Use of Technology: Middle School vs. High School

One of the largest differences between the High school (HS) and the Middle school (MS) was the use of technology within the school. The students at the HS did not have chromebooks, whereas the middle schoolers all had their own. According to my CT at the HS, the high school students will not be given chromebooks, as the district is planning to just give the younger kids chromebooks and it will eventually trickle up to the HS. Because I was working with all seniors, who primairly were focusing on senior project, my CT had managed to request one of the classroom computer labs for the entire school year. Although I've only witnessed one day of the middle school students using laptops, it would also appear as thought they use their time a lot more productively. In the HS, the classes I worked with used chromebooks the majority of the time, and despite having many upcoming assignments, a lot of them were using the chromebooks for entertainment.

At the middle school, the students have their own chromebook that they use throughout the day. During their homeroom, they grab their chromebooks from the charging station (each have their own assigned number). Our CT also has cases for the student's chromebooks hung around the room on command strips. Depending on what they are doing in class, the kids will use the chromebooks, but it is not yet required. Unlike other middle schools, this school is not yet forced to use a program such as Summit Learning, although our CT told us that they will (sadly) be implenting Summit into the classrooms next year.

During our first day at the middle school, the students were using their chromebooks to complete a writing assignment. They were working on imaginative narrative stories, as well as correct MLA formatting on their papers. The second day we were there, the students did not use their chromebooks at all, and instead read hard copies of The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe and The Dead Rising, which was a mini-play in scholastic magazine.

Based on what I have witnessed so far (including observations done prior to this semester), I believe that there is a time and a place for technology in the classroom. While it can be useful, if the students aren't making proper use of their time, the chromebooks can be more of a distraction. It can be challenging to monitor the activity of every student and make sure they are all on task. Sow how exactly can teachers ensure that the chromebooks are being used productively?

Relating UDL & CRT to Standards

As future educators, we have to be able to connect the different Standards to our lessons, the books we choose, and the strategies we implement in our classrooms. As my educational journey continues, I learn more about different teaching strategies and approaches that I can use in my own future classroom. This week we have spent time reading and discussing the text Culturally Responsive Design for English Learners: The UDL Approach  by Patti Kelly Ralabate and Loui Lord Nelson. This text covers how teachers can "weave together two powerful frameworks- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Responsive Teachers (CRT)- to design culturally responsive learning environments and lesson plans to meet the needs of English learners (Els)" (Nelson & Ralabate xi). Using the reading, a few additional sources, and my knowledge of the standards, I will examine which standards connect to the big ideas of UDL and  CRT as well as discuss how they relate to these ideas. I will then pick two standards from each of the following sets of standards: Common Core Standards, NCTE/ IRA Standards  (both of which I have looked at in previous blog posts) and the TTSJ standards.

What Are the Big Ideas of UDL & CRT?

Universal Design of Learning

Before I can relate the standards to the ideas surrounding CRT and UDL, I should first explain what exactly the big ideas and principles are. The book provides us with two large themes, stating that "a natural relationship exists between the two frameworks that focus on meeting diverse student learning and providing culturally responsive instruction" (N & R 10). But how do we do this? We learn from the book a key aspect of UDL takes into consideration the idea "that a curricula should be designed from the outset  with built-in flexibility and choice" (N & R 5). In other words, educators use UDL through means of creating a classroom that has a curriculum that is flexible to student needs, and provides them with choices. A CRT is defined in the text by Geneva Gay as "using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them" (N & R 6). UDL and CRT can be connected to make a curriculum that is flexible, relatable, engaging, provide for student choice and use the student's prior knowledge to go deeper into subject matter. With this information in mind, I have chosen the following standards that I felt best connected to these ideas.

Here is a document link to the specific standards I have chosen to look at.

Common Core Standards:
The two CCSS standards I have chosen to connect to are 9-10 2 and 9-10 6. Standard 9-10 6 refers to world literature and texts that discuss different cultures, this is important to CRT because it gives students a chance to look at culturally diverse texts. By choosing a wide range of texts, we give students an opportunity to read something that connects to their own culture, or learn about a totally new culture, creating a new awareness to those they interact with. Standard 9-10 2 can apply to UDL/ CRT because it asks students to use multiple sources from diverse media. Diverse media could include interviews with the students family or classmates that have knowledge on whatever topic the students are working on. The students can then cross reference the evidence they have gathered from family and classmates with their own research, the multiple sources can bring into question accuracy and credibility.

NCTE/ IRA Standards:
I felt that the two NCTE standards that connect most to the ideas revolving around UDL and CRT are standards 3 and 9. I found standard 3 aligning with the ideas around CRT because this standard asks students to use their prior knowledge, which is one of the components of CRT

(refer to Geneva Gay's definition). Standard 9 seems to connect with UDL and CRT as it expects students to respect diverse ideas surrounding culture and language. Many students already have diverse backgrounds, and by learning to respect other diverse cultures and languages, students will become more respectful in general.

TTSJ Standards:
This is the first time I have looked at the TTSJ standards, and I found them to be quite interesting. I also felt that a lot of these standards could apply to UDL and CRT, but the two I have chosen to focus on are 9-12 Identity 5 and 9-12 Diversity 9. The reason I felt that Identity 5 fit well with the concept of UDL and CRT is because it calls the students ability to recognize their culture and the dominant culture in terms of how they express themselves. If a student is not apart of the dominant culture, they are aware of how this has impacted their identity, which will hopefully make them aware of how other students are also impacted by their culture. This leads to an awareness of different cultures in general, and can then lead to students wanting to learn more about their culture or the cultures of their classmates. Diversity 9 ties into this because it requires students to "build connections with other people by showing them empathy, respect and understanding, regardless of our similarities and differences" which is important because it asks the students to be open minded when learning about new cultures. This all connects back to creating an engaging, and relevant curriculum based on the cultures and identities of the students, as well as encouraging students to connect their prior experiences with their cultures and apply it to their classmates. Using the students cultures, identities, and experiences, a teach can include relevant resources. thus creating a relevant curriculum.

