In class Tuesday we started out by defining facilitation. The book defined it as meaning to make something happen or to make it easier. To add to that, we all came up with organizing/structuring, teaching, giving a head start to a topic or activity, and leading. Next we made our own definitions of the meanings of Realness, Acceptance, and Understanding. I think these three components are essential in the classroom so that we are real with our students, don't show favoritism toward any one, and so we can utilize what we know of different learning styles to best suit our students and make the biggest impact.
We all know that most Freshmen don't perform to their full potential their first semester for a whole list of reasons as we came up with in class. Some of these include time management, accountability and responsibility, diversity of staff and students, class size and different teaching styles. I know I had a little trouble with all these and then some. But I think if we can relate to them our experiences, it makes the transition easier. They can now have someone, an upperclassman, to relate to and it will turn out fine. It's just a matter of knowing the best way to relate and share our experiences with our students so that they will hear them and maybe even learn from what we've gone through. Another thing with these challenges is that when our students are faced with them, we need to know how to help them overcome them. But once again, it all goes back to communication.
Everyone has different learning styles and understanding this and using it to our advantage will really help with how our classes turn out. If we can incorporate more than one teaching style we will be able to reach more students and cater to more learning styles. We need to be able to read our students to see what works versus what doesn't so that we are able to get the message of what we are teaching across to them most effectively. It takes time to get the hang of and we'll never be perfect or be able to make everyone completely happy, but by mixing it up and using different styles we can make it more enjoyable for everyone.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
the Power of a Story
Sorry I haven't posted this before now, but better late than never I guess...
At ISCORE I attended the "Danger of the Single Story." We watched a video that I thought was really great and brought out the points well. First the single story was defined. It is one perception of of something based on an impression and naivete. It's not knowing or acknowledging the entire truth forming stereotypes, and if people are shown that as only one thing over and over, that's what it becomes. The power of a story depends on how the story is told. They most often emphasize differences rather than equalities. The speaker in the video said "when we reject the single story we regain a kind of paradise." People are made up of many stories, not single ones, and even though they can break and destroy, they can also build up and repair.
After the video we had to think about some things that make up the stories of our own lives. We were given a poem and another but with blanks so we could fill in the spots with our own words to make a story. (I can make copies of what we were handed out if anyone wants it. Just let me know.) Mine went like this...
I am from farms, from Chevy trucks, and John Deere tractors.
I am from the hay barns, black dirt of the fields, and cool cut grass.
I am from the corn, the pastures.
I am from hunting and gardening, from Chainsaw and Daisy and Clayton Lintz.
I am from the opposite side of favoritism, and loving care-giving of Grandma Lintz.
I am from Catholics and Lutherans.
I am from Iowa, Germany, fresh beef, and home-grown garden veggies.
I never did take the time to finish the last couple lines but in just filling it out this far I realized how many different stories make me up and how many more I could put in their place too.
John Carlos was the keynote speaker over lunch. For a little background if you didn't already know, he is a bronze medalist for the US Olympic track team from 1968 and is most remembered for his "Silent Protest" against racism and economic oppression. He and his teammate Tommy Smith both raised a black-gloved fist during the National Anthem during the victory ceremony after winning 1st and 3rd in the 200 meters.
One of the very first things out of Mr. Carlos's mouth was his acknowledgment that he was brought to where he is today by God. He had a vision when he was 8 years old of a championship; not about the medal, but the significance of what it meant for the black culture. He said black history is needed. Not only are they deprived of it, but children today are deprived of it. We need diversity to equal out culture and to remember!
He talked about segregation. It's based not only on skin color, but on ignorance. He really made the point that it is our duty to promote equality. We're all representing the same thing and those who fall for racism are "broken." The "troublemakers" are those who work to fix and change it like John Brown, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on... We need to stand for those who can't/won't stand for themselves.
