676: The Importance of Search: An Ideological Stance for How to Approach Secondary Social Science

In Social Science, I believe one of the most important skills to teach our students is how to effectively use search. From my experience in a seventh grade class, I have discovered that students do not have the funds of knowledge when it comes to researching credible sources on the internet.

This is not just a skill that is pertinent to Social Sciences. It is a life skill that can create job opportunities in the future for many students that come from a resource challenged background.

In order to do so, I have decided that there will be two approaches, behaviorist and 
constructivist. 

The best feature about a constructivist approach is using the funds of knowledge from all students in the class. In all cases of learning, there is always inequity in a given class. The higher level learners are known as more knowledgable others, or MKOs. Jamarillo (1996) illustrates the importance that this student role “ is therefore vital to the learning process for all initiates who learn higher forms of mental activity via more knowledgeable peers and adults who jointly construct and transfer this activity primarily through language.”  Students that have more technology literacy can help the students that do not quite have the funds of knowledge yet.

I have witnessed firsthand on how vital MKOs are in an EL setting, especially as an instructor whose Spanish is very limited. This method allows students who are soon to be reclassified to help students that do not have the same language capabilities. As a social science instructor, it is my understanding that I may have an entire class dedicated to ELD students. A sociocultural environment allows for these students to talk about subject material in their L1 and L2.

Jamarillo (1996) describes the behaviorist approach by stating: “Those educators who adhere to behavioristic, cognitivistic, and positivistic theoretical frameworks tend to instruct their students in a teacher-centered mode, whereas those who adhere to constructivism, collectivistic, and thematic holistic theories tend to teach students in a collective learning environment.”

This sounds contradictory, but it is my philosophy that students need several ways to see something done before they use their peers as a source.  Some skills need to be taught directly by the instructor, namely the skill of properly using the internet as source.

In my future lessons, I believe I will strive for a 50% balance between sociocultural and behaviorist methods.  This will be altered based on the needs of the whole group. If the class does not adhere to the norms that are required in a sociocultural environment, the direct behaviorist approach will take precedent.

While there is also a contradiction between both learning methods,  but there is a way to use them in one lesson. I have witnessed firsthand the value of a sociocultural learning environment. This is why I will incorporate the Gradual Release model more often than any other instruction method. This flexible method of planning lessons allows for a way to incorporating both approaches. Students can use think-pair-share after mimicking the behaviors of the instructor.

During direct instruction, I plan to often check for understanding by using questioning. This will allow students to have a voice, and hear the correct responses from their peers in a time where they may not be used to having an opportunity to share.

In social sciences, it is necessary to create a sociocultural learning environment so that students investigate cause and effect, collaboratively. However, in order to teach real life skills, such as search, students will need to receive direct instruction before learning from one another, so that the more advanced students may then help their peers.

How does this environment look?
My classroom will be arranged in quadrants. I plan to address each quadrant equally. The quadrant closest to me, will be the one behind me. during group, or pair work, I will have my back facing students that are closest to me, and talk at a distance to other groups. This way, I am facing the students furthest from me, but I maintain a close proximity. It was suggested by my curriculum professor, Dr. Botz, that this is the ideal seating chart when trying to implement a constructivist learning model. I also had a seating chart similar, but the students were divided in half, not in quadrants.I look forward to finding the ideal seating arrangement. This is what it may look like when I enter my first year of teaching:

References

Jaramillo, James A. "Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and contributions to the development of constructivist curricula." Education, vol. 117, no. 1, 1996, p. 133+. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A18960235/BIC1?u=usocal_m ain&xid=e850616a. Accessed 9 February 2019.

676: Is Learning an Art or a Science?

Is learning an art or a science?
Learning is both an art, and a science.

The purpose of this post is to analyze which method of learning is more effective: logical (science) or creative (art).

At it's core, learning sounds like it would lean more heavily towards being a science, since science is based on logic, and learning typically requires logic. I believe that learning is based in science, but it this is dependent on how well a student can use their imagination to learn, which is why learning is an art.

Here's why I believe that learning leans more heavily towards art. In fifth grade, my teacher taught us a song that alphabetized all fifty states in America. I still remember this song. If I used my rational, scientific brain, to try to memorize all fifty states, it would be much more difficult. Additionally, if someone were to ask that I recite all fifty states, it would be much easier to recite the song that I memorized.