Observations Part 2

While I was completing my observations with my cooperating teacher, there were some days he had meetings during his free period. During those days he would have me sit in with another Ebglish teacher who works with sophomores. While observing this teacher, I noticed a few differences. At the start of class students would grab their notebooks and folders from a shelf. These items are not allowed to leave the room (so that they don't get lost). When I asked the teacher about this after class, she said it was because she buys them the notebooks and folders. According to her, she only had to pay a nickel for each folder because she told the workers at Staples that she is a teacher. She also said she paid a little more for the notebooks. But it seems as though she spent less than $10 on materials for the students, which means it wasn't too pricey to get those materials for her 75 students. This teacher said she prefers to buy the students these items so that she can make them leave everything in the classroom, something which I can see the pros and cons to. The cons of this being that students can't lookover their notes or class items for guidance on something if they need to. In this case, how do they take assignments home? How do they study for midterms and final exams?

After working with her for a class period, I asked my CT if he supplied notebooks and folders to his classes too. He said he has a backup supply of notebooks, folders, pencils, binders and other classroom materials, however, he said most kids tend not to ever need them. He said that when he used to supply the class with these materials they usually weren't used or the students wanted to use their own items. It would also seem he would rather put money towards food for the students, which seems to be more useful in his classes, as they almost all meet in the morning. My CT said that typically students can always afford their class materials, but the backups are kept just incase they cannot.

My CT uses a class roster, however, he let the students pick their own seats and write their own names in on the roster. He said that the seniors are responsible enough to choose their seating. I believe that this allows them to feel like they are not being babied, which encourages a better relationship between the students and teacher. Typically the students always show up with their own notebooks and folders with the materials they need in them. The only time the teacher has instructed them with what to bring is when he asks them to bring their senior project topic ideas or summer reading work in for class. This year the students also have access to the portable laptops in their classroom, which will be helpful when it comes to writing and working on their senior project. In the classroom next-door their is a printer that students have access to use if they need to print things out. Typically my CT has them use it before class or a few minutes before the class ends, this way it doesn't take away from the lesson.

It seems that at this school, students have access to any supplies they might need, as well as laptops, computers and printers. While the school does not give chromebooks to every student, like a lot of other schools have started to do, it would appear that the students manage with what they have perfectly fine. I have yet to see an instance where students don't have the proper materials to use and work with during class time.

First Day of School Observations

During my observations, I noticed several things about the first day of school. The first thing I found a bit strange was the fact that there were announcements calling students down to get their picture taken. According to the teacher I am working with, this is a new practice they are doing so that the year book committee has more time to esemble the year book. The only issue with this was the fact that it seemed as though the majority of students were unaware this was happening today. Also, the teacher I was working with was worried it would put students behind on introductions and course expectations and make it harder for them to get settled in.

Another thing that I noticed was that the teacher I was working with was trying to build good relationships with his students. With each of his classes he had them sign off on the rules and have another student be a witness and sign the paper too. He let me pass these forms out and collect them which was fun to do. He also tried a different approach with cell phones than most teachers do. He has a charging station set up at the front of the room with all different phone wires for students to use if they need to charge their phones. He also told students they can keep their phones on their desk and he is okay with them checking them here and there but he said they cannot abuse this by scrolling through their phones or being on it constantly. I found this to be a great idea, as it allows students the freedom to check their phones if they need to. It also seems to make phones less tempting to be using throughout class. The teacher also told all of his students that he has a closet full of snacks incase they miss breakfast or lunch and get hungry. I love that idea because you never know whether a student is even able to afford food in the morning, and it is very important for them to have the opportunity to get something in their stomaches before they start their day of classes. Typically when students are hungry they will be focused on their hunger instead of class, so by providing them with food, they are more likely to pay attention as well as develop a positive relationship with the teacher.

Another strategy that I saw my teacher use with all of his classes, was telling them a story about how despite how he starts the year with seeing all of the reasons each student has ever gotten in trouble, he will not use it against them in any way. He tells the story of how a girl who prior to having him as a teacher was a known trouble maker, but at the start of his school year with her she asked him not to judge her previous history because she wanted to turn over a  new leaf in her life. She ended up being one of his favorite students that year, and she worked her butt off to do well in his class. He tells this story to give other students hope that they can always turn things around for the better and that he won't hold their past against them.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first day at the school there and I am hoping that I will be able to complete my student teaching their in the spring. The kids were very polite, and even though all of the classes had between 24-28 people the classes didn't get too rowdy.

Where I'm From Poem

I am from wooden swings hanging from trees,

From Harry Potter books and bicycles

I am from a neighborhood surrounded by woods

and a house destroyed by fire

I am from tall trees,

whose branches helped hide me when I didn't want to be found.

I am from clumsiness and short attention spans,

and from loyalty and ambition

I am from competitive family reunions every Summer,

from clam bakes and freshly made cheesecakes.

I am from staying out late to play games,

from getting hit by cars and

from two trips in 20 days to the ER.

I am from books and from bad luck,

and from determination and hard work.