Mr. Carlos "paid his dues" to tell about who he was and through track and field he had a voice. He said "our country is broke and we as a society need to fix it!" It's a necessity to step up when everyone else is jumping off. He made mention of the Olympic boycott being along those lines. It was like a ripple effect (like when you drop a rock in a pond) through the world. I was a nonviolent act to make a statement.
To wrap it all up, Mr. Carlos made some final comments. "We all live and die, but it's what we do between those times that makes us who we are and what gets accomplished." "God dictates where you're going to be; we just have to be ready." And, "To make a difference, know yourself; get in touch with the man in the mirror."
At ISCORE I attended the "Danger of the Single Story." We watched a video that I thought was really great and brought out the points well. First the single story was defined. It is one perception of of something based on an impression and naivete. It's not knowing or acknowledging the entire truth forming stereotypes, and if people are shown that as only one thing over and over, that's what it becomes. The power of a story depends on how the story is told. They most often emphasize differences rather than equalities. The speaker in the video said "when we reject the single story we regain a kind of paradise." People are made up of many stories, not single ones, and even though they can break and destroy, they can also build up and repair.
After the video we had to think about some things that make up the stories of our own lives. We were given a poem and another but with blanks so we could fill in the spots with our own words to make a story. (I can make copies of what we were handed out if anyone wants it. Just let me know.) Mine went like this...
I am from farms, from Chevy trucks, and John Deere tractors.
I am from the hay barns, black dirt of the fields, and cool cut grass.
I am from the corn, the pastures.
I am from hunting and gardening, from Chainsaw and Daisy and Clayton Lintz.
I am from the opposite side of favoritism, and loving care-giving of Grandma Lintz.
I am from Catholics and Lutherans.
I am from Iowa, Germany, fresh beef, and home-grown garden veggies.
I never did take the time to finish the last couple lines but in just filling it out this far I realized how many different stories make me up and how many more I could put in their place too.
John Carlos was the keynote speaker over lunch. For a little background if you didn't already know, he is a bronze medalist for the US Olympic track team from 1968 and is most remembered for his "Silent Protest" against racism and economic oppression. He and his teammate Tommy Smith both raised a black-gloved fist during the National Anthem during the victory ceremony after winning 1st and 3rd in the 200 meters.One of the very first things out of Mr. Carlos's mouth was his acknowledgment that he was brought to where he is today by God. He had a vision when he was 8 years old of a championship; not about the medal, but the significance of what it meant for the black culture. He said black history is needed. Not only are they deprived of it, but children today are deprived of it. We need diversity to equal out culture and to remember!
He talked about segregation. It's based not only on skin color, but on ignorance. He really made the point that it is our duty to promote equality. We're all representing the same thing and those who fall for racism are "broken." The "troublemakers" are those who work to fix and change it like John Brown, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on... We need to stand for those who can't/won't stand for themselves.
Mr. Carlos "paid his dues" to tell about who he was and through track and field he had a voice. He said "our country is broke and we as a society need to fix it!" It's a necessity to step up when everyone else is jumping off. He made mention of the Olympic boycott being along those lines. It was like a ripple effect (like when you drop a rock in a pond) through the world. I was a nonviolent act to make a statement.
To wrap it all up, Mr. Carlos made some final comments. "We all live and die, but it's what we do between those times that makes us who we are and what gets accomplished." "God dictates where you're going to be; we just have to be ready." And, "To make a difference, know yourself; get in touch with the man in the mirror."
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Communication is like Pictionary
First of all, I need to apologize again to Chels, Brandon, Silas and Allie. I lost track of time at work making me late. I’m usually more aware but I slipped up. Using myself as an example for your recitations next fall, after class just pull your student aside and see what was going on to make them late and reinforce the importance of responsibility and being on time. Sorry again and I’ll do my best to not let it happen again!