That's a social science example, but I also remember a song that my chemistry teacher taught us in high school to learn the ideal gas law. I only remember this formula, because my teacher presented it in song. I have no idea why or how to actually apply the formula, twelve years later, but the fact that I am able to still remember the formula, and all fifty states, shows how effective incorporating art into learning can be. This is an example of science relying on the art of learning to enrich understanding and foster memorization.

Math can be referred to as the antithesis of art, but how can we best learn math? Below is an example incorporating art.

Math uses art to enhance understanding.

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This is a fundamental building block for learning math in secondary education. It translates to Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. This is a mnemonic device that is used to teach students that are first entering Algebra. Implementing a mnemonic device requires creativity, not logic. If the biggest principle in math is taught by using an artistic mnemonic device, it would be short sighted to say that learning does not lean towards being an art.

All subjects require the scientific method in some cases. Learning as a science may be the foundation, but it the incorporation of art allows us as teachers help our students learn more abstract concepts. It is my firm belief that if we treat learning as a science, we can still produce graduates, but  it does not foster long term retention the way that learning as an art does. So if we, as teachers, know that mnemonics, song, and story enhance learning, we must enhance our craft and become more creative as teachers, to ensure retention.

References
Wegner, G. (2015, November 1). A Silly Way to Memorize Math Formulas. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://youtu.be/CvJEpbZLRhE.

676: Literacy in Social Sciences

Schools are vital to civic engagement.  I believe my equity and access section spearheads the pedagogical stance on how exactly this would be implemented, but there are multiple ways that schools foster civic education. The first approach focuses on what it means to actually become a citizen, the second will focus on the idea of how.

Ogle, Klemp, Mcbridge (2007) emphasize that schools are communities. They are the only institutions with ability to mandate almost every young person in the United States. They are also the institution that is best suited for addressing what good citizenship looks like. This is the foundations for why public schools started. This is a space where young people learn how to formulate argument on issues that face society. This form of literacy, rooted in citizenship, will be a life skill that is necessary for students to  participate in the civil discourse. 

It is the obligation of Social Science instructors to teach our students how to participate in the republic that is America. This is civic literacy, and it supersedes all other forms of literacy in the discipline.

Moving forward, there is also a method to creating the path towards citizenship. The unique aspect of Social Science can be found in the name. It is a science. Zygouris-Coe (2015) eloquently states that (historians) "are involved in an ongoing scientific process of collecting, interpreting facts and evidence from multiple sources." This means that Social Science instructors need a STEM background to properly convey information so that is accessible for all learners.

I echo these sentiments. Social science is about building literacy skills and fostering students to engage in the scientific method. There are many avenues to develop a course that includes field or line research that foster implementing the scientific method while discovering what it means to be a citizen.

References:

Ogle, D. Klemp, R. McBride, B. (2007). Building Literacy In Social Studies. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Zygouris-Coe, V.  (2015). Teaching Discipline-Specific Literacies in Grades 6-12.

676 and 674: Equity and Access for English Learners and Students in Special Education

In the MAT program, we address several ways to address a myriad of diverse learners who all bring their various funds of knowledge to the classroom. To ensure there is equity and access for all students, I have highlighted several articles covering a wide range of approaches. 

The underlying theme is based off an acronym I created in my Equity and Access course, during the Spring 2019. This idea that classroom environments should offer Safety, Affirmation, Fairness, Empathy and Equity, or (SAFE). Fergus, Noguera, and Martin (2014) describes that students need to be in a safe, affirming environment to succeed by saying how “educators supported them influenced how intellectually interested they were in school. This in turn is also related to feelings of safety, fairness, and belonging that they perceived in school.” This is the underlying idea for SAFE, and it is also the idea for how I will develop my strategy for equity and access, including the strategies to be implemented.  These include: autoethnography, oral and written narratives, culturally relevant pedagogy, and implementing sheltered content instruction for English learners and learners with special needs. 

Here are ways that I will make my lessons more accessible to English learners and students with special needs. I believe that I can confidently approach students with all learning needs. 

