops. Last Sunday was the perfect day to spend outdoors with my family. We even did our homework on the deck. However, most of the day was spent doing fun things we had not done for months and I do not regret a single minute. Everything in moderation, right? ==== ====Amy, I hope you're ok with me writing on your page, but I agree with you. Everything in moderation. I LOVE that you guys had a family day and spent time outside. We live in WI so you never know what the weather is going to be like so you need to cherish when it's beautiful. I agree too that some parents are way too laid back while others like Chua are very extreme. Keep doing what you're doing! ==== = Pizza Journal: = ====After learning about Urie Bronfenbrenner I immediately thought of a student. Let's call him Joe. First of all, Joe's microsystem is lacking. He has changed schools 5 times in three years and moved to a new house or apartment a few more times than that. And he is not even finished with first grade! Joe misses at least 2 days of school per week. If he misses the bus, mom does not have a car to drive him to school. Needless to say, he has no consistency at school or home. Because of all the moving, he does not have any friends. It is difficult for hime to make new friends because he has aggressive tendencies due to the constant upheaval in his life. They belong to no church group or neighborhodd play area. The only constant in Joe's microsystem is his family - a single mom, 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Joe never has any homework done and no one ever took one single note out of his folder or took any interest in his work coming home. Joe's microsystem is broken and he cannot possibly then connect to the those things in the exosystem. He also has difficulty with the macrosystem and the laws and values of our culture since those things are not respected in his household. Joe has moved to another school now, after being in my class for 2 months. I am scared and sad for him. I fear one day I will see him again and he will be on the wrong side of the law, rebelling against his macrosystem since he never had the foundation needed to navigate and embrace it successfully.====

How Technology Affects Education:
==== Well, I would like to comment on the fiction vs. non-fiction problem. I believe that schools emphasize fiction texts way too much as opposed to non-fiction texts. As we enter into a digital age, the need to understand, analyze, and connect non-fiction texts seems more relevant. As an adult I read fiction books for pleasure a few nights a week after my children fall asleep. The rest of my day is spent reading teacher manuals, television news scrolls, emails, directions, and articles that people forward to me. All of these are non-fiction. Why such a heavy emphasis on fiction in schools then? I am not saying that we do not need to teach character, setting, problem and solution. I am merely saying that the proportion of non-fiction texts being read in schools should better match the proportion that adults read. Aren't we supposed to prepare them for the real world? And when I do teach them non-fiction units on bats, penguins, and frogs vs. toads, the students love it! They suck up the info like sponges! ====

FAVORITE WEBSITE: Starfall
Let's start with one of my favorite websites. It is an educational site that I first used with my first graders on a recommendation from a presenter at teacher's convention. I now use it at school and at home with my own children. First of all it is great because it is free, and let's face it, it is hard to find quality sites that do not want you to sign your life away. Second, it contains fun stories, songs, and games to go with specific vowel patterns and chunks. I can have the kids do a few activities to go along with whatever we are working on that week. In the beginning of the year they do this as a computer center. It has 4 levels. I have my first graders go to Learn to Read. I would recommend trying the "cane" activity next to number 6 if you want to get a quick glimpse. My son's favorite story is the "Car Race" if you have a few minutes.

* MY HUSBAND'S 15 MINUTES OF FAME: * TEACHER TUBE VIDEO: A Reading Strategy Song media type="custom" key="8077100" * So far most of the links were easy to do. I had fun finding a Teacher Tube video and a cartoon to insert. I am having difficulty with finding the "embedded" link that you need. Also, I do not have ant power point documents to put in. I do not use power point because we do slide shows on the SMART board more. Other than that I find this to be something I could utilize.
 * == Days of School So Far == || == Days of School Left == ||
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