Moving on, class Tuesday was all about communication. We started out with a Twitter exercise were prompts were given and we were all to respond to them via Twitter. It honestly isn’t my preferred method of communication, but I can see its usefulness for some using the streaming chat method between faculty to exchange several thoughts and ideas in a short amount of time over a distance. I like scrolling through the news posts too, just for a short idea of what’s going on since I don’t take the time to read about it otherwise. But overall I don’t think I’ll ever be big on it myself. Just a personal preference…
The second part of class was led by Chelsea and Brandon. I really liked the quote they chose that said “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” It really sums up what I think happens a lot of the time. What we try to relay information to others but what makes sense in our mind may not to the other person. When we go away thinking everything is understood by everyone without room for questions, problems often arise. We just need to make sure we always leave room for questions and encourage them from our students in the fall and even from others in our everyday lives. People aren’t mind-readers, no matter how much it would sometimes be helpful, and that’s something we need to keep in mind as well.
I prefer to communicate face-to-face with most people. It leaves less room for misinterpretation most times I think. I am more formal with professors than friends, out of respect for their position and for the fact that it’s sometimes easier to be comfortable with someone I know well and talk to on a regular basis. I text a lot more now, but for long conversations I would rather just talk on the phone or in person. I think the more convenient the form of communication is, the easier it is to misinterpret information using it. It’s something I try to keep in mind when I use them.
The Telephone Pictionary game is always a good one to demonstrate how easily communication can be misinterpreted and lacking. It’s more of an extreme version than sometimes I think, but it really relays the point well. No one is perfect in how they relay or interpret information; it’s never done the same way between different people.
What we should have taken from this class is that there are several forms of communication and for our classes next fall we need to figure out what form our students respond to best or if several forms will be needed. We need to encourage questions and don’t treat any as a stupid question. We were all in their position at one time. And when presenting a new topic, even if we don’t necessarily like it, we should be excited about it for them, or at the least act like it. Our enthusiasm will transfer over to them more than you would think.
Moving on, class Tuesday was all about communication. We started out with a Twitter exercise were prompts were given and we were all to respond to them via Twitter. It honestly isn’t my preferred method of communication, but I can see its usefulness for some using the streaming chat method between faculty to exchange several thoughts and ideas in a short amount of time over a distance. I like scrolling through the news posts too, just for a short idea of what’s going on since I don’t take the time to read about it otherwise. But overall I don’t think I’ll ever be big on it myself. Just a personal preference…
The second part of class was led by Chelsea and Brandon. I really liked the quote they chose that said “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” It really sums up what I think happens a lot of the time. What we try to relay information to others but what makes sense in our mind may not to the other person. When we go away thinking everything is understood by everyone without room for questions, problems often arise. We just need to make sure we always leave room for questions and encourage them from our students in the fall and even from others in our everyday lives. People aren’t mind-readers, no matter how much it would sometimes be helpful, and that’s something we need to keep in mind as well.
I prefer to communicate face-to-face with most people. It leaves less room for misinterpretation most times I think. I am more formal with professors than friends, out of respect for their position and for the fact that it’s sometimes easier to be comfortable with someone I know well and talk to on a regular basis. I text a lot more now, but for long conversations I would rather just talk on the phone or in person. I think the more convenient the form of communication is, the easier it is to misinterpret information using it. It’s something I try to keep in mind when I use them.
The Telephone Pictionary game is always a good one to demonstrate how easily communication can be misinterpreted and lacking. It’s more of an extreme version than sometimes I think, but it really relays the point well. No one is perfect in how they relay or interpret information; it’s never done the same way between different people.
What we should have taken from this class is that there are several forms of communication and for our classes next fall we need to figure out what form our students respond to best or if several forms will be needed. We need to encourage questions and don’t treat any as a stupid question. We were all in their position at one time. And when presenting a new topic, even if we don’t necessarily like it, we should be excited about it for them, or at the least act like it. Our enthusiasm will transfer over to them more than you would think.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Teen Moms and Religion
Class Tuesday we went over the importance of cultural sensitivity. We were asked the question "what strategies do we use to help ourselves with cultural diversity?" We went around and there were a wide variety of answers. Some of the ones mentioned more often were patience, communication/asking questions to learn, and suspending judgment. Some other strategies mentioned in the book were acknowledging each individual, recognizing language barriers, consistency, respect, and showing empathy. Each are important in building and maintaining relationships with others, and even to build a cohesive community within our sections and throughout campus.