Autoethnography
The MAT program challenged us to create our own autoethnography. The process of creating my own, and having a safe space to discuss situations where I have felt marginalized helped me grow as a person and a student. I firmly believe that this would benefit my future students. I plan to implement weekly digressions at the beginning of the week so that students may have the time to reflect on things going on with their lives. Camangian (2010) reported on the use of autoethnography in classrooms to foster literacy. The "findings suggest that autobiographies increased students knowledge of self and, upon recognizing one another's all-too-familiar struggles, the classroom climate became more conducive to constructing a critical common identity among youth of color." It is my firm belief that this can be used for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The use of autoethnography, in regards to social science, could help foster social change for marginalized communities, by simply starting a dialogue. By participating in autoethnography exercises, students receive affirmation, and a sense of safety. 

Oral and Written Narratives
To ensure that EL and special education  students are in a fair academic setting, I plan to lean heavily on their oral narratives, so that they can efficiently construct better written dialogues. This will help English learners and students with special needs. This fosters affirmation, safety, and equity. Johnson and Freedman (2001) state that "by creating classroom environments where students can story together, teachers help students build their social skills, scaffold their knowledge of school subject matter, and become critical thinkers." This will allow my students, who are EL's to construct knowledge, get more confident in speaking, and foster new ideas by sharing. This is contingent that the students are in a safe sociocultural environment. 

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Culturally relevant pedagogy requires empathy from the instructor. In social science, much is focused on the dominant culture. This requires to put the students needs above all. Howard (2003) states that the "call for a culturally relevant pedagogy is situated on the belief that many of the current educational practices and philosophies that permeate schools have failed miserably when it comes to educating students from culturally diverse and low income backgrounds."  The stakes are too high to teach a Eurocentric social science curriculum. The standards may drive lessons in Social Science, but they can be interpreted so that the representation of all communities is addressed, not just the dominant culture. Culturally relevant pedagogy also means teaching about oppression, which requires high levels of empathy, while maintaining a safe environment for all learners.

Sheltered Instruction
To ensure appropriate access for EL's and special education students,  I have incorporated several Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) methods, ensuring fairness. Echevarría and Graves (2011) state that sheltered instruction entails: "1. Vocabulary work done in small groups, 2. Reported definitions aloud, paraphrasing, 3. Read aloud in groups with support, 4. Class discussion with visuals, 5. Hands-on activity." These strategies would ideally be implemented in an ELD class or for my special education students.

These ideas are also discussed in by Ralabate (2016) in regards to universal design. The graphic  organizer on page 80 states that when taking notes to encourage students to use formats of their own choosing and permit the use of multiple forms of media. She also discusses providing examples for students and implementing digital response models.

The next generation of students respond well to technology, I believe implementing various mediums, such as Google class can help me provide constant feedback. They will also provide ways to consistently modify lessons for all learners.

Data Driven Instruction:
Bocala (2015) provides a guideline for how educators can evaluate their students. There is a glaring need for collaboration. This will help me consolidate behavior and academic issues within my class.  As a future teacher, I plan on collaborating with the special education instructors frequently to ensure that I provide a SAFE environment for all learners.


Conclusion
By using the model of SAFE, I can effectively look at what strategies can meet all the criteria. Most of the strategies There is also issue of providing less restrictive placements for students, allowing them to move, and incorporating the least restrictive environment. I believe that all of these methods can meet the criteria so that students can have more mobility, since all methods are student centered. In terms of special education here are my views. There are “activity setting features that promote success... the environment is dense with occasions for authentic problem solving and communication of the process and products of problem solving, "(Rueda, et, al 2009).

References
Candice Bocala, Kathyrn Parker Boudett. 2015. The Data Wise Improvement Process, Cambridge, MA. Harvard Education Press.

Ralabate, Patti K. (2016). Your UDL Lesson Planner. Paul H. Brooks Publishing Company.

Edward Fergus, Pedro Noguera, Margary Martin. 2015. Schooling For Resilience: Improving The Life Trajectory of Black and Latino Boys, Cambridge, MA. Harvard Education Press.

Camangian, P. November 2010. Starting with Self: Teaching Autoethnography to Foster Critically Caring Literacies. Teaching of English. 2nd ed., Vol. 45. National Council of Teachers of English. 191-195. Retrieved from Ares.

Tyrone C. Howard, 2003, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Ingredients for Critical Teacher Reflection. Theory Into Practice. Ohio State. Volume 45, 3. 191-1995. Retrieved from Ares.

Jana Echevarría, Anne Graves, Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English Learners with Diverse Abilities. Pearson. Boston, Pearson. Retrieved from Ares.