Cory and Jenna had us participate in an activity where we were each "tagged" something different. It was to represent how diverse people could be, not only by culture, but by things not easily recognized or seen by others. We had to go around and talk to others to deduce what made us different from a "normal" person basing it off comments and reactions. I was a teen mother. I think the activity could have been a little more realistic in that most of the time we don't see some characteristics in people, like being a teen mom, that would cause us to judge them or treat them differently than ourselves. Most times it's caused by looking or sounding different.
The tags were still really good though because it made the impression that diversity really isn't just about appearance. It's everything different between people that make us unique from where and how we grew up to religion to skin color. But these differences in us are what make us unique and should be encouraged and cherished. I don't think we should look for differences from ourselves in people we meet but rather look for similarities and be open to and willing to learn about all the rest. Suspending judgment and asking questions is what I try to do, but I struggle with it many times as I know others do too. I just need to make more of an effort to be careful of what I say and how I phrase things so I don't take the risk of hurting someone else.
I don't believe we can ever put ourselves in another's shoes for the fact that we will never know what all is incorporated with them. But we can stop to think about how we would feel if the situation were reversed and we were the one's being judged, or shown limited patience, or whatever it is. Being sensitive to diversity is a leaned trait that we all need to work on. Wherever we go in life we will always be met with diversity in one way or another. It's better that we learn about it now so we know how to handle it and make the most of it later in life. (I mean, what better time to become comfortable with it when we have so much on campus?)
Have a good one and see you all in class Tuesday! :)
Cory and Jenna had us participate in an activity where we were each "tagged" something different. It was to represent how diverse people could be, not only by culture, but by things not easily recognized or seen by others. We had to go around and talk to others to deduce what made us different from a "normal" person basing it off comments and reactions. I was a teen mother. I think the activity could have been a little more realistic in that most of the time we don't see some characteristics in people, like being a teen mom, that would cause us to judge them or treat them differently than ourselves. Most times it's caused by looking or sounding different.
The tags were still really good though because it made the impression that diversity really isn't just about appearance. It's everything different between people that make us unique from where and how we grew up to religion to skin color. But these differences in us are what make us unique and should be encouraged and cherished. I don't think we should look for differences from ourselves in people we meet but rather look for similarities and be open to and willing to learn about all the rest. Suspending judgment and asking questions is what I try to do, but I struggle with it many times as I know others do too. I just need to make more of an effort to be careful of what I say and how I phrase things so I don't take the risk of hurting someone else.
I don't believe we can ever put ourselves in another's shoes for the fact that we will never know what all is incorporated with them. But we can stop to think about how we would feel if the situation were reversed and we were the one's being judged, or shown limited patience, or whatever it is. Being sensitive to diversity is a leaned trait that we all need to work on. Wherever we go in life we will always be met with diversity in one way or another. It's better that we learn about it now so we know how to handle it and make the most of it later in life. (I mean, what better time to become comfortable with it when we have so much on campus?)
Have a good one and see you all in class Tuesday! :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Valuable Values
Class Tuesday was very insightful in many ways. Amy and Rachel started off with a quote from Jesse Jackson that said "don't look down on someone unless you are helping them up." I though that it fit so well, not only with the topic that night of values, but also with what we're doing as peer mentors. It's our duty to help others when they need it and not judge anyone or look down on them. Who's to say that we'll never be or have been in a similar position at some point in our lives? It's just another form of reinforcement to think about how we present ourselves to others in what we do.
The question of who has been a role model in our life and what values they possess was a good one to make us think, well me at least. I chose my mom as one of my biggest role models. She has so many values that she reflects all the time, some being adaptability, service and purpose, but the most notable ones I think would be responsibility, dependability and balance. She's been a single mom to us four kids for the last 11 years now, but she has always and still does make time to go to our events, help us out when we need it, and even take time for herself all while holding a full-time job position an hour drive from home and with us living on a small farm. I honestly think the ability to have that balance in her life is very admirable. I strive to find a good balance between schooling, work and play but it really proves to be difficult at times, especially when it comes time for tests. It's something I need to continually work on so I can help my students to find a balance in their lives as well.
With four children and being a single parent my mom is very responsible and dependable. She knows what's going on when and carries through with her word. Those traits she has also worked to instill in us four kids not only by telling us but by example. It's something I've watched all my life and I try to live mine in the same way. I try to lead by example and make an effort to be responsible with my actions and decisions, and also be dependable by following through with my word when I give it.
The class activity where we went to different corners depending on our weakest or strongest values. It showed a lot about who we were to the rest of our class but I think it also showed a lot about who we were to ourselves. I had to really think about a few of the values to see which was my strongest or weakest and then determine why that was. Some reasons I didn't really want to hear from myself, but it provided an opportunity to see and make improvement in myself. We don't have to be strong in all parts I don't think, because that's where we can help each other out. Where someone is weak, another may be strong, but we should all strive to better ourselves in each values at the same time to provide the best example we can for our students and each other.
The question of who has been a role model in our life and what values they possess was a good one to make us think, well me at least. I chose my mom as one of my biggest role models. She has so many values that she reflects all the time, some being adaptability, service and purpose, but the most notable ones I think would be responsibility, dependability and balance. She's been a single mom to us four kids for the last 11 years now, but she has always and still does make time to go to our events, help us out when we need it, and even take time for herself all while holding a full-time job position an hour drive from home and with us living on a small farm. I honestly think the ability to have that balance in her life is very admirable. I strive to find a good balance between schooling, work and play but it really proves to be difficult at times, especially when it comes time for tests. It's something I need to continually work on so I can help my students to find a balance in their lives as well.
With four children and being a single parent my mom is very responsible and dependable. She knows what's going on when and carries through with her word. Those traits she has also worked to instill in us four kids not only by telling us but by example. It's something I've watched all my life and I try to live mine in the same way. I try to lead by example and make an effort to be responsible with my actions and decisions, and also be dependable by following through with my word when I give it.
The class activity where we went to different corners depending on our weakest or strongest values. It showed a lot about who we were to the rest of our class but I think it also showed a lot about who we were to ourselves. I had to really think about a few of the values to see which was my strongest or weakest and then determine why that was. Some reasons I didn't really want to hear from myself, but it provided an opportunity to see and make improvement in myself. We don't have to be strong in all parts I don't think, because that's where we can help each other out. Where someone is weak, another may be strong, but we should all strive to better ourselves in each values at the same time to provide the best example we can for our students and each other.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Mission Statement (spring2011)
To encourage the growth of my students as individuals to aid in their transition to college and the beginnings of a successful college career.
To strive to crate a classroom environment where students are comfortable and bonds can be formed with my caring personality and knowledge gained from my class of students last fall.
I will...
-Listen to concerns and input and work to utilize those recommendations when applicable and if they're in the best interest of the class.
-While in class, put aside my personal issues to put the needs of the class first and form lessons to best suit my students.
-Treat everyone as equals to create a sense of solidarity in the classroom where no one is more important than another.
-Get to know each student as a person and promote their individuality and differences from myself and others.
-Be ready and willing to listen to any concerns or problems and provide input when asked for it as well as other resources where help may be found.
-Utilize the knowledge and experience I gained from last semester not only in my classroom but to assist my fellow peer mentors as well.
-Maintain an open mind and attitude so I might learn from my peers and students as I hope they can learn from me.
I look forward to the next couple semesters of new faces and learning experiences!
To strive to crate a classroom environment where students are comfortable and bonds can be formed with my caring personality and knowledge gained from my class of students last fall.
I will...
-Listen to concerns and input and work to utilize those recommendations when applicable and if they're in the best interest of the class.
-While in class, put aside my personal issues to put the needs of the class first and form lessons to best suit my students.
-Treat everyone as equals to create a sense of solidarity in the classroom where no one is more important than another.
-Get to know each student as a person and promote their individuality and differences from myself and others.
-Be ready and willing to listen to any concerns or problems and provide input when asked for it as well as other resources where help may be found.
-Utilize the knowledge and experience I gained from last semester not only in my classroom but to assist my fellow peer mentors as well.
-Maintain an open mind and attitude so I might learn from my peers and students as I hope they can learn from me.
I look forward to the next couple semesters of new faces and learning experiences!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Personal Assessments
Our opening go-around question was really good I think. It told a lot about each of us, by us sharing a little of some thing that helped to shape who we turned out to be today. Many of our past experiences were similar and I think a lot of us could relate to them. My parents' divorce played a major role in who I am today. I grew u really fast thinking that I had to take care of my three younger siblings all the time. It really reinforced my tendency to want to "mother" others all the time and take control of situations.
It's really important to know what helped to shape who we are today so we can know who we are because if we don't know who we ourselves are, how are we to help our students figure out who they are? the quote by Jesse Jackson said "you can't teach what you don't know and you can't lead where you won't go." We have to be willing to look at ourselves and recognize who we are and what makes us who we are so we can help our students do the same.
The list of words we made about ourselves of descriptive words was a good thing too. It was a way to evaluate how we see ourselves with both strengths and weaknesses. How we see ourselves is important in how we portray ourselves and our students will pick up on that as well. It goes back to leading by example. If we know who we are ourselves and take the time to evaluate ourselves our students will be able to see that as well and be more likely to do the same.
Going through the self awareness assessment was interesting and even enlightening in a way. It made me stop and think about how aware I was of myself in each category. I saw both some obvious strengths and weaknesses based on what I focus on more/ care about more deeply in my life. My three weakest categories were intellectual, physical, and emotional. I tend to not have a certain set way to study and even though I don't, I find it's usually in a fairly similar fashion. I am comfortable with who I am, but I like predictability and routine, so I often refrain from taking taking chances unless I'm fairly certain of what the outcome will be. Change can throw me off, even though it may not be a whole lot. As for my physical awareness, I've never thought too much about what I eat or making an effort to exercise. I've always been active but in the last few years even that's become harder to maintain, but my eating habits have not gotten any better.
In the last couple months I've tried to make a better effort to eat healthier and exercise more. Now I just need to keep that up. I'm going to try harder to better adapt to changes and better understand how I study best and use that to my advantage.
It's really important to know what helped to shape who we are today so we can know who we are because if we don't know who we ourselves are, how are we to help our students figure out who they are? the quote by Jesse Jackson said "you can't teach what you don't know and you can't lead where you won't go." We have to be willing to look at ourselves and recognize who we are and what makes us who we are so we can help our students do the same.
The list of words we made about ourselves of descriptive words was a good thing too. It was a way to evaluate how we see ourselves with both strengths and weaknesses. How we see ourselves is important in how we portray ourselves and our students will pick up on that as well. It goes back to leading by example. If we know who we are ourselves and take the time to evaluate ourselves our students will be able to see that as well and be more likely to do the same.
Going through the self awareness assessment was interesting and even enlightening in a way. It made me stop and think about how aware I was of myself in each category. I saw both some obvious strengths and weaknesses based on what I focus on more/ care about more deeply in my life. My three weakest categories were intellectual, physical, and emotional. I tend to not have a certain set way to study and even though I don't, I find it's usually in a fairly similar fashion. I am comfortable with who I am, but I like predictability and routine, so I often refrain from taking taking chances unless I'm fairly certain of what the outcome will be. Change can throw me off, even though it may not be a whole lot. As for my physical awareness, I've never thought too much about what I eat or making an effort to exercise. I've always been active but in the last few years even that's become harder to maintain, but my eating habits have not gotten any better.
In the last couple months I've tried to make a better effort to eat healthier and exercise more. Now I just need to keep that up. I'm going to try harder to better adapt to changes and better understand how I study best and use that to my advantage.
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